You vs. Your Business

This morning I woke up feeling exhausted. I had barely slept four hours, and at 6:30 am, I had to be (resentfully) ready for money making commitments. I've been slacking on exercise and not eating right because I foolishly thought it would save me time as I crunch to meet deadlines. Nearly seven hours later, and I'm still stressed, drained, and fatigued down to my bones. I'm thinking about the tasks I have to complete today and the new ones that found themselves on my plate. I'm rehearsing conversations with clients and stressing out about my rates.

This is the glamorous life I chose in exchange for the stable yet dream crushing Corporate America rat race?  

These kind of days leave me questioning everything I think I can achieve.

Are you feeling this way, too?

Then you're most likely in either one of two categories: a parent of an infant or toddler (or both) or a business owner.

Now, I don't have kids, but between the sleepless nights, skipped meals, and frantic running around, I'm guessing they must be pretty similar.  If you are a parent, I'm guessing you wouldn't give up on your children because they exhaust you, right?  No way, Jose - you probably either just stay exhausted (fun times) or do something different to mitigate your zombie-like state (i.e. coffee). So it is with owning a business.

See, us dreamers have a special romance with struggle. It's the agony of uncertainty and the challenge of seemingly impossible things that keep us sane. It's the journey that we're after - the learning, the pursuit of happiness, the conquering of our wildest dreams, and heartfelt passions. Well, as romantic and enthralling as that all sounds, I think it can be dangerously easy to slip into a pattern of putting our businesses before ourselves. I'm talking to you, budding entrepreneur and seasoned business veteran.

Are you neglecting yourself for the sake of your business? If you are finding yourself with less and less  quality time with yourself or loved ones, or doing things you love, it's time to take a step back.

When you're feeling burnt out, take a run, explore the world around you, EAT. I understand the temptation of wanting to be present every waking moment in your business, but when we deprive ourselves of what we deserve, our businesses suffer, too. It's time we start working strategically, not tirelessly.