Entrepreneurs: Stress Less in the New Year
It’s all too easy for entrepreneurs to get stressed, and in many ways that stress is completely understandable—you’re building and running a business! Don’t let stress ruin your year, though. As we enter the new year with hope and enthusiasm, here are 13 things that entrepreneurs and business owners should worry less about.
1. Failure
Have thoughts of failure ever kept you from accomplishing your goals? It happens to the best of us, but if your mindset is focused on failure, achieving success becomes much more difficult. Plus, the most successful entrepreneurs know that their failures often lead to even greater successes.
2. Success
Conversely, don’t let a preoccupation with success stress you out. When you do succeed, have faith that you were meant to share your product, service, or organization with the world, and that the timing for your success is perfect.
3. Comparison
It’s been said that comparison is the thief of joy. It creates a lot of unnecessary stress, too. Besides, there’s only one person that you need to be competing with: yourself.
4. Expectations from others
If you set high enough expectations for yourself, there won’t be any need to worry about what friends, family, acquaintances, and strangers expect from you.
5. Perfection
Logically, you know that there’s absolutely no such thing as pure perfection, and that insisting on perfection is the best way to get nothing done. Remind yourself of this fact often and let go of the stress that comes from seeking perfection.
6. The past
You can learn from the past, but you can’t change it. Don’t get caught up in what you could have or should have done, because there’s nothing more stressful than worrying about something that’s impossible to change.
7. The future
Worrying about the future takes mental energy away from getting the most out of the present, which isn’t a good thing for busy entrepreneurs who need their brains operating at peak capacity.
8. Happiness
Being happy is an admirable goal, but don’t let a quest for happiness ruin your shot at happiness. The moment that searching for happiness becomes stressful is the moment you need to take a step back to relax and reevaluate.
9. Playing it safe
Rules are made to be broken, right? If the accepted rules in your industry or niche are stressing you out, consider adopting your own set of rules. One of the greatest joys of being an entrepreneur is the freedom to take risks—use that sense of adventure in your business endeavors.
10. Doing everything solo
Many entrepreneurs love to tackle problems on their own, which can lead to increased levels of stress when the going gets tough. Commit to getting some more help from your team in 2016, and you may be surprised by how capable they are.
11. Your rates
Entrepreneurs in every field worry about their rates. Are they too high? Too low? If you’re concerned about your rates, it’s time to stop stressing. Set rates that are fair and reflect the value that you provide, and then trust that you’re worth it.
12. Money
Yes, money is likely one of the main reasons you became an entrepreneur. But, as with happiness, frantically chasing money is a surefire way to find yourself in a shortage. Focus on providing value and the riches will follow.
