As busy and ambitious business women, there are so many ways we can end up overwhelmed, frazzled and subsequently burned out.
- We work consistent 12 hour days with few breaks.
- We become so myopic in our work that we disregard other interests and relationships.
- We neglect our health through eating poorly and skipping exercise.
- We simply sacrifice sleep.
- We say yes to too many personal, family or social requests.
- We devalue the importance of self-care thinking it’s a luxury and something to do “when things really take off.”
But one evasive and often overlooked way that burnout happens with women business owners is the inadvertent tendency to say yes …
I’m not talking about the “yes” to helping out at your kid’s school but the “yes” that comes with taking way too many other people’s opinions into account as you’re building your business.
You can have everything else in order and balancing all your priorities with the best of them but you can still find that burnout is looming close because of one small but significant issue.
Does this sound familiar?
“Yes, I guess I should have a 3-part highly stylized video sequence to promote my book, program, or whatever.”
“Yes, you’re right, I should dedicate 90% of my allotted social media time to Instagram (or Twitter, or LinkedIn or Blab) because that is supposedly where the big audiences are.”
“Yes, you’re right, I should really write and publish a book because I want to distinguish myself as an expert (even though I have no interest or time in writing a book and could care less about expert status).”
It’s something that more women than men suffer from. We like to people please or value everyone else’s “expert” opinions over our very wise inner wisdom.
This can be troublesome when it comes to our businesses and we need to be more aware of it.
Let’s just stop the madness… now!
Here are a few tips:
1. Say No
The more you’re out there the more people will be reaching out to you. It’s a wonderful thing but it can be incredibly distracting. Trust me I know… you don’t want to pass up that one opportunity that might be the game changer or introduce you to “so-and-so” or who knows what may come out of it. But ask yourself: “Does this opportunity really fit with the mission and values of my mission and does this fit with my current priorities?”
It also comes down to a gut check. Listen to your gut and body. If you feel expansive and excited about the opportunity then consider it. If you feel unsure, uneasy or your body contracts because something feels off – quickly pass.
2. Focus on Your Priorities Not Theirs
And not everything IS a priority…. to you. When we started LearnSavvy we were graced (and continue to be) surrounded by super smart and savvy women. They are amazing resources.
However we have been hit with so many suggestions of things “we really should do or implement” that it became simply too much. Our first year (last year) was spent spinning in so many different directions that we ended up a stand still (we also decided to pivot but all recommendations didn’t help matters).
Even though people are well-intentioned we needed to focus on our core stuff. I completely admit, I didn’t do a great job filtering. Every idea did seem useful and I respected the people provided their suggestions, but just because they were good ideas didn’t mean I had to implement them (hello people pleaser… urgh)
Write down your priorities – write down what you and your business stand for, the people you want to serve, what YOUR plan is… and stick to it. Be gracious, of course, but also get back to executing on your plan!
3. Say No Again!
There will always be people who don’t take your no or polite “no thank you” as a sign to back off. They view it as you’re not interested “right now” and may continue to come out you with more requests.
It may not be a sales person pitching their latest social media app but it could be someone who wants to partner with you or who wants you to co-pitch their new product/service. Practice your no chops and stand your ground. Don’t waver because once you open that door – they’re in and it’s even trickier to extract yourself.
4. Stop the “Shiny’s”
When you have big dreams and ambitious goals there is a lot of moving parts and you’re probably doing most of it on your own. It is easy to chase after the latest shiny object (aka “shiney’s”) that cross in front of you. We often have to say “no” to ourselves and our latest idea or fascination. Keep on track with what you’re executing on right now and keep an idea book for other items you have or apps/systems you want to explore.
5. Find Systems for Distractions
My dream is to one day have an assistant who filters all my emails so I don’t get distracted by other people’s agendas, news, requests, etc. I love to read and research and so email is one of my biggest hurdles.
What are your biggest forms of distraction and what systems can you put into place to keep on task with your biggest goals? Google tabs is great. Shutting down email altogether when you’re working is another great tip. There are some fancy apps available that won’t let you even access certain programs when you’re working.
Self Control
Focus
Focus Booster
Burn out is easy! Staying focus on your mission, priorities and purpose takes a bit of effort but it is well worth it in the end!
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