The job title “entrepreneur” is unique for many reasons. Primarily, it doesn’t come with a clear job description or an outline of metrics you need to hit in order to be deemed successful in your role. Entrepreneurs don’t have bosses holding them accountable for tasks or guiding their day-to-day direction. No one knows if you show up to work each day or if you fulfill your commitments.
While this freedom is an attractive part of entrepreneurship, it can also have a dark side: burnout. When everything resides with you, it can be easy to fall into an unhealthy groove of working long hours, not maintaining healthy work-life balance, and putting the business’ needs before your personal ones.
As a small business owner, managing the stresses, opportunities, and expectations of running a business along with your own well-being is critical for the longevity of everything you’re working so hard for. Here are four ways entrepreneurs can achieve all the things without succumbing to burnout in the process.
1. Build Your “Bench”
Success doesn’t come to those who travel alone. From athletes to business leaders, building your “bench” — the people closest to you and who are there to support you in all that you do — is a necessity to keep you balanced. Life coaches, business mentors, therapists, spiritual advisors, significant others, best friends, and fellow entrepreneur connections may all be part of your inner circle and have a seat on your bench.
When choosing who is going make up your bench, make sure it’s people who truly want the best for you, who are willing to give you honest feedback, and who will be your cheerleaders when you inevitably need it.
Pro tip: These people shouldn’t necessarily think the same way you do — in fact, surrounding yourself with individuals who have unique perspectives, opinions, and ideas will ultimately make you more well-rounded.
2. Listen to Your Gut
Part of avoiding burnout is recognizing it when it comes. While working hard is part of entrepreneurship, remember to emerge from the depths of your to-do list on a regular basis to check in with yourself.
How are you feeling? What parts of your business bring you joy, and what parts drain you? Listening to your gut is key in helping you gauge where your energy levels, mental health, and physical well-being are at — and in guiding what parts of you need attention.
3. Prioritize Self Care
While it’s very easy to cancel health appointments, skip the gym, order carry-out, or cancel plans with loved ones — don’t. You’re only as good as your weakest link, and if you consistently put yourself at the bottom of your priority list, the results will be stress, anxiety, and mood swings at best — and serious, ongoing health issues at worst.
To help keep your own well-being front-and-center, try to maintain a consistent routine. Does working out at lunchtime make sense for you? Build that into your schedule. When you cook, would it be easier to spend a little extra time once or twice per week making multiple meals that you can quickly reheat versus making dinner each night? Do that.
Like entrepreneurship, there are no steadfast rules to how you should live your life. Find what makes you feel your best and incorporate those things into your day-to-day.
4. Set Realistic Expectations
In business and in life, things don’t always go according to plan. The best blueprints are those that offer structure and framework — yet are flexible to accommodate the unseen twists and turns along the way.
If you weren’t as productive as you hoped you’d be, remember that tomorrow is a new day. If you had to shuffle a deadline in order to be present at your daughter’s basketball game, don’t forget who the real winner is.
As an entrepreneur, it’s natural to have high standards and want to take on all the tasks, but you’ll get farther along if you chart the course at a healthy pace.
Jennifer Guzman
As a key figure in Chicago’s business community, Jennifer is dedicated to mentoring small and middle-market businesses, with a focus on women and communities of color. With over two decades in HR and Client/Employee Experience, she has helped businesses from large corporations to family-owned firms. Her experience at EmPower HR, as Vice President of Client and Employee Experience, led her to establish Bestola Consulting. Her firm aids small businesses in aligning their purpose with their output, streamlining processes, and enhancing people experiences for better delivery and satisfaction.
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