Blog - Page 63 of 75

Here's the thing: emails

I don’t know anyone who wins at emails. But I do know this: having a system in place to process emails can add a level of calm and make you feel better about them (and how you spend your time).

As with everything, it’s about finding what works best for you, but I wanted to give you some ideas to try out for yourself.

Use folders (or labels) and rules to your advantage. Have a folder for orders, and get all your order emails automatically sent there. (Google ‘how to automatically file emails in [insert email provider here]’.) You could have a separate one for enquiries, because you process them differently to orders.

I tend to use my actual inbox as to do list items, so I can file emails away when I’ve replied or actioned them. That way, I regularly get down to a handful (sometimes none!) of emails in my inbox, and feel less like I’ve got an endless to do list going on! You may need to do a big clean up to get there, but you could always short cut by setting up and ‘old inbox’ folder, and stick everything in there. It’s all searchable anyway.

Identify emails that are ‘read only’. I have lovely blogs and newsletters I subscribe to that I love to read, but aren’t things I actually need to do. I keep these in an ‘inspiration’ folder, and I read through them at leisure.

Unsubscribe. Don’t just delete emails you’re not interested in anymore. Unsubscribe! Your inbox is a sacred space. It takes up a lot of emotional energy. Don’t let things in that aren’t worth your time.

Schedule email time. I catch up on emails on Fridays. I put aside an hour or so each day to reply to emails. You don’t have to be ‘on call’ for emails every second of every day. Some people check in at the top of each hour, to get enquiries or new orders, and reply to and quick and easy emails. Try putting some boundaries around the time you spend checking email, and turning off notifications at all other times.

Avoid emails first thing each morning. This is a tough one, but I’m going to stand by it. Mornings are often our clearest thinking time, and our most creative time — until we allow other people and thoughts to cloud our minds. One of the best ways you can make the most of a fresh new day is to avoid email for the first hour or so. Try having your breakfast before email. I always write my essential to do list before I check email. Many days, I’ll do some creative work before I get stuck into emails.

Manage email expectations. If you’re usually an immediate replier and are thinking of changing how you use email, consider letting clients, friends and customers know that you’re shifting things around a bit. ‘I’m trying something new to help manage my time more effectively, so I may not be able to reply immediately.’ Some people like to send out auto-respond emails. I shy away from them, because I don’t want to send an email to say I’m going to send an email, unless I’m on holiday and it’ll be more than a week before I can respond. Whatever you decide, your actions speak louder than words, so know that if you always reply immediately, that’s what people will start to expect. And if you reply at night, people will think you’re available 24/7.

Prioritise. What’s most important for you to respond to? I (mostly) prioritise my existing mentoring clients over potential new clients, but I try to set aside time for both each day. You might decide that customer enquiries are your top priority, because it’s easy to prevent problems when they’re replied to quickly. Be clear on what’s top of your list, and consciously allow other things to fall to the bottom.

Ultimately, I want you to know that struggling with emails is universal, and it doesn’t mean your business is failing. But it is something that can make you feel better if it’s working well for you. Experiment this week, and let me know your techniques.

PS Today is the absolute last day to book a place on my retreat in a couple of weeks. I have two places left. If one of them should be yours, book now!

Here's the thing: farewell February

Honestly? This week I’ve felt pretty tired and not very organised. General feeling: not quite in the game.

I went to Budapest last weekend, which was really fun and totally cool, but took my Monday away. And on Wednesday I went to see Bespoke Verse and lots of other lovely small business owners for tea and cake. Again, a really fabulous way to spend a day!

But the net result is that I’ve been out of my nice routine that includes lots of time to get things done. Which makes me feel like I haven’t quite done enough. Can you relate?

February isn’t known to be extraordinarily busy (although I have a few clients who were rushed off their feet for Valentine’s Day this year). I certainly didn’t expect to feel run down, tired and unable to catch up.

At Christmas, sure, and in the run up to it. I prepare, and give myself lots of cushioning and nice stuff. But I wasn’t expecting it now.

