Are you a control freak?
If you’re like me, you like to have control. Maybe “like” isn’t the right word – You NEED to have control. As a business owner this character trait is probably something you were born with, and that’s a good thing. If you’re going to run a successful business you have to be in control and be capable of steering it on its course.
With that said… This strongly needed trait can be, and is in many cases, your business’s bottle neck. I know, it’s hard to imagine that “you” could ever be the weak link. After all, you update the menus, you book the reservations, you keep the product descriptions up to date, you monitor the competition, you order the supplies, you pay the affiliates, you research the keywords, you you you you you. There’s a lot of you’s in this picture.
It doesn’t matter if you love what you do or not. Eventually, we all burnout and our creativity starts to fizzle. It’s INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT for you to be able to put down the phone, close the laptop, or leave the shop for a while. I’m not talking about taking a week long vacation or even a long weekend (of course, if you can – why not). Just take a short break – maybe 30 min. or maybe an hour. The world is not going to end if you let your brain (the engine that drives your business) cool down for few minutes. And if you think the world is going to end while your away, you should probably start re-thinking your business model.
3 Ways To Get Out
- VA’s (virtual assistant) – if any part of your business has an online presence, this is the best way to get cheap excellent help. This is what I use in my many online businesses
- Lock The Door – this might sound crazy to some, but one of my favorite local places to eat at does this all the time. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been there and the door was locked. Sure it was aggravating, but I still go there all the time. The food is excellent and the owner has told me that he can tell when he’s running on empty and that’s when he shuts the doors for an hour or so to re-energize. This practice hasn’t affected any of the awards on the wall or the numerous articles written about them every month.
- Schedule Regular Breaks – this might sound too obvious, but apparently for most it’s not. I’m just as guilty of this as anyone else. When I do actually stick to my scheduled break times, I feel better – not just productively, but all around. I don’t feel drained at the end of the day.
The #1 Reason Why This Is So Important
Not only will your business suffer, your family will suffer too. How can you possibly spend quality enjoyable time with your wife and kids if you’re physically and emotionally drained. Do you remember why you decided to start this crazy business adventure? Was it to show your children a way to work themselves into oblivion or was it to show them how to take control and have freedom for the family?
My family chose the latter.
