In the Inside Living Savvy series, I'll be sharing my experience of creating an online lifestyle program for women aspiring to live extraordinary lives. Join me for a peek behind the scenes.
I first imagined what would become Living Savvy some 10 years ago. It was just a seed, one that spent a long time developing beneath the soil before breaking the surface and beginning to grow in earnest. Bringing a personal project like this to fruition requires an enormous investment of time, energy, creativity and emotion (not to mention money!).
When I started to think about the advice I would give to a friend about to travel a similar path, I realised I could write a book. For now I'm going to start with my top 6 tips to launch a big project and stay sane.
1. Discuss it with your family and friends
Be very clear about what you want to achieve and why it is important to you. Share this with your family and friends. Forget the superwoman myth – the reality is that launching a business or a big project means you'll have less 'free' time and you'll need more support. Have an open discussion about what you're doing and the ways you can work together with family and friends to meet everyone's needs.
Perhaps sitting down together for dinner each night is a must-do, but your partner can take charge of the kitchen. Perhaps the kids can go to Saturday dance rehearsal with friends, and you'll arrive 15 minutes before the end to see them practice and take them home. Think about combining activities such as exercise and socialising. This not only frees time for you to concentrate on your project, but also ensures during those times you have committed to be with your loved ones, you can be 100% present.
2. Get professional help!
The superwoman myth wreaks havoc once again when we fall into the trap of thinking we have to do everything ourselves. Living Savvy would not have happened if I had not hired a great team of professionals to help me. My tip is to delegate tasks that you know could be done better, more efficiently, or more cost-effectively by someone else.
That might mean hiring people to free your valuable time from everyday tasks (such as home and garden maintenance). Within the project itself, focus on what's important and what you do best, and let professionals take care of the rest (that may be accounting and/or web development). Above all, articulate a clear vision and specific goals to keep your team on track.
3. Don't forget to take care of your most important asset – YOU
We've talked about working together with your family to meet everyone's needs during this busy, stressful time. That means meeting your needs too. Don't be tempted to put everyone else before yourself, or you'll end up burnt-out and that's no good for your family or your big project.
Check out my recent post How can a slow cup of tea do more for you than a health spa? for more ideas on this. What big projects are you working on? Tell me about them in the comments below. And don't forget to come back next week for my final 3 tips for launching your big project without burning out.
Image by Muffet
Related posts:
- Inside Living Savvy: How To Launch A Big Project Without Burning Out – Part 2
- Inside Living Savvy: When do you say ‘yes’ and when do you say ‘no’?
- Inside Living Savvy: When you should listen to what everyone is saying
- Inside Living Savvy: How I keep going when I’m scared witless
- Inside Living Savvy: Walking the Walk as a Life Coach
