There comes a time in business when we sit back and realize we’re doing too much. We have 10 projects that we’re juggling, we’re working with multiple clients, we’re doing podcast interviews, and more.
Our time is stretched thin and we feel overwhelmed. It’s normal to feel like you have to do everything and be everywhere as an entrepreneur. You don’t want to miss out on any opportunities. But that’s not going to lead to a satisfying work-life balance. Here are a few tips to beat business overwhelm :
Choose Your Priorities
If you’re in the middle of a client onboarding push or you’re focused on creating new content, appearing as a guest on a podcast may not be a priority for you at the moment. Podcasts aren’t going anywhere. Interviews can wait if you’re busy. List out what’s currently the most important to you. Devote your next month or quarter to that thing and don’t let other distractions come in to take away your attention so you can beat business overwhelm.
Designate an Area for Work
Doing work at home in every room makes every space basically your office. You don’t have a calming area where you can escape the madness. Choose places like your bedroom and living room that are off limits to work. This way you can completely unwind in these spaces.
Grow Your Revenue to Hire Help
“Just outsource” is an easy piece of advice to give. What if you don’t have any money to spare? Double down on your current revenue streams so you can bring in enough money to hire help. Start looking at candidates that you can hire for different areas of your business. This will take some of the workload off of you so you can continue being the ideas person in your business instead of the workhorse.
Remember It’s Not a Sprint
We can get overwhelmed because we’re caught up in the constant cycle of getting work done as soon as possible. After that work is done, we have a new idea that we get started on because we want to grow our business at a rapid pace. Business isn’t a sprint to the finish. You may be running this business for years or decades to come.
Expecting results that would typically happen after years of work is unrealistic. It can turn you into someone who’s constantly working and burning yourself out. Take a break. Go out and smell the roses. Make sure you’re getting time away from work.
Say No More Often and Stop Doing Favors
Saying yes all of the time to new obligations that take up your time can lead you on a one way ticket to overwhelm station. Be selective in the job and partnership offers that you accept.
It’s important to be humble, to give back, and to support other people. But you can’t give of yourself to a point where you’re depleted of all energy and you can’t help yourself. Set clear boundaries. Don’t give away time or product for free if it’s making you overwhelmed or impacting your business.
Final Word
It’s easy to fall into business overwhelm. There’s so much to do! If you don’t set boundaries, you may find yourself constantly working and burning yourself out. Be stingy with your time, choose your priorities, and focus on bringing in revenue so you can afford to outsource. Being selective with your work and hiring support can help you beat business overwhelm.
