After a few months of tight deadlines (client work, financial returns - working IN the business), I'd pretty much abandoned the idea of planning ahead or scheduling marketing activities into my diary. This meant that newsletters, blog posts and social networking all suffered due to lack of proper attention. In turn, I felt the weight of disappointment at haphazard, substandard scribbles (I'm my own worst critic!).
I told myself I didn't have time to plan, I'd do it once I'd finished this project or met that deadline. The trouble was, this foggy situation actually started back in March and while I'd met all the deadlines and given the impression to the outside world of being in total control (don't we always?), it was really difficult to see where I was headed in terms of planning ahead for the business.
Just because I can teach this stuff in workshops, doesn't mean I'm any less likely to get stuck than any of my students! But what I have in my favour are an extensive toolkit to dip into, and experience of what works.
So last weekend I spent a few very satisfying hours planning out the rest of this month in detail. I used pen and paper for this (but you could use a whiteboard or your computer - whatever works best for you) and found even more ideas began to flow as the schedule took shape. Unexpectedly I'd also found the right conditions for creativity, and moving out of the fog has helped me to see very clearly what I want to achieve over the next few months.
Have you been stuck in some kind of fog in your business? Please share in the comments section. If you found this post helpful, a Retweet or Like would be appreciated!
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