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Get In Gear Newsletter in this issue: the big surprise of being self-employed |
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a personal note from Cairene
You know how you can know something, but still be surprised by it? I mean, I know that eliminating tolerations clears the way for good new stuff to happen, but I am nevertheless amazed by how much of a difference it has made to clean up my old messes. It has freed up so much space and energy and brought me out of my past and into my present/future. Yes, the project resulted in some new to-do's, but at least they are what my current self wants to do, not what my past self thought would be cool. I feel propelled forward rather than pulled backward - and that feels really good. Anyway, if you're a little low on inspiration and motivation at the moment, I highly recommend it.
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eventsSECP Meeting - Next Thursday! September 18, 2008 Business Operations Manual: sounds awfully bureaucratic, doesn't it? But even creative solopreneurs need to document how they do business. With special attention to right-brain approaches, I will share how you can begin to compile your very own operating instructions (the book you wish had come in the box when you started your business). Stop making it all up as you go along and learn how to clarify your standards, policies and procedures so you can streamline routine tasks, build and maintain momentum, evaluate the big picture, and focus on your creative ambitions. A lifesaver in situations when you are unexpectedly unable to work, your business manual is also an indispensable resource when it comes time to delegate activities to others as your business grows. Pointless if never referenced, I will discuss how to make your manual a tool you will want to use - customized to your business and personality with all the information you need at your fingertips. A living document that will change as your business evolves, you will also learn easy ways to keep your manual up-to-date and relevant to your business so you keep on using and benefiting from it. Running your business can feel like coming home from Ikea excited to assemble your new Flärke bookcase, only to discover the instructions are missing and that you're going to have to figure it out yourself. If you'd like a hand putting the pieces together, this is a presentation you won't want to miss. Date: Thursday, September 18, 2008 I'm really excited to be offering this valuable information and I hope you can be there!
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workshopsPlease note new dates & times! The Complete Series The True Discipline of
Time Management Your Business Manual Get-In-Gear Fridays did you know?Teleclasses and workshops can be customized. If you would like to take a class (or the whole series) with a small group of colleagues, courses can be tailored to the challenges you share in common, on a schedule that works for your group. All it takes is four like-minded people who are ready to get to work. Interested? Please contact me for more information. All teleclasses and workshops include individual support between classes, an online forum for participants and graduates, and private consultation with me following the course to address individual challenges - and results are guaranteed.
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one-on-one coachingWant more individualized attention than is available in a workshop? Need help with a specific area of your business or special project? I currently have two openings available for one-on-one coaching. Whether it's making better use of your time or putting systems in place to streamline your business, gain the skills and information you need to succeed through individual training and support in the areas you want it most. [learn more]
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get in gear > the big surprise of self-employmentAn article appeared in a recent Sunday Oregonian entitled, "What really happens when you quit your day job." I, of course, read it with interest. And then felt a bit disappointed. It was all about the unexpected nostalgia the author felt for her former workplace - which to me just seemed like a creative not thinking creatively about her new lifestyle. But, of course, some of that nostalgia was presented very tongue in cheek. She didn't really miss some of those things. And my criticism was further tempered by the realization that she's only been self-employed about seven months. After more than a decade in a corporate environment, it will take more time for her to shake off all those learned constraints and replace imposed structures with those of her own. Goodness knows, I’m still working on it. That’s one of the biggest surprises of being an entrepreneur - just how much structure you have to create for yourself. (I mean, who knew your employer was doing so much for you?) Of course, you need systems to handle the big professional concerns - you knew that going in. But the same need for structure that took the author off guard - something to guide day-to-day things like waking, socializing, dressing, cleaning, spending, eating, and web surfing - probably took you by surprise, too. office hours and distractions Without a set 8-5/M-F schedule, it can take awhile to figure out what your working hours really are. They can be anything you want - so what is best for you? Consistency? Variety? What’s the right pace? How do you define productivity? When is a two-hour lunch a much-needed break and when is it dilly-dallying? Does working on an evening or a Saturday mean you have poor boundaries? Does starting at 9am or a short afternoon nap seem lazy or does it feel like good self-care? And what about your non-working hours? Is it okay to take a break to throw in