What to do with your downtime? Running a business is rewarding and overwhelming; sometimes at the same time. January can be a quiet month for businesses and a perfect time for business building and operations changes. The holidays are over and people are starting to look ahead to what the new year will bring.

Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible. ~ St. Francis of Assisi 

Eat an elephant one bite at a time. That’s how big, complicated projects get done. Now, when it’s quiet, is the best time for those pesky, necessary projects you keep putting off because you’re too busy.

What is the best thing to do with downtime in your business?

This is a great time to review what’s worked and what parts of your business or personal budget needs tweaking. Then you can adjust the processes, programs and procedures you need to have your best year ever.  As an entrepreneur, putting together a well thought out plan is crucial to staying on track with your goals and avoid feeling overwhelmed.

• Set authentic goals for each month, then write down the steps you’ll take to get there. The more “true you are to you” and authentic your intentions and goals, the more likely you are to stay committed and take action.
• Educate yourself on the new skills and resources you will need to grow into your goals and plan for regular upskilling opportunities.
• Surround yourself with people who support you. They may be friends, colleagues, family members, a coach, mentor or adviser. Keep connected to people who inspire, encourage and challenge you.
• Invest in those with the skills that can help you meet your goals; a good project manager, bookkeeper or business coach can be your best friend.
• When you feel overwhelmed, it helps to remember to take your commitments and actions and break them into bite size, or fun size, goals. Remind yourself that you have choices about what you say “yes” and “no” to, and when and how you move forward.

“Let Monthly Business Growth Planning Keep You Focused” is an article by Jackie Nagel, Synnovatia that helped me think about some items that were missing in my plan and find all my hidden elephants waiting to be eaten.

If you’d like to dive in a little deeper, I invite you to check it out!