Many entrepreneurs struggle with work-life balance. Because they run their business, feel passionate about their work, and deal with lots of risk and uncertainty, a lot of them work excessively.
Yet this way of life—sometimes called the “hustle culture”—is celebrated by many: Do what you love, and do it from when you wake up until you go to bed. After all, if you love what you do, it doesn’t feel like work… right?
While it takes hard work to grow a company, if done to the extreme, it can strain your mental, emotional, and physical health as life turns into a blur of stressful, adrenaline-fueled days. As a result, a sizable number of entrepreneurs feel burnt out and lose motivation.
In this article, I want to share five simple strategies I’ve used over the years to avoid burnout and not only build a business, but also build a life. I may not have launched an IPO, but I’ve learned what to do and what not to do. Apply what you can into your own business and life—it’ll make a huge difference.
Stop Glorifying Being “Busy”
There is more to life than increasing its speed.
—Mahatma Gandhi
Bragging about always working 14-hour days isn’t a sign of productivity; it’s a sign of poor boundaries and priorities. There’s nothing commendable (or healthy) about running around like a chicken with its head cut off or being so busy you don’t have time to sit down. What was once called “workaholism” is often glorified as “hustling.” (Go figure.)
Now, I’m not condemning hard work; if anything, I support it. But there’s a time and a place. And the harder you work, the harder you need to recover; otherwise, you’ll just keep digging yourself into a deeper hole.
To avoid burnout, start praising a healthy work-life balance. Glorify entrepreneurs who can put their work down and enjoy non-work passions. Celebrate business owners who can be present after a busy day and have fun.
From there, set boundaries and protect your non-work life. For example, if you want to unwind on the weekend and spend quality time with your family, don’t ruin it by peeking at your emails. Learn how to say “no” to requests or projects that will monopolize your time—if it’s not a priority, don’t do it.
Find What You’re Working FOR
Begin with the end in mind.
—Stephen Covey
Bigger isn’t always better — a bigger business, audience, or mansion doesn’t necessarily improve the quality of your life.
A helpful exercise is to define your dream lifestyle. What’s your ultimate goal? How much money do you actually need? When you factor rent/mortgage, expenses, taxes, investments, fun, etc., what’s the target number?
It’s valuable to have an objective: That way, you know when to work and when you can stop. (But without an end goal, you’ll keep working for the sake of working.) Obviously, I’m not saying you shouldn’t create a large business; but if deep inside, you don’t want to, then why work unnecessarily?
If, for example, you decide you only need $70,000/year to cover your expenses, invest, and enjoy your life, it can eliminate a lot of stress and make you rethink the need for 15-hour days to build an 8-figure company.
Create Your Non-Work Life
Everyone wants to be more productive so they can get more done in less time. But what will you do with that extra free time? Many entrepreneurs just use it for more work, which can lead to burnout over time.
Instead, define what do you want to do outside of your business so you have the motivation and purpose to not let work dominate your life. When I started as a solopreneur, I worked long into the evening—yes, I loved my work, but I never defined what I wanted to do outside of it. To me, the best question to solve this comes from the Four Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss:
What would you do, day to day, if you had $100 million in the bank?
Basically, if you never had to work again, how would you spend your days? Find what inspires you beyond just “work” and start building a real life.
The sad thing is I’ve seen how workaholism can devastate someone. One of my family members always feels compelled to work, even when they don’t have to, and can never enjoy themselves—meanwhile, their relationships suffer and they deal with chronic health problems.
Work will never make you complete; don’t use it as a surrogate for something missing in your life. Business is just one part of who you are.
Measure the “Gain”
Burnout sometimes happens when you think your business isn’t enough, you’re not growing fast enough, or you’re comparing yourself to mega-entrepreneurs while overlooking how far you’ve come.
That’s where a simple exercise can help you refocus. It comes from Dan Sullivan who teaches you to measure the “gain,” not the “gap.” (The “gain” is how far you’ve come from where you started; the “gap” is how far you have to go to where you want to be.)
Focusing on the gap hurts motivation and confidence because you’re always thinking of your failings. But to avoid burnout, spend most of your time in the gain so you’ll feel more confident, accomplished, and motivated.
…if you turn around and measure your progress against where you started, then you’re in The Gain, and you’ll experience a sense of having moved forward, of having achieved something, and you’ll be motivated to continue on to your next stage of growth.
I measure my gain every week to see how I’ve grown and what I’ve accomplished. I only look at the gap once a quarter when I analyze things, see what I can improve, and plan my objectives for the next quarter.
Take Regular Breaks
If, then, I were asked for the most important advice I could give, that which I considered to be the most useful to the men of our century, I should simply say: in the name of God, stop a moment, cease your work, look around you.
― Leo Tolstoy
Breaks are essential in boosting your energy, maintaining your motivation, and preventing burnout.
First, take breaks throughout the day. I take a 10-minute break every hour instead of working straight through to rest and reenergize. Second, take breaks throughout the months. Regularly schedule days (or even weeks) where you disconnect from your business.
To me, the best method is to change my environment so I’m not reminded of my work. While you can take a long vacation, just hanging out somewhere 30–60 minutes away from home can do wonders. Or go to a nearby park to read, relax, and recharge. (Don’t be surprised if these breaks give you powerful insights to help grow your business.)
Look, I know it’s stressful to be an entrepreneur. I know what it’s like to have no safety net. And I know there are times you have to work all day to hit a deadline or launch a product.
But what good is all of that if you can’t enjoy your life?
There are two things to aim for in life: First to get what you want, and, after that, to enjoy it.
— Logan Pearsall Smith
The work will still be there when you get back.
So take time to unwind, relax, and savor the world around you.
Take time to enjoy the life that being an entrepreneur brings.
And you’ll avoid burning out once and for all.
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