Are you tired? Do you run a business? In that case you’re not alone. I’m constantly googling ‘ways to beat tiredness’ or ‘how to have more energy’. Then I remember I have two small children and I’m self-employed. Being tired goes with the territory.
Before anyone says it, yes, I know that combining children and employment is tiring too. So is staying at home with the kids. But running your own business brings its own unique challenges.
Can you beat tiredness when you work from home?
The problem with being self-employed is that it often means working from home. That means that your desk is always there. Even if you have premises somewhere else there are always jobs that you can bring home for later.
I try and get everything done during ‘office hours’ but sometimes it just doesn’t happen. That means that I can be sitting on the sofa doing my accounts at 10 o’clock at night. I don’t always mind. It’s for my benefit after all. If I’m researching a blog post it can even be quite fun.
It doesn’t help you to beat tiredness if you’re sitting there working instead of going to bed.
Learning new skills
When you start a new business there are 101 new skills to learn. It can be exciting but it’s also mentally exhausting.
You’ll probably learn some things that you grow to love and others that you always struggle with. I always find that the things I hate or find difficult are a massive time drain and I’m never completely happy with the results. It just makes me feel that I’m doing a bit of a bodge job and I don’t like it.
How can outsourcing help?
Getting rid of the tasks you don’t like can be hugely liberating. You’ll have more time to do the things you enjoy which gives you more mental energy. It will hopefully also mean that you have time to eat properly and get more sleep. (I know… I’ll get back to you on that one.)
Start by making a list. Sorry if this is a chore for you. Personally I love lists. Think of all the tasks that need doing in your business then categorise them as follows:
- The things you’re great at and love doing.
- Things you’re not so great at but you still enjoy.
- The things that you hate because they’re boring.
- Tasks that you struggle with so they take ages.
Think about what you can get rid of. Start with the last two categories. What would free up the most time? Which task do you find the most boring?
I work for people who either don’t have time to write their own content or don’t particularly enjoy it. Nothing makes me happier than getting going on a new blog post but I know some people struggle and get frustrated.
You may not be able to outsource just yet. It all depends on your budget. What you can do is look for people who love the tasks you hate. There are a lot of things that I don’t outsource yet because I don’t have the budget. I understand that the same applies to people who might want to work with me. That’s why I try to offer advice that will help you improve things on your own and lots of other businesses do the same. You could look for useful tips on making difficult tasks easier and find someone you can work with in the future.
Do you have any efficiency tips for me? Or advice on how I can try to beat tiredness? Drop me a comment below!
