Everyone Would Do It If It Were Simple
Everyone Would Do It If It Were Simple
Q: Since I launched my company almost a year ago, everything is going well. We're expanding and turning a profit, but I'm starting to feel incredibly exhausted from managing the company. Rather than working, I worry more. There are moments when I feel like I can't handle the pressure. I'm beginning to believe that I'm not suited to be a business owner. Are there any tips you might share that would assist me make a decision? -- Steven S. A: I can give you tons of free advice, Steven. Just keep in mind that you get what you pay for, and if following my counsel somehow lands you a job behind the McDonald's counter, you won't be able to hold me legally or ethically accountable. For crying out loud, I'm not Dr. Phil. I'm not as tall, have longer hair, and make less money.
You really need to start by taking a few deep breaths and finding solace in the knowledge that you are not the only entrepreneur experiencing the weight of the business world on your shoulders. Everyone in business, including me, has experienced similar feelings from time to time. Some people experience it on a daily basis, particularly when things aren't going the way we'd like them to. And don't assume that just because your business succeeds, the stress will vanish from your life. People that oversee multimillion dollar companies that I know will attest to the fact that stress levels rise with company growth. These same individuals will also tell you that they are passionate about what they do and would never contemplate changing careers.
These business owners have been in operation for longer than you have, Steven, and they have mastered the art of not just managing stress but also turning it into a motivating factor. They thrive on tension. It stimulates their inventiveness and ingenuity. They are challenged by stress, which forces them to reflect and improves as entrepreneurs.
It's not really an issue of whether you have what it takes to run a firm, in my opinion. Do you have what it takes to handle the stress of owning a business? is the true question. The answers to these two very different questions are entirely up to you.
Running a business can be extremely stressful, overwhelming, and draining, even on the best of days. Naturally, there will be moments when you question whether it's all worth it. Putting yourself through the stress of "should I just get a real job" is merely a sign that you are human. Additionally, you can only take so much inability to control in your life as a human. And that's essentially the source of the stress that comes with being an entrepreneur. We worry over uncontrollable things. Finding new clients, handling invoicing, processing payroll, and a myriad of other tasks. We actually have no control over the outcome, even though we can try our hardest to make things work out in our favor.
We are concerned as a result. And concern creates tension, which in turn creates doubt, which in turn creates the impression that an 800-pound gorilla is utilizing your chest as a lawn chair. It makes sense that you might start to question, "Is this really what I want to do? "Am I capable of managing my own company?"
I recall once griping to an experienced business owner about the hardship of managing my company. He remarked, "Son, if it was easy, everybody would do it," and waved at me as if he were swatting a fly. Now accept it and go on."
That's arguably the best business advice I've ever heard: swallow your pride and move on. Never was a fortune cookie so accurate.
My mentor made a very poignant point when he said that although managing a business is never simple or straightforward, it is always interesting. Managing a business is similar like walking a tight rope backward, closed-eyed, with your clothes on fire, etc. Well, it sure is better than having a job.
Steven You seem to be experiencing what I refer to as a "garbage truck moment." At that point, you start to feel overwhelmed by the demands of managing your company and start to wonder if becoming an entrepreneur is the right path for you. Your crew seems to be becoming smaller or larger, your debts are getting bigger, and you can't help but feel queasy in the pit of your stomach and yearn for the seemingly easy life of a garbage truck driver.
Garbage truck drivers, take note: hold onto that hate mail, boys. I appreciate what you do and am aware of how hard you work. The world would be a very different and very stinky place without you.
Steven, what's happening to you is happening to all of us. You're beginning to question not just your choice to launch your own company but also your capacity to manage it as a result of the stress. You must learn to manage your stress because there is no quick fix and you cannot completely eradicate it.
I think the secret to managing stress is to figure out where it's coming from and then come up with a strategy to address it.
This is what I do. Make a list of everything that is stressing you out with a pencil and paper. Ask yourself, "Is there anything I can do about this?" for each item on the list. Is there anything I can do to turn this from a source of worry to a source of pride? Stated differently, is this something I can control?
It is a complete waste of time to worry about things that you cannot control. Convince yourself that your efforts are futile and cross that task off your list. Some folks are not capable of this. Certain individuals are inherently anxious and miserable unless they have something to be anxious about. They take great pleasure in anxiety. They use concern in the same way that a master painter uses paint. They fear that the sky is about to fall, even when things are going really well. Steven, if you're a naturally anxious person, then nothing I say will make you more resilient to stress.
That's great, one less thing to worry about now.
Next, ascertain whether each stressor is related to something that has happened in the past, is happening right now, hasn't happened yet, or might never happen. You are limited to trying to address the situation that is producing the stress if the stress point is in the past. If it's an ongoing issue, create a plan to address it and get rid of the tension it's producing. And keep in mind what Mark Twain once said: "I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened." This will help you stop worrying about things that might never happen.
Ultimately, Steven, it's critical to keep in mind that working for another person can be just as demanding as working for yourself. Sure, you won't have the pressure (and accountability) that comes with managing a company, but you will still deal with other stresses that can be much worse, such as impossibly tight deadlines, unmet sales targets, a boss who learned how to manage on a chain gang, lazy coworkers, the possibility of layoffs, etc.
Life is full of stressful situations. Ask any driver of a garbage truck.
Cheers to your triumph!
At tim@dropshipwholesale.net, Tim Knox
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