3 ways I implemented Self-Discipline into my Business Journey, Taking Control of my Growth.
Updated: Jul 14, 2023
How To Take Control Of Your Business’s Growth. Implementing Self-Discipline into your daily life to improve productivity and success.
#Wordoftheday Self-Discipline
No one told me when I opened my small business that the biggest secret was to learn how to master self-discipline. That by mastering self-discipline I would save myself so much time from stressing, anxiety attacks and failed plans.
For a couple of months, I was just on auto pilot, barely showing up. My social media pages turned into a sales page for my products. I wasn’t feeding my audience my best quality content. I had no strategy and was just winging it. It was to the point where my business was declining and so were my finances. And the problem was me!
I was busy during the day but I was also bouncing around a lot. Leaving a lot of my tasks incomplete. It was a dark and frustrating time until it just hit me one day…What are you doing? Do you want this business to succeed or do you want all of your hard work to be for nothing? It took me realizing- I am in control of my actions. To understand that makes me also in control of my growth. If I wanted better, I had to do better.
I’m going to share with you three ways I implemented self-discipline into my business journey, taking control of my growth.
#1 - Shifted my mindset from a worker to a boss.
Yes I own my small business but I wasn’t acting like it. I was carrying on like there was someone else to pick up my slack and magically get things done. I had to adapt the mindset that I am the boss and the fall guy. If something gets forgotten, a deadline gets missed, inventory runs out- it’s all on me and my inability to manage what’s on my plate. It took a lot to reprogram myself and my actions into actually being the boss, I titled myself as.
A huge part of shifting my mind was actually identifying what areas I wasn’t bossing up in. By doing a S.W.O.T. Analysis I was able to identify my strengths and weakness. I realized some of the areas I wasn’t performing well in were because I didn’t know what I was doing. It was time to feed my mind.
“Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.” - Lao Tzu
#2 - Created a productive work schedule and routines.
Yep! Little Miss “no one tells me when to clock in“ put herself on a schedule. And even though I hate early mornings, I can definitely say it’s made my life so much more productive and less stressful. I like to break my month’s goals and to do list down by the week- and then use that to strategize productive days. I start my day at 8am with a hour of me time and every hour block after that has a specific task I should be completing. When time is up I move on to the next task of the day. And It might sound bad but I even schedule my family/time with the kids into my schedule. It reminds to take a minute from working and check in with them too.
When you create your work schedule make it as detailed and realistic as possible. Remember the goal is to finish each task before the end of the time slot and all tasks before the end of the day, so don’t overload yourself. Adjust the amount of time you need, as needed. It’s a three step process because that’s what works for me. Do what works for you.
Use tasks that you have to do daily to create a routine for yourself. My morning and evening routines help me stay on top of emails, keep my social media engagemen flowing, and not miss any appointments. It’s became a habit I do on auto pilot now.
Routines help:
Save time.
Improve quality of work.
Improve Productivity.
Reduce stress.
Instill good habits and break bad ones.
Reduce procrastination.
Accomplish your goals.
With so much that needs to be done with business and life in general, it’s easy to lose track and forget something. Putting yourself on a schedule and creating a routine, helps prioritize tasks and shift focuses when it’s time to move on to the next one.
Don’t put your schedule out of sight, out of mind. Keep them in your face. Use a digital calendar to get reminders for important deadlines, appointments, etc. But also keep a printed version that you’ll see daily. I use a big dry erase board in my office, my Google calendar and my planners.
#3 - Kept Myself Motivated by Networking & Taking time for Self-Appreciation.
Finally, I learned the importance of keeping myself motivated. I would say this was the most important. For a period of time my lack of motivation showed in my work and definitely in my finances. I was letting stress and creative blocks discourage me, skipping events and not engaging with the community I built. Too busy focusing on not reaching my big goals, I down played all the smaller milestones I reached. When I should’ve been celebrating them.
My advice is “Don’t let the days pass you by.” If you start to lose focus make a vision board, attend a networking event, get out into the community and if you really need it- take sometime off to clear your mind. Keep a log of your accomplishments and celebrate them. Remember if your vision or mission has changed you have the freedom to make whatever adjustments you need for your new path. Reset. Regroup. Relaunch.
“Either you run the day or the day runs you.” — Jim Rohn
Mastering control over my actions and holding myself accountable grew my confidence and my customer’s satisfaction. Everyday is a process and some days I still slip up. But by mastering my self-discipline I was able to take back my control and easily get myself back on track to grow my business. You can too! Are you ready to take control and grow your business?
If this post was helpful or you can relate comment below and let me know your thoughts.👇
