Burnout is a big issue among business owners. 

Whether it’s younger business owners, who are overwhelmed and frustrated, or older business owners who tell me that they “just don’t have the energy for it anymore,” running a business is taxing on your attention and energy.

So how do we get everything done without getting burnt out?

We’re not good at everything.

I happen to be terrible at organizing my calendar. Anyone who has worked with me for any period knows that I have about a dozen ways to schedule something wrong, and I do them all regularly.  So that’s an easy one — the first thing I got a VA to do for me was to handle my calendar. 

I’m no graphic designer, but I know how to do simple things. I taught myself HTML in 1999, so I can do web design, but I don’t want to do either of those things. So they are also easy to delegate. 

What’s hard to delegate

As your business grows, and your team grows, you tend to hire folks who are good at doing the things that you are terrible at, and the things you can do, but you don’t do well. Where the rubber hits the road is hiring people to do things that you are actually good at. 

I love spreadsheets. If I could have only one piece of software on my computer it would be Excel. I’m also good at creating spreadsheets that help people to make clear decisions and understand their business better. When I was younger making a great spreadsheet gave me joy. (It really did!) But now that I’ve done about a million spreadsheets it doesn’t give me joy anymore… Now when I have a spreadsheet to work on, it falls to the bottom of my list. It’s tedious and draining for me now. People will pay me cash money for my spreadsheets — but I don’t want to do them.

I have to delegate those things. 

It’s hard because I’m good at it. Better than most everyone I could hire to do it. But I have to let that go to someone who get’s joy out of it, so that I can focus on what I’m best at — that’s my Zone of Genius.

Time flies when you’re having fun

When I’m working in my Zone of Genius, the work is effortless. Hours feel like minutes. I’m in that FLOW state. I don’t get burnt out. I don’t get exhausted. 

I just have to say “no” to other things, outside of my Zone of Genius, so that I can stay there. 

What things have been easy for you to let go of? What things have been harder? Everything you’re holding onto that’s not in that Zone of Genius is dragging you closer to burnout and frustration. How can you move it off your plate?

Hit reply and tell me what you need to move off your plate today?

P.S. If you want to learn more about Zone of Genius I recommend “The Big Leap” by Gay Hendricks