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00:00:01
PREPARED if not PLANNED
2 Playsin 6 minutes
There are two barriers I hear clients express most often when it comes to realising their business goals… time & cost.
Because I hear so frequently that time is a barrier for so many, I have been reflecting on what it is that has enabled me to do as much as I have, with all that I have committed to and often sustained for many years.
My recent contemplation made to the realise, that what it comes down to at a foundational level is being prepared, even if I do not have a plan.
Becoming a single mum, in the last few years, and being self-employed I know all too well about these barriers… and have had to be even more savvy when it comes to both of these constraints in order to continue to thrive, rather than merely survive.
In today’s episode I want to focus on the constraint of time.
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Transcript
00:00:00
Speaker
Do you desire to turn your passion into income? Connect with other creative souls who also dance to the beat of their own drum? I'm Marie Nicole and I'm devoted to combining beauty, uniqueness and connection in everyday living experiences. As a creative professional and Dharma coach, I help people connect to the truth of who they are and facilitate them in embodying their uniqueness. It is my hope in this podcast that I inspire you to live your life on your terms and earn your income through being uniquely you.
00:00:44
Speaker
There are two barriers I hear clients express most often when it comes to realising their business goals and they are time and cost. Now becoming a single mum in the last few years and being self-employed, I know all too well about these barriers.
00:01:02
Speaker
and have had to become even more savvy when it comes to both of these constraints in order to continue to thrive rather than merely survive. In today's episode, I want to focus on the constraint of time. Even before becoming a single mum, as a mother of two running a multi-faceted business, maintaining a commercial space and home, contributing to our lifestyle of living off the land as much as possible, maintaining health and wellness,
00:01:30
Speaker
studying to expand my knowledge as well as expanding in the area of personal development. I really do understand the constraint of time. Now I'm not saying I do everything perfectly or that I am some kind of unicorn that no one else can aspire to becoming. I am just like you. I am a human being who also experiences challenges that hold me back at times and enticing distractions that lead me off on alluring adventures, of which I am now intentionally creating space for to experience more of, as I do not believe the magic of living is just about doing what has to be done to meet our obligations. But because I hear so frequently that time is a barrier for so many, I have been reflecting on what it is that has enabled me to do as much as I do with all that I've committed to and
00:02:23
Speaker
often have sustained for many years. In my last episode titled Easy, Effortless, Effective, Enjoyable, I spoke about having systems in place that support me both now and in my previous businesses. But my recent contemplations have made me realise that what it comes down to at a foundational level is actually being prepared, even if I do not have a plan.
00:02:50
Speaker
Recently, in an introductory session with a client, I asked if she had a digital marketing plan for her business, to which she responded, for me, it's like meal planning. I know it's a good idea, but I just never managed to do it. She is certainly not alone in that. This is a common response to both meal planning and creating plans around business activities.
00:03:13
Speaker
Shortly after that discussion I was talking to my eldest son who works in the entertainment industry as a sound lighting and vision technician. It was around 6pm and he was between shifts. While we were talking I was making an olive tapenade and when I asked him what he was having for dinner he responded with I was planning to go to the grocery store between shifts but then I ended up having to bring the work truck home and it's not easy to park at the shopping centre so I might just have to buy a takeaway meal instead.
00:03:42
Speaker
So I asked if he still had the sticky wheat pesto I gave him the wheat before and suggested that he could stir that through some pasta and add some salami, feta and olives or something like that. Items that can be kept on hand and used to make easy unplanned meals. Then we went on to discuss being prepared for those times when we're not able to follow a plan. The tapenade I was making was actually for breakfast.
00:04:09
Speaker
I like to eat a wholesome, save-free breakfast and make a range of pestos and tapenas and hummus to keep in the fridge. Because by the time I eat breakfast after my morning routine, I've often been up for about two hours or more and don't usually eat again until 1.32 o'clock. So eating a wholesome breakfast carries me through. But these condiments also serve as a great go-to if I don't have leftovers for lunch Or we decide to take a last-minute day trip into wild nature and want to prepare a nutritious lunch to take. Meal planning for the week was actually something that I used to do. It was something I did for most of my adult life and it started out of desperation. When I was a photographer and finished a job late and then went to a late-night grocery store
00:04:58
Speaker
tried to work out what to make for dinner, often ending up eating a pub meal instead, which was not sustainable or supportive to the healthy lifestyle I decided to live. Then when we moved to the country living out of town, wishing to limit our grocery shopping to one day a week, if possible, already being in the habit of planning a week's menu made this more achievable. Now, just having my youngest son and I at home,
00:05:23
Speaker
Being prepared in this area of my life makes it possible for me to maintain supportive eating habits, but I don't meal plan for the week ahead these days. I operate more from a place of being prepared. I'm still getting used to going from cooking big meals for four, with three of us eating leftovers for lunch the next day, to now just cooking for two with an unpredictable schedule that I operate within.
