Preventing Entrepreneurial Burnout
The Concept: What causes entrepreneurs to burnout? Why do we not see it before it's too late? What can we do to prevent it? What can we do to recognise it?.
Building a business can be amazing, liberating, the freedom, the money, the flexibility - what's not to like??? Well, there can be downside - the stress, the unsociable hours, the mountain of work, the strain on the family. Let's look at all of this in more detail.
The traits of an entrepreneur: Oh wow this list could be endless because there are so many brilliant traits within the people that become or are an entrepreneur.
This may appear to generalise but as a breed of entrepreneurs you are:
* Strong - mentally strong
*Hardworking - you wouldn't work for yourself if you weren't hardworking - it's hard work
*Multi-taskers - it's not jack of all trades, it's master of many
*Team builders - build a trusted team around you (we'll come back to this point)
*Planners - planning is an entrepreneur tool, without it you wouldn't be where you are
*Passionate - love what you do, you must love what you do
The best bits: Oh my goodness, this part fills my heart with joy and makes me smile. As an entrepreneur there's the flexibility to work where you want (co-working space, coffee shop, home - you chose), that feeling of being in control, the excitement of new projects, meeting new people, the potential earnings - makes me feel excited reading all of that.
So why is there a downside?: Well, there is unfortunately. The structure of that 9-5 has gone, you are suddenly available 24/7, you can't switch off, too much administration and can't spend the time on the high value tasks, the loneliness, the amount of work impinges on family time, you are working late at night to catch up, it's all consuming, you don't have anyone to talk to about your worries, the lack of financial security.
The solution: There's always a way to improve any struggles and to increase your productivity and create that joy of working for yourself - let's look at these:
*Firstly you are strong otherwise you wouldn't be doing this - so a positive mindset is a must - try a morning routine (this is another blog in itself)
*Talk to family and friends - always a good sounding board, think of them as your old boss or a work colleague that you'd have discussed your worries with when you were employed
*Network with other entrepreneurs, nothing better than to find out you are not alone in your worries or problems
*Listen to your body - if it's tired then take a break, lunch without your phone or make sure you catch up on your sleep - your body tells you when it needs a rest
*Switch off your phone and laptop - even for a few hours, let your mind rest, write down on paper any new ideas that come to you whilst your mind is free from technology
*Delegate - it's hard to let go and lose that control. However building a team around you, even for just a short period of time brings in new ideas to the business, more time for you to work on the high value tasks that brings in the revenue, more time for the family and more time for you.
Have you ever caught yourself working late at night catching up on all the things you haven't had time to do in the day? Missing out on time with the family, with your friends? - is everyone around you moaning they never get to see you?
I hope this has helped some of you amazing entrepreneurs. I understand that we are all different and I can create systems to keep you organised and streamlined so everything is in one place to use your time more effectively for your business to help you thrive and not just survive.
If you feel at burnout then maybe you to need to outsource, do you??https://www.michellegillsonva.com/services