You could literally spend all day online just reading through tips for entrepreneurs until you have business knowledge spewing out of every orifice. This happens to a lot of people, and they wind up spending most of their time dreaming about taking action, reading about someone else taking action, and discovering new ways to take action, rather than actually taking action. Then there’s the crowd on the other side of the spectrum, taking action into overtime without stopping to look at the bigger picture.
We talked to Per Wickstrom, founder and CEO of several rehab clinics, about the similarities between business obsession and drug addiction, and here are the tips he gave us:
1. Understand that Work-Life Balance is Crucial.
In the same way a drug addict neglects every aspect of their life to look for the next fix, obsessed entrepreneurs also zone in on only business. At Best Drug Rehab, we’ve witnessed as imbalance has caused loss of friends, family, jobs, and a subsequent downward spiral for many non-recovering addicts. For the obsessed entrepreneur the outcome can be similar, except it will also come with hindered creativity and productivity, as research has shown that those are two attributes that are improved by giving yourself free time.
2. Learn to Stick to a Schedule.
The first step in striking a balance that is conducive to a comfortable and successful lifestyle is to create daily and weekly schedules that you’ll be able to consistently adhere to. If you’re just going with the flow and sitting down at your computer whenever you feel like it, you’re going to be finding yourself missing meals, losing sleep, having no time for friends and family, and experiencing a great deal of stress and anxiety as a result.
3. Work Smarter, Not Harder.
Many obsessed entrepreneurs spend so much time being a workaholic that they’re actually missing out on the innovative routes they could be taking to earn more money with less work. Instead of stopping, taking a step back to look at the situation, and making changes to simplify or improve their workflow, they just continue working away day after day. If there are obvious inefficiencies and deficiencies in your workflow, it’s best you address those before continuing.
4. Get Your 8 Hours Every Night.
Adequate sleep is paramount for the body to recover and perform optimally. Obviously, since your body runs your business, it’s kind of important to keep that thing in good working order. Go to sleep and wake up at set times every day to ensure you’re getting all the REM needed to facilitate optimal productivity and decision-making abilities.
5. Stop Putting Work Before Meals.
Finally, if you find yourself eating at sporadic times, missing meals, or even going the entire day on just a snack or two unintentionally, it might be time to create a meal planning schedule and stick to it. That might sound like a form of obsession in itself, but if it means it’s going to keep you nourished and ensure that you have the calories needed to perform then it is only positive.
Being Obsessed Doesn’t Always Lead to Success.
In closing, Per noted that obsession doesn’t always lead to success, and sometimes it can even hinder progress by steering you in the wrong direction. What good is it to travel 500 miles on the highway at 100 mph only to find out you were in a rush to go to the wrong destination the entire time?
