You’re required to wear many different hats as an entrepreneur, more than you can count to be honest. Sometimes you’re the CEO, and sometimes you’re the janitor, it’s no joke. It takes a toll on you and you’re required to change hats all, day, long. So, what can you do to manage your emerging stress levels and remain cool, calm and collected as much as possible?
Here are my top 6 tips to not go crazy as you pursue your entrepreneurship journey:
1. Resiliency is key – What is Resilience? It’s about refusing to let failure get you down, no matter how big or small it may be. You never take no for an answer or let 1 failure get in your way to your journey to the top. Understand that these are merely roadblocks that you need to go through any way you can.
2. Take good care of yourself – Good healthy food, regular exercise and 8 hours of sleep. We all know these are necessary downtime for our body and mind. Never forgo these 3 things. Add meditation for that mental alertness and focus that you need to get the job done needed every day. It’s going to be a stressful day for you always when you’re an entrepreneur, so preparing your mind and body is a non negotiable. Just notice most of the successful entrepreneurs have a certain healthy diet, healthy body and sharp minds all day long. Rarely will you see someone successful that is unhealthy looking or lethargic.
3. Create your inner circles/network – Keep in touch with your business network and inner circle of friends for social plus professional purposes. Life as a business owner can be very lonely and sad as not a lot of people will understand or dig in to what you’re working hard for or at, and it’s ok. Sometimes you just need someone you can talk to or just vent out your frustrations to or share small pieces of your success with over lunch or a video call. Don’t ever feel that you’re in an island by yourself. Stay connected to the people you care about the most and the people you look up to.
4. Take scheduled breaks – We’re only human. We juggle things left and right handling a business. It can take it’s toll on you. Sometimes you just need a quick reset or timeout from that draining 1 hour meeting or intense work sessions. Don’t jump from 1 meeting to another without taking quick 5-15 minute breaks in between to just clear out your mind, and set your mindset for the next. It’s going to give you better focus as you take on more tasks during the day.
5. Create a schedule and stick to it – A lot of us need to discipline ourselves to a strict schedule to maximize our day to be productive. This is more true whenever you transition from a busy, deadline driven type of working environment with a huge area of unstructured time as you build your business further. Give yourself that realistic office hours. Set a start and set an end time. Be sure to make time for your interests, hobbies and social/family commitments. I usually take that 3 hours in a day where I have extreme focus on my top tasks, with no distractions. Then after those, I do what I’m normally tasked to do like respond to messages or emails, work on my social media engagements. I put everything on a phone calendar reminder so it sort of subconsciously reminds me of what I need to do every hour of the day.
6. Find a mentor – The more mentors you have, the better. Look for someone who has been successful in building their business. They’re usually going to share habits of champions that you can adopt, or be a good connection for you. They could give you great advice, words of encouragement and even support when you need it the most. If you have the resources and think you would need to be accountable, you can hire a business coach. Yes, that would be me (shameless plug I know, but hey you’re getting all my content for free because someone else is paying me to somehow so I can do this everyday too).
On a very important side note, did you know that Multitasking reduces productivity and is proven to increase a person’s stress levels? It’s because our human brains has to stop/start from time to time to process multiple actions at once. We are not computers or AI, we are humans. Let’s not forget that. Always be intentional in trying to reduce stimulations and focus on a single priority at a time before moving on to the next task at hand. Don’t hop from 1 task to another back and forth. (Revisit Tip # 5)
Question of the day: What do you do in between your daily tasks to ease your mind?
December 16, 2020 Author Khel Lawrence
Multitasking is really stressful because you cannot focus on just one task. Unfortunately, we cannot escape it. Based on my experience and observation of the people around me, most of them are fond of procrastination. This ks very common especially with students. They do not value time as they just mostly lose it and think of the deadline as it approaches.
Personally, I always multitask as well especially with my previous work. Whenever I am stressed out, I always go for a short stroll into other workstations so I can be diatracted for a while, then get back to work when I am active again.
Let’s face it. If we face our work straight ahead and do not have any breaks, we will be stressed out and eventually will not produce an excellent output at work.
December 20, 2020 Author Mike Ulep
I agree with this. I was an administrative officer for the college I worked with and I an in charge of a bachelor’s program. I handle different students with their activities. I should be the one who is monitoring their progress. Instead, I end up doing some of their tasks. I even help out in setting up and cleaning up after their activities.
For me, it is all about being a part of the team. As a leader, you should set an example on how your associates should work. Ideally, they would be following you and continue your work. In reality, they won’t. Breaks in between are important as this can give leeway from our stressors at life.
