Maximize Progress by Understanding your Strengths

Maximize your outcomes by leaning into your strengths

Maximize Progress by Understanding your Strengths

Growing up, teachers always led me to believe that I wouldn’t get anywhere in life unless I was “well rounded”… I was also forced to take calculus, which has also proved to be pretty useless in my adult life.

I spent most of my high school career building a “well rounded” resume for my college applications – captain of the swim team, president of Leo Club (the teenage arm of Lions Club), active in my church’s youth group, employed as a lifeguard and babysitter… the list goes on.

But as an introvert, it was difficult for me to be a natural leader so I spent a lot of time stressing about how to develop that part of myself.

It wasn’t until I started in corporate that this concept was flipped on its head!

The corporation I worked for really emphasized culture and building well-rounded teams (not employees). Shortly after being hired, I was gifted Strength Finders 2.0 from Gallup and asked to complete the assessment before an upcoming one-on-one with my leader.

It felt like a huge weight off of my shoulders to be given permission to not be great at everything!

Lean into your strengths to maximize your progress

I’ve carried this mindset with me…

while trying to start My At Home Adventures, my children’s educational business (that you can read more about here). I’ve started a few service-based businesses in the past, mostly branding and website design, but owning a product-based business has been a completely new ballgame for me!

It’s no surprise that your success hinges on your ability to manage a multitude of tasks and responsibilities – not to mention, having the clarity and disciplined focus to complete these tasks. But having knowledge and/or experience in every area of starting a business is just not possible.

This is where the power of leveraging your strengths and delegating or outsourcing your opportunity areas comes into play. If you want to improve efficiency, growth, and success in your business then it’s essential to have help.

YES, it’s ok to ask for help!

Here’s what you’re going to do…

To start maximizing your progress and outcomes :

Identify and leverage your strengths; this is the first step to maximizing your progress. Your strengths are the aspects of your business where you excel, the tasks you enjoy, and the areas where you can create the most value (remember, you are the CEO!) – this might be your strategic thinking, sales acumen, marketing creativity, or leadership skills.

Once you’ve identified your strengths, make them the cornerstone of your business strategy. Here’s why it’s important:

Flow State

When you’re working in your strength areas, you’re more likely to reach “flow state” (that state where you feel more passionate and energized about what you’re doing), leading to higher motivation and productivity.

Becoming an expert

Focusing on what you do best allows you to become an expert, ensuring that the quality of your work is top-notch. And you don’t need to become an expert at everything… ain’t nobody got time for that!

Next, we’re going to identify your opportunity areas…

Once you’ve identified your strengths, it’s time to identify and outsource (or delegate) your opportunity areas. I define opportunity areas as the tasks you don’t enjoy doing (for me, those include business accounting and administrative work) or areas where you struggle or lack expertise (IT, marketing and advertisements etc).

If you do not have a team in-house, which is how many of us solo-preneurs operate, outsourcing is the best solution. Check out freelance platforms like Fiverr or Upwork, or join Facebook Groups for small business owners — they’re not just for networking, in my experience, you can often find more credible and experienced service providers to work with!

Regardless, find opportunities to save yourself the time and stress of doing tasks that don’t light you up and your work weeks will become much more enjoyable AND efficient.

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How Productive are you Really?

Business Development, Productivity

How Productive are you Really?

“If you give yourself 30 days to clean your home, it will take 30 days,” Elon Musk said. “But if you give yourself three hours, it will take you three hours. The same applies to your goals, ambitions and plans.”

Where in your life have you noticed this quote to be true?

When I lost my corporate job and suddenly had 40+ hours of free time every week, I was often at a loss on how to fill my time. I knew what I wanted to do with my time but didn’t have a clear path or the discipline to truly optimize my schedule. The habits and routines I had built over the 10 years in corporate went right out the window… including my meal planning and exercise routines.

I quickly learned that the unstructured lifestyle was not for me – but kudos to you digital nomads out there! I picture your days beginning without an alarm clock, waking up with the sun before rolling out of bed to explore whatever city you’re camped out in, looking for a new cafe to work out of for the afternoon.

Anyway…

After months of trial and error, I created a framework that works for me (which I call the ‘Goal Setting Like a Boss’ approach!) that has multiplied the progress I’ve made with starting both of my businesses! Another benefit? It works in my personal life too; staying accountable to training for my third half-marathon has never been easier! (You can read more about that here)

But that’s just the thing. You can have a killer organizational framework that helps you prioritize and schedule your tasks but you still have to find ways to hold yourself accountable to completing those tasks.

In today’s fast-paced world, it’s extremely easy to get distracted. Did you know that humans have a lower attention span than a goldfish these days?!… I ask as I wonder how many of you are still reading this.

Maybe you’re a busy mom that wants to start a business from home, or you’re balancing a corporate career with trying to get your passion project off of the ground; regardless, time is your most precious resource.

Get this – the impacts of a daily 30 minute social media habit results in a loss of 15 HOURS per month… that’s two full working days! Or 24 working days lost per year. (before you say anything, I’m not talking about those of us who are constantly on social media for work.)

Want to know how to get ahead of your competition?

Focus, commitment and hard work.

Like I mentioned in last week’s post, anyone can turn a money-making idea into a wildly successful business. What sets these people apart is a disciplined focus and fearless commitment to pursuing their vision.

With the right strategies, you too can maximize your productivity in pursuit of your own vision.

Here are a few to get you started:

Set clear goals and prioritize -

The key to juggling multiple roles successfully is setting clear priorities and goals. Take some time to reflect on what matters most to you in your career, business, and family life. Identify your top priorities in each area and establish realistic, measurable goals. This will help you stay focused and avoid spreading yourself too thin.

Create a detailed schedule -

Like we already agreed on, time is your most valuable resource. Make the most of each day by creating a detailed schedule, including your work hours, family commitments, and dedicated business time. Use time blocking to allocate specific time blocks for important tasks in your business. Stick to your schedule as closely as possible to maximize productivity!

Leverage technology and automation whenever possible -

Embrace technology to streamline your work and personal life. Utilize project management tools, calendars, and apps that can help you stay organized and on task. Consider automating repetitive tasks in your business – like batch creating and scheduling social media posts or email responses – to free up more of your time.

Outsource and delegate -

Don’t be afraid to seek help when needed. Delegate tasks within your business to employees or freelancers and consider hiring a virtual assistant to handle administrative work. At home, involve your family in chores and responsibilities to share the load.

Embrace self-care -

You can’t pour from an empty cup; allocate time for self-care activities like exercise, meditation, or simply relaxing with a good book. A healthy, balanced you will be more productive in all areas of your life!