Do you feel like your business is going in the direction you envisioned it would? If not, why? What are you doing differently? Take a step back and figure out what is off. It may sound crazy, but creating a vision for your dream week can lead to clarity in your online business. 

Goal Setting for Clarity

Reaching your goals can be a struggle without clarity. Clarity in your online business provides motivation and excitement for the road ahead. You see, I’ve gone down many roads that I thought I “should” go down, going after goals that I thought would bring me joy and success. In the end, they were the dreams and visions of someone else, not my own. 

And now, your thinking how do you figure it out?

Journal On How You Feel At The End Of Each Day

So much can be said about journaling. I think that’s why so many business owners talk about it. It’s not any different for me. When I started my business, I journaled every morning. It’s really what led me to start my business.

As my business and workload grew, journaling took a backseat to client work and the day-to-day running of my business. 

I've tried everything when it comes to becoming a consistent journaler. Do you want to know what is the best way to journal? 

Well, that’s for you to decide. I had to figure it out myself, and you must do the same. It boils down to this: There is no right or wrong. 

You must, I repeat, you must journal how you want! If you attempt to journal how other journals, it’s like sticking a square peg in a round hole, just saying it won’t work. If you start out strong and drop off, do it differently. If your journaling includes doodle, let it be. The need for multiple pen colors, let it be, you’ll only journal electronically, you do you. 

The best way to journal is the way YOU will journal.

What is your dream week as a business owner?

I know what you’re thinking: how can creating a dream week lead to clarity in your online business? It’s funny how many entrepreneurs struggle to find their niche. Me included.

We can get all up in our heads about the right or wrong way to do something when there is no right or wrong. It is about picking a nice, big path and just starting. The more you do you’ll begin to watch your path narrow as you go.

It is about having confidence in yourself, about believing that no matter the path you choose, it will be the right path for you.

The most common reason I hear mom entrepreneurs start a business is the same reason I did: to have freedom and flexibility for their families.

If you spend your time trying to keep a ridge schedule, will that feel like freedom and flexibility to you?

You see, this is why creating your dream week can lead to clarity in your online business. You have to kiss a lot of frogs to find your prince. 🙂

Stay with me now. If you started your business for freedom and flexibility, what you offer to make money in your business must align with that value. If it does not, you’ll not make it. You’ll constantly be searching for something else. That something that will make you feel in alignment with your vision and why.

In Your Perfect World

– What does your dream week look like
– Are you offering the paid service that brings you joy
– Are you working in the right niche
– Do you need to narrow your focus
– Does this feel true to you
– Remember, there is no right or wrong. You can pivot at any time

How does that work in your current business

After you lay out your dream week, how does this work in your current business? Are you close to your dream week? If not, what needs to shift to become more aligned with your business vision?

Creating Your Dream Week

To create your dream week, start by asking yourself some key questions:

What activities bring you the most joy and fulfillment?
How much time do you want to dedicate to client work, marketing, and personal development?
What does your ideal work environment look like?
How can you structure your day to maximize productivity while prioritizing self-care?
Once you have a clear picture of your dream week, it's time to take action. Break down your vision into smaller, manageable steps. Set realistic goals and create a plan to achieve them. Surround yourself with supportive individuals who believe in your vision and can offer guidance and encouragement.

Remember, creating your dream week is an ongoing process. As you grow and evolve, so will your vision. Embrace the journey and be open to new opportunities and experiences.

Time To Wrap This Up

Creating a dream week for your online business is a powerful exercise in clarity and alignment. By envisioning your ideal week and taking steps to make it a reality, you'll find greater joy, purpose, and success in your entrepreneurial journey.

If you're feeling stuck or unsure about the direction of your online business, I invite you to work with me.  I love helping entrepreneurs, just like you gain clarity, overcome your obstacles and create a business that truly lights you up.

Here is a link to a simple application, to take the steps towards working towards your dream business friends. Remember you and you alone how'd the power to create a business in life that aligns with your deepest values and desires. Trust the process stay true to you and watch your dreams unfold.

