Slow Down to Speed Up and Bring More Success to Your Business
Summary: Have you ever felt like walking away from everything in your business? In my first business, I sure did. After the 2008 recession and experiencing a 50% decline, I struggled to get the first business back on track. I was ready to throw in the towel, burned out, and just sick and tired of being sick and tired.
In an ultimatum moment with myself, I decided to get help or get out. Within six months of making this decision, I grew my business by 150%. As I worked through the process, I changed how my business behaved and how I showed up as the owner. Since then, I set about rewriting the rules of how business should be done and getting back my zest for being an entrepreneur.
Today, I help other business owners escape the daily grind and return to their visionary role by creating profits that fuel growth and scalability without burnout.
A Counterintuitive Secret Revealed:
The hustle-and-grind culture of small business ownership states that the only path to success comes from grinding and going as hard and fast as possible to get to the finish line of success. What if it all has been a myth perpetuated by flashy influencers and motivational posters?
Think about it: have you ever found yourself in that crazy cycle where the more you hustle, the further behind you feel? Though you are putting in more hours and effort, you still do not see any results.
Your instinct says more must be done - you need to work harder. You further complicate and confuse the situation by doing so. In the process, you create a focus on being busy over being effective and productive.
In some ways, it feels good to be busy.
But that non-stop hustle doesn’t always push you ahead in the game. Sometimes, it just burns you out and makes work no fun. Meaningful growth often comes when you take a step back.
Being busy around the clock doesn’t necessarily mean you’re making strides forward or moving faster in your business. When you realize this, I welcome you to take another path.
Instead of the hustle and grind, Imagine pressing pause for a moment. Take a moment to be. As you take that much-needed deep breath, you will find that you can sharpen your focus and reignite that passionate, entrepreneurial fire in your belly. You can begin to see the bigger picture in a better way.
Pretend you are walking through a thick forest with trees so dense that you can not spot the path you know is obvious ahead. How will you know which way to go? Without a map, the only thing you can do is climb to a higher vantage point to be able to see the clear paths.
That's what stepping back and looking at the big picture does for your business. You can see how the path to success that you know is obvious but gets hidden in the day-to-day grind, as pictured in the trees above.
In those times of rest, the mind can become clear and see the vision of where you are trying to go and how you want to get there.
From the Brink of Burnout to Booming Business
All of those things I just talked about, I’ve felt firsthand. The 2008 recession showed me the good, the bad, and the ugly sides of running a business.
All of those things I just talked about, I’ve felt firsthand. The 2008 recession showed me the good, the bad, and the ugly sides of running a business.
After the recession, my business was hanging by a thread. I was staring down a fork in the road: get some help or shut it all down. Opting for help was my game-changer.
That move sparked a phenomenal 150% growth in just half a year.
But the real win? It was a game-changer for me, reshaping how I see and do business, blending ambition with a dose of sanity.
I had to learn how to run the race of running a business smarter, not harder.
The Entrepreneur's Dilemma
It's easy to fall into that relentless hamster wheel of work. It pulls you in.
We’re not talking about just having a jam-packed schedule here. It’s about reaching that point where you feel utterly worn out and weary down to the bone. Your creativity feels like it's been tapped out, and you're just plain done.
It's giving your all, day in and day out, and still feeling like you’re miles from where you need to be.
It's pouring your heart and soul into your work, only to look up and see that you’ve barely moved the needle.
But here’s the kicker – it’s not just about the hours you put in. It’s about the toll it takes on you, professionally and personally.
Your health, relationships, and well-being all bear the brunt of this endless grind.
You start to lose sight of why you started this journey in the first place. The dream of being your boss and building something meaningful gets overshadowed by the relentless pressure and the unyielding demands of the day-to-day.
Entrepreneurship is supposed to be a marathon, not a sprint to the edge of a cliff. It's about sustainable growth, finding joy in the journey, and maintaining that delicate balance between pushing your limits and nurturing your spirit.
So, if you find yourself on the fast lane to burnout city, it is time to take a detour, reassess your route, and even take a well-deserved pit stop. Because in the grand scheme of things, taking care of yourself isn't a luxury – it's a necessity for long-term success and fulfillment.
