My unsustainable business path began like this. Excited by a vision of freedom and wealth I eagerly jumped into the entrepreneurial game years ago. When neither came along right away I dug in to work harder and work longer. I was told that was the path to success. Soon it became the norm and it was reinforced over and over from people I knew, from those experts supposedly “in the know”, all over the media, and from my own inner voice.
In time it began to take it’s toll. First on my work itself. Wearing all the hats I did not enjoy most of what I had to do. Then on my emotional health. Stress and worry lead to burnout and dragged me down. It even hit my physical health, the one area I assumed I would have a handle on given my background. Then it hit my relationships with the most important people in my world at the time.
It left me devastated and disillusioned, without a clue about what to do next. It was all I knew but it didn’t work. I needed to make a massive change.
What is your unsustainable business path?
If you are a solopreneur, are self employed, or are a small business owner and are still very directly involved in the day to day operations of your business, take notice!
If you have been told over and over that in order to become successful you need to work longer and work harder then you might be at risk of a massive crash with your business or in your life in similar proportions to the one I experienced.
Do any of the following describe you and your unsustainable business path?
- You started your dream business but are still stuck working a job while you build your business in the evening and on weekends.
- You still wear too many hats in your business. You are overwhelmed and can’t focus on what you do best and love most… where you make the greatest contribution to your business.
- You have achieved financial success in your business but it has come at the expense of your physical health or emotional wellbeing. You may be on track for a major health crisis.
- You have achieved financial success but it’s come at the expense of your relationship with your spouse, your kids or other important people in your world. You may be heading towards a state of irreparable damage.
The path leading from scenario #1 through #4 is an all too common one among entrepreneurs and the one I experienced myself over the course of several years. It took the perfect storm of a personal crisis, an impending business crash, and a tragic event to wake me up for the need to change.
If you are on an unsustainable business path then my intent with this post is to awaken you to that and the potential result you might be heading towards.
If you can see it you can change it, now, before something significant occurs that does not have to.
How to shift from your unsustainable business path.
Step 1: See the need to change
Step 2: Create a clear vision of where you want to go
Step 3: Prioritize what has to change and then begin to take action one step at a time
Sounds easy enough, right? Be crystal clear about this. It will take time. It will take work. It has likely taken a long time for things to get to where they are. But isn’t your life worth it?
Imagine breaking free from your blocks to achieve the change you need to enable you to live your ideal live… while your business continues to thrive!
If my message is enough to inspire you to make the changes you need then… mission accomplished!
If your struggle continues and you need more help then please contact me. We’ll arrange to talk to explore your specific scenario and how I might be able to help.
Remember… life is meant to be embraced, enjoyed, and fully lived.
Beginning with a degree in exercise science and kinesiology, Brent Haydey has evolved over thirty years as an entrepreneur; building four businesses, and as a health, executive, and life coach.