Learn how to take a break. The simple things in life can be considered as a break, as long as you are not doing or thinking about the work (i.e. chat with co-worker, play a game, read a short article/news, walk around, etc.) so that your attention will be diverted for a short while.
January 15, 2021 Author Joseph Santos
Try outsource some tasks. Outsourcing can help a lot when you are trying to run a business by yourself. There is no guarantee that you will be able to take care of every task you need to. You might not have the time for that. Outsourcing allows you to let other people take care of some of the important stuff. And you can do that without even having to employ people, which can be very expensive indeed.
January 15, 2021 Author aldwin
Important tips for me, learn to say no. Sometimes, you just have to say no to people when you are busy. As a solo entrepreneur, you will be doing everything alone. You can’t allow every little request to be accepted because your time will be wasted a lot. You have more important things to be tending to, so it makes sense to say no to people. This doesn’t have to be done in a way that is rude or dismissive. Instead, it should be done politely. People will understand, but you have to be able to say no in the first place. It can take time to learn to be assertive and turn down requests, but you’ll get there in the end.
January 15, 2021 Author rhona
Prioritize building a strong network around you. You should do whatever you can to build a strong network of people around you to help you out. These might be suppliers, clients and many other people. You shouldn’t shut yourself off from the rest of the world, though. Being a solo entrepreneur doesn’t have to mean ignoring everyone else. This will just be damaging to your business plans and ambitions, and it won’t help you at all. If you think that someone can help you in some way or you trust them, keep them close. You might want to call on them and use their services at any time.
January 15, 2021 Author renato
Dedicate time to gain new knowledge and sharpen your existing skills. Running a business is a dynamic process, due to constant technological and market changes. This means one day you may be in, and the next, you may be out.
It is imperative to keep up with the latest changes in the market, and this can only be done by continuous learning.
January 15, 2021 Author James
Great tip is to cultivate passion for entrepreneurial success. You cannot give your best to something you don’t love. Passion is the most valuable currency for any successful venture. It is the driving force for every successful enterprise.
Passion is what keeps you going even when faced with great obstacles. Without enthusiasm, entrepreneurship will turn into another job you do just to cover your bills. Passion ignites the fire in an entrepreneur to wake up in the morning and work hard for, and on their business.
January 15, 2021 Author Hans Angelo
Believe in yourself! Self-doubt is a big hurdle that every successful entrepreneur has had to overcome. As human beings, we are prone to self-criticism, and this makes us disregard otherwise great ideas.
Self-doubt is a limiting mindset that keeps a lot of entrepreneurs from reaching their full potential. Self-doubt is a crippling mentality that will hold you back from producing your best work. At all costs, work towards building your self-confidence and believe that you can do it.
February 4, 2021 Author Joseph Santos
Write down your fears, not goals
People always tell you to write down your goals, and this can be limiting. Write down your fears instead.
When you write down your fears, you give them voice and you give them shape. Put them on a piece of paper, and they don’t look so scary.
When you compartmentalize your own fear and risk, you’ll be amazed by how much courage you have.
February 4, 2021 Author Joseph Santos
The only way wrong ends up being bad is if you learn nothing. If you fail at something, remember that you need to reframe failure as an outcome you didn’t expect.
When you’re wrong and have to close down a project you’ve been working on, apologize to everyone that it didn’t go the way you wanted. Then learn from the mistake and move forward.
February 4, 2021 Author Joseph Santos
Delegate things you’re good at. As a business owner, you need to know accounting and marketing. You don’t need to be an accountant or social media expert, but you need to know the basics in all aspects of your business.
You might feel you’re only good at one or two key aspects of your business, but stop hiding from the tasks you don’t enjoy. Yes, delegation is key, but to delegate effectively you need to understand all aspects of your business.
February 4, 2021 Author Joseph Santos
Be strategically lazy, and find your multiplier. In order to earn unlimited income, you’re going to have to find a multiplying effect. Exponential not gradual income growth is your key to business success. Find ways to be lazy by piggybacking on other opportunities, ideas or trends. This will allow you to keep your freedom to do what you want.
February 4, 2021 Author Joseph Santos
Time is not money. You can always decide to make more money, but you cannot choose to make more time. Time is your most valuable asset, and until you choose to treat it with value, it will continue to be worthless.
February 4, 2021 Author Jerome
Your passion is an essential part of your success as a solo entrepreneur. There’s no co-founder or business partner, who can lend a shoulder to cry on. It’s you and your passion that will help you through good and bad times.
February 4, 2021 Author Andrea
Before you start your entrepreneurial journey, it’s important to understand that you’ll experience failure. Whenever you come across a “No” that should just be the starting point for you to work even harder. You’ll stop at nothing to achieve your goals.
