If you are like most business owners you work really hard to make your business profitable. Long hours and sacrifices are a natural part of becoming an entrepreneur. Working 9-5 Monday through Friday is rarely possible, or accepted, when you are the one writing the checks.
However this rite of passage as an entrepreneur often causes us to become critically flawed in our work habits. We become too wrapped in the belief that our ultimate sacrifice is time and in order to be successful we must always be “on”. Taking a break is rare. Going on vacation is unheard of. Stopping to clear your head is a luxury you can’t afford. That is where most business owners fail.
Entrepreneur Magazine recently published an article, “The Secret to Increased Productivity: Taking Time Off”. Author Joe Robinson pointed out that your brain is like a muscle and you can either replenish it or deplete it. We know this to be true for exercise. Constant working out and over exertion leads to injury and a “plateau effect” where you will not experience greater gains by working harder. It turns out your mind is no different. Constantly working in your business eventually destroys your ability to creatively solve the challenges you face. As a result your business suffers potentially damaging effects to sales, strategy, staffing, and service. A recent study shows less than 50% of business owners take a vacation and 18% never take time off. That’s about one in five business owners who never take a break.
It’s Time For You to Recharge!
Tim Ferriss wrote The Four Hour Workweek demonstrating that with the right business model you could automate and outsource most aspects of your company and still profit while freeing up time to do what you want. Most of us will never take it to the extreme Mr. Ferriss’s book suggests yet there are steps you should take to give your mental muscles time to recharge.
Systematize – So much of our business knowledge never leaves our head which makes your employees very dependent on YOU. Build systems that provide structure yet are flexible and adaptable.
Empower – Avoid being the smartest guy in the room. Unwillingness to let go of tasks or trust others will lead to failure. You hired talent so let them use their skills to grow your company.
Turn it Off – As hard as it can be to do take time to turn off the emails and other distractions. Technology is intrusive and allows us to work from anywhere. Sometimes you just need to take a break. Having difficulty? Take a trip somewhere without internet.
Plan to Get Away – Take a trip! Travel. Experience new cultures. Use that time to open your mind to other possibilities.
Taking these steps allows you to engage the one task you all too often neglect. Regroup, recharge, and gain control of the next phase of your success!
**If you are a business owner IDI has a unique opportunity for you. Our 2019 Mastermind Retreat is all about regaining focus and helping you prioritize your next success milestones. You will join CEO, Dan Paulson, and approximately 20 other peers who are facing challenges similar to yours. Together we will experience a whole new world in Peru culminating with a trip to Machu Picchu. Learn more by visiting the following links:
InVisionmastermind.com/retreat
https://www.facebook.com/groups/381909145572437/
Space is limited so book today!