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Part 3: The Power of Re-commitment

This is the last of a three part series on working a full-time job and starting a business. You can find part one here or part two here.

Imagine for a moment you hold a full-time job and in the last four months you’ve launched a part-time business. You were excited when you started, but lately you’re feeling tired after work, in the last two to three weeks you haven’t done much and your productivity has come to a halt.

Now what?

Old self

Realize that your old self is rebelling, as it wants to keep the status quo—after all you are breaking into a new way of living and thinking. You are being tested. Do you really want this? By its very nature working full-time and starting a business is a series of stumble, fall, get up, start again, stumble, fall, get up, etc. Each day is a new day, commit to starting, or re-starting.

Break down your goals

The key is to break down your larger goals into its smallest units. Success comes in small increments—do not get fooled in believing success happens overnight (especially if you believe you have a great idea).   A wonderful book that extolls this principle is The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy. In essence, one drop in the bucket each day adds up to a full bucket, or a successful business in the long run.

Consistency wins

All the goals in the world won’t matter if you don’t develop healthy habits. Create the right space (see part one on the Harmony Schedule). The right environment starts with consistency – setting a schedule and sticking to it. Studies show when you schedule a task at a certain time in the day you’re more likely to do it than if you do it when you “feel like it”.

Compassionate Objectivity

Let’s go back to that example in the beginning where in the last two weeks you haven’t done much on your business. Some will be hard on themselves (“I’m not cut out for this,” or, “I’m dumb with numbers). Others will find excuses with their circumstances (“I had a rough week, too much is happening”).

I really like what Hillary Rettig has to say about handling times like these by using Compassionate Objectivity. Compassionately objective people forgo unproductive blame and shame, but that doesn’t mean they don’t take responsibility.  In the compassionately objective response, one doesn’t belittle oneself. The focus remains on the areas one can improve – and not labelling oneself or giving up one’s power to circumstances.

For example you can re-examine last week when you come home tired.  You can look at  what transpired – you made dinner late, had a glass of wine and decided to watch a relaxing show only to realize it was already 10:30pm. You can then rewind and say you actually needed a break, instead of telling yourself you were lazy, and in the future you will set up a time for both the work you will do and a break afterwards.  You can decide to schedule on Thursday at 7:30pm you’ll email your suppliers and at 9:00pm you’ll watch your favourite show.  Do everything in your power to start the task on time. Your motivation can come after you start the task, knowing you’ll be rewarded later that evening.

These are small shifts, but in the long run they add up.  If you work full-time and have already started a business part-time, I wish you continued moments of growth, insight and action. If this is something you are contemplating, I hope you can see that you have the power to make it happen.

If you need help in getting you set in the right direction check out our free Business Plan Writer.

Written By: Dominik Loncar, Futurpreneur Canada Entrepreneur-in-Residence, dloncar@futurpreneur.ca

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