Productivity is CRUCIAL for business.

But productivity doesn’t mean that if we work more efficiently, if we make the most of every minute of our day, then we can pack even more into each day.

We suffer when we focus ONLY on productivity and we forget to make space for being. Space for recharging, being creative, refueling.

Laundry can do that for you. Laundry can help you recharge. Or maybe mowing the lawn, or cooking.

Sometimes we don’t need a yoga class or a meditation class or even to hire a coach. We can simply anchor ourselves in simple tasks around the house to ground ourselves. Release stress.

I joked with a friend a few days ago, who is a C level executive at a large corporation, that sometimes simply cleaning our closet is a way to reclaim a sense of order, a sense of calmness to the chaos in our heads.

So how do we find balance in our life? Here are three ways to keep your business as your work and not your whole life:

1. PRODUCTIVITY MAP: Make sure you are clear on when you are most productive. Is it in the morning, early morning, after lunch, evening? Protect the time of day when you are most alert, creative and productive and claim that time for working ON your business and for working on projects that require your full attention.
2. TAKE STOCK: Pull out your calendar and review your working hours for the last month. Did you work weekend? Did you work late into the night? Did you miss dinners, kids events or other opportunities to connect with friends and family? Be honest with yourself. Remember that the reason you started your company was so you WOULD have time for friends and family. We can only improve on what we know, so knowing exactly your work schedule for the past month will give you a lot of the information you need.
3. RECLAIM YOUR CHORES: Now this is a weird one. I don’t think you’ll find a lot of coaches out there encouraging you to spend time on chores but remember that these activities are wonderful to ground yourself, create mental breaks, and in many ways, it forces you to be in common rooms at home and be present for the people in your life.

The weather has truly changed here in MA and we are experiencing the first chilly days. I hope you are loving the changing of the season wherever you are and email me and let me know… what is your favorite chore?

In Clarity,

Dolores Hirschmann is an internationally recognized strategist, Clarity coach, TEDxOrganizer, Speaker & Author. She has over 20 years experience helping entrepreneurs, companies & organizations realize their potential—by guiding them to CLARITY—to define their CORE IDEA, message and market strategy needed to reach their next level of growth. As a Speaker Coach Dolores guides speakers to go from successful professionals to thought leaders in their field. If you would like to learn more visit: www.mastersinclarity.com or download her free resource “STAND OUT THE TED WAY”