a load of dirty clothes, water the garden, load the dishwasher, walk the dog, or start dinner? Does it improve your quality of life? Or is it avoidance, like surfing the web? There are a gajillion things vying for your attention. Without a boss or coworkers looking over your shoulder, it's that much easier to indulge in distractions. So, how do you stay focused? And when is “procrastination” a good thing? socializing, spending and personal hygiene As much as you may not miss the din of your coworkers laboring in surrounding cubicles, there’s no denying the isolation that comes with being self-employed. It can take awhile to find and connect with professional peers you actually want to be around. How much social interaction do you need to keep yourself from having long conversations with the dog or pouncing on your tired spouse (who has been coping with coworkers all day) the moment he comes in the door? What do you need to avoid feeling stir crazy so you don’t spend too much time and money running errands and visiting the neighborhood coffee house? And if you don’t figure out ways to get out of the house and socialize, when will you ever brush your teeth and change out of your sweats? As enjoyable as it is to work in your pajamas some days, it's easy to cross into perpetual slovenliness and that can mess with your attitude. Without daily public appearances and a dress code, what does “professional” now look and feel like? it’s all up to you I think most of us were looking forward to being more self-directed when we became self-employed. Finally! Free to do what we wanted, how we wanted! But still, the realization of just how far that self-direction extends probably came as a surprise. We anticipated the big decisions, but who knew that in structuring our days, something like when to get dressed would ever become an issue? There turns out to be a nearly overwhelming array of decisions to be made and an absence of obvious external criteria by which to make them. To be successfully self-employed you must develop a personal set of standards against which you weigh decisions. Because without internal benchmarks, how will you be able to build structures and systems that work well for you? This is one of the hardest things to learn and accept about being self-employed. You can (and should) look to others for modeling and inspiration, but ultimately it’s all up to you. Not somebody in the corner office - you. And that bugs the crap out of me at times. Sometimes I just want someone to tell me what to do, so I can get on with it. Sometimes I don’t want to bother with all that introspection on top of everything else. I mean, I’ve got work to do. But I’ve learned the hard way that no structure or system I adopt will be successful unless I first take the time to look inside. I cannot be successful doing things the way I did them in a corporate environment. Nor can I be successful working in ways other soloprenuers do or applying something I read in a book. I cannot be successful when I work against myself - against my values, my strengths, my preferences, my internal clock. But when I look inside and pay attention to what works - what makes me feel energized, clear and confident - and base my structures and systems on that, then there is a lot less struggle and a lot more enjoyment. My structures and systems are still evolving, but when I do get things “right,” I'm amazed by how well it eases and smoothes things, how it gets at the freedom and organic flow I originally imagined I would experience being self-employed. get in gear > go for the custom fit I doubt my experience is uncommon. I came into self-employment looking forward to no structure at all, only to discover I really needed some. I then swung to the opposite extreme and imposed all sorts of rigidity on myself. That didn’t work either. It’s only now, four years into this adventure and after a lot of experimentation, that I’ve begun to find the right balance. If the day-to-day work of running your business isn’t going as well as you’d like, it’s probably not a matter of being more disciplined. It’s more likely a matter of finding the right discipline. Being self-disciplined doesn’t require forcing oneself into a box that doesn’t fit. It requires finding structures and systems that help you perform at your best, yet are comfortable and allow you freedom to move. Think of a pair of custom-made, brilliantly engineered athletic shoes. They have been made for your sport and your feet. Your stride is neither distorted by the slip-sliding of something too big nor by the painful pinch of something too small. They fit just right. And you can start and stop, turn and jump, faster, higher, farther than you ever could without it them. The day-to-day operations of your business need the same sort of custom-made, brilliantly engineered systems and structures. So, look inside yourself, take your measurements, and begin designing something that fits just right. Need some guidance to build structures and systems that fit just right? Join either The True Discipline of Time Management or Your Business Manual and learn easy ways to look inside and find the answers. Or if you want something truly custom-made, try one-on-one coaching.
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talk backLike what you've read? Irked? Have a suggestion? Got a question? Let's start a conversation. |
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I encourage you to share this newsletter with people you think may enjoy it. When doing so, please forward it in its entirety, including my contact and copyright information. Thanks! An archive of past issues of the Get In Gear newsletter can be browsed here. Unless otherwise attributed, all material is written and edited by Cairene MacDonald. Cairene MacDonald Third Hand Works |
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