Strides for Success

Tag: productivity

  • Stop Wasting & Start Investing Your Time with Your Horse

    Stop Wasting & Start Investing Your Time with Your Horse

    [fusebox_track_player url=”https://op3.dev/e/traffic.libsyn.com/dailystridespodcast/1176_Stop_Wasting_and_Begin_Investing_Your_Time_With_Your_Horse.mp3″ title=”Stop Wasting and Begin Investing Your Time with Your Horse” social_linkedin=”true” social_pinterest=”true” social_email=”true” tweet_text=”Riding alone is not going to improve your riding…” hashtag=”equestrian #equestrianpodcast” twitter_username=”strides_success” ]

    We are all guilty of wasting time at some point or another in our day to day lives. However, I want to challenge you for 1 month to NOT waste any more of your time with your horse. Riding for the sake of saying you rode is a waste of time. Clocking in the hours is not the same as being productive with those hours.

    And if you have stopped riding or you’re not riding as much as you ‘want’… Could it be that the riding you were doing was ‘wasting time’ rather than working towards something that really inspired you?

    Change is Okay & Maybe Necessary

    As I write this we are getting ready to begin the final month of 2020. The official year of the curveball. December is always a time when most people do a little review of what was, and begin planning goals for the new year.

    I personally don’t think you have to wait until the official end of a calendar year to do this, meaning if you are reading this in July 2021, apply this now!

    The world as a whole has changed so much recently, is it possible that the goals you set for yourself and your horse in December 2019 might need to be tweaked? Or even scrapped? Has this year benefited you regarding focus and identifying what is a priority? Or has it left you feeling uncertain about anything?

    I want you to read or listen to this with an open mind. A clean slate. And I would love it if you could set some goals with that same openness and readiness to start new and fresh if necessary.

    Your Time with Your Horse…

    Start with putting into actual words what makes you happy when you’re with your horse. What do you enjoy doing? Not what you ‘think’ you should enjoy doing… Only what you actually love to do and could potentially spend all day every day doing with your horse. Maybe it is groundwork. Trail riding? Practicing transitions. Grooming your horse’s tail (my personal favorite at this moment in time).

    If every interaction with your horse feels tiring, heavy, fear-filled, anxious, or any of those more negative emotions, I am going to bet that you are working on and towards the wrong things for you as a rider.

    So often we learn to discount our feelings regarding what we like and what we don’t. We have been trained to do what we don’t want to do in order to reach some goal. And yes, sometimes you will have to participate in some ‘uncomfortable’ moments in order to stretch and grow yourself. But EVERY SINGLE RIDE should not feel like that.  Your time with your horse will can be as enjoyable as you want it to be.

    The ‘hard stuff’ should be sprinkled in between the ‘good stuff’. If your average ride feels the other way around, it is up to you to change it.

    Old Goals – Permission to Drop Them

    I have been guilty of ‘carrying over’ goals from one year to the next regarding riding and life in general. The thinking is that “I didn’t achieve or reach that ‘yet’, so I’ll just bring it with me into the new year”. This is not a great strategy for success! And if you are also in the habit of doing this I am urging you to stop right now!

    Instead of automatically carrying goals from one year to the next, rather access what the reasons were for you not actually achieving those goals…

    If your goals were created by a previous version of you, is it possible that the current version of you is not really that into those same goals? Also, if your goals were created by someone else for you, is it again possible that they are not actually lighting you up when you’re in the saddle?

    Most goals that we don’t achieve or reach simply don’t align with our current values and priorities.

    Your Priorities & Values

    If I was to look at your actual schedule for the past month or 30 days, I’m going to see what you deem important right now in your life. And actual meaning what you really did – not what you wanted to or what you said you would do. This can be a harsh truth for many riders. It doesn’t need to be.

    Life has seasons. The key is to create riding goals that work with the current season you’re in.

    2020 has, for many riders, been an opportunity to get clear on what is really important. On what we want to protect and nurture when the proverbial fit is hitting the shan. Use this knowledge to help you create riding goals that work for you and your horse. Riding goals that support your current lifestyle, not steal from it or work against it.  Goals that allow you to make the most of your time with your horse.

    Get clear on what you value on your life. What comes first regarding your energy, your time and your focus. And what is non-negotiable.

    Work Towards Goals that Count

    From here, I strongly suggest figuring out what time you actually can spend on your riding. Again, make sure that this fits in with your current schedule and lifestyle. Use each interaction in a way that will move you closer to the goal that you have set.

    Remember to build fun into your training program. With your specific goal, what can you do once or twice a week that is fun for both you and your horse?

    This will help you to keep things fresh, keep things aligned, and keep you both interested in the job at hand. I believe that one of your greatest responsibilities as a rider is to ensure that your time with your horse is happy and productive for everyone.

    If you would like more help with this process, join me inside of Connection, my monthly membership for equestrians. In there I will help you to make the most of your time in the saddle.

    Intentional riding = investing your time in your own wellbeing, health, and your skills as a rider.

    Be intentional

    Happy Riding
    Lorna

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  • 7 Tips To Staying Productive In Your Equestrian Business Everyday

    7 Tips To Staying Productive In Your Equestrian Business Everyday

    Often when we work with horses or in the equine industry our time gets spent working in our equestrian business. We do all of the things; riding, training, and the stables to name a few. However, in order to grow, we need to invest more time working on our equestrian business.  The marketing and sales, outlining processes and procedures, and training staff to take responsibilities off of our plate.

