The HandBag Rule. How it can help you quit.

Yesterday we did a photoshoot for my new Iquitmyjob Wesbite (happy dance!)

For 2 hrs I felt like a real model. I was freezing, hungry and slightly tipsy! 

In true Anthea style I was running round at the last minute getting ready when I realised I’d forgotten to buy a handbag for the shoot. I needed a bright yellow one. The time was 3pm. I hadn’t done my hair and the shoot was at 4.

I grabbed my GHD, curled like a ninja and hot fotted it into the city.  It took me exactly 18 minutes to find a park, visit 3 specific stores, choose a bag, purchase said bag, pay for parking and get the hell outta there and over to the location... only 2 minutes late!!

Personally I was pretty impressed with this effort.  Normally it could take me hours to do the exact same task. But this time I had a deadline. I had to take the best of what was in front of me and make a choice. No faffin’ around. No procrastinating. No over analysing. And definitely NO perfectionism. I wanted a yellow bag. I left with a black one. And guess what? At the end of the day it didn’t matter one iota. Job done. Shoot a success.

So “how on earth does this apply to me I hear you ask?”  

Have you ever heard of Parkinson’s Law? Nope? Fair enough, that’s because it’s a boring name.  From this day forth let's call it the Handbag Rule (I guarantee you won't forgot it now).

Anyway the Handbag Rule (sorry Mr Parkinson) says: however long you give yourself to do something is exactly how long it will take. If you only have 18 minutes it will take 18 minutes. You will find a way.  Give yourself a week and you guessed it, that job you can actually do in minutes, will expand to fill the time you’ve allowed.  The longer you allocate to a task, the longer it will take.

If you want to fast track getting your idea up and running, you need to set deadlines and don't be wussy about them.

Some people say set realistic timeframes. I agree and disagree with this.  You don’t want to drive yourself crazy and burnout under your own self imposed deadlines BUT you’ll be surprised what you are actually capable of achieving when you put your mind to it.

My philosophy? Figure out your ‘realistic’ timeframe – then stretch yourself. Set a mini goal to do it before the due date. I bet you can!!! And you’ll be glad you did.

The other cool thing about the HandBag Rule is that it helps keep your energy high.  Personally I’ve found the longer my goal stretches out in front of me the harder it is to stay pumped.  If your project is a massive one, break it down into ‘doeable’ chunks so you get the very real satisfaction of progress.

2014 is sneaking up fast.  Here's 3 simple steps to get you started on your journey before another year whizzes by.

1. Write down your goal. The old school way. Remember pen and paper?? Use em. And stick it up on your fridge.
2. If your goal is a big one break it down into smaller parts.
3. Put those timeframes down in BIG BOLD colour. Then make a pact with yourself to beat em.

For example, my goal by the end of 2014 is to write my first book. That's a pretty big goal. So here's what it looks like broken down into steps with an actual deadline!

MY BOOK

1. Define chapters - (I'd spent months toying with this idea. Last Friday I gave myself 20 minutes to bloody well sort them out. Surprise, surprise, I now have my chapter list)
2. Write 1000 words per day for 3 weeks. I only work weekdays so my official deadline is November 15.  That's my *yawn* realistic timeframe. Secretly (or not so secretly now) I'm aiming for the 10th.
3. Work out how I am publishing????  Jane Copeland - I'll be hitting you up for this answer.
4. Publish. Once I know the publishing process I can put timeframes on it. Will let you know next week.

Why not set yourself a goal now to get your idea started in one way or another by new year.  Break down your tasks. Leave a comment below to tell me what your plan is.  I will personally check in with you to see how went.  

Whatever you do, don't let your dream drag on forever in front of you. Commit to making it happen! Not *sometime* in the future.  Grab your calendar and make it real!!!!!!

Big love and adventure,

Anthea (aka the just do it girl) xxoo

PS have you already got my fear busting checklist??? If not it's the perfect condiment (yes I know the word is complement but condiment is funnier) to help get you into action.

Download it here:  Fear Busting Checklist or just at the top of this page (on the right).

Confession Time - The Truth About Why I Didn’t Post Last Week.

Last week was very exciting! I moved my existing business RealChai into brand spanking shiny new pink premises. I think it’s quite possibly the world’s ONLY pink factory!! 

We worked 14 hrs days to make it happen and I’ve been working weekends and nights for the past month on renovations. Sounds like a pretty decent reason for not being in touch right?

Wrong.

We’re all friends now so, let’s be really, really, really honest.

At the end of the day it’s not because I was stupidly busy (even though I was) it’s because… I chose not to make it happen. 

Yehuh. It was a choice. 

You see 99% of the time the “reasons” we don’t do things are actually excuses.   When you break it down we choose to do other things. Ouch!  I know. But it’s true.

