The burned out entrepreneur - are you one too?

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Do you ever spend more time on your business rather than living life?

Do you secretly feel that you've lost the love and passion you once had in your business?

Like you, I've been exactly where you're at before.

It feels like you're in this tunnel of overworking and exhaustion that you don't know how to get out of. You feel burned out, but maybe you've been labeling it as "hustling and grinding"? When in reality, you're nearly on the edge of no return.

Maybe that's you, maybe it's not.

If you're not sure, I encourage you to read: 3 Secret Limiting Beliefs We Hold that Lead to Burnout

You may be someone who's taking a more preventative approach to burnout culture. I applaud you if only I had this article when I first started out in my business.

No matter the stage you're at, to some level we know burnout culture exists a lot more frequently in entrepreneurship than what we claim to admit. We label our sleepless nights, up until 4 am, as "putting in the hours". Or, we miss family time because we are working late nights, yet again - all for the opportunity to have more time with them in the future. No matter your pathetic labels, it's time to do something different.

We need a new plan because our current work plan is driving us to the point of insanity - and you're not getting much sleep either.

So where do we start when we feel we've veered so much off the path?

I'm so glad you asked. Let's get into it.

#1 Set Hard ASF Boundaries

The same way you can say no to your family, once again, for those dinners or movies, you can say no to your business. Unpopular opinion, your business is not your baby.

Do you really think a parent who is sleep-deprived and who looks lifeless asf can show up in the best way possible for their child?

No, so that same rule applies.

Whether you agree or disagree with the statement that your business is your baby, it's time to cut the shit and take care of yourself. IF you really care about your baby, then it's time to show up the best way possible for them.

What does that look like?

Well, get in the habit of saying no more often. I often like to think that if what I'm doing doesn't bring me joy, then I don't do it. Then that begs the question:

"Tina, I need to do XYZ for my business"

No, you don't. You can more than likely outsource that task. If you don't enjoy doing certain tasks in your business, then I doubt you're highly skilled or motivated to do it. Give the job to someone who loves doing that XYZ. It's a win/win situation. You get one thing off your plate and it feels good to provide work for someone.

Okay, let's just say you've removed all the tasks that you no longer want to do. What's left?

Only doing the tasks that you ABSOLUTELY LOVE to do.

Do you remember the whole reason you got into business in the first place?

Does that sound foreign to you now?

Bottom-up, it's time to go back to your passion if it's been too long! How exciting!

This brings me to my next point, set hard asf work boundaries. I'm talking about setting a work schedule that fits into your life - not the other way around.

It's time to create your dream lifestyle today and stop saying "sometime in the future".

Start with setting the number of hours per week that you would like to work.

For example, let's start with 20 hours per week. For some, that sounds like a dream, and for others, it sounds like the norm. But, for this example, let's just assume you work way more hours than that.

We have a goal in mind. Let's reverse engineer that goal to make it a reality.

If you have only 20 hours per week, what can we cut out or say no to that would allow you to work in those parameters?

Maybe it's saying no to the gigs or jobs that "you can do" for chunks of change, and saying yes to the things that bring you to cash in the bank?

Maybe it's measuring progress by goals completed rather than the time spent. For example, you can work 40+ hours and still have no cash coming into your bank account.

With that being said, maybe, it's about spending your time on more money producing activities than time-sucking activities?

You get the picture.

If you have a clear intention to work fewer hours, then something has to change now in order for you to get to where you want to be. You'd be surprised to learn that less time spent can actually yield more productivity. I mean, it's no wonder companies are adopting 4 day work weeks! [insert article here]

Beyond the number of hours you work per week, it's about setting hard cutoff hours. This may be hard. I know, it was super hard for me. But, let's stick with the example of 20 hours per week. Let's just say you want to really only work 4 days a week and get Fridays off. That means you're really only allowed to work 5 hours per day, no more, totally okay with less.

Set an actual "working hours" time. The same way Fortune 500 companies have hours of operation schedule, you need one too. Don't be late, and in this case, don't be early. More than likely, you have the challenge of working past the hours rather than showing up on time. If you struggle with working way past the time you've set, then consider having an after-work activity you can look forward to.

Maybe, it's going out to hang out with friends.

Maybe, it's taking an afternoon activities class.

Maybe, it's taking a walk.

Maybe, it's watching that favorite show/movie of yours.

Whatever it may be, just make sure it's actually something that you want to do and has a timed appointment that you need to show up at - set that appointment right about the time you're supposed to be "clocking out".

Bonus: take the weekends off.

"What?!?! Tina, I can't even dream of doing such a thing"

Yes, you can. You've probably already dreamt it, but never executed it.

It's quite simple, focus all your dedicated work on the weekdays and take the weekends off for rest and relaxation time.

Some tips that can help with this:

• Get a separate work phone and put it away during the weekends
• Keep your phone out of the bedroom
• Get a work laptop and don't use it over the weekend

Essentially, try to separate work from your personal life as much as possible. Get the second phone and laptop, it will do you wonders.

Now to the business advice part:

#2 Switch your revenue models

I'm sick and fucking tired of trading time for money - you can so evidently see I'm very passionate about the subject.

After having 3 businesses in the past that were very time-intensive, I've made the switch and never went back.

Long story short, if you're going to work on something, make sure it pays you dividends beyond the initial input. Your life, time, and family will thank you very much.

What does that look like in practice?

If you have a service-based business, it can be quite difficult since it is very time-intensive. You may switch your business model to a monthly retainer fee rather than a per-hour fee. Meaning, it doesn't really matter how many hours you work with a client, you still get paid a set amount. This will help with revenue projection and your personal work-life balance. No more hours for dollars.

If you have a product-based business. Maybe you can shift your revenue model to a subscription-based business. Instead of having individuals pay per item, try to find a way where they will need a monthly service to get XYZ products. Again, this may work wonders for revenue projection and easier sales.

Fun fact: some passive revenue businesses I have been on Amazon, of course, Medium, and Crypto.

#3 Find a Hobby

I may state the obvious, but when was the last time you had a hobby that isn't your business or hasn't turned into a business?

I don't know about you, but in my times of boredom, I literally have the habit of creating businesses. So, finding a hobby was quite difficult for me in the beginning.

Start with something that doesn't involve the internet or technology. You're more than likely plugged in online all day and we wouldn't want you to get the distraction to keep working on your business. Some things that I do as my hobby include:

• Crocheting
• Walking
• Pole Dancing
• Skateboarding

I have absolutely NO desire to create businesses out of any of these hobbies and I intend to keep it that way. Find one thing that you can start with, and let me know in the comments what hobby you've landed on?

. . .

Whether you're on the edge of burnout, or already in it, there is a way to go back to having the life that you've dreamed of. You can have both a business that is thriving and a life that reflects that it's all a matter of time and practice.

For so long, we've adopted "hustle culture" as our new norm. It doesn't have to be that way, not if you intend it to be so.

A recap of what I've mentioned above, make sure that you set hard asf boundaries and actually stick to them. You can't be a parent to your business if you're overworked, show up for yourself and then your business. Second, switch your revenue models to passive streams of revenue. No more trading time for money, trade your time for dividends of a lifetime. Finally, find a hobby that you can't turn into a business. Just make sure it doesn't involve the internet or any technology in finding one.

What was your #1 takeaway from this article?

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