My business is getting off to a slow start this year, but that is alright, actually. I started 2015 with high hopes for a productive year. I was full of excitement at the return of my writing Muse, a mysterious entity that seemed to desert me during pregnancy with my second child back in 2013, and remained elusive during the past eighteen months.
She is still sporadic with her appearances, but she is at least helping me to continue writing the fourth novel in my Redcliffe series. And she helped me to complete another novel that I am currently showing to agents and publishers.
Clearing the Mind makes good Business Sense
The difficulty I have is keeping myself focused. My mind is often childlike, in that it flits about from one activity to the next, so that I am often left quite literally running in circles (well, not literally, but you know what I mean!), and not actually achieving very much. For example, I might switch the computer on with the intention of writing a blog post to schedule. While I am there, I might just glance at a photo or image that pops up when I search for a file. And from there, I move on and on, distracting me completely from the original job. It is even worse if I connect to the internet. But then we all have that problem, what with social networks and the all-consuming email machine.
I decided that this year I will actually complete a business plan. I had tried to do this previously, but without success. I received templates for business plans from local business mentoring companies. I found information online, through blogs and information websites. But none of them really grabbed my attention. Let’s face it, business administration is boring. There is no creativity. And when it comes to working out figures for forecasts and profit calculations, well I very quickly lose interest. I prefer to work with words, not numbers.
A business plan that suits me
Anyway, I finally found a business plan that suits my mindset. I discovered the website of Leonie Dawson. She is a business woman, and very successful with that. She is a mother, so she knows where I come from, even if she doesn’t know me personally. She is a hippy, hooray! Her business plan is colourful, inspiring, and creative. It shows me that business doesn’t have to be boring and staid, which is the message I had been receiving up until this point. Apparently, you can run a vibrant business. And that is what I want to do.
Now, I have started the business plan. I have not yet completed it, but I am almost there. I have realised that actually, there is no physical deadline. I am fortunate in that I do not need to rely on my personal financial income to support my family. My husband provides that for us. With that pressure taken off, I am free to use my time to clear my mind (when I’m not being harassed by small children). I am purposely taking my time with this business plan, because I want it to be right. This will move my career forward. This is my legacy. I need to be clear on exactly what that legacy involves. Excuse me, while I go away and meditate for a while…
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SpookyMrsGreen 