B067: How to solve anything in 7 minutes

This is no joke you guys, you really can solve anything in 7 minutes. No really. I’m a firm believer that just about anything you’re struggling with in your work, at the moment… you have what it takes to begin to resolve it in 7 minutes. Here’s how.

You need 3 things to make it happen: a timer, your journal, and some space.

Let’s simplify this:

1. Set a timer for 7 minutes

You can use your smartphone or an egg timer to do this, but 7 minutes is all you need.

Now, I know what you’re thinking… ‘Umm, Mary. My problems I’m dealing with right now are SUPER big. There’s no chance in holy heaven I’m going to figure this out in such a short amount of time! I’ve been dealing with this thing for MONTHS!’

Girl, I feel ya. But what if you could solve anything in 7 minutes?

What if the answers you’ve been desperately looking for outside yourself this whole time, were actually inside you, all along?

You continue with things like…

• Buying another online course
• Signing up for another email list
• Downloading another freebie…

… as if they are the magic pill that could fix everything immediately. But you know deep down that they aren’t.

What if, instead, all you had to do was take 7 minutes to jump off the hamster wheel of life? Slow down, journal it out and excavate the answer for your very next step from within.

Let me put it this way… what have you got to lose when you try this, besides 7 simple minutes? Give it a go!

2. Pull out a journal and pen

Before you run down to Target or Paperchase to buy the most perfect journal in the universe to complete this task, can I just ask you (gently and lovingly)… PAUSE.

Stop. Save your money, you don’t need to do that.

That’s simply Procrastination (with a capital P) rearing its ugly head.

Acknowledge and tell Procrastination to sit in the back seat. There’s some problem solving you need to do, and you’re equipped with everything you need to #Dothething.

3. Make some space

Both literally and figuratively, you need some space to take action. Here’s how to do that:

• Close down all of the tabs in your browser (gasp! horror! I know.)
• Set your phone to ‘Do Not Disturb’
• Physically move yourself somewhere where no one will disturb you for the next 7 minutes
  • If that means locking yourself in the bathroom, hey girl… you do you!
  • Make sure everyone (co-workers, kids, dog) all realize that this brainstorm session is serious, and you are not to be disturbed
• Once you’ve created some physical space for yourself, consider giving yourself a bit of headspace.
  • If you need to slow down your heart rate and clear your mind, take three deep, belly-filling breaths before beginning. Ahh, doesn’t that feel nice?!

Side note, I find that when I’m super stressed, I forget to breathe deeply. Silly Mary!

Okay, you’re ready to #Dothething!

4. Crack open that journal, set that timer, deep breath, let’s GO!

Write down 1 challenge you’re dealing with right now at the very top of your paper.

Just 1, not 100. Remember, in order to be an Undercover Superhero in your work, you’ve got to master the skill of laser-focusing.

Now you’ve identified the challenge, I want you to answer the following questions:

• What is broken here?
• How does that make you feel?
• What do you need to let go of?
• Who can help you along the way?
• What’s your very next step now?

It’s really that simple.

And just one final whisper, from me to you, dear friend… come in closer.

Facing our challenges and fears head-on takes discipline. Trust me, I can think of a thousand things I could procrastinate about. And I can think of another billion things to do instead of facing the elephants in my room.

When you give yourself this gift of 7 minutes and do this journaling exercise, you’ll gain clarity on what you should do next. And fairly quickly too.

Here’s how it typically goes for me… The first 2 minutes are absolute trash. It’s my brain taking that time to slow down and not obsess over the 80 billion other things I’m grappling with at the moment.

I’d encourage you to give yourself grace at the beginning, especially if your stinkin’ thinkin’ creeps in. The voice might sound something like this; ‘This isn’t going to work. You’re (totally) doing it wrong.’

That’s #fakenews.

You’re doing just fine

Keep your pen to paper. Write, write, write – without taking a break for the entire 7 minutes. You’ll be surprised what your intuition has to say.

The last 5 minutes is where the magic happens. Your brain shifts into another gear, your heart gets involved, and all of a sudden, you might hear a whisper in your ear that says, ‘Hey, why don’t you try this?’ or ‘Hey, what if you reached out to ____?’

There it is. The answer you’ve been searching for… sitting right there in front of you. Ready for you to respond.

And at the end of the 7 minutes, review what you’ve written. Grab at least one good idea from it. Make the decision to take action immediately.

This is how you solve anything in 7 minutes.

It’s how you can tune into your intuition and gain clarity, quickly.

It can help you become an unstoppable business owner.

And as your business coach and guide, I hope my voice is leading you to where your heart wants to go next.

You can do this, I believe in you.

It’s time to SIMPLIFY.