What to do when you're always spread too thin...

Do ever feel like you’re just spread a little too thin?

As solopreneurs, we often wear many hats—marketer, salesperson, customer service, and more—all rolled into one. The drive to manage every aspect of our business can sometimes lead us to take on too much, especially when unexpected changes disrupt our schedules leaving us stressed and overwhelmed.

Take, for example, a recent experience I had. There was a public holiday in my work week, and I forgot. I hadn’t adjusted my workload to accommodate having one less workday.

I had planned to meet all my usual weekly targets without considering the reduced hours available. By the week's end, I was not only exhausted but also stressed from trying to cram five days' worth of work into four.

So I wanted to share some pitfalls to watch out for when we start overextending ourselves regularly:

Increased Stress and Burnout: Continuously trying to do too much in too little time can lead to burnout with detrimental effects on both our mental and physical health.
Reduced Quality of Work: When we're stretched too thin, the quality of our work often suffers. There's a limit to how much we can effectively manage before our work starts to decline in quality.
Neglect of Long-Term Goals: In the rush to keep up with immediate tasks, it's easy to lose sight of long-term objectives. Strategic planning can fall by the wayside when we're overwhelmed with day-to-day operations.
Personal Life Imbalance: Overworking can encroach on personal time, affecting relationships and personal well-being. It's crucial to maintain a balance to ensure sustained productivity and avoid resentment towards the business.

So make sure you are setting realistic goals for your week.  It's important to set achievable goals that consider your capacity and external factors, like public holidays or personal commitments. Start adjusting your expectations to fit the actual working hours available instead of just extending your work days.

By taking proactive steps to manage our workload, we can maintain our productivity, achieve a healthier work-life balance, and ultimately, run a more successful and sustainable business.