Truths of Entrepreneurship: Overworking & Sacrificing Self-Care (Part 1)

Things every soon-to-be entrepreneur should know.

It’s been said that being an entrepreneur means working to pursue your dreams, while being an employee
means working for the dreams of someone else. If you’re an employee and wonder if the grass is greener
on the other side, here is Part 1 of the “4 truths of being your own boss”.

1. The Hardest Work You’ll Ever Do

As an entrepreneur, you must be prepared to wear many hats until you are able to scale your business.
Even when a team is in place, it’s very common for the business owner to still do the job of multiple
people.

For instance, an electrician colleague of ours owns a business and was able to hire electricians to take over
client appointments. Although he trained his team, his employees would often call him when they had
questions, so the owner also acted as team manager and coach. It is also common for entrepreneurs to
want to keep full control over their business, so sharing the workload with employees can become
difficult.

We know many entrepreneurs who work 7 days a week and feel they can’t breakaway from that routine.
This brings us to the next truth.

2. Self-Care and Rest are Essential

Rest is essential to success. Many entrepreneurs experience burnout and forget to rest, eat and take
breaks. Going too long without rest and adequate nutrition can lead to physical and mental health issues,
which are worth much more than making money. You can still provide great services or products without
putting the needs of clients above you or your business’s needs.

Self-care doesn’t necessarily mean spa days and massages. Self-care for you can mean watching a movie at
home with a glass of wine or going to brunch with a good friend.
Even if you absolutely love what you do, you must discipline yourself to take breaks, even if it’s 15-20
minutes of rest or meditation during a busy day.

Rest can also be beneficial when you have a difficult problem to solve. If you’ve been working on
something important for hours, taking yourself out of the equation for at least a few minutes will allow
your mind to rest, so you can get back to the issue with a fresher mind and new ideas.