Get Your Crazy in Check

4 Tips for Sanity Management as an Entrepreneur

As an entrepreneur there are many things calling for your time and attention not to mention the day to day ‘stuff’ that has to be done at home and etc.  Starting a business or just keeping it going (like that… just keeping it going, like that is a small task) is an ongoing stressor that doesn’t seem to go away for many. Who am I kidding, it won’t, and that’s just part of life as an entrepreneur, just saying.

Since your income is dependent upon the success of your business, you have a lot to juggle, and again, that doesn’t take into consideration a “regular” job or the home life.  Sometimes as entrepreneurs, especially when starting out, it may seem like all you do is work, work, and work. This includes times when your body checks out yet your mind is still thinking about work, to-do lists, things you ought to be doing or what you need to do next.

If this describes you, and I am betting 99.99% it is, I hope that these few tips can help you put your crazy in check, regain a little sanity (if you had it to begin with) and help you to a healthier you, which ultimately will help your business. By the way, outsourcing should be obvious, but I won’t mention it here. 🙂

1. Plan a Routine

The number one thing that many successful people have in common is to have a routine, with a plan.  It’s different for each person, but each business owner likely has a routine.  It might vary when you start that routine but starting the day on the right foot can make a huge difference for you.

You may start your morning with some friendly exercise (ha, just seeing if you are paying attention still), catching up on the news, writing, meditation, planning your schedule for the day or week or getting a huge and healthy breakfast.  However you slice it, you need a routine, structure and a plan to get you through the day. When was the last time you wondered around aimlessly doing things as they come to you, and that actually worked? Yea, not thinking so!

2. Don’t be Intimidated by your Inbox

I must confess, this is one of my weaknesses, as I constantly strive to be on top of things and my clients are a priority. However, that being said, I am quite sure they don’t expect and instant reply, just one within a reasonable amount of time.

The email inbox can seem like the scariest and most stressful thing for many people, self-included.  Lurking in your inbox are endless tasks and people to reply to. The best way to make your inbox less of a mentally traumatizing experience each day is to schedule out WHEN you plan to check it, how often and how long you plan to spend on it.  Hey all you multi-taskers (points finger at self), the most productive way to do this is to set a time in your daily schedule to only respond to emails and not do 10 other things.  Set that timer and work on the high importance items first, then down to the menial tasks, if you still have time.

A cool tip from a super organized neat freak (me) is I have a folder for each client and when I respond to them, I cc myself so I know I was the last to respond and what I said, then I delete their email. When mine comes in, I can move it to my client folder and that keeps my email organized and my inbox empty… a dream come true! No sense in touching the same emails over and over, that is just wasted time.

3. Plan According to Amount of Energy

Each person has his/her own amount of energy that can be used in a given amount of time. This includes
 the time of day that you have the most energy as well. A super business coach friend of mine, Jackie Harder, reminds me that the first two hours after I get up and likely after breaks are my most energy and focus. Makes sense, right?

My point, keep this in mind when you plan your tasks for the day because you’ll want to make sure your high focus tasks are when you have the most focus and energy. Similarly, break up your day accordingly and find ways to reenergize yourself.  Each day or week, plan your to-do list in a way that will allow you to have not only time, but energy to do the task.  Divide tasks up so that you will be able to do them to the best of your ability.

4. Send yourself to Time Out

This sort of goes along with #3, but this is also something I struggle with so wanted to be sure to give it some extra attention. When starting your business, it seems that you don’t have enough time in the day. However, if you planned your business out and established yourself well, you should be planning for you to have more time for yourself.

When I first started my business, I am pretty sure I worked most of the day and definitely all weekend. I now plan to be off by dinner time on the weekdays and plan to be off the majority of the weekend. Sure, things will happen, new clients (not a problem!) will come, hiccups during the week that might set me back and cause me to work a little more on the weekend, but my plan is not to work on the weekend. Yea, I said it was work in progress, all right?!

Bottom line:

Our business works better with a well-oiled machine, one that is healthy and sane –ish so the better you take care of yourself, inside and out, the better off you will be. See Jackie, I listen! 😉

Nothing is perfect, it is all work in progress and this comes from experience, for sure. This should be a good start to help you manage your work/life balance. Should you have some tips that you would love to share, I would love to hear them. If I could be of any assistance – not in the business/life coach arena as it’s not my thing – but if I could alleviate any stressors in your business life with social media, search engine optimization or marketing for your business, please do contact me and let me know!

~Kristen