00:05:50
Speaker
But this same way of operating is also useful in other areas of life and business. So let's look at a few different areas of business and life that we can be prepared in a way that serves us even if we're not able to create and stick to a plan. Like creating a space that supports easily producing episodes for my podcast is a great example. Not only do I have a room set up in a way that I know I can just duck in and record ah podcast episode on a whim if I need to but I am also prepared in terms of the content I create. Keeping a notebook set handy which comes with me almost everywhere I go. When I first made the leather cover that holds three separate notebooks books inside of it I did so based on the fact that I wanted to separate and organize my notes more effectively.
00:06:42
Speaker
Previously I used to keep just one journal, which is where I wrote down my thoughts, intentions and inspirations, which also included business planning notes. And often while journaling, I would get a download that would make a great podcast episode topic. So I would then title the entry podcast, write down what came through and then flick. And then when I came to preparing the episode notes, I would flick back through my journal and find the relevant notes.
00:07:09
Speaker
But by separating the podcast notes out into one dedicated notebook for podcasting and having that notebook alongside of others that have their own separate topics that are easily accessible, it meant that I could carry these notebooks dedicated to different areas like my personal development learnings and business offerings and planings alongside of my journal. And they would both go with me almost anywhere I went.
00:07:38
Speaker
But when I got close to finishing my last journal, I decided it would serve me better to add a fourth notebook to this cover and dedicate that one to my journaling practice writing instead. So when I'm journaling my thoughts, intentions and inspirations, if an idea comes through that would be great for a podcast or business offering, I simply make a note of this and write refer to the entry in and the specific notebook. And then I go to that notebook and write refer to the journal entry from this date to read my initial thoughts so I don't have to rewrite everything. Having dedicated notebooks to different topics makes it easier to go back and find the relevant notes. And having them all together in one cover means I only carry one book around now.
00:08:29
Speaker
Being prepared to capture ideas while they are still fresh in my mind makes it so much easier to then create content and produce episodes rather than sitting in front of a blank screen hoping inspiration will come through at the time I've allocated to recording my episodes. Related to being able to work efficiently and effectively is being prepared in terms of the equipment I use in general.
00:08:53
Speaker
Having items that support me in completing tasks organised and easy to transport. Not only does this aid me in enjoying location freedom at times, working in town at a cafe, or even being able to work on the road if I choose to, and still fulfil my work commitments without too much fuss. Even here at home, having everything together and organised enables me to move from one space to the next effortlessly.
00:09:21
Speaker
at times working on the northern veranda or the western veranda depending on the weather conditions and time of day. Sometimes I work out in my studio shed rather than here in the zen den or like over winter I set myself up in front of the fireplace for weeks on end as every other spot around the house was simply too cold.
00:09:41
Speaker
and there's no other warmth quite like a fire. No heater can truly make up for that. So in order to do this effortlessly, I keep everything I need to fulfill my work in a basket. Within that basket is a large pouch containing smaller pouches, each having their specific purpose, keeping all of the tech bits and bobs that I need organized. If I am heading out and need to move from place to place on foot,
00:10:10
Speaker
Like the other week when I dropped to the car off at the mechanic for the day and walked into the centre of town to work, it was easy to transfer everything from my basket to my backpack. Even that day, I went from a cafe to the Riverside Park to the library, all without not too much fuss. Now, I made a little clip for Instagram sharing how these pouches work to support me and have included that clip within the product listings for the little handcrafted kangaroo leather pouches that I make that are available for purchase. If you'd like to see that clip for inspiration and how to organise your own mobile offers in a beautiful way, I've included links to that in the show notes. Another area of life that this same way of being prepared even when not planned serves is when it comes to deciding on what to wear. Just like meal planning
00:11:04
Speaker
used to be a part of my regular practice. When I had a commercial space I also planned my outfits at the beginning of the week based on my schedule for that week which made it simpler to get ready in the morning and not stand in front of a wardrobe wondering what to wear that day thinking about whether or not I needed to be more practical in my attire because I would be climbing up and down ladders or capturing product shots, or it being the subject of the product shoot, or needing to prepare a room for a workshop and still be dressed for serving customers in the retail store, showcasing the goods we sold in the outfits I curated and wore myself. I would know what my schedule was for the week, so I would plan accordingly. But after a while, I shifted across to intuitive dressing. Because of the fact that there were days that an outfit I had prepared
00:11:54
Speaker
just did not suit my mood for that day and I would not feel as effortless in my movements. Having a wardrobe filled with garments that I know suit my physique and style and that work together when it comes to layering makes it so much easier to select intuitively and curate an outfit quickly, which speaks to being prepared ahead of time for the unexpected rather than having a plan and sticking to it regardless of the reality of the moment.
