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Ask the Entrepreneurs: 21 Systems to Boost Business Productivity for Good
May 11th
Ask The Entrepreneurs is a regular series where members of those involved in the Young Entrepreneur Council are asked a single question that aims to help Lifehack readers level up their own lives, whether in a area of management, communication, business or life in general.
Here’s the question posed in this edition of Ask The Entrepreneurs:
What productivity system can you not live without as an entrepreneur?
1. Manage Projects With Asana
Although Asana is a project management tool it doubles as a productivity system by making our team and clients more efficient every day. By tracking, assigning and follow up on individual tasks, Asana allows us to eliminate the noise and focus on what action has to be taken today.
-Kelly Azevedo, She’s Got Systems
2. Share Files Through Dropbox
This must-have app is installed on all our laptops, tablets, and phones. Since we’re often traveling or working remotely, Dropbox is absolutely essential in helping the whole team stay literally in sync. In addition, it makes updating and distributing decks that need to stay extremely up-to-date, like our Media Kit, very simple and efficient.
3. Check It Off on Ta-da List
Ta-da List is the simplest way that I’ve found to create and share a checklist of action items for our team. Team members claim the items that they are working on by checking them off. We have staff ranging from Palo Alto to Senegal (an eight-hour time difference), and Ta-da List keeps us on the same page.
4. Producteev Keeps Up Productivity
Producteev is a cross-platform productivity application. It works online, on Desktop and across mobile applications to help streamline your personal or corporate activities. Producteev is ideal for small teams and we use it extensively in my businesses.
5. Keep Track of Tasks on Any.DO
I organize my life around “to-dos” and without a doubt the best app to organize these tasks is Any.DO. It’s simple and beautiful, which makes it a pleasure to use on a daily basis.
6. Track the Noteworthy on Evernote
Without a doubt, Evernote. I keep all meeting notes, client info and personal ideas in one place, and am able to access anything and everything from any of my devices on the go. I’ve used it religiously for the past couple years, and can’t help but wonder, “What the heck did I do before Evernote?”
-Matt Cheuvront, Proof Branding
7. Get It Back With RescueTime
RescueTime is a great app that runs in the background on your computer. It graphs your activity and breaks it down onto a scale from “very distracting” to “very productive.” It helps me to find the leaks in my productivity so that I can address them and get the most out of my time.
8. Stop Guessing With Wunderlist
Wunderlist has become a wonder for me. Not only is it very easy to input all of your projects, your clients and their associated priorities, but the accessibility of it constantly syncing to all of your portable devices, such as your smartphone, tablet and computer. It is unrivaled and has made my life that much easier, whether in the office or on-the-go.
9. Root Back to BasecampHQ
I’ve used a ton of others and even tried to have my own built, but I always come back to BasecampHQ for project management.
-Roger Bryan, RCBryan & Associates
10. Keep an Eye Out With Trello
Trello allows me to easily keep track of our major tasks and the stage of development on each. It’s a simple and intuitive interface is perfect for web development teams. Best of all, it’s free.
-Patrick Curtis, WallStreetOasis.com
11. Money Matters on Freshbooks
Client perception is important when you’re small. They need to see you have your act together, especially on the basics. If you can’t get that right, how can you handle their business? Invoicing and expensing with Freshbooks makes it easy for me to look good and work efficiently.
12. Day-to-Day on Google Calendar
Without Google Calendar I’d never get anything done. Since the calendar is web-based, I always have access to it whether it’s on my laptop, iPad, or smartphone. I also use the calendar to block off times when I want to focus on a task for several hours straight.
13. Capture Leads on Instant Customer
This CRM system allows me to capture leads when public speaking or networking. From the audience, people can SMS to opt-in to my email list and special offer. Or they can give me a business card, and minutes after I scan it in, it sends them a series of pre-programmed emails with follow-up resources, and a promo offer.
-Michael Margolis, Get Storied
14. Top the To-Do on Google Tasks
I’m a very process-oriented person and I need to have a list of things to accomplish every day. Google Tasks, which is part of your Gmail, is a free task-list service. I update my tasks constantly and it keeps me focused each day.
