Be the CEO of Your Business: The Productivity Mindset

I’ve been asked a lot lately how I’ve stayed so focused and had a productivity mindset over the past few months while so much of life as we knew it has changed.

I’ve heard some clients and friends say they can’t focus.

I understand. So much has changed. Yet, when it comes to business, at least one thing remains the same for me and, I hope, for you.

WHY YOU STARTED.

We all have a why so let’s talk about PRODUCTIVITY and where it comes from. 

Remember how the New Year held so much promise? It always seems to encourage us to set new goals. That’s because we see it as a clean slate; an opportunity to start fresh. Anything seems possible. And that excites and motivates us.

And then life shows up. And the daily routines of life cause disruptions. Distractions. And slowly, some of those big goals don’t seem as motivating. Or focus wavers. And that’s in an average year.

This year we had so much more to deal with. The coronavirus struck. We self-quarantined. You might have lost clients or a job. Worse, someone you love may have become ill.

Because of these things, you may not be working towards those goals to grow your business. Maybe your days are blending together and all you seem to do is work but you don’t see the movement you’d expect. 

Those are signs that you need to change your mindset so you can improve your accountability.

Confession: I had those struggles, too. For the first few weeks of March, I listened obsessively to the news, worrying about the health and well-being of those I love, the people I serve and the people I’ve never met. But then something like adrenaline shot through me. 

It was my WHY, my PURPOSE.  I realized in the midst of feeling helpless that there were, in fact, people who needed me. I realized that I could continue to lean in to serve them not from where I was but from where THEY WERE. 

THAT mattered. It motivated me. I did weeks of crisis communications counseling. I spoke to groups. And then I decided to start a program for entrepreneurs who needed help knowing what to say and do to stay relevant and solvent. 

Now I’m actually doing more than I was before March. I realized that to be CEO of my business, I needed to be CEO of my life. 

So I want to share with you five things you can do to be the CEO of your business (whether you are or not) with a productivity mindset. 

1. Remember your why. It’s your touchstone when things get tough, your north star when you can’t find your focus. 
2. Do the right thing at the right time. If you’re a morning person, do the tasks that take the most focus then. Don’t let others set your schedule for you. 
3. Schedule your week on your calendar, scheduling first the tasks most important to growing your business. 
4. Rest and rejuvenate. Nothing refreshes your brain and body like proper sleep and exercise. Designate your weekends or at least one day a week where you don’t do any work. Don’t check email. Use your phone only for talking with friends and family. Sleep in. Take a nap. Walk or run or get out your yoga mat.
5. Have an accountability partner or coach. I have had an accountability partner, Jen, for six years. We talk every Friday. She reminds me of where I’ve been, where I want to go, and what I said I’d do to get there and I do the same for her. I also have a coach. I’ve had five or six now. Each one has helped me get to the next right place.