The Story of the Starving Baker
Have you heard the story about the starving baker? Imagine– there was a brand new, beautiful bakery built right down the road. The aroma of fresh pastries filled the air. This is where hot, delightful treats would be served all day long. You go in. This baker is brilliant. You order your treat, and watch as the baker does his thing! It is magnificent watching. He does everything himself. He cleans the tables, tends to the cash register, bakes the goods, and greets the guests. You start to notice that he’s surprisingly thin. You began to think, “he’s so busy baking for others, he’s forgetting to eat! He’s starving himself”.
Are you that starving baker? Most of us are so busy that we fall into starving baker mode. We get so wrapped up in our jobs, the house, errands, and everyone else and their matters that we never push “pause” and take the time to feed ourselves. We feel hollow. Sometimes we feel fake. You are not fake. What you are is a starving baker. You’ve gotten busy and you’ve stopped growing. We’ve all been there before.
Taking time for our personal and professional growth provides nourishment for our souls, and it fuels our minds. It makes us more effective for everyone in our lives we influence—our families, friends, and our teams. You can only go as far as you grow!
I like to spend time each morning devoting attention to my personal and professional growth! It’s the perfect way to power start my day! I don’t start or end my day with emails, TV, text messages, etc. I feed and fuel myself with prayer, devotions, reading personal and professional development materials, and listening to positive and uplifting music. I even fill in the “empty time” when I drive listening to training CDs, and I make my car a “rolling university”. I listen to things that teach me how to become a better person, and more effective leader. I am extremely intentional about my daily self-programming so I am more effective as a wife, friend, sister, daughter, and leader. My business can only grow as much as I do.
When blocking out your 10-15 hours of “income producing activity” per week in 2014 (sharing your products and business) be sure to schedule time for personal and professional development too! Remember—you must take control of your time, or your time controls you! The only one who creates your busy schedule is YOU! So outsource where you’re able (hire someone to clean your home, carpool, etc!) Make healthy “exchanges” where you can (it may be time to cut back or completely cut out TV programs). In the process, you are able to prioritize your time without sacrificing your “why” (time spent with friends and family!)
Your team and the profession can never love your family as much as you do. Your family needs you more than we do. You’ll have to learn to say “no”, learn how to balance and prioritize your time, and be willing to delegate to others on your team. Yes, we have to work hard to make strides in our business, and the rewards are worth it. But we have to keep our commitments to family and friends in check too, as relationships are the most valuable things we have–and the only thing that leave an eternal, generational, lasting effect.
To get ready for a rockin 2014, my hubby and I are scheduling time to set our personal and profession goals together, and create a goal board that touches upon our family goals, financial goals, faith based goals, personal goals, and professional goals. We will be working out our hours of operation together too–and will be sure to schedule in a lot of time for family, friends, and each other! I hope you’ll do this too!
TELL ME: What’s one of your goals for 2014? Please post below!
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WHO IS SARAH ROBBINS? Network marketing leader and speaker, and author of the best-selling book ROCK YOUR NETWORK MARKETING BUSINESS which you can purchase here!