15. Mix Business With Pleasure on Yammer
Yammer keeps my whole team organized, on track, and in-the-know on all important communication for a particular project. It’s where we share files, discuss goals, and most importantly, where my virtual team has an opportunity to build real relationships with their peers.
-Natalie MacNeil, She Takes on the World
16. Stay Up-to-Date Through Glasscubes
My team and I use Glasscubes on a daily basis for managing documents, keeping track of tasks and organizing information. It’s great because it’s really cut down on the amount of emails we were sending back and forth — and helps keep track of content and its status.
-Heather Huhman, Come Recommended
17. Keep It Clear
I’m finding a nice balance with Clear, a new iPhone app that’s gotten tons of attention because of the way the designers rethought the touch screen user interface. Underneath, it’s a very basic to-do system, but I’ve never been big on bells and whistles when it comes to productivity. The truly incredible UI is the kicker, and seems to fit well with how I prioritize in my head, so it’s stuck!
18. Just Do It With Do.com
I use Do.com to manage all of my various business projects. It helps me track who is doing what and what is left to be done on any given project. Track time, billable hours, share files, etc. — This site can do it all for free. When I discovered it, I knew I would never go back to emails or Excel for managing projects.
19. Hire a Remote Assistant
As a startup social entrepreneur, there is absolutely no way that I could afford a traditional executive assistant. Through YourRemoteAssistant.com, I have a full-time assistant for just $1,099 per month. This serve has enabled me to delegate in an entirely different way at a cost that my organization can afford.
-Garrett Neiman, CollegeSpring
20. Pomodoro Technique for Top Productivity
Apps and project management tools can help you manage and prioritize tasks effectively, but when it comes to getting stuff done, use the Pomodoro Technique. Dedicate laser focus to one and only one task for 25 minutes — make sure to use a timer! Once the timer goes off, take a 5-minute break. I find that when I use this technique, I tend to not get distracted by small urgent things.
21. Teux Deux
Teux Deux is perfect for simple to-do lists and I love the accompanying iPhone app!
(Photo credit: Steve Jurvetson via Flickr – CC BY 2.0)
The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only nonprofit organization comprised of the world's most promising young entrepreneurs. The YEC promotes entrepreneurship as a solution to unemployment and underemployment and provides entrepreneurs with access to tools, mentorship, and resources that support each stage of their business’s development and growth.
Ask the Entrepreneurs: 14 Ways to Conquer Your Company’s Overflowing Inbox
Apr 27th
Ask The Entrepreneurs is a regular series where members of those involved in the Young Entrepreneur Council are asked a single question that aims to help Lifehack readers level up their own lives, whether in a area of management, communication, business or life in general.
Here’s the question posed in this edition of Ask The Entrepreneurs:
What’s your number-one tip for keeping email communication manageable in your business?
1. Keep Customers Separate
Aggregate all of your customer-related requests into one software system such as ZenDesk or FuseDesk. Keeping all of this information in one place allows the owner to get a bird’s eye view of all requests and answers, as well as keeping a large category of emails out of individual inboxes.
-Kelly Azevedo, She’s Got Systems
2. Just Pick Up the Phone!
When email conversions and discussions between team members start flying back and forth on the same topic, usually the best thing to do is to switch the medium to phone. It’s infinitely faster than having a lengthy debate over email, which can often evolve into a thread of 20, 30 or 40 messages.
3. Allowing Instant Messages
No more lengthy emails that never get to the point. Instead, my team makes sure we’re always available via IM so we can have conversations about what’s on our mind and get instant feedback. We’ve found this to be more efficient than letting emails sit in our inbox for hours or days — or get lost forever.
-Danny Wong, Blank Label Group, Inc.
4. Let Someone In
You need to figure out what emails that YOU must respond to, versus emails that must be responded to. Who can you delegate other emails to? Create a new email address or have them login to your email to answer some. Also, do these emails even need to come in, or can you create an FAQ on your site?
