10 Easy Ways to Make Time for Your Business Launch
It’s a tale as old as time. We all have big extravagant plans to change that thing, do that project, make that effort, accomplish that goal, cut that crap, or change our lives if we just had more time.
This is the lie so many of my clients tell themselves: they would simply launch their business if they just had more time.
As a professional coach who has helped hundreds of creative women launch their businesses since 2008, it is my absolute privilege to debunk the Time Suck myth. The most important thing to remember is it’s not about finding time, it’s about MAKING time.
Here are 10 ways you can make time for your business launch (and subsequently your dreams!) right now.
Identify what parts of your day do not need to be done by you, and then tag others in! Even the small chores that you shame yourself into believing take “no time at all” can actually free up your schedule and headspace in a major way! So, tag your partner in to finish the dishes this week, order your groceries online, or get your prescription delivered by the pharmacy instead of making an extra trip —you’ve got work to do!
Don’t turn the TV on right away when your workday is done. Seriously. We all know the sorcery of Netflix and its power to pull us into a Queer Eye binge-fest. Give yourself a half-hour to accomplish something, anything that relates to your business launch first, then kick back and let the sweet sensory experience of Karamo wash over you. Consider it earned!
Set a timer for 30 minutes of Business Launch Work Time and be amazed at how much you can actually get done. 100% of my clients have reported back to me that they have been able to make at least one step towards their launch in just 20 minutes—be it draft a social media post, purchase their Squarespace account, or order business cards. Set a timer for 30 minutes and get cracking. When that bell goes off, you’ll feel great and have made strides to becoming the CEO you’re meant to be!
Give up a time suck that doesn’t serve you, like scrolling Instagram from bed first thing in the morning, hitting the snooze button multiple times, or toxic relationships that are accompanied by toxic activities. Freeing your life of clutter makes so much space (and time!) for productive, positive energy to direct towards your launch.
Get out of your house or regular space when working on launch items. A change of scenery almost always rejuvenates me and takes me out of “home mode” so I can settle into “work mode.” A good coffee shop with some ambient music, the smell of espresso, and natural light was my pre-pandemic jam. Even today with social-distancing standards, I’m happy to spend time in new spots at home, set up in the backyard, or even plop on a safe and friendly quarantine-buddy’s patio to soak up new energy - socially distanced, of course.
Capitalize on early mornings or later evenings when everyone else is laying low. It’s true that everyone’s productivity levels fluctuate throughout the day, but if you can identify the times in your life and schedule when everyone else around you is, well, absent, that should help you squeeze out some extra “Me + Business Time!” For me, that means making time after my kiddo has gone to bed, if and when I need it. (Weirdly enough, you don’t just “grow” into a morning person! Who knew?)
Make a standing appointment with yourself. To do this, start by looking for the routines that already exist in most of your days, and then piggyback off of them. For example, if you always take 45 minutes for lunch, try giving 30 mins of that time to actual eating and the last 15 for launch-related items. This is a perfect example of how to “make” time rather than “find” time—you’re just capitalizing on the you-moments that already exist!
Use your day job hours—yes, I’m serious! I did this in my own day job way back in 2008-2010. After scheduling business lunches for the partners I supported as an Executive Assistant, I’d write a blog post, or return emails, or pitch myself to a website. The key is to make sure you’re still doing the work you are being paid to do—and on time, too! I’m not saying do your launch work instead of your day job work, but I am saying to allow your brain and energy to travel to your dream gig when you’ve completed what’s required of you and you’re waiting for what’s next!
Make sure there’s someone – or something! – holding you accountable. A client of mine just joined a co-working space, and she’s been hopping on Zoom calls to get stuff done *and* be matched with an accountability partner. It’s a heck of a win-win. A recent 90 Day Business Launch-er told me “If it wasn’t for the structure of this program, it would have taken me years to get here!” The takeaway is once someone else is checking in on your progress – and counting on you – it’s hard NOT to show up!
Be kind to yourself. Yes, self-compassion *is* a way to make time. Pretty much all of the women I work with are super ambitious overachievers, and staying in that All Or Nothing, Go Big Or Go Home mindset absolutely won’t move the needle. Baby steps build the strongest foundation, and giving yourself the rest and restore time you need will make you more efficient and productive in the long run.
It’s true that time is of the essence, but these tips should help you make the essence one of ease, positivity, and momentum! That’s just my style - and I hope it becomes yours, too.