Taryn Williams on how to avoid burnout as an entrepreneur

Being an entrepreneur and running your own business can of course deliver some amazing upsides, but it does come with its own set of challenges. One of those challenges is burnout, especially in the transition from startup phase to established small business.

The pace at which an entrepreneur is required to perform often lends itself to a sprint, not a long-distance event, and working long hours to make your dream a reality can often lead to neglect in other areas of life.

As someone who has both an established business and a startup at the same time, I am very aware of the potential pitfalls of not looking after your health and wellbeing.

Over the past decade I have implemented a strategy of non-negotiables to avoid burnout, help keep my sanity intact, and not lose my love for what I do.

Establish daily routines

Having a number of daily routines prevents me from wasting valuable time on recurring decisions like what to eat, when and how to exercise or what to wear. Anyone who knows me knows my wardrobe includes a lot of black. My ‘uniform’ consists of a set number of pieces, selected from two or three labels.

I am up at 5:40am every day, and have pre-prepared meals delivered so dinner is sorted. Having this structure means I reduce decision fatigue and don’t spend any headspace in the morning worrying about these little things, which allows me to save my headspace for the more important decisions that I will need to make. Read more

Taryn Williams - Smart Company - 2 Oct 2017