3 Helpful Ways to Spend More Time in Your Zone of Genius
You’ve likely started your business so you can love what you do. You want to focus your efforts on what lights you up and what you’re good at — or, in other words, your zone of genius.
Many creative entrepreneurs feel stretched thin because they’re using their energy in places they may not have to.
So, let me ask you a question…
Do most of your daily business tasks get you excited?
If your answer is no, or not really… This article is for you.
Let’s get into how you can feel super energized by your business — every. single. day.
What Does Zone of Genius Mean?
If you’re not quite sure what the term zone of genius means, it’s the pieces of your work you’re terrific at and energize you the most.
It’s a term that author Gay Hendricks coined and has completely taken off.
He’s best known for his zone of genius book called The Big Leap.
If you can spend more time in your zone of genius, your business will be unstoppable, and your passion will come alive.
You’ll feel the most fulfilled and get to spend more of your time doing things that excite you — rather than doing tasks that drain you, and you dread doing.
Maybe your zone of genius is coaching...
Maybe it’s writing...
Maybe it’s designing...
Or maybe yours is something completely different.
When it comes to zones of genius examples out there, there are limitless possibilities!
They are also unique to each person, because even if two people have writing as their zone of genius — it’s going to look different for each because they have different strengths, personalities, and experiences.
But once you recognize what yours is, your business will take a powerful turn.
Here are three ways I always recommend to my clients to help them stop feeling so burned out.
3 Ways to Spend More Time in Your Zone of Genius
If you want to spend more time working in your Zone of Genius, here’s a question you need to consider.
What tasks can you say no to this week?
Think about that for a second because if there are some things you just don’t want to do. It’s okay.
Does posting on social media completely drain you? Or does answering emails overwhelm you?
Go ahead, let out a sigh of relief. Because you have three choices to make, so you don't have to do those things this week.
You can delegate, delete, or delay.
1. Delegate.
You can ask for help. Finding someone who can take over some tasks can be a massive weight off your shoulders!
As someone who helps entrepreneurs hire, I’ve seen many of them feel immense relief when they could finally delegate their time-consuming tasks to someone else.
And I know it can be daunting at first to even think about bringing someone into your business. But trust me, it’s so worth it. Especially if you have tasks that need to get done and want to free up some major time.
Even if there’s a task you’re good at (or better at than most), if it’s not something that lights you up, it might be a good idea to pass it on to someone else.
Remember — this is about freeing up your time so you can spend more time in your zone of genius.
Here are some delegating tips I put together to help you if that’s the route you decide to take.
2. Delete.
It's okay to say no. I genuinely believe that if something is not a “hell yes,” it’s a “no, thank you.”
Take some tasks off your plate for good. If it’s not something that’s absolutely necessary and doesn’t move the needle forward for your business, don’t do it!
One of my past clients realized she was doing way too many daily tasks that were draining her. For example, she gave herself a strict schedule to post about her podcast on social media twice a week.
But once she went through my organizational strategy session, she realized she didn’t have to do this to herself. And she started creating posts ONLY when she felt inspired.
Once she did, she no longer felt drained. And guess what? She started getting better engagement, which was much more fulfilling for her.
On top of that, she got more time back during her week.
Let this story inspire you to just take things out of your scope. There’s nothing wrong with at least experimenting with this.
3. Delay.
Give yourself permission to say, “not right now.” There’s nothing wrong with putting something off.
It’s not procrastination. It’s about being strategic with your time. And if now isn’t the time for that project or that task… That's okay.
Maybe you have a launch coming up, and you gave yourself a deadline. If you’re feeling super pressured and stressed, stretch that deadline a bit.
Your audience will understand. You have to take care of you.
Or, if you have emails that can wait for a response, by all means, answer them at a later time.
If you know what tasks are urgent and what can be put off, you’ll know what you can delay.
Obviously, this comes with some prioritizing, but you know your business best.
So… What can you say no to this week? That’s the key to spending more time in your Zone of Genius.
Get Into Your Zone of Genius
The beauty of being your own boss is that you get to make your own decisions. Yes, you need to do what’s best for your business — but sometimes, we’re not the best judges of what’s right for our businesses.
You aren’t going to magically have more time to spend in your Zone of Genius unless you create it.
I’ll leave you with these questions to reflect on so you can consider which decisions are right for you.
What do you need to do this week to spend more time in your Zone of Genius?
What can you delegate so you can spend more time in your Zone of Genius?
What can you delay so you can spend more time in your Zone of Genius?
What can you delete so you can spend more time in your Zone of Genius?
Spend some time transitioning into one of the three above, starting today. You’ll feel so much better.
Not quite sure what your zone of genius is?
This Zone of Genius workbook will help you get it figured all out. So you can find out what you're ready to delegate, delete, or delay. You’ll be much happier in your business. I promise!
