190: How to Think Like a CEO About Your Calendar (Stop Being an Employee in Your Own Business)

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How to Think Like a CEO About Your Calendar (Stop Being an Employee in Your Own Business)

Are you the owner of your business but still scheduling like an employee? In this episode of Thrive in Five, business coach Cindy Gordon reveals the critical mindset shifts you need to think like a CEO about your calendar and stop being an overworked employee in your own business.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• The difference between employee thinking and CEO mindset when it comes to scheduling
• How to shift from task-focused to outcome-focused calendar planning
• Why you need to think ownership, not permission, with your time
• How to prioritize like an investor and evaluate the ROI of every hour
• The mindset shift that separates entrepreneurs who scale from those who stay overwhelmed

Perfect for: Entrepreneurs, small business owners, solopreneurs, and anyone who wants to stop working IN their business and start leading it.

Episode Highlights: "Most entrepreneurs schedule like employees instead of thinking like CEOs, and it's costing them their growth, their sanity, and their success."

"When you schedule like an employee, you'll always feel behind, overwhelmed, and like you're working in your business instead of leading it."

"How you spend your time IS your business strategy. Every calendar decision is a leadership decision about where your company is headed."

Transform from overworked employee to strategic CEO with this powerful mindset shift about your calendar and time.

Subscribe & Review: If this CEO mindset shift resonated with you, please subscribe to Thrive in Five and leave a review. It helps other entrepreneurs transform from overworked employees to strategic leaders!

👉 Tag @ExclusivelyCindy on Instagram/Facebook and share how you're using this tip as an overwhelmed entrepreneur - I'd love to connect and hear your story!

💡 Don't forget to subscribe for more quick productivity tips for overwhelmed business owners and female entrepreneurs!

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The OVERWHELM CURE - Beat entrepreneur overwhelm in one hour! Perfect for overwhelmed business owners who need fast results - https://exclusivelycindy.thrivecart.com/the-overwhelm-cure/

Daily Success Framework - Productivity system for overwhelmed entrepreneurs: https://stan.store/cindygordon/p/get-my-daily-success-framework-now

Get your Printable Success Affirmation Cards for Business Owners here: https://stan.store/cindygordon/p/success-affirmation-cards-digital-download

Connect with Cindy Gordon - Reality Check Method Coach for Overwhelmed Entrepreneurs:

• Website: ExclusivelyCindy.com
• Instagram: ...

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
You're the owner of yourbusiness, but if someone looked
at your calendar, would theyknow it or would they think
you're just another employeetrying to get through your task
list?
The hard truth is that mostentrepreneurs schedule like
employees instead of thinkinglike the CEOs they are, and it's
costing them their growth.
Their sanity and their success.

(00:20):
In this episode, I'm breakingdown the fundamental mind shifts
that you need to stop being yourown employee in your own
business and start thinking likethe CEO you are about your
calendar.
Welcome back to Thrive in Five,where I give you a quick burst
of motivation and productivityin five minutes or less.

(00:40):
I'm Cindy, your host, aself-made entrepreneur, busy
mom, and a business coach.
I've built and sold severaldigital businesses ranging from
five to six figure successes.
So when it comes to managingtime and priorities in both life
and work, I get it.
I've been there and I am here tohelp you thrive.
Let's be real about what ishappening here.

(01:02):
Maybe you're filling in yourcalendar with busy work,
responding to every single emailimmediately.
Taking every meeting request, orspending hours on tasks that
don't move your businessforward.
Or maybe you're waiting forpermission to time block more
important work, or you feelguilty about not being available
for every moment of the.

