Reflections

journaling tips for entrepreneurs

Journaling Tips for Entrepreneurs

Inspiration, Leadership, Reflections

It seems like journalling is everywhere, and for good reason. Studies prove that people who keep a journal experience many positive outcomes. These benefits include improved mood, lowered blood pressure, and less anxiety. This sounds great as a business owner, but I believe journalling is more than that. It’s a practise that, when done right, can increase success as an entrepreneur. To gain these benefits, read on for these journaling tips for entrepreneurs.

Journalling Benefits for Entrepreneurs

The benefits of journalling for entrepreneurs are widely recognized. Many successful founders credit keeping a journal as an important part of their journey. And this isn’t new. For centuries, creatives and entrepreneurs have kept journals. Prolific inventor and artist Leonardo da Vinci left behind about 50 notebooks of observations, notes, and ideas. Scientist Marie Curie kept journals, which are now stored in a lead box – because they are still radioactive. And arguably one of the most famous journals was kept by businessman and old-school VC investor Samuel Pepys. 

I’ve been journalling since I was about 8 years old. Of course, the methods and purpose of journalling changed throughout the years. When my children were small and I was neck-deep in building a brand and franchise system, my journal was both a comfort and a coping strategy. Some days, I journalled to celebrate wins, and record what I felt great about. Often, I used my journal to process thoughts during challenges. It was helpful to write out my feelings and rationale when making big decisions in my business. These are just some of the journalling benefits for entrepreneurs.

Here are 3 strategies for using a journal to increase success as an entrepreneur.

Separation between personal and business

Entrepreneurs generally have few boundaries between life and work. Journalling allows for more separation between personal life and business. A journal is a safe space to express feelings and frustrations. Being a business owner means keeping on a game face for staff, suppliers, and customers. It just isn’t professional to vent about staffing problems to clients. This is a key cause for the loneliness of entrepreneurship.

Of course, there is the love and support of family and friends. But that has limits. Because really, how often do they want to listen to you blather on about the same issues? Start a journal, and have a private place to vent. Write about all the frustrations of the day. It’s a free-style stream of consciousness. There is no need to explain yourself. You can write about the same problem again and again, without judgement. Then you can leave it behind and be present with family and friends. This allows for more separation between personal and business, which is very healthy. After all, anything that supports your mental health will increase your success as an entrepreneur.

“The starting point of discovering who you are, your gifts, your talents, your dreams, is being comfortable with yourself. Spend time alone. Write in a journal.”

Robin Sharma Tweet

Stress management

Let’s face it, being the boss is hard. There are challenges from customers, staff, and suppliers. Things don’t always go to plan. People make mistakes, and technology fails. As the business owner, it’s usually up to you to put things right. Expressing thoughts and emotions provides a release of anxiety and worry. Using a journal to process feelings about what is going on in business is an effective way to cope with stress.

Entrepreneurship can be brutal. In fact, many founders have shared stories of the burden of responsibility that comes from starting and growing a company. And for every celebrated successful business, there are countless stories of founders struggling to pay the bills and dealing with overwhelm. Start a journal and have a new strategy for stress management. Also, a 2018 study showed that expressive writing about stressful or emotional events improved physical and psychological health.

Insight and understanding

Good business management involves reviewing performance metrics and reports. Journalling isn’t a replacement for that. It’s a way to level up and deepen your understanding. Analyzing reports is an important part of working on your business. However, these don’t show what actions and events contributed to those numbers. Start a journal and track the thought processes behind decisions, and the timeline of changes. This gives you insight and understanding into what is driving the results you are seeing.

In addition to recording behaviours and actions, also share your feelings and hopes. For example, if you decide to change a supplier, note down all the reasons why you are making the switch. Also, write about why you selected the new provider, and what benefits or advantages you hope to gain from the new relationship. This is an effective method for tracking the outcome of decisions you make in your business.

