Entrepreneurs: How to Stop Putting Pressure on Yourself

Having trouble sleeping at night? Stressed? Feeling overwhelmed? Feel the weight of the world on your shoulders? 😩 These are all signs you’re putting too much pressure on yourself. As an entrepreneur, you will face pressure. It’s inevitable. However, how you deal with it can make all the difference. Below I’ll give a few tips to stop putting so much pressure on yourself.

Trust in God.

If you are feeling overwhelmed, you’re trying to do too much in your strength. Your trust has simply been misplaced. Trust in God, not in yourself nor your capabilities. Philippians 4:13 tells us that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. The key to doing all things is through Him and not ourselves.

Ask God to give you wisdom and strength to tackle today’s challenges and cares. Then cast them all over to God. The bible tells us to cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you. (Psalm 55:22, 1 Peter 5:7).

Create a plan.

Sometimes pressure can be self-inflicted as a result of poor planning. Ever waited to the last minute to meet a deadline? Procrastination can create unnecessary pressure. Procrastination is simply a result of a lack of discipline. A disciplined person will create a plan.

When we read the story of creation in the bible, we see a plan. Did you see God stressing on day 2? No, he had a plan for day 2 and the next day and the next day. Each day there was creation and the next day built upon the previous day.

I encourage you to create a game plan and present it to God. He will establish your plans (Proverbs 16:3 NIV). Creating a plan will allow you to stop putting pressure on yourself because you have a plan that God will establish. Therefore, there is no need to worry.

Create balance.

When you’re putting pressure on yourself to accomplish something, I can bet you’re probably off balance. I love your ambition as a hustler! However, you need to create balance or you’ll burn out too soon.

Even God didn’t complete his to-do list in one day. Get some sleep. Get out the house. Get some fresh air. Go exercise. Spend some quality time with your friends and family. Take care of yourself– mentally and physically. Don’t neglect your physical or mental health because you’re in grind mode.

Don’t allow busyness to hinder your relationship with Christ. I guarantee you a well-balanced person that puts God first will accomplish more (Matthew 6:33). 

Delegate.

In order to stop carrying the weight of your business on your shoulders, it’s essential to learn how to delegate. I seriously struggled with this! 😩 Why? Two reasons.

1.   I didn’t trust anyone to provide the same quality of work that I was already producing on my own. Afterall, I’m irreplaceable. Right? Wrong. LOL

2.   I thought it was easier if I did it myself. By the time I explain what I want them to do, I could have done it myself. This may have been true but it’s too short sighted. I didn’t understand that if I take the time today to thoroughly explain the task, I would save time in the future when I needed that same task completed again.

Both of these reasons may be the very same reason you’re not delegating tasks. However, if you’re not delegating due to the lack of support or staff, I encourage you to pray your staff in. The bible tells us to ask God to send workers our way. (Matthew 9:35-38).

Acts 6 verses 1-7 discusses the importance of having helpers and delegating roles and responsibilities. You can’t do it alone. You will need help along the way.

In conclusion, running a business can be tough. However, greater is He who is in you than He who in the world. You got this! Trust in God during every step of your entrepreneurial journey. Create a plan and pace yourself. Keep balance and don’t forget your priorities. Learn how to delegate. If you do these simple tips, you’ll no doubt eliminate self-imposed pressure and stress.