Lessons from an Overworked Entrepreneur: Prioritising Self-Care for Business Success

James had always been a hard worker, but his dedication reached new heights when he started running his own business. He was putting in over 100 hours per week working to build the business, sacrificing his evenings and weekends to meet deadlines and "keep all the plates spinning", as he put it. While he had achieved considerable success, James knew he had been sacrificing his personal life.

Weekends, which should have been reserved for family time, were spent either catching up on paperwork or developing new marketing. He hadn't taken a family holiday in three years, and his loved ones were starting to feel the strain. His wife had tried to gently encourage him to slow down, and while he tried he just couldn't maintain it - there was way too much to do in his business. His three children missed their father, and his absence was felt deeply.

It wasn't just his family life that was suffering, James had also let go of one of his great passions: sports. He had once been a keen sportsman, dedicating hours each week to training and competing. However, that had all fallen by the wayside as work had taken over.

Sitting with James in his office, staring blankly at his computer screen, he described feeling a sense of emptiness. He had always prided himself on being successful and driven, but now he realised that he had been neglecting the things that truly mattered in life.

Working with James, he gradually started to shift his focus. He re-engaged with the reasons he went into business in the first place and started to reprioritise. He made a concerted effort to leave work on time, and to spend quality time with his family at weekends. He started to make plans for a family holiday, and began to set aside time for his beloved sports once again.?He delegated his low value, low enjoyment tasks to others in his business freeing up almost 40% of his time. He could now work on his business in core business hours, something he had felt guilty about previously.

As the weeks passed, James could feel the difference. He was less stressed, more energised, and felt more fulfilled than he had in years. He realised that while success was important, it was only one piece of the puzzle. It was the love and support of his family, and the pursuit of his passions, that truly made life worth living.

He had a family holiday that summer and also took an activity holiday in southern Europe. Two years later, James sold his business. When I first met him he thought that would be impossible because his business was nothing without him. He sold for a life-changing amount of money and started a new business venture better suited to his personal and professional needs. He did all this by applying some fundamental business principles.

James' story isn't unique. If you'd like to learn the exact process James followed to get back his life and family and achieve his dreams, we have a webinar coming up that explains it step by step. You can find out more about the event and register here.