The world of entrepreneurship is such a Catch 22 sometimes, isn’t it? We start our businesses because we want more control over our life, more freedom with how we spend our time, and more potential for income. Then, we get a few months in and realize that the business has taken over our lives and we have even less freedom than we did before.

The sad truth is: it’s easy for our business to rob us of our peace. 

“But wait, my business was supposed to be the catalyst for more peace?!?” Yeah, I’m right there with you. 

Here’s the good news: You can take back your peace…and you don’t have to throw your business out the window in order to do it.

The Problem

So let’s break down the issue here. You got this idea for a business a few years ago and that concept continued to grow as you bounced it around in your brain for a few months. You ended up deciding that the vision for the business was exactly aligned with what you wanted to do in life, and it was time to take action. 

So you started the process of setting up your very own business (congratulations, this is SO huge!!!): getting the LLC, the bank account, outlining your mission, vision, services, etc. You launched it into the world and started to get some traction (!!!), and before you knew it you had 5 clients and you were doing the dang thing! 

As your client roster grew, so did your workload, and so did your vision for what the business could be. Soon, your days were full of work and your nights were full of thinking about all the things that could happen in the future. It became difficult to shut your brain off because there were just so many things to think about! 

Before long, you started to feel exhausted, worn out, and unable to keep functioning at the same level you had been for the last few months. You got to the point where you just couldn’t do it anymore and you needed to take a break. 

Hi, yes, that’s called burnout.

You got burnt out on the very thing you thought was going to be the best path for your life. How could that happen?? This was supposed to be the thing that made my life better! Why do I feel worse off than ever?

Can I let you in on something? This is not a hypothetical story. This is my story. And I wouldn’t be surprised if this is your story, too. 

This has been my journey over the last 3 years of being a business owner, and I have learned some hard truths:

• If I don’t take control of my business, my schedule, and my social media consumption, they will take control of me.
• Just because I can offer something doesn’t mean I should.
• I can’t do it all by myself.
• If my body and my mind aren’t healthy, my business won’t be either.

After experiencing my first season of burnout (and yes, there would be another), I became determined to find a way to live differently. I knew I didn’t have to constantly be in a state of stress. I knew I had a choice and the power to change my circumstances. So I did.

The Solution

While there are many practical solutions that I think are absolutely necessary, I wholeheartedly believe there is one core solution that will determine your ability to find peace in your everyday.

Mindset.

When you break it down, everything boils down to your thoughts. Your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions, and your actions determine your future.

If we can get our minds in a healthy place in regards to all the aspects of our life and business, we will be able to more clearly and purposefully move forward. If we address the struggles head on and find solutions, though it may be chaotic in the moment, it will provide us with lasting peace afterward.

But I know this is not a “snap of the fingers”, “flip the switch” solution. I recognize that’s not how our brains work. It’s an ongoing journey, and it’s one that I’ve become extremely passionate about not only taking myself, but also walking alongside others as they do the same.

The Next Step

So what’s the practical application of this solution? I’m so glad you asked. Here are my top ideas for you:

1. Read some books. I once heard a quote that said something like, “A lot of life boils down to who you know and what you read.” Reading has become un-fun for a lot of us since we had to do so much of it in school. But in reality, it’s one of the best ways for us to expand our understanding and be introduced to new ideas. Yes, podcasts and news outlets might do some of that for us. But how much time did those people put into thinking through that content before they put it out? Maybe a few hours? Think about a book. Someone puts months and even years of work into crafting that. Imagine how much more value is packed into it!

A few of my reading reccs:

• Get Out of Your Head by Jennie Allen
• Winning the War in Your Mind by Craig Groeschel
• Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown
• 10x is Easier than 2x by Dan Sullivan
• The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer
• The Joy of Missing Out by Tanya Dalton
• The 6 Types of Working Genius by Patrick Lencioni

2. Take time to think. This may be something you’ve never thought about, but as a business owner, you need time to just sit and process. Whether that means working through an issue within your business or dreaming up something new for the future, you need to create time in your schedule just for thinking. Maybe this happens when you’re alone with a journal or staring into space lost in thought. Or perhaps this means you have a regularly scheduled meeting with a mentor or coach to support you as you process. Either way, thinking time is a necessity.

