TMS #026: From Burnout to Thrive

Read time: 4 minutes

As a founder, you're facing challenges. You must find funding, manage employees, and ensure your product is up-to-date. As a result of this constant pressure and stress, many founders suffer from burnout. That's why I've found 6 simple tricks that high-performing founders use to thrive under pressure rather than fail:

1. Focus on the Mission

One of the best ways for founders to focus on their mission is to write a mission statement, which should be specific and measurable. It's also essential that you have a clear sense of what your mission is so that you can focus on it over other things.

One great way to do this is to write down three or four different versions of how you want your business to look in five years.Focus on one thing at a time, and stay focused on all your options at each step of your journey. For example, say there was an app called "The Great British Bake Off." The founder might write down three different versions:

1) sell out of cakes every week;

2) turn over £10k per month;

3) hire more staff members (which could include engineers).

Talk about these situations with friends, coworkers, or family members and ask for their thoughts. They might conclude that a weekly sale would be enough success now.

2. Focus on Solutions and Opportunities

You know the feeling. You wake up in the morning, and you're exhausted. Your head is pounding, and your eyes are red and puffy. You feel like there's a rock in your stomach, and all you want to do is curl up in a ball and cry yourself to sleep. Many founders have seen this happen too often over the years, no matter how long it's been since the last meltdown. Many things can lead to founder burnout, such as too much work, not enough balance, or being cut off from loved ones.

But one thing is for sure: it's only suitable for some people who work for a company (including customers). If you find yourself stuck in this cycle, it may help to think about your problems. Don't focus on what went wrong or how far behind schedule things are. Focus on solutions instead of problems or opportunities instead of obstacles.

3. Know your Limit and Turn Down Opportunities

You may think that you're a superhero who can do it all, but the reality is that you're human. You have limits to your time and energy. This doesn't mean you should stop trying or give up, but you should be honest about your limitations. If someone asks for an hour of your time and you know it'll take two hours to complete the task, say no! You'll be better off saying no than doing a half-assed job on top of everything else on your plate. If they offer money instead, consider taking it. You'll get more done in less time if there's a financial incentive involved!

But what if this person is also paying for drinks after work? Or bringing over dinner? Or toss some pizza into the mix? It depends on how much extra work gets done during those extra hours together…

4. Put Systems in Place for Better Productivity

Since you use your calendar to plan events and meetings, you should also use it to plan essential tasks that don't need to be done immediately. When you have a plan in place, it's easier to stay on track with your most important tasks of the day and week. You know how much time each task will take. So, no matter what happens during the day or week, you can be sure that you will still have time for the things on your calendar (if not more). Set up at least one way to track how important projects and activities are going. Whether you use a spreadsheet or an online task management tool like Trello or Asana, ensure everyone knows where they stand and where everyone else stands.

This is especially helpful when many people from different departments are working toward the same goals.

If everyone needs to get back on track, taking a quick look at all the progress reports can help (or celebrate when something goes well).

5. Practice Gratitude and Service

Being grateful is one of the most powerful ways to combat burnout. You are much more likely to feel content and fulfilled when you appreciate what you have. When my business started taking off, I shifted my mindset from "I deserve this" to "I am grateful for this." This small language change made a big difference in how I felt about my success and kept me grounded when things got tough.

But gratitude doesn't mean saying thank you. It also means recognizing that every person who enters your life has something essential to teach you, whether it's a coworker, a customer, or even someone who tells you no (which can be helpful). If you give yourself a chance to learn from everyone around you instead of only focusing on your goals and desires, and if you do this with an open heart, you will be a well-rounded person who gives more than you take from others.

6. Learn from Your Mistakes and Improve

Founders who learn from their mistakes and figure out what went wrong and how they can do better next time are the most successful and fearless in asking for help when needed or changing their minds when things aren't going as planned. They know failure is a part of life and will not always be easy or pretty. But if you're willing to work and keep trying despite your failures and setbacks, you'll come out on top!

Instead of brushing off your mistakes as "out of your control," the best way to learn from them is to analyze them.You can consider these questions when you have time between meetings with investors or potential customers/partners. When no one else is around but yourself, what thoughts come up? What could have been better? How would things have gone if you had made different decisions earlier?

Conclusion

The key to a founder's success is maintaining your confidence and enthusiasm, even when things get tough. There are no shortcuts here: you must work hard and stay focused. But there's also something you can do on an emotional level to help restore your energy when it starts to flag. And that's by reaching out for support. So don't be afraid to ask for help! It might be what keeps you going through those dark times when it seems like nothing else will get past burnout.

Keep Evolving,

Christian Founder - Mindtutorial

Remember: You’re just one habit away!

TL;DR

From Burnout to Thrive: 6 Mindset Tricks of High-Performing Founders

1. Focus on the mission

2. Focus on solutions and opportunities

3. Know your limit and turn down opportunities

4. Put systems in place for better productivity

5. Practice gratitude and service

6. Learn from your mistakes and improve

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