Many of us solo business owners – it might even be fair to say most of us – are impatient.

When we first start out in business, we might know logically that it can take time to reach the point where we’re bringing in the income we need. But still we get despondent and frustrated that it’s not happening quicker.

10 years ago, I discovered the slow living movement. Since then, I’ve been on a mission to keep “slow and simple” front of mind, both in my business and in life outside work.

Every now and then, though, things begin to creep. The calendar fills up, life starts to feel a little noisier, and I notice that familiar feeling of busyness returning.

When we're busy, it's not always easy to take a break and we push through, telling ourselves we don't have time to stop.  I can tell you how important it is to press pause. But in the heat of the moment, when you're stressed and overwhelmed, having someone tell you why you should take a break isn't always that helpful.

Maybe what you need instead is a list of fun ideas you can play with. Practical suggestions about what taking a break might look like in reality.

A few times a year I run a 12-month planning workshop where I guide people to decide what they want to make happen, and map out their year so they can see which projects they’ll be working on when.

An important part of that process is to figure out what needs to go in the rhythm section.

Have you ever had an idea that sat on your list for ages. An idea you hadn’t really mentioned to anyone, and kept putting off?

For a lot of people, when an idea exists only in your head, you have no reason to do it (beyond it being a great idea). There’s always something more important or urgent to be done, so that idea – however brilliant – never makes it to the top of their list.

Some people are naturally inclined to rebel against structure, preferring to go with the flow and see how the mood takes them. For others, structure is what grounds them, keeping them calm and focused.

I definitely fall into the latter camp, but the former is equally valid. The key is to find a way of doing things that feels good to you, leaving you confident that the important things will get done.

Procrastination and prioritisation. In my mind, the two are connected: when we’re not clear on our priorities, procrastination often follows.

Of course, it’s one thing to be told, “you just need to get your priorities straight”, but quite another to know where to start.

Have you ever done that thing where you got all excited about something, started to work on it, but then a new idea flies into your head, and before you know it you’ve abandoned whatever project you were working on and chased after the new thing like a dog chasing a squirrel?

That, my friend, is shiny object syndrome.

It often seems like we’re all trying to do everything Drowning in options, not just around business, but around how to human. Things happen and change so fast. The FOMO and constant comparison are real. There are so many inputs, so much noise, it’s easy to get swept up. Trying to do all the things, and never feeling it’s enough.

How are you feeling as we welcome in a new year?

Your answer to that question might depend on how the last few weeks unfolded for you. Did you switch off from work entirely, or have you been dipping into your business in the quieter moments?

When you spend too much time engrossed in activities that aren’t actually moving the needle for you and your business, it stands to reason that there’s less time to spend on the things that matter most. So what do you do?

As self-employed business owners we want freedom and flexibility, right? So why on earth would we restrict ourselves by creating a plan for the year, when we could just go with the flow? But if you’re starting to feel the pain of winging it and wondering if having a plan would help, here are nine reasons why a 12-month plan can help you succeed.

By the time they find me, most people have tried everything to be more productive. So it’s only natural they’d be wondering why working with me would be any different.

And for the longest time, I struggled to find the right words! I’ve always known my approach is unique but articulating that has been tricky. But now, I’ve nailed it!

“Right. It’s time to take this seriously. I’m going to write a new blog every week.”

Six months later …

“FFS. I’ve only managed to write four. Why can’t I just stick to the plan, and do what I said I was going to do?”

Always on the lookout for an opportunity to stick their oar in, your inner critic leaps up and joins in with the tirade, and the more you keep not doing the things you said you were going to do, the harder it is to brush those thoughts off.  

When you’ve fallen out of love with your business it’s scary, isn’t it?

You’ve spent so much time building what you already have, it’s terrifying to think about making a big change and starting again. And even more so when you know you want things to be different, but can’t figure out what that even looks like.

Clarity is a crucial part of any successful attempts to be productive. Without it progress is slow and laboured, but get the clarity you need and you'll be well on your way to getting the important things done.

What do you do when you have too much to do? Do you keep your head down, roll up your sleeves and crack on? Or do you take a step back first, and then dive in? In this blog I introduce you to Barbara and Margot. Let’s see who gets more done! 

What do you do when you're feeling stuck in your business? When, like me, you know what you need to be doing but for whatever reason it's just not happening? Or when you don't know what to focus on next and can't seem to move things forward?

May I suggest a new approach to tackling stuckness?

Take a look at your to-do list.

How many small things have been lurking on there for what feels like forever?

By ‘small things’, I mean tasks that would take less than fifteen minutes.

You know the small tasks I mean, right? The ones you just never seem to get around to but that you really can’t ditch.

If you’ve started your own business, and you’re a creative soul, chances are you have loads of ideas. But what do you do when all that inspiration leads to overwhelm, stopping you moving forward? Well, Liz Mosley and I discussed this on her podcast, Building Your Brand, and this blog summarises our conversation.