The idea of not having any time for yourself, neglecting your family and giving up your social life can be terrifying.
“A lot of entrepreneurs think, ‘If I own my own business, then I have to eat, breathe and sleep this business,’” Long says. “There’s a lot of guilt where they think any downtime should be spent on the business.”
This isn’t to say you shouldn’t always be thinking about how to better your business and that you shouldn’t jump into action whenever duty calls. Being an entrepreneur will consume a lot of your waking hours, but there are ways to manage the workload, ease the stress and still have time to live your life–and maintain the passion you started with.
“You have to do something you love,” Koch says. “Ask yourself, ‘Is this going to make me happy?’ If you can imagine yourself being happy, you can handle the trade-off and the sacrifices.”
Long advises practicing meditation. “You have to give your mind a break,” she says, recommending 15 to 20 minutes of silence, deep breathing and relaxation every day. “It helps you to refocus.”
And lastly, don’t be afraid to ask for help–whether it means hiring people to do the tasks you don’t have the time or know-how for, forming a discussion group or advisory board, reaching out to peers, or taking advantage of the small-business resources available.
Photo by Geoff Marshall.