In any business, there are good days and bad. Sometimes the thrill of the journey sees you switched on 24/7 while at other times, it can all feel a bit, well…hard.
But the key to ongoing business success is consistency, and like it or not, that consistency is driven from the top down by the energy of the business operator.
So how can you maintain your business energy, no matter what’s going on around you?
Have a plan
It’s far easier to maintain momentum and energy when you have a clear plan of where you are headed. This plan will allow you to set key performance indicators and goals you are seeking to attain, along with the actions required to get you there.
When this plan is clearly mapped out, it eliminates the daily or weekly question of where to from here, and where should I be focusing my attention right now. Ultimately this allows you to create consistent and energising success that you can build upon.
Recognise your wins
Business can often involve constantly-shifting goal posts, where the moment you achieve one milestone, your attention immediately switches to the next. In order to maintain your energy levels, take the time to recognise, reward and acknowledge the wins along the way.
That also entails looking back a year or two to gauge exactly how far you have come, which ideally will invigorate you to keep on going forward.
Work to your peak performance times
Every business operator, and indeed every member of your team will have peak periods of time during both the day and the week where their productivity is higher. Use these to your advantage.
It is these times when your energy levels are higher that you should be contacting customers, performing labour intensive work, or getting through the items that you might otherwise avoid. Often you’ll find if you get the hard things out of the way first, you create an energy balance that allows you to maintain the momentum and complete the lighter tasks more easily.
This might also involve starting your day the night before with a list of exactly what you hope to accomplish, including prioritising the order in which those tasks will be completed.
Take a break when you need to
Too often business owners fail to take time out when they need to for fear their business cannot operate without them. As a business owner, you need to be able to walk away from your business occasionally to take a well-earned holiday and restore your energy levels.
Scheduling time away from your business also serves additional purposes beyond allowing you to wind down. It also forces you to implement systems and procedures, delegate to others, provides something to look forward to and gives you the energy you need.
Avoid negative news and people
Part of maintaining your energy for business involves ensuring it isn’t being taken or reduced by negative influences. And these can include a range of factors, like negative news or negative people. Over the past couple of years, the news headlines have been hard reading, and that remains the case now.
Where possible, balance your news consumption with insightful reading about your industry that allows you to create actionable strategies. More importantly, surround yourself with positive people who share your can-do attitude and outlook on life. This includes both your staff and your inner circle of friends, and look to business or life mentors who will also keep you on track and help you maintain an energy balance.
Share your vision and plan
When you share your business vision and plan with your staff, you create personal accountability which can really assist when it comes to maintaining both energy and momentum. Remember, a business is a team effort, and when everyone is engaged and invested in success, energy is contagious.
