Maintaining a healthy business requires a healthy mindset. And maintaining a healthy mindset requires maintenance to be…well…maintained 😉
This is never more true than for the workaholic entrepreneur; staying sane is hard work!
The mind, body and soul are machines. Yes, beautiful machines, but machines nonetheless. And as with any machine, they can suffer when neglected. We productivity junkies and workaholics are defined by a high tolerance for stress and heavy workloads. We seek this stuff out, we love challenges, and we take great pride in massive accomplishment.
But we still have a limit, a “production capacity” if you will. Those who know their limit and capacity have only discovered it from the back end of a burnout. And those who don’t will soon find out…
That is unless we begin to institute some simple daily practices of mental oil changes and soul-battery recharging. The following checklist will motivate you to perform this essential maintenance. It offers a solution for the continuation of your precious productive life, while also delivering happiness, stresslessness, and comfort.
Bookmark this post, refer to it often and ask yourself these questions regularly. Every area of your life will thank you.
Check out the post in “presentation form” on Slideshare for a super duper visual treat!
1. Did You Make?
Consider what you made. Did you create something you were proud of, or did you make for the sake of profit? Either way, scrutinize not just “if” and “what” was made, but why.
Making is an expression of the soul. Situations may warrant the creation of things that you may not care much about, but take care to make at least one thing each day that means something to you.
“Whenever you are creating beauty around you, you are restoring your soul.”
– Pamela Anderson Lee
2. Did You Eat?
As a workaholic, many times we simply forget to eat. I won’t suggest any “right” method of eating — that is for you to decide. Mentally check this off if you succeeded in following your own personal practice of nourishment.
The real consideration here is this: Did others undeservingly suffer at the hands of your emotional hunger pangs?
“Hell hath no fury like me when I’m slightly inconvenienced and hungry.”
– Mahatma Gandhi
3. Did You Rest?
This is a broad one, but the consequences are no less hardcore. Did you get to sleep at a subjectively reasonable hour? Did you wake naturally without an alarm?
We workaholics are also usually seasoned in unique break-taking methods, so consider the following as well:
- Take a nap?
- Have a long relaxed lunch?
- Unplug from work on time?
“ATTENTION!
I am out of order until further notice.
My ‘Stupid People’ filter needs cleaning,
and my ‘Give a Damn’ batteries have run out.”– Elon Musk
4. Did You Laugh?
Laughter is an easy sacrifice to make for us workaholics. There’s no shame in adding this bad boy to your to-do list when it doesn’t organically present itself to you.
A wholly shitty day can be flipped on its head with a simple chuckle.
For us work-from-home-loners, subscribing to joke newsletters, or popping into YouTube for some epic fails can be tremendously influential.
Laughter
/ˈlæf-ter/
(n.) When a smile has an orgasm.
5. Did You Think?
We workaholics sometimes opt to relegate all tedious tasks to a single day. This can be effective, but be careful not to fry your brain in such a way that you become useless the following day.
Seek out small challenges each day. Maybe it’s a puzzle, or a deep conversation with a friend.
The key is to stay stimulated. Keep your brain muscle fit and you’ll avoid that insidious mental atrophy.
“Your strongest muscle and worst enemy is your mind.
Train it well.”– Mickey Mouse
6. Did You Help?
Workaholics tend to be overly focused on success, completion, productivity and efficiency. Take a step back and ask yourself, “ Was what I did today actually useful?”
Your work may not satisfy this question, and that’s ok. Find a door you can hold open for someone, find a shopping cart you can herd back to its stable, or do the dishes without being asked 😉
“When I do good, I feel good. When I do bad, I feel bad.
That’s my religion.”– Jesus H. Christ (probably)
What other simple tricks have you found helpful in your strivings for self-employed sanity? We will never presume to know it all, and are quite interested in ANYTHING that keeps us well-oiled and humming! Share share share in the comments below!
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The Top 10 Mistakes in Online Business
Every week we talk with entrepreneurs. We talk about what’s working and what isn’t. We talk about successes and failures. We spend time with complete newbies, seasoned veterans, and everything in between.
One topic that comes up over and over again with both groups is mistakes made in starting businesses. Newbies love to learn about mistakes so they can avoid them. Veterans love to talk about what they wish they had known when starting out.
These conversations have been fascinating, so we compiled a list of the 10 mistakes we hear most often into a nifty lil’ guide. Get the 10 Most Common Mistakes in Starting an Online Business here »