defeat the enemy, strongholds and spiritual warfare
Hey Friend!
I know you love the episodes where I give you a sneak peek into different areas of my business or life. So, we will examine small daily habits or actions that help me perform at my best.
I genuinely believe I can turn it on when it comes to work. I get laser-dialed into what I am supposed to be doing and crush my work. This means I can be available for my family at the end of the day.
I hope that these seven things I do daily are some simple practices you can start utilizing in your business.
My Business Tip #1: Daily Schedule Review
Number one is a schedule review. I try to practice my morning routine every day, and the fundamental element of it is my time with God. Only after this time with the Lord will I open up my schedule and review it for the day ahead.
I remind myself who is dropping off the kids, what meetings I have, the timing of these meetings, who is picking up the kids, what projects and tasks I am focusing on that day. After I have reviewed my schedule, I feel set up for success for the day.
It gets me into the mindset I need for the day. Do I actually have to put on my makeup or not? Do I actually have to get out of my joggers or not? I need a minute to get ready, if I have important calls, so I need to know what my day holds!
My Business Tip # 2: Time Block
The second thing I do in my business daily is time block. I have a lot going on with the kids’ and my husband’s schedules. My kids play sports, and my husband plays sports. My son has piano lessons. Like any American family nowadays, we have a lot to juggle.
Time blocking is imperative because I then know exactly when I am going to get my work in for that day. In this season of my life, this is actually relatively easy because my boys are at school full-time. They are in elementary school so I can work from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, 80% of the time.
I set up my time blocks on Sunday night for the entire week. But again, each morning, I have to reorient myself to the amount of time I have to work for that day. This is especially important for those of you who have a full-time job, are in a season of littles, or homeschool your children. You have to be really intentional with your time blocks. They need to be extremely clear and mapped out in your schedule.
My Business Tip #3: Do The Hardest Thing First
I am ready to go when I sit down to work in my time block. I look at my workflow and determine what I will tackle right now. When I do this, I start with the hardest things first.
You might be someone who procrastinates on the hard stuff. You save that for the end of the day. I will say a hard no to that because you want to be the most vibrant, intentional, focused version of yourself to do your best work. Connecting with our student community in my Facebook group is easy for me, so I save them for the end of the day when I am spent.
I do the things that require the most brain power first. For me, this might mean recording a webinar, a virtual summit, or podcast episodes. I do not want to have decision fatigue when I show up to create an A-level activity. When I create something that will have an impact or that will generate income, I need to be at my best.
So, the most challenging things need to come first in your day.
My Business Tip #4: Turn Off All Notifications
Number four is that I have all notifications off. I have been very serious about this for years. If you have been listening to me for a while, you know how I feel about this. If you are on my team, you definitely know how I feel about this.
I do not have any notifications for my business. My emails are not dinging at me, Voxer is not pinging me, and I do not have any social media installed on my phone. As the CEO of a company going to the next level, I will not be subjected to living reactively all day long.
It is impossible to do this if we do not turn off notifications because we will lose the battle against the engineers who are the best at what they do and who keep us addicted to our devices, phones, socials, scrolling, and the dopamine loop. No, thank you. I refuse to play their game, which means notifications are non-existent in my life, and I think that they should be in your life, too.
Before you give me a rebuttal on this, I do not silence phone calls. I am available to my family, and my husband and my mom are in my favorites. Their text messages get through. So as far as your ‘life’ getting through to you, yes, that is fine. But I am talking about everything else. I don’t want to know when I get a new email. I want to be in the block of time when I am doing emails to sit and tackle them, then.
My Business Tip #5: Use Focus Cues
The fifth thing I do is use focus cues. Like my time and notifications, I have stringent rules about my environment.
My office needs to be clean and organized. I need to have certain drinks available because I will find any excuse to go and reheat my coffee. It is not really that I need to reheat my coffee, but it’s a procrastination or a pattern interrupt. So I need to have my coffee in a hot mug or in my Ember mug, which keeps it hot. I need to eliminate any excuses for me to get my booty out of my seat!
One of my favorite hacks, which I know isn’t possible for everyone, is sitting on my Peloton bike with the desk I bought from Amazon that fits onto it. If I get on the bike and strap my feet in, I can power out an hour and a half of uninterrupted work because my feet are strapped in! I can’t get up to check on the chickens or see if my dog is bored and needs a snuggle. I have to stay on the bike and work.
What Helps You to Focus?
Ask yourself what focus cues help you stay hyper-focused. I’m relentlessly pursuing optimal focus. I’m obsessed with it. I love it. I hate distraction with a passion because I am constantly on the path to being the best version of who God is calling me to be.
And I can’t do that if I am my own worst enemy and am distracted by notifications pinging all the time or making excuses about why I can’t show up and do my best work first thing in the morning. So these focus cues help me and I hope they help you too.
