“Align Your Purpose, Passion and Career” is a common theme I’ve lectured about at many conferences. Talking about the proper “work-life balance” has resonated with thousands of people because it’s a common goal that many professionals are tying to realize.
A different theme that’s equally important is the concept that a healthy life leads to a healthy business.
Running a business (whether it’s your own or a division for a larger corporation) takes a lot of dedication to the job, hard work, and sacrifices.
However, there are many business owners who have openly admitted that the entire process of building and continuing to run a company can take a serious toll on the mental and physical parts of the body. So it is important to figure out a way to efficiently run your business, but not allow it to affect the health of your body.
Have a plan
One of the important parts of minimizing stress is the written plan. Yes, we’ve all heard the importance of writing down your goals and projections. Why write them down? It becomes real and alleviates the stress of the unknown. There is so much power in the written plan vs. the unwritten plan, which is just thoughts in your brain.
When you have day-to-day tasks, it is easier to make sure that everything is planned out ahead of time to make things easier to handle. It will also help you with your stress level if everything is already set in writing that you have to get done for the day.
Learn to delegate
Building a team and delegating to that team is critical to a healthy mind.
A highly-beneficial action to take to make the process run smoothly is to hire a team of individuals you trust and who you are willing to invest in when it comes to their training. If you are putting so much of your time, your efforts and your money into creating this business, then it is obvious that it is something that you truly care about.
As many business owners are aware that education and experience are important when looking for someone to work with them, they are not always the best indicator that the person is the best, right, or perfect fit for the job.
The most beneficial way is to choose a person who has the same passion that you have when it comes to your business. If they lack the experience, it is easier to train them exactly the way that you want them to handle things within your business. It will definitely help you to find an ease in knowing that this individual is right along with you on the same path at looking for the success and efficiency when it comes to your company.
There is one aspect that is the hardest for any small business owner, and that is learning to delegate. If you are trying to do everything all by yourself, this will eventually cause you a lot of stress, since your business will end up growing and expanding, therefore, you will end up having a bigger list of day-to-day tasks that you will need to accomplish. Letting go of some of the load and responsibilities and allowing someone that you trust to help you with everything that you need to get finished each day will be better for you mentally and physically and will help you to be able to take better care of your company as well.
Relieve stress
One of the most important things you can do to relieve some of the stress and worry of your everyday working lifestyle is to make sure and schedule time away from your business. To make your company a highly successful one, chances are that you will be putting in a lot of really long hours. Running a business is an extremely big commitment, and you will need a break once in a while to relax your body.
So while there are things in your company that need to be done, it is also extremely important to make sure that you spend some time away from the work place doing something that is completely unrelated to work. Whatever you do during this free time, such as going to the gym or taking some time to read a book, it should be something that you enjoy. The more balance you add into your daily lifestyle and work lifestyle, the happier you will be, and you will end up being more productive at work.
Always remember that a healthy business comes from living a healthy lifestyle. Stepping back sometimes and letting go of the reins once in a while will allow you to be successful without having to sacrifice or risk your health or your sanity.
It is not going to be easy to do this; however, it will be better for you in the long run, as well as being better for your company. When you give yourself a break and stop pushing yourself to do everything for your business and give yourself the time you deserve for a break, then you will be able to live as a happier and healthier person with a healther and more profitable company.