Breaking free from your stress cycle

BUSINESS BITS
Aileen Santos

When people ask you how you are, or how your startup business is doing, do you often find yourself saying something along these lines: "I have such a long to-do list!" "I'm so stressed." "As usual, busy."

Perhaps you're wondering how a small business owner can find balance amidst a really hectic schedule. The thing is, it's perfectly okay to be busy as long as you're doing something that also brings you enjoyment, whether directly or indirectly.

Remember, work-life balance is not about "allotting an equal number of hours to all the important parts of your life each day." That would be impossible, unrealistic, and ultimately more stressful.

Instead, balance is all about knowing that--in any given week or month--you were able to devote the amount of time needed to the things that really mattered to you, bringing you closer to your own vision of success.

Your words can cause imbalance and loss of profits. You don't need to have a PhD in Psychology to figure this out: If you keep on telling people you're stressed, you tend to feel stressed and behave in stressed ways. After all, your body is designed to prove you right (just ask anyone with a PhD in Psychology).

And if you put yourself in the shoes of a prospective client, would you really want to give "more work" (a.k.a. income opportunities) to someone who keeps talking about being overworked?

Positive entrepreneurs attract positive people, income, and opportunities. If you'd like to become this kind of entrepreneur now, you'll want to install these two new habits in your business and your life.

Practice being complaint-free In the website of "A Complaint-Free World," purple wrist bands are given away to anyone who wants to join their movement. The way the band is used is very simple: when you catch yourself in the act of complaining (in your head or through your mouth) you're supposed to move the band from one wrist to the other.
Notice that we say "when you catch yourself," not if.

Because complaining has become such a worldwide habit, and it takes real decisiveness to get rid of its toxic effects in your life." But what if there's really something to complain about?" you might ask.

The answer here is simple: you can notice (or point out what you're noticing) without having to label it as 'bad.' In short, you can state what's happening without having to complain. It's the difference between, "The service here is sssoooo slow, I just hate it!" and "Hi. It's been 30 minutes since you took my order," and saying it in a calm and non-emotionally-charged way.

Once you become aware of how often you actually complain in a day, you'll gradually be able to catch yourself before a complaint starts, until you become totally complaint-free... and a really cool person to be around!

Give yourself permission to be happy. Too many people put needless obstacles to their own happiness. They say they'll be happy when they've opened their second branch, or when they've sold their hundredth unit, or when they've earned their first million.
But guess what happens when they've achieved this "condition?" That's right: they just create new ones!

While it's always a good thing to set goals for your business and for yourself, you should never turn these unmet goals into obstacles that prevent happiness from showing up in your life. After all, truly successful people know that the road to any worthwhile destination is paved with the lessons of countless detours and failures. But they've chosen to enjoy the journey anyway... every step of the way.

Aileen Santos is an internationally certified Work-Life ReInvention Coach and A-Ha! Trainer who helps overwhelmed leaders and entrepreneurs achieve balance and success in the things that truly matter. If you want more "LightBulb Moments" of clarity and direction for your own situation, sign up for her free tips at LightBulbOnYourHead.com.