At the beginning of their career, every entrepreneur has to play a variety of roles, especially when they’re building a new business. Deloitte found that 77% experience burnout. This is a staggering number, especially for entrepreneurs, who are often responsible for all aspects of the business’s growth.
Licensed psychotherapist and coach Crystal Stokes believes entrepreneurs need a strategy to help manage the requirements of building a business. Stokes states that it is essential for entrepreneurs to establish clear boundaries and values to find balance while working towards achieving their goals. To keep your energy focused on business success, it is essential to control anxiety. Stokes recommends two things to help you avoid burnout and improve your focus.
Get started early on defining your values.
Before creating a business model, you need to define your company’s purpose in the most simple terms. The same applies to your personal life as an entrepreneur. Your values are important to you in both your business and your personal life. It is impossible to be everything. Talk to a business strategist to help you establish clear business goals, identify the business’s focus, and pinpoint areas that need to be expanded or created.
It would help if you also took care of your personal and business values once you have established them. Whether you are just pointing or have been in business for a while, it is essential to define your goals and objectives for your company clearly. To achieve success, how far are you willing to go? Which things in your life are worth giving up for the sake of entrepreneurship? This will allow you to identify your values and narrow your focus.
You can devolop a brand without having to compromise your boundaries.
While it is easy to be all things to clients, that is not sustainable. It is possible to build a reputation for your brand and a personal one without compromising your boundaries. You must also establish boundaries with customers and clients, especially if you provide a service that requires you to repeatedly interact with the same customers.
Establish personal boundaries regarding communication first. Your work hours should be limited to traditional work hours or an 8-hour day. You must also learn how to distinguish between personal and professional. While this might mean customers can’t reach you immediately, it is essential to respect the boundaries if you want burnout. It is also possible to establish boundaries with clients by communicating beforehand when you will communicate and what form of communication they prefer (emails, text, phone calls).
Customers will respect your ability to have a life other than work. This is especially true if you are clear about what you expect from the customer regarding the relationship. You can also have work hours and personal time to train your brain to focus on the present. Working allows you to focus on your clients, your business, and the knowledge that you will handle personal matters later. Relaxing after a long day working with clients allows you to unwind and not let work worries cloud your thoughts.
This is why it’s so important to set these boundaries in your strategy well in advance. It’s far easier to create a new frontier with an existing customer than it is with a new one.
Every entrepreneur feels the pressure of starting a business. Your mental space can be so cluttered by the task of starting your own business that it can feel like your entire life. Stokes warns that this is not sustainable. Strategize is vital if you want it to last. You can make entrepreneurship a career for the rest of your life by setting boundaries and enforcing them from the beginning.
