Starting a Business? 5 Expert Tips to Avoid Burnout
Stress and entrepreneurship go hand in hand. In addition to the high-pressure moments, such as an investor pitch or launch day, the day-to-day lifestyle takes its toll.
Getting a business off the ground is hard work. You’ve probably heard someone say that entrepreneurship is a marathon, not a sprint. This means that your success depends on your ability to maintain stamina over the long run.
Here are 5 preventative measures you can take to avoid burning out before you get a chance to succeed.
1. Learn to prioritise
No matter what industry you’re trying to start a business in, there are a few common truths. Time is a finite resource and there will always be more work than available time. Every startup is resource constrained, so prioritising is key.
While building your business, you’re naturally inclined to take on every opportunity. However, success isn’t about doing everything. It’s about doing the things that matter. Businesses succeed or fail as much by the opportunities they pass up, as what they decide to pursue.
2. Focus on what you like and do best
During the early days, when bootstrapping is your core financial strategy, you’re going to have to do a little bit of everything. This is when you will quickly discover that there are activities that you love to tackle and others that you have little motivation for. You are never going to love your job if you’re constantly spending time on things you hate.
When you get to the point when you can start delegating and outsourcing work, offload your least favourite tasks first.
3. Connect with other entrepreneurs
New entrepreneurs, particularly those who work from home, face a serious risk of isolation. You might feel like friends and family with 9-to-5 jobs don’t understand your stress and challenges. And most likely, your friends don’t want to hear about your startup travails every time you meet up for drinks.
A strong network or support group is essential for any entrepreneur or small business owner. These connections are great for getting feedback, finding help with specific matters like recruiting and just simply being able to talk to someone who understands the things that keep you up at night.
4. Reset your expectation
Burnout typically occurs for 2 reasons:
- You work too hard and don’t get the results you want and
- You set high expectations and then feel like a complete failure when you don’t meet those goals
Both situations can be the result of unrealistic expectations. You need to stop comparing your business to others and quit worrying what everyone else is thinking.
In addition, it’s important to focus on progress and celebrate each milestone, instead of just dwelling on the shortfalls.
5. Take care of yourself physically and mentally
There’s no trophy awarded for the founder who works the hardest, goes the longest without sleep. You need to take care of yourself, if you want to have the energy needed to get through the stressful times. This includes eating well, exercising, meditating (or whatever relaxation method works for you) and setting aside time to hang out with friends and family.
If you’re like most entrepreneurs, there’s little distinction between work and play. As much as you can, set clear boundaries when you’re on and when you’re off. No single approach works for everyone. Maybe you need a break in the middle of the day or to take at least one day off each weekend. Set your “off-the-clock” time and honour it.
Most importantly, we all need to drop any guilt associated with taking time off from work and ditch the notion that being busy 24/7 automatically means we’re doing important things. Your startup is important, but there’s a lot more to life than work alone.
SOURCE: Mashable