My Business Tip #6: Take Breaks
Contrary to what I said above, I get up from my desk but these are scheduled breaks. I used to work like a dog with a bone, slightly obsessively, pounding out work in the time that I had.
While I still work hard, I now know the importance of breaks and that there is much science behind this. Every hour, I try to stand up and jump up and down. I might do some stretching and move around. I go outside and take a few deep breaths of fresh air. It is critical to have these quick brain breaks.
My Lunch Break Reset
My lunch break has been crucial for my focus. After about three hours of work, I am burnt out, so I will make a small lunch, whether it is an egg white omelette or a turkey sandwich. I try to have something high-protein and add some fruit and vegetables, too. I also try to drink a whole glass of water or a La Croix if plain water feels boring!
My lunch break might be just 20 minutes, but I sit outside on the patio and enter a different environment. This may not be possible for all of you if you are working full time, but what I have found works for me in this season is to try to go outside, get some fresh air, awaken the brain cells again, get the blood pumping, and stop looking at a screen.
Everything in me wants to look at the screen during my lunch break. I haven’t been able to check the news, watch a YouTube video, or chat with my friends. But I really try to take that lunch break and detox from the screen and tech. I try to sit with the presence of the Lord and feel the breeze, breathing in the fresh air. It is beneficial for me to return and hit the afternoon with intention.
My Business Tip #7: Turn Off Work When Work is Done
I turn work off when work is done. This has been a long journey for me. Some of you have heard my story of getting to a healthy balance between work and life, and I believe that I am there now and feel amazing.
I typically work between 20 and 30 hours a week. This depends on what happens, but the average is about 25 to 30 hours weekly. As mentioned, I work between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., Monday through Friday. When work is over, I pick the kids up from school, or when my husband and the kids get home from school, I close down my work.
Before I do this, I ensure I have completed all the work for that day. I guarantee no lingering things need to be finished because that is where you feel that restlessness about turning off. We call it closing the loop, a term that is not mine but which we use. I can’t be at rest if I have started something and haven’t closed the loop. I can’t listen properly or be fully engaged.
Close the Loops
Close all the loops you can; if you don’t finish all the work, schedule it for the next day or the next day. Do what you must to ensure you can answer yes to the question ‘Is today fully done?’ If the answer is yes, close the laptop and go and be. Go and pour out and listen well. Have meaningful conversations. Put down your phone. Get in a workout. Take a walk. If this is possible for you this season and you can do it, I highly recommend it.
For those of you who are working full-time and are also trying to grow your business, it is even more critical for you to have set boundaries when you are working. This might look like coming home and being present from six to eight. You might get the family settled for a movie or put them to bed if you have little ones. Once this is done, you can work from eight to ten o’clock.
Create the Life You Want
You have got to be intentional with your time blocking and serious about the life you are trying to create and the boundaries you are trying to build. Know that God has handled everything, including your business and its growth. Much of it comes back to trusting Him enough to close off work when it is done.
I know that this might be hard for some of you to hear. It was hard for me to listen for a long time. Now, I am experiencing a beautiful balance in my life that I really didn’t know was possible before.
I hope that these seven things have helped you in some way, encouraged you, and given you some tactical tips that you want to employ in your own business.
Have you ever wondered how much money a podcast with just a thousand downloads can make? It’s probably more than you think, but not in the method you think.
Have you ever had a business meeting with God? In this post, my goal is to provide you with six tangible steps to set the agenda for your business meeting with God.
Today, I want to share an amazing conversation with Jaclyn Kirschen about her top ranked podcast, Lose Weight Mindfully. Jaclyn is a testament to leaping in faith when nothing else makes sense.
Visit the free resources section and find out which software I personally use and recommend. Become an affiliate, or discover other trusted resources I have to help you succeed on your business and faith journey.
I can't wait to help you get clarity on your calling, grow your business, launch a podcast, build a course, or scale and get visible. Check out the Stefanie Gass School. No more frustration or overwhelm. Just a simple, step-by-step framework to get you where you want to grow.
I'm Stef Gass.
hey friend!
Get clear on your calling in 4 weeks or less so you can start your online business with confidence.
Apply for my 6-month group coaching program for podcasters! Build your offer, learn to sell, and scale.
Visit the Stefanie Gass School to discover what step you're on and and learn which course is right for you!
Launch a podcast in less than 30 days! 12 simple steps to go from idea to successful podcast.
Let's work together!
WORK WITH ME
Clarify Your Calling Free Workshop
Watch this workshop and get clear on your calling so you can start an online business! Hop on this quick, 35 minute free training and map out your next steps!
Podcast for Growth Free Workshop
Watch this workshop and learn how podcasting works to make money online! Find out why podcasting is the best long-form content outlet and how it can drive more leads than social media.
Leave Comment or Question Below