Running a business is tough. I get it. It’s all-consuming, relentless, cut-throat and any other similar word your thesaurus can come up with. And the issue is that you then neglect the key person in your business!
When things get tough in our lives and in our businesses alike, we tend to work harder and harder and harder.
The less hours we put in, the more guilt we feel. Everything takes priority over the thing that is actually most important . . . YOURSELF
Let me explain through my favourite medium . . . a story!
Once upon a time, a cobbler lived in a large village and being the only cobbler in town, he was responsible for repairing the boots of the town's folk.
However, he didn’t have time to repair his own boots.
This wasn’t a problem at first, but over time, his boots began to deteriorate and fall apart.
While he worked feverishly on the boots of everyone else, his feet got blisters and he started to limp.
His customers started to worry about him, but he reassured them that everything was OK.
However, after a few years, the cobbler’s feet were so injured that he could no longer work and no-one’s boots got repaired.
As a consequence, soon the entire town started to limp in pain, all because the cobbler never took the time to repair his own boots.
This simple principle is so often disregarded.
If you don’t look after yourself, after a while you’ll be no good to anyone else either.
As a business owner I have come to realise that you have to manage yourself, before you manage your business.
Ultimately your business is a reflection of you and to inspire your team, you need to be able to lead by example.
The key is not to neglect the key person in your business - YOU!
So I challenge you in the coming year to take care of yourself, because you are your greatest asset and remember, you are also your client’s greatest asset.
You represent the cobbler and your client’s represent the town’s people. The town’s people NEED the cobbler!
Oh and don’t worry, I’m here to offer some guidance on what has worked for me.
My life is far from perfect and yes, I have days that go pear-shaped…
…that’s life and I guess what I have learnt is that s*** happens and you can either dwell on it, or you can accept it for what it is, you draw a line under something that has gone awry and focus on getting back on track asap.
Whenever I need some guidance, I look to the experts and that’s exactly what I did when I knew that I needed to take better care of myself.
That expert?
Hal Elrod and his book the “The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life (Before 8AM)”
I'm going to talk about the book in an upcoming article.
But in the meantime, here are five practical self-care strategies you can do to help you look after the key person in your business, regain focus during a pandemic, ride out the storm, and come up with a plan to build small business resilience.
1. Be mindful of your time.
Running your business during this challenging year probably feels like you're putting out small fires every so often. You'll almost always find yourself saying at the end of the day — where did all the time go?
Before you know it, a massive chunk of your day goes to business calls or providing refunds online.
Your action plan?
Get clear where your time is going. My suggestion would be to create a table with seven columns (one for each day of the week) and 16 rows (for each hour that you're awake).
For one whole week, write down what you did for each hour so you'll have a clear idea of how you spent your time. You can then review and make the appropriate adjustments later on.
2. Stay in touch with friends and family.
Once you've figured out how you're spending your day, dedicate time in your day to connect with the people who matter most to you - friends, family, staff members and clients. As the UK goes back into another lockdown go social despite the absence of physicality and self-isolation.
Whether it's one of your team members or a friend or family member, stay in touch via text, FaceTime, or Messenger.
Or use a video email service like Dubb Video or BombBomb to send a unique and memorable message to that person - it will probably make their day!
Even a good old fashioned phone call will also be a huge boost not only for the other person on the other line but also to you as well.
Jump on a Google Meet, Skype, or Zoom group video call is also an excellent idea for friends or family to share their stay-at-home experiences.
3. Identify your Weekly and Daily Big Three.
What's a “Weekly Big Three”?
According to leadership mentor Michael Hyatt, your “Weekly Big Three” are your weekly achievements that will move the needle on your major life goals and your "Daily Big Three" - these are your must-do tasks for the day - your non-negotiables for the day.
In the context of running your PT business, Studio or Gym or trying to keep it afloat during a pandemic, identify the three big tasks you should do for the entire week.
Doing so will help prevent feelings of overwhelm, especially when you have a long to-do list for your business during a pandemic.
Your weekly big three can range from learning how to use infographics for your small business to a digital declutter.
Perhaps you should block some time into planning out your business strategy for 2021?
4. Develop a hobby or pursue an activity that is unrelated to your small business.
Find an interest (e.g. a hobby) outside of your business or usual interests. You get bonus points if it's an activity that you can share with friends and family members as well.
Here are some great examples for the key person in your business:
Painting
If you fancy impressing future visitors to your home post-lockdown with a new piece of art on the wall, YouTube has plenty of beginner tutorials for learning the basics of painting with acrylics or watercolours.
You’ll need is a set of paints and brushes, a palette, a surface to paint on (canvas or paper) – all available to buy online and a jar of water.
Photography
Masterclass is an online platform that gives users access to tutorials from some of the world’s leading experts in various fields. If you’ve always had an urge to give photography a go, this service a great place to start.
Acclaimed portrait photographer Annie Leibovitz, who has snapped everyone from Leonardo DiCaprio to John Lennon, heads up this 15-lesson video course.
She’ll teach you how to develop concepts, work with subjects, shoot with natural light and bring images to life in post-production.
One person whom I know personally who made a switch from fitness into Wedding Photography is Becky Wright - she is an awesome fitness coach and an equally creative and talented photographer - just goes to show what you can do with a hobby!
Learn to play the guitar
If you want to transform your shudder-inducing, string-twanging into a genuinely pleasant sound, there’s no better time to finally get to grips with the acoustic guitar.
Brit Award-winning folk artist Laura Marling has been running a series of ‘isolation guitar tutorials’ on her Instagram page. She breaks down the basic chord progressions in some of her most famous songs, so you’ll be strumming along to Rambling Man in no time at all.
Want to take up a hobby that’s a little more old-school? Knitting is probably one of the most mindful pursuits going, thanks to its repetitive nature.
YouTube is a treasure trove of content for beginner knitters, with tutorials from how to nail the essential knit stitch to switching up your designs with different colours and patterns. By the time we come out of lockdown, you could have a brand new, one-of-a-kind jumper hanging in your wardrobe.
Vegetable gardening
If you’re lucky enough to be in lockdown with a patch of green space to tend to, why not make the most of it by learning some gardening skills?
A simple Google search can bring up a wealth of information on how to look after your plants, keep your soil healthy and attract some new wildlife into your garden.
There’s something really fulfilling about clearing the weeds, planting some bulbs and watching your hard work pay off. Plus, you’ll have a relaxing and enjoyable space to chill out in while you’re staying safe at home.
Yoga
As a Fit Pro you know the importance of heaalth but why not try a different form of fitness? For me it's been learning and practicing yoga.
From Yoga With Adriene on YouTube to apps like Glo, there are plenty of great online resources that can help you to build a gentle daily yoga practice in the garden or your living room.
Whether you’re looking to improve your flexibility or progress to some impressive inversions, use your recouped commute time to pack in a good stretch in the morning.
5. Seek (or provide) support.
Seek support when you can. Whether it's financial support from the Government or seeking online therapy, asking for help is one of the critical things you can do to keep yourself sane and well during a pandemic as a Fitness Business Owner.
If you're one of the lucky ones who managed to keep your facility resilient during these times, consider helping out others in some way or the other. Helping others is one of the most reliable ways of improving your own happiness.
The takeaway: Look after yourself and others
No one knows how long the recovery process will take after Covid-19. However, your business is more likely to weather the coronavirus crisis if you don't neglect the key person in your business - YOU.
Be proactive in looking after yourself and others. Before you know it, you'll feel more focused, coupled with a renewed sense of purpose for your small business post-pandemic.
Have a great day - stay strong, stay safe, stay well, and come back STRONG in 2021!
