Leave Room for Yourself by Inviting More In
May 31, 2020
Article by Cathy Baillargeon of Virtual Cathy
“Sent!” I said triumphantly as I hit the Send button on the email, whisking a two-week finished project to the intended recipient. Glad that’s done, I thought to myself as I turned to my list of to- dos. My triumph was short-lived as I stared at the piece of paper.
Email three quotes out to potential clients.
Respond to web inquiry from two days ago.
Scan receipts into QuickBooks.
Create this month’s newsletter.
Track last month’s mileage.
Schedule videographer for next month’s event.
Write out presentation outline.
Prepare for next week’s webinar…
And the list went on. It was 7:09pm on Friday and all I wanted to do was join my kids in their game of Monopoly while they joked and taunted each other around the dining room table. I wanted to be done for the night, but this work wasn’t going to do itself. I sighed, a mix of frustration and guilt, put my head down, and continued working.
This is the reality for many business owners, especially for those within their first three years in business. Many people talk about the sacrifices one makes – hours, evenings, relationships– as well as the loneliness that comes with the burden of building a business. And while wise leaders say there’s no such thing as a work/life balance, here are a few different ways to combat and relieve the strain of the daily grind.
Find peers within your industry
Entrepreneur burnout is on the rise within the business community and there’s little wonder why. Whether you’re a business owner with staff or a solo entrepreneur with a home-based business, it is lonely at the top. Isolating. And unless you have other entrepreneurs in your inner circle already, family, friends, and other people may not understand your mental fatigue from the daily rigmarole you deal with when running a business.
Make time in your schedule to reach out to colleagues in similar industries and build a group of like-minded individuals that would be willing to meet on a monthly or quarterly basis to encourage each other. Think of it as a peer advisory, an informal mastermind group. You can talk about business or not. You can talk about struggles or not. The main point is to surround yourself with people who understand your stress, empathize the growing pains you’re experiencing, and vice versa.
Set (new) goals for your business
Having worked with many business owners, I’ve witnessed the majority start off with a large vision for their business followed by a set of goals: sales goals, operational goals, financial goals, etc. However, the vision gets murky after awhile and the goals wind up crumpled in the back of the desk drawer, literally or metaphorically speaking. The whirlwind of all your daily to- dos and responsibilities take up much of your time and thoughts. The focus is lost.
Taking a full day or weekend by yourself (or with your team) to rediscover the vision you had for your company and redefine the goals you wish to pursue in business is not only a good idea – it’s necessary. The beginnings of burnout can be tamped down when you feel the revitalizing feelings of PURPOSE. What was the drive that made you take the flying leap to start your business in the first place? How did you see your business working in your favor personally? What are the tangible steps that will make this a reality?
Write it down. Create a manifesto. Craft a vision board. Use whatever tools you have available to document this information, and work on the mindset that will make it a reality for you. Take your time, then come back to your desk refreshed.
Ask for help
This may be the most difficult of all for entrepreneurs yet makes the most logical sense. This is where an organizational chart comes in handy, whether you’re a business owner with employees or a solo entrepreneur with no desire to ever hire an employee. It allows you the visual perspective to see just how many hats you wear as the sole owner, and gives you insight on what areas of business you can seek help in.
Help comes in all shapes and sizes, like people. Whether you’re considering hiring a bookkeeper to file your quarterly reports and prepare your books for tax season, a social media manager to help grow your company’s presence online, or a virtual assistant who can manage all your emails coming in, growth is only possible if you free yourself up to focus on higher level business work rather than the still-necessary routine work. Unfortunately, word has it they are not planning on adding more hours to the day.
Ultimately, delegating certain tasks in your business should bring you peace of mind as well as TIME to devote to family, friends, or business development. The refocusing of your vision should restore your motivation to keep going. And the people you surround yourself with should understand and encourage you in your business journey. This means that more people need to be involved in your life and business in order to leave you with room to take care of yourself. And that, my friend, is invaluable to your health and wellbeing, professionally and personally. Take care of yourself, bosses. You’re worth it!
Want to connect or need help with Delegation Done Right?
Reach out to Virtual Cathy
Contact Cathy to learn more about making work easier with the help of a virtual assistant.
A former business management consultant and owner of a virtual assisting company, Virtual Cathy, Cathy Baillargeon wishes to support small businesses with their administrative needs across the country. She enjoys life on the farm with her husband, two teenagers, 5 dogs and 16 chickens.
