When it comes to growing a business, the discussion too often centers around sacrifice. Sacrificing time…sacrificing finances. The language is about sacrificing one’s freedom. Are greater freedom and growth at odds with each other?
Do We Need to Sacrifice Our Freedom?
We have yet to meet an entrepreneur who started their business to get less freedom. We think Dan Sullivan of Strategic Coach hits the nail on the head when he talks about Four Fundamental Freedoms that all entrepreneurs seek.
Do you constantly think about work? Is your laptop is on the nightstand? Do you feel like you put in 60+ hour work weeks? If so, you’re working IN your business instead of ON your business. All of these are warning signs of burnout.
There is another way. Every day we witness it—the benefits of an Executive Assistant. With the addition of an Executive Assistant, entrepreneurs make tremendous progress in achieving freedom and growth.
How an Executive Assistant Can Help
Try these three steps to begin discovering what an EA could do for you:
- Begin to define your unique ability. Identify your unique ability is by asking yourself, “What activities would I naturally want to do more of if I had more time in the day?”
- Take inventory of your tasks during a typical work week and note everything you do, both personal and professional.
- Go through and highlight each task that fits within your unique ability. Everything that isn’t highlighted can immediately be delegated to your assistant. This gives you insight into what a day for your assistant would look like and gives you the space to envision a future where you have the freedom to do what you genuinely love.
Envision the Possibilities
Some other helpful prompts that can unlock inspiration:
- Imagine your ideal workweek. Are you working in the morning? In the evening? How many days do you get where you can put your phone down, disconnect, and truly be present? Are those unhighlighted tasks good opportunities for an assistant to come in and take them off your plate?
- If you delegate all those unhighlighted tasks to the right person, what effect would that have on your personal and professional lives? You would be able to focus on what you genuinely love to do: growing your business without the constant pressure of burnout.
- Now you have the freedom to grow your business the way you want to. Imagine the expanded potential. An assistant can make that possible.
Is it time to create the space to think creatively about the future? Have a conversation about an Executive Assistant today.
