Starting a brand-new business is super exciting. Freedom to work with whoever you want and complete independence – especially after being employed previously – is surely the dream. Don’t want to work Mondays? You don’t have to. Feel like getting rid of that nightmare client? You can! 
For the first few weeks or months of running your new venture, you take everything in your stride. Having an invoice paid feels like you’ve won the lottery – it’s just such a great feeling knowing that you have done this. Sunday nights are no longer filled with the traditional ‘dread’ over having to rise at the crack of dawn the next day and a busy, overheated commute into a stuffy office full of too-cold air conditioning and inane ‘the weekend just flew by, didn’t it?’ chatter over the water cooler (yawn). 
 
When you’re running on autopilot for those first few weeks or months, nothing seems like too much work. Even those late-night text messages from clients asking for ‘a quick chat’ weren’t too much hassle. Chasing up an invoice? No stress – these things happen. 
 
Right? 

After a while it can seem too much – and this is totally normal! 

Running a business is a full-time job alongside your ACTUAL job of doing whatever it is you do in your business. When you start to feel that Sunday night dread creeping back into your weekend routine, you know that it’s time you take a step back and re-evaluate what’s going on to make you feel like this. 
 
Here is my go-to strategy for falling back in love with your business when it all seems a bit much… 
1. Book a holiday 
 
Before you say, “I don’t have time for a holiday!”, just take one moment. Your clients, associates, employees if you have them and everyone else can and will cope without you for a couple of weeks. As long as you plan your work before you go away so that you know you are up to date, you can and should take a break. Take time to relax and do something for you. And before you even think about checking those emails, put an ‘out of office’ on and delete your email app! No arguments! 
 
2. When you’re back, start over 
 
Now you’ve had a couple of weeks to recuperate, take the time to consider the following – a spring clean of your business, if you will: 
- What can you outsource? 
- What processes, tools or resources can you improve? 
- What processes, tools or resources can you get rid of entirely? 
3. Redesign your office space 
 
You don’t need to go mad with wallpapering and investing in a load of new furniture, but sometimes just a small change can help with your mindset when it comes to how your business is run. Is your office bright and free of clutter? Do you have allocated ‘homes’ for your office equipment? Is your desk and chair comfortable? Do you like being in your office? Try hanging up some artwork or decorating your space with a couple of plants – sometimes the smallest changes can be the most effective. 
 
4. Schedule break times every single day 
 
Even taking half an hour a couple of times a day to switch off and relax is hugely beneficial for your mental health when it comes to work. Can you read a couple of chapters of a novel? Go for a walk? Perhaps you could even schedule in time to catch up with a friend over coffee, if they don’t live too far from you. You need to ensure you’re taking time for you. A bit like bringing home a little bit of your holiday with you! 
 
5. Consider how repetitive your days are 
 
If you find that your days all blend into one and it is becoming boring for you, make a resolution to make plans for at least one evening per week and every other weekend at minimum. You don’t have to commit to anything fancy – even just ensuring you finish work by a certain time so you can enjoy an evening with your partner or a friend watching your latest Netflix obsession. Why not try out a new gym class, or join a club? Or you could really push the boat out and commit to going on one city break per month for a long weekend! Whatever you decide, ensure it is something you will genuinely enjoy doing and really look forward to. 
 
6. Go back to your big ‘why’ 
 
Why did you decide to set up your business? Was it because you’d had enough of the day-to-day repetitiveness of employment? Maybe you wanted financial freedom. Perhaps it was so that you could spend more time with your family. If all else fails when you start resenting your business, go back to your big ‘why’ and remember why you decided to go solo. You can fall back in love with your business – you just need to take that time out to consider what needs to change. 
 
 
 
 
Written by 
 
Nicola J Sorrell - 
Effective Accounting 
 
Founder | Xero Champion | IR35 Expert 
Tagged as: Founder's Notes
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