Outsource Your Brilliance: 10 Ways To Stay Sane As An Entrepreneur

Overcoming Entrepreneurial Overwhelm

_{As entrepreneurs, we sometimes find ourselves caught up in the absurdity of filling our days with endless activities that suck up our time without bringing us closer to our goals.}

_{We meticulously organize our calendars, hop from one Zoom meeting to another, and devour books on self-help, personal development, and business strategy.} 

_{A constant thirst for knowledge fuels this. But this pursuit often leaves us feeling overwhelmed and usually falling behind.}

_{Why do we do this to ourselves?}

_{Why is it so deeply ingrained in our souls? I’ve pondered these questions many times, and while clearing my calendar and taking a break has helped, I still need to address the root cause of the problem.}

_{For me, the root cause is usually trying to do it all by myself. The belief that no one else is capable or that I can do it faster has held me back time and time again.} 

_{When I find myself in this mode, or after experiencing a failure, I rely on ten strategies to break free from this behavior and lighten my load:}

‍_{Recognize the issue: First, I determine whether or not the situation is within my control. If it is, I ask myself if I can eliminate, automate, or delegate it. My mentor, Cameron Friddle, once shared this valuable insight, saving me time.}

_{Let me give you an example:} 

_{My email inbox couldn’t have been more frustrating. I often felt overwhelmed with junk mail, advertisement emails, client requests, how-to’s, book reviews, Zoom meeting notifications, follow-ups, business notifications, and bills flooding in daily. So, following the same principles,}

_{I decided to take action. Can I eliminate this task? No, it has to be done. Can I automate it? Absolutely! I can sort and manage my emails more efficiently by creating folders and setting up rules for my email clients. And lastly, can I delegate this to someone else?}

_{My assistant? Yes! Using ChatGPT and a quick Loom video, I can give clear instructions to my assistant, significantly reducing my email management time. I experienced a great sense of relief after I organized and cleared my inbox, and this feeling is truly invaluable.}

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_{KEY TAKEAWAY: Taking control of your tasks by exploring ways to eliminate, automate, or delegate them is a game-changer for your sanity and productivity.}

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Mastering Prioritization: The 80/20 Principle for Entrepreneurs

_{Break it down: When facing a complex task or overwhelming project, I break it down into manageable chunks. This helps me stay focused and eliminates the feeling of being overwhelmed.}

_{Think of it this way: a pier is a lake or ocean platform held by solid pillars. Without those pillars, the pier would sink! Remember, your team, friends, family, and resources are the pillars holding you up. So, stay strong and rise above the waves!}

_{I’m not an expert in marketing. It’s not my strong suit, that’s for sure! So, whenever I need to market something, it usually means hours of research and outsourcing some tasks. But you know what?} 

_{I’ve learned a few things along the way. Here is how to PIER define each of these for your project.}

_{Project’s Purpose. What’s the purpose of this project?}

_{Importance Level. How important is it?}

_{Extent of Project Scope. What’s the full scope of work?}

_{Recommendations. Who can do this better than me?}

_{And hey, Think of someone in your sphere of influence or without who can do it better than you. Why not give them a shot? After all, the supports hold up the pier. A counterintuitive approach? Seems lazy? It’s not. You can’t do it all.}

_{There are only 24 hours in a day, and I should sleep a third of that time, so I have 16 hours to exercise, spend time with my kids, wife, extended family, community activities, church, friends, work, make dinner, wash clothes (I’m the stay at home dad), and the list goes on. What can I do? PIER it!}

_{Prioritize ruthlessly: Not all tasks are created equal. I’ve learned to ruthlessly prioritize my to-do list, focusing on high-impact tasks that align with my goals and bring me closer to success.}

_{Utilize the 80/20 principle from Vilfredo Pareto. So many before me have presented this as an entrepreneur tool. Tim Farris was the first to introduce this to me when my father gave me the book “The 4-Hour Workweek” in 2009.}

_{I knew then I was an entrepreneur but was scared, and it took me nearly failing out of college, three different career paths, and a hospital stay before} 

_{I finally listened to what everyone around me already knew. Fast forward to 2021 at the bottom of my mess.}

_{I finally got a glimpse of what 80/20 meant. I quit my 4:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 24–7 manufacturing job and said NO for the first time. For me, 80/20 means removing anything that is not Brysen. What will you remove from your life?}

