Using White Space To Grow Your Business

When was the last time you gave yourself the gift of white space? 

As I was researching the concept of white space for this blog post, I stumbled upon all sorts of cool ideas about how in graphic design people are drawn to imagery and design with fewer words and images and more white space, literally. 

Or proper white space analysis in business where you look at the actual gaps - “white space” - between your products and services and unmet client needs. That white space is where new opportunities present themselves.

Both of these concepts are fascinating, and they speak to the place where something is absent and growth is possible.

In anticipation of my upcoming strategic planning session, I wanted to put myself through my own process to dig into my business strategy, and in order to do that I gave myself the gift of time and the pause to reflect. 

White space. 

White space is “dedicated time… intended to allow (and sometimes force) you to zoom out, reflect, come up for air, relax, and refuel.” I love Regan Bach’s definition of this concept because it doesn’t just explain what it is but why it’s important.

Last week, I talked about how we need to create kinder goals for ourselves and our businesses. In the quest for more productivity, we are constantly on the go, trying to fit everything into every single second of the day. But that push doesn’t ever give us time to think. It keeps us from building business strategies and real action plans that allow us to grow and thrive as a whole person. This crazy rush is the antithesis of what I want to create in my business and life. 

As I prepared for the challenge this week, I knew I needed to leverage the white space I had added to my calendar, and I’m so glad I did. It gave me the freedom to follow my own process - The S.T.R.A.T.E.G.Y. method, to dig into the health of my business, what did and didn’t work this year, how I felt about it, and whether or not it had supported the life I really want to live. The time and process was everything I had hoped it would be, and in the course of the work, I had two major pieces of my business shift and slot together in a way I had been trying to force for the last four or five months! It was pretty freaking fantastic!

So, how can you give yourself the gift of more white space?

Build it into your calendar… and stick to it.

This seems obvious, but creating white space on your calendar and for your creative juices to flow is absolutely vital to your growth as the CEO of your business. We are constantly holding space for others… and we’re the first to cut into our own time when clients need us. 

I’m challenging you - and me - to hold firm on those boundaries. The importance of this white space boundary is starting to feel just as weighty to me as CEO Time, my non-negotiable, weekly time block where I track my business growth, tackle challenges, and plan for the upcoming week or month. 

Experiment with how to get your head in the right space.

If you’re anything like me, I sometimes find it difficult to quiet my mind. When I’m in the hustle bustle of life and running my business, I can easily allow my brain to get cluttered. So, finding a way to slow down all the chatter in my head, settle into my body, and allow what needs to come out can be a challenge. 

I think this is where the fun really begins. What works for you? 

Is it getting out in nature? Going for a walk? Taking a long hot soak in the tub? Perhaps it’s getting your fingers in some bread dough? Playing some music? Sitting quietly and staring out the window?

There’s no one way to “do” white space.  Find what works for you and let it all flow. 

Grab a journal and see what comes up.

I’ve never really been a journaler. I would sporadically keep a diary with a gold heart lock and key as a kid, but I never have been one to do it consistently. I have found, however, that once I get my head in the right place, having a pen and paper allows me to capture all the things my inner wisdom wants me to know and hear. 

Whenever I’ve had significant shifts in my business, it’s come through this process and me not fully know what was going to show up on that piece of paper. In fact, in the process of working through my own process this week, I finally figured out how TEDx speaker coaching and business strategy fit together, and the idea I’ve had for helping women entrepreneurs in developing countries grew some legs! It was exciting and unexpected, but I’m so flipping excited for the ripple effect this new insight will have on the world.

And that’s the power of white space. 

Chris Bailey, author of Hyperfocus: How to Work Less and Achieve More, said it really well, “You can have one idea that pops up when your mind is wandering that can change the course of your business. You could have an idea that can multiply your revenue or you might have an insight on what products you should be devoting all your resources to. We just need to create the space for ideas to arise – it’s thoughtfulness that ultimately leads to innovation.”

As you move toward the end of the year and are reflecting on how this year went for you and what you want for the next, I encourage you to give yourself the gift of time and space, grab your favorite pen and paper, and let your creativity flow. 

Looking for a way to start this process, let’s chat!