3 Steps to start a journal

Next, here are 3 steps for how to start a journal 

First, select what method of journaling works best for you. There are many options. After all, the global market for paper notebooks is USD 21 billion, and still growing. You can pick your favourite colour from the line of classic Moleskine books. Or you can choose something specific for entrepreneurs, like this intention setting and gratitude journal. If you want to shop local to support a small business, there are options on Etsy and local bookstores.

As much as I love beautiful notebooks, there are many benefits to choosing a digital journal. Penzu is a secure online journal that gives you options to personalize fonts, colours, and backgrounds. There is a free version, and paid plans

Once you’ve chosen what kind of journal you want to keep, here are ways to get started.

1. Schedule time

This may seem obvious. But adding a new activity to your routine requires intention. Until journalling becomes a habit, schedule time for it. Though journaling doesn’t have to be daily, consistency is key. Think about what makes sense for you and your schedule. For example, if Fridays are really busy in your business, it may not be realistic to expect to make time to journal. However, to leverage your journal to increase success as an entrepreneur, aim for at least once a week. Block 30 minutes in your schedule and give yourself that space to record, reflect, and vent in your journal.

2. Set goals

Take a moment to think about your intention for journalling. Is this mostly a way to manage stress? Or is it more important that you record your decision making process? Setting specific goals for journalling gives you more purpose. This is motivating and helps you form this new habit. Also, be flexible. It is possible that you’ll start out expecting to use your journal in a certain way, and it will evolve. Moreover, be open to how journalling will change and adapt over time.

3. Categorize

Structure your journal for your future self to use to reflect, review, and analyze. Use categories to make it easier to access information in your journal. If using a digital, online journal, then use titles for entries so they can be searched. For example, create an entry for “New Ideas,” one for “Marketing,” and another for “Customer Service.” Journal on these topics and date each one, so your future self can review thoughts, ideas, and decisions in these categories. If using a notebook, use post-its to separate the book into sections. Alternatively, have separate notebooks for different topics.

Journaling tips for entrepreneurs

Learning how to journal is more than developing the daily habit. Journalling is a powerful way to increase success as an entrepreneur. How? I’ll explain.

Essentially, it’s an opportunity to review and reflect. Journalling has the immediate benefits of expression and processing. However, the real power of a journal is to increase success as an entrepreneur. Incorporate reading your past journal entries as part of of working on your business.

Certainly, you may not want to read every line of a stream of consciousness about that time an employee makes a big mistake. However, if you have titled and categorised your entries, then you have valuable information to help you improve your business. Scan over the past weeks and months, and see what patterns emerge. For example, if you notice that you write about your bookkeeping stress every month, it may be time to upgrade your software, processes, or hire help. Or if there are many entries about staffing stress, then revisit your hiring process, training program, or performance management system.

Overall, starting a journal takes some structure, planning, and time. However, there are the immediate benefits of stress management and better separation of work and home. But the real power comes from being intentional with your journal writing and revisiting your entries to spot ways to improve your business. And as business owners, every opportunity to increase productivity and profits are a good thing.

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Business ethics and boundaries

Business Ethics and Boundaries in Entrepreneurship

Leadership, Reflections

Entrepreneurs are very driven people. After all, we work towards something no one else sees. And to build our vision, we work harder and longer than we ever did at a paid job. Many successful brands have wild stories of risk and sacrifice. Before becoming the billionaire known for Cirque du Soleil, Guy Laliberté was a street busker with a huge bank overdraft. The founders of Airbnb were living on cereal with maxed out credit cards while they were pitching investors to believe in their idea. Recently, entrepreneur Erica Rankin admitted that she sold an unused designer purse she’d been gifted, so she can make rent and keep cash flowing for her business. So it seems we’d do anything to achieve success. A question every business owner should think about is – what are your business ethics and boundaries?

This post may contain affiliate links. I will receive a small commission if you use these links, at no additional cost to you. For the full disclosure, visit this page.

