Drop Activities that Sap Your Time or Energy

Last week we discussed www.WebMD.com's five tips to keep your mind safe from burnout. As a reminder, these five tips are:

1. Build downtime into your schedule.
2. Drop activities that sap your time and energy.
3. Rethink your errands.
4. Get moving.
5. Remember that a little relaxation goes a long way.

We pondered the first tip by exploring tools to budget your time in order to build downtime into your schedule. This week I would like to discuss the second tip.

Stephen Covey, one of my favorite authors, defines strengths in his book Now, Discover Your Strengths as being "found in those activities which [you] exhibit consistent, near-perfect performance" and as "those specific activities at which [you] do well and for which [you] still retain a powerful appetite." I invite you to spend a few minutes thinking about what strengthens and what weakens you.

I did this exercise several years ago, and continue to update my list of strengths and weaknesses on a regular basis. I am energized by pouring over financial numbers and creating reports to analyze those numbers. Many others fall asleep at their keyboard doing the very same thing. Yes, I admit to being weird!

Another strength for me is encouraging others to pursue their dreams and be successful--by their own definition of success. I want people to know where they are, and where they are going. By providing accurate and timely financial information, I also help these same people determine how to achieve their goals.

These strengths are the reason why I chose to become a freelance bookkeeper. In my profession, I am able to serve several companies using my strengths, while helping them also save overhead costs. I am definitely strengthened when I see small businesses turn into the owners' dream business!

Is bookkeeping not necessarily a strength for you? Quit allowing bookkeeping to sap your time and energy. I welcome your questions and comments. Contact me at Traci@BassProfessionalConsultingLLC.com or (478) 951-9298. You can also get a no-obligation assessment of your needs and initial quote to meet your business needs.