In January of this year, I started on staff at 48in48 as the Executive Director while also remaining on staff at Sideways8 as CEO. This means that in 2018 I’m splitting my time between two companies with two agendas, two staffs and two sets of challenges to growth. So far I am loving it!

With the mandate to grow two organizations at once, I have to be hyper-focused and intentional about how I spend my time. The first thing I did was get an Executive Assistant to help me with my calendar and side projects. Next, I planned my perfect week. And last, I have started using my new 5/5/5 method to make sure that my daily goals align with my weekly, monthly and yearly ones.

I’m also learning the art of thinking deeply. I realized early this year that I tend to go go go and focus too intensely on being productive. That’s great, except for when the best thing I can do for the organization is to sit in front of a whiteboard thinking and solving problems. So now I’m working to spend 2-3 hours out of my week just thinking through issues and challenges, figuring out how to do things better and grow faster.

I’m also more aware than ever about balance. I now have to balance my work and life, but also one company with the other. I can’t let one fail while my attention is elsewhere. So, I have to balance my work, my focus, and how I lead the teams so that we can all grow together.

All in all, I’m loving 2018, and it’s shaping up to be the best year ever for both Sideways8, 48in48 and personally. So many good things are falling into place, and the teams at both companies are so good, I can’t wait to see where the year takes us!

Photo by Garrhet Sampson on Unsplash