Episode 54: Why there’s freedom in structure (and how to find it)

00:49 Welcome to Unfrazzle, a podcast for solo business owners with the big vision who are ready for a kinder more sustainable approach to productivity. I'm Louise Miller and each week i share bite-sized insights to help you step away from the hustle stop faffing and stay focused so you can make your brilliant ideas happen and make a bigger impact in the world So grab yourself a cuppa and let's get started Ask any solo business owner why they wanted to be their own boss and two words you'll often hear are freedom and flexibility. Because many of us started our businesses to escape the confines of the nine-to-five and because we wanted to do things on our own terms, many of the people that I speak to don't like the idea of structure. I think partly because people who have the imagination and the courage to quit their job and strike out on their own are often full of ideas and things that they would love to explore. The idea of structure can seem counter to all of that

01:47 They started their own thing to escape all of that rigidity and structure. And so the thought of imposing that back in once they're doing their own thing feels in conflict with the freedom that they were creating when they quit their job And I do understand that, you know we don't want to feel hemmed in. But something that i've noticed over the years is that there often comes a tipping point in people's journey when they start out they're usually happy going with the flow seeing where their energy and their ideas take them figuring stuff out as they go and that's a necessary part of the ride when you're starting your own business You have to try things and play in order to figure out what works and what doesn't and to learn what feels good to you and what doesn't

02:26 But for many, there then comes a point when they realise that rebelling against structure is no longer serving them. And that is often when you know they come into my world they come to me for help and sometimes it's a bit of a conversation that needs to happen around this idea they've got in their head around what structure means and Whether that is in conflict with the flexibility and the freedom that they want. But here's what I believe to be true when it comes to the role of structure in your business, When you don't have a structure in place and by that I mean when you haven't got a plan You've go no rhythm to how you're spending your time, you're just kind of going with the flow... ...you are way more likely to get swept up in other people's priorities or by who or what is shouting the loudest! Your way more likely to flit from one thing to the next To be easily distracted

03:12 and to experience shiny object syndrome. When that's how you're navigating things, days weeks and months can slip by without you making the progress that you'd hoped And people say they don't want a structure because they value their freedom but to me what I've just described does not sound like freedom If any of this is resonating for you i would just love for you to imagine that you found this sweet spot of structure that really feels good and works for you And when you find that, that's when you're able to put yourself and your business first. That's when you get to decide what is most important whether that is the course you've been meaning to create for years or the YouTube channel you want to start, the retreat you want to host and you get to protect space for all of those things. That's when you get to be proactive and strategic right? You start being really thoughtful in how you are spending your time so that you can actually feel in control and enjoy the life and business that you are creating

04:06 And even though there's structure in all of that, that is what feels like freedom to me. So how do you find the structure that makes all that possible without feeling hemmed in? Well the simplest way that I know of is to introduce some purposeful planning into your life and that is why I created Make It Happen Club right! To provide an anchor for people to return to every month where you get to make some decisions and plan how you want to spend your time... There's a link for more information about that in the show notes if you're interested But this is all about the structure that you create to give yourself more freedom and that could be as simple as sitting down once a month, to look at what's on your plate. To consider what's most important and to protect time and space for the tasks and activities that will move you closer to your goals

04:49 It could also be about creating loving boundaries around how you're spending your time. Maybe keeping some days call free so that you have space to work on your most impactful priorities You might also want to consider building in a rhythm that really works for you, in relation to your delivery, marketing, sales admin business development all of that good stuff How can you build just enough structure around those things without over-engineering it? In a way that feels good and is going to help you actually keep taking action. If you're not sure where to start with all of this, take a moment to reflect on where things feel most out-of-control and therefore the least freedom giving and consider how you might introduce some light structure to help you find more ease so as I've said the structure you create it doesn't have to be over engineered in fact i would very much advise you against anything too complicated and it doesn't have to be rigid right? Keep it simple keep it flexible

05:41 And most of all, I really suggest approaching all of this with lightness in the spirit of experimentation. Remember that it might take a while to find what works for you and also remember that what works for you might change over time and that is okay! It doesn't mean you're getting it wrong so stay open and stay curious how much structure feels freeing to you because it's giving you the space to do the things you want to be doing? When does it start to feel too much? That is going to be different for everyone And if it helps, just an image to leave you with. Perhaps you could think about the structure that you create as being like the banks of a river helping the water to flow with purpose in the right direction because without those river banks the water would just spill everywhere and never reach the sea so what could that look like for you? I hope this helps and i look forward to seeing you again soon

06:31 Thank you for listening to Unfrazzle. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend who needs a dose of calm productivity in their life and I'd love it if you could leave me a rating and review as that will help more people discover this podcast. If you would like to hear more from me to help stop faffing and take back control of your time, you'll find the link to join my mailing list in the show notes and I would really love for you to join us! So thanks so much for your support and I look forward to seeing you next time