Thank you so much for reading I appreciate you and I hope you have a wonderful week.

It is all too common for online entrepreneurs to suffer from creative burnout. In my experience, this was another reason for my inconsistency with long-form content. Motivating yourself can be difficult when you lack inspiration. Fortunately, there are ways to prevent burnout when it comes to your creative output.

What are the signs of creative burnout? Here are 5 tips for dealing with creative burnout and staying motivated during periods of low energy and lackluster creativity.

Recognize the Signs of Creative Burnout

You likely have a pretty good idea of what creative burnout feels like for you. Here are a few common signs to watch out for:

* Overwhelming exhaustion

* Lack of motivation

* Difficulty focusing

* Procrastination and missed deadlines

* Irritability and reduced creativity

* Low energy

If these symptoms sound familiar, it's time to take a step back and evaluate your workload and stress management strategies. Look at it through the lens of the four D's: Do, Defer, Delegate, Delete. While tracking your time may sound daunting, it is necessary to get a scope on where you're spending your time.

Consider if there are any tasks that you could delegate or outsource. Once I let go of the fear of having to support another person with my business, outsourcing to a Content VA increased my revenue. 

For more information on what to prepare before hiring a content assistant, refer to my earlier post: What to Prepare Before Hiring a Content Assistant

1. Taking Breaks and Recharging:

It's funny how when our to-do list is endless, taking a break doesn't sound like the thing to do. But here's the thing: regular breaks throughout the day are essential for maintaining your energy levels and preventing burnout.

You may not love the Pomodoro Method; however, it is helpful to remind yourself to take a break. One thing that I've discovered for myself is that the 25-minute sprint is a little short for me. The 25-minute mark is when I'm just hitting my groove.

If you've tried this method in the past and it hasn't worked for you, play with different timings.

Take a break each day to reenergize and reconnect with what matters most. You'll feel rejuvenated when you take a break from work to refresh and renew yourself with activities such as a quick walk, loading the dishwasher, or listening to music during a ten-minute clean. Try a guided meditation if you're feeling lazy and need a complete recharge. When I'm feeling like the life has been sucked out of me, I'll grab my earbuds and hit the sofa with a Yoga Nidra practice.

Make sure you are getting enough restful sleep as well; this will help ensure that you have the energy necessary to tackle any project enthusiastically.

2. Setting Boundaries and Prioritizing Tasks:

What most people don't realize is how long tasks actually take. Because of this, they feel daunting. Begin to set boundaries around how much work you take on is important when it comes to avoiding burnout. If you struggle with saying no, be sure to read my post on Overcoming the “Yes to Everything” Mindset. 

​If you would like to listen to this episode on Overcoming the “Yes to Everything” Mindset, it is episode 66.

Focus on one task at a time. New studies have shown that we really aren't great at multitasking. If you focus on one task, it will take you less time. Are you terrible at prioritizing what to work on next?

Begin with the deadline and put the tasks in order in that manner. I'm not sure about you, but I have to lay out my plan for what I'll be working on during the week before it begins. Otherwise, I'll get a hair-brained idea, and before I know it, I'm six hours in and wondering what the heck I did.

Stop chasing shiny objects by planning ahead. Prioritize tasks according to importance so that the most pressing matters are tackled first.

Once you have prioritized tasks according to importance based on deadlines, you'll understand the urgent matters before moving on to less pressing ones.

Choose icons or emojis and add them to the front of the tasks that are priorities. While I know in a project management software you can add a priority, if you're easily distracted, having those call out right in the task works the best. The same thing can be done in your paper planner as well. Be sure that you create a little “key” until you have formed the habit. You'll love this system.

By implementing simple strategies for dealing with creative burnout, you can help yourself stay motivated and productive.

 4. Managing Stress Levels to Avoid Burnout

Dealing with creative burnout and staying motivated is a real issue affecting many entrepreneurs, especially those working in the online business and health and wellness coaching fields. It's funny how we can encourage others to recognize and manage stress levels effectively, but it is something we quickly overlook for ourselves. The best way to avoid burnout is to establish healthy routines, say no to additional tasks, and take regular breaks.

