Showing Up – How We Spend Our Days Is How We Live Our Lives

By Ilana Jankowitz.

Thoughts and actions are how we create our world. It's an idea long understood – from Descartes (I think therefore I am) to Henry Ford (Whether you think you can, or you think you can't – you're right) and many others besides. Whatever was say to ourselves, whatever we believe, shows up in our days.

If you want to change your mindset, the first step is to create calm in your life. If you feel overwhelmed, you open the door to feeling 'not good enough' or frustrated. Instead, take the time to take control of your week and choose how you want to live your life.

Get everything down on paper.

And I mean everything. From the weekly shop to short- and long-term plans and goals.

Use your time effectively.

Decide how much time you have in the day. You know what you have available to you each day so take control of that time. Block out meetings, school runs, dog walking and shopping and then set aside time in blocks to work on your business - and don't forget to schedule in breaks and time to get some fresh air.

Be realistic

From your list, highlight the activities you can do today. Be realistic and don't squeeze too much in – that just means you'll be over-stretched and overwhelmed. I use a rule of five – it is better to do five things well than try and fit in ten things and struggle to complete them. If your time is limited, choose three things you know you can get done in a day.

Don't get distracted!

The pull of social media, emails and messages is powerful these days, but don't let it interfere with your work time. Turn off notifications and check emails at certain times of the day – perhaps at the beginning and end. The same goes for social media and messages. Set aside time to do this rather than checking every time your phone pings.

Make time for exercise.

Not only does movement keep your heart healthy, your mental health stable and improve your sleep. It also stimulates thinking, learning and good judgement – all skills needed for a successful business!

Ask for help

Rome wasn't built in a day, and one person didn't build it. Can you outsource tasks that someone else can do? Think about the things you keep putting off – they're usually things that might be good to delegate.

Plan ahead

Sit down at a quiet time at the start of each week (Sunday evening or early on a Monday morning are good times for this) and plan your to-do list for the week. This means you head into the week prepared and ready to start work.

DO NOT compare yourself to others.

I cannot stress this enough. It is so easy to look at someone else's calm and collected life and feel we aren't good enough. But what you are seeing is their external presentation and comparing it with your inner experiences. Social media is an excellent example of this: you compare your life to someone's carefully curated marketing. So don't be hard on yourself when someone looks like they are doing better than you, making more money or seem to have everything bright and breezy – you can't know how they are feeling or what else is going on in their life.

This is the moment to take back your life.

Taking back control of your life feels fantastic, doesn't it? Especially as you take the first steps and realise how different you feel. You feel more confident, more in control and calmer overall.

It is the first step to building self-esteem too – you have the space and time to spot and stop negative self-talk and change it for something more positive. You'll learn to compliment yourself – it always feels good when someone else does it, so why not celebrate yourself? Do it regularly and see how it builds your self-esteem and confidence.

These are the building blocks to becoming a robust and successful entrepreneur.

You've got this.

 Ilana Jankowitz is a certified Money Coach born and raised in South Africa and currently residing in Zurich. Her work is all about identifying behavioural patterns around money, transforming negative thinking and moving from a self-destructive mindset to one that is positive and inspiring.

She is passionate about helping women to break free from self-doubt, low self-esteem and lack of self-confidence and move towards financial liberation and she can help you too with her free money quiz.  You can read all about Ilana and her work here or on any of my social pages Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube