How to Fuel the Entrepreneur Inside You!

If there is ever a time when you need to set the equilibrium for a healthy work-life balance is when you are an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurship means burning the midnight oil and the candle at both ends. The pay is zilch, in the beginning, the hours are loooooong, and at times exhausting to be quite honest. But the reward and the self-respect is phenomenal!

Yes, you'll be working 18 to near 24 hours a day, but do you care? Not at all. Your work, your creation, your innovation is maddening and you love it! So for these very reasons you must set personal boundaries for work, family, and friends. If you don't, you could become frustrated, isolated, and burnt out. 

Internet image: work-life balance

The Balancing Act

In order to tip the scale in favour of a balanced life, I am going to suggest a set of solutions which I will call your three strategic alliances. This is to take a three-pronged approach to structure, expertise, and synergy.

Internet image: 3-pronged plug

STRUCTURE: 

To create the structure you need clarity and organization of what your day looks and feels like. Imagine your workspace, is it organized? Can you find what you are looking for? Do you have a working schedule and deadlines to complete tasks? Remember, as an entrepreneur, you are wearing multiple hats. Carve out time for each of them to avoid the rat race and pitfalls. Set mini goals throughout the day and celebrate small wins. This is more or less about building new habits and understanding your triggers. 

EXPERTISE: 

Remind yourself that even though you wear multiple hats, you are not an expert at everything in your life or business and hire the experts so you can focus on what exactly you are good at. You don't want to ever find yourself in the position of  being the jack of all trades and master of none in your business. When you hire experts you become a pro-creator. You can spend quality time with family and friends and put the fun back into functionality. 

SYNERGY: 

Synergy is the fuel that revs the entrepreneur's energy. It creates bonds through networking and fosters accountability through a commitment to self and others. Find a life or business coach to partner with and grow your business while keeping you sane. Speak to your family and friends and ask them to be your disciples.  Understand that while you can do great things by yourself, with your tribe, you can create a powerhouse. So let people in, but be very selective. A cohesive group is more than the sum of its parts; therefore, synergy is the ability of a group to outperform even its best individual member. Remember, you are as weak as your weakest link and as strong as your greatest ally. So keep the channels of communication open amongst team members. Be respectful and honest and you will have their support forever. 

The Fuel: Nine books every entrepreneur should read:

Internet image: blue sky success failure direction

Knowledge is power and books gives us powerful insights to help us better understand the art and science of entrepreneurship to make better decisions and avoid harmful pitfalls. Remember, today's readers are tomorrow's leaders. Study to set yourself apart from the amateurs and become an influencer in your industry. 

Internet image: Knowledge is Power book tree

1. The E-Myth Revisited - Michael E. Gerber
2. Get Things Done - David Allen (based on concepts of process 1st, a productivity book)
3. Eat that Frog - Brian Tracy (about conquering procrastination and accomplishing more)
4. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen Covey
5. Erroneous Zones - Wayne Dyer (based on concepts of goals 1st breaking free of negative mindset that hinders success)
6. Power of Positive Thinking - Norman Vincent Peale (based on concepts of values 1st)
7. How to Make Friends and Influence People - Dale Carnegie
8. The 4-Hour Work Week - Tim Ferriss
9. Stick to Your Vision: How to Get Past the Hurdles and Haters To Get Where You Want To Be - Wes Williams

Reading these books will help you effectively develop the three-pronged approach mentioned above for a successful business and work-life balance. 

Until next time,

this is Aggiestrong signing out...

Be blessed. Be Bold. Be Strong. Be you!!
---

Andrene Gregory is a life coach with certification in LifeSkills training and Personality Dimensions. She helps empower adults to live a strength-based life, regain their confidence and find the courage to get through life's challenging situations. Her unique approach to getting desired results includes personality assessment, self-knowledge, goal setting, and action planning.

Andrene provides one-on-one coaching and group workshops. Find out more at www.aggiestrongulc.com.