Following on from my previous post: here are another 7 Things for you. 
1. Unplug for a Whole Weekend
When was the last time you truly unplugged from work? Can you go for a whole evening without checking your phone?
If unplugging for a whole weekend gives you sweaty palms, (come get a hand analysis from me 😉 … kidding) start by keeping the phone and computer turned off after business hours. Be present with your family or friends after hours. Pick up an old hobby. Go to the gym. Partake in whatever activity gives you joy and a sense of calm after work. The same problems will be there when you wake up in the morning. The difference, however, is you’ll be less stressed and better able to think up solutions after an evening or weekend without work. One of my rules is not to go on Socials on the weekend – most times I refrain – and the odd time I will if its important, but really it can probably wait until Monday.
2. Listen to Inspirational Podcasts
If your calendar is so jam packed that you can’t find time to read business articles or personal development topics, consider downloading some podcasts to listen to while driving, at the gym, or doing yardwork.
Podcasts are portable and come in all different genres, so you’ll have a wide range of titles to choose from. Ask friends for recommendations or simply browse through the categories on iTunes or Spotify. And if you need a complete break from anything business, look for podcasts related to your favourite spiritual teacher, sport or team, politics, comedy, inspiration, or anything in between.
3. Participate in Bundles to Grow Your List…and Your Business
Bundles can be packaged in a few different ways but are awesome ways to grow your list. The first scenario is when a host will gather contributions from multiple people or vendors and will sell access to all the products in one bundle price. The host receives all the earnings, but the contributors gather email addresses from those who purchased the bundle and want to download their product.
Another way to run a bundle is to gather all the products from contributors and then charge a small nominal fee for each product the customer wants to download. Here, each contributor is earning a fee plus collecting the email addresses.
Neither way is better than the other but they both offer a way to grow your email list. When you start contacting your list regularly, your bundle purchasers may just become your next client (or two).
4. Combat Stress by Combining Nature and Health
When stress takes hold of your body, the best way to dispel it is to move your body. Sitting still and worrying tends to make matters worse, with your brain going into overdrive and thinking of the worst possible scenario.
Many intuitive leaders also believe that being outside helps one stay grounded to the earth, which helps alleviate stress and worry. What better way to eliminate stress while taking care of your body than to combine nature and health into a fun activity that will take your mind away from your troubles.
Have you heard of goat yoga? It’s seriously a real thing where people set up their yoga mats at a farm and are joined by goats. It’s a mix of yoga and animal therapy! Another unique yoga experience is paddleboard yoga where yoga is performed on a special paddleboard while on the water. The sound of water has a calming effect, as does the yoga itself, so combined I imagine your stress just melts away. While I did get a good giggle from googling goat yoga it does look and sound pretty fun. You could just start with doing yoga down by the water – now that was fun when we did that on one of my retreats. Very soothing especially with the breakfast that was brought with us (before the dogs ran through out blanket !)
5. Find an Accountability Partner
Sometimes you just need to run an idea off someone you trust. Or you need that validation that yes, you ARE on the right track. An accountability partner can be the perfect person to be the voice of reason, especially for those solopreneur coaches who work from home and may have a limited social circle in real life.
A good accountability partner will hold your feet to the fire, following up on what you said you would do for the week, and questioning why those things didn’t get done. This type of partner wants you to succeed but will also be blunt and call you out on excuses instead of letting you keep making them week after week as your business sits, idling instead of growing.
6. Attend Live Events (hard now in person but try online live events)
Networking! It’s a necessary evil if you want to build your business and what better way to network with a large group of people at once than to attend live events. If you’re cringing at the idea of attending a huge conference with thousands of people, then start small with a local networking group or a simple Meet Up or coffee clutch with like-minded people. Or look into joining your Chamber of Commerce and getting involved in their events.
I have no doubt that you’re a pro at networking and talking to people online via groups and social media but that will only go so far. Building those one-to-one relationships is what will make people really remember you and want to hire you or refer you to their friends. If you know someone else going to an event, plan to meet up so you know at least one familiar face. Then just turn on that smile and be yourself. I personally can not WAIT until we are able to meet up in person again. Sigh ….
7. STOP Hiding in the Shadows and Promote Yourself
Ah, the safety of the computer keyboard! I’ll admit it’s easy to do your work, put up a few social posts, then settle back in to do more work in your cozy office. But is that really growing your business? Are you the face of your business? When was the last time you really engaged with your audience? Does your audience know what you do?
Come out of the shadows and introduce yourself. Use your social posts for more than sharing random articles. It’s completely fine to promote your stuff! Mix in some questions and go out of your way to comment on other people’s posts but social media is meant to be SOCIAL – it’s not meant to schedule everything and then hope for results.
If you find social media is a rabbit hole, then create a schedule, or set a timer for how long you can scroll and interact. When the timer goes off, so does the social site and you can move on to your next task.
Hope you enjoyed this batch of 7 – I have 7 more to go. Post below or share which one you liked the best (goat yoga ?))
and in the meantime come and join in my live event if you want to Step out and Shine.
