If something about how you're spending your time seems off or like you're fighting an uphill battle to do what you think you need to do, I'd care to wager you're going against your time values.
Time values is a concept I created when I realized that after struuhhh-guhh-ling STRUGGLING to do anything outside of the basics in my business for the better part of the last 6 months. I realized - HELLO - I've been spending my time and effort trying to live in accordance with someone else's time values vs. spending my time living out MY OWN time values.
This was a major epipheny. Once I realized what I had been doing, it felt like I had just lifted a 600lb weight from off my back.
Let me give you an example of what living outside your time values looks like so you can see if you may be doing the same thing:
- I had heard from a mentor (NOT directly from her, to be clear, but through a workbook of hers), "You have to stop scheduling personal appointments during work hours.
When I adopted this value back in December, I immediately stopped scheduling hair appointments during the day even though taking personal appointments during work hours was probably one of my absolute FAVORITE parts about owning my own business.
I stopped baking during work hours. I stopped napping during work hours. I also filled up my calendar with 16 clients and was working towards 20.
And you know what else happened? I stopped being productive. It was like someone unplugged me. My creativity shut down. I spent WAY more time on my phone trying to avoid the pressure and stress I was creating for myself living between: "I need to be working but I don't want to work."
I'd feel some measure of relief around 5pm because at least then I could stop this ping-pong because my work hours were up. But then I felt guilt and worry. Would I ever figure this out? Would I be trapped in this cycle forever?
Thankfully the answer is no. I escaped! It took me 6 months but I escaped from my own personal time prison that I had constructed for myself. I wanted to share this with you ASAP incase you're feeling trapped in the same sort of time purgatory.
Here are some questions you can start asking yourself to help you get clear on your time values as they relate to work. When you have your answers, you'll want to compare them to how you're spending your work time now.
How do you enjoy spending your time? Putzing around with work sprinkled in between? Or do you prefer focused times for work?
Do you enjoy having work hours? Or do you prefer to work whenever you want?
Do you like to have fun and then get to work? Or are you the opposite? Or something in between?
If you could work in any way you wanted, in any environment (inside or outside your home) what would you do?
Do you value efficiency? Or do you value tinkering until it's just right? Or a mix of both depending on the project?
What are you already doing now that you love and works for you? What has worked in the past?
If you were being brutally honest, what do you hate about how you're spending your work time now? Is it a rule you heard from someone else? Did you see someone you admire doing things that way?
Once you can see where you're living outside of your time values, it's time to start making adjustments. This part can be scary because it requires self-trust. However - the difference in the enjoyment of your time and how much more you get done will be STARK. It's worth the risk, my friend. You can do this.
Talk next week!
Gretta
P.S. I am currently booked out through the end of July, you can join the waitlist by scheduling a free consult here.