What does burnout look like for you?
Recently in my business, I’ve noticed that work has felt more tiresome and tasks I could normally get through quickly are taking longer. I feel distracted, disheartened, and unmotivated. Projects that were new and exciting are now “been-there-done-that.” Maybe this is me leaving the honeymoon phase of my business, since it’s been just over a year. I also find other priorities clouding my focus: we just got through tax season, I’ve had to fix my car and things around the house, and deal with family matters. The hardest part is that, the more I get off track, the more I get down on myself for not reaching my usual overachieving productivity levels.
Friends, this is what burnout looks like, at least for me. Can you share what it looks like for you?
What steps can we take to recover?
The good news is, once you learn to recognize it in yourself, you can implement a few little things that make a huge difference. Taking care of burnout now will save you hours of wasted time over the next few months - and what a perfect time to get that sorted out - summer is around the corner and we want you spending lots of time with friends and family enjoying the beautiful beach days, not hiding away in your office trying to work and feeling stuck!
So without further ado, here are my 10 favorite tips on avoiding burnout and boosting productivity!
1. Focus your energy on three things
“A very wealthy and wise mentor taught me a long time ago to focus my energy and time on three things in my business. Tasks that are leading to a sale, tasks that are actually making a sale and tasks that are actually generating revenues.
Everything else I needed to get off my plate and hire for or outsource. The time I stopped spending on non revenue generating tasks, and it was plenty, I divided up and gave a portion to generating more revenues, that more than covered my outsourcing costs, and I actually ended up making more money than when I was trying to do it all.” – Maury K.
2. Schedule twenty minutes of “sacred time”
“It took me several years to figure out (finally) that I needed to reserve SOME time for me every single day. Even if it's only twenty to thirty minutes. This "sacred time" has to be scheduled into your calendar or it isn't going to happen. Believe me. Treat this block of time as if it was an appointment with an important client or community business person. Once I started doing this faithfully I felt so much better!” – Sylvia H.
3. Build your ‘Dream Team’ support system
“Build your business around your lifestyle and not the other way around. Have a great (not just good) support system, and top level Dream Team or Board of Directors even if you happen to be a "Party of One" business owner.” – Ali R.
4. Revisit the ‘Why’ in your business
“When things become difficult or take a downward turn, it’s very important to revisit why you started or took over a business. That passion can push you through the early stages of burnout. ”
“When things in a small or medium-sized business get tough, the first thing I tell my clients to do is revisit their "Why". Why they are in business and why they do what they do is a critical cornerstone on which they built their company. When things become difficult or take a downward turn, it's very important to revisit why you started or took over a business. That passion can push you through the early stages of burnout.
Another thing I assess with them is what elements of the business are they involved in that they could let go of and delegate. Often I find that business owners, CEOs and Presidents immerse themselves in granular tasks that are not productive and don't support the growth of business. That kind of 'busy-work' can certainly cause burnout and cause a loss of focus on the bigger picture.” – Michael W.
5. Learn to lead
“Delegate and trust those you hire to have the skillset you paid for! Leadership is the key.” – Darnell L.
6. Manage your energy levels
“You always need to manage your energy levels. Make sure you have enough sleep, even if you have to adjust your work hours or schedule. If you collapse or crash, what happens to your business? You are doing right by your business when you do right by yourself.” – Joseph B.
Delegate your marketing tasks to an expert without breaking the bank
Stick to doing what you love and offload the work that doesn’t feel easy or enjoyable. Take my client questionnaire to find out what marketing services you can delegate that won’t break the bank or mean more time micro managing others.