-Louis Lautman, Young Entrepreneur Society
5. Spontaneous Video Chats
Instead of allowing threads of never-ending emails, encourage the use of Skype to chat and call team members whenever needed. Email can get out of hand sometimes so it’s important to resort to direct communication to get things done.
6. Now, Not Later
I have found that when I let my emails pile up, not only does it take me more time to go through them later on, but it also psychologically creates a mental block when I see more than I can handle at one time. And instead of working through them, I just continue to leave them unread and unopened. I highly recommend keeping on top of them at all times, responding and marking down what I need to do.
7. Start Batching
I learned this trick while reading “The 4-Hour Workweek” a few years ago. Try to only answer emails two to three times per day– for me, it’s 9 a.m., 2 p.m. and 9 p.m. This makes me more productive in other parts of the day because I am not being constantly interrupted by incoming messages.
-Lawrence Watkins, Great Black Speakers
8. Scrape the Important Stuff
Move your actionable items and important data off of email and in it’s own place. Utilize a business class email that will allow you to easily add contacts, create reminders, set appointments, and store documents while also being able to easily share those items with the rest of your team.
-Jennifer Donogh, Young Female Entrepreneurs
9. Labels, Filters, Stars
If you’re using Gmail, make the most of the various organizational tools at your disposal to help tame your inbox. Filters automatically routes emails and sorts your inbox before you even open it. Labels are a good for grouping together similar messages and making them easy to find later. Stars help make your inbox actionable by highlighting urgent messages and setting priorities.
10. Throw the Boomerang
Stop using your inbox as a ToDo list and a WaitingOn list. The awesome Gmail plugin called Boomerang allows you to send emails, with reminders for that email to boomerang back after a set period if it goes unanswered. A priceless productivity tool for letting go.
-Michael Margolis, Get Storied
11. Keep Clients at the ‘Camp’
We route all client emails via Basecamp, which allows the right person on the team to reply and run with it. It also keeps everything organized per project, so we don’t have to scratch our head wondering where that piece of communication was.
-Nathalie Lussier, Nathalie Lussier Media
12. Minimize the Overload
We’re not fans of having long email chains, especially internally — we use intranets, chat rooms (with recorded history) and deliberately short face-to-face meetings to circumvent long email exchanges. But there’s only so much you can do to minimize email with outside parties, so we use customer service forums to avoid repetitive email inquiries.
13. Don’t Forget to FollowUp.cc
Without question, Followup.cc is the best way to take control of your inbox. With Followup.cc, you can send messages away to return at a pre-specified time. This has enabled me to send myself reminders, and also remind myself to ping people after an appropriate window of time. Most significantly, it takes all not-so-urgent email out of my inbox so I can focus on what’s most important.
-Garrett Neiman, CollegeSpring
14. Break the Chain!
Email is part of your business culture! Encourage picking up the phone, talking in person, texting and IM-ing. By spending less time writing and sending emails, you will help other people to spend less time reading them, and if everyone uses emails that wisely in your organization, you’ll have less emails and more real communication.
-Devesh Dwivedi, Breaking The 9 To 5 Jail
(Featured photo credit: Overflowing Inbox via Shutterstock)
The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only nonprofit organization comprised of the world's most promising young entrepreneurs. The YEC promotes entrepreneurship as a solution to unemployment and underemployment and provides entrepreneurs with access to tools, mentorship, and resources that support each stage of their business’s development and growth.
Ask the Entrepreneurs: 11 Bloggers to Follow for Lifestyle and Productivity Tips
Apr 15th
Ask The Entrepreneurs is a regular series where members of those involved in the Young Entrepreneur Council are asked a single question that aims to help Lifehack readers level up their own lives, whether in a area of management, communication, business or life in general.
Here’s the question posed in this edition of Ask The Entrepreneurs:
Name one productivity/lifestyle blogger that you follow for advice/tips on staying balanced. Why are they so great?
