One of humanity’s greatest stress source is the lack of control over anything. That lack of control might be caused by other people, poor decision making, stacked up tasks, or weak willpower.
Imagine yourself waking up every morning and doing your part as the cog in the machine of your business. Your life is a daily cycle of work and responsibilities and it leaves no time for yourself. The cycle begins to stress you out.
You start to question yourself, “Am I in control of my business or is it the one controlling me?” Anxiety kicks in and turns into a dread. What are you doing with your life? You feel powerless. You want to escape but you don’t know how.
Worry no more because today, I’m sharing with you tips on how to regain power in your life as a solopreneur!
Act upon choice.
Wake up at any time you choose. Decide when the day starts. Do tasks according to your will, not by somebody else’s influence or by a predetermined fate. You might think you’re being lazy, but no, it is your life. Live it the way you want it to be.
Learn to decline requests.
Tasks pile up because you allow others to pin some of them on you. If you let people control your life, you’ll find it very difficult to make your own decisions. Starting today, commit to saying no to anything you don’t need or doesn’t feel right. Usually, these are the things that don’t align with your personal values. It’s not being selfish — it’s about standing up for your own and giving yourself time. Don’t be a pushover.
Avoid outside influences.
If you have trouble saying no, avoid scenarios that force you to say yes. Stay away from anything adds unnecessary work. You can choose to completely ignore or give yourself a break to make time for thinking things through. Go to the nearby park or out of town! Turn off your phone. Do whatever floats your boat.
Be strict about your personal time.
When you set time for yourself, it must be ONLY for yourself — unless your “me” time is about spending it with others. Either way, spend that time in ways you intend it to be. If you want the entire hour spent on listening to a podcast episode here at Lifestyle Solopreneur, then at all costs don’t let anyone disturb you. Stay on your intended path no matter what. That will help you master self-control.
Break routine.
One way to practice control in your life is deviating from patterns. Now, this might sound opposite to the last line above but it is a good practice of your willpower. We have to admit, routines, no matter how good they are, can feel restrictive over time. So the next time you feel trapped going straight, feel free to take another road.
Have time for focused work.
Freedom comes with a price. Too much time doing what you want and less on tasks that create positive cash flow affect your business. Set time for serious work.
Learn new life lessons!
A close-minded person is a trapped person. He can be trapped in the past because he refuses to accept change. Remember: Life is a never-ending learning process and it should only push you forward. If you embrace what life is trying to teach you, you’re opening yourself to a lot of wonderful possibilities. Your choices expand.
Take one step at a time.
Doing things all at once can be stressful and throw you into a loop. When I said that you should learn to say no means to allow yourself to work at your own pace. If you work at your own pace, you’re in control of your life.
Call it a day even if you’re not done.
If your work is not done, don’t be afraid to tell yourself that you can resume tomorrow. Working overtime means you allow your work to control your life. Save some time for yourself. Go home and have that “me” time that you deserve.
Gaining control of your life requires a lot of willpower. That willpower means saying what you want to do and doing what you have said.
