Get it Done!
The Hamster Wheel
Last dance season there was a lot that I had planned that never came to fruition. I wanted to bring the studio’s mission to life. I had a lot of ideas, but nothing concrete. I had so many to-dos on my list, but felt stuck on the hamster wheel getting all the basic necessities done that I never had the time or energy to do anything extra.
Last Spring I took the plunge and hired The Abundant Edge Life Coaching (you also know her as Miss Kimberly at SDA!). I wanted to figure out how to run the studio and fulfill my mission. I went through numerous iterations of a plan, finding one that worked for me and one I would actually stick with.
The Takeaway
Figuring out how I could create a work routine that felt successful was much more complicated than just writing down my to-dos and then ticking them off the list. These were some of my big takeaways.
1. Forgive yourself and decide move forward. The way I had been working wasn’t fulfilling my dream for the studio. I felt like I was regularly failing with each personal deadline I didn’t meet. That’s no way to feel when you’re trying to envision success. I had to recognize that I just didn't have the right tools and systems in place. But I was ready to move forward from my feelings of failure and never look back.
2. Figure out your why. Nothing motivated me more than figuring out my ‘why’. My why extended beyond bringing the studio’s mission to life. It also included finding a balance between work and home so that I could be present for the studio when it was time to work and present for my family when it was time to be home.
3. Find a method that works for you. Personally, I love Trello (Asana, Monday, and Notion are other similar programs that all have free versions). You may find that you like a paper calendar or a big whiteboard. I have a template to-do list that I copy each week. It has all the tasks I need to get done on a regular basis, such as updating the SDA team every Monday and every Friday I scheduling out the following week.
4. Task breakdown into bit sized pieces. If you have a task that can be done quickly, great! You’ll get to check it off in one day. When it comes to the larger tasks, they can be daunting and easier to ignore. If it is a larger task, there’s a couple of good options - break it down into even smaller tasks or spread the task out over days “work on Project X today”.
5. There’s no failure, only moving forward. Stuff happens (that’s an understatement!). My kiddo was just home sick for a week. Do you think I was able to get through my to-dos? Barely even touched them. This blog post was supposed to come out a week ago, but… stuff happens. Much of the work I did with The Abundant Edge was internalizing that there’s no shame in not getting everything done perfectly and when I intended. Am I doing my best? Yes. Does my best sometimes look like curling up on the couch with the kiddo and watching Blippi and not getting any work done? Yes. When the unplanned happens and I don’t check off all my to-dos, I just reshuffle my next day or next week and move forward.
My Secret Sauce
I love organizing, systematizing, and getting stuff done. Working to find the system that works for me has been extremely empowering. Working with The Abundant Edge was life changing. I also have to say, a huge part of what makes this all possible, is the complete SDA Dream Team. I’ve been able to delegate the basic necessities needed at SDA, but also have the help to make my ideas a reality. I would not be able to fulfill my dream for the studio without them.
All my best,
Liana MacFarlane
Owner/Director