1. Marie Forleo
I heart Marie Forleo’s weekly Rich, Happy & Hot videos. Not only do they provide actionable suggestions for creating a rockin’ business, they also illuminate how to shift from working hard to working smart in order to integrate work with the rest of one’s life. I appreciate Marie’s “everything is figure-out-able” attitude and her belief that the best entrepreneurs are multi-passionate.
-Alexia Vernon, Catalyst for Action
2. zenhabits
Leo Babauta runs zenhabits, one of the most popular blogs on productivity and lifestyle. The content is amazing and the design makes it such a pleasure to read.
3. Tim Ferriss
Tim Ferriss took productivity and lifestyle hacking to another level with his ideas in The 4-Hour Work Week and The 4-Hour Body. He publishes an exceptional blog, with the subtitle “Experiments in Lifestyle Design.” His ideas are eye-opening and his interviews with entrepreneurs are fascinating. I highly recommend following his blog for motivation on being the best you can be.
4. Seth Godin
Seth Godin’s posts are short on word, but pack an amazing punch. His direct, to the point blog posts really help me to stay focused on the important things in life and see things from a different perspective.
5. James Altucher
If you’re looking for a brutally honest and straight forward thinker, James Altucher’s blog is a must read. He is the author of several books and has sold several companies he personally founded. The blog provides many great resources for entrepreneurs and a unique insight into his thoughts on both personal and professional relationships.
-Evan Kirkpatrick, Wendell Charles Financial
6. Cal Newport
I really appreciate and share Cal Newport’s philosophies on pursuing excellence and enjoying life in the process. Although his blog, Study Hacks, started out geared toward students, it has evolved into a place to find relevant information for anyone interested in the pursuit of being remarkable without burning out.
-Elizabeth Saunders, Real Life E®
7. Sean Ogle
Sean Ogle graduated college and entered the work force as a financial analyst. He quickly realized this wasn’t for him, quit his job, moved to Thailand and built an online business. Sean’s blog posts on Location 180 are inspiring and provide practical ways on how to build businesses that can be run from anywhere and, most importantly, how to achieve the independent lifestyle of your dreams.
-Anthony Saladino, Kitchen Cabinet Kings
8. Jason Fried
Jason Fried has built an incredible business around making projects more efficient. He blogs about his company’s lessons learned at “Signal Versus Noise”. It’s not simply about the company’s tools, but he shares amazing insight into building a positive culture.
-Aaron Schwartz, Modify Watches
9. Yaro Starak
Yaro Starak of Entrepreneurs-Journey.com not only gives really good online marketing advice, but he teaches people to build businesses that support their lifestyle and value system. Yaro is from Australia and lives the life of a true entrepreneur.
10. Chris Guillebeau
Whenever I need a little inspiration, I head to Chris Guillebeau’s site, The Art of Non-Conformity. His posts never fail to get me fired up, whether he’s written about business, travel or something else entirely.
-Thursday Bram, Hyper Modern Consulting
11. Mayi Carles
Mayi Carles has great weekly videos, but more importantly she’s designed a set of weekly and daily “Life Is Messy” planners to help keep you focused. She gives great advice for creative people, who tend to be all over the place when it comes to ideas and productivity. Her attitude is really upbeat and her advice is spot on.
-Nathalie Lussier, Nathalie Lussier Media
(Photo credit: Keyboard BLOG Caption via Shutterstock)
The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only nonprofit organization comprised of the world's most promising young entrepreneurs. The YEC promotes entrepreneurship as a solution to unemployment and underemployment and provides entrepreneurs with access to tools, mentorship, and resources that support each stage of their business’s development and growth.
Ask The Entrepreneurs: 15 Signs You’re Working Too Much and Burning Out
Mar 18th
Ask The Entrepreneurs is a regular series where members of those involved in the Young Entrepreneur Council are asked a single question that aims to help Lifehack readers level up their own lives, whether in a area of management, communication, business or life in general.
Here’s the question posed in this edition of Ask The Entrepreneurs:
What are some telltale signs that you’re starting to experience burnout and need to hit the Pause button?
