If I’ve learned anything from life it’s that simple is better. Less is more. And that’s true when it comes to staying organized in your coaching business.
I happen to be one of the most organized people I know. But I wasn’t always like that.
I also used to be a lousy money manager.
I also used to be hopeless at writing.
I also used to suck at managing people.
So, no matter what you think you’re hopeless at now, you can change that. You can grow into whoever you want to be and however you want to live your life.
What changed those things for me? First, I stopped telling myself what I’m no good at.
The harsh way you talk to yourself is the main habit to stop. You’ll be so glad you did. It’s a life skill. If I can do it, you can do it.
Now try this … every time you think you’re not good at something get curious.
Curiosity is a powerful game changer. It quiets the amygdala – the part of your brain associated with fear. And then, attention and creativity take over.
When you explore something with curiosity, dopamine — the reward chemical — floods your body and you feel good. And then you can easily get past the “way it used to be”.
So, get organized coaches. It feels good. And it will mean you can serve clients better while you earn more.
Template Everything You Can in Your Coaching Business
This is my secret weapon against the limits of time. Everything that can be templated in my business is templated.
For example, I have a template for my Session Recap for clients. Of course, it’s customized where it needs to be within the template so it’s valuable for both of us.
I have a template for typical responses to prospects’ questions. But that’s doesn’t mean they don’t come across as personalized. They do.
I template processes. I have a 15-page Word document with 15 different processes I take my clients through in my Signature Program so I can cut and paste them into emails as we go along. My clients always say – I love how fast you respond. Part of it is about the templates.
I also have pre-made guides for my clients to save us time in session.
So ask yourself …
What can be templated now to save me time later?
And then be sure you create a place where it’s easy to find and use the templates. Me? I have a folder in my email for Templates.
Prep for Tomorrow and Next Week
This may seem basic but you wouldn’t believe how many people don’t do this.
Prep tomorrow today. Prep for next week at the end of this week.
I have a master to-do list with 2 categories – Personal and Business. And it has tasks that need to be done soon and later. I pull from the master to-do list to partially create my plan for tomorrow and for next week.
But here’s the secret – my daily to-do list is super short. No more than 3 things. If I have extra time after completing the 3 things, I’ll pick from the Master list tasks that will fit the time I have open.
Ask yourself …
What must be done tomorrow?
What must be done next week?
What will help me get ahead next week?
Do Now Whatever You Can
I used to put off what I can do tomorrow. That’s the procrastinator’s motto.
But I got tired of having things hanging over my head. I got tired of anxiety. There’s no joy in that. There is joy in getting caught up and getting ahead. It means I have discretionary time to do fun things.
So I changed my motto to “do now whatever I can”. AND I always check in with my body. If I’m done, I don’t keep doing. I rest.
Time is the arbiter. If I have 5 minutes I do what takes 5 minutes. If I have an hour, I do what takes an hour. I’ve paid attention to how long things take. Sometimes I’m surprised by how long something took. But I’m equally surprised by how quick things can be if I don’t make a big deal out of it.
What I’ve found is that my anxiety is replaced with focus. When I focus and get stuff done I don’t feel anxiety. It does require letting go of the perception that this task is a big deal.
As an example, if there’s a call that needs to be made to make an appointment, I knock that out. It’s fast. Not worth planning. Just do it.
If there’s an email that will put something in the court of the other person, I do that quickly. Keep things moving.
These three secrets to organization have made a huge difference in my ability to keep my business manageable. And they can be applied to the rest of your life too. I hope they work for you!
