In December 2007, Lynn Sutton, owner and managing principal of management consulting firm Kairos Consulting Worldwide L.L.C., was in the Philippines to make a presentation to Lufthansa Technik. Sutton was excited about the trip because scoring business from the leader in maintenance, repair, and overhaul of commercial aircraft would mean landing her company’s first international client. But the 40-year-old mother of three was also exhausted.
Then in business for just three years, Sutton had often been working 60- to 70-hour weeks to build the company’s client base in the U.S. The trip to Asia meant additional preparation. In fact, after touring the company’s facility, Sutton realized that she needed to rework her presentation and proposal to better fit it to the organizational needs of the client. So, despite enormous jet lag, Sutton pulled an all-nighter to get ready. But when the presentation was over, all of the long hours she had worked caught up to her.
“I got an adrenaline rush when I was giving the presentation, it went very well, and we ended up getting the contract,” Sutton says. “But when I got back home, I got hit really hard. I remember first feeling what felt like a brain freeze so much so that I couldn’t get a handle on what to do next. That was followed by what felt like flu-like symptoms, and then my body just shut down altogether,” she says.
Sutton says she was in bed for two weeks unable to do anything for her business.
“All those things that had to get done, and I would have wanted to get done immediately had to be on hold while my body caught up with my head,” she says.
Having learned her lesson, Sutton says she now makes a point to incorporate downtime into her busy schedule. In fact, she sets aside four hours every quarter–usually on a Friday–for non-work related activities that include a leisurely lunch, spa appointment, or shopping.
“Because I am a mother and wife, I used to say my off-time is when I’m with family, but that’s not really off-time, as any wife and mother knows. So, I have to make sure my downtime is something just for me,” she says. “I go some place that I cannot take my laptop, and even though that time isn’t usually a full day, it’s at least four hours during regular business hours so I can feel as though I have taken a little time for myself.”
It’s no secret that running a small business requires commitment. But over time, the long hours, tight deadlines, work-packed weekends, and missed vacations can take its toll on your mental and physical health, driving you to the point of business burnout. Peggy Duncan, personal productivity expert and author of The Time Management Memory Jogger
, says the signs of business burnout are easy to identify.“You’re irritable, you dread going into the business, you have a lot of fatigue, and you’re ready to just sacrifice your dream and throw in the towel,” Duncan says. “For a lot of people who have gotten to this point, they are also financially strapped, and they’re robbing Peter to pay Paul, but Peter is just as broke as Paul,” she says.
Duncan says fighting business burnout begins with simple organization.
“Burnout happens most of the time because owners did not plan their businesses sufficiently from the beginning, so they don’t have processes and procedures in place,” Duncan says. “Create or streamline processes and procedures for everything you do because that’s going to eliminate a lot of wasted effort and prevent the chaos that leads to burnout.”
Here are six other ways you can keep burnout at bay:
Delegate: Although it’s probably one of the most difficult things for an entrepreneur to do, shedding responsibilities is crucial to freeing an overwhelmed mind. Hand off specific duties to qualified members of your staff. If needed, train people to assume the additional work. If you’re short on internal talent, outsource the activities you need completed. Delegating will allow you to not only lighten your load, but also better focus on your core business chores and those tasks that drive your bottom line.
Schedule “Me Time”: Everybody needs time to rejuvenate. Schedule vacation time –without your laptop and BlackBerry — and stick to it. Ditch eating that tuna sandwich at your desk and take a monthly lunch date with a colleague or friend. Designate a family night with your spouse and kids to play games, see a movie, or have dinner at your favorite restaurant. It’s a great way to relieve your mind of the business and refresh you for the next day. “It’s very easy to say, ‘Well I’m an entrepreneur so I always have to be available,’ but if you don’t take some downtime then it will hit you hardest at the worst possible time,” Sutton says.
Incorporate technology: Duncan says many business owners invest in technology, but don’t learn how to use it. Once you get organized, choose equipment that will make it easier to run your business and save you time with the overall operation. “The biggest time management mistake people make is not realizing how much time they waste. It’s really hours, weeks, and sometimes months because they are doing stuff the way they did it 20 years ago,” Duncan says.
Stop to celebrate your business: You don’t have to wait until your 25th anniversary to acknowledge your business achievements. Whether small or
large, celebrate your victories. It can have a great psychological impact on you and your staff and avoid the possibility of burnout. “Burnout can often come from feeling as though you are spinning your wheels (and not getting anywhere). This will get to you after a while if you don’t stop to acknowledge the wins, the certifications, the new lines of business that you didn’t have the year before,” says Sutton, who, after winning Lufthansa Technik in the Philippines, held a big dinner celebration for her staff.Get regular check-ups: Consult with your doctor about a proper diet and exercise routine. It will give you the energy you need to run your business and maintain good health. Getting enough sleep is also key to preventing burnout. Ordered by her own physician, Sutton says she gets a minimum of seven hours of sleep each night.
Ask for help: Business ownership can be tough, but you don’t have to go it alone, even if you’re a solo entrepreneur. There are many resources available to help you deal with your daily business dilemmas so burnout doesn’t become a reality. And much of the help is free. Talk to other entrepreneurs about their tales of business burnout and how they managed to maintain their momentum. Also, visit www.score.org for free advice and information from experienced business counselors.