1. Input vs. Output
Are you working very hard, draining your batteries, but seeing very little concrete evidence of the time you’re spending? This means that your input/output is out of balance. You should be working efficiently and effectively, producing more than you invest, so if that’s flip-flopped, take some time to recalibrate.
-Colin Wright, Exile Lifestyle
2. Entrepreneurship Is Fun, Remember?
When you’re loving what you’re doing, the “fun to not-fun” ratio is heavily in favor of the fun side. You are excited to get up and get to work, full of energy and new ideas. You get stuff done fast and you’re in the flow. But once things start to shift to where the majority of your days aren’t enjoyable at all,you need to start looking for a break to get that passion, energy and fun back.
3. Blurry Focus
If you’re having trouble focusing because you’ve taken on too many different things, your work will suffer. You’ll notice a lack of enthusiasm, a lack of interest, and overall, a lack of quality output. If you’re not able to deliver what your client expects, you’re probably taking on too much. Focus on what you can and should be doing, and find a way to cut out the rest.
-Matt Cheuvront, Proof Branding
4. Voicemail’s Full!
If you begin dreading calls with clients, it’s a sign that something is out of balance. Use that warning to evaluate if you’re working too many hours or on tasks that can be easily outsourced, so you can fully enjoy every client conversation and network without feeling tired or burned out.
-Kelly Azevedo, She’s Got Systems
5. Unnecessary Insomnia
If you’re tossing and turning at night and having trouble getting those restful Zzz’s, it’s a sign you may have too much on your plate. It’s a dangerous self-fulfilling cycle too; if you can’t get to sleep because your mind is too active, you’ll be even more tired the following day. Look for ways to delegate your to-do’s and make R&R part of your routine.
6. Where Do I Start?
A disorganized list of tasks is the busy entrepreneur’s kryptonite. Without some sort of method to your daily madness, you’re bound to feel overwhelmed and not know where to start. I recommend spending ten minutes every night reviewing your task list for the next day and creating a hierarchy that you will be excited about tomorrow.
7. Social Surfing
One sign that I knew I was getting burned out was that I’d spend way too much time on Facebook, Twitter, message boards, blogs, ESPN, news sites, anything to put off doing work. In the beginning, I was incredibly excited to get to work each day and crush my tasks. As I got burned out, I started to procrastinate and surf the net, tweeting more and commenting on Facebook posts and blogs.
8. Steering Clear of Your Own Office
Whenever I am experiencing burnout, the last place I head is my office. I’d rather do laundry, scrub bathrooms or go for a walk on a frigid day than sit and do work. If you are experiencing similar feelings, take a few hours or an entire day to just set the work down and go do something totally fun and frivolous. Your brain and body will thank you immensely!
9. Is This Annoying?
You know you’re starting to experience burnout when become very irritable and have a hard time keeping your emotions in check. You will tend to lash out at people that are undeserving of the outburst. Then you know it is time to take a break!
-Justin Nowak, Mobile Business Advisors
10. No Time for the Best Friend?
This might sound corny, but for me, if I’m too tired to play with our dog for at least a few minutes when I get home from work, it’s not a good sign.
-Nicolas Gremion, Free-eBooks.net
11. When You Can’t See the Light
Personally, I don’t live to work, I work to live. Being outdoors is an extremely important part of my life and if I realize I haven’t seen sunlight in 18 hours, I know I’m headed straight for burnout. Even if I have to sadly supplement going skiing with taking a quick walk to get coffee, it’s better than not getting any vitamin D at all. Know what’s important to you and don’t neglect it.
12. Overwhelmed with Apathy
The biggest sign I have found time and time again is when you become apathetic to your business. You stop responding to emails immediately, you spend more time on websites like Facebook and “fun” sites, and you feel like things can wait.
13. What Is Burnout?
If you get to the point where you’re asking yourself what constitutes burnout, you’re probably already at a point where you need to take some away from work. It’s easy to push harder, but taking an “unplugged” day away from email and phone calls does wonders to the body and mind!
-Nathalie Lussier, Nathalie Lussier Media
14. Didn’t I Go to Work Already?
If you are “at the office” even when you are at home asleep, it is time to take a breather.
