“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results.”*

While this may not apply to every situation in life, I think it can be applied to (aspects of) running a business pretty well. It is important to be consistent with things to see results, but after a while, when the results have plateaued – it’s probably time to shake things up.

When what used to work has stopped, continuing to do the same things and getting the same results, does become a little bit crazy… and will drive you crazy! A big part of running a business is being able to roll with the punches and change what’s stopped working, even if it’s a minor tweak.

How FITC fits in: FITC is a design and technology conference I’ve had the privilege of being able to attend in the past. One of the hardest parts of running a business is carving out time for learning, and taking the time to assess where tweaks can be made to stay out of that insanity cycle. It’s so easy to get caught up in getting all the client work done and never taking time to work on your own business improvements, skills, and what’s new in technology and trending! I would absolutely love to be able to carve out three days in my schedule for exactly that. Learning, improving, networking, and sparking new ideas!

Tips for avoiding getting stuck in a cycle that’s going nowhere fast:

• take a look at all aspects of your business; admin/finances, marketing, customer service, and compare where things are to where they were last year – note any changes
• where things have slowed/paused, list what changes/tweaks you could make to that area that might help, pick the one that seems like the best option
• make sure that what you’re doing in your business is measurable and trackable so you can start to figure out what the tip offs are so your tweaks and changes are more likely to help the area you’re having trouble with.
  • for example: you’re not seeing any new followers on social media
  • how often have you been posting?
    • tweak/improve: could you post more often?
  • are you posting to/for your ideal client?
    • tweak/improve: do you know who your ideal client is?
  • where else on social media are you posting the same message?
    • tweak/improve: is your ideal client using that type of social media?
• stick with it! if you aren’t consistent, you won’t get your measurable results!
  • reward yourself for getting it done! (blog post written = second cuppa coffee!)
  • set a time in your calendar every day for that task, make sure it doesn’t take up too much time, or it will be easy to put off (guilty!)
• find conferences (like FITC) that match your interests, industry and skills that will help you get out of your office, out of your head, meet new people, and mix things up!

* This quote is often credited to Albert Einstein, however it’s not been confirmed.