Huh. It’s October 31st, and while I had pledged to write every day in the month of October (to be clear, that would have been 31 posts on this topic) … I posted eight (well, nine – if you count today) times. Reflecting on the month, and how swiftly it went by -I am not disappointed by my accomplishments however. I did write every day -I wrote the workbook for the Off the Clock class that was a HUGE hit (so much so, we are holding it again on November 12th), I wrote several coaching summaries for my clients, and I wrote my new marketing plan, updated my Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as often as I could.
Missed deadlines and goals are a part of the game when working full time for someone else and running your own business, after all, a big chunk of our time is commissioned to someone else. While I missed my personal goal of posting a blog every day – I was pretty near successful in every goal (and my boss required me to hit) this month. But, there is still a part of me that want’s to freak out a little about pushing my own stuff back.
What you do when your boundaries get pushed, and your work takes the back seat causing you to miss a deadline?
DON’T HAVE A FREAK OUT – A lot of time gets wasted ruminating about what never was. Panic also squashes creativity. Instead, take a deep breath, go for a walk, and decide what you can do to pick up the pieces. Can you make a new deadline? Create a smaller version of the larger project? Hold the project for another launch date? Think of the work you did and how to reuse it – don’t scrap everything!
KEEP GOING – Most of the time, deadlines are self-imposed. For instance, I can still write 31 posts regarding the topic of working full time and having a side-business – and I probably will. I may even turn my series into an ebook (won’t that be fun?) … and there I go again, creating another project, with another deadline. Your creations will be ready when they are ready – and just like cookies from the oven, your audience is anticipating them, and will gobble them up when you present them.
MOVE ON – This is a little harder, because it requires forgiveness – believe me, forgiving myself is one of my weak points. But it’s necessary to let things go. If you spend so much time lamenting about your last missed deadline – you might miss the next one. Remember -you are creating something good! Your life is supporting your dream! It might take a little longer to reach the summit because you have a longer trail to hike – but the view is worth it! Now, get moving – Your Mountain is Waiting!
In the meantime – hit the heights and be excellent!
Priscilla Hansen Mahoney
Blazing Trails Coaching
The Natural Business Leadership Guide
This article is part of the #write31days challenge for October 2015. To catch up on the whole series – click HERE.
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