Setting Nervous System-friendly Goals for your Business to work with more Ease in 2024
It's that time of year when we review and reflect on our business and plan for the year ahead.
A few years ago, I realised that I needed to change the way I planned and set goals if I wanted to create a sustainable business. I was over-planning, trying to do everything at once, overwhelmed, and often ended up procrastinating for weeks. Without realising it, I was going through the burnout cycles, constantly feeling up and down and feeling guilty for not working hard enough.
I was comparing myself to other business owners who seemed to be able to do it all. If they can do it all, surely I should be able to as well.
It took me a while to accept that the way I approached work so far, just wasn’t sustainable and even if it might work for others, it wasn’t working for me.
Especially as a sensitive person, I realised that I needed to work in a Nervous System-friendly way, which meant changing my approach to how I set my business goals, plan projects and work on daily basis.
Setting goals, planning and working in a Nervous System-friendly way is an ongoing process. It starts with understanding your Nervous system, knowing how you work best and connecting with your own needs.
5 insights to set your Goals and plan in a more connected and sustainable way:
I want to share some tips and approaches I've picked up to set goals and plan in a more sustainable way and approach my work differently. They are all interlinked and invite a way of working that can help you avoid heading towards burnout and instead work with more ease and connection.
What does your body say?
I always loved goal setting and planning. It is so helpful in giving you a direction as well as milestones to celebrate within your business. But often, we set goals purely from a mental perspective. What made a difference to me was to check in more with my physical state.
You may think that you can handle five different projects in theory, but what does your body tell you? Are you feeling tense or anxious? Does your stomach shrink together, do your shoulders go tighter? I used to ignore these signs and just “push” through - it never worked out. I always ended up overwhelmed, procrastinating and then feeling guilty for not achieving my goals.
Instead, I invite you to really consider your bodily response when you set your goals. I know it might sound strange initially, but the more you listen to your body the more you can work in a connected and aligned way. What feels right? When does your body feel at ease? By doing so, you can work in a connected and aligned way.
What is your capacity like?
We often have a tendency to over-plan and over-commit but that can quickly lead to burnout. From a mind perspective it might seem doable to work on yet another project during that one hour you have left in-between meetings. But often, in reality, working this way isn’t sustainable. You end up feeling drained and exhausted.
When planning your goals and projects for the upcoming month or week, I would like to invite you to check in with yourself - What do you really have capacity for to work on? Focus on what’s most important, what will make the biggest difference. And also consider your other commitments, your head space, your energy levels and overall health. Plan for days when you might not feel your best or when things don’t go as planned. Allow yourself enough time, space, and breaks to take care of yourself. Remember, we are not machines, and it's so important to be gentle with ourselves.
Where are you at in your business?
It is easy to compare ourselves to other practitioners, mentors or coaches and we end up setting goals that match theirs. What we often forget is that they tend to be at a different stage in their business than we are. We want to achieve as much as they are - if they can, surely I should be able to as well. We end up setting expectations for ourselves and our business that don’t match where we are at - (which doesn’t mean that we can’t get there over time). What we often don’t consider is that they are at a different stage in their business, been doing it for a long time and often have support!
Instead of comparing yourself to others, I would like to invite you to embrace where you are at in your business right now and move forward from that space. What are some achievable goals for your current business? What will help you take that next step right now where you are at?
It’s okay to get support!
It can sometimes feel like we have to do everything ourselves and it might even feel wrong or unsafe to ask for support. But when growing your business it often comes to a point when you just can’t do it all by yourself anymore. Or maybe certain aspects of your business, such as tech, are holding you back. When planning your goals, I invite you to consider: Do I need support with anything? What would make things easier? What would help me move forward? What are my strengths and what do I need support with?
Give yourself time!
You don’t need to achieve all your goals right now. When planning out your goals and projects, we often underestimate how long they will take. Especially when it comes to setting up new tech, systems or platforms for our business.
To work in a more Nervous system-friendly way, I invite you to give yourself more time and space. When we try to do everything at once, we often don’t move forward. When we slow down we can achieve more with more ease. It can help to break down your goals into all action steps to achieve that goal. Then check back in with your capacity and be gentle with yourself - What’s realistically achievable? Moving forward one step at a time.
I hope these 5 insights will be helpful for your goal planning for 2024!
What is your biggest takeaway?
What are you going to do differently this year when it comes to setting your goals and planning your projects for your business?
Remember if we plan and work in a Nervous system-friendly way, things might take longer, but you won't burn out, and you'll achieve your goals sustainably.
If you would like to change the way you work on a day to day basis, you can download my Free Daily Planner & Journal for female business owners.
And if you are interested in more support around setting your Nervous System-friendly Goals for your Business, you can access the free recording of my workshop “Nervous System-friendly Goals Setting and Planning” - ACCESS WORKSHOP
Let’s Connect:
Sustainable Business Community:
If you are a female business owner looking for resources around tech and systems as well as support around working with more ease, I invite you to join my free facebook group “Sustainable Business Community - for heart-centred, female business owners”
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