Everyone Would Do It If It Were Simple author
Everyone Would Do It If It Were Simple author
Taking a few deep breaths and remembering that you are not alone in feeling the pressures of running a business should be your first priorities. You are not alone; I, too, have felt this way at some point in my business career. When things aren't going according to plan, it can be a feeling that some of us experience on a daily basis. And if your business does well, don't expect the tension to go away. People I know who are in charge of multimillion-dollar companies can attest that the stress level rises as the company grows larger. Also, these folks will assure you that their job is their passion and that they have no plans to change careers.
These business owners have been around longer than you have, Steven, and they've figured out how to deal with stress—and even turn it into an asset. Stress is a food source for them. Their creativity and invention are fueled by it. They are better entrepreneurs because stress tests their thinking and abilities.
In my opinion, the crux of the matter isn't whether you're qualified to be a business owner. Can you manage the pressures of being your own boss? That is the true question. The solutions to these two distinct questions are entirely up to you.
Managing a company, even on an average day, can be a tremendous source of stress, anxiety, and fatigue. There will inevitably be moments when you question its true value. Thinking "should I just get a real job" is a perfectly normal human response. Plus, there's a limit to how much you can take when something is out of your control. Being an entrepreneur is stressful because of that. Things we are unable to influence cause us anxiety. Things include processing payroll, paying bills, discovering new clients, and a million other things. We can do our hardest to make things work out for the best, but in the end, we have no say in how things play out.
Thus, we are concerned. Furthermore, anxiety causes tension, which in turn causes uncertainty, which in turn causes the sensation that an 800-pound gorilla is using your chest as a lawn chair. Wondering, "Is this really what I want to do?" is quite normal. Could I manage my own company successfully?
I once went to an older business owner to vent about the pressures of having my own company. "My son, if it were easy, everyone would do it," he added while swiping at me like a fly. "Just swallow it and go on."
The finest piece of business advice I've ever received was to "suck it up" and go on. Never before had a fortune cookie been so accurate.
What makes being a business owner so thrilling, my mentor said so eloquently, is that it is never simple and constantly stressful. If you've ever tried to run a business while wearing a tightrope, you know the feeling: backward, eyes shut, and pants on fire. Doing something for fun is much more fun than working a 9 to 5.
My name is Steven I think you're experiencing what I refer to as a "garbage truck moment." At that point, you may start to wonder if becoming an entrepreneur is the correct path for you as the stress of running your firm becomes too much to bear. Debts are piling up, employees are leaving (or joining), you're sick to your stomach, and you wish life were as easy as operating a garbage truck.
Garbage truck drivers, take note: you guys should preserve your hate letters. I like your work ethic and know that you put in a lot of time. The world would be a far different, far stinkier place if you weren't here.
We are all experiencing the same thing that you are, Steven. Your decision to launch your own business and your capacity to successfully manage it are both being clouded by the stress you're experiencing. Since there is no foolproof method of reducing or eliminating stress, the only option is to develop coping mechanisms.
In my opinion, the best way to cope with stress is to pinpoint what's causing it and then figure out how to eliminate it.
This is my process. Just sit down with a pen and paper and make a list of everything that's stressing you out. Consider whether you have any control over each of the items on the list. Can you tell me what I can do to turn this into something exciting instead of something to worry about? Is it within my sphere of influence, to rephrase?
The futility of worrying about things over which you have no control is obvious. Just tell yourself that all that mental energy is going to waste and cross that task off your list. Unfortunately, not everyone possesses this skill. Some folks are just born anxious and can't relax until they're worried about something. Worry is their pleasure. They use anxiety as a medium, similar to how a master painter uses paint. They are always anticipating the worse, even when things are going swimmingly. Nothing I say can help you deal with stress if you're a born worrier, Steven.
Well, it appears that your worries have been amplified.
The next step is to categorize each stressor according to whether it has occurred previously, is occurring at the present time, has not yet occurred, or might never occur. Attempting to fix the situation that caused the stress is your only option if the point of stress is in the past. If the issue is current, you should devise a strategy to address it and alleviate the strain it is producing. Mark Twain once said, "I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened." So the next time you find yourself worrying about things that may or may not materialize, keep that in mind.
Last but not least, Steven, keep in mind that being an employee can be just as demanding as being your own boss. You won't have to worry about the pressures of running a business, but you will face other, more severe stresses in the workplace, such as unachievable sales goals, a boss who got his managerial chops from working on a chain gang, incompetent coworkers, the threat of layoffs, etc.
Stress is a commonality in many aspects of life. You may just ask any driver of a garbage truck.
Wishing you all the best!
Dropship Wholesale's Tim Knox tim@dropshipwholesale.net
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