Stressed?

Are you stressed out?

Being an entrepreneur means being stressed… right?

Isn’t that just part of the way things work?

Stressed about getting new clients.

Stressed about getting work done.

Stressed about how to present your elevator pitch at the next networking event.

What if being stressed isn’t the way it has to be?

Feeling stressed is a symptom.  It’s a sign and if you are aware, you will ask yourself what needs to happen so that you don’t routinely feel the stress.

Where there is stress, there is a lack of a standard.  Think of it as an opportunity to provide more structure or a boundary in your business.

When I hear clients or business owners complain that there is too much work and they are working all hours to catch up… then I know that they haven’t created boundaries and structure to handle the load.

When I hear clients complain that they have no clients, then I know that they haven’t created a referral system or marketing plan that will routinely lead to paying clients.

Create a system to eliminate stress 

All of this isn’t magic.  It takes time, planning and focus.  But it doesn’t have to also take stress.  You don’t need to work nights and weekends to stay on top of it and you don’t have to lay awake at night worrying.  There is a system for everything and if something isn’t working then either you haven’t implemented the system, or you haven’t waited long enough for it to take effect or you have a system but it needs to be adjusted because your business has changed.  See what I mean?  It all comes back to having a standard or a system for your business. Structure and systems win over stress every time.

So ask yourself:  Who is driving the bus here?  Is it me?  Is it my clients?  Is the business in charge or am I in charge of my business?

Once you answer that question, then you will need to take action to establish a standard to follow. You then have a way to protect your energy and deliver your highest value to your clients.  Because let’s face it, when you are stressed, you become resentful and frustrated and that translates to lower value.

Standards come in all shapes and sizes and there is no one size fits all.  You can structure your business in ways that work for you and your clients.  Standards also change and grow as you and your business changes and grows.

So the next time you are feeling stressed out over your business, ask yourself, “What is the standard that needs to be created here?”  And know that opportunity is knocking on your door.