Whether you are first starting out or have an established business, long hours spent working and worrying are a natural part of the process. The theory of working extremely hard and focusing on your clients is a idealistic one fraught with fault.
The truth of the matter is that you are the biggest asset. You are the intellectual property that drives your sales. And a successful business realizes that its employees are their intellectual property. Without taking great care of who they hire and how they retain, though, their business will suffer. This is why, you as an entrepreneur, need to protect and take care of yourself.
This starts with taking a step back and realizing that working long hours and stressing out can take a serious toll on both your health and your ability to function intellectually at your highest capacity. Stress is a serious condition one that can lead to both physical and mental consequences. Sometimes, these consequences are irreversible and can negatively impact the business that you have worked so hard to establish.
Therefore, it is imperative you take time to take care of yourself physically and mentally. It may seem at first like you are neglecting your business, but really you are protecting its greatest asset: you. So get back to doing the things that make you feel physically and spiritually fulfilled. Whether it be keeping up with your past hobbies and likes or trying something you've always wanted to do. The importance is you make yourself a priority which then, in turn, allows you to sleep better, think better and perform at your highest level.
Your employees and clients will notice the difference.
Monika Witek provides business, intellectual property, forensic and fraud litigation and business valuation services to attorneys and their clients. Her focus is on providing damage, lost profits and valuation calculations related to commercial and intellectual property litigation.
