By Sue DiFranco
Copyright © 2001 Sue DiFranco/Fun Facts Publishing  

Recently I was talking with Michael, and I was commenting on the fact that as a small business owner, there are just SO many things to juggle. If it's not order fulfillment, it's the many aspects of marketing, or answering emails, or writing new books, or answering phone calls...you all know the drill. It's like, "Will I EVER catch up?"

Michael then said something interesting. "It's like a mud ball," he stated. "You're scooping up all this mud trying to make a mud ball, and you're making a little ball, but mud keeps seeping out of your hands, and it seems like you're not making any progress. But you are! And then, finally, the mud ball starts to harden a little on the inside, and you're still building on it, and then eventually the mud ball is an actual hard ball that you can and should be proud of, because it was all due to your hard work."

What an amazing analogy! As small, or even solo, business owners, we share this common trait: wearing EVERY hat and trying to accomplish it all NOW. Before you are blessed to grow to a company with many employees (if this is your goal), you have many titles, and with that comes many responsibilities and much time. Even when our business is going "good" or even "great," this can sometimes be an overwhelming prospect. How can we possibly do it all? (And we're not even getting into the whole family and personal issue!)

My best suggestion is to be as well-organized as possible. I have found that since writing down my goals, along with writing my "To-Do" list each week, things have been flowing much smoother. When you wake up and think, "OK, today is Wednesday - time to send out press releases," or "It's Monday -the day to post to message boards and back up all my documents," it helps keep the business more organized.

Another thing that I find works is taking quiet time every day if you can. I can hear everyone now: "But who has TIME for quiet time?!" Believe me, I know. But setting aside as little as 15-30 minutes to think and reflect will increase your productivity and peace of mind throughout the day.

This time can be in the morning, when you first wake up. This is also a great "creative" time - somehow, the magic of the just-waking-up minutes provides you with inspired ideas and intuitions that might not come to you during any other part of the day. It's wise to keep a notebook by the side of the bed to jot these thoughts down, no matter how "crazy" they might initially sound. This is your subconscious mind talking, so listen up! 

Your quiet time can be in the shower, or in the bath. It can be late at night, after everyone is asleep, and you're finally winding down from hours of working. It can be outside, if the weather is comfortable for you. It doesn't matter where it is, as long as you make it a priority each day. Take deep breaths, think about your goals, repeat your affirmations, give thanks for what you have. You'll soon find that you'll be addicted to your newfound "peace of mind!" Wishing you the best in success, however you define it!