Ethics in business

I’m an optimist. Even during my darkest moments, I believed in a silver lining. I had hope. So I like to think there is a basic level of ethics in business. That companies have a genuine intention to do their best, for customers and for employees. To provide the best possible service and quality products. And to be honest and transparent. Business ethics is a whole field of study which applies to culture, leadership, organizational processes, policies, and personal behaviours.

Basically, I believe good ethics in business is to cause no harm, because businesses are run by people, and people are inherently good. But I also know that isn’t reality. Even good people do bad things, and there are simply just bad people in the world. A bad person tried to cause me harm when they lifted my MacBook from my bag on the Metro in Barcelona. But then he handed it back to me – after I chased him down the crowded platform to confront him with a loud yell and a chest-thump. And I was immediately surrounded by kind people checking in to see if I was ok. There is always good with the bad.

Ethical boundaries as an entrepreneur

As individuals, we have our own belief systems, morals, and values. These have many influences, and may evolve throughout our life. We start with what we learn from the family who raised us, and the society we grow up in. There may be religious and spiritual teachings. Later, education, travel, reading, and personal development work may shape how we see the world. As a result, this all impacts how we live our lives, engage with people, and identify  ourselves. Also, our ethics may cause us to identify as a member of a particular policy party or religious group. Ethics drive our decisions as consumers, causing us to buy organic or sustainable. I ask you to consider – what are your business ethics and boundaries?

Knowing your boundaries in business

Though this isn’t a traditional part of a business plan or marketing strategy, I recommend that entrepreneurs put some thought into knowing your business ethics and boundaries. These will shape decisions you make about how you operate your business. Do you want  your business to match your personal ethics? Great – but do a reality check. For example, if that means shopping local, check if local suppliers can provide what your business needs. Or if you want to use only sustainable materials, how does that cost impact your margins based on your pricing strategy? Knowing your boundaries in business may require that you make compromises, somewhere. This may mean pricing higher and targeting a different market segment in order to stick with your personal ethics of only using renewable resources in your manufacturing. Or it could mean that you work with an overseas provider, and pledge to donate a portion of profits to an environmental non-profit.

Making ethical choices

My boundaries were tested recently. Someone contacted me to get help with a business plan. This is just my sort of work, and I’m looking for work. Then I learned what the business plan was for. This company is delivering a service to an audience whose politics and beliefs do not match mine. I won’t name names. Suffice it to say that I grew up in Canada, voted for the Green Party, and believe that human rights includes the rights of the LGTBQIA2S+ communities. And this American business was, well, on the other side of the aisle on all counts.

So I had an ethical choice to make. Take the contract and do the work on this business plan, whose purpose is to support and connect beliefs that oppose mine? Or do I or walk away? It took me about 1 second to know my decision. Though I’m focused on getting more coaching clients, I have ethical boundaries. I will not cross them, not even for revenue, reach or referrals. Clearly, I will not put my time, energy, education, and experience towards helping a business who was so actively against my ethics.

Love being an entrepreneur

Business ethics and boundaries influence decisions around marketing, operations, customer communication, human resources, suppliers, and collaborations. Enjoying your business and feeling good about being an entrepreneur is more than performance metrics and revenue numbers. Making ethical choices in your business which align with your personal values and beliefs are important to feel fulfilled and love your life as an entrepreneur.

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How to deal with overwhelm as an entrepreneur

Overwhelm as an Entrepreneur

Leadership, Reflections

Ikea nearly pushed me over the edge. I’d dealt with overwhelm as an entrepreneur. But this was a whole new level. And it reminded me of a few key strategies to cope. But first, I’ll tell you the whole story.  important strategIt was the hottest day in London, ever. The windows of my new flat were cranked open. Dry heat rolled through the unfurnished spaces in rhythmic waves. I was crouched among stacks of moving boxes and Ikea packaging like a hunted animal. Clients were waiting, the deadline to complete my MBA was looming, and there was no place for me and my teenage daughter to sleep. Or eat, or sit – until I assembled this furniture. Feeling crushed by the thickness of the heatwave and the urgency of all these needs. I knew how to deal with overwhelm as an entrepreneur, but was almost defeated that day. Until I was inspired by the simplicity of Ikea instructions.

