In this episode, me and Lorna talk about implementing structure and increasing your capacity to hold more without more stress. These are topics that have been (and continue to be) important to me throughout my whole life. I’ve built my career by pairing the things that are most important to me with my passion for helping others. And whilst I can’t say I have all the answers yet, these are topics that through a process of continuous learning I’m getting more and more to grips with. Learning tips and tricks that hopefully everyone can benefit from. I’ve summarised the key points of our conversation below. But if you’d like to listen to the full conversation, you can do so here.
Increasing your internal and external capacity to hold more in business and life:
Internal vs External Capacity
Internal Capacity:
Your internal capacity is how much you personally can take on. The things that will impact your internal capacity are unique to you. For example, one thing that I have come to notice heavily impacts my internal capacity is the dishwasher. Here me out 😅. If the dishwasher is not emptied first thing in the morning then the dirty dishes slowly stack up throughout the day. This ever-growing eye-saw, paired with the niggling knowledge that when it comes to doing the dishes after dinner it’s going to take me 10x longer than it would if the dishwasher was empty and ready to go bugs me all day long. My partner on the other hand could go about his business all day and not give this matter a second thought. (Until it gets to the moment we finish our dinner and he realises it’s his turn to wash up of course 🤣). My point here is that for me personally, the mental weight freed up by taking 5 minutes to unload the dishwasher in the morning massively, positively outweighs the burden that simple task not being done holds over my internal capacity throughout the day.
Your internal capacity will fluctuate based on the severity of your external factors and environment. But the more you can spot and improve your patterns and increase your internal capacity, the more you’ll be able to zone out the external and in turn, take on more. It’s all about finding what works for you.
(If you want some ideas to get started on this, check out our 52 ideas to clean up your business operations)
External Capacity:
Your external capacity is your access to resources. The things that act as your “match to flame” moment. This can be your direct resources i.e. your time, knowledge, funds etc, or this can come in the form of team members, outsourcing, mentors, investors and so on. The concept of external capacity is typically a lot easier to get your head around as it’s more in line with the typical way in which we refer to our capacity. However, if you’re still unsure about either of these terms or you want to dive deeper into this concept, you can do so by checking out our post – Increasing Your Capacity To Live The Ultimate Blended Life
The one thing I wish I had known sooner about increasing your capacity:
I have been through many different seasons of life on my journey to uncover all there is to know about maxing my capacity. Some of these seasons I placed a heavy focus on my internal capacity, and other times my attention has been drawn almost solely to my external capacity. And the one thing I wish I had known sooner is that both the internal and external capacities are just as important as each other. If you focus on just one, then the other will become the limiting factor to your growth. And without consistently tapping into and optimising both, you will never reach your full potential.
What does it mean to “hold more”?
For me being able to “hold more” means being able to take on more tasks, responsibilities, commitments etc without taking on more stress. For example, when we work with clients to help them hold more, our first step is to audit what they currently have going on. Then through the process of building structure and increasing their capacity, remove as much of the stress from that as possible.
This can look like cleaning up the digital workspace so that they can stay organised, removing immediate notifications so that they can stay focused, creating business process documentation to assist them in delegation, and reinforcing boundaries with team and clients so that they can fully disconnect from the business, the list could go on and on. Once we have increased their capacity and structural support system to the point they can comfortably hold their current workload, we then work to continuously refine and improve. Increasing their capacity to take on more, without increasing the physical or emotional stress they feel.
Whether that be a big launch, speaking on stages, starting a podcast, picking up a new hobby, travelling or all of the above! The ultimate goal when we create the space for you to “hold more” is for you to be able to build your business, pursue your passions and create a life in which you have it all. And more importantly, a life in which you have the space and structure to enjoy it all. (Want to hold more? Here are 52 ideas with step-by-step walkthroughs to help you do exactly that).
When and how to increase your capacity
What are the signs you need to increase your capacity?
Any sign of overwhelm or burnout is a clear indicator that you are pushing the boundaries of your current capacity. This can show up differently for everybody, but it’s really important as a business owner that you understand what these signs are for you. For clients we’ve served in the past this has looked like consistently working out of working hours (i.e. long nights, early mornings and weekends), feeling as if they have no time, things falling through the net, fear of taking holiday and actually disconnect from the business, starting to hold resentment towards clients and even losing the spark for their work and the impact they create. If you’re experiencing any of the above or other things you know to be clear indicators of burnout and overwhelm for yourself, then you know you need to start looking at how you can increase your capacity.
That said, I do not advise waiting until you’re on the brink of burnout to take action. If you’re somebody who knows you want more for yourself, then sitting in that knowing without action is (in my opinion) one of the most dangerous places you can be in terms of your growth. You cannot expect to achieve all of the big goals you’re working towards if you’re not also working to increase your capacity to hold and sustain them. Working to increase your capacity is a journey of continued improvement. Therefore there is no better time to get started than right now. (If you would like support increasing your capacity you can explore our support options here).
