Running a business is one of the most demanding & fulfilling things you can do. I once asked somebody at a networking event, "How's business?" and received a very long answer, but at the end of the conversation, he said:When you are in business there is always too much to do. When you have plenty of work, you are busy getting it done and pleasing the customer. When you don't have enough orders, you have to scratch around to find more.Sometimes, I wish I could just put things on pause and sit down and think about where the business is going and how we can get things done more quickly.He was right to want some thinking time. The evidence is all around us that businesses that take the time to think about where they are going and how they are doing things always do better than businesses that "just keep their heads down".This is because the rewards from a little bit of thinking and planning are out of all proportion to the time that you spend. It is also a fact that the changes that you make will benefit your business week after week for years to come. Most people in business understand that but still don't take the time to put it into action. Why is that?The mistake that most people make is to imagine that thinking time means taking days, weeks or months out of the business. It doesn't!The most important thing you can do for your business is to set aside some time, just as you would for any other task in your business. My top 10 tips for building thinking time into your busy working week are:
Decide how much time you need to start. It doesn't matter if it is 5 minutes a day or 20 minutes on Friday, just start somewhere. (If you can't provide a little bit of time a week, you probably shouldn't be running a business).
Decide where you will spend this time. You might do it in a coffee bar, at home or at your workplace. Generally, it is best to do it where you will not be distracted by immediate problems.
Put a slot in your diary and keep the appointment with yourself.
Relax and just think about the future of the business, the way you are doing things and the changes that you could make.
Take notes in whatever form suits you; paper, electronic or audio.
At the end of your session, make a note about whether you found it useful and what you can do next time.
Book the next session in your diary.
Reflect on the points you noted for at least 24 hours
Make a list of things that you can implement now or need to think about in the future.
Take action on some items to ensure that you start reaping some of the benefits and encourage yourself to take further action
Start today!
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