Maintaining a Stress Free Business
Stress – noun – Emotional pressure suffered by a human being.
Unfortunately, we live in the land of stress. I have a good friend who came to the U.S. from Peru when he was twenty-five years old. Although where he came from in Peru was poverty stricken, the people there not only had no stress, they didn’t even have a word for it in their language! Today, twenty-seven years later my good friend Victor has his own computer business and is totally stressed-out.
I have had two businesses in my life, the first a natural foods restaurant and bakery, which I owned for fourteen years and now a carpet cleaning business, which is in its nineteenth year. I can honestly say that I have run them basically stress free even though in those thirty five years I have had my share of ups and downs.
Following are a few tips on avoiding stress while owning your own business.
1. Remember, if you have your health and family, you have everything. Why do those people in poverty stricken lands live stress free? I am not talking about areas where starvation is a possibility but areas where people don’t have much but they appreciate what they have and don’t even realize they have so little. Lesson number one – Appreciate what you have. Chances are if you are reading this in the U.S. you will never have to be concerned about having a meal or a roof over your head. So what’s the big deal? Your reputation? Your pride? Just today I read where a German billionaire committed suicide because of a financial meltdown. He may have been reduced to a millionaire, what a tragedy. It’s all about how you look at things. I always remember the words of my 93 year-old father-in-law and 84 year-old mother-in-law who constantly tell us that if you have your health and family, you have it made. By the way they are great examples as they go to the gym four days a week and play bridge, read, take cruises and live the lives of healthy people thirty years younger than they are.
2. Learn to shut off the business. As business owners, we can be consumed twenty-four hours a day with the business. By remembering tip number one, put on a different hat and be prepared to enjoy being a parent, spouse, athlete, reader, fisherman, painter, golfer, walker, volunteer, cook or whatever non-work activities you like to do. Another word for this is to compartmentalize. The bills are not going to be paid any quicker if you stay up all night and worry about them. Sometimes in my coaching, I am ready to tell a client that perhaps they would be better off working at Home Depot and that way they could have far less stress. Shut off the work, no matter how much it takes, in the end it will all work out. I once heard a preacher say that he worries between noon and twelve-thirty, so if a worry comes up, he tells himself to put it off until noon. Try it, it may work for you. The worse business situation I was ever in, was when I had my natural foods restaurant and bakery and the IRS was giving me thirty days to come up with the back payroll taxes I owed them. It doesn’t get much worse than that as they made me list all of my assets with the idea that they were coming after them if I couldn’t pay. Even in that dire situation, as unpleasant as it was, I knew things would all work out and I knew that I would still have my health and family, so I lived each day as though it would be alright. It did work out as someone bought my restaurant at the end of the thirty days and I paid my taxes and life went on.
3. Do the best you can and then don’t worry. You cannot do any better than your best. There are two important parts to this statement. Number one is that if you are not doing your best, then you have a legitimate reason to worry. Part two is that if you are doing your best, relax, as there is absolutely nothing more that you can do. It is out of your hands. The key to this is finding a way to do your best and this usually involves discipline and planning. Most people come up short in these two areas but they are not that hard to accomplish. Take the time to sit down and discover what you need to do and make a game plan to get it done. This takes discipline but every successful business person has mastered this skill. Get a coach if you need to or an accountability partner. Quite simply, do your best, you know what that is!
4. Live within or under your means. One good way to improve your life is to get rid of two-thirds of what you have. You can be possessed by what you possess. I love the European lifestyle and my wife and I love visiting Europe every year, not only to see the beautiful sights but to also immerse ourselves in their laid-back lifestyle. Most Europeans don’t have a car, they live in an apartment that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg and spend leisure time walking around enjoying the outdoor cafes and beautiful buildings and scenery. No car payment, no mortgage, five weeks off paid vacation every year with family intact and within shouting distance. Who could ask for more? Don’t get caught up in a race with the Joneses and try to keep as much of the high-end ticket pressure off as you can.
5. Enjoy the Race. Wow, you took the plunge and you are one of the 3% of Americans willing to take the chances associated with owning your own business. If you fail, so what, you tried and that says a lot more about you than most people. Andy Warhol, as crazy as he was, said one of the most profound statements ever uttered. “Business is the highest form of art!” You may not have known it but you are an artist. Now go out and compose a beautiful symphony or paint a Rembrandt or write a Longfellow-like poem with your business and enjoy the journey. Artists generally are not stressed because they love what they do and don’t mind working hard even though they may not see immediate results. What a privilege to be an American and own your own business. 99% of the rest of the world would give anything to have what you already possess.
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