This post may contain affiliate links. I will receive a small commission if you use these links, at no additional cost to you. For the full disclosure, visit this page.

Inspired by Ikea Instructions

It was the hottest day in London, ever. The windows of my new flat were cranked open. Dry heat rolled through the unfurnished spaces in rhythmic waves. I was crouched among stacks of moving boxes and Ikea packaging like a hunted animal. Clients were waiting, the deadline to complete my MBA was looming, and there was no place for me and my teenage daughter to sleep. Or eat. Or sit. Until I assembled this furniture. I felt crushed by the thickness of the heatwave and the urgency of all these needs. I knew how to deal with overwhelm as an entrepreneur, but was almost defeated that day. Until I was inspired by the simplicity of Ikea instructions.

Ikea and Overwhelm

Actually, the overwhelm hit me hard when I was about 4 hours in on putting together a bed frame, when there was nothing about what I had built which remotely suggested a bed frame. In fact, I’ve taken apart and put together many beds – Ikea or otherwise – over the years of moving and raising children. 4 sides, a headboard, a middle bar to support the iconic Ikea bed slats. And though it should have been easy, and this wasn’t. There were 9 more pieces of furniture to put together after this. This was going to take forever, and I had other things to do. The awareness of deadlines and responsibilities was a slow, crushing fog.

Overwhelm as an Entrepreneur

This wasn’t the first time I felt overwhelmed. Running a franchise system and raising children can do that. And it’s well known how often entrepreneurs deal with it. Studies show that entrepreneurs are more at risk for burnout because of our nature, and habits, and the lack of definition between business and personal. 

Next, I did some deep breathing, and noticed something. I saw the message of “simplify” in the cartoons of the Ikea instructions. So I decided to trust the process of assembly. And to be present with every step, on every page. I resolved to stop skipping ahead to compare where I was, with what the end result is supposed to be. Also, to stop watching the clock and judging where I was at. My intention was to just take one cam lock, screw, dowel, and pin at a time. 

This acceptance felt like a release. I put on some podcasts, and got back to work. I knew that each step would eventually lead me to the end. Just as individual drops of rain will eventually fill a barrel, and the movement of one rock against another can create a hole. Eventually, I finished assembling 9 pieces of furniture. 

5 strategies to cope with overwhelm

Overwhelm as an entrepreneur is not just about a deadline or transition or change. The feelings of overwhelm may not be linked to a specific event or circumstance. There may not be an obvious, identifiable way to know the cause, or the solution. Entrepreneurship is not like baking. There is no clear recipe to follow. Based on my many years of lived experience running a business, here are strategies to deal with overwhelm as an entrepreneur.

1. Have systems

Our bodies have many systems – circulatory, digestive, and so on. Being an entrepreneur also involves many systems. Your business needs systems and processes for marketing, customer service, managing staff, finances. If those systems are not well designed and up to date, overwhelm is inevitable. 

Therefore, have systems for you, as an individual. Systems to manage your time and communication. Do you use a planner? How do you keep track of meetings, appointments, and deadlines? Keeping it all in your head overwhelms the brain. If you don’t have systems, or what you have is no longer working, then take the time to get it sorted. Streamline email, calendars, and task lists. Explore technology to see what fits your working style and is appealing.

Also, consider adding journaling to be part of your support system. Read this article for tips on how to use a journal strategically. 

2. Have habits

Habits have a huge influence on your ability to manage overwhelm as an entrepreneur. Clearly, a framework of systems is useless without the habits to use them regularly. Similarly, it’s not enough to buy a treadmill – it has to be used regularly to get results.  Just as going to the gym once is not enough for you to reach your goal of running a marathon, doing just one task is not enough to reach your business goals. Like those drops of rain filling a bucket, it’s the habitual repetition of actions and behaviours which add up to something.

