Time to de-stress

Welcome to our first issue for the year. We trust you made it through the Christmas festivities and all those holiday challenges safe and sound and now you’re all fired up about the prospect of taking your business to the next level in 2017? No? Not fired up? More a case of stressed out? Already? We live in incredibly stressful times. And if you’re both a parent and a business owner you’ll be copping a far bigger amount of stress than anybody else. Life is tough enough without the responsibility of a business.

So how are you going to grow your business, get excited about it, and learn new skills, when you’re faced by so many daily stresses? Jay Goltz, a Chicago-based small business owner writing in the New York

Times, has some great tips on how to manage stress related to your business. I’m paraphrasing a little here, but first you must identify the real problem/s with your business. They could simply be bad management or poor marketing. It might require someone with more expertise than you to analyse the situation and identify weaknesses and solutions.

Joining a business group or reaching out to other business people you respect can make a huge difference.

Next, separate the fear from the anxiety. Fear is rational, a healthy emotion that stops us from doing reckless things and helps keep us focused. Anxiety is unwarranted and irrational worrying. Recognise anxiety and eliminate it from your mind. Get help from a professional or try regular exercising.

Then there is forgiving yourself. Business is not easy; there’s no way that you can do business and not make mistakes.

Maintain perspective. Remember, life is never fair. Horrible things happen every day, most of them to other people.

Most successful people overcome serious obstacles. Business success is as much about tenacity as it is about working hard or being smart.

Finally, accept responsibility and think positively. Business ownership is stressful and it’s not easy.

But it does get easier. It just takes a little time.