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When I Break My Own Rules
by Denise Hedges
Are you maxed out? Not enough of you to go around?
Believe me, I understand. I'm blessed to have a thriving business ... and for that I'm very grateful.
The issue is that I get so blessed at times I can't find enough time in the day to do all the things I need to do and serve all the clients I need to serve without doing some creative scheduling and working some really long hours.
I need a Ronco Day Stretcher, but it seems they don't make them! Go figure.
So, what can one do? Well, I've set up some guidelines to help make my days more manageable. Nothing earthshaking. Just some simple rules such as ...
Create a two hour break between my morning and afternoon coaching calls.
One hour just isn't enough time to eat, work with my admin on what she needs from me, get ready for the rest of the day, and take a little time out for myself to reset and recharge.
Limit myself to six clients a day ... sometimes seven is okay. Never eight.
I set it up that way to preserve my sanity and so that I can be of maximum value to everyone I coach.
So, I looked at my calendar yesterday and what did I see? Eight people scheduled and a consult with someone else ... with only a one-hour break! I violated my own guidelines. How does this happen?
Well, it happens quite easily actually. Sometimes people can't schedule sessions when I have time available, so we have to find a time that works for them. Also, I give a lot of presentations and I'm on the road a lot. That's a joy, but there goes that block of time and clients still need to be scheduled. And finally, the last thing I want to do is turn away or defer potential clients. Gotta make time for them.
So, sometimes, I have to bend the rules. But you know what? I really don't like to do it, because I can get tired and crabby, and sometimes I feel put upon. That's not good. If this were more than an occasional thing, it would break me down. The rules work. They serve me well.
When I look at a six-person day, I feel happy and light and energized. When I look at an eight-person day, I feel kind of like somebody getting ready to run a marathon! I can do it, but it puts a strain on me. It sets up an expectation of exertion vs. flow, and guess what? The experience often matches my expectation. Ugh.
Fortunately, most of the time, I manage my calendar pretty well and achieve a pretty good balance, and it's largely thanks to these rules. They mean a lot to me.
So, what rules or guidelines would serve you well as you run your business ... rules that would protect you from burning yourself out or coming at your business with something less than your "A" game each and every day?
What boundaries should you establish? What understandings need to be in place?
Now, I've talked about practice management guidelines, but they could relate to other aspects of the business. The guidelines could pertain to what kind of clients or patients you're willing to accept, for example.
When you're first starting out, bringing in new clients or patients and generating income are the most important things. I get that. And, as you become more established, you'll probably want to be even more careful around making sure you have the best matches. After all, you want to be able to help make a difference and create positive results without having to pull teeth or struggle in other ways.
Or maybe you need some guidelines around how much time you spend on certain tasks.
Whatever would serve to make you more focused, balanced, efficient, and happy would be a guideline worth implementing.
So, take a minute ... right now ... and jot down a few rules that could transform your experience of work.
Believe me, you'll be glad you did ... as long as you don't break the rules too often!
Best Wishes,
Denise
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