My high school English teacher had a phrase that she repeated over and over again until it was ingrained in my brain. I can still hear her voice and her hand motions as she stood in the front of the classroom, slowly repeating this phrase in hopes that it would sink into our partially developed teenage brains. She said, “What we value, we do.” How many times in the busyness of life have you found yourself NOT making time for the things that you value? How many times have you found yourself unable to take the leap and invest in something that you say you value? My guess would be that it happens more often than you might like to admit, at least that’s how I’ve felt from time to time. In order to prioritize the things that matter most to you, you have to make space for them first.
Today, we’re going to talk about how to define and prioritize your ‘essentials. The Oxford Dictionary defines essential as, “absolutely necessary; extremely important.” I think of my ‘essentials’ as my nonnegotiable habits and routines that I plan into my schedule each week. Making space and prioritizing my essentials ensures that I’m able to show up for my personal life, my relationships, and my business even in the busiest of seasons. In this episode, I’m going to give you a framework for identifying your essentials and making space for them in weekly routines.
A Note on Work Life Balance
As much as we like to separate business stuff from personal stuff, I’ve found that they are deeply connected when it comes to living a meaningful and intentional life. Our ability to take care of ourselves affects how we show up in our relationships and in our business. Our ability to form meaningful relationships affects our personal health and our business health. And the way in which we run our businesses affects our personal health and relationships too.
So you can look at this like three interconnected circles that overlap. Finding the sweet spot where you can show up for your health, relationships, and business is the goal. When you’re able to fit in your essential activities for each, it doesn’t matter how much time you spend on each as long as the important things get done.
“What you value, you do.”
My High School English Teacher
01 | Personal Health
Prioritizing your personal health allows you to show up as a better version of yourself in your relationships and business. I break down my personal health into 6 different categories: Physical Health and Fitness, Mental + Emotional Health, Spiritual Health, Play + Rest, Finances, and Home. What ‘essential’ habits and routines do you need to take care of your personal health each week?
02 | Relational Health
Meaningful relationships bring purpose to our lives. Make a list of the important relationships in your life that you want to show up for. Mine are: marriage, kids, family, friends, and network. What are the ‘essential’ habits and routines you can do to grow deeper, healthier relationships each week?
03 | Business Health
Every business requires the same fundamentals in order to thrive. You might break out these functions differently depending on the structure of your business, but here are the essential categories that help me maintain and grow my coaching business: Marketing, Clients, Operations, Personal Development, Business Development. Simple, right? Keep it that way! What are the essential habits and routines you need to maintain and grow your creative business in this season?
Find your Essentials Today
Wherever you are in your business journey, prioritizing your essentials will help you live a more meaningful life and build a more intentional business. I think we make productivity more complicated than it needs to be, and finding your essentials is one way to simplify showing up for the things that matter most. Tune into this episode of the Business Minimalist Podcast using the links at the top of this page and make your essentials list today!
Links and Resources Mentioned in This Episode
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