Episode Transcript
[00:00:07] Speaker A: You gotta be bold. This story gotta be told Own your fierceness gon and glow This the Sonja Empowers Show Stay on go like a lion who on the prowl Sonja Sells help you get it we doing it and doing it now.
[00:00:25] Speaker B: Hey Empowered Disruptors welcome back to the Sonja Empowers Show where I ignite your online business and help you own your fierceness, embrace your unique beauty, talents and strengths, rise above fear and step into your destiny as you build empires and shatter expectations together.
Today we're diving deep into a topic that plagues many entrepreneurs. The urge to do it all. We're going to explore the signs you might be trying to focus on too much. The serious consequences of this overextension and most importantly, actionable steps you can take to reclaim your focus and achieve true success.
Let's start with those telltale signs that you may be biting off more than you can chew.
1. Busyness is not a badge of honor. We've all been there. That constant feeling of being swamped, of always having to quote unquote prove our work through a jam packed schedule. But the truth is busyness rarely translates to productivity.
2. The what was I doing moment. This is a classic. You start a task only to find yourself completely lost mid sentence. This happens when your mind is racing, trying to juggle a million things at once.
3. Prioritization paralysis. Do you find yourself endlessly debating the order of tasks? This lack of clarity is a major red flag.
4. Deadlines. What deadlines?
Consistently missing deadlines is a surefire sign you're overwhelmed.
5. Time management chaos. Your calendar is a mess. Appointments are missed and you're constantly playing catch up. 6. Stress and anxiety are your constant companions. You're feeling burnt out, anxious and unable to enjoy the things that bring you joy.
7. Sleep is elusive. You're tossing the turning at night, your mind still racing with to do list.
8. Opportunities slip through your fingers. Exciting opportunities arise, but you're too exhausted or distracted to capitalize on them. And lastly, late fees are your new norm. Yup. Financial penalties piling up due to missed payments and forgotten deadlines. This is a serious sign.
Now let's talk about the serious consequences of trying to focus on too much.
Well, for starters, reduce productivity. Ironically, trying to do everything often leads to accomplishing very little. You spread yourself thin and the quality of your work suffers.
I personally went through this when I first became self employed and you know, I stepped into the whole virtual assistant industry and I was like man, I'm going to rock this because I am great at multitasking. However, I found that when I was trying to multitask with my clients, I wasn't really productive. And it led to frustration. I began to doubt myself and I didn't understand what I was doing wrong. I'm like, how can I be good at administration? How can I, how can I be great at multitasking? And yet the two is not working for me. And so I ended up reaching out to a senior assistant.
She had been with this company I contracted with for a while and she began to serve as like my mentor. And she took me under her wings and she was like, multitasking is your enemy. And she was like, trust me and follow exactly what I'm going to tell you to do. And I'm telling you, once I stopped trying to multitask, which was spreading myself thin, I'm telling you, the quality of my work just soared because I was no longer multitasking. So I wasn't all over the place. And before I knew it, I was being called a rock star, a ninja. I was getting really great clients, signing on with them, and then ultimately that led me to my biggest client, which was a $21 billion pharmaceutical company.
Next burnout and exhaustion. So this is a major risk. Constant stress can lead to physical and emotional exhaustion impacting your health and overall well being. Another consequence is impaired relationships. Overwork can strain your personal relationships. You're less present for loved ones and resentment can build. And that's on both ends, not just on that other person's, you know, them having resentment towards you. But you can have resentment as well because it's like, oh my gosh, you're missing out on the things that you would love to be present and you can't be present for those things because you're overworking yourself or allowing others to overwork. You lost creativity and innovation. When you're constantly reacting, there's little room for creative thinking and innovative solutions. And lastly, missed opportunities. As I mentioned earlier, focusing on too much can cause you to miss out on valuable opportunities that could really impact your business.
Why Gaining control is important for entrepreneurs so for entrepreneurs, gaining control is paramount for several key reasons. These are not all the reasons, but these are some that really stood out to me. Mitigating risk. The entrepreneurial journey is risky, y'all. Unforeseen challenges, market shifts and unexpected competition or constant threats. By gaining control over their time, resources and decision making processes, entrepreneurs can better anticipate and navigate these risks. Another one is driving force and productivity. Distractions are rampant in the modern world. Let's face it, Gaining control allows entrepreneurs to prioritize, identify and focus on the most critical tasks that move the needle. Minimize distractions, eliminate time wasters and create a focused work environment.
Also increase efficiency, streamline workflows and optimize processes.
Let's move on to building a sustainable business.
Burnout Prevention Right, that constant go, go, go will lead to burnout. Regaining control allows for rest, rejuvenation and a sustainable pace of work. Because honestly, especially when you are a solo entrepreneur, you're going to always have something to do, right? There's always going to be something on that to do list. So why run the risk of burning yourself out, frustrating yourself and ultimately sometimes some people, it causes them to just want to give up. Okay?