(01:24):
Or maybe you're focused onchecking off the tasks that you
never step back to ask whetherthose tasks actually matter.
So here is what's going on.
You are thinking like anemployee instead of an owner.
Employees fill time.
They follow instructions andthey react to whatever's
loudest.
But CEOs think strategicallyabout every hour and make

(01:47):
decisions based upon businessimpact, and they protect their
time, like the valuable resourcethat it is.
When you schedule like anemployee, you always feel
behind.
Overwhelmed and like you'reworking in your business instead
of leading it.
This mindset shift changedeverything for me.
As I was building my businesses,I realized I was treating my

(02:08):
calendar like I was working forsomeone else.
Instead of recognizing thatevery hour I spent was either
growing my business or keepingme.
Once I started thinking like aCEO about my time, I went from
feeling scattered and reactiveto making strategic decisions
that actually moved the needle.
This shift is what separatesentrepreneurs who scale from

(02:31):
those who stay overwhelmed.
So here's how to think like aCEO about your calendar instead
of scheduling it like anemployee.
This isn't about time managementtactics.
It's about fundamentallychanging how you make decisions
about your time.
First shift from task focus tooutcome focused thinking.

(02:51):
Employees ask, what do I need todo today?
CEOs ask, what outcome do I needto create this week?
Instead of filling your calendarwith activities, start with the
result you want and workbackwards.
If your goal is to increaserevenue, your calendar should
reflect revenue generatingactivities, not just busy work

(03:12):
that feels productive before yousay yes to any meeting, task or
commitment.
Ask yourself, will this directlycontribute to my business goals,
or am I just staying busy?
Next, I want you to thinkownership and not permission.
Employees ask for permission toblock time for important work

(03:33):
CEOs.
Protect their strategic time,like it's non-negotiable.
Stop apologizing for boundariesyou have about your calendar.
You don't need anyone'spermission to block two hours
for business development or twodecline meetings that don't
serve your goals.
When you own your calendardecisions, instead of defaulting

(03:54):
to what everyone else wants fromyou, you start acting like the
leader that your business needs.
And finally prioritize like aninvestor and not a worker.
CEOs.
Think about ROI on everything,including their time.
They ask, what's the highestvalue use for this hour?

(04:14):
Workers, just do what's in frontof them.
Start evaluating every activityin your calendar through this
lens.
Is this a$10 an hour task?
A hundred dollars an hour task,or a thousand dollars an hour
task?
That$10 task can get delegated,automated, or even eliminated
that a thousand dollars task, itgets your prime time and full

(04:35):
focus.
This isn't about being cold andcalculating.
It's about being strategic withthe resource that will make or
break your business.
The transformation happens whenyou realize how you spend your
time is your business strategy.
Every calendar decision is aleadership decision about where
your company is headed.

(04:55):
After having a discussion with afollower on Instagram, she
shared with me that she stoppedtaking every pick your brain
type of coffee meeting andstarted protecting that time for
strategic planning.
Her business, clarity and growthexploded.
This type of executive level,thinking about your calendar is
actually the foundation ofeverything I teach in my

(05:18):
Overwhelm care program, becauseyou can't build effective
systems until you first thinklike the leader of your
business.
So here is your challenge.
Look at next week's calendar andask yourself.
Does this schedule reflectsomeone who works for the
business or someone who owns thebusiness?
Identify one$10 task that youcan eliminate and$1,000 activity

(05:41):
that you need to protect timefor.
Make the swap and notice howdifferent it feels to schedule
like a CEO.
You didn't just start yourbusiness to be one of its most
overworked employees.
You started it to be itsvisionary leader.
Your calendar should reflectthat vision, not your to-do
list.
When you think like a CEO aboutyour time, you don't just manage

(06:05):
your schedule, you lead yourbusiness towards the future that
you are creating.
You've got this.
Thanks for tuning into theThrive in Five podcast.
If you found value in today'sepisode, I'd love for you to
leave a review.
It helps more listeners discoverthe show and don't forget to
subscribe so you never miss adose of productivity,
motivation, and success tips.

(06:26):
And hey, share this episode witha friend that could use a little
extra inspiration.
Until next time, keep thriving.
And remember, you've got this.