Being a successful entrepreneur in todays modern market is no small feat and the lifestyle isn’t for the light of heart.
Get it right, and the rewards are limitless.
Entrepreneurial burnout is real and is a huge killer of productivity. We’ve put together our 4 best tips on how to avoid entrepreneurial burnout.
One common issue that entrepreneurs have is constantly trying to prove themselves – to staff, competitors, family and themselves. Most successful businesspeople are dreamers that had the ambition to dream things into reality through hard work and grit.
We may not like to admit it, but all of us go through rough patches as entrepreneurs. In reaction to this, we throw all of our energy at the business, working all hours to make sure we get back on track.
The question is, what does this cost us?
There are several challenges entrepreneurs experience throughout the course of success and failure. Juggling client and talent retention, partner disputes and more. Sometimes, we come up against a challenge that just makes us want to go back to an easy 9 – 5 job. We’re ambitious, driven entrepreneurs that aren’t going to give in that easy!
Knowing how to handle challenges can go a long way to avoiding the dreaded burnout.
#1: Avoid Comparison
Every entrepreneur is on their own journey to fulfil their goals and long-term plans they set out for themselves.
The worst thing an entrepreneur can do is compare themselves to others. Every entrepreneur grows and develops at a different rate, so comparing yourself to others is a sure-fire recipe for a self-confidence nosedive. You’ll be too focused in what you’re not doing compared to others that you’ll stifle your own growth – leading to stress, overworking and eventually burnout.
Comparing yourself to other entrepreneurs WILL NOT benefit your own organisation that you are trying to make successful. Focus on your own strengths, be thankful for the situation you are in and only focus on the future.
#2: Be your own Motivator
Being an entrepreneur, you rely on yourself for motivation. If you need a little helping hand, these are our favourite mindset tricks for staying motivated:
- Look back from where you started from and how far you have come. Write it down and pin it somewhere you will see it while you work.
- Take time to think and understand what you as a person and a business stand for and the high quality you hold yourself to within your business.
- Look at successful business icons for inspiration.
Elon Musk, Richard Branson and Bill Gates are all mammoths of their respected business fields and all have one thing in common – they are their own motivators. All 3 started at the bottom of the entrepreneurial food chain with nothing handed to them and they all are now dominant figures in the business world. If that doesn’t get you motivated for success, what will?
At Award Leisure, we motivate all our franchisees with incentives, informal bonus driven targets as well as showing continued appreciation with small gestures. It is important to not only guide them through the challenges but praise them on their successes.
#3: Be Guilt-Free
Having time off and taking breaks when being an entrepreneur can sometimes be the sole difference between a burnout and success.
Having time for yourself to switch off from the business can be vital. High intensity workloads and stress can’t be managed for long before a burnout inevitably hits you. It takes a dynamic entrepreneur to take breaks and allow time for themselves.
This doesn’t necessarily mean taking a holiday every month – it could be everyday things such as giving yourself enough time to go to the gym in the morning or go out to drinks with friends. The main point here is to not feel guilty when you’re not working!
Always remember: “Taking a break can lead to breakthroughs”.
Award Leisure promote the luxury leisure lifestyle to our franchisees as much as our customers. Taking time out for family and friends is important in order to recharge, rejuvenate and come back stronger.
#4: Simplify your Decision-Making
Being an entrepreneur means that decision-making is a huge part of what you do. To simplify the process and cut down on stress around difficult decisions, there are 3 tried and tested methods that we use to steer clear from a burnout:
- Set limits on the amount of opinions you are considering. The more people you listen to, the more confused you’ll be. Different people will have different opinions, so make it easy for yourself!
- Set limits to the amount of choices you have. Barack Obama once said he chooses between two suit colours: black and blue. This means his first decision of the day is easy and it sets him up to succeed for the rest of the day.
- Set limits to time spent on a decision. We’re not talking about rushing important decisions – some things take time. When you’re spending days figuring out the brand of coffee to go in the machine, you know there’s some room for improvement! This might mean that the wrong decision is made from time to time, but as an entrepreneur, this is pretty much guaranteed to happen from time to time.
By following our 4 stress-busting tips, you can stay away from burnout and work on achieving your entrepreneurial goals. Sometimes, taking a step back and looking at something from the outside, can put things into perspective.
The Award Leisure Franchise model has robust strategies in place to ensure that all our franchisees have the support they need to make every showroom a success. If you want to know more about joining our growing network of successful Award Leisure outlets, get in touch with us today to book an informal chat to see if our exciting opportunity aligns with your business goals.
