Tips for Preventing Entrepreneurial Burnout

I am educated - I have a business degree from Georgetown - but am far from being a scholar. I don't know everything or care to. I can honestly tell you though that I have worked night and day on my businesses. I have created them, worked on them, improved them and closed them.

One of the drawbacks of entrepreneurship is you have to be on pretty much all the time. We are juggling a lot of tasks and a lot of responsibility. To get everything done in a given day, we’re burning the candle at both ends. No matter how passionate we are about what we do, though, everyone runs out of fuel sometimes

But if we all let the overwhelm and monotony of entrepreneurship get the best of us, none of us would be where we are today. The most successful entrepreneurs know how to prevent burnout. Here are some tricks for preventing entrepreneurial burnout that will help you:

1. Go to bed! Sorry if I sound like your mother, but I think you need to hear this. Do you know what a drag it is to speak to entrepreneurs who complain about how tired and burned out they are only to learn they’re operating on about three hours of sleep a night? I get it that sometimes you have to pull an all-nighter, but it shouldn’t be a regular thing. Go to bed at decent hour each night, and you’ll be amazed how quickly you’ll feel more energized (duh!).
2. Eat healthy and exercise Now I sound like your doctor, right? Well, it’s true that in order to put your best foot forward in business you have to take care of yourself. This isn’t about vanity. It’s about your ability to stay energized and focused. Clean eating and vigorous activity will zap stress and keep you feeling on top of your game.
3. Connect with others You need people. You can’t do this alone. You need reliable and supportive BBFs (best business friends), a support team working behind and beside you, an extended network to call on, a coach, and a mastermind. Connecting with others will help you stay on track and feel accountable. And, hey, get out from behind your computer screen to connect with people face-to-face sometimes, will you?
4. Learn to say no Trying to please everyone and doing everything you’re asked is the surest way to quick burnout. Pick and choose opportunities and clients wisely. Make yourself and your goals a priority.
5. Set mini-goals for your big dreams If you can’t readily see the progress you’re making, you’ll feel like a hamster on a wheel. Sure you have big dreams, and you might be far from them. But what are your goals for this month? This week? Today? The next hour? Breaking it down will help you see how far you’ve come without feeling overwhelmed.
6. Get a life No really, get a life. Get a hobby. Stop obsessing over your business 24-hours a day. Make time for yourself. Make time for your friends and loved ones. Travel for pleasure. Read fiction. Garden. Knit. Throw dinner parties for people who aren’t going to talk about business the whole time. Some of your biggest breakthroughs will happen when you’re not working at all.
7. See it through You know what burns some entrepreneurs out more than anything? New ideas! You probably have a new idea every day. That's great. Write it down and set it aside. Constantly starting something new but not seeing it through can suck the wind right out of your sails before long.

The feeling of burnout can’t always be avoided. Being an entrepreneur is a high-stress calling. But if you acknowledge that you’re not super-human and recognize that you can break down if you’re not careful, you are well on your way to making big improvements.

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