Time to think?

This post is about the human side of “being a brand” – and protecting and nurturing your most valuable asset – you!

It’s less about business growth, marketing and all that jazz.

 Because keeping “you” in a good place is critical to being able to show up, market yourself and your business.  

I know this firsthand.

I’ve been supporting myself and many, many others through my businesses for 22-years.

Right now I support five kids – with the full assortment of emotional, financial, time, and physical demands that come with that - especially in the tougher seasons of life

I’m fully human and like you, get tired, have moments of overwhelm, frustration or whatever else is a completely normal part of the human experience.

But I’ve learned a few things about how to navigate this tricky journey of integrating business, family, and life.

For many years now have been living a “life by design” that by and large, works really well and enables me to do what I do, with a bucketload of joy and enthusiasm.

It’s been intentional, and a journey to get there but one worth pursuing IMHO.

Lots of learnings many of which I’ll save for another time.

But one BIG one which I’ll share below because I feel it’s timely and relevant for most people in business right now.

As the world is in a truly weird, crazy place.

Where we are all just so overloaded, feels like stuff is coming at us non-stop, the rate of change is relentless (we were not built for this).

Sometimes we honestly have to just do the minimum, put one foot in front of the other and that’s about all we can do.

Firstly, know this!: If you’re feeling tired, and business (and life generally) just seems like a lot, you are NOT alone. Be gentle to yourself.

I had so many conversations this week with business owners especially people very active in the online space, hearing the same story, over and over.

Some of them are multi-million-dollar businesses, some with a small team, and some doing their own thing.

Different circumstances, same feelings.

So I’ll say it again: You are not alone.

Just living day to day is a lot right now.

Even without the added intensity of running a business, let alone the pressure to grow it.

I’ve always been a big believer in seasons of life and business.

And in seasons like we are in now, it’s important to be present to what’s going on.

Where external circumstances affect how we show up, what we do, how much time we’re inside/outside, what we eat, our energy levels as well as how we need to look after ourselves.

I’m not going to go into the zeitgeist right now.

You already know how different things are and can see how it’s affecting families, businesses, the economy, mental health, relationships and world generally.

So in these times, how do you “look after you” when you’re growing a business as well as doing everything else on your plate?  

Well, that could easily be a book, so I’m just going to share two thoughts that I personally experienced this week and found super helpful over the last few years.

When overwhelm hits, resist the urge to work harder to push through. It rarely works.

Instead, take a step back. Give yourself some creative space.

A day, an afternoon, whatever you feel you need to “unscramble your brain” and “reset”.

I build Tuesdays as “thinking days” into my week. No meetings.

I think about strategic things, planning, writing, creativity, fleshing out my IP, problem-solving and have nothing fixed I “have” to do.

Sometimes I do one of these things, sometimes several, occasionally none.

Just a walk, a picnic or time alone at a cafe, if that's what I need. 

Time to think, Time to be.

Thinking IS work.

This was a massive revelation that changed everything for me.

And if I don’t value it enough to have it built in it’s not going to happen. My brain will always be "busy" doing "stuff".

Knowing this day is there is like oxygen to my business brain.

(I also have a separate day dedicated to self-care, looking after my body, mental health and relaxing stuff -  and one for life admin too (my life requires it), but Tuesday is a day earmarked for "thinking")

Sure I could book in clients, or do podcast interviews or "busy stuff" (like you I have an enormous to-do list), but without this clear business day it will burn me out too quick.

And I guard my energy & focus fiercely.

This week, on my :thinking day" I had been pondering three really big issues. (not problems per se, but things like)

“how can I make my flagship program appeal to more people who need it?”
“how can I make this more accessible?”
“how can serve my clients better?”
“how do I help clients adapt to what’s going on and make progress even quicker?”

and the big one…

“how do I make this even easier/lighter”?
(because I’ve been in the game for 20+ years and I’m in it for the long haul. If it’s not light and joyful to me it’s not sustainable. And that’s not good for anyone!)

I’ve created a life by design. It doesn’t always go to plan (nothing ever does, right?!) but with the exception of one or two things I’m working on it’s pretty close to ideal.

And the framework is there.