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Embracing Imperfection: Progress Over Perfectionism

_{Embrace imperfection: Damn, this one kills me to write down. Perfectionism is my trap. I am learning to embrace imperfection and prioritize progress over flawless execution.}

_{I am by no means a master at this task. Taking imperfect action is better than being paralyzed by the fear of not getting it right. I have embraced failure.}

_{I am no longer enslaved by it; I take it by the hand and, like a cheesy Instagram post, lead my losses to the next journey with me, not as baggage but as a learning experience I can show others and help them on their journey.}

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Achieving Flow State: Energize Your Entrepreneurial Journey

_{Find your flow: Discover the activities that energize and make you feel unstoppable. These are the tasks that align with your strengths and passions. When you find your flow, work doesn’t feel like work anymore.}

_{Rituals and routines are our most potent and influential behaviors as humans. I recently finished the book “The Power of One More” by Ed Mylett.} 

_{Ed talked about a baseball player he was coaching who wasn’t performing well, and he asked the player to tap home plate three times now instead of one. He was forcing his brain to escape the funk by changing his ritual.}

_{Simply rearranging our routine can change our body chemistry and force us to change our behavior.}

_{Take the act of cleaning your desk. You always feel better, and the day goes better for whatever reason. Why? Because you forced the chemistry in your brain to do something different and guess what?} 

_{Your brain rewards you with dopamine. Change your habits to increase your flow state and length of flow.}

_{Celebrate milestones: Acknowledge and celebrate your achievements along the way. Recognizing your progress will motivate and inspire you to keep going.}

_{Let’s make this one fun and easy! Get your calendar ready because you’re about to schedule a 90-day reminder. It’s time to review your progress, but here’s the twist: We’re doing it from a positive perspective. Write down all your successes, big and small, and celebrate your wins.}

_{No self-deprecating indulgence, commiseration, or self-loathing allowed!} 

_{Schedule a weekly and quarterly win day to keep the momentum going.}

_{Trust me, embracing these moments of victory will take your progress to the next level!}

_{Take breaks: Remember to recharge and take breaks when you need them. Stepping away from work allows your mind to rest and rejuvenate, improving focus and creativity when you return.}

_{Everyone likes this one, but no one practices it. I took my advice this week and cleared off every Friday.}

_{Now, if you email me on Friday, you will get a dad joke-filled return of me bragging about playing with my kids or, fishing with my dad or skiing.}

_{A four-day workweek is plenty. If I can’t get it done in four days, it’s not worth doing. I promise Tim I will get to a 4-hour work week.}

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Building a Supportive Entrepreneurial Network

_{Learn from failures: Failure is not the end but an opportunity to learn and grow. Embrace your failures, analyze what went wrong, and use those insights to improve and achieve even greater success.}

_{Changing my perspective on my failures has been the single most important thing I have done with my life since getting married to my eternal partner, Kate. Failures are not who I am. They were who I was, and now I am better because of them.}

_{I learned something invaluable from them. Because of failure, I am more educated and want to share what I’ve learned with everyone.} 

_{Be prepared if you email me with a question. You will get an email with experiences. It’s who I am now. I share my failures.} 

_{Build a support network: Surround yourself with like-minded individuals who understand your challenges as an entrepreneur. Collaborate, share insights, and learn from each other’s experiences.}

_{Level up your friend group. In the words of the motivational speaker Jim Rohn:}

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_{“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”}

_{How do I do this without leaving them behind? Well, I give them books. I want my friends, family, and team members to come along for the ride.} 

_{Dr. Benjamin Hardy recently gave out 12 of his newest books, “10x is Easier Than 2x,” to those who emailed his assistant and requested them.} 

_{They came to my house all 12 hardcovers, mind you. And guess what? They are all spoken for because I want everyone in my sphere of influence to level up with me.} 

_{Embrace the journey: Lastly, enjoy the journey of entrepreneurship. It’s not just about the destination but the lessons, growth, and personal development that come along the way. Embrace the ups and downs, and remember that it’s all part of the adventure.}

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_{KEY TAKEAWAY: By adopting these strategies, you can navigate the entrepreneurial journey with more clarity, enjoyment, and success.}

_{Let’s outsource our brilliance and lighten our load. Together, we can conquer the challenges that come our way while maintaining our sanity and passion.}