One of the noblest images of the entrepreneur is of them sitting behind their desk, beavering away at their workload. The biggest problem with this image is that we don’t see what they are going through. So many people who want to start a business find themselves lusting after the superficial aspects of being in charge of their turf. The biggest problem that we all have once we start to delve further into this is the many crises that go on beneath the surface. Entrepreneurs should think about making life easier for themselves, but they seldom do. So, what can a budding businessperson do to make the entire process of running a business far less stressful?
Prioritise a Support Network
There are two sides to the coin here. A support network can come from professionals within, and you can delegate and outsource components of your work, but there are also tools that can make the process far easier for an entrepreneur. Outsourcing has been long considered the best solution to minimising entrepreneurial stress, and whether it is utilising business email solutions or marketing practices any entrepreneur can benefit from a support network, not just because it offloads some of the duties. but there is also that mental buffer that can cause a lot of the symptoms of burnout.
If an entrepreneur feels like they are doing it all by themselves, a support network is an invaluable resource. But it also means that when an entrepreneur has the mental freedom that comes with a support network, they are able to make better business decisions and they’re not going to feel so hemmed in. An entrepreneur can feel like they need to take on everything because either the business is their responsibility or it’s because their baby, and they are not so keen on relinquishing duties. It’s important for any entrepreneur to get over themselves and recognise that, in fact, the best solution to minimising any form of employer stress and burnout is to have a support network, whatever this may be for the individual.
Being Clear With Goals
Goals, as they say, should be SMART, and if entrepreneurs can be clear with their goals and stick rigidly to this pattern, they will minimise frustration and disappointment. One of the biggest issues most people have is that either their goals are too vague or they are too ambitious. If you have a very specific framework in which to operate, this gives you greater control over the outcomes, albeit to a certain extent.
When we have greater control, this means that we’re going to relax into the role more easily. Having clear goals that are realistic and achievable allows us to follow the progression of these ideas more organically and gradually. We should be tracking our progress on a regular basis, and one of the major mistakes businesses make, especially at the very outset, is putting something in place and thinking that it is foolproof. It’s important to have alternative Plan Bs or even implement things like A/B testing to ensure that you are doing the right thing but are also able to adjust the trajectory if necessary.
Knowing the Importance of Embracing Failure
Many entrepreneurs believe that failure is something to be avoided at all costs. If you believe you failed, this can elicit an almost samurai-type response where you feel like you need to punish yourself. Failure is critical because it doesn’t just help us to learn from our mistakes quickly, but it also allows us to learn more about ourselves. Entrepreneurs can start on the road to success thinking that it’s going to be paved with gold. The tough lesson that anybody can learn is that it is a lot of late nights, early mornings, and heartache that doesn’t just prepare you for the rigours of running a business, but also prepares your mind, body, and soul for the life of being an entrepreneur.
Failure is a thing that we should embrace. If we do something wrong, we need to own those mistakes, but we also should not think that doing something wrong is a bad thing. Failure is something we can learn a lot from. It’s inevitable that you will face setbacks, and likewise, when you succeed in something, no matter how small it is, it’s about celebrating those wins and recognising that on occasion, two wrongs can lead to a right. Appreciating your progress, no matter how little it is, allows everyone to feel like they are doing something right. Running a business is hard because if you are going alone, you have to learn so much in so little time.
We will feel like we are constantly on edge, and when we let something slip that leads to a chain reaction resulting in some form of failure, we should recognise that either the process was wrong or we didn’t do enough to prepare ourselves in the first place. Failure should be something that we embrace, and it can take a few goes, but once we recognise that we’ve done something wrong, it creates so much freedom that we didn’t think was possible.
Remembering the Impact of Your Health on Your Business
So many entrepreneurs are still stuck in the mindset that as long as they keep pushing through, this will take them out the other side. The biggest problem with so many of us is thinking that there is something noble about having to push through. We think that as long as we stick it out, that we will become somewhat unstuck. The biggest issue with this mindset is that it sets everybody up for failure.
Our health should come first because this is the thing that will help us in the long run, not just in our abilities to run a business but in terms of our lives. You can look back on the empire you’ve created and feel pride, but you can also have a lot of regrets that you didn’t put the brakes on when necessary. We are so blindsided by profit, we think we need to keep pushing through. It’s about that age-old adage of when the air mask comes down on a plane flight, you should put yours on first before you help anybody else.
Your business can be your child, and therefore you can prioritise that over your own needs. The problem is that over time, when you start to prioritise everything else and not yourself, you slowly feel that sense of decline. The biggest issue is that we all think nothing of ourselves and think more of everyone else. While your staff can rest and recharge, you should also give yourself that luxury too. Health can be a very complicated subject, but when it comes to looking after yourself, it is very simple. You need to make sure you are doing the things that keep you functioning at your optimum. This doesn’t just include diet, exercise, and sleep, as everybody will talk about, but it’s also about remembering that stress is ultimately one of the biggest killers.
Entrepreneurs can feel a great sense of burnout, and stress is something that doesn’t just get in the way on a daily basis, but it will impact you in the long term. It’s critical that we make life easier for ourselves, but we also tackle our own interactions with stress. The health side of the equation has the most seismic impact on our business, and we should remember that if we are to make life easier for ourselves, in addition to mindset, goals, and support, we should remember that as long as we are healthy, we will be happy, and therefore we will give our best to our business.