Entrepreneurs... Remember to Breathe!

Take a deep breath...

Being an entrepreneur is not easy. It is rewarding, it is exciting, it is occasionally exhausting and tears inducing, but what it is not, is easy. Today, many people live in stress mode all the time and entrepreneurs, particularly women entrepreneurs, tend to top that list. By learning to identify your "stressors" you can decide to face them, change them and move towards calm.

Overloading your "to-do" list

This is a huge one. Even if you do self identify as "super woman”, "super man”, or "super entrepreneur", and you have the focus and energy to be super, the real question is: Is your schedule so packed that one small hiccup throws you into a snit both physically and emotionally? The sad truth is that our days are filled with countless interruptions and unforeseen dilemmas. Stamping out fires is the norm most days.

What to do?

Consider categorizing your daily schedule and grouping certain types of activities that can be done in a logical and linear fashion. Depending on your personality and work style you can start with the easy items that will take just a few minutes, work through them and get them off of your list, or tackle priorities first thing in the morning when you are refreshed and rested.

Identify what tasks are predictable, recurring and time-consuming. From this list determine where you really need help and can outsource tasks. Is your housework falling behind and the clutter beginning to impinge on your consciousness? Consider hiring a cleaning service once or twice a month to really deep clean your home. Do you need to get very serious about your social media marketing but just don't have the time or the knowledge to do it properly? Consider hiring a social media marketing expert to help you build your online presence and expand your brand.

Create a schedule that will keep you on track with all the chores and tasks that you need to accomplish on a daily, weekly and monthly basis, but be certain to build some flexibility into it to allow for the glitches that will invariably run into.

Tend to yourself

Yes, I know, as Virtual Assistants and online service providers we work from our beautifully appointment home offices.

But.... do you look in the mirror and see your hair pulled back for convenience, little or no makeup, clothing that is functional and comfortable but hardly professional? Go to your bathroom mirror and take a good long