Do you ever find yourself procrastinating and just generally feeling unfocused during the work week? By the time you get to the end of the week you wonder what you’ve actually achieved that has helped you build the amazing coaching business that you dream about?

When I first started my coaching business, I certainly had this problem. And I see the same symptoms in many of the coaches I work with. So, I thought, Benay, let’s do something about this!

Let’s face it, starting your coaching business is not always easy. There are plenty of obstacles!

But procrastination and fuzzy headed-ness does not need to be one of them. There are some very simple behaviours you can adopt to remain clear on what needs to be done so that every day becomes a step forward for your coaching business.

Behaviour 1: Weekly Routine
(covering all parts of your life)

If there is one behaviour that has got me to where I am in my business and in my life today, it is my weekly routine!

I’m actually a free spirited and spontaneous person but coaching businesses don’t exactly get built on spontaneity, so this one behaviour alone is and has been a HUGE enabler for me to keep moving forward no matter what comes up.

So, what is a weekly routine?

• It’s a repeatable, plan for the week that defines the time and day for doing certain types of activities (it’s not a to-do list, it just block of time to focus your mind on a particular subject).
• It includes the essential activities you need to do each week to feel happy and fulfilled.
• Essentially, your routine becomes the schedule you use each week for the rest of your life!

A bird’s-eye view of my routine

I’ve tried more detailed routines but I find that this level of granularity is enough for me. It is simple enough for me to remember.

You may need more or less detail, and that’s totally fine. Find what works for you (i.e. gets the best results in growing your business AND at the same time, keeps your soul happy). Once you find your routine, your groove, stick with it!

When new circumstances come into your life (like new and better ways of doing things, vacations, parties, being unwell, having babies, having guests, unexpected calls from friends and family etc.), you can certainly choose to temporarily or even permanently modify your routine.

The important thing is to not blame your ability to stick to your schedule on others. Instead you MUST ALWAYS consciously choose to break your routine. This empowers you to own your results!

I could go on and on about routines, but there are two other behaviours I’d like to cover in this article so I’ll end it here. If you want more reading, check out this article and this eBook.

While your routine gives you permission to focus 100% on one area of your life at a time, the next behaviour, keeps you from working aimlessly, by helping hone in on what’s the most important.

Behaviour2: Monday Morning Priority List

Each Monday morning before you do anything else (except maybe have breakfast, get the kids to school and have coffee – lol!), list out all the specific things you want to achieve for the week. These are the things that, when done, you’ll know that you have moved forward in all the important areas of your life. By Friday, if you’ve done everything on the list, you can tell yourself, “This was a productive, focused week”.

I suggest writing your list by hand, on a small pad of paper. Ask yourself, “What 3-12 things do I really need to accomplish this week to move my business forward and at the same time feel happy and fulfilled in my life?”

As each one gets done, draw a nice friendly pink highlighter line through it.

A tip to the wise, when building your list, experiment with different levels of detail until you find a level that works for you. The temptation can be to cram your list every with minute task you think you have to do. If you are doing that, you may need to take a deep breath…and let them go. 🙂

When your items are high quality – things that really matter, in the long run – less is more.

Behaviour3: Self – Acknowledgement

Last but not least, if your business is growing, you will ALWAYS have more to do. So, stop working when your routine says it’s time to stop. Make time to have a balanced and fulfilled life.

Even if it does not feel like much, acknowledge yourself to sticking to your routine, most people won’t ever even try do it!

Acknowledge each pink highlight line you draw. It’s a symbol of a step forward in achieving your vision and your dreams.