Business Owners Head Back to Work

By Andy Kocemba

Here in the upper Midwest, we know that summer is short.  If you are like most people, you took advantage of the beautiful weather and the kids being out of school to travel and spend time away. I even noticed fewer cars on the freeways the last couple of weeks. 

But, whether you like it or not, summer will soon be ending, the kids will be heading back to school, and work will become a serious task once again. Much like going on a diet after holiday feasting, becoming fully engaged in your business once again will require discipline, and perhaps some drastic steps to get your focus back to where it was prior to Memorial Day. 

Here are three steps you can take to make sure you hit the ground running once summer is in the rear-view mirror.

  1. Plan Your Personal Schedule: If you’re anything like me, you’ve relaxed a bit this summer, and that’s reflected in your schedule.  Slower mornings and arriving a little later to work might be common in July and August. Use September as a time to get back to your normal routine. Determine what time you would like to wake up every day, what time you aim to walk out the door, etc. Now is also a good time to think about fitting in other positive habits such as exercise and reading. 
  2. Set Your Meetings: Connecting with employees, customers, vendors, and other key relationships is a good way to reengage your mind after the summer break. Start putting together a list of individuals you need to meet with, and begin setting those appointments. 
  3.  Review and Set Goals: Reviewing your goals and setting new ones is a good way to remind yourself of what you would like to see happen in your business from now to year end. The intentional act of bringing your goals to the surface will energize you and be a catalyst toward activity. 

Takeaways:

  1. It may require discipline and conscious action to re-engage with your business after a relaxed summer.
  2. Planning out your schedule and setting up defined steps will help you build positive habits.
  3. Being intentional about your goals will help energize you for the rest of the year.