How to achieve what you want to without burning out

burnout, fatigue, eat the elephant

There’s a common misconception that in order to be successful, you need to be ultra-busy, to the point of burnout. But I’m here to tell you, it is possible to achieve business success without being stressed.

If you find yourself with a long to-do list but you feel as if there isn’t enough time or energy to give, here are my six tips for how to find a good balance.

1. Batch your work

When you batch your work, you do similar work, all in one go, rather than moving in and out of tasks. This allows you to be much more productive. For example, instead of writing a blog, then filming and editing that blog into a video, I write four or five blogs all in one sitting. Then later I film those blogs back to back. This means I then have months worth of content pre-prepared.

To get better at batching, write down all of the bits and pieces you do. Then highlight themes and create batching segments for your week.

2. The hour of power

Multi-tasking is a myth. It is not possible to focus on multiple tasks at one time. The best you will be doing is an average job of a lot of things and creating lots of stress in the process. I like to block out an hour or so a day where I go head down, bum up and work. No distractions, no social media. I pick the task that will give me the most freedom in the future regardless of whether it is urgent or not.

3. Create space

A cluttered space equals a cluttered mind. So, it is time to Marie Kondo your life. Hire a cleaner, de-clutter your home, clean out your email inbox. By creating more space in your life, you will be able to hold more and, unleash your creative side.

4. Take regular breaks

I know from seeing thousands of clients over the last 10+ years that you will be way more productive and creative when you are rested. Make sure you have regular scheduled downtime for you in your week and do not reschedule it. When you take holidays, try to take 10 days or more, as research shows it takes that long for your nervous system to completely unwind.

5. If you have to sit for long periods, stretch

Did you know that something as simple as posture can influence how we perceive the world and react to stress? The Bruegger’ stretch will release tension. With feet hip-distance apart and palms by your side facing out, squeeze your shoulder blades together while ensuring they stay relaxed down and look up and back. Breathe deeply and calmly into your tummy. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat 3 times, and repeat twice daily.

6. Bridge the gap between the future and the present

When you spend too much time thinking about the person you want to become, the things you want to have and achieve, you can find yourself in a space I call the gap. It’s the comparison of the person you are now with the person you perceive you will be in the future. You can reduce your anxiety by coming back to the present moment.