This will help you for 2023…

One of the common topics that I notice come up from Founders and Owners is how to manage the multiple priorities they have.

There are so many hats we wear that we often have many similarly prioritized initiatives going on at the same time: from managing a newer member of your team, to pricing your services for next year to planning marketing initiatives. The list can be endless.

And they’re all important.

Sometimes, it feels impossible to chose what to focus on next because it IS nearly impossible. They all have to be done!

While everyone’s situation can be somewhat unique, what I do know is this: when we focus on the many, progress is slow; when we focus on the few, we speed up.

When bandwidth is stretched, the answer isn’t to pile more in, or maybe even continue to expect progress with stretched capacity. But yet in this scenario, we still have the expectation that things need to be done now and we need to see results now.

Instead, have you ever considered, that when bandwidth is stretched, that perhaps the answer could be to refocus the capacity we do have into the vital few? And complete them?

What would it look like if you worked on the vital few but with shorter time frames? Once completed, you moved on to the next vital few?

When your bandwidth is stretched, you can’t go further faster. It’s really tough to make the progress you’re looking for.

It’s like when Captain Kirk asks Scottie to increase their speed beyond their capacity and Scottie would respond with, “Well, if I shut down the power to the - insert Enterprise part - then I can divert that to power the core…!” It worked every time :).

Ok so I don’t mind revealing that I was (and maybe still am) a Star Trek fan.

So what could you ‘shut down power to’ in order to divert to the vital tasks that are important now?

While we want to get all the things done at once, that’s a one-way trip to burnout. Sure, for a short time it could be sustainable, but as a long term habit, this is how owners end up hating their businesses and want to quit.

There’s a mindset to making progress that is often missed when we’re talking about growth and sustainability. The perspective that can be really valuable here is the discernment to understand what’s vital for you and your business right now, and the courage to focus and act on only on the vital few.

If you look at your next six months, what’s most important for your business right now? What projects, if completed, would make an impact to your overall sustainability, growth, value, or general satisfaction in your business?

I encourage you to reflect on this question. The answer or few answers should show you the path forward. And, consider working on one or two initiatives at a time on top of your regular day-to-day work.

This is how you take a stand.

Take a stand for your business and for you.

This is how you manage your energy and create space that fosters productivity.

I would love to hear - what would be an example of something that would be vital to you and your business in the next six months?

NOW is YOUR time,

Ariana

priorities - Business Coach in Canada, Canadian Business Coach and Leadership