If you Google how to avoid burnout in business, you'll probably come across numerous articles about that mention the importance of exercise, sleep, and self-care. These articles are completely accurate, and these tips should be the baseline for all entrepreneurs running their own business.
In fact, I always encourage my clients to create 'Conditions To Focus' (CTF), in other words, I encourage them to gather a list of the things that help them focus throughout their work week. Whether that's keeping a consistent morning routine, staying hydrated, going on a long walk each day, and other self-care ideas to help avoid short and long-term burnout.
But, I often see entrepreneurs missing these three tips to avoid burnout:
1. Have a crystal clear vision
When you serve your vision, and you know where you're going, you have the ability to answer the question 'Is this the right thing?'. There are endless opportunities and endless things you can do as a business owner (hello burnout), so if you reflect on your vision often, you'll be able to eliminate the things that are not serving you or that are in fact leading you to burnout. I talk about this in depth in my podcast interview with Dr. Katrina Burrus at the 13 minute mark.
2. Set goals that align with your vision every 90 days
This is the second most important filter to run your ideas through as they come to you each week because this will ultimately help you avoid overwhelm by not overcommitting yourself. When you look at your goals in addition to your vision, you're able to get super clear on what's serving you and your business right now in this moment and should be able to answer the question 'Is this the right thing, right now?'. Take a good hard look at everything you're working on, and make sure it's actually in support of your vision and goals.
3. Be really honest with yourself about your capacity
What is your actual capacity? This is a topic I recently discussed with Dr. Katrina Burrus in a podcast interview at the 15 minute mark. So many business owners I've worked with burn out so quickly because they overcommit themselves. Get realistic about how much time you actually have to dedicate to your business, whether it's you as a solopreneur or as a business with multiple employees. Start making commitments and decisions based on actual capacity and get clear on what you're going to do and not do accordingly. And yes, this requires self-discipline and a willingness to make the tough decisions and say no to the things that aren't right, right now.
As you can probably tell, there's a big theme here that revolves around focus and being honest with yourself. One of my favorite quotes about this is:
“Real transformation requires real honesty. If you want to move forward — get real with yourself.” - Bryant McGill
If you're interested in learning more about how I help my clients avoid burnout, check out my interview on the Excellent Executive Coaching podcast.
I want to hear from you. What are you doing to avoid burnout? Are you currently using these 3 tips in your business? Comment below.
Want more conversations around leveling up in your business and avoiding burnout? Join the Lean Out Circle Facebook group where we discuss all things mindset, productivity, planning, and how to create sustainable success.
by Crista Grasso
Crista Grasso is the go-to strategic planning expert for leading global businesses and online entrepreneurs when they want to scale. Known as the "Business Optimizer", Crista has the ability to quickly cut through noise and focus on optimizing the core things that will make the biggest impact to scale a business simply and sustainably. She specializes in helping businesses gain clarity on the most important things that will drive maximum value for their clients and maximum profits for their business. She is the creator of the Lean Out Method, 90 Day Lean Out Planner, and host of the Lean Out Your Business Podcast.