    My Own Equestrian Business

    I remember vividly the first few years I spent on my farm here in South Africa. Looking back, with of course the 20:20 hindsight vision, I can now see that I was regularly losing days and sometimes weeks at a time, where I just ambled along.

    There was a lack of motivation and focused action on doing ‘non horse things’.  And, little to no emphasis on the things I needed to do to grow my business.

    The reasons were twofold.  Firstly I was basically alone with no real support system in place. I had no other similar business owners to speak with about problems I was having.  The second challenge was that I had no plan or strategy set up that prioritized what I needed to do on a daily, monthly, quarterly, and yearly basis.

    Luckily I realized this sooner rather than later and began implementing a few principles that helped immensely with my daily productivity and as a result, allowed me to grow my business more easily.

    1. Schedule What’s Important

    We have all heard that what is scheduled gets done. This is true. However, the getting done part depends on whether or not you stick to your schedule! Many of us create a schedule for the day, but come 6 pm when we look back over that day, did you actually stick to it?

    This week I challenge you to begin creating a schedule that suits you and that you can work in.

    Firstly, add all the non-negotiable items such as lessons, training, schooling, and the regular health-care and horsey things that just have to be done. Then begin to look at the time that you have open… It is this time that you can really knuckle down and get the important things done that will push your business forward to the next level.

    2. Identify Your Top 3 Priorities for Each Day

    So simple and yet so powerful! Every evening before your head hits the pillow, or before you leave the barn write down the three most important things you must do the following day. Now, what is important to note here is that these things are not the mundane things that come with having an equestrian business, such as teaching, mucking out, schooling, etc.

    They should be three items that involve you taking action in growing your business…

    Making a call to a potential new boarding client, setting up a new Facebook ad campaign to attract new customers… Things that will move the ball down the field for you.

    3. Exercise

    Movement creates momentum… Any movement! When we are at the barn we think we are working out and yes, lifting bales, grooming horses, riding, teaching all involve you to exert yourself.  However not in a manner that is focused and beneficial to your long-term physical and emotional health. I suggest that starting today, you begin including a daily workout or walk/jog into your schedule.

    It is amazing the ideas that will begin to flood your mind during this time. And how productive you will be when you get back to work. 

    This one simple practice will result in you beginning to enjoy your work more because you are getting out of the yard and looking after yourself better. A win-win for you :-)

    4. Motivate & Inspire Yourself Daily

    Working alone was one of my biggest challenges in the early days of having the equestrian center and farm. I was out in the bush and my daily interactions focused mostly around my clients. Now while this is not, in itself, a bad thing, I began feeling unmotivated, and driving my business forward became more and more difficult…  Enter the Internet! What a game-changer it was.

    I was now able to connect with like-minded people about actual business ‘stuff’ (we use the big terms around here).

    This meant I wasn’t just reaching out to my family members and friends who, for all their love and support, hadn’t a cooking clue what I really should be doing or how to do it.

    I began watching YouTube videos, signed up for a FEI TV membership, read blogs, went on forums…. I now make a point of watching, listening or reading something educational or inspiring every day, to help keep my personal tank full and ready to run with my business.

    5. Find an Accountability Partner

    When you work alone, it is easier to put things off for another time due to ‘circumstances’. The problem is that most of those ‘circumstances’ are really excuses we have created in our minds to put off doing something we don’t enjoy or find unpleasant.

    With an accountability partner, using those same reasons and excuses becomes much more difficult to justify. This is because, quite frankly, your accountability partner doesn’t care about the situation.. They just care that you have followed through and done what you said you would do.

    Most people try to find an accountability partner that they don’t really know… Someone who it becomes uncomfortable to make your excuses to and who doesn’t know the ins and outs of your personal life. Begin looking for someone today.

    If you would like some personal accountability you can connect with me @lornaleeson on Instagram and we can chat. 

    6. Join a Mastermind group

    A mastermind group is basically a group of your peers. Usually, in a group of about 4 to 7 people, you will get together, either in person or online at a scheduled time and discuss your particular business.  Both the successes and the challenges. As I mentioned earlier, it is often difficult to see the forest for the trees when you are working alone in your business.

    Your mastermind group members are there to bounce ideas off, to give their opinion, to support you. All with the goal of uplifting each other to get all of your business to the next level.

    The trick is finding the right mastermind group for you… One that you can contribute to and also learn from. I would suggest finding a group that is slightly diverse… Perhaps slightly different focus in the industry or even different industries altogether. People who are in a different boat will give you a different perspective. And sometimes that is all you need to get you on the right path.

    7. Apply the 1% a Day Rule

    And lastly… This little gem is such a super way to move you forward in a way that inspires you to take more action, day after day after day. Basically, you are breaking things down to the small and often seemingly insignificant. However, by taking daily action, the bigger goals begin to look after themselves.

    Each day, set a task that will improve your business by 1%. Just 1%, nothing more, nothing less…

    Whether that be planing fresh flowers in the hanging baskets at the stables, or harrowing the arena, or changing a page on your website that is not converting well… Whatever it is, this 1% a day will help to motivate you because the results are instantly visible to you.

    I personally use this from an aesthetic point of view, improving how things look, to also improving my customer’s experience and impressions.  You can use this as you want.

    Whether it be setting up an email in an auto-responder sequence, or installing a new payment method, or learning about a new technique for grooming… It is powerful and will help keep you motivated on a daily basis.

    If you would like more support in growing your equestrian business, connect with me over on Instagram, @lornaleeson.

    Happy Riding
    Lorna

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