As a business owner, you are starting to realize that your company hoards every last second of your time. “Me time” is a faint glimmer of the past, your stamina is beginning to run out and you are finding it harder to muster the determination to get out of bed each morning.
Simply put, your business is sucking the life out of you and all the joy you experienced in the beginning has now dried up into total monotony.
Here are four simple ways you can renew that joy and excitement you felt during the early stages of business ownership.
One of the leading causes of business burnout is failure to effectively prioritize. Your tasks are mounting and you find yourself spending time on the wrong things at the wrong time. You feel less than heroic as you become increasingly overwhelmed. Your company cannot be at its best in delivering peak results when you fail to protect your ability to perform. Solution: prioritize tasks in order of importance and create a timeline in which to accomplish each one. For example, the most costly tasks – those which can result in financial loss when not completed in a timely manner – should be at the top of the list. Knock those out first. Simple tasks such as ordering office supplies and basic errands should have their own designated day of the week on which all can be accomplished at one time. If Wednesday tends to be the slowest day of the work week, designate Wednesdays for running to the post office, ordering office supplies, knocking out vendor phone calls and performing general menial tasks. This simple step alone can increase your productivity, creativity and generate more free time in your schedule.
Schedule “me” time. The thought of a vacation probably seems totally ridiculous at this point in your business life, but a vacation is not synonymous with a luxurious (a.k.a. “expensive”) trip to Fiji. Rest is critical to your success as a business owner, especially when you don’t feel you need it. Eagerness to grow your business can act as an evil temptress, constantly piling additional work onto your overloaded plate, whispering “you can handle it” and “no one else can do this as well as you”. Time to cut back. It is unlikely you will be aware of how much stress you carry until after you have rested. A simple vacation doesn’t mean you must go away and spend more money. It just means you are taking time away from the office for yourself. Even the completion of various house projects can be rejuvenating. You just need to make time to switch gears in order to avoid burnout.
Learn how to say “no”. You might find it difficult to say “no”, accepting invitations to spearhead charity fundraisers, direct the Chamber of Commerce and agreeing to any and every community invitation in order to spread the word about your business. You are afraid that if you say “no” you will lose prospective customers or damage fragile business relationships. The truth is that you have superhero level expectations for yourself when you are only further expediting your inevitable burnout. There are gracious ways to say “no” without costing yourself business:
You are likely to gain the respect of your peers and customers when you clearly convey priorities by using the word “no” from time-to-time. Eliminating unnecessary social and business obligations plays a huge part in reducing stress and avoiding burnout.
All business owners are likely to experience burnout from time to time. There’s no shame in that game, however the goal is to avoid feeling overwhelmed and utterly despondent toward your business. Attack the problem before it arises with the knowledge that self care is crucial to the success of your business. Establish your priorities, know your limits, give yourself a break and say “no” once in a while in order to establish a healthy pattern for success.
- Establish boundaries and stick to them.
- Ask for time to check your calendar
- Don’t ignore red flags
- List pros and cons
- Ask for reciprocation
- Be very positive in saying “no” and share your reasons as appropriate
- Be clear, but not defensive and never say “maybe”.
- Ask if you can continue the conversation in a different environment
- Think of a way to say “yes” to the person and “no” to the task. For example, “I’d love to help, but I am unable to commit at this time. How else could I support you?”
You are likely to gain the respect of your peers and customers when you clearly convey priorities by using the word “no” from time-to-time. Eliminating unnecessary social and business obligations plays a huge part in reducing stress and avoiding burnout.
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All business owners are likely to experience burnout from time to time. There’s no shame in that game, however the goal is to avoid feeling overwhelmed and utterly despondent toward your business. Attack the problem before it arises with the knowledge that self care is crucial to the success of your business. Establish your priorities, know your limits, give yourself a break and say “no” once in a while in order to establish a healthy pattern for success.