February 4, 2021 Author Nico
Creativity helps you to get a break from all the other boring tasks such as accounting and finance. Enjoy the process of creating your website, designing your business card, and creating a logo.
February 4, 2021 Author Jerome
Being a solo entrepreneur can be a blessing and a curse. You’re likely operating on a small budget and don’t have the resources to hire or outsource tasks. So it’s important that you can switch between networking at an event to doing your taxes. The more tasks you can handle yourself, the more efficient you’ll be.
February 4, 2021 Author Aldwin
Accessibility: Everything depends on you. When clients need your help then you need to find the time to meet their expectations. It’s not really possible to delegate your responsibilities to someone else.
February 4, 2021 Author Nico
Deciding that it is now time to take that one giant leap of faith to jumpstart your own career as a solo entrepreneur. Before starting your business, you got to have the right mindset in order for you to weather the storms and succeed. Making sure that you have laid the right foundations right from the start of your career is important.
Familiarize and own your market or niche. Having an extensive knowledge of the field of your business and being well-versed in the niche you want to champion is important in order for you to grow your customer base. Knowing how to find leads and effectively go after them is very important.
February 4, 2021 Author Aldwin
Establish worthy business processes to help you manage your daily operation. Having a business system and the processes that go with it helps you focus and achieve success. The right processes will make sure that your business will still function effectively even when you are away.
February 4, 2021 Author rhona
There must be a balance between your life and work. It is actually counterproductive in the long run if you let your work consume your whole life and time. Giving focus on your health and wellness is important for you to run your business effectively.
February 4, 2021 Author Joseph Santos
When you have reached that pinnacle of success and know there’s nothing more you can do to bring your game to the next level since you are at the summit already, then you know when you should retire and pursue something else. Take this time to solely focus on your family, or take another pursuit of interest.
February 6, 2021 Author James Santos
Use your business label consistently. When you decide on a business label, use it throughout your marketing: on print materials, websites, social media accounts and bios. Say it with confidence and a professional attitude when you talk about yourself. If you’re not consistent when you write and speak about your business, you may end up confusing people. Choose the label that works for you and stick with it.
February 6, 2021 Author Genesis
First and foremost, do what you love in order to be a successful solopreneur. Managing a business solo demands a lot of sacrifices. Forget about work-life balance as it is going to be non-existent, at least initially. Following market trends is always great. Albeit, how can you go the extra mile if you’re not pursuing something that drives you? So, the first success tip for solopreneurs is to pursue something you’re passionate about.
February 6, 2021 Author Anton
The success tip for solo entrepreneurs is being confident. It may sound generic and mainstream, but confidence is the cornerstone for success when you’re running the show solo. Confidence is one of the common characteristics found in every successful solo entrepreneur.
Confidence is the only thing that will keep you going if things don’t turn out to be as planned. As a matter of fact, it is the prerequisite for getting things started. How can you expect someone else to invest in your dream when you’re not so sure yourself?
People often complain about their friends, family, and spouse not supporting them in their hustle. Confidence begets confidence. When you have faith in the goal you’re pursuing, others will do too.
February 6, 2021 Author Nigel
Not everyone becomes successful in the first attempt. Don’t worry. Learn from your mistakes. Let your blunders refine your tactics. Evaluate where you went wrong and make changes that may help you perform better next time.
There is no such thing as a flawless plan, there is always a discrepancy – a loophole. If a plan doesn’t go the way it was supposed to, it means something was either missing or overlooked. Review every single detail to find out what went wrong and do it all over again. Repeat the process till you get it right.
February 22, 2021 Author Genesis
Manage your time effectively.
There is only one of you, and there are only 24 hours in a day—so make the most of them! Your business plan can be a good guide here. Break down the goals in your business plan into a series of small steps you must take to achieve them. By focusing on smaller tasks, your to-do list won’t seem so overwhelming, and you’ll make steady progress. If you still find yourself struggling to keep up, spend a week or so tracking how you actually spend your time each day. You’ll probably find at least a few hours of wasted time that could be spent on more productive tasks. Also, try to identify when you’re naturally most and least energetic— for example, are you a morning person or night owl? — and, when possible, schedule your most important tasks for the hours when you’re at peak performance.
February 22, 2021 Author James Santos
Be Very Specific With Your Goals
Building a performance-driven culture all starts with being very specific about goals– for yourself and your employees. When an employee is happy, they will be able to give the best possible performance and customer service.
February 22, 2021 Author Edward
Keep your day job just a little longer