We all know what constipation is, but when it comes to constipation in business, you can’t just take a laxative and expect it to go away. You have to get things moving.
Business constipation is a very real problem and one that affects many entrepreneurs and small business owners.
What does business constipation even feel like?
It’s the feeling that there’s something wrong with your business, but you can’t quite put your finger on it. You may feel stuck in a rut like nothing is moving or it’s moving too slowly. You may feel overwhelmed by the amount of work you need to do.
It may even seem as though you are doing the same thing over and over again without seeing any progress at all—or worse yet, taking several steps back each time.
Your marketing campaigns don’t show results, leads are hard to come by, sales are slow, or growth seems impossible.
You may even wonder if there’s something wrong with you for not having enough motivation or something wrong with your business model itself—but in reality, it can be just a case of business constipation!
And it’s something we have all experienced at one time or another, so don’t think you are alone if you have that icky feeling of being backed up.
Let’s take a closer look at some chronic constipation (business problems) and the ways to help you find relief, unstuck, and relieve stress and pressure so you can jumpstart your progress and get moving again.
Let’s break down “why am I always constipated?” and how to find relief in your business.
Are you focusing on the wrong stuff?
You will know once you sit down and take inventory of your day-to-day tasks and projects.
Let’s first look at some ways to make sure that you’re not worrying about the wrong things:
Focus on what you can control. Don’t worry about things that are out of your hands or have already happened. You can’t change them, so why waste time and money trying?
Focus on one thing at a time. Try tackling only a few projects at a time (and don’t get distracted by shiny objects!).
Focus on what’s most important first. If there’s something more pressing than others in your day-to-day, make sure it gets done before moving on to other tasks or projects.
Sometimes this could mean putting on your multi-tasking hat and jumping around from one task to another if necessary—don’t stress yourself out over getting everything done perfectly in order! If you worry about doing everything perfectly all at once, it can lead to nowhere. I’m a recovering perfectionist, and my motto is Progress over Perfection!
Are you being realistic with your time?
If you are, go ahead and skip this section. If not, then read on!
It’s important to be realistic about how much time you have available in a day and how much you can realistically spend working.
Do yourself a favor by setting boundaries between work and life so that they don’t bleed into one another too much—or at all.
Once you establish those boundaries, it’s also important to delegate tasks as often as possible so that people know what they’re supposed to be doing—and when they’re supposed to do it by.
Is your technology working for or against you?
It can be tempting to think that technology is the source of the problem, but it’s actually more likely that you’re missing out on some key technology benefits.
So instead of avoiding them altogether, here are some tips for putting technology to work in your favor:
Don’t let social media take over your life. Social media can be a big time suck. Spending too much time on social media can get in the way of you accomplishing your daily projects and tasks.
The trick is to make sure that you’re spending less time on social media than you’re working. So if you find yourself scrolling through Instagram instead of making calls, sending emails, or working on your business—it’s time for a reality check.
Use a social media auto-post platform like Later or Planoly for planning and auto-publishing so you can put your phone down until you finish the important stuff!
Make sure you use the right tech tools. Every business is different, and the key here is to choose the best tech tools suited for your business that will help automate and streamline how you operate your business to get things done and stay more organized.
From email to project management, invoicing, contracts, cloud storage, and creative platforms and apps—it can get overwhelming to choose. Research what will work best for your type of business and industry instead of getting swooned by the next small business platform and app that just launched. As I mentioned above, don’t go down the rabbit hole of shiny objects because it can waste valuable time and money.
Are you trying to do too much for yourself or others with the same limited resources?
You know that feeling when you feel like you’re drowning in work and there’s no time for anything else? You can’t get everything done. You have a list of things to do, but it keeps growing faster than your ability to complete them.
The problem is that you’re trying to do too much for yourself or others with the same limited resources.
Do you need to start delegating more and thinking about working smarter?
If this sounds like you, it might be time to start thinking about working smarter instead of harder. Because no matter how many hours you put in, your business will never grow if you’re the one doing everything yourself.
Hire people who can help shoulder some of the load so you can focus on your strengths and stop trying to do everything yourself. If it’s not your strength, then outsource it!
The truth is that most of our businesses are constantly growing and evolving—which means there will always be more work that needs to get done in a single day by just one person.
But that doesn’t mean we should all sit around twiddling our thumbs while letting things fall through the cracks or that we put them on the back burner because it’s something we dread doing.
Instead, consider ways of working smarter while delegating tasks appropriately, so they can avoid falling through those same cracks.
Delegating allows you to take a step back from your business and focus on other things in your life that are just as important, like playing with your kids or working out at the gym.
Remember, you don’t have to know everything about marketing (or anything else) overnight. Sometimes asking for help is the best way forward for you and your business!
As you can see, there are many reasons that can cause business constipation.
You’re not alone! We all have had those days—don’t let anyone tell you differently!
But if you find yourself with severe constipation, feeling stuck in the same rut month after month and year after year in your business, it might be time to look in the mirror and ask yourself some tough questions about what needs to change in order for your business to grow.
Or if you’re feeling stuck because there are too many tasks on your plate that don’t matter, then stop doing them! If you feel like your creativity is lacking, take some time off from work and do something fun! If you need help managing everything, delegate more responsibilities, so everyone works smarter, not harder!
Whatever problem it is that may affect how productive or creative (or both) you feel at work—give yourself grace as you grow through it.
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