And the shift to slowing down to move faster and achieve more in your business is as simple as 1-2-3.
Three Steps To Slow Down To Move Faster To Bring More Success In Your Business
1. Keep It Real Simple
Let's talk about simplicity. We often get dazzled by complex strategies and intricate plans. It’s in our nature to overcomplicate the simple. But here's a slice of truth I've savored over the years – the most impactful moves in business are often the simplest.
It’s about cutting through the chaos and focusing on what moves the needle. It's not about the flashy tactics or the latest fads; it's about zeroing in on the core of what your business needs and executing it flawlessly.
It takes courage to pursue the simple to stay the course. Sometimes, the simplest plan isn't easy, yet it's your golden ticket to success. It's about doing less but doing it so well that it makes a real difference.
2. The Art of Letting Go
‘Do, Dump, Delegate’ – this mantra isn't just a catchy phrase; it's a powerful strategy that's become one of my favorite sound bites.
The exercise requires tracking all the tasks that dominate your personal and business life. This process of reflection brings light to all the things you do - and shouldn’t do.
As your business grows, you’ve likely only added more tasks to your plate.
It’s like going to an all-you-can-eat restaurant, loading the plate a mile high, and expecting yourself to clear your plate clean.
This is the moment you take notice and start sorting those tasks into Do, Dump, or Delegate categories.
“Do” starts with playing to your strengths – understanding what you excel at, what gives you joy and what are the things that only you can do.
“Dump” is letting go – identifying what doesn't add value or align with your vision and having the courage to kick it to the curb.
And lastly, there's the power of delegation. It is not about offloading tasks. It is about trusting and empowering your team. By delegating, you free up your time for high-impact work and foster a culture of trust and growth within your team. It’s about staying in the driver’s seat for the vital aspects of your business while allowing your team to shine in their areas of expertise.
3. Time-Outs for Turbocharging
Knowing when to take a breather is an art. It's not about lazily hitting the brakes. It is about strategically timing your pauses.
Consider what happens on the racetrack at a NASCAR or Indy race. The drivers and crew engineer the car to be fast and efficient, where winning combines strategy and timing.
They still have to stop for a pit stop for all this power and speed. These pitstops are strategic about bringing the car in for a moment to refuel, change tires, and adjust the mechanics to gain an advantage.
Think of these moments as a pitstop in your race – those brief moments where you pull over, not to quit the race, but to refuel, change tires, and prep for a more powerful comeback.
That's exactly what strategic pauses can do for you and your business. They provide an opportunity to step back, gain perspective, and return with a clearer, more focused mindset.
These pitstops are not just breaks. They are your moments to recalibrate, re-energize, and turbocharge your journey ahead.
They’re the moments that allow you to sprint ahead with renewed vigor and a clearer vision.
The Rewards of Finding Your Right Pace
Embracing this whole slowdown-to-speed-up philosophy didn't just put my business on the fast track; it transformed how I enjoy this wild ride of entrepreneurship.
It's about striking that sweet spot between crushing it at work and savoring life.
This strategy seriously reduces stress, amps up the joy, and helps you survive and thrive in this crazy business world. Remember, folks, it’s not just about growing your business.
It is about loving the journey and rocking it as an entrepreneur.
This concept is something I want to share with you. I want you to remember why you started your business, reignite your passion, and say goodbye to that feeling of burnout that may be creeping in. It’s time we chat so that we can get there together!
The article above was created from a Podcast found at Avocet Strategic Marketing. Here is an excerpt from it:
Your Biz Rules is a business coaching firm. But we take business coaching from a family-minded entrepreneur perspective to create profitable businesses.
We focus on shaping businesses we love that don't kill us, don't make us work too hard, and still have enough time and energy left over to be with the people we want to be with: our family.
Business is only sometimes pretty, and we don't always share the ups and downs with the people around us. So, I try to be very transparent, vulnerable, and honest as I step in as an outside source to help you make Your Business all it can be.
