Entrepreneurs are by their very nature independent. They are often isolated due to the fact that they are pursuit of a personal dream. They are under constant pressure to succeed and as such are dealing with stress on many levels, both personal and professional. This is what we are calling your ‘Argh!! Limit’.
Where do these individuals go for support? Chances are they join communities of like minded individuals. Myself, I am a charter member of a small group of brand professionals who meet quarterly where we discuss all issues in pursuit of our dream.
What can you do to relieve yourself of the pressures both good and bad when running your business?
The following are some things that I personally find helps:
• Start your own group of business professionals that share your passion to succeed. They too will be able to relate to every pressure point like no one else can.
• Join communities on the web such as blogs where you can share your ideas and concerns.
• Recruit a close friend as a sounding board. When pressure mounts, call a lunch date and vent.
• Constantly research for help in what you do. There is so much information available and advice to assist a situation.
• Have a distraction that is not related to what you do. Myself, I paint in watercolour and usually have a fiction novel on the go.
• Work out regularly. I go to a walking track 3 days a week. I’m “entertaining” the idea of meditation or yoga.
The worst thing you could do for your brand both corporate and personal is to let the pressures of business over burden you. If you ignore stress, it will be reflective in the effectiveness of your brand. Many times, fellow entrepreneurs we admire typically are the products of a well managed stress-relief program of their own design.
You deal with stress every day. Share your reasons for the stress and your solutions for relief with the rest of us here at SBB. Just venting here will help get your concerns off your chest.
Tell Dr. Ed, what’s stressing you today as you try to make your dreams come true, and tell us how you are dealing with it.
Our dialogue here can provide relief for your Argh!! Limit.
thanks for the great information 🙂
Adam, regardless of all the time sucking responsibilities you have going, it sounds as though you’ve definitely got your priorities straight. Kudos on the MBA.
Your welcome Chris.
I work full-time, own/run a business, going to school for my MBA, and have a live-in girlfriend. Sometimes their aren’t enough hours in the day to complete all my tasks. Some days I want to pull my hair out and fight the world. Doing so would most likely relieve me of stress, but I have found a much more legal way of achieving the same results.
I go for an hour bike ride each night with my girlfriend. I always try to put it off because so many other things need to be done, but that all changes as soon as I’m out. It gives me a chance to spend quality time with my girl, but more importantly, I am able to leave my worries at the door and enjoy the good things in life. My job, business, and school are extremely important to me – but I realize that this short life we all live needs to sometimes be embraced. So go outside for a while; take a walk, ride a bike, or just go for a scenic drive…..relax and take a breath of fresh air.
“A stress relief program of their own design” – I like that. I just posted about what I do when I start to feel the burning on my blog about 3 or 4 posts down http://www.sambeatson.com and just goes to show it is true…& very important. Taking time to relax and be in health definitely increases productivity, effectiveness and what Mr Tony Robbins would probably call “juice”!
Sam,
It is a good reminder about taking time for friends from your list. It is good to make a conscious effort to see them, especially those whom you haven’t seen in a while. It reminds you to not take them for granted. Thanks for your opinions.
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