Episode #49 Planning on Purpose

This transcript is computer generated and may contain errors and not be an exact representation of the audio

This is Welcome to Self® and I’m your host Dr Hayley D Quinn, fellow human, business owner, and the anti-burnout business coach. I’m here for service-based business owners like you to help you increase your own self-care and self-compassion, change the relationship you have with yourself and your business, and help you elevate your business to a new level so you can live the full and meaningful life you desire. We are all on a continual learning journey so let’s learn together.

Welcome to Self® is a place where you can come and learn about the practices that will assist you as a business owner and get tips on how to engage in your business in a way that is sustainable for you. You will realise that you’re not alone in the ways that you struggle, because at times we all do and I’m happy to share with you what I’ve learned through my own struggles and my experiences of running businesses. You can join me as I chat to wonderful guests and have your curiosity piqued about various topics and I’ll also bring you solo bite-sized business episodes that can easily fit into your day.

This is a place to remember that you are human first and have different tasks in your business and different roles in your life that need your attention and for that you need to take care of yourself in the best way you can. This is a place of nourishment, growth and helpful information. A place where you can learn ways to assist you and your business to thrive.

Because remember if you thrive your business can too.

Now let’s get to the episode.

Hi and welcome back to Season 5.

I hope you’ve all managed a break of some sort as we transitioned from one year to another.

The transition between years is always a time for me when I slow down, tune in and ask myself some reflective questions. A time to reflect and also bring my thoughts to the time ahead. A time for planning and setting up the year so it is nurturing, nourishing, sustainable and exciting too! This process starts for me at around October or November of the previous year and continues in some form over my break and into the start of the new year.

Now that’s not to say I’m spending 3 to 4 months constantly thinking and planning, I mean that would be exhausting and totally defeat the purpose right! I just take opportunities to do some planning on purpose and this looks different at the end of one year and the beginning of the next.

These transitional periods can be really good times to make the time to connect to yourself. To be honest, in my opinion any time is a good time to connect with yourself but I digress.

Having opportunities to do this can for many people often feel out of reach but when you get into the practice of small regular check ins, you’ll soon realise that they don’t take up a lot of time and can be really beneficial for you and your business. Like everything it takes practice.

So what sort of questions might be helpful?

Well some of the questions I ask myself at the start of the new year are things like….

How was my break? Did I actually take time to rest and nourish myself? Did I have the level of fun and socialising that I wanted? If not, what got in the way of this.

When we reflect on what we did and perhaps why something didn’t go as planned or hoped for, we can think about the ways we need to make adjustment for next time.

So, if you didn’t have a break at all or your break didn’t actually feel like a break, what would you like to do differently for your next break. And if you don’t have any breaks booked in, do yourself a favour and sit down with your diary and get some booked in before business commitments fill up your diary for you!!

A few years ago, it got to July or maybe it was August, and I was telling my husband how tired I was feeling, like really tired and then I realised I hadn’t taken a break all year! Since then, I have made it my practice to sit down with my diary around October and book in my breaks for the following year, and until I have done that for myself, I don’t offer any appointment times to anyone else. That way, I know I have regular scheduled breaks coming up and even if my plans change, I’ve created gaps in my diary that make it far easier to move appointments around and still honour my need for breaks.

Another helpful questions is what did you find nourishing and helpful during your time off?

It’s good to reflect on this because those are the things we want to add more of into our schedules. Not just for break times but throughout our days, weeks and months as well. The more we can get to know ourselves and what we find helpful, the more we can set our businesses and our lives up in a way that helps us thrive.

You might also want to ask yourself how you’re feeling right now as you head into this new year.

Take a moment to slow down, perhaps place you hand on your heart and check in with yourself.

Be really honest with yourself about how you’re feeling.

What are managing in your life right now? Is the path you’re on the one you want to be on? Is your business set up in a way that makes owning your business a pleasure, a burden, insert your own feeling here?

You’ve may have heard me say many times before that when we can change the relationship with ourselves, we can make much better decisions for ourselves in our business and in our life in general.

Why is this important? Well, when you design your business and life in a way that is values-aligned, suits the person you are, the way you best work, acknowledges your own neurotype and unique needs and wants, you can thrive.

You can have more energy for the things in life that matter to you like family, friends, outside interests. You can stop feeling pulled in all directions and overstretching yourself. You can gain back that zest for life that you used to have and you can build a successful business you love, or fall back in love with the one you have, knowing that you’re taking care of your own well-being too.

And who doesn’t want that! I know through changing the relationship I have with myself, I have changed so many aspects of my life for the better.

Part of that process of changing the relationship with yourself is starting to really pay attention to yourself, checking in regularly and asking yourself what you need and then taking compassionate action so that you can meet those needs.

That might be something you can do for yourself, or you might need to reach out and ask other people for help and support as well. Have a think about what would be helpful for you right now?

So here we are in a brand-new year. I’m really hoping this one doesn’t fly by as fast as last year. Did anyone else feel that!!

Now I’m not one for making new year’s resolutions, but I am somebody who likes to think about how I’m feeling as I embark on something new and ask myself what are the things that I need? I also like to think about how I want to show up in a new year and for me that is authentically, compassionately and with courage. I am excited about the year ahead and what that might hold.

One of things I’m excited about is the opportunity we have for you to join us in our upcoming business group coaching program, Welcome to Self®: Time to Thrive.

Time to Thrive is a 13-week program that really focuses on you and your business thriving. A time for you to reflect on where you’re currently at in your life and business, what is important and meaningful to you, and a supportive space to learn to do things differently, all the while holding your well-being in mind. An opportunity to join a community of like-minded business owners, define success on your own terms and change the relationship you have with yourself and your businesses so you and your business can thrive.

We’re really excited that doors are going to be opening very soon, so if you aren’t already on the wait list, I highly encourage you to do that. You’ll be among the first to hear all the details of the program and there may also be a little bonus for you for being an action taker.

You can find the link for the wait list in the show notes, on my social media bio, and also on the website or just reach out and let me know that you’re interested and I can send you the link for the wait list.

Thanks for being with me today, it’s lovely to be back and until next time, go well and go gently with yourselves. And remember if you thrive your business can too

Thank you for sharing this time with me today, I hope our time together has been helpful and supportive. If there has been something in this episode that you have found helpful, I invite you to share it with another person you think might benefit.

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If you’d like to be notified when the next episode airs, please use the link in the show notes to join our mailing list. If you have any particular topics you’d like to learn more about or guests you’d like to hear from, please reach out and let me know. I’d love to hear from you.

Music and editing by Nyssa Ray, thanks Nyssa.

I wish you all well in your relationship with yourself and your business.

May you go well and go gently, and remember, if you thrive your business can too!

Links to Dr Hayley D Quinn Resources

Website https://drhayleydquinn.com

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