Finding Balance in the Chaos

The world we live in is changing - rapidly. And many of us are being thrust into spinning even more plates than usual (and there were plenty to begin with!). We are being challenged to find a balance between caring for our families - some of whom are remote and struggling themselves, homeschooling our kids, running our businesses, finding more time to do simple tasks like shopping (which has now become running the gauntlet for some) and if we are lucky we might get to wash today. Grim but true!

You might be wondering - How on earth can you increase your productivity during such challenging times?...

What I know for sure due to my own personal experiences and that of hundreds of my clients is that...

In your most challenging times lie the richest opportunities to grow, expand and if needed find new ways of thinking, doing and being that enable you to rise and fulfil even more of your potential

Don't take my word for it, it's science! Have you ever heard of Post Traumatic Growth?(I know you've heard of the condition Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)

PTG is positive psychological change experienced as a result of adversity and other challenges in order to rise to a higher level of functioning.

I don't know about you but MY WHOLE BUSINESS is built on this! My burnout - physical, mental, emotional and spiritual was what led me to leave my corporate career and find another way to live my life which I could design based on what I wanted and needed to make me feel happy, energised and fulfilled. That was 6 years ago and what I have learned since has enabled me to run a successful coaching and consultancy business from a tiny island in the Outer Hebrides. I work about 20-30 hours a week so I can have lots of time with my 2 year old son and I built my business with no external childcare. It's just me and my partner who juggle and spin all our plates in partnership. I also help my amazing clients to learn the strategies and tactics that enable them to make more money in their business whilst also regaining their balance and energy.

So how do I/we do it?

I believe your number one priority as a business owner is to reinforce and protect your confidence. Your confidence is EVERYTHING. The more action you take the more confidence you create so everything I am going to share will help you to doubt yourself less and believe in yourself more - a LOT more.

1- Start your day from within Connecting within and being quiet and contemplative for 5 mins or so before you give your energy to anyone or anything else is one of the most simple and powerful practices you will ever learn. When you wake - take a moment to connect with your breath, feel grateful for the day you've been given, breath deeply and allow your attention to drift down to your heart, set your intention for the day - what is the most important thing you will do today? Smile and focus on feeling really good about the day ahead. Voila! You have started your day centred, focused and with crystal clear clarity about the most important thing you will attend to (see point 2!)

2 - Always know your number one priority for the day and attend to it first Use the first hour of your day to attend to your biggest and most important priority. There is so much research to support this based on how your brain works. When you wake up well rested your brain is at its best for creative work, making decisions and being focused and effective. It makes complete sense to align your best brain performance with your most important task. And no matter what happens to the rest of your day - you've done the most important task. It sets you up with such a strong sense of positive momentum and achievement and helps you stay on track.

3 - Create the conditions to perform at your best Turn off all notifications, put your phone on airplane mode, get the kids settled with work or an activity (if at all possible!) Now get your earphones in and find some music on YouTube called Binaural Beats. Pick something that supports focus and concentration and listening will fast track your brain to the best type of brainwave to be super effective . It will help you quickly get into a zone of focus and also keep you from hearing distractions! Set your timer for an hour (if you can) no longer. Always take a break at least every hour to stretch, hydrate and then go back in for another hour if you can sing the same techniques. Watch as your ability to focus and concentrate builds like a big bulging bicep!

4 - Have guiding principles that protect you and form the right boundaries What are the rules you will put in place to keep you working in a good rhythm and routine? What days do you have meetings? What time will you use each day to work ON your business (strategy) and not just IN your business (operations and delivery). For me it's a 50/50 split. I rarely have meetings with people on a Monday and no-one ever gets me before 10am as my morning routine is so precious to me. What will your guiding principles be?

5 - Plan, Do, Review, Celebrate, Reinforce, Plan some more Know exactly where you need to direct your attention at all times and manage it with a laser focus! Create weekly planning rituals so you know how you are investing your time during the week to progress your biggest priorities. Celebrate your wins - no matter how small and share them with others especially if you have a team. Take time to know where you are gaining your biggest results and how and grow that activity within your business. A client of mine recently had her biggest ever financial month in April mid pandemic because she has been faithfully adopting these strategies and not making assumptions that people would all of a sudden stop valuing what she has to offer. She is more confident than ever before and that is not an accident.

Consistent Action = Consistent Results... Think about that for a moment...

That's the rewards you can reap when you choose to invest in yourself and develop a good old case of Post Traumatic Growth.

Mel MacIntyre is a Woman's Leadership Coach who helps professional women who secretly feel like imposters to overcome self doubt, develop powerful authenticity and create a life and legacy which enables them to earn more money whilst also creating more balance and freedom. One of only 400 Certified High Performance Coaches in the world, and the only coach of her kind in Scotland, Mel has a 20 year career in people development and organisational change and represents the female business community through speaking and networking as an Ambassador for Women’s Enterprise Scotland.

Starting on 1st June, Mel is hosting a free 5 day online coaching experience - The Wildly Authentic Experience. She will share 5 powerful lessons over 5 days, offering research based strategies and soul building practices which will help you to know exactly what steps you need to take

- Develop more confidence

- Get more done in less time

- Take action even when you doubt yourself or feel scared

- Stand up for yourself and what you believe in

- Create a life where you have more balance and energy

If the experience feels interesting or exciting to you, you can find out more here