01/ 22/ 2007
How to avoid taking on too much--and sabotaging your creativity
What does your schedule look like today? Is it so jam-packed that you don't have room for lunch, family time or even a bathroom break? If this resembles the fast and furious pace of your day, rest assured: You're not alone. Business owners often toil long hours, take little vacation time and work during their time off, according to a recent study by Staples, Inc., which polled leaders of small businesses on their work-life habits.
More than half of those surveyed said they worked more than 40 hours a week--with some working a double week of 80 or more hours--just to keep up. And for many, the line between company and personal time is fuzzy. Get a load of these statistics:
- One in five (21 percent) work while eating dinner.
- More than a third (37 percent) couldn't remember their last vacation.
- One in five (18 percent) admit to reading work-related e-mail and documents while in the bathroom, and nearly half (49) percent work while driving.
Sound familiar? With increasing demands in the marketplace from consumers, the Internet and globalization, a long day every now and then is almost a guarantee for most successful business owners. And considering the 24/7 nature of our society, everyone tries to do more with less time--even children whose schedules are so full with extracurricular activities that they don't have time to go outside and play. But does it have to be this way all the time?
Packing your schedule to the hilt may offer a short-term solution to getting work finished, managing responsibilities and handling growth spurts, but it can generate diminishing returns for you and your business over time, especially if it makes you feel rushed, cranky, distracted, forgetful or simply burned out. So, how do you tame the overwhelming beast that is your schedule? Here are some suggestions:
Delegate. If you handle every detail of every facet of your business from marketing and sales to accounting and HR, it may be time to hand off some of these responsibilities to your must trusted and qualified employees. Even if not knowing every detail of what is going on in your business drives you crazy, you may still need to let go. While staying informed about all parts of your business is good, micromanaging and getting bogged down in minutiae will only keep you from focusing on the big picture--and getting the most important tasks accomplished. And just because you want to be good at everything doesn't mean you are. Focusing on your strengths in the business and delegating the rest to others will free up your schedule and make it fun again.
Just say no. New projects, accounts, customers and clients are all welcome additions for your business, provided that you're able to give them the attention they deserve. If you want to grow, you must take advantage of new opportunities, but unless you set priorities, you can spread yourself so thin that it will eventually sabotage your productivity. Be willing to say no sometimes to extra work that won't enhance your bottom line or new clients whose goals don't match yours. Give yourself permission to end projects or relationships that drain you and your staff. Strive to get things done in a timely manner, but also set deadlines from the outset that you can realistically meet.
Practice balance. Sometimes marathon days--even marathon weeks--are necessary to wrap up a project, prepare for an event or handle unexpected hurdles, but these should be the exception, not the rule. Studies show that Americans spend more time working than people in any other industrialized country. Being a workaholic may have been necessary in the early days of your business, but continuing to operate that way will eventually take its toll on your passion and creativity. Make room for other interests and people in your life, besides your business and your employees. When scheduling your day, allow some flexibility for interruptions, surprises, rejuvenation and relaxation. When the responsibilities seem endless, give yourself starting and stopping times and try to stick to them as often as possible.
Take a vacation. When you get so frustrated that you dread doing things that used to bring you satisfaction, or when you are spinning your wheels, getting out of the office is usually the best option. If burnout has gotten the best of you, a weeklong vacation to the beach or the mountains can be an invigorating escape that will give you the clarity and inspiration you need to reclaim your productivity. Sometimes the best ideas come when you're doing nothing. If you can't afford to get away just yet, take a mini-vacation-- whether this means knocking off early to catch a concert, going out of town for the weekend without your BlackBerry or taking a five-minute break to stretch or chat with an employee about a subject besides work.
Hire or ask for help. If your business is growing, and you have the budget, hiring more employees can be the best way to get a handle your schedule. Sure, this means you'll have more staff to manage and people to pay, but you'll thank yourself down the road when you feel comfortable enough to take a long lunch with a business prospect or spend a few days at a workshop you've always wanted to attend in another city--and leave the day-to-day duties to someone else until you return. And sometimes bringing in fresh blood is just what you need to help you solve a problem or brainstorm ideas from a new angle. Finding ways to partner with other businesses so that you can help each other accomplish mutual goals is another way to keep your schedule from turning into a monster.
