When you want to create and grow a successful small business, there’s a lot to do and there’s a lot to think about. That’s why some business owners find it all takes over (even to the point of being overwhelming in some cases – that’s what burnout is all about, and that’s not a good position to get to), and the long hours they have to do combined with the fact that they’ll often be working by themselves (or have a very small team) means there’s not a lot of time left for anything else.
The problem is that when you get to that stage, you won’t be enjoying your life anymore – not as much as you could, anyway. The fact is that no matter how excited you are to grow your business and how much you love what you do, it really shouldn’t be everything, and with that in mind, here are some ways you can enjoy life as a business owner.
Make Work Fun
Look, if you’ve got to work long hours and put in the effort to grow your business (and there is some debate about that – it’s going to depend on a lot of factors), the least you can do is make sure work is fun while you do it. In that way, even if you’re still working, you’ll find it’s easier to get through it all and make yourself more successful and further ahead.
One thing you can do is to make everything into a challenge, either for yourself or your team, if you’ve got one, for example. You might try to get things finished in a shorter amount of time than the day before, or perhaps you want to try to make a certain number of phone calls or make a specific number of sales. It’s also a good idea to make sure the work environment is a comfortable one, with plenty of natural light and ergonomic furniture – if you’re comfortable and having fun, work won’t seem like such a chore, and you’ll enjoy life a lot more.
Make Time For Self-Care
It’s hard to find the time for self-care when you’re running a business. We’re not going to sugarcoat it, but it’s not impossible, and it is essential. Start by setting some boundaries so that when you’re done with work you can enjoy some personal time doing whatever it is you like to do, and try not to cross those boundaries unless there’s a real emergency to deal with. Plus, take breaks during work time – just ten minutes every hour can be enough to give you time for self-care, which could be playing an online game, reading a chapter of a book, going for a walk, or even browsing which small Mercedes convertible you’re going to treat yourself to, and much more.
Remember that self-care really doesn’t have to take a lot of time, and even the smallest thing you do can make a positive difference to your day and how much you enjoy what you’re doing.
Use Your Team
Although it might feel as though you are your business, the fact is that you can definitely rely on other people to help out from time to time or all the time – whatever is needed. That means it could be wise to hire people or use your team more if you’ve got them already.
If you’re not sure that having employees is the right move for you, what about using freelancers and outsourcing tasks? The work gets done to a high standard, and you get less stressed and busy, so you can enjoy life a lot more.
This is a contributed post.