Reflect and Reset- Creating a “Think Week” like Bill Gates

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Ahhh September. Summer is waning and autumn is starting to peek around the corner. I love this time of year for many reasons and yes, one of them is that the kids are finally back in school.

(insert Happy Dance here)

Now that the house is quiet again, and I can actually form an uninterrupted thought, this time of year is also an indictaor that the New Year really isn’t that far away either. This is the perfect time of year for me (and any other mompreneur) to do some reflecting and business planning for 2017. Time for a Think Week.

I stumbled across the concept of creating a Think Week recently and I really, really liked the idea. “Think Week” is a term coined by mega guru Bill Gates who would use this week of peace and solitude to create new projects, build new income streams and better his massive business.

Now, I don’t know about you, but whisking my staff and family away for a “private retreat” is def. not in my budget. And I don’t have “staff”…yeah, there’s that. But what I can do is carve out some Grey Matter Time where I spend hours or days plotting and planning how I will make my business extra-awesome (and profitable) in the upcoming New Year.

So as I type, I am in the throes of my own personal Think Week and I have to say, damn….this is hard. Hard because my brain wants to think, plan, plot, brainstorm and orchestrate Business Greatness that will Blow Your Socks Off, but the Guilt Monster inside of me keeps poking me and reminding me that I am not actually doing any money-making in the moment. No billable hours, just a trickle of passive income. As we all know the Guilt Monster also has a side-kick called Worse Case Scenario Thinking. In my mind (because I don’t feel like I am “working”) I find that I have moments when I let the Guilt Monster win and my thoughts spin out of control and create dramatic images of me and my family living in a box under a bridge. Because…you know, I am not actually securing income in that moment.

And eBay keeps calling my name. Dang, this is hard.

STOP. REFOCUS. MOVE FORWARD.

So after a few false starts, I am shifting my attention to a long list of things that I’ve been accumulating over the past few weeks in anticipation of Think Week. Here’s an example of what I want to solidify this week:

• Create an official (and proper) book launch for my ebook FREElance FREEdom . I am so proud of this ebook and the fact that it is chock full of everything someone would need to begin their own work-from-home journey. BUT, I’ve been so busy with client work (a good problem to have!) that I’ve done an incredibly crappy job on getting the work out.
• Pin-point TWO courses that I want to invest in for ME. I am leaning towards Book Boss and Leonie Dawson’s 2017 Shining Business Academy. Book Boss is new, Leonie’s is not. I credit MUCH of my success in 2016 to all of Leonie’s teachings and want to keep her glitter and unicorn encrusted lessons for life and business at the TOP of my To Do List for 2017.

NOTE: If you really want to supercharge your biz in 2017, Leonie’s Shining Business Academy is truly the way to do it. She offers over 10K worth of info for $497. BUT, here’s the kicker. Sign-up is only open until 9/30/16 and then it closes until sometime in 2017. NOW is the time to invest in this info because NOW is the time to set the wheels in motion for a stellar New Year. I know that sounds like a ton of $$…but trust me, me it’s totally worth it.

• Rock affiliate income. I do O.K. on affiliate income…I want to do SPECTACULAR.
• Figure out new ways to monetize both Franticmommy and Mom Squad Center. Both blogs are vibrant and have awesome longevity.
• Look for new and more lucrative Magazines to write for. I LOVE writing for publications with every ounce of my being. With some pretty hefty experience under my belt, I am now looking at bigger and better magazines to write for.
• Complete and launch the Page Nation course for indie author that myself and powerhouse author/publisher Valarie Budayr are working on.
• Expand the coaching part of my business. I love guiding people along on their entrepreneurial journey and would love to add a few more coaching clients to my current roster.

Not everyone can set aside a complete week to do their greatness planning for the upcoming year. Heck, I am struggling to find an entire DAY. But, unless you set it in stone and block off 24-48 hours on your calendar, it might not ever happen. Staying focused and true to working on your own business needs first is way harder than it sounds. My mind keeps drifting back to what is familiar and what makes me feel validated; doing good work for other people. But I also know that my own streams of income will never grow unless I make it a priority.

My plan is to keep everyone posted on my ongoing Think Week and what I plan to achieve. I also need to review my Riding Wild Donkeys And Other Interruption Eliminators so I can finally FOCUS!

Please share!