-Peter Minton, Minton Law Group, P.C.
15. I Love Email!
Managing email is one of the most inefficient tasks of the day, but when you start loving receiving and answering emails as an excuse for not doing real work, that becomes a problem. If you live for that nice little update in your inbox when you have a new message, you probably need to take a break to figure out how you can fall in love with your real job again.
-Danny Wong, Blank Label Group, Inc.
(Photo credit: Burnt Out Match via Shutterstock)
The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only nonprofit organization comprised of the world's most promising young entrepreneurs. The YEC promotes entrepreneurship as a solution to unemployment and underemployment and provides entrepreneurs with access to tools, mentorship, and resources that support each stage of their business’s development and growth.
Ask The Entrepreneurs: 16 Ways to Master Your Work-Life Balance as an Entrepreneur
Mar 4th
Ask The Entrepreneurs is a regular series where members of those involved in the Young Entrepreneur Council are asked a single question that aims to help Lifehack readers level up their own lives, whether in a area of management, communication, business or life in general.
Here’s the question posed in this edition of Ask The Entrepreneurs:
How do you maintain a healthy work-life balance as an entrepreneur?
1. Let Go of Fear
“Many entrepreneurs struggle with fear that if they’re not working every minute that they could possibly be working, their business will fail and they will regret not having put in more time. However, in my own experience and in observing other successful entrepreneurs, letting go of this fear not only leads to work-life balance but also more meaningful productivity and accomplishment.”
-Elizabeth Saunders, Real Life E®
2. Build Lifestyle into Your Brand
“These days so many people are focused on getting funding, explosive growth and spending 80 hours a week on their business. While that’s all great stuff, it can lead to burn out and unhappiness really quickly. Make lifestyle the most important factor in business from the beginning, and then grow with that principle in mind—less stress, more happiness.”
3. Schedule Your Life, Not Just Work
“Reserve set times in your schedule for activities that allow you to recharge and that add value to your life, such as daily exercise, a weekly date or social night, reserved time for family activities, and a yearly vacation. You not only will have something to look forward to, but also extra motivation to manage your other time well so you do not have to cancel on others—and yourself!”
-Doug Bend, The Law Office of Doug Bend
4. Set Some Boundaries
“Calm down. It’s 11 p.m. You’re not going to lose that client if you wait until tomorrow to respond to his request for a project estimate. Set work hours for yourself and stick to them. If you make yourself available at all hours—while out to dinner, while on vacation, during “sexy time”—you set a dangerous precedent!”
5. Turn It Off!
“Our smartphones are a part of our everyday lives, but as an entrepreneur, we literally sleep with it tucked under our pillow. Simply turn off the phone and be amazed at how much you can get done—you can even fit in a work out. You have to know when to separate work and life, which starts with shutting off from everything to take time for yourself. That’s why there’s a thing called voicemail!”
6. Learn Something New
“I started taking beginner piano lessons at age 26 so I could schedule time away from my computer. Now I know that my Tuesday and Thursday evenings are piano nights. I’m paying money to be there, so you better believe I’ll be shutting off my work to get there.”
7. Work It All Out
“Being an entrepreneur often uses up all of your time but it’s important to remember to stay healthy and work out. Try and add a calendar invite reminding you to go to the gym, run or do whatever fits you. If not, you’ll most likely regret it when you start seeing negative results.”
8. Figure Your Fuel
“Too often, the work-life balance discussion revolves around sleeping and exercising schedules; but for nonstop entrepreneurs, the conversation needs to begin with what we’re using for fuel. It’s important to stock up on healthy snacks that will reduce your cravings (for less healthy foods) and keep you going 24/7. Stash them in your desk, computer bag, and car for emergency use.”
-Benjamin Leis, Sweat EquiTees
9. Remember Your Friends?
“Many entrepreneurs I talk to often think about how much time off that their peers have because of their cushy corporate jobs. Entrepreneurs should try creating similar schedules as well so that they can have proper work-life balance. If corporations can make it happen, entrepreneurs can too!”
