Five Habits for the Intentional Entrepreneur

Perhaps there are aspects of starting or growing your business that feel overwhelming and if we’re honest for a minute...you damn near might avoid them as much as most of us were ignoring all of the election calls, texts, and mail we were being flooded with over the past year.  However, the reality was this past election was monumental and so are those important to-do’s you keep pushing to the bottom of your list each day.  Maybe the simple thought of drilling down on the thing you know you must do to grow your business feels exhausting but that nagging feeling that you must do something just will not leave you.  If you have been struggling with the internal tug-of-war, then my Friend..it’s time you tap into the habit of intentional living.

So what exactly is Intentionality?  Intentionality is the act of living life on purpose and/or with a plan in mind.  It is the act of consistently working towards the bigger picture by choosing to make small decisions every day.  

And the truth is, it’s not the intention that keeps us from making progress in life or business.  Many of us have the absolute best intentions, yet still, miss the mark.  You know..intentionally plan to wash and dry your clothes but you forget the clothes are in the washer or intentionally plan to call your best friend but life happens.  

This challenge is no different in the world of entrepreneurship.  I’d argue that intentional living becomes more of a challenge when you add entrepreneurship to the mix.  However, the sooner you embrace creating intentional habits in your life, the better life and business can be.  By choosing to make conscious efforts to do things that are aligned with the bigger purpose by establishing habits that consistently drive towards the goal, there’s no way you will not make progress.

But here’s the thing Biz Friends…You have to fall in love with the process.

When I first decided to pursue entrepreneurship, I remember making a laundry list of things I needed to get accomplished to officially launch.  You may have done this as well.  The list consisted of things such as registering for an E.I.N., opening a business checking account, securing social media handles on my preferred platforms, printing business cards, etc.

But you know what is something that I did not give much attention to?  What happens after I’ve finished the laundry list...What do I do next?

Over the years, I’ve learned that incorporating Intentional Business Practices into my daily routine that are aligned with my long-term business goals is the key to keeping the momentum and growth in my business.  It was not until I got in the habit of intentionally living in multiple areas of life, that I was able to make a significant impact and profit.

Here are Five Habits I incorporated into my lifestyle that can help you along your journey:

1. Focus on Income Generating Tasks - Do not get caught in the rabbit hole of doing #allofthethings just because everyone on the Internet is telling you to do so.  Try making a list of your to-do list at the beginning of the week and separate your list into two categories.  See the sample below  By focusing on your income-generating, more difficult tasks first, you will be more likely to make progress on the things that truly matter in your business. 
2. Stop getting caught up in the scroll - If Social Media is a major part of your marketing strategy, it can be easy to get caught up hours later (insert gif) and wonder where your time went.  Using social media planning tools, such as Planoly or Crowdfire can help you save some useful time.  
3. Set time blocks to focus on specific things for your LIFE and Business.  If you are a solopreneur or new business owner, it’s so easy for the business to roll over into your personal life and vice versa.  By setting time blocks to master your time for things such as daily chores, grocery shopping, self-care, exercise, outreach, marketing, sales calls, financial planning, operational reviews, etc. You are more likely to get the things you need to be completed consistently!
4. If you are a solopreneur or small business owner who leans heavily on content, one of the best gifts you can give to yourself and your future customers is scheduling a day for content creation.  Choose one or two days to spend time in your creative zone making content AND don’t forget to schedule another day for editing.  Understand that if you have not been doing this, it will take PRACTICE Biz Friends.  Sometimes forcing yourself to get into a creative zone can be tough.  The feeling will be very similar to those aches and pains you feel when you are starting a new workout routine, so trust the process. 
5. Get intentional about the services/products you offer. Reduce the stress and chaos in your business by focusing on ONE signature product and/or service.  When I first started my coaching practice, I thought I had to offer everything at once.  I had inspirational t-shirts and mugs, one-on-one services, and a 3-month coaching program, and then I dared to start adding digital products.  I did all of this BEFORE I hit my financial goals - wishing and praying the extra products/services would help me!  Instead, I created a need for four to five different marketing campaigns, which in turn resulted in a lot of failed launches due to the proper amount of energy and resources not being applied.  Master what I refer to as, The Trifecta Factor before adding additional services and/or products to your mix.