Reader’s Question:
Dear Fairygodmentor,
As an entrepreneur, I feel like I’m always “on.” How do I avoid burnout while running my business?
– Burning the Candle
Dear Burning the Candle,
Can I tell you how much I understand your question?! Being an entrepreneur is not for the faint of heart. Between being in every department in a business and finding time to live my best life, Beyoncé’s “You Can’t Break My Soul” plays on repeat in my head daily. You are not alone!
I entered the world of entrepreneurship while working full-time in my corporate job. When I created my coaching and consulting practice, I figured I would just do what I used to do at my corporate job. Rinse, then repeat. Wow! Was I wrong? And social media doesn’t do you any favors. It can do a doozy on your psyche as you see people living a laptop lifestyle. Entrepreneur life isn’t always what it appears to be online.
Mind your Time
My work hours were even more sporadic than my corporate job. It was hard to keep things straight. Once I started working full-time as an entrepreneur, my time was no longer my own. I thought that I could make it all fit, but there didn’t seem to be enough time in the day to do it all. Then I discovered Time Chunking.
Chunk out time for business development. Do what works best for you. For me, Mondays are my admin time (where I answer emails, write proposals and schedule appointments). Wednesdays are for networking. I make it a point to connect with folks in person or virtually once a week. If you have trouble meeting people, join professional organizations like your chamber of commerce, small business administration, etc., to be in spaces and places where you can grow your business and find colleagues who are going through what you’re experiencing.
Manage your energy
Take an audit of where you’re expending the most energy and customize your workdays to align with when your energy is the highest. I can’t speak in complete sentences until after 10 a.m. During my morning routine, I carve out time to meditate and visualize what success will look like for the day. I also have the Client X time. I go the extra mile to ensure that my clients have everything they need to be successful. (Shhh! Client X is me. I’m Client X)
Show Your Ask
Being an entrepreneur can be very isolating. Make sure you show your Ask — and ask for help! Misery may love company, but there’s also success in numbers. Create your Personal Board of Directors. Having several accountability buddies and people I can reach out to for resources and support has been key to my ability to stay motivated as we climb the ladder of success.
Celebrate Often
You’ve heard me talk about this many times, but I can’t deny the DIG Folder. (DIG stands for ‘Damn I’m Good’). I celebrate daily with my DIG Folder. As entrepreneurs, we will experience plenty of ups and downs. We need to celebrate it all. I celebrate the rejections. I ask myself, “Where’s the gift?” “What’s the lesson learned from this?” “Why do I do that?” Because those rejections remind me that I took a chance and tried.
Going into business for yourself is not an easy task. Hey, if it were easy, they wouldn’t call it work. If you build your empire on a solid foundation of self-care, community, and celebration, the sky’s the limit on what you can achieve.
You got this!
Yours truly,
Your Fairygodmentor®
About Joyel Crawford:
Joyel Crawford is an award-winning career and leadership development professional and founder of Crawford Leadership Strategies, a consultancy that empowers results-driven leaders through coaching, training, and facilitation. She’s the best-selling author of Show Your Ask: Using Your Voice to Advocate for Yourself and Your Career.
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