How I combat Exhaustion as a Small Business Owner
2019 I was on the road over 42 times. It was my life, I loved it, I craved it. I was juggling it all and my clients were happy and… perhaps my cup was empty. I was just going through the motions.
2020 came, and like many of you, I realized that my priorities were out of whack. I knew that I wanted to ground myself and fully achieve the life I wanted. As my life slowed down, I began to implement small non-negotiables daily.
Here we are 2022 and things are getting back to more of a normal routine for me and gaining momentum like I hear from many of you. As things are speeding up, I started getting more anxious about leaving again and the speed at which things started happening — ultimately a disruption of my new-founded routine and growing systems.
A little self reflection and conversation with friends, my therapist and some journaling led to me to better understand why this thing I love to do — travel and educate — was making me feel a certain type of way. I feel like this is my purpose so how can I have anxiety?
What I needed was to just put things in CHECK.
How could I prepare for a fast moving future, how could I put stake in what matters?!
Debra Mouse describes non negotiable as “Setting non-negotiable standards means that you are setting the rules for your life according to your desires, not the desires of others [and clients]. It's about choosing to take control on the quality of your daily life. When you do that, it gives you the power to choose happiness even when life feels far from perfect.”
Here is how I mapped things out and will continue to so I can best achieve having the business I want with the daily life I want.
Here is what a successful day looks like for me, both at home and on the road:
• A tidy and clean space
• Dedicated time to talk/spend with loved ones
• Being active every day
• Journaling and reading daily
• Eating quality meals
• 8 hours of sleep
• The feeling of making impact and nurturing my community
• Keeping my email manageable (I’m a zero inboxer)
• Feeling fashionable
• Maintaining boundaries with clients and properly timelines
• Quiet, alone time.
I hope this sparks something in you. I hope you realize that you have the power to find your non-negotiables, and implement them. Event pros across the world are starting to feel the heat as things pick up the pace. Take a moment and choose a few of yours. I’m here to root you on and encourage you — let’s learn & grow together!