If you’ve ever found yourself not being able to get sh*t done I know what you’re probably thinking right now… “Yes but…. MY situation really is different. I really don’t have enough time, money, skills etc.”

If this is you it’s time to step away from the excuses. It’s time for a little tough love. Excuses keep you stuck peeps. They are not your friend. They might make you feel temporarily better about why you didn’t get something done but they wont get you where you want to go.

This is why I felt the need to fess up.  By sharing my perfectly valid reason (ahem excuse) I am hoping you might call BS on something that has been getting in your way lately.

The cool thing is when you call it like it is, a choice, you can do something about it.

You can look beyond your external circumstances (whatever they may be) and ask yourself more helpful questions like, what’s really getting in the way and what can I do differently.

For me the truth is I’ve been operating without a plan.  No concrete goals and no realistic timeframes. Nothing is scheduled so of course things are getting bumped. Not because I have no time but because I haven’t planned properly. 

So instead of saying I’m toooooo busy I've asked myself what needs to be done, how much time will it take, when I can I fit it in, what can I let go of and who/what do I need to help make it happen.  Now I can move forward.

Is there something you can look at a little differently this week?  Take the power back baby and kick those excuses to the curb.

Happy Hump Day

Big Love

Anthea xoxo

When what you want to do clashes with what you have to do

This is a special moment.  It's the first ever guest post on Iquitmyjob.  Champagne anyone?  What do you mean 10:04am is too early?

The thing is I've been completely slammed lately, pulled in a kabillion different directions. It's like life has been testing my commitment to this new venture. So I decided to call in the awesome Emma Grey from WorkLifeBliss to keep me on track.

Emma is indeed the master of balance. Last week her entire family was struck down with a nasty bug. So nasty one of her 3 kids and 2 step kids ended up in hospital and yet Emma still managed to write this guest blog post for me. Enjoy....

My business, WorkLifeBliss, was born one lunch-time, when I went to speak at the Lifeline Women of Spirit Awards after my book on working motherhood had been published, and returned to my public sector job afterwards - not knowing what had hit me.

You know that scene in Wind in the Willows where Toad is trundling along in his Gypsy Caravan and he’s overtaken by a motor car? He’s never seen one before, and he sits in the middle of the road, in a cloud of dust - spellbound by this new ‘thing’ in front of him?

That was me at the Women of Spirit Awards - smitten by my first glimpse of a potential new career that I couldn’t even articulate yet. And I as I drove back to the office and back to the job that at that point left me cold, I knew that something had to change.

But how? And more importantly when?

I was already working full time and studying, and had two young kids. Life was packed as it was and I was fighting a strong desire to spend ALL my time creating this new 'thing'. 

My 'day job' and the housework and my studies and even some of the things I loved doing in what little spare time I had, suddenly seemed as unappealing as a bowl of cold porridge. I began to resent the time that I had to spend away from my new idea doing the things to which I was currently committed - and was torn by the fact that I wasn't ready financially to take the leap into the new business full time.

Layering a new business on top of an existing life isn't easy, but there are some things you can do to manage things during what is usually a temporary overlap:

Bang for buck - everywhere!

You'll have been prioritising before, but now it's now more important than ever to choose the 'bang for buck' tasks first. We can't do everything, so we're forced to choose the few activities that will skyrocket our progress and make the most of the limited time that we have. 

The temptation is to get stuck 'colouring in the title page' - taking an age to choose font colours or re-editing something you've proof-read twice. Friday rolls around and you're not much further than you were at the start of the week and that's frustrating.

Make a list of the 'bang for buck' tasks at work, at home and in your new business. Always do these first and you’ll propel yourself along the path.

Outsource what is beyond your skill set

It can be difficult to fund a new business when you’re first starting up, so the temptation is to DIY everything. You hop onto Vista Print and design your own business cards, and decide that it can't be that hard for a complete novice to build a Wordpress site, surely… 

If there is any leeway for outsourcing jobs that are not aligned with your natural talents or experience, DO IT. Most people who DIY end up 'Going Pro' a few months down the track when they realise that first impressions are costing them clients.

Patience

Your brain is a mind-map of explosive ideas, and you could go in any of hundreds of directions. It can be exciting and overwhelming, but a great question to ask is 'What would get this business to first base?' What's the minimum structure, the minimum number of pages on your website, the minimum information, the minimum number and type of products or services that you need to have in place before you really get started.

Capture your other ideas and you might find that you use them to build on your basic business after the first twelve months, or you might find that your business takes on a life of its own and moves in other directions. 

Don't try to line up ALL the ducks at once - just the few crucial ones!

