How Contractors Can Overcome Entrepreneurial Burnout

It happens all too often: bright-eyed, passionate individuals put everything they've got into launching an innovative new business, only to grow tired and lose sight of their ambitions. This lamentably common phenomenon is known as burnout, or mental exhaustion brought on by stress and leading to a decreased interest in one's work. Thousands of professionals suffer from burnout ‒ and contractors are no exception. It's crucial to understand how burnout occurs and, more importantly, how to address the problem before it takes a significant toll on your work and your career. 

So, what brings about this entrepreneurial disillusionment? Perhaps the biggest causal factor is doing too much, too fast, too frequently. When you're running a business, it's easy to put a little too much on your plate. You want quick and guaranteed success, so you might end up trying to do everything at once, often without a set plan for how to accomplish your tasks. But unless you're Superman, this sort of multitasking can negatively affect your output, your energy, and your attitude. It's tempting to tackle your entire to-do list in one day of work, but in reality this will only tire you (and, honestly, you probably won't achieve much). 

Another cause of burnout is being the only driver in your business. Does it ever feel like everything is on you ‒ that, because this company is your brain child, you are the only one who can be held accountable for its operations? It's great to be individualistic, but that kind of responsibility can end up weighing you down and wearing you out. It's no secret that everyone needs a little help now and then. 

These factors are often exacerbated by a lack of systems or by systems that are not well-designed. Inadequate planning, a build-up of unresolved issues, and poor communication, though easily managed with the right tools, can produce or worsen symptoms of occupational exhaustion. 

Now the million-dollar question is: How can I avoid burning out? Or, if you're already experiencing fatigue and decreased motivation: How can I get un-burned out? Here are some pointers on preventing entrepreneurial stress and treating the causes of this common but harmful ailment. 

Schedule Time Off
One way to keep from getting bogged down by work is to spend some time away from it. Take a mini vacation (or staycation) and do something you enjoy, whether it's going for a long bike ride, spending time with friends, or camping out in front of the television. Getting your mind off work ‒ even for a couple days ‒ will help you reenergize and mentally prepare for the tasks that lie ahead. 

Put Down Your Phone
This is a tough one. Like anyone else in today's world, you probably have your mobile device on your person at all times ‒ and you're likely checking it for updates every couples of minutes. But allowing yourself constant access to your calls, text messages, and emails means you never really leave work. Give yourself a break from being constantly available and leave your phone by the door. 

Make a Weekly Plan ‒ and Stick To It
As we've discussed, one of the accelerants of burnout is insufficient planning. You might know that you have to complete x, y, and z, but if you don't organize a strategy for when and how you're going to work on those tasks, they may overwhelm you (or, worse yet, they might be forgotten altogether). Take time at the beginning of your week to write out a detailed schedule. This will help you stay on-task and outline your responsibilities in a manner that makes them seem less daunting. 

Set Realistic Goals
It's a good idea to have a plan, but it doesn't do you much good if your plan is to complete twenty sizeable tasks in eight hours. This is simply too ambitious, and it will leave you feeling disappointed when you've only gotten through four items by the end of the day. Establish practical daily targets with generous time to achieve them. You never know when something unexpected is going to come up, and it's necessary to leave time in your agenda for dealing with those unforeseen obstacles. 

Set Up Systems
One thing that can quickly lead to burnout is too much thinking. That may sound counterintuitive ‒ after all, part of what makes you a great entrepreneur is your capacity for creativity, and that means a lot of brainstorming. However, when you spend too long thinking about how to approach tasks and resolve problems, you end up wasting time and feeling mentally drained. Reduce your need to think by arranging systems and processes that you can use to deal with various situations. For example, "If a customer complains, I need to (a), (b), (c)." 

Address Issues ASAP
Chances are, you're not fond of handling things like customer complaints and worksite complications. Nobody is. The dread that accompanies sorting out these problems is the very reason you should jump on them as soon as possible, if not immediately. When you make these difficult tasks your top priority and take care of them right away, you avoid the lingering unease that comes with knowing you've still got something uncomfortable to get done. 

Communicate
Finally, unmanageable problems will be much less likely to come up if your customers' needs and concerns have already been attended to. Ensure everything is going as planned by talking with clients regularly. You'll show them that you're on top of things, and you won't have to worry about an unanticipated customer service issue showing up on your to-do list. 

Investing in CRM software can help alleviate some of the causes of burnout. Check out our blog post to find out more!