Stress ‒ An Entrepreneur’s Worst Enemy
- Aug 22, 2022
- 5 min read
Written by: Mark Newey, 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.
What Is stress? In the last 20 years, change has significantly outpaced evolution! Change has become serial: by the time we’ve got used to one change, the next is already upon us. It has accelerated so fast that our brains are no longer able to adapt. The result? Stress.
It’s everywhere. Everybody’s stressed. It’s become normal…except of course…it’s not normal!
The problem is that we don’t understand it. We don’t know what effect it is having on our body or our brain. Stress is a signal that something’s not working and that we need to change. If we make changes quickly, the stress disappears. No harm done. The system working exactly as it should.
However, if we see stress as a normal part of modern life, we don’t make changes and it sticks around: then it’s lethal. It can create long-term damage to our gut, and, more importantly, to our brain. It affects our ability to think clearly, to make good decisions and to concentrate.
Entrepreneurs and stress
If you’re working for somebody else, that doesn’t matter so much. If you turn up and get some work done, you still get paid. Having said that, there’s probably not much joy in your life!
But if you’re self-employed, that’s not OK. Stress massively affects your ability to do your job. If it’s your company and you’re only able to work at 60% efficiency: that’s serious. There can be no doubt that this will seriously affect your business: it might even put it in danger. Thriving mentally is even more important for entrepreneurs than for others: it directly affects the whole of your life and at a much deeper level.
Why is running your own business so stressful?
The big issue is that most of us have got fifteen different hats on! We’re having to do everything, when only a part of the workload is what we really love doing. This leaves us running around like a headless chicken, working all hours God sends. Not surprisingly, this leaves our heads constantly spinning with conflicting thoughts and loads of decisions that need making.
In turn, this leaves us exhausted, made worse by the fact that we’re probably not sleeping well either. Our work/life balance has got out of kilter and we’re failing to spend enough time with our loved ones, which means we’re starting to worry about our relationships. It’s so easy to feel lonely and unsupported.
We’re also struggling to make that important impact on the world and to maintain our motivation. We beginning to fall out of love with our business and can’t see a way out.
It’s surprising how quickly this spiral can occur and at the bottom of the spiral is that dreaded word “stress”.
Solutions to stress are very personal
So, what is the most important asset in your business? Yep, it’s you! How much do you know about that asset? How much do you know about yourself? How much time have you spent in Self-Discovery? If you’re like most people, it’s next to nothing! The more dedicated and dynamic entrepreneurs spend lots of time and money on business development coaching, workshops, books, and podcasts. And yet virtually none of us spend time or money on our company’s most important asset: Us
The Benefits of Self-Discovery
Self-Discovery brings massive benefits to you and your business:
Deep level self-awareness
Being utterly comfortable with who you are
Understanding your emotions as they arise and what to do with them
To know deep down what motivates you and gets you excited
Constant connection to your passion and purpose, operating at a different level
Making a genuine impact and difference in the world, in your own way
Knowing how to care for and inspire those who matter to you at work and at home
The ability to set boundaries and look after your life/work balance
To get the most from your relationships, both commercial and personal
The ability to step back and look at a problem from a detached viewpoint
The ability to recognise the stress signal and immediately take action
Keeping a clear head so that you can think creatively and analytically
Managing your time and your priorities for maximum efficiency
Making connections and spotting patterns
The ability to anticipate problems before they occur and take action
The ability to spot opportunities that others don’t see
Becoming the recognised leader in your field
Having natural and authentic confidence and charisma
Having other businesses approach you for JV’s and partnerships
Self-Discovery gives you the rock-solid platform to not only maximise your business but to operate at a level very few entrepreneurs can reach. The great thing is, it’s not rocket science: it’s actually very simple, but it’s work that virtually none of us have done. What is more, it’s very personal. We are all unique, but few of us have discovered what makes us unique.
Why Radical Self-Discovery?
Yes, it’s partly so that people pay attention and are curious as to what it means, but the Cohoots’ process gets to the heart of the matter very quickly. It is a journey, but it’s a fast one. For most of us, our self-discovery journey is life-long: we slowly learn about ourselves day-by-day as we get older in a random and uncontrolled way. It doesn’t have to be that way.
We have refined 22 years of experience working with thousands of entrepreneurs into a fool-proof system: The Seven Steps to Radical Self-Discovery.
Here are links to two more articles on stress in Brainz:
If you would like a no-obligation virtual 30-minute coffee break chat to explore further how Radical Self-Discovery can genuinely transform your life and your business, please don’t hesitate to contact me from my website. You can also follow me on LinkedIn.
Mark Newey, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Mark Newey is a Protagonist and Disruptor, empowering small business owners to totally transform their company's biggest asset: themselves. Running a business is stressful, especially in today's environment: if we are stressed, our cognitive capacity drops by 40%, which means we are operating at 60% efficiency. Mark has distilled 22 years of experience from his own breakdown and working with 3000 clients (of whom 1200 were small business owners) into a foolproof system: The 7 Steps to Radical Self-Discovery. Only 10% of companies thrive and grow coming out of a crisis. The difference between the 10% and the 90%? The mindset of the entrepreneur.
Resources:
Please visit https://www.cohoots.co.uk/7-steps-to-radical-self-discovery/ to find out more about your personal solution for stress.
