Could you be working too much?
When entrepreneurs start out, they’re desperate to get the job done and succeed. But working long hours can only be sustained for a limited period of time. Being on call 24 hours a day and constantly solving problems is enough to send anybody mad. Before long, you’ll feel yourself burning out and lacking motivation.
Believe it or not, there are actually some pretty well-defined symptoms of working too much. One of those symptoms is getting that blank feeling where you seem unable to create a plan of action for what to do next. In other words, your brain is rebelling and telling you it doesn’t want to keep having to make decisions.
There are other symptoms too. You’re becoming increasingly irritated, and your temper keeps flaring up. You can’t take care of normal things and eating feels like an inconvenience. And no matter how hard you work, you don’t seem to be able to achieve your goals.
The solution to these problems is often making better use of your time. Here’s how to change your mindset and improve your time management.
Start Your Day On The Right Foot
Some entrepreneurs get out of bed and are immediately checking their emails and on the phone. They don’t take any time to collect their thoughts and relax before the start of the day. Instead, they immediately start running. It’s a good idea, according to experts, to take a little time to prepare yourself inwardly for what they day will bring.
Organize Your Communications
Email and phone calls can take up a lot of time that could be spent on your priorities. And so it’s a good idea to have a business phone system or an administrator process these communications for you. Nothing is more annoying than working on a project, only to be interrupted by an incessant string of phone calls and notifications.
Plan Time For “Life”
“Life stuff” is important, whether you’re willing to accept it or not. Things like eating properly, exercising and socializing are all necessary for happiness and productivity. If you’re spending all day programming in a dark basement while drinking Soylent, you’re probably not giving your body what it needs. Exercise and proper nutrition help to prevent burnout.
Use The 10-Minute Rule
Entrepreneurs, like everybody else in the workforce, dread certain tasks that come with their job, whether it’s inputting data or calling up employees to tell them that they’re fired. Just the knowledge that these tasks need to be completed can drain your energy and wreak havoc with your time-keeping. That’s why many founders use the “10-minute rule.” This is where they tell themselves that they are going to work on a problem they hate for 10 minutes and then move on to something else. Usually, once they’ve started working, they realize that the job isn’t so bad and they continue until they’ve done it.
End The Day With A Plan For Tomorrow
Finally, top entrepreneurs always have an action plan for the following day. They job down a quick list of what they have to do, and then they execute.
