The life of an entrepreneur sounds great. People have images of money flowing, cars rolling and diamond rings flashing. At least, that’s the way gurus make it sound. However, most of them are more interested in selling you courses, books or seminars designed to buffer their revenue as their business fluctuates.
The reality is a bit different. Yes … there’s mostly passive cashflow that comes in when you put the right people in place to execute the right systems. But there are quite a few stressors that go along with that.
Payroll. Inflation. Staff turnover. Lawsuits (yes, they will likely happen). Taxes.
Something comes up on a day-to-day basis that can place your enterprise at risk. And that risk causes stress. But there are ways to reduce that stress even as you work hard to mitigate risk as much as possible. I call it the Relax, Relate, Release method … based on an iconic episode of A Different World.
In that episode, title “Twelve Days of Christmas”, Whitley Gilbert seeks the help of a counselor (played by Debbie Allen) because of stress caused from the Christmas holidays. The counselor insists that Whitley figures out how to “Relax, Relate, Release” (in comedic fashion, I might add).
That episode inspired my stress relief philosophy. And so, with that said … here are my tips … shared with you in a way that would make Whitley Gilbert proud.
- Take a Trip (Relax): Getting away from it all is a great way to reduce stress. Whether it’s a trip abroad or a “staycation”, unplugging from the day-to-day of your business is a great way to recalibrate and destress. A trip abroad can range from an in-state trip to another town or city or an out-of-the-country excursion abroad. I enjoy those trips that are less than a day away from home just as much as I love going to Holbox or Curacao. If funds are limited, a “staycation” is a great option. Hitting a nice resort-style hotel or even staying in your own backyard … with your phone off and laptop closed … can also help reduce stress. Check out this photo of Jana and me on an excursion in Puerto Vallarta. We went on this trip pretty soon after we opened the first iteration of our med spa and were trying to get that ramped up. Talk about stressful times! However, we found time to Relax and broke away for a much needed vacation.
- Spend time with Friends (Relate): As you follow the Chronicles (and, I hope that you become a regular reader), you will know that I am a firm believer in building your network. And, that network should really be in two groups: Your Day Ones and the professionals you need to supplement your Day One group. Spending time with friends is a great way to relieve stress … especially when you find moments to vent on the fires going around you. With that said, it’s critical that you balance the time you spent venting with spending most of the time laughing about old memories and creating new memories. I mean, there’s no point in leveraging your Day One group to unwind if you spend most of that time talking about the things that are stressing you out. Networking groups like The Rising to the Top socials (hint, hint) are the better option to get the advice and support you need to get through tough moments on the job or in the business. Find times to enjoy your friend groups that allow you to destress. Check out a few pics of my Day Ones hanging out in Fredericksburg (pic one) and at Conversa (pic two). Pic two was me at Conversa as a patron!
- Exercise (Release): I can’t even begin to pretend that I am the ultimate workout warrior. And, I’ve gone through phases where I hadn’t prioritized exercise. However, exercising is definitely a great stress relief outlet. I try to adhere to a general daily schedule that allows me to work out or at least get steps in everyday. Planning exercise into your day is a good best practice to ensure you are making fitness a priority. I try to lift weights 3 days per week and mix in 1-2 days outdoors (walking, yard work, hiking, etc) Check out some of the articles we have on this site about exercising, equipment and nutrition for tips and tricks. And, if you don’t believe me or the contributors to Alpha Jag about the benefits of exercising for stress relief … maybe you’ll believe the people from this college called Harvard.
So, that’s it. My Relax, Relate, Release strategy to relieve stress. I can’t express enough how important it is to find outlets to destress, especially with the pressures of excelling on the job or ramping your business. The benefit of this site and our community is that many of our participants and contributors have or are going through the things you might be going through. And, we are a community about sharing information–whether you subscribe or not–to help you achieve your long-term career and wealth goals. To a person, our key contributors consistently travel, spend time with family and friends and find exercise outlets to help manage stress.
As always, I’m normally right. But, I could be wrong.