Written by: Arna Van Goch, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Hello, my name is Arna and I am a workaholic.
There are few things more exciting than the smell of summer. The birds chirp you awake at an ungodly hour and the promise of warm, lazy days clings to the air in the form of humidity.
As an entrepreneur, I started working for myself four years ago to set my own working hours. My office is my laptop, and I am grateful every day that I don’t have to be somewhere, get somewhere… and I’m ever so grateful my makeup budget is low because I don’t have to “put on my face” every day.
Having said that, however, I fell into a trap. The hustle trap. In a world of high-performance coaching and pursuit of “the American Dream” I became a workaholic. Lazy days? Are you kidding? That’s clearly never going to happen.
Hello, my name is Arna and I’m a workaholic.
I Worked 80-100 hour weeks, writing this and that, responding to these emails, trawling Facebook groups for anyone that would speak to me. I read all the books all the gurus tell me to read and I tried to apply all of it.
I tried doing The One Thing. It would often descend into the chaos of a hundred things.
I joined the 5 am club. I found myself overly emotional, tired, and grumpy.
I have 12 reminders on my phone going off at different hours of the day, reminding me I am Wonderwoman. I don’t even give myself time to hear it anymore, I hurriedly click it away as I’m doing my group coaching.
I bought a SAD lamp alarm clock. I still snooze about five times every morning.
I got unspeakably anxious listening to Gary Vee and I end up telling myself, “I’m not doing enough. I’m not passionate enough.”
Does this make me a bad entrepreneur? Does this mean I am doomed to failure? These questions popped in my head more often than I care to admit. For a long time, I lived under a heavy, dark cloud that refused to shift because I judged myself so damn hard for not being the shining, glorious example of success that so many others share on social media.
It doesn’t have to be this way, so I thought I’d share my top tips of getting out from under that cloud of Not Good Enough. I hope that by finding yourself in this, I can give you a few steps head start to get out of this dizzying, self-destructive mode that I know most entrepreneurs are bound to get into.
Hello, my name is Arna and I’m a recovering workaholic.
Take A Break
This is non-negotiable. Take a break already! I know how hard this can feel. This is one of the first things I do with my 1:1 clients, very deliberately. I’ll give you the abridged version: plan it in. Every week, decide how much time you want to take off. Take your kids’ soccer games into account, seeing your grandmother. What connections do you want to make? What connections do you want to nourish?
I know, I know. It feels counterintuitive. But by setting your break times first, you are putting yourself first. You’re telling your subconscious mind: me first. And that’s half the battle to avoiding burnout.
Many of the masters practice this, too. Marie Forleo takes four weeks off every year, and that goes in the calendar before her and her team decide on where the launches fit in to that. So play this game in a smaller sense, too. Do this on a weekly basis and watch your personal life improve. Your business will improve too, I promise.
Find Your Happy
Do you have a hobby? I was asked this a while back and the question floored me. I didn’t have an answer.
Hello, my name is Arna. I’m a recovering workaholic.
This ties into the previous requirement for having some semblance of a life. When do I feel most happy? When I’m with my friends. When I’m traveling, when I’m going on an adventure.
The most productive week I’ve had this year was when I was on a working week in Portugal with my biz bestie. I was excited to be in a new place, feel a bit of warmth (after the horrendous February in Leeds, I was ready for some sun and sea). We agreed to work in the morning and explore in the afternoons (followed by happy hours, of course). I was on fire. I got so much stuff done, I made incredible plans and had great coaching calls.
Why? Because I was happy. And we put ourselves on a timeline. I had to get things done, I knew I had to because I wanted to go on that wine tour! That’s why finding your happiness is so important. Knowing you have something super exciting at the end of the working day (or week) makes you inclined to work more productively!
Learn More
I stand on the shoulders of giants. This isn’t just my humility talking. This is my drive. There is always more to learn. Every year, I sign up to (a few too many) online courses so I can continue my own growth.
I balance out my learning for both my business and myself. I have carved out my own spiritual path using different modalities- feel free to find out what works for you.
I have a never-ending wish list on my Audible, my Kindle always has an unread book or two. I love listening to audiobooks when I’m running or when I’m headed to the supermarket. When I drive, I often have a podcast on (or Spice Girls, it depends on the day).
In summer, I take an hour off in the afternoon during the week. I put on a podcast and my bikini top so I can top up my tan. It gives me a well-deserved break, I stock up on vitamin D and I listen to either learn, grow, or get inspired to give me a burst of energy to take into the second half of my day.
Get Clear On Your Process
There are so many coaches out there that will guarantee that only THEIR strategy will work for you. This isn’t true. Your strategy takes up about 10-20% of your success. It’s your energy that matters most.
This is why I take so much time to focus on the lifestyle, the dream lifestyle that my clients after. And then, we go into the process. No, not strategy… process.
I could probably write a whole book about this, but we’ll try and squeeze it in here: Your customer journey.
Oh good, that was easy. Take your client success, and work backwards.
Success <-- Actions <-- Product Purchase <-- Sell <-- Buy in <-- Pain Point.
This is your process. What is it that you will do to get them to each next level? How can you use this in your social media? Your sales page? Of course, there is a lot more that goes into it, but by remembering this basic skeleton, you can easily flesh out what you have to do on a daily basis without the constant overwhelm. You can strip it back.
Testing 1 2 3
Hello, my name is Arna and I’m a recovering workaholic.
Throughout my entrepreneurial journey, I have learned enough to know that I am by no means gospel. I have learned that everyone has to “get there” on their own time. What I’m talking about isn’t new or revolutionary… you just have to be willing to listen.
If you are suffering from overwhelming, something needs to change. You don’t have to implement everything one coach says, but it would do you well to test out what you can actually see yourself doing.
Learn from yourself, observe yourself and bring your dream to the forefront. I’m already living my dream, I’m just looking for a few upgrades. Can you say that about yourself, too?
Try living it out, for a week, two weeks—a month. And see the wondrous changes you can make to your life.
You got this. I know you do.
Want a few more tips and tricks to focus better? Check out my freebie here!
Arna Van Goch, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Arna van Goch is a business automations coach. She helps 5 figure entrepreneurs hit 6 figures by streamlining their businesses and strategies to work less & earn more. Over her own entrepreneurial journey she has worked online businesses to land 6 figure contracts and supported businesses reaching 7 figures. Besides working online, she has an avid passion for travel, energy work and awesome Netflix series like Next in Fashion.