00:12:24
Speaker
Back in episode 53 titled Empower Dressing, Frequency of Fabric, I talk about this as well as how the choice of fibers we select to drape our body in has an impact on us too. So what are ways you could prepare what you need to aid you in effortlessly, efficiently, and effectively meeting your commitments, as well as building your business? What foundations can you lay down for yourself?
00:12:52
Speaker
that could be supportive for you reaching your goals and objectives without having to stick strictly to a plan. Is there an area you struggle with in your business like content creation, for example? Are there some practices you can put into place that support you in creating consistency in that area of your business? Could you set up a folder on your phone or your cloud-based drive for content captures?
00:13:18
Speaker
So anytime you take a photo or video that aligns with your brand and brand messaging, you can save these to that folder. And when you hit a block, when it comes to posting something in alignment with your content pillars, you can flick through your folder and pull out some inspiration from there. My commercial space was located in a beautiful heritage building and I took photos of components of that space.
00:13:42
Speaker
And even the way I curated the space with my decor and saved those as stock images in my iCloud files. So if I did not have a photo prepared for a post, I could use that as a background image or an eye-catching piece of content that complimented the subject I was writing about in the caption. But it wasn't something I necessarily took in that moment that I was preparing the post. My regular quote of note posts are a great example of this too.
00:14:12
Speaker
Whenever I hear a quote in a podcast interview, read a book and a line resonates with me in that or while scrolling through Instagram, I either write it down in a notebook or I save it in a folder named quotes in my Instagram account that I can refer back to when it comes to actually looking for a quote that aligns with a theme or topic I'm focusing on for that week. Especially if that quote of note post does not align timing-wise with when my podcast is out, which is when I share a phrase from the delivery of my message. There are so many areas and aspects of doing business that we can prepare supportive material ahead of time that aligns with our business's mission, brand and values, saving us time when it comes to taking action on creating that consistency. Now, if you would like support in your journey of doing business to your own beat
00:15:11
Speaker
establishing supportive habits and practices so you can create some consistency in your digital presence, I encourage you to make the most of the heavily government funded program that I contribute to as a coach. If you are in New South Wales, Australia, have an ABN and run a for-profit micro or small business, make the most of this limited time offer of only paying a small fee of $45 plus GST. When you select the all access option, you receive up to four hours of coaching focusing specifically on your needs in the digital space. The $45 does not equate to the value of the service. My 25 plus years of experience in business alchemise with my coaching certification is what enables me as a coach to shortcut the learning process for clients through this program.
00:16:02
Speaker
and signing up to the programs through my affiliate link, choosing the All Access option, you'll also support the production of this podcast as I receive a small finder's fee for bringing you into the program. To register for the Digital Solutions Program, simply click on the link provided in the show notes. Now, if you're not in New South Wales, let alone Australia, I have been incubating an offer that will enable you to be supported in your journey in a beautiful, nurturing way. This offer will not just be about your digital presence. It will be about supporting you personally in business and life. This new offering will be ready to leave the nest and take flight very soon. The incubation process is over. I have been nurturing this little hatchling behind the scenes.
00:16:50
Speaker
preparing for it to spread its wings and fly. If you would like to be one of the first to know about it, then sign up for my newsletter, which will be coming out this week around the new moon. There is a link to sign up for that in the show notes too. Creators Nest is a space where beauty, uniqueness and connection are combined to inspire you to create a harmonious life. The Business to Your Own Beat podcast was incubated and hatched through Creators Nest.
00:17:20
Speaker
based on the premise of all that I do in these spaces is to foster those engaging with them to let their inner essence be their outer expression. This new offering will be super supportive of that. Even if you choose not to join us in in this offering or the digital solutions program, I hope that you find this podcast supportive in your journey. And until next week, take time to reflect on ways you can save time leverage your efforts and foster preparedness. So you can take action that supports you in living your passion-filled life, achieving your goals and meeting your objectives without feeling like you have to sacrifice something else in the process.
00:18:06
Speaker
Thank you so much for your time. I know how valuable it is, and I hope you got value out of listening to this podcast. If you are looking for a coach to support and guide you through your own unique journey of creating a life you love, then reach out for a connection call. And if you'd like to connect with other creative souls in person by joining us at a workshop, a retreat, or to book a unique um shopping experience here at Creators Nest, I run those by appointment. So check out the website for more details. The link is in the show notes.
00:18:36
Speaker
Oh, and please leave a review. I'd love to hear any insights or inspirations that were activated in you from this podcast. And I look forward to drumming, dancing or soaring alongside of you.