The year is coming to a close and it’s time to re-evaluate what you’re doing in your business. I’ve been going over the things I’ve done this year and starting to make plans and set goals for 2011.

Having goals and a general outline of what I want to accomplish from month to month has really helped keep me focused in my business this year, but you might be surprised at what the most important and powerful thing I’ve done this year was…

It wasn’t the nifty software I purchased in the spring.

It wasn’t the new client I won over in the fall.

It wasn’t even the release of my transcription business starting information product earlier this year.

In fact, the most important and powerful thing I did for my business doesn’t have anything to do with my business at all in the technical sense and it’s something I’ve only just recently done. I outsourced the major housecleaning and I have someone coming in once a week to scrub and clean.

How is that helping my business? you might ask.

Well, it helps me out in a few ways. One, that’s more time I have to focus on what I’m doing and get more work done during the week. Two, it lets me relax a little when I’m not working because the cleaning is already done. Three, it relieved a ton of stress I didn’t even realize my husband and I had over the household chores.

See, a messy house doesn’t really bother me much at all, I do have four boys after all. But, internally I was feeling a little neglectful of not being able to get everything done that I wanted to get done. Quietly, my husband was feeling the same way. With both of us working full time there just wasn’t a lot of time for the usual household stuff. It was silent underlying stress trigger for both of us and we didn’t even realize it until it was no longer an issue. Weird how that sometimes happens with stress, you don’t even know it’s there until it’s already gone.

Why is this important?

I’m going to be blunt and honest with you here, because this is not something to mess around with. Stress can be very serious. It effects your health silently and sometimes unknowingly in many different ways. It can literally make you sick.

Have you ever mentioned a recurring problem to your doctor? Something like a headache, a rash, hives, an unexplained pain or annoying feeling, upset stomach for no obvious reason? One of the first thing your doctor probably asks is if you’re under any stress at work or at home. Most of the time we say no, things are fine, good, or even great. Because we don’t realize that we do have stress, it’s quietly hiding in the back of my mind waiting for the right time to pounce on us.

So, while you’re evaluating your business and setting your goals take a few moments to think about what might be causing you undo stress in your life, then take care of i as soon as possible, for your health and your success.

Kind Regards,
Loretta Oliver

Filed under: Productivity

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