Most of us have the technology available on our phones and laptops to keep track of schedules, and appointments. The systems are there for us to use. However, if you have systems in place but are not using them regularly, then explore ways to develop that habit. As humans we tend to overcomplicate things, but this can be really quite simple. For example, during a recent accountability session with a client, they mentioned they keep forgetting to do a certain thing in the evenings. I suggested using their phone to set an alarm, which is simple and effective. 

3. Have priorities

Next, get clear about about your priorities. Because if  everything is a priority, how to decide what to do first? The potential of each day is limited by time and energy. It simply can’t all be done at once, or at the same time. So, connect to goals and identify what actions are required to meet them. Also, know what is really important to you. And then recognize what you can let go of, or reschedule, or give to someone else. 

Strategies to deal with overwhelm

Delegate to deal with overwhelm

For example, in working on my strategic case study to complete my MBA, I had a concept for how to present a chunk of my research. The data was important but not worth using up precious word-count, so I wanted a time graph chart which would present the information. I mucked about with different software options trying to get this thing to look the way I wanted. After a full day of working on it and producing nothing better than a hot mess, I decided my priority was to finish the paper, not learn new software. I hired a VA person who had the software skills to take my data and create the graph I wanted. That story is actually the perfect lead to my next 2 strategies for how to deal with overwhelm.

4. It’s ok to change your mind

Really. It’s ok. Even if you announced it to your family or your staff. It’s ok. You can move a project to another quarter, or another year. You can decide something isn’t working like you expected, and be willing to reevaluate it. Creativity and flexibility are traits of entrepreneurship. Keeping your priorities in mind, be willing to make changes. 

At the end of Day 1 of Ikea furniture assembly, I had zero furniture assembled. So that’s what I did. I took a deep breath and knew my priority was for us to have beds. The one I’d been working on for hours still looked more like an abstract art project than a structure to hold a mattress. It may have been the heatwave warping the wood, but I could not get 2 of the sides together. So I changed my mind. I ordered a different model, and arranged to return the lopsided art piece. That new bed was put together in a couple of hours and saved me a load of time and energy.

5. It’s ok to ask for help

After all, who said we have to do it all alone? Humans are pack animals. We’ve been cooperating in groups for thousands of years. It’s ok to ask for help. I made a list of what needed assembly, then did a little  Youtube research for instructions. Next, I checked in with my priorities. After balancing out what item we needed first (beds!) and what was the easiest to put together, I made some decisions. I focused my energy on the stuff I could easily do, and then hired someone to assemble the sofa. After all, the value exchange made sense. Because that decision saved me at least 9 hours of assembly time and energy. And it felt good to support a self-employed local with experience putting together that exact sofa model. I used a company founded by a savvy woman entrepreneur, who later sold her business to Ikea. Love these full circle moments!

Best 3 books to learn how to deal with overwhelm

The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People This 1989 book by Stephen R. Covey was my first introduction to the structure of weekly planning. It breaks down the circle of concern and the circle of influence, which links back to my earlier tip of identifying priorities. “Start with the end in mind” is one of my favourite quotes from this book.

Overcoming Overwhelm: Dismantle Your Stress from the Inside Out For a deep dive into the ways we get in our own way, read this book by naturopathic Physician Dr Samantha Brody. She is very real about the pressures and expectations imposed by society and social media. “You can’t fail at self-care” is solid advice for anyone feeling burdened by perfectionism.

Atomic Habits If you are feeling overwhelmed by all the things you feel you must start doing, or stop doing, then this book is for you. This connects to my awareness that with each turn of each bolt, I was moving towards the end goal of having assembled furniture. As author James Clear says, all big things come from small beginnings.

Conclusion

Obviously, there is no one answer for each person, or each situation. And explained above, entrepreneurship is not like baking. There is no tried and true recipe which can be followed by everyone and get the same results. And there is no one answer to help you manage overwhelm as an entrepreneur. You are an individual. Therefore, experiment with strategies and ideas to see what works for you. Finally, be ok with something new feeling uncomfortable. Don’t abandon it without giving it a real chance. Remain curious, and explore the why behind the why something didn’t work for you.

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