I love spring and the optimism it brings. The shifting season of winter into spring is literally all about thawing, new growth, and new beginnings. For me, it just seems like the perfect time to create something new. And when you want to create something new or grow your business, leveraging that seasonal wave of momentum works in your favor.
With the increase in sunlight comes the urge to get more done. Days are longer so it’s easy to stay up later than fall asleep when the sun is still shining (anyone with kids knows this to be true!). With the windows thrown open and the fresh air pouring in, leverage that natural seasonal drive to grow your business.
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Grow Your Business
Growing your home business really is like planting a seed. You need 3 components to grow a future:
- Identify a specific goal (what seed do you want to grow?)
- The environment (a medium to grow in)
- Nurturing and patience (care and attention + time)
Step 1: Identify a Specific Goal to Grow
First, identify what seed of an idea do you want to plant. What is your goal? It may be easier to think about the harvest, or what you eventually want to enjoy, and work your way backwards.
What do you want? An empire? Influence? Meaning in your life? Acknowledgement? Self sufficiency? Independence? Just brainstorm for 10 minutes and write down everything that comes to mind, even if it’s something that seems wild and outlandish.
Be a flower in a field of weeds
When you go over your answers, listen to your body’s response. It will tell you if you’re on the right track. You may feel a catch in your breath, a feeling in your stomach, or a sensation in your chest. That’s a sign to take a closer look at that idea.
When I went through this exercise, I brainstormed:
- Independence
- Contribution to something bigger in the world
- Freedom
- Waking up each day full of purpose
- Excited to help others
Step 2: The Environment
A seed needs the proper environment to germinate. Planting a seed in rich soil vs rock is obvious. So get things growing/going in your favor. Tidy up your work environment so you aren’t distracted by a piles of stuff; organize and clear your space so thoughts and energy can flow.
This doesn’t have to take long. You’re not cleaning the entire house here, just your immediate work environment. Admittedly, I have a table in my office that is an occasional depository for stray papers, but I can’t see it from my actual workspace. The 4 feet around my computer that I can see when I work is clear and distraction free. Sometimes I’ll even bring in a small spray of flowers to set next to the screen (hello sweet peas in summertime!).
Whatever it is that invites you to sit in your space and get stuff done, do it. But don’t make it a project that wastes more time. Better done than perfect. You have ideas to germinate and a business to grow!
Growth and Rest Cycles in Life and Business
How does sunlight factor into all this metaphor-ness? Funny enough, I recently came across an article that promotes 30 minutes of bright sunlight first thing in the morning to balance the circadian rhythm for a natural increase in energy throughout the day. Natural light is best, but SAD devices
So just like a seed needs the alternation between sunlight and darkness, we need balance between work and rest.
You've heard it before but it bears repeating: don’t take your devices to bed! The blue light from computer screens before bed disrupts your sleep, alters the circadian rhythm, and suppresses melatonin. Aim for 1.5 hours between turning your devices off and turning in to allow the body to wind down.
READ: How to set up an Evening Routine
Don’t forget that the environment also means the community around you. Get around like-minded people who are invested in making more of themselves, too. Surround yourself with positive words and soothing, productive music. For the latter, I like the Focus@Will app. It helps me stay focused when I'm writing and is scientifically based in the choices of music and sounds it plays. If you're a little ADHD, you'll love the ADHD Type 1 channel. If you're more like me and like the sounds of a cafe, then the Cafe Creative Beta Lab is worth a try.
Step 3: Nurturing and Patience
You’ve chosen a goal with intent and the environment is primed for growth. What next? Nurturing and patience.
Create a watering schedule (see where I’m going here?) a.k.a. your work schedule. This is the plan you create to achieve your goal. I put together an extensive post with some great info on creating a 90-day plan here. Give daily attention to your goals. So figure out what they need to flourish and you'll easily nurture and grow your business.
The power of words is under-appreciated. In his book, “The Hidden Messages in Water”, Dr. Masaru Emoto conducted experiments with words and water. Positive intentions and words like love and gratitude physically changed the molecular formation of water, while negative intentions and words like evil produced malformations. The photographic differences in the resulting ice crystal formations were jaw-dropping.
So speak positively about your goals and your business. It may be a fledgling side hustle or an empire, but it always responds to the words and vibrations that surround it.
Is There More?
There’s a fourth component, too, and that’s to reap what you sow. Of course, that’s always the fun part! It’s important to take a step back and appreciate how far you’ve come. Growth is incremental and seems so slow when you’re in the midst of it. Taking a bird’s eye view often provokes a “woah!” moment when you recognize how much you’ve changed and accomplished.
The best things in life are cultivated little by little
Celebrate the wins, big and small. You’re further along than you were a year/month/week ago. The time will pass whether you put a seed in the ground or not. So it’s your choice what you do with that time.
Action Step
Your immediate next step is to identify what you want to grow. What is your seed goal? What’s it gonna take to make that seed germinate?
Have patience with yourself but insist on daily movement towards that goal. Make a plan and stick to it.
You got this!
