Five tactics for entrepreneurs to get back on track
Opportunities are great, but what do you do when you become overwhelmed?
A few weeks ago I blogged about REfficient reaching a tipping point, which has led to a number of great things. We had market awareness like never before, higher conversion rates and new found opportunities.
Yet I also talked about the dark side – things were taking a toll on me. I was feeling overwhelmed. I was having trouble sleeping at night. I was struggling to keep up.
Thankfully I have regained balance and am no longer experiencing the stress I did a month ago. Here are five things which I did to gain some perspective and get back on top.
Take some alone time
The first thing I did was to step away and take some alone time. I took two hours, had a cup of coffee (well, two), and disconnected. I took out my notebook and started to look at what I had written down that I wanted to get done. Gradually I started to see a path ahead. This exercise gave me clarity, helped me regain focus and also see that what I had to get done was manageable.
Make a checklist
When you are feeling overwhelmed, you think you have so many things to do and so little time to do it. Thoughts swirl in your head and the lack of clarity only seems to feed into your stress. But when you write something down and articulate it on paper, the thoughts become clearer. What exactly has to be done? What are the deliverables? And what are the questions that need to be answered to finish the deliverables? Write everything down and make a checklist. I felt a sense of relief that I had a starting point.
Prioritize
Then I took my checklist and started to prioritize it. What was important and when did it need to be finished by? I started with the most important things first, such as client deliverables and funding applications, and numbered them in area of priority. But first I took care of a couple mini to-do’s that I could check off my list and feel accomplished. There is a powerful psychological effect to feeling like you have achieved something, which can bolster longer term productivity. It was easier to take on the more arduous tasks once I got started.
Delegate
Sometimes it may not be possible to hire someone to help you with the newfound level of opportunity. However, it many cases it is possible to delegate more and get others’ help, whether they are staff or family members. I have found the exercise of getting others’ help and letting go has helped me see that when I can focus on higher priorities, the business has moved forward faster. Sometimes we need to push what we think is possible and “that is just how it is.”
Do something fun
I admit that one of the best cures for stress was going dancing one evening. Not only did it take my mind off of things, the act of being active, smiling and laughing was also good for the soul. Even if dancing is not your thing, doing something fun and active can help beat the stress. It was also a reminder that the journey should be fun. And it is again.