“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” Ecclesiastes 3:1
Have you had the opportunity to move tasks from your “work to do” list to your “work done” list over the past two weeks? If so: congratulations! If it is still a work in progress: congratulations! It takes time to change a habit but stay with it. In addition to feeling satisfied with completing more and more tasks, I hope you have noticed a lightening in your spirit and a clearing of your mind.
As you continue to recognize what needs to be done and designate time in your schedule to do it, it is now time to review the “C” (which stands for Creativity) in your ACE schedule.
As a reminder, the three components of an ACE Schedule are:
Act: Designate specific time in your schedule to work (action time)
Create: Designate specific time in your schedule to create (creativity time)
Enjoy: Designate specific time in your schedule for enjoyment (fun time)
An ACE Schedule is one where you will designate specific time to create. You are an entrepreneur because you had an idea and then created a service or product. Being creative is not just about writing a beautiful song or drawing a masterpiece. It is also about starting a business based on a great idea, finding ways to solve problems, improving processes, brainstorming new ideas, and connecting what is known to what is needed.
However, sometimes you can be spending so much time working in the business that you are not working on the business. You must make regular time to be creative as you continue to develop your service/product and therefore your business.
Time is needed for such things as:
Reading recent research articles
Watching relevant webinars
Meeting with others for their ideas on the product
Writing marketing material
It is time to schedule “creativity time” in your schedule If you find:
Articles are piling up on your desk, floor, or computer
Months have passed and you have not viewed conference videos you registered for
You have not written the marketing newsletter you had planned on writing
Albert Einstein said, “Creativity is intelligence having fun.” Entrepreneurs enjoy working on their business, we just need to plan the time for it. Do you presently plan specific time for this? If not, it is time to do so.
This week, start working on the Creativity aspect of your business by doing the following three things:
1. Determine a specific day this week and designate it as creativity time 2. Determine a specific amount of time you will spend. My suggestion is to start with 2 hours. 3. Determine what specifically you will do and stay focused on it.
As you would not cancel an important meeting unless there was an emergency, do not cancel this creativity time. Guard it. Recognize how crucial this is for the research and development of your business. Recognize this is your ‘art form’ as the business you created is an expression of what is important to you. In addition to moving your business forward, it will also bring you joy and fulfillment.
May God richly bless you this week as you carefully plan this time and let your intelligence have fun!
Bonny, Christian Women at Work