Three Tips to Free Up Your Time and Energy Naturally
It’s an amazing feeling to own a business rather than work for someone else. You are a visionary. The mission of the company is YOURS! You have the freedom to create the culture that best fits you. You have the “final say” on decisions. And you have the opportunity to create a unique impact on the world – perhaps even change lives in profound ways.
However! As all entrepreneurs know, there can be a special type of burnout that comes with owning a business. You have an endless amount of hats to juggle – from payroll, legal issues, taxes, customer relations, employees, and the list goes on. There always seems to be a shortage of your most precious commodity: your time!
So what happens when you don’t want to do it anymore, when the feeling of weariness starts to erode any pleasure and enthusiasm you used to feel? What exactly is burnout and how do you turn it around?
When people feel burnt out, the first piece of advice we usually hear is to balance our work life and personal life. This is great advice but as you all know, it can be very difficult to actually apply this advice!
Entrepreneurs are notorious for having no life outside of work, working long hours, and living off caffeine. There is just so much to do – it seems like there are not enough hours left in the day to do them! So trying to “force” yourself to take a break from your endless “to-do” list and workout, go for a hike, or lay in the sun – seems almost reckless when potential opportunities and revenue are waiting for you!
So what’s the solution? If you are staring over the edge on the cliff of burnout, here are some tips that can help balance your time naturally (rather than forcing yourself to take a break!)
Tip 1: Clean out the Clutter
Is your inbox, file server, database filled to the brim with useless information? Maybe there are duplicate copies of documents – thus confusing your employees and customers. Maybe your dropbox or file server have become so complicated that your employees can’t find anything! What about your physical documents and website?
Have things become so cluttered that you find you are always dealing with issues that can be delegated? I noticed I could delegate a lot of my “to-do” list once I simplified the procedures, files, data, etc. for the business. Cleaning out the clutter will naturally free up your time. You may discover (as I did!) accounts you no longer use – saving you money as well! And customers will have a much easier time navigating a website that is simple to use– again freeing up your time (and creating less frustration on the part of your customers!)
Tip #2: Listen to Your Heart… Always
As an entrepreneur, you are constantly bombarded with opportunities – PR opportunities, joint ventures, partnerships, new hires, and potential sales. You can save a lot of time and money by really listening to your Heart and gut (as well as your mind) when making business decisions.
Have you ever hired someone who looked great on paper but didn’t “feel” right? I know I did and later regretted it! I wasted tons of time dealing with the amazing amount of drama this employee created! Have you ever created a partnership that you felt little joy around but thought you were doing the “right thing?” And then you later discover that you just spent a lot of time with very little results? What about all of the business advice out there… have you tried things you just didn’t resonate with and felt disappointed?
You will naturally free up your time when you only invest in opportunities that are a resounding “YES!” to your Heart, Mind and Body.
Tip #3: Negotiate Wisely
Expert negotiation is the fastest way to eliminate time consuming, soul sucking drama from your company.
If you are managing a team of people or even if you are just dealing with your partner, family, or friends, having expectations is one of the quickest ways to run into trouble! Usually when business deals go wrong, it was because people were making a lot of assumptions about how things “should be done” rather than negotiating up front all of the potential issues that can come up when doing business together.
Operating from expectations is one of the biggest mistakes I have made. The truth is, people never live up to your expectations because people cannot read minds. People seldom know what you expect of them in the first place! Having expectations is one of the quickest ways to alienate your staff and everyone around you.
For example, my business partner and I got into an argument because his rent check bounced. He assumed that I was managing his personal bank account. However, I was not aware of this expectation. Going forward, we created agreements around who managed what financially.
If you can negotiate agreements with employees (or anyone for that matter), you will avoid the minefield of unmet expectations! When I started negotiating agreements with people (and eliminated all expectations) the level of drama in our business fell to almost zero.
Blessing in Disguise
Burnout can be a blessing in disguise. Clutter, dead-end opportunities, and drama can suck your precious energy and time (and produce zero revenue!) Addressing the root cause of burnout will free up your time naturally without having to “force” yourself to take a break. When you follow your heart, you will experience joy on a daily basis, rather than drama and stress. Burnout is a blessing in disguise that can propel you to create an entirely new business model based on success and joy!
About Jennifer Noel Taylor
Jennifer Noel Taylor is a self-help motivator and CEO of Quantum-Touch, Inc.
In her new book: Love Incorporated: The Business of Doing What You Love, she shares her journey from a young professional in a corporate soul sucking 9-5 job to living an inspirational and financially abundant life.
Her new book provides a unique perspective on common problems in business such as burnout, financial difficulties, and drama. As she discusses above, dealing with the root cause of difficulties in business can permanently resolve issues – opening the door to greater satisfaction and joy in the stressful world of business today.
“I hope my book inspires you to follow your Heart and create the life of your dreams!”
Love Incorporated is on Amazon!
http://www.amazon.com/Love-Incorporated-Business-Doing-What/dp/0692598022
For more information on Love Incorporated and Jennifer, please go to www.loveincorporatedthebook.com or email jennifer@loveincorporatedthebook.com