3. Set up your systems. There are a LOT of ways you can make your life easier, and you probably just don’t realize it. One of the secrets to success as a business owner is working smarter not harder. So take time to think through the areas of your life and business and create habits and systems that will support you, and will save you not only time but more importantly, brainpower. A couple ideas to ponder:

• What is your morning routine and how is it setting you up for a successful day?
• How do you structure your workday (tasks, management, meetings, etc)? Is it ordered or chaotic? Is it working to your strengths or does it feel like a constant uphill battle?
• Do you have scheduled time to rest and recuperate built into your calendar? (This is also essential to being a healthy business owner)
• Do you have clear operating procedures in your business? Communication rhythms, boundaries, onboarding procedures, financial management rhythms?

These are just a few to get you started. If you want to dig deeper into these kinds of things, The Joy of Missing Out lays some incredible groundwork for that. Additionally, my #1 most-recommended resource ever is Hustle Sanely. The owner, Jess, has dedicated her career to finding ways to have peaceful productivity in all aspects of life. She has a podcast, digital products, courses, a membership, and paper planners, which all support you as you’re building your peacefully productive life. Her podcast and her yearly planner have done WONDERS for me!!

4. Surround yourself with community. I saved the most important one for last. Like I mentioned in my “hard truths,” you can’t do this all alone. We were created to be in community. We need the support, accountability, feedback, new ideas, and connections that community brings. 

The beautiful thing is, there are a lot of ways to find community in the world of entrepreneurship! You probably already have a couple things in mind. But if I may, I’d love to invite you to join my community. 

As I mentioned, I am extremely passionate about building a life and business where I can truly call myself a peaceful entrepreneur, and I am just as passionate about supporting and equipping you to do the same. At this time, I put out weekly podcast episodes that each break down one common area where we entrepreneurs can often struggle to find peace. Sometimes I am there by myself, sometimes with a fellow business owner, and sometimes with my incredible husband, Luke, who works in our business full-time with me. Each episode is a conversation that I invite you into. I want to create a space where we can all learn and grow together!

Each Wednesday along with my new episode, I also send an email newsletter. These are not your typical sales-y or bland episode recap emails. They are straight from my heart. Sometimes they’re all about the episode that just came out, sometimes they’re an update on something happening in my life or business (i.e. my goal to read 100 books this year 😳). Either way, I just want you to feel like you’re reading a note from a friend. And I want to hear back from you, too! 

If you’d like to get plugged into my world, I’ve linked all the ways you can connect below.
Before I go, I just want to remind you one last time: You can have peace. Even if things feel chaotic right now, you have a choice and you have the power to change your life. Let’s do this thing together!

Bio:

Amy is the founder and CEO of ABIDE Outsourcing, a creative outsourcing agency for influencers. Along with her team, she helps established influencers to own their audience, extend their reach, and free up their time through various done-for-you services like email marketing, blogging, video editing, additional content creation, and more. Her primary goals are to provide a well-rounded suite of offers so her clients can get all they need in one place, and to create an environment where her clients have peace of mind, knowing that she and her team understand their world and always work with excellence and integrity.

Amy is also the host of The Peaceful Entrepreneur Podcast, a space where overwhelmed entrepreneurs can find community and tools to shift their mindset and find peace on a daily basis as they build their business. This is Amy’s passion and personal mission, and she has a heart for sharing what she learns and growing alongside others. She loves to connect with her listeners through her weekly episodes and email newsletters, and looks forward to expanding the brand in the near future. 

ABIDE Website: https://abideoutsourcing.com/

ABIDE IG: https://www.instagram.com/abideoutsourcing/

TPE Website: https://abideoutsourcing.com/podcast

TPE IG: https://www.instagram.com/thepeacefulentrepreneur/

TPE Email Newsletter:  https://abideoutsourcing.myflodesk.com/6f560c6e-7fcc-436e-99f5-737b22480d00

TPE Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-peaceful-entrepreneur-podcast/id1664595615

TPE Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Lno8exzeVXoNFRjBIJ1ir

TPE Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChn7VXcIK69fO7SX4BaEgPg