Relationships and the fun stuff

No matter how tempting it is to immerse yourself constantly in the new business, it's important to take breaks. There may be people around you who are supporting you with this idea and it's important to nurture these relationships. Likewise, pay attention to your fitness and mental health. And, as an added bonus, when you allow time to switch off, you'll likely notice a barrage of brilliant ideas… creativity needs space.  

Remember 'this too shall pass'

This juggling, this chaos, these sleepless nights filled with inspiration and energy (and a dash of fear) - it's all transient. Things will settle down. They will get easier. You will work it out.  

Enjoy this 'honeymoon' period with your new idea and keep your head in the clouds and your feet on the ground - grateful for the opportunity to give this a red, hot go.

Emma Grey is the author of Wits' End Before Breakfast! Confessions of a Working Mum (Lothian, 2005), director of the life-balance consultancy, WorkLifeBliss and co-founder of a fresh approach to self-development - My 15 Minutes.

Emma tackles the thorny challenges of juggling professional and personal priorities, staying productive despite a barrage of distractions, dealing with fear and uncertainty, increasing confidence, managing work-and-family and more. She writes for various newspapers and magazines and for websites like iVillage Australia, Mamamia, HerCanberra, Australian Women Online and others.

As a speaker and trainer, Emma presents on the '7 Types of Busy' and offers masterclasses for working parents and for managers keen to implement flexibility in the workplace. Her training and executive coaching has been described as a 'yellow brick road out of the chaos of modern living'.

Emma is the mother of two teenage girls, a 3-year old boy and two step-children in their early twenties. When she can sneak the time - she's writing a vampire-free novel for young adults.

Can anyone start a business?? The No.1 thing you need to know first.

A while ago I met up with a lovely girl who was just about to launch an amazing foodie business.  I was so excited for her and was hanging out to be a loyal customer.  And then something happened. Something terrible.

She read a book.

I don’t know the exact title of this book.  But it made me mad. Super mad.

Essentially it was a book about deciding if you've got what it takes to start your own business.

By the end of this book this girl had packed up her dream and stuffed it on down because she didn’t tick whatever boxes it prescribed.

Total tragedy. 

And not just because I can’t eat her delicious food (although that clearly sucks). The real tragedy is that now she isn’t doing what she loves.  Because the rubbish idea that she wasn’t cut out for it was planted in her head.

There is only one non negotiable for starting a business.

You have to really, really, really want to do it.  With every fibre of your being.

Yes there are different skills and qualities that will serve you.  Everyone will have a different mix of these and that’s ok.  Personally, I’m pretty bad at figures but great at marketing. I love design but not sales.  Other people are the complete opposite.  You play to your strengths and then you fill in the gaps. You can learn the skills you need. Develop the qualities. And as you grow you can hire in people who have things you don’t.

All of this can be done IF you want too.  If starting your own business is what your heart wants to do you can find a way.  No-one is born an entrepreneur.   And everyone is unique.  Your business will be a representation of you. You don’t have to turn yourself into a pretzel trying to be something you’re not.

I know I’m repeating myself. Guilty! But it does come down to how much you want it.  Which comes down to your ‘Why?’  Why do you want to start your business? To express yourself, to help others, to create a great lifestyle?  The trick is to connect with your why and this will keep you going while you ride the inevitable ups and downs and learn what you need to along the way.

How do you know if you really, really, really want to do it?

Think about your idea. How does it make you feel? My bet is if it’s what you really wanna do your whole face will light up, from within. You eyes will smile.  People around you will notice this when you talk about your idea.  If you find yourself day dreaming often about your idea that’s another pretty big clue.   If its been hanging around for quite some time and doesn’t seem to disappear, it might be time to start really paying attention.

Sometimes it’s trickier to pinpoint IF you really want to do something. It can be scary to admit to ourselves what we truly want to do. Within seconds of imagining it we disconnect from our deepest desire telling ourselves our  idea is too far fetched, not practical or possible. I know I used to do this myself. How practical do you think earning a living making cups of tea for my friends used to seem. But I found a way!

Don’t confuse feelings of fear with doubt.  And don’t get bogged down in the details. You aren’t trying to figure out how it’s going to happen yet. Just if the idea makes your heart sing.

You can also try thinking about the reverse. Imagine how you’d feel if you don’t do your idea. If you spend the rest of your life exactly as you are now, would you be satisfied? What if you saw someone else doing your ‘thing’?

Once you’ve decided you WANT to do your idea, there are a tonne of things you can do to help garanteee your success but the first and most important step is deciding. Own your dream.  You are entitled to it and you can find a way to make it happen!

Do you worry about not having the right skills? Do you think you need to have a certain something (insert x,y,z) before you can get started? Let me know below in the comments and I'll tell you if i had that 'thing' before I started 'RealChai' I betchya I didn't!

Big Love

Anthea (aka the just do it girl)