Entrepreneurs Learn This Lesson: Stop Sweating The Small Stuff

Is the pressure of being in business getting to you? Do you feel like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders? Do you lie awake nights with a thousand points of worry flashing through your poor, tired brain?
Welcome, my friend, to the wonderful world of entrepreneurship. Come on now, you really didn’t think it was going to be that easy, did you?
Forget all those reasons you’ve heard as to why businesses fail. It’s the pressure of entrepreneurship that sends many folks running back to the supposed security of a real job.
I’ve seen perfectly good businesses flushed down the tubes simply because the owner couldn’t handle the day-to-day pressure of keeping the doors open.
So I ask you again: is the pressure of being in business getting to you? Is worrying about your business taking up so much of your time that there’s no time left to actually work on the business?
If so, take a deep breath and count to ten because there is hope. Here’s how I went from being a chronic worrier to someone who doesn’t sweat the small stuff. And that’s what most topics of worry are: small stuff.
The first step is to make a list of everything that’s worrying you. We’re discussing business here but if you’re worrying about personal things write those down, too.
Do you have an employee who is giving you trouble? Are you afraid you can’t meet payroll next month? Are you worried about losing a big customer or not winning a big contract? Is your spouse unhappy with the number of hours you’re away from home? Write it all down.
Now divide what you’ve identified as worry topics into three categories: Past Worries (things you’re worrying about that have already happened), Present Worries (things that are happening now), and Future Worries (things that may happen in the future).
Now put a big fat X through all of the Past Worries and Future Worries you’ve listed. Forget the past. There’s nothing you can do about it now. Worrying about things that happened in the past is like a bald man pining over lost hair. If you owe someone an apology, apologize. If you owe someone a debt, make arrangements to pay it. If someone did you wrong either forgive or forget them. The past is history. Forget about it and move on.
The same is true for Future Worries. Why worry about something that hasn’t even happened yet or may never happen, at all? If there’s something looming on the horizon that is a valid point of worry you should have a plan to deal with it when it comes, not suffer in anticipation.
Worrying about tomorrow today will drive you nuts. Forget the past and prepare for the future, but don’t waste time worrying about them.
Next divide the Present Worries into two subcategories: things you can do something about and things you can’t do anything about.
Now put another big fat X through those things that you can’t do anything about. Worrying about things you can’t control is wasted worrying. You’re worried that a proposal you submitted won’t get accepted. You’re worried that a vendor might go out of business. You’re worried that a giant meteor is going to strike earth and that your building will be dead center in the strike zone.
You can’t do anything about these things except prepare to handle them if they do occur. In business you have enough legitimate things to worry about. Stop driving yourself crazy worrying about things you can’t control.
So now you have your list of present worry points that are within your control. Now prioritize them from most urgent to simply bothersome and create a plan to deal with each point.
That’s right, instead of worrying about these things take a proactive stance and create a plan to do something about them. Face the monster head on. You’ll be surprised how much better you’ll sleep at night.
If you’re afraid you can’t meet payroll next month start looking for solutions today. Can you get a line of credit to see you through the lean times? Can you get extended terms with vendors that will free up cash? Can you find an investor who will put in the money and let you pay him back over time?
Every problem has a solution. It may not be the solution you desire, but it will be a resolution that takes one thing off your plate.
Work through each point of worry until you have a plan to deal with each one. Then start dealing with them.
And if you can’t do anything about an item mark it out as something you can’t control.
This exercise will take some effort and discipline on your part, but trust me; you’ll immediately start sleeping better.
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