How Balanced Is Your Business Plate?

I was going non-stop, and I could feel my (business) plate getting heavier and heavier. I’d eat something (complete a task), and something else would appear. Things just kept piling up on my plate, and the more I’d say, "I have too much on my plate," the heavier it all felt and the more it would stress me out, causing me to have a literal stomach ache. Can you relate?

I came to two important realizations: I get a say as to what ends up on my plate and it's up to me to decide how I will "eat" it.

When you're running a business, especially as a solopreneur, you can end up with a ton on your plate. It's important to realize that there are foods (tasks) that are just fillers (not moving your business forward - hello, looking at your brand colors for the 5th time). Maybe there are too many servings of a certain item (i.e., working on too many offers at once). It's possible that you don't have enough of that veggie you really dislike (i.e., doing lives on Instagram).

It's essential that you take a moment to take stock of your business plate.

• What's on it?

• How heavy is it?

• How balanced is it?

• Does it make you feel hungry or nauseous just by looking at it?

• Is there anything rotting on your plate? The "food" you know you have to "eat," but can't seem to make yourself take that first bite.

• What can come off of your plate to either be thrown away or stored for a later date?

• Can you take "bites" of certain things, or is there something that needs to be finished first?

• Are there people offering you more servings or "foods" that you just need to say, "Thank you, but NO, thank you."

• Are there items on your plate that you can't stand, and know there's someone else who loves it and will happily take it off your plate (outsourcing)?

• Is there something you need to take off your plate and serve (delegate) to the others at your table?

Once you have your plate more balanced, there's another point you need to take into consideration. Do you really want to spend your entire day just "eating?" It’s not healthy to put all of your energy into solely “eating.” It's so important to step away from the plate and rest, to exercise, or to do something fun. Take time to just stop - to meditate, to get out in nature, or connect with people and have a great conversation.

You will have things on your plate that you'll need to "eat" whether you like it or not. You need to make sure that you're balancing your diet and that there's "food" on your plate that you also thoroughly enjoy. Please remember to take breaks from your plate and to engage in other activities that bring you joy and soul nourishment.

When your business plate does become overwhelming, and you're starting to feel anxiety, just take one bite at a time while taking another look at your plate and figuring out how to make it lighter and more appealing.

To your inner growth & success,

Adrienne