-Danny Wong, Blank Label Group, Inc.
10. Delegate Your Life!
“It’s great to delegate bookkeeping, marketing, and admin work, but for many who are just starting off your budget won’t necessarily allow for it. Get creative and delegate more of your “life” duties like childcare, cleaning house, and grocery shopping to a spouse. Having my husband help me out by doing some grocery shopping means I have more time to spend with him when we’re at home.”
-Jennifer Donogh, Young Female Entrepreneurs
11. Try Time Boxing
“If you can offload common tasks, such as scheduling and other appointment setting, you’ll free up your time to focus on the most important tasks. Time boxing will allow you to apply laser focus to one project at a time.”
-Jeff Slobotski, Silicon Prairie News
12. Put Yourself First
“If you’re an entrepreneur, your business relies heavily on your sleep and sanity. Make sure that you are putting yourself first by eating right, sleeping well and exercising (at a minimum). Remind yourself that those things are critical to thinking, creating and performing at your best, and make sure you stand firm to your commitments to all three.”
-Jenny Blake, Life After College
13. Balance Is Not “Equal”
“Personally, I’m not happy if I’m evenly dividing my time between work and other things. I really enjoy what I do, to the point that I get bored with a lot of hobbies. I focus on making sure that I’m doing well on a personal level: if I’m feeling stressed out, I’ll take a step back; if I feel like I’m not getting enough work done, I’m cool with investing more time.”
-Thursday Bram, Hyper Modern Consulting
14. You Deserve a Reward!
“It’s easy to forget about the “life” part. Unfortunately, this ends up making you burn out, while never giving yourself “me” time and enjoying the fruits of your labor. Reward yourself, whether it’s by taking a vacation, treating yourself to a day at the spa, or turning off your devices and reading a book. It will make you a better worker in the long run.”
15. What’s Your Work-Life Story?
“Whether I spend 80 hours a week working on business or I’m on vacation and give 100 percent of myself to my reflection and refueling, my experience of both are pretty much the same. I make it my priority to narrate the story of what I’m doing, how I’m feeling, and how I’m spending my time in a way that makes me feel good and balanced. The story I tell myself is what keeps me thriving.”
-Alexia Vernon, Catalyst for Action
16. Schedule It Like You Would An Important Meeting
“If you want time for yourself, you need to schedule it into your day. 4 days a week I make 2 hours for myself through Crossfit. There is nothing more important to me than my health. To ensure I never miss a class, it is scheduled into my calendar weeks in advance and my day is planned around it just like an important meeting with a client. If it’s scheduled, you will do it. If it’s not, you won’t.”
-Greg Rollett, The ProductPros
(Photo credit: Work Life Balance Writing on Businessman’s Hands via Shutterstock)
The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only nonprofit organization comprised of the world's most promising young entrepreneurs. The YEC promotes entrepreneurship as a solution to unemployment and underemployment and provides entrepreneurs with access to tools, mentorship, and resources that support each stage of their business’s development and growth.
Ask The Entrepreneurs: 13 Golden Rituals That Keep Entrepreneurs Sane
Feb 12th
Ask The Entrepreneurs is a regular series where members of those involved in the Young Entrepreneur Council are asked a single question that aims to help Lifehack readers level up their own lives, whether in a area of management, communication, business or life in general.
Here’s the question posed in this edition of Ask The Entrepreneurs:
What daily/weekly ritual do you keep that keeps you sane as an entrepreneur?
1. Meditate Stress Away
“My daily ritual always involves at least fifteen minutes of meditation. When I meditate I give my brain a break. As an entrepreneur my brain is on overdrive. The key to getting real, quality work done is to take a break and tune in. Meditation offers you time to release and recalibrate. For my free guided meditations visit www.gabbyb.tv.”
-Gabrielle Bernstein, Gabrielle Bernstein Inc.
2. Feed Yourself with Inspiration
“You know when you read a quote and immediately it gives you that instant boost you needed in that moment? I keep my favorite quotes with me and look at them daily to remind myself that no matter what, it’s going to be okay and I can push through. Sometimes you need to be reminded of the simple things, even if it’s through a quote.”
