At a recent women-in-business lunch, standing before 300 people, I posed a simple question: “Can you honestly say you give yourself even 1 per cent of your time?”
The room fell silent.
I continued, “One per cent of your day is just 14 minutes. Most people aren’t even giving themselves that – for self-care, for themselves, for anything that truly matters. Think about how you’re spending your time. If you’re not carving out at least 1 per cent for yourself, something is seriously wrong.”
It was clear – most of them couldn’t say yes.
How many of us are running on empty, giving everything to our work, our families, our obligations—but not even 14 minutes to ourselves?
Small-business burnout Is a cultural crisis
This is more than a personal problem – it’s a cultural one. And in small business, it’s even worse.
We tell ourselves that success requires sacrifice, that we’ll take a break once things settle down. (Spoiler: they never do.)
But here’s the truth: if you don’t carve out time for yourself, your business will take every last drop of your energy. And when you hit burnout, everything – your health, creativity, and decision-making – suffers.
The irony? The more we neglect ourselves, the worse we perform. When you’re exhausted, your problem-solving weakens. Your leadership suffers. Instead of working on the business, you’re stuck in it – reacting, firefighting, barely keeping up.
The ‘One Per Cent Rule’ for small-business owners
So how do we break the cycle? Start small.
I call it the ‘One Per Cent of Your Day – Choose You’ rule. If you can commit just 14 minutes – 1 per cent of your 24-hour day – to something that refuels you, you’ll see the difference.
It’s not about grand, time-consuming self-care routines. It’s about intentionally reclaiming a moment for yourself and your small business before burnout takes over.
Yes, you’re busy. Yes, you’re juggling kids, work, and everything in between. But no one – no one – can tell me they can’t find 14 minutes for themselves. And if you think you can’t, just check your phone’s screen time.
I call my small-business clients out on this all the time. If you’re not finding even 1 per cent of your day for yourself, it’s time to take a hard look at why.
Because you can’t give your clients or your business what you don’t have for yourself. So, commit to the ‘One Per Cent of Your Day – Choose You’ rule:
- Take a 14-minute walk – no phone, no emails, just you.
- Sit outside with a coffee and just breathe.
- Move your body – stretch, dance, do something to move your body.
- Read one chapter of a book.
- Get creative.
For me, it’s a morning walk on the farm. It wakes me up and resets my focus. Small steps lead to big results – but you have to start somewhere.
So, start with one per cent. Reclaim your 14 minutes. Choose you – because when you do, your business will thrive, and so will you.
