Dan Gamble, Founder & CEO, DGPR.
Launching a new business is no easy task. In fact, it’s much, much easier to have your business fail than it is to get it to a place where it can scale and evolve.
It’s often said that 90% of startups fail. Operating in this highly competitive environment, it’s no wonder entrepreneurs and business owners are constantly at risk of becoming overwhelmed by the work and burning out.
As a founder who recently started my own business—one where I have the privilege of working closely with a number of other entrepreneurs in the Canadian tech sector—I know that to operate my business sustainably today and in the future, I need to consciously take steps to avoid burnout. Having a great corporate culture where no one is spread too thin or overwhelmed is a core value for my business, but to get it right, I need to lead by example.
What follows are some of the steps I’ve taken to promote balance for myself as I continue to grow my business.
1. Establish your non-negotiables.
A lot of people operate under the assumption that work and life are two completely different and separate things that have a clear divide. They see work-life balance as an approach to splitting time between these two parts of their lives. Meanwhile, others don’t believe in work-life balance, per se. Rather, they believe that work and personal time flow together within “life” and navigate each component as needed.
I take a bit of a hybrid approach. I’m fortunate enough to really enjoy the work that I do, and, therefore, it’s easy for me to stay connected and embedded within my job at all times. Meanwhile, I’m also very intentional about blocking time within my days, weeks, months or even years that are dedicated to activities outside of work.
Think about non-work must-haves that you need to experience daily in order to make you better equipped to show up for your business. For me, for example, the first is exercise. Whether it’s an hour with my personal trainer, a bike ride or simply a brisk walk to get a coffee, I need time in the day to move and clear my head.
The other is sleep. Something that changed after I launched the business is that I naturally wake up much earlier than I used to. Every day, I wake up and it only takes a few seconds for my brain to start thinking about the business. Given that, I knew that if I wanted to get enough sleep to be sharp and on the ball, I needed to be going to bed earlier. This means that at 10:30 p.m., I really need to be away from my device and in bed.
2. Be intentional about spending time on things that matter.
When you’re an entrepreneur, it’s so easy for the days to get away from you. An entire month of busy work can go by before you realize that you’ve not called your family, spent time with a friend or done your favorite activity. One way I’ve navigated this is by taking a regimented approach to saving and blocking time for the things that bring me joy—and I’m very inflexible about it.
One of my biggest passions is horse riding, and it has been since I was young. As an adult, part of what I love about it is that it’s totally separate from anything I do at work. It gives me a chance to fully enjoy the activity while using my brain and body in completely different ways than I do day to day.
When it comes to my personal relationships, I found that after starting my business, the time I was spending with my local friends either at drinks or for a weekday dinner all but vanished. Although they all support me in this venture and are cheering me on, we had lost a lot of the time we used to spend together. I knew I wanted to do more to keep those relationships active and positive, so I started taking the same regimented approach I used to schedule time for horse riding with my friends.
To other entrepreneurs, I say this: Be intentional about putting aside time for the things and people who bring you joy. It’s just as important as any of the tasks that you do to run your business. In fact, it will make you a better business leader.
3. Go back to your ‘why’ whenever you need to.
As entrepreneurs, I think it’s important that we hold on to our original intentions when things feel overwhelming. If you started your company to make big changes in an industry, refocus on that goal when times get tough. Or, if you started the company to create more balance for yourself than you had elsewhere, check in with yourself regularly to make sure that’s still the case.
Having quarterly or monthly reviews with yourself can be a great way to ensure you’re still moving toward your goals—and that you’re still feeling good doing it. You’ll need to be honest with yourself here, so having people around you who are willing to keep you accountable is also important.
There’s no success without well-being.
In the U.S. alone, more than 5 million new businesses were launched in 2022. Startup founders are operating in highly competitive markets, and it takes a lot of grit, determination and hard work to stand out. That said, if you’re not taking care of yourself as an individual, how can you expect to show up fully for your business? As you navigate launching and growing your business, don’t forget to check in with yourself to make sure you’re still living the life you want.
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