We’ve read books on start-ups and those embarking on the self-employment journey countless times, and they usually have something in common:
Each author shared a piece of their story where in the beginning – and for some time after – their diet suffered a bit.
Call it a video-gamer diet or not, all stereotypes anyhow, you’re going to be focused on urgent task after urgent task. You’re wearing all the hats, and your to-do list is full of priorities. Of course your healthy food choices take a back burner. Eating becomes a necessary evil, and you don’t have enough time to pick and choose what enters your body. That’s when fast food or quick packaged grabs come in handy. For one author, his choice was frozen burritos, while for another, his choice was ramen. Either way, the microwave becomes your greatest asset thus far in your business.
We’re not going to hammer down on how these processed foods can wreak havoc on your system, immediately or overtime. We totally understand why most of us choose to eat on the run and as quickly as possible – there’s work to do! Instead, we want to encourage you to look at your work and energy as both necessary components. Consider them equal partners living a symbiotic relationship. Without one, the other will suffer, because likewise, without proper income we are limited with healthy food options.
How to View Your Start-Up Tasks
No matter how many high priority duties you have to do, not all need to be done today. Our advice is to choose the top three and then mark them as either:
- can’t wait another minute
- can buy yourself some hours or so
- going to be a high priority in the next day or two
All other important tasks, because we will never assume you’re working on meaningless items, can be deferred. For your 1’s, place them on Monday (or today – whatever day you’re on). For your 2’s, place them on Tuesday (or the next day); you can even work on these right after your number 1 task, preferably after a break and nourishing snack or meal. For your 3’s that will be placed on Wednesday (or the following day). Other tasks can be broken up the same way for Thursday and Friday, Friday being the day for catch up items and less urgent tasks.
How This Helps
You’re human and can only address so many things in one day. Without the time to refuel yourself properly, you’re going to risk running dry on fumes and your energy will falter. That’s going to make execution difficult. Your mission should be to balance out your other needs, like food, circulation, hydration, play, and rest so that you are recharged to do what you do best.
We find that owners of home care agencies tend to properly balance this out. Considering they are in business to help boost the well-being for seniors, and to assist in bringing peace of mind to families, it’s no shocker that these owners are masters in balancing the work-life scale. You, as the CEO, need to be the example for maintaining a healthful presence, inside and out, so that you represent your agency’s philosophies, mission, and values appropriately. Profits depend on this. If a family in need sees you’re frantic and overwhelmed, do you think they’ll be likely to hire you as the agency who supports them and their aging loved one?
When you’re starting out in business, there is a high probability that you will be overwhelmed with things to do and if not prioritized with the guide above, or any means you find helpful, they can quickly get ahead of you and you may begin to feel overwhelmed. That’s not going to feel good and it is not a good start to running a good business. After all, you’ll want to make sure you have the proper brain functioning, nutrition, and energy to make decisions and take action. Every choice you make now will affect future outcomes. Partner your body’s needs with your work needs and you’ll be off to a great start with habits that stick with you and your business for the long haul.
Check out this post on the best way to get clients for your startup.