So on Thursday I was determined to get back to my routine, with a slow morning and the bare minimum of tasks (so that I would have plenty of time to ease into it).

I’m reminding myself that I don’t have to do it all right away. An epic to do list rarely gets me motivated, so I’m sticking to essentials and things I really want to do.

This afternoon, I’ll spend half an hour writing little notes to people who’ve made my February enjoyable. A little ritual to say farewell to the month just gone.

How will you say farewell to February?

Was it a good month for you? Are you glad to see the back of it?

Are you ready to come out of hibernation, into Spring? If not, what do you need to get you there?

I’d love to hear about your routine and how you get back into it when it’s disrupted.

PS Last remaining places available for my retreat in just 3 weeks are available here. Booking has to close on Thursday 5 March, and there are only a handful left. Time to book your spot!

Here's the thing: you can't fail

What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?

The first time I saw this question, it was a physical thing. I felt it in my stomach, my heart, my gut. Here was the thing I’d been missing. Here was something that hit the nail on the head of what held me back: everything was hemmed in by fear of failure.

It was this question that started untangling me from that fear.

Because what is failure, really? Isn’t it something we decide for ourselves, and sometimes cling to, no matter what?

Is bankruptcy failure? Society certainly thinks so. Is it failure if the first thing we do isn’t perfect? Is it failure if it’s never perfect?

Oh, perfectionism again. Let’s just all let it go, shall we?

In business, “failure” is the opposite of “success”, and they just feel like two sides of the same self-imagined coin. You get to take the coin and flip it down the gutter if it can ever tell you you’re a failure.

A project may not make the money you were hoping. Your products may not be as popular as you’d hoped straight away. You might make a mistake, let someone down.

But you learn from all of them, which is all you can ever do. Mistakes, let downs, “failures” teach us more about what works than out-and-out successes. If something goes perfectly well, how will you know which bits made it happen? Isn’t it better to have something you’d improve next time?

If everything’s a learning curve, you can’t fail.

I truly believe you can’t fail. You can fall down. You can make a mistake. You can drop the ball. You can have less money than when you started out. You can procrastinate. You can put on weight. None of it is failure.

Everything is learning what works for you, what works in the world.

Maybe you’ll learn that missing the post run in the middle of Christmas sales makes you more stressed and lets customers down. Maybe you’ll learn that trying to do too much tires you out and leaves you feeling unfocused. Maybe you’ll learn that a particular business venture doesn’t work or needs a radical shift.

And that’s okay. It’s essential. Keep learning.

Here’s the thing:

You get to try anything and everything you want. You’re in charge. And when everything is just exploration of possibility and learning new things, you can’t fail.

What’s your answer? What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail? Take a moment to sink into that question right now. Accept whatever comes up – you’ve probably been hiding from it.

What would I do if I knew I couldn’t fail? I’d be self-employed. I’d allow myself to be open to different avenues of my business, doing only and everything that felt fun and good and interesting to me.

I’d run a retreat for small business owners who need to know that they can be and do what they want, that there’s a place for their business and brand in the world.

I’d write a blog to share my ideas about small businesses, self-employment, and authentic, holistic business practices.

I’d make time to go to yoga two or three days a week, even if it means being away from my emails during “office hours”. I’d buy a flat and start a business in the same year.

Oh, wait. That’s exactly what I’m doing. Because I can’t fail.

You know what I’d do if I had no clients and no blog readers and no money in the bank? I’d re-think. I’d consider getting a part-time job while I re-grouped. Sure, I’d feel disappointed. But would I stop trying to do my thing? Never!

And you can do just the same.

PS Want more? At my Small Creative Business Retreat, I’m dedicating Sunday afternoon to this question, plus exploring the fears that keep us stuck and stop us from doing the things we really want to do. If you’re free 20 to 23 March and have a similar stomach-heart-gut reaction to this question, I’d love to have you there!

How will you say farewell to February?

Here’s the thing:

Notes of Encouragement