Forming beneficial routines can be a great way of dealing with creative burnout and staying motivated. Establishing a balanced lifestyle that includes regular meal times away from your desk, sufficient sleep each night, and consistent exercise while avoiding overdoing it can help prevent burnout. Additionally, setting up a daily routine or time blocks with specific tasks at certain times can help keep your workflow organized and prevent overwhelm from taking over your life, ultimately helping you in dealing with creative burnout and staying motivated.

5. Learning To Say No & Set Limits On Workload:

As an entrepreneur, it's easy to get caught up in trying to please everyone around you by saying yes too often; however, this could lead to overextending yourself, which could result in burnout down the line. While we hit on setting boundaries earlier, it's important enough to circle back on when dealing with creative burnout and staying motivated.

Learning when it's appropriate (and necessary) to say “no” is key here. Setting boundaries on how much work you take on each week is also important – make sure not only that your workload isn't too heavy but also that there's still room left for being present with your family and a little downtime.

Always prioritize looking after yourself above anything else. Make sure you're carving out time during the day just for yourself where you don't have any obligations or expectations – whether it be going for a walk outside or reading a book – whatever helps bring peace into your life should be done without hesitation. This will help ensure that both your mental health and productivity remain high even when faced with challenging tasks ahead, ultimately helping you in dealing with creative burnout and staying motivated.

Managing stress levels is essential for avoiding burnout and should be taken seriously. By understanding your triggers, developing coping mechanisms, and creating support networks, you can prevent future burnouts and stay on track when dealing with creative burnout and staying motivated.

Building Resilience to Prevent Future Burnouts

The effects of burnout can be crippling to your business. You see, taking a year off from creating organic content in my business was a huge setback for me. But I understand now that things happen for you, not to you. This happened for me so that I could truly embrace creating content and fall in love with it.

With that said, if you even think you're on the road to burnout, take a step back and figure out what is the root cause. This is crucial when dealing with creative burnout and staying motivated.

The key to avoiding future burnouts is to build self-resilience. Understanding your boundaries is essential for avoiding burnout.

It is important to identify what causes you stress and learn how to deal with it in order to avoid burnout in the future. For example, if deadlines cause you undue stress, consider breaking up tasks into smaller chunks or creating a timeline that allows for more flexibility when completing projects.

The ability to cope with stressful situations is also crucial to building resilience against burnout in the future. This could include taking breaks throughout the day or engaging in calming activities such as meditation or yoga. It is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle that includes nutritious eating, adequate rest, and regular physical activity in order to feel energized and ready to tackle challenging duties without feeling overwhelmed. These strategies can be highly effective when dealing with creative burnout and staying motivated.

Managing stress and overcoming challenges may be easier with the support of a business bestie who gets the online business world. Having someone there who understands your struggles and is willing to listen can make all the difference when dealing with challenging situations. By building strong relationships with people with similar lifestyles, you can express yourself without fear of judgment and get emotional support during difficult times, which can help you avoid burnout in the future and stay on track when dealing with creative burnout and staying motivated.

​It’s Time To Wrap This Up

Realizing the signs of exhaustion and taking measures to prevent it are essential when dealing with creative burnout and staying motivated. By implementing some simple tips such as identifying triggers, managing stress levels, building resilience, and setting achievable goals, you can ensure that your creativity remains intact in times of difficulty. Taking proactive measures will help you stay focused on achieving success while avoiding unnecessary fatigue or frustration.

Take control of your creative burnout and stay motivated by downloading your free copy of our organic content creation workflow. We all know that creating a workflow may be daunting but necessary to help you create quality, engaging content that keeps your audience engaged, ultimately helping you in dealing with creative burnout and staying motivated!

Thank you so much for reading, I appreciate you and I hope you make it a wonderful week.

