Real Life for Real Business
Photo taken in early days of pandemic in our backyard.
It’s easy for people to think that this accountability and goal setting stuff is something that either comes naturally, or it doesn’t. I’m sure it seems like it comes natural for me, but it’s just a matter of experience and practice, like many other life skills.
I am often told I’m calm and grounded and that’s because this isn’t my first rodeo, on many levels. And if you look at many situations in your life, you will see that you are using these or similar skills and it’s just a matter of transferring them over to your business.
So how have I amassed this wisdom and peace of mind when it comes to running my business? I have raised FIVE boys. And a real mix of boys. Two came with my husband, then I had a set of twins and then one more for good measure. I know what I’m doing by repeating the process again and again.
Things I learned from raising kids that translate to business
Here are some of the things I use in my business that I learned from wrangling all those kids :
PATIENCE - Or rather, learning to pause instead of react. Kids can drive you crazy, and so can your client’s demands. The best thing you can do is take a step back and assess what is the best tactic in the present moment. The kids will outgrow their challenging habits. 95% of what they do to drive you crazy is temporary. They all eventually sleep through the night, get potty-trained, and learn to be polite. And when you choose systems for your business and use them consistently, things will start to go more smoothly.
TO BE ORGANIZED - Or perish. On any given day, I was simultaneously juggling five schedules between Cub Scouts, soccer practice, drama club, lacrosse practice and dropping another off at work. If I slipped up, all the dominos would fall. So just like in your business, I had to be keenly aware of my calendar and any daily tweaks I had to make to stay on top of things.
DELEGATION - I’m not sure you can visualize the amount of dirty laundry and dishes five boys and their friends can produce on the daily. There was no way I could do all the housework and get everyone to their destinations (see paragraph above). One day I made an announcement, pointing at each of my sons - YOU will vacuum the downstairs, YOU will vacuum the upstairs, YOU will dust, YOU will clean the bathrooms, saving my husband for last -and YOU will make sure the rest of it gets done! My husband has learned a thing or two about accountability as well.
PLAN AHEAD - If you’re driving people to all these activities, they all need stuff. Cleats, costumes, uniforms, soccer ball, lacrosse stick, snacks and water. And if you want anyone to do laundry, wash dishes, or clean toilets, it’s in your best interest to be prepared and have all the supplies and instructions ready to go.
Plan for the week and put your business tasks front and center
It’s the same in your business. Plan for the week and put your business tasks front and center - on the wall, in your calendar, or a program like ClickUp or Trello, just like you put schedules on the fridge.
HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR - Every time I try to slide a vegetarian meal into the menu plan for my gang of carnivorous men, they look at each other and ask, "did you take all the chicken?"
Ha, ha, ha, very funny, I always think to myself. Things are going to go wrong, or not quite as you expected. The best way to handle it is to hold your head high with grace and humor.
HAVE FAITH - They will find their way. They will make good, lifelong friends, and discover their purpose. My son once had a cell phone that he kept in a drawer. Until he came home after Founders Day - a town holiday - where he had spent hours running around with some kids he just met, and hollered "Where's that cell phone? My friends are gonna be texting me!” That little group stuck together and now after college are still friends.
It's the same for your business. Just keep doing the things - planning, strategizing and executing, and you’ll find your people, too. You’ll settle in to your group of colleagues that you can lean on for support, and you’ll find your clients. And when you do, it may help to have a way to maintain accountability for your business.
I’m a business strategist, and I run Path of Action Accountability groups to help my clients prioritize goals, plan out the steps to achieve them, and how to take action to execute those steps. I’d love the opportunity to tell you more about it. Schedule a call with me today.
P.S. Ready to stop spinning in place and get to the other side of your goals? Here are several ways I can help:
Download my free weekly planning guide - it will help you become more intentional with your time, develop a clear action plan for your week, and ensure that you are focusing on activities that will move your business forward - Download Now
Join our next CEO Power Planning Session and spend two and a half hours ON your business. During this facilitated workshop, you’ll set and prioritize your next 12-week goals, break them down into an executable action plan and create a resource plan - Join the Wait List
Apply for the next Close the Gap Program and stay on track to achieve your most important goals. 1:1 support and guidance on prioritizing goals, creating a plan and putting structure and routines in place. Then 12 weeks of group support around execution - Apply today