How to increase my capacity?
When increasing your capacity it really is about finding what works for you. I personally used to be a list person, however over time (whilst I still love a good list) this has evolved to me relying on my Google calendar and CRM for pretty much everything. As a messy, lazy girl at heart, having everything I need to do organised and optimised to involve as little output, memory and potential roadblocks as possible is what works for me. I also used to use routines a lot in my day to day. However, I felt that routines boxed me in and weren’t sustainable for different circumstances, moods etc. Therefore I devised something I refer to as rhythms. These are sequences of actions I can take to get me into the rhythm of whatever it is I’m doing. I have these for pretty much everything in my life, from cleaning my house to logging on for a day of work, to even just winding down before bed. I have these in my notes app, and they all feed into a habit tracker for me so that I can track my progress and also notice where any patterns of tension are arising.
When pinpointing how you can increase your own capacity, I’d suggest starting by looking at any areas of your business and life where you’re currently experiencing tension. Whether that’s a particular chore or task you hate doing (for me that’s bookkeeping 🫣), a communication barrier you’re experiencing, a system or platform that’s not working for you anymore. Whatever it is, start there. Ask yourself – Why is this a point of tension for me? What’s not working and why? What can I do to remove that tension? (If you need help getting the ball rolling, check out this free resource we created which is full of ideas you can implement to optimise your business and increase your capacity).
Implementing structure to create foundational support capable of growing with you.
Building your support network
As an Entrepreneur, you realise that you don’t need to do everything by yourself. In fact to achieve the impact you’re looking to achieve you know you’re going to NEED support by your side. But getting comfortable with relinquishing control (especially in the first 5 years of business) is a consistent journey. That’s why it’s so important to build a support network that can meet all of your support needs AND get you to that next stage on your journey.
Who is the right person to ask for support?
To know who the right person to ask for support is, you must first have clarity on what it is you’re asking for support with. Is it a business issue or a personal issue? Who or what is this issue surrounding? Is this an internal issue or an external one? And what specifically are you looking for from the support you seek? Do you need to step by step how-to, or more of a sounding board to bounce ideas off of? Are you wanting logical thinking and solutions, or empathy and a shoulder to cry on? I say this because understanding the specificities of the support you’re looking for is going to greatly influence who in your support network you turn to.
As well as understanding what you want support with, it’s equally important to have a deep understanding of what role each individual in your support network fills. For example, your best friend may be excellent at showing empathy and allowing you to vent your emotions, whereas your partner may be better at providing logical solutions to your problems. Another example might be perhaps your team act as a great sounding board for refinement and improvement of day-to-day processes, whereas your business coach provides excellent direction and strategy for the company as a whole. Understanding this is vital for ensuring that you know who to go to for the support you need at any given time. (If you want RVPA in your support network, check out our support services. We have a wide range of offers and resources spanning from free calls and templates to our membership and agency retainers).
When is the right time to ask for support?
I don’t typically struggle with knowing who to ask for support, but more knowing when to ask. And I think this is something all entrepreneurs can relate to. Of course the logical part of my brain understands that asking for support when needed is a skill that shapes all successful entrepreneurs. But as a problem solver and a “get it done” kind of person, the drive in me to piece together just one more piece of the puzzle before I cave to support has in the past left me falling into situations where I should have asked for support much earlier.
It has taken me lots of mindset work and reflection to help me understand when the right time to ask for support is. For me that journey has involved lots of messing up and getting way too far into it, realising that’s not the way forward and trying to reverse engineer how I could have approached it better. Now when I’m considering support, it’s a very conscious and intentional process for me. I’m anticipating when I will need future support and asking myself questions like – What stage is it going to be best to bring on that support? What does that support look like? Who do I need to ask in order to minimise the disruption later on?
TIP – Next time you sit down to do some planning ahead, whether that’s for the next month or next year. Take some time to anticipate the support you might need. Ask yourself some of the above questions and get some clarity on what that support could look like to make these plans a reality. (Want to plan ahead but find the prospect of zooming out on your entire business and planning into the future overwhelming? Take a look at our business audits. A 1:1, as long as it takes experience whereby you walk away with an actionable step-by-step blueprint to achieving your goals).
Building a strong foundation for growth:
If there’s one thing me and Lorna agree on in this episode, it’s that having a strong foundation is vital if you’re a high-achieving woman looking to evolve and expand. Your foundation is your baseline. The supportive structures you have in place to ensure you’re needs are met and you’re able to show up and operate as the best version of yourself. The processes and systems you can fall back on when growth is pushing your boundaries of discomfort, and overwhelm starts to creep in.
As an entrepreneur, it is inevitable that you’re going to face judgement, discomfort and doubt along your journey. That’s why you need to understand the baseline things that make up your foundation, and how you can utilise structure to reinforce these so that you can face whatever is thrown your way from a place of strength, power and self-belief.
No.1 tip for someone to get started:
What does it mean to you to evolve and expand?