Have you stopped to consider the hidden side effects of giving away your services for free? When I started my online business I struggled with the belief that the services I provided were valuable and worth paying for. I don’t know about you but I feel going from employee to business owner requires a lot of mindset work. Don’t get me wrong, I believe there is a time and place for giving away your services for free. However, if the decision is driven by self-doubt that the coaching you provide is not worthy that is another thing. How do you prevent free coaching when you’re unsure about the service you offer?

Be Honest, How Do You View Free?

When you come across a service for free, do you question the value? Is this coach really able to help solve my problem? Or what’s the catch if this is free? Are they trustworthy?

Come on really, examian what you think of free? Take a step back and be honest with yourself, if you're given something for free do you appreciate it or give it much value?

Granted something may unexpectedly surprise and delight you, but more times than not it will be pushed to the side and disgarded. 

Based solely on my past experience, when I gave away my services for free, they weren't appreciated. It can be difficult enough to get people to show up for a coaching session, but when it’s a free coaching session, let’s just say I’ve spent time sitting on a Zoom call alone.

Your coaching will be undervalued and underappreciated is a hidden side effect of giving away your services for free.

The Hard Truth Ah-Ha

Hey, I'll admit I did this longer than I should've and then it hit me like a ton of bricks. You see providing my time, energy, and knowledge for free or little to nothing wasn't going to allow me to support my family and give me the freedom to be present for them. 

Continuing down this path of fear and self-doubt about charging money for my coaching, wasn't going to allow me to support my family or actually create an impact. 

You will limit your ability to create an impact and support your family is a hidden side effect of giving away your services for free. 

The Mindset Shift Needed to Prevent Free Coaching

Once I had my hard trust ah-ha, then I finally understood I had to become mindful of giving away my services for free. But that's not all, it pushed me to start to do the mindset work necessary to move from employee thinking to business owner thinking. 

Because Friend, not stepping into business owner thinking is a hidden side effect of giving away your services for free.

You Have To Get Good At Asking

The solution is simple, you have to get good at asking. Friend, if you don't ask, the answer is always no. Not asking will leave you sitting in the world of the unknown, struggling to make ends meet in your online business.

It's okay to ask for something in return even if you're not comfortable with charging money as you gain experience.

Let me clarify for every service you provide for experience, it needs to have a clearly defined agreed-upon in writing exchange. The first time starts at zero, the next time you charge for the service, it can be $10 an hour, then the next time $20 per hour.

All that experience is causing you to become an expert, a specialist at that service.

Clients pay for your experience. They pay for someone that can do it better than they can in less time. That's what you're building up too. 

When you step into your power it's a beautiful thing.

When we don't ask, the answer is always no this is a hidden side effect of giving away your services for free. 

If you need more on this subject here are a few other great articles that are in alignment with working for free for potential clients. 

Should You Ever Work for Free? at Women Who Money https://womenwhomoney.com/work-for-free-exposure-experience/ external_link 

The Marketing for Health Coaches Podcast Episode #9 How to Avoid Coaching for Free

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-marketing-for-health-coaches-podcast/id1667866641?i=1000605953298 

One Final Point | Consistent Content Creation

You had to know this one was coming, right? One final point, the content that you create on a consistent basis is your free coaching.  

By consistently creating content, you build trust with your ideal clients. All of this free content will increase your visibility, and build relationships with potential clients. 

When you consistently provide valuable content, you give your ideal client a sneak peek into your knowledge and how you can help them solve a problem. 

You see, if your content is helpful the right people will find you. When you’re consistent this is a gateway to success, so it is essential to make sure it's packed with valuable content.

​

Time To Wrap This Up

The journey from employee to business owner mindset is not an easy one, but it is essential for the success and impact of your coaching business. 

By being mindful of when and how you offer your services for free, you can prevent the hidden side effects that can undermine your value and limit your ability to create change. 

Remember, your time and expertise are valuable resources that deserve to be exchanged for something of worth, whether it's money, testimonials, or referrals. 

As you continue to grow and develop your skills, don't be afraid to ask for what you deserve. 

And finally, by consistently creating valuable content, you can attract the right clients and build lasting relationships based on trust and expertise. Embrace your role as a content creator and watch your coaching business thrive.