It’s OK! 12 Things Solopreneurs Should NEVER Feel Sorry About

Being your own boss has its upsides, but many solopreneurs who I know admit to being the toughest employer they’ve ever had. Really, that’s not all that hard to understand. When you’re running your own business and you solely are responsible for setting strategies and executing those plans, you’ve got to crack the whip on yourself. And while there’s nothing wrong with being fully vested in your success, you shouldn’t drive yourself to the brink of mental or physical breakdown. There comes a tipping point – and it’s one you don’t ever want to reach.

So, how do you avoid crossing the line that runs between “motivated & dedicated” and “burned out & checked out?” I don’t have all the answers, but I do have some words of advice that I think will help… “Tell yourself it’s OK!” What I mean by that, is don’t be afraid to make decisions or take actions (or lack of action!) to help you regain focus, de-stress, and rejuvenate your mind and body.

As a solopreneur, it’s OK to…

  • Fit a workout into your day.
  • Make yourself a healthy meal.
  • Take a nap if you worked late the night before or got up extra early.
  • Buy something to make running your business easier.
  • Ignore your email and phone after hours.
  • Take a vacation.
  • Take a long weekend.
  • Not be available at a moment’s notice for meetings and phone calls.
  • Ask clients if meeting by phone rather than in person would work so you don’t lose valuable project time because of a commute.
  • Say “no” to work that you don’t want to do.
  • Decline or resign from a volunteer opportunity if you’re time-strapped and the answer to the question “What’s in it for me?” is “Not enough to justify the time and energy.”
  • Say, “I don’t know,” when you don’t know.

Keep in mind that it takes some self-training and discipline to fully accept that it really is OK. Fortunately, like with any other professional skill, practice makes perfect. The more you exercise your right to treat yourself like the star employee that you are, the easier it will be to make your solo business a workplace you’ll never want to leave.

Your turn! What else should solopreneurs give themselves permission to do without apology?

Click here to register for the FREE Referral Source Secrets from Solopreneur Superstars telesummit! The place to be for tips and tools to build your solo business!!

4 comments on “It’s OK! 12 Things Solopreneurs Should NEVER Feel Sorry About
  1. What – take naps, vacations, nights off and don’t work on weekends? I could I possibly run my business like a normal human being? Thank you for the reminder. It’s easy to forget in this fast paced, work burdened world of ours that treating that most important employee, oneself, with respect, nurturing, forgiveness and understand is the best intangible investment to the bottom line one can make.

    • dawnmentzer says:

      LOL! I guess “normal” for solopreneurs is often contrary to what’s normally viewed as such! Those perks often come few and far between – but like you said, it’s important that we grab them. After all, if we don’t treat our greatest resource (that would be US!) with caring, our business will pay the price in the long run. Thanks for your well-thought comment, Tyler!!

  2. It’s ok to NOT take on everything that comes your way. I used to feel I had to take all jobs – especially the ones that didn’t want to pay a lot. I found that I was not respecting my time/energy by doing that. Now I be a little more discerning in what I take on.

    • dawnmentzer says:

      Good for you, Carrie!! I think most of us have fallen into that trap…it definitely pays to stay focused on what you enjoy and the types of projects that keep you motivated. Thanks for sharing your experience!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.