Like an elastic band, you can stretch it when you need to but you have a default shape that exists because that’s how you’ve created it.

For me that’s come though me continuing to get clear on my priorities, being open, creative and strategic about how I do things.

A few years ago I stopped saying “this is too much” or “I just can’t do this” – and instead started being more curious and enquiring and asking better questions. 

“What would need to happen for me to……?”
and
"How could I ........? 

These are two of my absolute favourites.

But the power is unleashed when you create the space for the answer to come.

So I think about these things often.

Find ways to "get into flow".

I don’t “default to busy”.

I know from experience there are far better, more sustainable ways.

That are more impactful, energising, and will align with the “lifestyle by design” objective.

So this week, easing back into work off the back of 2.5 weeks of Covid I was going deep on these really big questions on Monday & Tuesday, and for some reason, felt like I was drawing a blank.

This happens quite a bit for me.

But I’m a big believe in putting the intention out there, unleashing my curiosity, then “mulling” over things until the answer comes. Not stressing, but allowing it.

And come it did.

Very suddenly, actually.

On Tuesday evening I was taking a shower, and if you're like me, may find there’s something about b being in or near water that sparks creativity and ideas.

The answer to all THREE issues I was enquiring about, all came together in one fell swoop.

The answer was so simple.

"How had I not thought of that previously!" I excitedly said to myself. 

Soon as I was out of the shower I put it all on a page.
(soooo need to find a waterproof notepad to capture those #showthoughts lol!)

So first I noted the big points on one A4 page.

The next day, Wednesday, I just sat with it, as I went about my business as usual.

Thursday I fleshed it out and articulated my thoughts.

Ran it past to my own coach and mentors to sanity check my thinking (yes we all need someone to bounce ideas with, because it’s hard to see clearly when it comes to our own stuff sometimes)

And it was a big, juicy tick.

It made sense. Just SO. MUCH. SENSE.

And most importantly, it felt so light.

So fun, So easy. Yet so powerful and impactful.

I can’t wait to share, that will come in due course, but for now I just wanted to talk you through the process for how I create space in my business and life for breakthroughs like this to come.

Because the stuff we are challenged with now is so very real.

I shared my method of building in space to deal with overwhelm and pressure at this time.

If you’re feeling the same I hope it inspires you to lean into something and explore something that will work for you.

But if you take anything from the words today, just know there’s more solidarity than you think.

It’s a global challenge for all of us right now.

It’s a season, and we WILL get through it.

Just like we have in the past as well, through all our valleys and troughs.

Be kind and gentle in the meantime.

Think about what you need, and give yourself space to allow the answers to come. 

Don't overload your schedule, and manage your energy fiercly. 

From a business perspective protecting and nurturing your most valuable asset - “you” - is a non-negotiable.

And if you're in business, or leadership a big part of that is time to think.

******

Would you like insights like this in your inbox each week? I publish the best stuff to my email list first of all, and then eventually it finds its way onto the blog. So if you want in on the action and the best stuff ahead of the pack, click here now. 


******

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nina Christian is a Marketing & Brand Strategist who is all about doing marketing in a more connected and human way. She helps business leaders and social-change-makers use thought leadership content to build their authority and widen their impact.

She is the Director of Braveda, (est 2000), which was recognised as  "Best Marketing Agency" at the Australian Marketing Excellence Awards.

She is a Certified Practicing Marketer (CPM), a Fellow of the Australian Marketing Institute & AMI State Chair (Vic) and runs two businesses of her own.

She has a knack for simplifying the complex which comes from being a hands-on mum to five young children, and uses this to turn time-sucking activities into easy to follow systems and processes that get outcomes fast.

If you're in business or leadership I'd love to help you! Here's what we can do together. 

️ Get your message in front of more of these "right people" consistently by creating high-quality content that stands out, is strategic and moves people towards you.

 Infusing the right energy into your brand so it has all the feels and draws in the right people.

 Set up rinse-and repeat-marketing systems that work, and just make life and business growth so much easier. 

There are different ways to work with me based on your situation and with all of them you'll see rapid transformation in a month (Hybrid 1:1/group program, 1:1 Intensive, team training, corporate workshop). Book a chat with me here.