Sustaining Productivity and Balance as an Entrepreneur

Even the most skilled entrepreneurs will tell you that they've slipped up from time to time due to a lack of concentration, but staying productive 24/7 just isn't a reasonable goal. Sometimes, you need to relax and unwind to think clearly. However, many people often forget to do this when they become entangled in their responsibilities as a beading business owner.

A lack of productivity doesn't mean you're lazy - it may just mean you're burnt out. In turn, your company can begin to show the signs of your struggle, which is why it's important to create a viable strategy to get yourself out of these types of slumps.

In order to avoid falling behind and suffering from a lack of motivation, you need to nourish both your business and personal lives. Although your company requires you to be 100 percent engaged at all times, you need to take time to yourself to enjoy your life with your loved ones as well, according to Inc.com. Sustaining balance can help you be a better, more productive entrepreneur.

When you're not running the storefront, you can make the most of your free time by leaving your work at work. Don't obsessively check your email at home and worry yourself silly. Step away from your beading business obligations for a breather.

Next, consider treating yourself to a mini vacation. Even if you can't get away for two weeks at a tropical destination, do yourself a favor and take just a couple of days off to reboot. There are a number of things you can do with this time as well, whether it's visiting a local museum or just staying home in pajamas with your sweetheart. After you take a couple days to yourself, you'll have a fresh mind and restore your productivity in the workplace.

If you're having trouble finding balance between your beading business obligations and your personal life, ask yourself what's important to you aside from entrepreneurship. This will help you hone in on other areas of your life that can make you happy and prepare you to take on whatever your job throws your way.

Entrepreneur.com says that applying these sort of tactics to the workplace is also an effective way to keep yourself from getting burnt out and staying productive. Here are a few things you can do to prevent yourself from getting into a slump that could potentially hurt your beading business.

1. Give yourself a little "me" time during the day. Even if you have to work more than 40 hours a week, you should make it a priority to squeeze "me" time into everyday. Utilize your lunch break to do something you enjoy or take a 10-minute break in the afternoon when you're starting to feel burnt out.

During this time, do what you can to take your mind off of work. Watch a silly video online or read a few chapters of a book. Allowing your brain to take a much-needed break can do wonders for your creativity when you get back to your entrepreneurial obligations.

2. Take the time to properly train your employees. A lack of productivity is something that can spread across the board. Even if it starts with you, it can easily spill over onto your staff and begin to affect your entire beading business. To make sure that you're not carrying a majority of the stress 100 percent of the time, take advantage of the opportunity to properly train your staff.

It may seem like a tedious concern, but failing to give your employees the guidance they need can come back to haunt you in the future. If your staff is not ready to tackle their obligations, it's going to fall on you to make sure everything gets done. In turn, this can hurt your productivity rate. Even after you properly train your staff, you should always leave the door open for employees to ask you questions when necessary. This will ensure that your workforce is constantly up to speed with everything that needs to get done.

3. Prioritize throughout the day. One of the easiest ways to slow your productivity rate is by obsessively checking your email. To avoid doing this and falling behind, create labels and filters to prioritize your messages according to importance. This will also give you more time to take care of other responsibilities, such as bookkeeping and running the storefront. In the end, you'll be less stressed out knowing that you're organized and ready to uphold all of your obligations.