Total Landscape Care Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/104399
contributor's note Avoid Business, Personal Burnout BY TONY BASS Ask 4. 1. 5. any entrepreneur what it takes to succeed, and they'll mention hard work, determination, clear goals and teamwork. But what they may not mention is the frequent, almost certain, never fun, but very real experience of burnedout emotional, physical and financial bank accounts. You can avoid this by using these five strategies. Tony Bass is a featured speaker and landscape business consultant. He is the founder, inventor and CEO of Super Lawn Technologies in Fort Valley, Georgia. You can reach Tony at 478-822-9706 or tony@tonybassconsulting.com. Work from a list each day. But not a long list. Keep your list to just six items or less. 2. Be unreachable. Nothing can be more helpful than two to four hours of complete silence: no phone, texts, emails or interruptions. During this time, you are in control of your mind, emotions and physical surroundings. 3. Keep score. You must have clear, measureable goals set for yourself or your company. Failure to keep score will drain your gas tank. Find a mentor. It can be lonely running a business. At times, you must face decisions that are unpopular among workers. A mentor can help you sort through emotions, provide advice based on facts and offer suggestions from an unbiased point of view. Besides, even the most confident boss can benefit from a pep talk after a tough week. Take a vacation. Actually, I suggest taking three to six weeks away from dayto-day work each year. When you prepare for time off, you have to work hard to get ready to go. And each time you return to work, you have to work extra hard to get caught up. You avoid busy work, focus on high-payoff activities and get two to three times more work done each cycle. THE PAYOFF: The entrepreneurial lifestyle can be filled with huge financial and emotional rewards. tlc J A N U A R Y 2013 TLC0113_ContribNote2.indd 7 Tota lLa nd s c a p e C a re . c o m 7 12/19/12 3:54 PM