Remember the excitement when you first started your business? You were finally doing it – taking a stand for yourself to do the work you want to do and create the life you love.
But now you’ve been running your business for a few years and that’s not your reality, is it?
You’re exhausted. Your business is your biggest source of stress in your life. You are successful in that your business has grown…. but so has your workload and the idea of work life balance is a joke.
- You feel guilty taking a lunch break, and instead scarf food at your desk or standing in the kitchen.
- Networking doesn’t count as work time in your mind, so you work longer hours on the day that you have an early or evening networking event.
- You tell yourself that you’ll finish at 5, but just one more project. “Just finish this so that I can invoice for it…” and suddenly it’s 7 or 8pm again.
- You’re stressed out and exhausted by the business you wanted to love. And you know, you’re not alone.
Hear more about my story, and ways to implement putting yourself first in your daily life. Watch the short video below!
How do I know this? Because this was my story…
I used to wear my lack of sleep as a badge of honor, working 80-hour weeks and getting 4 hours of sleep a night. Life was not fun and my brain did not work.
I tripped on carpet while walking because my coordination was off.
I slept on the floor of my office when I was too exhausted to think…while my employees were still working around me.
I felt guilty taking a walk at lunchtime, for my lunch break.
I was too busy to pee, and would realize 30 minutes later that I still hadn’t gone to the bathroom…and I really, really needed to.
Many business owners and entrepreneurs go through this stage of growth. You are not alone, and for some of us, we must experience it to get the lessons we learn from it. And that’s the great thing about it, you can move forward and out of this phase in your life.
Say ‘Yes’ To You
The first step in changing your life is to say ‘yes’ to you.
What does that really mean? It means valuing yourself. You are the main driver in your business and if you get taken out from sickness or burnout, your whole income and way of life is affected.
When you are healthy, or healthy enough, you can easily ignore bad habits. But over time those wear you down because the stress of your lifestyle is damaging your body.
When I started to say ‘yes’ to me, it started a snowball of several life changing decisions that worked out for my best possible outcome. I learned to listen to and trust my intuition, I learned to attract the clients that bring me joy and who value my services, and I learned how to focus on my dreams and watch my business fall in line with my greater purpose!
Say ‘yes’ to your health.
Make sleep a priority
When you make sleep a priority, you have more clarity and can make better decisions. You actually work more efficiently. Getting enough sleep actually helps entrepreneurs recognize good ideas, as discovered in the Harvard Business Review.
Why don’t we get enough sleep? Because we get distracted and are looking for a quick win. We have a finite capacity for decision making, and if you spend your day making on-going decisions then by the end of the day you are exhausted. Your brain goes for the quick fix, the high, the pleasure, and sticking to activities that don’t require you to make decisions.
I know because I’ve been there and it’s common enough that Entrepreneur wrote an article about why entrepreneurs don’t get enough sleep.
Make exercise a priority
Our bodies were made to move and they work best when we move. Sitting all day at a computer and/or in the car, then doing an hour of intense working out does not mean a healthy lifestyle. Take breaks to take a walk to the bathroom, the kitchen, out the front door for a minute and then come back.
Without your body (and health) your reality will change. Show your body love.
Make your mental health a priority
Love yourself, follow your intuition, go with the flow and do what feels right. It sounds so simple…but are you really doing it?
As a smart, successful business woman, you know many of the things. You’ve spent the time in education and personal development, you got where you are today from the growth you’ve experienced.
But these challenges never seem to really stick. You improve a little at a time, but then backslide. Why is that?
Make your mental health a priority
Saying ‘yes’ to you is a mindset shift. Until you make yourself a priority, nothing else will change.
My journey to get where I am today was a process of introspection and working with different coaches. Getting outside help and resources can make the learning process faster and easier. Why do it the hard, long way when you can speed up the process and learn from someone who’s been there? I’m all about maximizing my time and the best investment in myself has been in hiring a coach for my business.
Where could you use support in your life? What do you know you should be doing…but aren’t?
I’d love to chat. I love having virtual coffee dates with entrepreneurs like you. We can get to know each other, get clear on your goals, explore what you are currently doing and dreamcast about where you want to be. Shoot me a message, all it takes is to book time on my calendar and answer a few questions so that the conversation can be all about YOU.
