February 2023 Topic: If you could tell someone one thing to watch out for when starting a business, what would it be?
By Sharon Loduca, Real Estate Professional in Ontario, Canada
When starting a business, there are so many things to watch out for. And, just saying “everything” will only serve to overwhelm you. Narrowing it down to one thing is a challenge at best 😊.
One thing though – I’m going with “use your online calendar”. That, right there, would work fine, if I stopped now! This is the ONE thing that will help propel you in the right direction.
Here is my “why”.
Your “Business” has no mercy on your soul! It will consume you. If you let it. Your business can be a tool that allows you to live the life you want, or it can become your life.
No matter how much you LOVE your business. No matter how much you love your clients. Your product. The results you get. The money you make. Even your business needs “boundaries”.
Take time to think about all the things that are important to you: Family. Outings. Pickleball. The gym. Hiking. Clubbing. Hiking. Zen time. Feeding the birds. Study time. Sleep.
I’m a widowed mom who spearheaded three youngins into adulthood. I run my own business. And I love every bit of it. I am invested. Focused. Energetic (mostly). However, I found I wrestled with the amount of time I invested in business. I struggled with consistently being available for quality time outside of it. I would find myself exhausted. And grumpy. Extremely frustrated.
Fast forward to today, my gym time is on my calendar for 630 a.m. Monday to Friday. My kids, and friends, and colleagues, send me a calendar invite for planned events and get-togethers. “Add to calendar” is my favorite feature 😊. Because I was so business focused, I knew if there was an “appointment” in my calendar I was gonna honour it.
The value in this is inexpressible – giving the same respect and value to all things outside my business as business-related matters. Or at minimal, not letting business crowd out all the reasons why I run my own business in the first place. Just keep in mind that investing in all that defines “you”, is in fact investing in your business. Then, I assure you, you will run your business the best, and have the most fun doing it. So please, go “Calendize” yourself!!
This allows me to feel more aligned in my life – more balance. Less hustle. More focused. More in control. And other things that are important to me began to surface more – spontaneity, and creativity. Finding more balance, minimizing stress and burnout.
I get this is still easier said than done. You won’t always keep that appointment you set for yourself. But even then, it will remind you that you matter. Give yourself grace. always. For what I cannot honour, I can at least acknowledge or reschedule, whether it be personal or business. The calendar is not in control. You are. It is simply a tool to help you process and define the memories you will make, the ladders you will scale. Use it to help enhance your life.
The goal is to find the balance that works for you; that allows you to pursue every one of your goals in a way that is aligned with your values, allowing you to live your most authentic life. And after all, isn’t that ultimately what we are all pursuing, what we all desire?
My friend Dolly sums it up best: “Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.” —Dolly Parton