Also under Building a Sustainable Business Team Building, delegating effectively and empowering others requires a degree of control over the overall vision and direction and financial stability. Controlling expenses, managing cash flow and making sound financial decisions are crucial for long term business success.
Maintaining Mental and Emotional well Being the pressures of entrepreneurship can take a toll if you allow it. Gaining control over your time, workload and stress levels is essential for maintaining mental and emotional resilience, adaptability and innovation. A controlled environment allows entrepreneurs to be more adaptable and innovative. They can experiment, learn from mistakes and pivot when necessary without feeling overwhelmed or losing sight of their long term goals. In essence, gaining control empowers entrepreneurs to navigate the complexities of the business world with confidence, resilience and a greater chance of achieving long term success.
So how to gain control? That's the big question. So, all right, enough of the doom and gloom. Let's talk about how to regain control. One way is embrace the power of no learning to politely decline requests that don't align with your priorities. This is crucial for regaining control of your time and energy. The 8020 rule 80. It identifies the 20% of tasks that yield 80% of your results and prioritize those.
This helps you focus on your efforts, on what truly matters and regain control of your output.
Time Blocking I am a huge fan of time blocking. Schedule specific times for specific tasks. This creates structure and minimizes distractions, giving you back control over your day.
Learn to delegate. Don't try to do everything yourself. You may say, well cyan, I'm just starting out. I'm in a lean cash flow season. I don't have the resources to hire someone right now. Hey, no worries. We all have had our small beginnings. However, make sure that you be intentional once you're at that stage in your business. Outsource tasks. Hire a virtual assistant or delegate to team members. If you begin to grow and scale on a larger level, this frees up your time and allows you to focus on higher level tasks. Regaining control over your strategic direction Practice mindfulness Incorporate mindfulness techniques like meditation or deep breathing to reduce stress and improve focus. By regaining control over your mind, you can better control your actions and reactions. Prioritize self care I told y'all I'm going to be mentioning this, you know, throughout different episodes, but self care is so important.
Make time for activities that nourish your mind and body, such as exercising, spending time in nature and pursuing hobbies. This is essential for regaining control over your well being and preventing burnt out Burn Burnout and if you think that you have to be working 80 hours a week to experience burnout, you have another thing coming. It doesn't take much to cause burnout to happen when you don't have the proper strategies and structures in place.
Lastly, review and adjust Regularly review your schedule and priorities.
Are you still on track? Are there any adjustments you need to make? This ongoing review process ensures you maintain control over your progress and make necessary course corrections. Remember, regaining control is an ongoing process, so be kind to yourself. It requires consistent effort and a commitment to prioritizing your well being and your goals. By implementing these strategies, you can reclaim your focus, reduce stress and achieve true sustainable success.
Yes, all right, so you know what time it is. Yep, you guessed it. It is time for your FAB assignment. Your fierce action breakthrough. Now if you're new to the show or if you need a refresher, the purpose of the FAB assignments It focuses on immediate high impact actions derived from the information shared in each episode. It encourages the listener to take decisive action and break through potential resistance by adding a fierce action component to each step.
Now on to this week. You guessed it FAB assignment which is Reclaim your focus. The whole goal is to regain control and increase focus for enhanced productivity and reduced stress.
So 1.
No negotiation action is identify three requests commitments you will politely decline this week. Your fierce action Draft polite but firm email text responses declining these commitments. Schedule time Tomorrow to send them two 80/20 rule Identify your top three most impactful tasks for the next seven days.
Schedule these three tasks into your calendar as non negotiable blocks of time.
3.
Time blocking power hour choose one hour tomorrow to dedicate to a single high priority task. Eliminate all distractions during this hour, meaning you can put your phone on, do not disturb, turn notifications off and have your workspace cleared.
4. Delegation Dynamite Identify one task you can delegate this week. Draft a clear, concise email to your delegate outlining the task, expectations and deadline. Schedule a brief follow up meeting to ensure understanding.
5 mindful moments Schedule 5 minute mindful breaks for each day this week. Find a quiet space, close your eyes and focus on your breath for five minutes. Use a meditation app if it can be helpful to you.
A bonus is the no Phone Zone. Create a designated no Phone Zone in your home or workspace.
Remember, consistency is key. Review your progress at the end of the week and adjust your approach as needed.
Thank you for tuning in to this episode of the Sonja Empowers Show. If you enjoyed this episode, please like, share and subscribe. For more business empowerment resources, visit sonjasells.com and for additional resources on personal growth and inspiration, visit chakeletdrapinspired. Com. Until next time. Empowered Disruptors Own your fierceness.
