Insights
Have You Built It Backwards?
Have you ever played Jenga?
It’s the game where you start with a bunch of wooden pieces stacked high on top of each other.
The object of the game is pull out blocks one by one, without crashing the stack.
In a lot of ways, it is similar to how many people plan their lives and businesses.
We’ll start with big goals. Come up with a plan. And then patch together a bunch of strategies to bring it to life.
Trouble with that is, when you want to move the pieces around, things get wobbly.
And eventually, your whole tower can come crashing down.
What if you approached planning like a jigsaw puzzle instead?
When you work on a jigsaw puzzle, all of the pieces fit together to create one big picture.
To make that happen, first you need to break all of the puzzle pieces apart.
Then you organize them into groups.
And then you put them together, section by section, piece by piece.
Why does this work?
When you take the time to think through how all of the pieces fit together, it’s easy to know what to prioritize. You become super focused and intentional. You know what to keep on your plate now, and what to plan for down the road.
But the best part is that it makes growing your business less stressful…which means your life becomes a lot more fun!
Here’s an example of what it looks like:
My client, Amy G., was a successful personal trainer with 45-50 private client appointments per week. Her first appointment was at 5:30 a.m., and her last was at 8:00 p.m. She longed for more free time, dreamed about eliminating the split shifts and had lots of ideas about how to expand her business, but wasn’t sure which path to take.
I helped her to get clear about what she really wanted, break down all of the moving parts in her puzzle, and then redesign her business to deliver what mattered to her most.
Within a few months, she gained back 10 hours/week. She was able to eliminate the 5:30 a.m. appointments altogether, and reduced late evening appointments to 1 night per week.
And the best part was that she made more money, working fewer hours and got her life back. She even had the time and energy to start planning for her future projects so she could serve more people.
Pretty cool, right?
Want to learn more about how to grow your business to the next level with more ease? Join us in The Balanced Business community, a free group for mission-driven women who are committed to creating success on their own terms. Isn’t it time to achieve more by doing less?