This episode is a Q&A episode answering questions from you about taking care of yourself while being an entrepreneur working on your business. At the beginning, you'll get the lowdown on what to expect for episodes of the podcast and our social media presence for the upcoming Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, as well as find out about our first video episodes. 

You can subscribe to YouTube to get them on their early release schedule, starting in December.

It Can’t Be Hustle All The Time

One of the biggest flexes from entrepreneurs is that they are CONSTANTLY “on the grind.” A key component of content marketing success is the consistency of your content creation. Consistency is valuable, as is being able to unplug from time to time. When you can plan your breaks from consistent practice and make known the deviation from the standard, you offer your community an adjustment. 

If you’re an extrovert like me, you are energized by your interactions with others. The holidays present an opportunity to re-connect with those who don’t get as much of your attention when you’re “on,” as well as recharge yourself with the love and quality time spent with your loved ones, deepening your connection with them. 

We’ve all seen someone preoccupied with their cell phone, rather than engaging with the people around them. Obviously, in 2020 we’ve had to reexamine and retool our work lives to fit the framework we find ourselves in, and as we discussed in the bonus episode released toward the beginning of the pandemic shutdowns, it’s important that we maintain separate “work” time from the rest of our time. Really, it’s about making sure you aren’t sleepwalking through the relationships you have with the most important people in your life as a sacrifice to what you do, especially when that scrolling and app-checking isn’t actually productive time spent.

Taking Proper Care of Yourself

We’ve all heard the sage wisdom from those wise flight attendants, who remind us before every take-off to affix our own mask before attempting to help someone else, and that’s an attitude that many entrepreneurs who are always going, going, going should adopt. First, sleep. Sleep is necessary. It is healthy, and it’s rejuvenating. Sleep spurs creativity. Sleep improves your performance. There cannot possibly be something of value you gain for your business by denying your body its natural recharging activity constantly. Take a moment and imagine if you put your cell phone through its paces without putting it on the charger. You need to serve yourself before you can serve others.

There’s more to your overall well-being than just sleep and energy, and you should be investing in yours to be the most effective at what you do. Dr. Jenna Elwart noted in Episode 23 of this podcast, there is a benefit to taking a holistic approach to work on all the interdependent aspects of what makes up each of us. We should be ensuring that we stay physically active through exercise and activities that enrich our bodies, eat well, and get the right amount of sleep. One thing that really helps me stay at peak productivity and separate aspects of my life is meditation. It serves as a sort of bridge between "work" time and "play" time.

Personally, I find myself far more engaged, effective, and efficient in all that I do and am when I work on the totality of my well-being. 

How Can You Do All of That?

I’m sure you’re a busy person, and you’re probably asking yourself (and me, by extension) how you can fit all of that in, when you’re working, building your business, participating in hobbies, and spending time with your family. Stop letting others dictate their action item or to-do list to them and create their own, focusing on what is important to their success. I found one thing that helped me be at my most productive at work, no matter the job, and that was to “batch” my work. Focus on doing one thing at a time. Even brief mental blocks created by shifting between tasks can cost