Starting a business is no easy feat. From getting the finance that you need for your company to putting together a business plan, the work doesn’t stop from the moment you begin. If you’re ready to embrace that, you can stand up against the unnecessary, and often redundant paperwork and busy work that people mistakenly think they have to do to keep their business floating. Coping with a heavy workload is one thing when it’s not your business, but when the future of the company is on your shoulders, you have to do everything possible to keep your head above water and simplify your task list. Be a swan: paddle hard beneath the surface but glide just above it. The trick? Keeping on paddling, and know the direction you’re headed!
Trying to juggle priority tasks that are always changing can make you feel overwhelmed, like you’re struggling to keep going in your work. Stress at work is very real, but the stress level goes up exponentially when the future of the business is down to you. Recognizing the stress that you are in at work is important, because once you recognize it, you can learn to manage it. Here are some of the ways that you can manage your workload so that you aren’t overcome by it:
Outsource. There is nothing better than realizing that you can’t be everything to everyone. It’s always better to be the master of your trade, than a jack of all, but master of none. Using managed IT services for your cloud and a graphic design company for your branding alongside the cleaning company that you use for your physical office space is just smart! You are choosing not to do a good job badly, but to pass it to an expert who can do it better. There’s no shame in knowing that there are people out there that can do a job better than you.
Understand. Next, you have to look at what you want to achieve with your company, and match up those objectives to the team that you’ve put together. Be bold with your objectives and map out how those tasks align. Share it with the team and make a plan so that the work is evenly distributed among the management team. Less stress equals a healthier and happier workforce.
Break. Drowning under deadlines means pressure, which means you don’t leave the office for days at a time. While the logical thing to do is push on and get the work done, the best thing that you can do is to step back and take a break. When the pressure is on, you can forget what you’re doing next, which leads to mistakes. Take a break, collect yourself and go back to it with fresh eyes.
Communicate. No one is going to know that you’re struggling unless you tell them! Speak to your colleagues and set up a plan so that work is balanced and easier to handle.
You do not have to drown under the pressure of your business; think smart and take control!
