Being present to plan the future

In business we talk a lot about growth. If your business is growing then you’re doing well, right?

Well it’s true that growth is a sign of business success, but is that the measure of all your goals – personal and professional? If your focus is only on growth, you’ll keep wanting more, striving to reach some unattainable destination and stressing about the future.

If the journey isn’t fun anymore, maybe it’s time to stop, recharge your batteries and reflect on your own happiness and fulfilment. You may find that that destination you’ve been striving has been right in front of you all along – but you’ll only recognise it if you are present. Here are five daily habits that can help you stay present:

• Be grateful. Take a good look around and take stock of how far you’ve come and what you’ve achieved on the way.
  
  
• Talk. It could be to your partner, a colleague or a mentor – it doesn’t matter whether you’re just shooting the breeze or digging deep, connecting is important.
  
  
• Pay attention to yourself. Acknowledge how you’re feeling and listen to your body. Be mindful.
  
  
• Single-task. We all try to multi-task but few of us do it well – and sustain it. Keep your mind on the job and do one thing and do it well.
  
  
• Slow down. We can all be guilty of hurrying for hurrying’s sake. But do we really need to be in that much of a hurry? What’s the worst that could happen?

It may sound counter-intuitive, but being present actually helps you to prepare for the future. Being present allows room for you to breathe, and room to breathe creates space to think. Here are a couple of key questions that might test your grey matter but the results will be worth it.

What do you want more of in 2021?

The easy answers would be the likes of money and time. But think about the things that can make that happen. Maybe you need more processes or automation to buy you some time. Maybe you need some more new ideas or revenue streams to make more money? Also, try to think outside the box a little. Are you challenged enough? Would you like more responsibility or autonomy? Maybe you want 

What do you want less of in 2021?

The obvious answer in this case would be stress. But there are internal and external factors that drive stress, so you’ll need to look at both. Being present can help combat stress and external factors can usually be addressed with a bit of attention and planning. But what about the other stuff? Do you want less friction in your life, less staffing hassles, less time spent on the wrong things? We’re not telling you to find the solutions yet, just identify the things you want less of first.  

Now, hatch a plan...

Pinpointing exactly what you want and don’t want can often be the hardest part of planning. But once you’ve done that, you can start putting pen to paper and apply it to your business. Starting the New Year with a new or refreshed business plan will set you up for a personally and professionally fulfilling year ahead.

 ...for more on business planning.

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