8 Steps To Beat Burnout
 By Lee S. Shaffer

The new year just started. So why do you already feel a bad case of burnout coming on?

Perhaps you’re exhausted from all of the holiday activities. Maybe 2004 wasn’t a stellar sales year for your small business, and you’re already sensing the pressure to make 2005 more profitable.

The reasons for burnout are as varied as business owners themselves. But the result is the same: If you’re burned out, you’ll be less productive, less effective, less creative and a whole lot crankier.

So how can you put the brakes on burnout before it overtakes your work life? Here are eight steps you can take today to avoid the burnout blues.

1. Take care of yourself
Get adequate sleep. Exercise. Eat your vegetables. The good health of your small business relies on the good health of your mind and body. Keep yourself in tip-top shape.

2. Relieve business stress
Take a hard look at the business situations that cause you stress. Find ways to eliminate those causes, no matter how insignificant they seem. Do you have a client that you can never please? Maybe it’s time to say adios. Is a slow, outdated computer giving you fits? Spring for a new one. Do you hate keeping the financial books for your business? Hire a bookkeeper.

3. Challenge yourself
Staying in a rut creates boredom. Boredom can lead to burnout. Be sure you keep the sparks flying in your small business. Take a workshop to generate fresh business ideas. Consider adding a new service or launching a new product. Court a new customer. Do whatever it takes to jump out of your rut.

4. Check your values
Your small business should provide meaning and fulfillment in your life. The work you do should give you a feeling of accomplishment. If those things are missing, figure out why. Has your small business strayed from its original intent? Has your personal life changed, leaving you dissatisfied with your work life? Are new interests piquing your attention? Evaluate your business to make sure it’s in sync with your values.

5. Set priorities
There will always be another task to complete, another customer to call, another project to begin. But you can’t do it all. If you try, you’ll feel overwhelmed. And feeling overwhelmed leads to burnout.

So set priorities based on the goals you have for your small business. Is finding new customers a goal? Then chores that help you reach that goal should take priority. Is increasing revenue a goal? Tasks that help you accomplish that goal should go to the top of your to-do list.

6. Resolve conflicts
Unresolved conflicts are a breeding ground for burnout. They weigh on your brain and your time. Instead of wasting time worrying about them, do something to resolve them.

Got a problem employee? Find a way to resolve the problem. Unsatisfied with a supplier? Communicate the issue with the supplier or find a new one. Having trouble paying your business bills? Get some financing or cut some costs or learn to better plan your cash flow.

7. Manage your time
Respond to e-mail. Answer client phone calls. Develop your next marketing campaign. Even if yours is a home-based business, the demands on your time can be constant.

Learn to separate the crucial things from the things that can be delegated, postponed or dropped altogether. Use your peak energy times to tackle chores that require focus and concentration. Perform mundane tasks when you need to take a mental break.

8. Relax
Play hooky this afternoon. Take a walk. Garden or golf or go shopping. Do whatever it takes to get your mind off of work and on to the business of preventing burnout.

(Posted January 2005)

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