As an entrepreneur, you may be tempted to say “yes” to every opportunity.
In fact, it is likely that some of these “yes”’s are what got you here in the first place.
But it doesn’t take long to realize that there are many moving parts to running a business and that blindly giving away your time and attention is a surefire way to reach burnout.
In fact, learning how to effectively prioritize your time and attention is one of the most enduring challenges of being an entrepreneur.
Remember: your energy is a finite resource. Protecting it is far from selfish – in fact, it helps you cultivate healthier relationships and better serve those around you in the long run.
In this article, we discuss six ways to protect your energy and set healthy boundaries to build a thriving and sustainable business.
1. Choose your partnerships carefully.
Or, to borrow the words of Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less author Greg McKeown, “if it isn’t a clear yes, then it’s a clear no.” When choosing work partnerships – like clients, staff or collaborators – we tend to focus on transactional benefits like professional credentials and audience reach. But it is important to remember that in business, a misaligned partnership is one of the most – if not the most – significant causes of energy drain. A toxic client relationship or negative work environment can make or break your business. When choosing your next partnership, focus not only on the transactional benefits but also on your gut reaction. If it’s anything but a clear yes, then it’s a clear no.
2. Set office hours.
The quickest way to burnout is to be on-call 24/7. Unfortunately, modern technology allows us to do just that. We’ve discussed the downfalls of email anxiety in a previous post, but reality is, effective communication is necessary for emerging entrepreneurs. That is why setting clear office hours – and communicating them! – is crucial for running a business. Be sure to outline your office hours on both your website footer and email signature so that clients and team members know when they can expect to hear back from you. If you want to take it a step further, set up an automated OOO response via an app like xFanatical so that those who contact you during your off-hours will know right away that you are not available at the moment, and will circle back later.
3. Set time limits.
Meetings are an essential – albeit time-consuming – part of running a business. As an entrepreneur, it’s easy to drown in a sea of back-to-back meetings, only to realize that you no longer have the energy to tackle the rest of your to-do list. Protect your time and attention by setting time limits to every meeting and communicating them where appropriate. For staff meetings, it makes sense to announce the time limit at the top of the meeting, i.e. “I’d like to take the next hour to discuss x.” For less defined meetups or networking opportunities, gently let the other person know that you would be grateful for x minutes of their time.
4. Set expectations.
On a similar note, meetings without a clearly defined objective can also be a significant source of energy drain. Push yourself and those around you to communicate clear objectives for every meeting. Be specific and remember to focus on the end result. “I am calling a meeting to brainstorm ideas for our next marketing campaign” may sound specific, but it’s actually problematic because it doesn’t present a measurable result. Instead, one can say, “By the end of this meeting, we will have at least three viable ideas for our next marketing campaign.” This way, all participants will know exactly what is expected of them by the end of this meeting.
5. Make your rest count.
Studies have shown that depression and anxiety may be linked to an overactive default mode network (DMN), or the brain network responsible for self-referential thinking and mind wandering, which can spiral into self judgment and catastrophizing. Ever felt tired even after a full eight hours or a day at the beach? That may be because your DMN was buzzing in the background and slowly draining your energy during your so-called restful activity. Next time you unwind for the evening, set up a ritual to deactivate your DMN first. One of the most effective ways to do this is by meditating or exercising, both of which nudge the brain off the DMN “worry tract” and into another cognitive network.
6. Rethink social activities.
The 9-5 work culture has significantly shaped how we socialize with each other, relegating most social activities to the evening, usually over spendy activities like drinking or eating out. But some of us are more wired to socialize in the mornings, and some of us feel deeper connections with others when engaged in other activities like running errands or exercising. If you are struggling to find the time and energy to socialize with friends on top of running your business, try switching from happy hour drinks to a Sunday morning coffee date. Take it one step further and make it a weekly or monthly ritual, so you are spending less energy coordinating dates and more energy connecting with your friend.