As women entrepreneurs we often wear many hats, and because we do, we get pulled in many directions making us less effective, which can cause feelings of guilt, shame and frustration. That puts us on the road to burnout, affecting our wellbeing, as well as that of our businesses and the people we love.
This is why actively finding ways to create work-life balance is a critical business strategy.
Burnout prevention tips for women in leadership.
Time management doesn’t always equal stress management.
In fact, depending on your work style, engaging in rigid time blocking can cause stress and feelings of failure when it doesn’t work the way you think it should. There is no one-size-fits-all cure for increase productivity or burnout prevention. You simply have to be open to adapting and using the things that work for you and discard the things that don’t.
That might mean taking a piece of one method and adding it to others to come up with a strategy that fits your style and your life. It’s also okay if something works for a little while and then you have to change it later as the needs for your day, time, business and seasons of your life change. Just stay curious and test things out, being open to the parts that work for you.
So, what are some things you can start exploring?
- Do an assessment on your energy and focus. Some entrepreneurs do their best work first thing in the morning and have a harder time paying attention to details later in the afternoon. Others are the opposite, and some do their best work later in the evening. You may even have cycles that shift weekly, monthly or seasonally. Once you identify the times when you are most productive, dedicate that time to the tasks that require your creativity or attention to detail. Use the other time for the things that aren’t as critical or for self care. By paying attention to your energy and how it affects your productivity, you can schedule downtime without affecting your momentum.
- Redefine self-care. Many people think it has to be time at a spa, complete rest, or hours away from it all, but self-care can be much simpler. Get a sheet of paper and draw a line down the center. The left side is for energizers and the right side for things that drain you. Try to think of different angles inside and outside of the office. Consider how you can do more of the things that energize you and what you can do to delegate, delete or avoid the drainers.
- Engage and/or develop your support network. We aren’t meant to do life or business alone. Who do you have who can help you? It might be someone to talk to, assist with tasks or ignite new opportunities. The more you can engage your power of association the better off you will be as an entrepreneur and in all the areas of your life.
To get better at juggling work and life and to prevent executive fatigue, we need to recognize we don’t have to do it all ourselves. Delegating tasks inside and outside the house or business, as well as mastering the art of saying “no” can give us a lot more time for ourselves, as well as the things and people who matter most.
Why saying “no” is a business and life strategy.
Overcommitment leads to underperformance.
This is true at work and in our personal lives. Rushing from one appointment, meeting or event to another, adds stress and will eventually burn you out. You also can’t make good decisions when you’re feeling frazzled, and you certainly can’t show up as your best self, which negatively impacts your results in all areas of your life, creating a cycle that constantly drains your energy.
This is why learning to say no is one of the most powerful business and life strategies you can acquire.
When you start to strategically say no, you create the space to say yes to the things that drive growth in your life and in your business, as well as your relationships with the ones who matter most.
How can you make saying no easier without the feelings of guilt?
As givers, we often feel like we have to serve and support others whenever they ask for help or a time commitment, and when we don’t we feel guilty. This is often the underlying reason for overcommitting.
Even though we know it isn’t a sustainable system, we don’t necessarily know how to make changes. If that’s you, these steps can help you develop your skill for saying no, without feeling guilty.
- Define your values.Your values in your personal life and your business should guide your decisions. If something doesn’t align with them, you can easily give it a guiltless no.
- Outline your vision and set your goals. In business and life, you need to know what you are working toward and how each goal fits into your bigger vision. That might include hitting certain sales numbers, developing new products, or opening new territories in your business. In your personal life it can be the amount of time you can dedicate to friends and family, personal development, the things you want to experience and places you want to go. Once you have your goals outlined it is easier to figure out the time you need to set aside for each one.
- Set your boundaries. Boundaries are the agreements you make with yourself about what you will and will not do. They are as much for you as they are for other people. Setting boundaries might mean cutting toxic people out of your life, establishing a certain number of hours for dedicated business meetings each week, or specifying hard stop and start times for work, so the rest of the time is dedicated to friends, family and self-care. The more defined the boundaries are, the easier it is to say no without any accompanying guilt.
Remember, like any skill, saying no takes practice. You just need to keep doing it and it will get easier. The stress relief and freedom you will get from it will make the practice worth it!
Remember, work-life mastery will be different for each person. It may even shift depending on what’s happening in your personal life or in your business. That is okay and necessary. Adapting is an ongoing part of and entrepreneur’s life. The clearer we can be about the things that matter, as well as the requirements necessary to reach the goals that will bring our bigger vision to life, the easier it will be to achieve work-life balance and the fulfillment that comes with it.
A SHARON LECHTER BONUS TIP!
If you are feeling overwhelmed or burned out, it’s time to take a big step back. You may have lost sight of the bigger picture, and you need to reset.
- Refocus on your values.
- Revisit your goals.
- Make sure everything is on track with your bigger vision for your work and your life.
Combined, it will help you achieve better work-life satisfaction as an entrepreneur and feel more fulfilled in your life as you move forward.
If you need an outside perspective to get more clarity, it would be my honor to help you with that. I invite you to apply for my Master Mentor Program. CLICK HERE to learn more.
“Because of my work with Sharon Lechter and her incredible team of master mentors, I have been able to: sidestep “bright shiny object syndrome”, get crystal clear on my niche and competitive advantage, generate triple the number of monthly leads, and close more of those sales with skill and confidence.” – Eleanor Beaton, Women’s Leadership Coach