From entrepreneurs to athletes, anyone who is passionate about their work can oftentimes be consumed by it and forget to take time for themselves to recharge. Dedicating more time to work doesn’t necessarily mean more success. After 20-plus years in an industry that’s known to be fast-paced and constantly changing, I have built a system to perform at the highest level.
Taking time to refuel and recharge is critical to being my best as both an entrepreneur, husband and father. When things seem to be going crazy, I come back to these three basic principles.
Take Ownership Of Your Mind
As an entrepreneur, it’s important to be aware of both your physical and mental states to avoid burning out. I quickly learned that finding ways to control my thoughts was going to be essential to my success.
Mindfulness and meditation are two of the most talked about techniques today. Personally, I use the Calm app to help manage sleep deprivation, stress levels, anxiety or emotional disdain. An additional way to integrate more mindfulness or meditation opportunities into your daily routine is to set aside small moments throughout the day to clock out mentally. Sounds easy, right? However, stress and anxiety can make a lot of people feel like there isn’t enough time in a day, which leads to working 24/7. If you schedule a short 15-minute morning or afternoon break, you are more likely to be more energized and work more efficiently. There are so many ups and downs throughout the day that if you don’t have a ritual that allows you to be grounded, then your mind will send your body into fight or flight.
Beyond mindfulness, however, is the realization that periodically we need time to step away from it all, to reconnect with our passion and to reflect on our intentions. Like me, this might be impossible to fit into your daily life. If so, I’d recommend starting a ritual to schedule annual trips that allow you to fully disconnect from work life and reconnect with everything else in life.
My first trip was to the RiSE Festival (a client of ours), which takes place in the middle of the Mojave Desert, with no cell access or Wi-Fi. From entering the venue to lighting our family lantern, it was one of those precious few times where I felt fully disconnected, present and emotionally in touch with myself. Taking personal trips can ignite a renewed passion and focus for your business.
Fuel Yourself
Don’t ignore how your body is feeling because you’re too focused on ongoing projects or upcoming deadlines. Keeping your body well-nourished is key because it will ultimately give you more energy. What you eat directly impacts your performance.
For example, cutting out refined sugars like cookies and juice can help to eliminate short-term highs and sudden crashes in energy. Make time to figure out what works best for your body. My diet includes an organic meal plan, where meals and snacks are spaced throughout the day. Meals include a balance of carbs (sweet potatoes, grains); protein (chicken, fish); and healthy fats (avocado, nuts). I do my best to meal prep each week so that it’s automatic. Otherwise, it’s too easy to slip into the easy junk or fast food option when you don’t have the time.
Having said that, understanding and accepting that sometimes you need to grab that slice of pizza at the airport to get yourself through the flight is entirely okay.
Set Daily And Weekly Goals
Entrepreneurial minds tend to think creatively. Most seek to identify a need for a service, product or market and fill it. Determining what you need to do on a daily and weekly basis helps to avoid distractions. A helpful way to stay on track with goals and targets is to keep two notebooks: one for targets and one for creativity.
Focus on your targets throughout the week and choose one day to read through your creativity notes. This helps to not waste valuable time on ideas or projects that aren’t worth hunting down so you can focus your time and energy on your current deadlines, project and targets.
These are the simple principles and methods I’ve used to avoid burnout throughout my career. Your entrepreneurial project is only as strong as you are. Remember that, and consider implementing what I’ve shared to refuel, recharge and experience continued success.
