Suzanne: Hello and welcome to this week’s episode of the Midlife Business Show. Today I want to talk to you about making each day your best day. It’s December and 2022 [00:01:00] is nearly over. And when I look at social media, I see people feeling really stressed, really stressed about the state of the economy, about all the things they have to do on their to-do list, about the things that they hear on the radio and on the tv, and  social media.

Suzanne: And let’s face it, stress shortens your life. White blood cells proliferate, overwhelming your immune system, making you more likely to pick up viruses and be ill. Cytokines, multiply leading to inflammation. Your blood pressure rises, insomnia keeps you on the edge and your risk of a heart attack and stroke sores.

Suzanne: None of those things are things that we should be ignore. A short burst of adrenaline is one thing once in a blue moon. That prolonged, unrelenting [00:02:00] stress feels like a snowball, barreling, downhill, and when it hits the bottom, things fall apart. Important things in your health, in your business, and in your personal life and relationships.

Suzanne: So today, as we finish the year, I want to talk to you about what you can do to help yourself. If this is how you are feeling now, you need to start by structuring your day in ways that support and enrich your life. You can’t plan for everything, but you can be proactive about how you schedule and create your working days.

Suzanne: Figuring out your perfect day begins with asking yourself nine simple questions. I’m going to go through these slowly. So think about your answer. Note down what comes to mind right off the top of your head. Ready? 

Here we go. 

1. What would a [00:03:00] perfect working day look like? 
2. What would you do? 
3. Who would you spend your time with?
4. Where would you be working? 
5. What three things could you start doing today that might bring you closer to living more ideal days? 
6. What three things could you stop doing today that might bring you closer to living more ideal days? 
7. What is the one thing you need to have a fulfilling morning? So I personally like to start my mornings with some quiet time on my own, some hot water, and some time for reflection and journaling.What about you? 
8. What is the one thing you need to have to have a restful evening and sleep well? And the final question
9. How do you want to show up in the world and what is the one daily action that supports that goal? 

Remember that in growing our businesses, we are not seeking to attract everyone. We’re seeking to attract the right clients for us, the ones that really resonate with us and are aligned with our values. And we can only do that if we show up as ourselves in all our. Unique weirdness and wonderfulness. So really think, how do you wanna show up in the world and what’s the one daily action that supports that goal?

Suzanne: Now these are fairly simple questions, but I find time and time again that business owners don’t take time to think about them. And when we set up a business, remember we’re creating it for us. [00:05:00] Not just for our clients. So it’s important to build a business that you love, that works for you if you take action on the questions and really give them some serious thought they can change your life, particularly questions five and six.

Suzanne: So if you need to go back and listen to that bit again. However, let’s not stop here.  

Next, I want you to think about sketching out your ideal week. This week I was talking with one of my clients and one of the things that I said to her is that I only see clients on Tuesday, Wednesdays and Thursdays, although I do work on my business on Mondays and on Friday mornings, and she was quite surprised by that and thought it was a wonderful idea and maybe she would adopt that in her business.

Suzanne: I’m not saying that structure works for everybody, but it works for me and it works for the lifestyle that I have and the things that I like [00:06:00] to do because my husband and I like to go away for long weekends. By not scheduling clients on Mondays and Fridays. It means that I’m free to do that without moving clients.

Suzanne: So now let’s think about sketching out your ideal week. Yet again I have nine more questions for you. 

1. Which is your favourite day of the week and why? 
2. Which is your least favourite day of the week and why? 
3. What do you hate doing on Mondays that could be moved to a different day? 
4. What kind of energy do you have on Fridays and how can it best be utilised?
5. How many days of the week do you currently work? And how many days of the week do you actually want to work? 
6. What activity or task during your week do you wish you could get rid of or [00:07:00] outsource? 
7. What is the one activity every week that you really enjoy, that you wish you could do more of? 
8. What three things could you start doing more of during your week?
9. What three things could you stop doing during your week?

Suzanne: Now when you are doing these exercises, I want you to watch out for all or nothing thinking.  All or nothing thinking consists of making sweeping statements to yourself and refusing to look at alternatives or adjustments. 

You’ll know you are doing it, if you find yourself using phrases like ‘no choice’, as you think about the questions, for example, you might say, ‘I have no choice but to work six days a week because the mortgage has to be paid and the interest rates have just gone up.’[00:08:00] 

Suzanne: This sort of thinking works until your health breaks down, particularly if it does so in a catastrophic way, and you’re rushed to hospital. If that sort of crisis happens, it’s amazing how your outlook will change. But why wait until you have a health emergency? Why not look for alternative solutions? Now, here’s one for you.

Suzanne: Reframe. ‘I have no choice but to work six days a week because the mortgage has gone up and needs to be paid’ into ‘I’m going to raise my prices so that I can cut back to five days a week’. 

Or maybe ‘I’m going to focus on selling my most profitable service so that I no longer have to work six days a week’, or perhaps even, ‘I’m going to repurpose all those worksheets and checklists I’ve created for clients into well-branded packages and start [00:09:00] adding passive income into my coaching business’.

Finally, ‘I’m going to create a course so that more people can benefit and I can serve more people at the same time. That way I can work four days a week and let the recurring income from my course paid workshops, mastermind groups, or whatever, add to my income’. 

Becoming solution oriented rather than problem oriented can make a real difference in your life and in your business.

Suzanne: Look for solutions instead of drowning in the stress. I know it can be hard when you are actually in the middle of it. We have a couple more weeks of this year left, but most of us get a break over Christmas and once the festive day is done, we have a chance to reflect on what we want to be different in 2023.

Suzanne: So I [00:10:00] want you to realise that ultimately every choice you make is up to you. 

But don’t just think about making changes. Do it. 

Start with one change at a time. Sometimes it’s that one small tweak that makes a major difference in our quality of life and transforms life from stressful to joyful. If you would like to download a sheet that contains the questions so that you can work through them on your own, then the link is in the show notes.

Suzanne: I hope you’ve enjoyed this episode of The Midlife Business Show. Please share it with your business Buddies and take a moment to rate and review it. It makes a difference to the number of people that listen. Let’s spread the word and reduce the stress for everyone. I’m looking forward to speaking [00:11:00] to you next week.

Suzanne: There will be two more episodes of the Midlife Business Show this year. Bye for now.

Suzanne: Okay, that’s a wrap for today. Thanks for listening, please subscribe, rate, and review the Midlife Business Show. And if you’ve enjoyed it, tell your business buddies all about it. Bye for now.