5 Ways To Avoid Feeling Overwhelmed In Business
As a small business owner, it can be very overwhelming at times to get everything done successfully and in a timely fashion. Most of us have been in a place where there is so much to do that you have no idea where to start, so nothing gets done, yet you still feel so busy you can’t even breathe.
Well take a deep breath and read these five tips to help you get you going when you feel you just can’t make it through.
#1 Prioritization: Controlled Procrastination
As simple as it sounds, many business leaders haven’t really created a list of what has to be done. If you are a start-up, maybe you have your business plan, but have you created a task schedule? The same can be said for a business that is already up and running. There are a lot of moving parts. Prioritization will help you get it all done.
I recommend going old-school at first, using post-its on a wall so you can write all the tasks down that have to get done and move them around to put the most important ones first and create a to do list that is also a schedule for completion.
#2 Set goals: You have arrived at your destination
You may hear some people say that setting goals is too rigid… Ignore them. Setting goals is a great way for you to keep a clear vision of where your company is going… Or even as simple as where your day is going. Of course, being adaptable is what running a business is all about, so that means you should regularly evaluate your progress and your goals so you can keep on track.
#3 Delegation: Your new best friend
If you work with a team, then this should be quite easy… for most. As a business leader, you need to learn to let go. If you don’t trust your team, then they shouldn’t be there. Delegate tasks so you can a) keep your team busy with meaningful work and b) Allow yourself to accomplish tasks.
If you work alone and your business is growing, perhaps it’s time to think about hiring either a full-time employee to kick-start your team’s growth, or at least a contract worker so you can spread the work out rather than spreading yourself too thin. Don’t be afraid of growth!
#4 Check Yourself: Don’t let your schedule wander
There are many brain traps around you. If you are not careful, before you know it, like I mentioned last week, you have been searching for a couple of hours for glamorous cows in wigs. While social media has become a huge part of many strategies (both personal and business branding) and there is a lot going on in the world in terms of news and pop culture, you need to make sure that you aren’t letting your online and social time take up too much of your business time.
Schedule breaks, schedule social media time. If you have trouble staying on task, then set little reminders for yourself on your calendar.
Source: freedigitalphotos.net
#5 Just Say NO: Set your boundaries
This one is all about setting and sticking to your boundaries. If you are slammed and you feel like you can barely breathe… And you have tried tips 1 – 4… then perhaps you aren’t in the best position to say yes to that huge new project. I get it, you are trying to grow, but there comes a time when it can be too much and your business will suffer if you burn out. This is where you need to find solutions. Perhaps you need to bring on a part time contract worker who can help you get the project off the ground, or maybe it’s a simple case of working out different timing with the prospect so you can get it done in two weeks when your current major project finishes.
The biggest thing for you to remember as a business leader, whether you are a solo-preneur, a small business owner, a freelancer, or whatever, is that before the panic sets in, you need to train your brain to go to the solutions mindset first.
PS. Just in case you were wondering now...
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