3. Lift Off the Frustration
“Lifting weights, especially heavy ones, has been something that I have come to rely on as an entrepreneur. The frustrating obstacles that we face every day while blazing new trails can add up. Personally I am driven by my own stress and anxiety, of which I have plenty. Sometimes the only thing that can relieve some of the pressure is a good ass whoopin’ at the gym!”
4. Stretch to the Limit
“It seems cliche, but yoga has been my saving grace. It pumps me up for a day of productivity, while simultaneously reducing stress. It helps balance my mood at a time when the days get darker sooner. It stretches me out after hours at the computer. It helps me shut my brain off before going to sleep. I go to a yoga studio five days a week. Scheduling that time for myself keeps me sane.”
5. Break the Rules!
“During my work week, I’m super strict on my nutrition, workouts, sleep and business regimen. To combat this, I constantly break the rules on purpose and have a “cheat day.” Blow off an event, put back a few beers, or sleep in on Friday. Remind yourself that you are human, and the reason you are an entrepreneur is so you can have the freedom and flexibility to make these decisions for yourself.”
6. Focus on Loved Ones
“Playing with my son every day and spending time with my family keeps me grounded and focused on why I’m doing what I’m doing. I always think of how my business and work affects my family, and ways to constantly improve upon that.”
-Tim Jahn, Entrepreneurs Unpluggd
7. Join the Team!
“I try to play at least one team sport every week. I find that while your head is in the game and you’re cheering for your teammates, all the stress and work waiting for you washes away. When I return from the game, I find that much of that stress turns out to be gone for good, and I’m refreshed and ready to take on the week’s challenges.”
-Jason Evanish, Greenhorn Connect
8. Coach a Team!
“I coach 3rd-5th grade AAU basketball. No matter what’s going on with Modify or in my personal life, I always forget everything stressful when I walk onto the court with the kids. They’re eager to learn and I can’t help but focus only on their growth. And if I’m really stressed, I can just tell them to do more sprints! (Just kidding.)”
-Aaron Schwartz, Modify Watches
9. Touch Base Often
“I begin each day with a 5-minute check-in call with my accountability partner. We share our daily goals and discuss on-going challenges and projects. This daily check-in ensures that I make steady progress, and it’s great to know that someone who understands is just a phone call away for support and encouragement.”
-Kelly Azevedo, She’s Got Systems
10. Mentor Another Entrepreneur
“Sometimes running your own business can be exhausting and you can lose track of end goals and the passion that got you started in the first place. I find that mentoring other young entrepreneurs reminds you why you started your business. Also, the feel-good vibes you get from helping others are the best way to recharge.”
-Vanessa Van Petten, Science of People
11. Read Your Calendar
“Our calendars hold a lot of information about how we spend out time. If you sit down and scroll through your calendar to take a look at the meetings, phone calls, projects, and tasks that you have had over the past week, it will give you clarity about the things that you have accomplished and about what you can do differently.”
12. Set Boundaries for Sanity
“I will not and do not (except before a big launch) answer or read emaisl within a few hours of my shut-eye time—nor will I read email on my phone IN bed. Sleep is sacred, and so is my schedule. A client wouldn’t dare call me at midnight; so why would they expect an email reply? YOU need to cut the email cord, not them. So do it. And turn off push notifications on your phone while you’re at it!”
-Lindsey Donner, Well Versed Creative
13. Surf…the Internet?
“I’ve found that the best ideas and most productivity occurs when you actually completely disconnect from the work you’re doing. For me this has been surfing…in the ocean! Anything that forces you to be completely present for even a few hours a week does wonders for your mind, body and, as a result, your business.”
(Photo credit: Businessman Standing Alone via Shutterstock)
The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only nonprofit organization comprised of the world's most promising young entrepreneurs. The YEC promotes entrepreneurship as a solution to unemployment and underemployment and provides entrepreneurs with access to tools, mentorship, and resources that support each stage of their business’s development and growth.