Let's face it: we all strive to be successful. If you're reading this and you consider yourself a Go-Getter - always hustling and building your business or side gig - then you're not alone. In 2020, more and more people started their own online companies. Entrepreneurs started sprouting on all corners of the world. And more people accepted that working from home is the new norm.
While grinding is good, resting is equally as important. Have you felt burnt out? Stressed out? Overworked? Depleted of energy and motivation? Then this article is for you!
"Burn out" can result in a number of factors. One of them is the feeling of overworking oneself to the point of exhaustion. Why is it that most people who desire to become success experience burn out the quickest? The one skill that is taught at a prominent University in North Carolina - High Point University - is Time Management.
Time management is, in effect, the core foundation of living a successful life. So many of us entrepreneurs get hyped when starting a new business venture or career path. But somewhere along the way, we end up running ourselves ragged, dragging ourselves out of bed instead of hopping out with a spring in our step. It's like we drank a whole case of Red Bull to get that "high energy", only to crash for days on end. As a result, we get irritated, frustrated, depressed, and anxious. All the negative feelings we deflected before suddenly come rushing in like a terrible gust of hurricane-like wind.
One of the main root causes of burn out is a lack of time management. You know that calendar that you have on your phone and computer? Well, did you know that that is the number one tool successful entrepreneurs use on a daily basis? In his devotional series, "Developing the Leader Within You 2.0", John C. Maxwell states that he doesn't fill his calendar to the brim with just "business". He also blocks out what he calls "White space" - that is, space for himself to recharge after a long morning filled with appointments and tasks. He quotes Psalm 90:17:
"May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us - yes, establish the work of our hands."
Another critical verse which backs his point up is Proverbs 23:4:
"Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust in your own cleverness."
"But Tiny, my boss runs me ragged all day, every day. He has control of my schedule - " Let's stop right there. Does he? When you first signed up for the job, you knew what you were getting yourself into as soon as you signed the contract. Yet, you feel as though it's the boss's fault for overworking you? While it may be true at certain companies, the reality is that you gave of your skills and services to him. Kenneth Mwale's "Success Secrets From the Bible" Devotional speaks about this in a more detailed manner:
"Minding your own business simply means that you look at your life as a business. You don't look at yourself as a worker or an employee, but as someone offering services for which you get paid. You see your employer as your client."
Let that sink in. It's a true statement, no matter how much you - or I - try to buck against it. Once one signs a contract to work at a company, one essentially offers their skills to help build that company up. In short: the company needs your services and what you have to offer; they need someone whom they can trust with their company's assets. They need you. And if they added work for you, it's because they trust you. Otherwise, they would not give you more work, if they did not trust you. Don't quote me on this. It's clearly written in the Bible:
"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So, if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else's property, who will give you property of your own?" - Luke 16:10-12
So if this is true, what does this have to do with taking ownership and time management? Simply put, everything! If you have felt burned out, tell your client - your boss - that you need some time away from the office. And don't feel guilty in asking for time off. Today's society wants to put shame and guilt on those who ask for a vacation or time off. Don't buy into that harmful lie. Society is raising up a new wave of slaves. No, not slaves from the 1800s. We are talking about people who are slaves to the office - slaves to a cubicle - because they were not taught to stand up for their mental and physical health; slaves who were not taught proper time management skills.
Mwale's and Maxwell's point is that you take ownership of that Google Calendar or iCalendar - block time out for self-care. Doing this simple - yet profound - task causes the people around you to respect your time, especially if you are doing your best to stay focused on building your career or business.
"...and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody." - 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12
Take care of your mental and physical health. Go for relaxing walks at the park or the beach. Socialize with friends. Take a nap. Do anything that is not related to work that causes you to relax and be in a state of peace. Workaholism doesn't speed up the process of becoming successful. In contrast, it slows you down because you can't function properly without proper rest.
Take ownership of your time. Use that calendar to your advantage. Block out "white space" to work on you. And tread slowly and carefully on this path of entrepreneurship!
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