Say goodbye to your 60-hour work week

It’s no secret that if you want to succeed, you have to put the work in. Entrepreneurs and business owners are known for their long work weeks but overdoing it can have the reverse effect on both mental and physical health.

So, while working hard is necessary, it is also important to find ways to work smart. If you’re feeling like you’ve been dedicating way too much time to your business lately, try these tips to reduce your workload.

1. Set realistic targets

Be realistic with yourself about what you can manage in a day or a week. If you want to reduce your hours, you have to be honest about what you can achieve, and then do it, like the boss that you are.

2. Schedule your rest

If you find yourself regularly missing lunch because your calendar keeps getting booked up, schedule a rest period to help you take some time for yourself.

3. Delegate

If you’ve taken the time to surround yourself with a capable team of people, trust them to share the load within their area of expertise. As a leader, your job is to mentor and coach them, not to do everything yourself.

4. Outsource

If you don’t have the talent to tackle what needs to be done, why not try outsourcing? Particularly when it comes to tedious tasks that don’t require your personal attention, outsourcing could save a lot of time.

5. Take short breaks

Take a little time for yourself in between tasks to recharge. If your schedule is chock-a-block from morning to evening, make the most out of it by having lunch outside, or scheduling a gym session in between meetings.

6. Create boundaries

As a business leader, it can be hard to separate your work life from everything else, particularly if you’re working from home. Combat this by creating boundaries and sticking to them – you can do both.

7. Find joy outside of work

It’s easy to get absorbed in your work when it’s the biggest thing in your life. Set goals outside of your work, enrol in a non-work-related class or try a new hobby. It will give you all the more reason to hit the ‘off’ switch at the end of the day.