The all-too common response we hear a lot these days when asked how things are going is, “busy!” Most small business owners are balancing a multitude of tasks to the point that sometimes it’s easy to forget what day it is, let alone how long it’s been since your last vacation.
Here are a few thoughts that may help reduce daily stress:
1. Learn to Say “No”
When you commit to 10 percent more than you can actually accomplish, it “feels” like you’ve got 50 percent more, thereby creating even more stress. By not taking on more of a workload that you can reasonably carry, you create more time for meaningful activity and therefore less stress.
2. Delegate, Delegate, Delegate
Taking on more than your fair share of the responsibility for getting things done leads to fear of things “falling apart” when you take a day off. Giving more responsibility to your employees and contractors–and trusting that they’ll get the job done–can take a huge weight of stress off your shoulders.
3. Track Your Time
Here’s a huge secret: 90 percent of time management is simply tracking how much time you’re spending on each type of task. Knowledge is power. Once you realize what’s eating up your time it becomes absurdly easy to decide what’s high-priority and what can be eliminated or delegated.
4. Unplug
Every entrepreneur knows that success is only possible through self-discipline. Well, here’s where theory meets practice. Exercise the self-discipline to turn off your phone and computer when you’re asleep and for at least two hours while you’re awake. For maximum stress reduction, spend that time with friends and family.
I hope these suggestions are helpful. Please let me know what you think gerry@polarisgroupmc.com
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