Business Fit Magazine January 2019 Issue 1 | Page 7

1) Raise your energy. You cannot expect to reach extraordinary results and a life without stress if you don’t care about your energy in all its forms: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. This should be a must for everyone, yet most people live their lives trapped in the “busy being busy” paradigm and never stop doing ‘things’. If this resonates with you, be aware that in the long term your business can be your worst enemy. Take time everyday, to workout and have some personal time. You deserve it, and your family and your business do as well. 2) Seek clarity. As Seneca says, “If one doesn’t know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favorable”. Clarity is everything: why are you doing what you’re doing at any time? What moves you to do a certain thing, execute a specific action or get involved in a project? What do you want to achieve in your life and through your business? The moment you know what is significant to you, to your life and your business, you can direct your choices towards it. Take the time to answer these questions and don’t rush through it, because as you find clarity you’ll become better at saying no to what doesn’t fit within the path you want to follow, you won’t waste time doing what shouldn’t be done, and you’ll act with laser focused attention. 3) Set goals and make your plan. Turn your vision into executable goals and a step-by-step plan. I’m still surprised when high potential clients come to me with great business ideas started without order or structure. It breaks my heart when I see people working without a plan and making their business stay afloat thanks to their tenacity, through trial and error attempts, and very long hours. Sometimes it works at the expense of lots of anxiety and exhaustion, and sometimes it doesn’t. Be aware that there is an alternative way to do things through setting specific and time-smart goals, and writing a plan to execute the exact strategies to reach those goals. Don’t be scared by the process. Be ambitious instead, this is the time to play big, set inspiring goals and be motivated by what you’re working on. 4) Simplify. “I can do it all” doesn’t work. There’s nothing more dangerous than sitting on top of your projects and tasks and expecting to do it all alone. Despite what most people think, running a business is not a selfish race. It’s not even a race. It’s an orchestra and to get the most beautiful sound you need several people, skills and pieces to play in unison. Eliminate all projects that make you waste time, don’t bring you clients, don’t get you visibility or impact. Delegate as much as you can in order to multiply your time and let people who are better than you in their field, put their unique abilities at your business’ service. Automate through software and technology. This will allow you to scale your business enjoying the time and money you deserve, while having a broader impact. So here you have it. Take the time to know yourself, select the advice which best suits you and apply it in order to get yourself and your business to the next level. To help you further you can take my self- productivity test at www.stefaniadp.com/test and get a personalised answer with the first step to improve your own efficiency. For now, what is the first step you can take to move forward, protect your own space and time and have your business well organised? Write it down and commit to it. Discipline will drive you further than you imagine! Stefania Dalle Pezze is a trainer, speaker and advisor on productivity and organizational efficiency for entrepreneurs and small businesses based in Spain. She is the founder of www.stefaniadp.com, director of the podcast “Bienvenida productividad” and the author of the Amazon bestseller book “Conquista tu tiempo”. 7