4 Ways To Not Crash and Burn as an Entrepreneur

You've heard this before but you didn't think it would ever happen to you. All those long hours working day after day have started to pay off, you're approaching a new phase of your company's growth. Just when you thought things were starting to get a little easier for your personal life and relationships, life happens and the business side of things start to kick into high gear again. Your spirits are brighter than ever but something just doesn't seem to feel right, you're second guessing everything and can't make up your mind as quickly as you used to. With the stakes higher than they used to be you can't afford to go back now. You're not just content anymore but you couldn't be happier with your drive can't be stopped it's now revving up into overdrive. Your friends keep wondering where you've been as you show up 10 minutes late, your significant other smiles back but you can see it in their eyes, and the demands suddenly reach a threshold right before your eyes as your engine starts to sputter. You slam on the breaks and try to push your energy back into first gear but its stalling and you can't stop......as you crash!

It might not be as dramatic as this hypothetical scenario, however, entrepreneurial burnout happens in many ways that can be vastly different depending on your situation. It usually creeps up on you, as if it's been lurking in the shadows waiting before you even realize it has arrived. You could be throwing up your hands in the middle of burning two rounds of dinner for your family admitting that you're not Wonder Woman or slowly bowing out after 10 minutes into a meeting you're supposed to be leading, or just saying, "Screw it" out loud at the computer screen as it blue screens once again. If you keep fumbling at the easiest of things and can't seem to do anything right lately, then it has started and you need to quickly recuperate yourself before it becomes even worse.

I put together a list of 5 ways to not crash and burn so that you can get back to what you are amazing at!

1.) Establish some kind of work-life balance

This part I'm guilty of myself! I phoned my bestie cousin this morning to ask her opinion on how to go about this as I know I have been due for a phone conversation with her and she seems to balance the two really well. I'm really good with this during the weekdays, however, during the weekend is another story!

Keep a schedule for work as well as your personal life and merge them once each is established. You don't have to follow this to a complete T but it will give you somewhat of a better flow of both sides so that you won't be fumbling as much. Be sure to add sleep somewhere every day on the schedule while you're at it!

2.) Don't feel guilty

Never feel guilty or afraid to just say, "No". This is where establishing boundaries come in. If you need a few days off to yourself or for your family then simply alert everyone without holding any guilt that you are not to be bothered for a few select days and that will be that. Will they understand? Probably not that's why you have kept yourself going like the Energizer bunny.

You need time to refresh in order to keep the energy going through you can't just open your battery pack and replace your batteries, your battery is rechargeable only.  Its ok to stop for a few days to take a break. Its nothing to feel guilty about, it's as much needed as you need water and food for survival. Schedule a break from working and allow your loyal following to know of such and they will be glad when you arrive back!

3.)  Auto-pilot the unnecessary

When your business' growth has expanded into a different phase it's a serious sign that automation needs to be looked into. By automation, I'm talking about scheduling and planning ahead as much as humanly possible. When I first read this, of course, I took it to mean just for business related things, I now am reading this and offering this as advice that this should also translate over into your personal life as well.
As I opened my fridge earlier, I already knew I was going to be in trouble as it was nearing a level of empty. I really wished that Walmart grocery pick up, would get their act together in the small town where I live. If you click the link you can enter your zip code to see if they offer this service near you to solve a few of the unnecessary task issues such as grocery shopping. Try AmazonFresh Free Trial is another option, however, a bit more pricey and also is not available in certain areas but well worth it if it prevents you from being caught in a situation where you are making random things from the freezer in the oven and burning them!

4.) Deal with the stress

Of course, it's going to be stressful, come on now you're changing history! If it were easy everyone would be doing it, but you're not just anyone you are also a human being that needs to vent once in a while. Venting in the appropriate outlet would be a wise choice as you may be at the point where you just don't care right now but please do us all a favor and either write it down or call a trusted friend/colleague that you haven't spoken with in a while and see how they've been doing. After listening to what they have to say for a while, be upfront and tell them that you are getting burnt out and need some advice and you called them for their guidance.

If that is not your style then there are tons of Facebook groups out there for this specific purpose, not only that but there are also specifically entrepreneurial groups, blogger groups, and if it makes you feel any better you could even make your own group if you haven't already.

This post was inspired by my latest original canvas painting, Decisions, that is now for sale through Saatchi Art, go take a look and add me on Twitter!

-This post contains affiliate links. When one of these links is clicked and a sale is made I recieve a small commission at no additional expense to you.