The lone wolf entrepreneur is a dangerous myth

Carrying the weight of running your business alone is the fastest way to lose everything

There are times when projects that normally excite me begin to feel like chores.

My to-do list grows faster than I can tackle it. Decisions take longer than they should. Tasks that once energized me start feeling like obligations.

That’s when I know I’m heading toward burnout.

I’ve learned not to ignore those warning signs. When my enthusiasm disappears and everything starts to feel like work, it’s usually a signal that something needs attention. Sometimes the answer is rest. Sometimes it’s a conversation with someone I trust. Sometimes it’s taking a hard look at what I’m spending my time on. What I’ve learned is that simply pushing harder rarely solves the problem.

The strange thing is that when I finally decide to take a break, my brain often has other ideas. Instead of resting, I wake up at two or three in the morning with my head spinning about all the things I should be doing.

Like many entrepreneurs, I’ve been through this before. And like many entrepreneurs, I’ve learned that this too shall pass.

Entrepreneurs are especially susceptible to burnout, stress and depression. Most business owners and leaders have few people they can talk to about what they’re experiencing.

Employees may worry about their jobs, but business leaders worry about everybody’s jobs. They carry the weight of customers, suppliers, staff, cash flow and growth. Most of those concerns never go away completely. Many people don’t understand that because they’ve never had to worry about meeting payroll, serving customers or figuring out how to keep a business moving forward.

Businesses go through difficult periods, too. Some industries experience seasonal slowdowns. Others hit rough patches because of economic conditions, changing consumer habits or increased competition. Sales soften, cash flow tightens and suddenly the optimism that seemed so natural a few months earlier becomes harder to find.

Business slowdowns can be especially difficult because entrepreneurs often tie part of their identity to their businesses. When things are going well, we feel successful. When things aren’t, it’s easy to feel as though we’re failing, even when the challenges are largely outside our control.

So what do we do when we find ourselves in one of these situations?

The first step is recognizing that these periods are normal. The second is resisting the temptation to simply work longer hours and hope the feeling goes away. Burnout, business slowdowns and periods of discouragement usually require us to step back, assess what’s happening and make deliberate decisions about where to focus our energy.

During difficult periods, I’ve learned to focus on the handful of activities that generate revenue, strengthen relationships or solve real problems. Everything else can wait.

Burnout isn’t just a physical toll; it’s a symptom of a business that lacks a plan for the inevitable cycles of the market.

When business is booming, we tell ourselves we’ll enjoy the slower pace when it arrives. Then a few weeks of lower sales show up and we start wishing we were busy again.

In one of my businesses, we decided we were going to figure out how to grow sales during our slow times. We developed new offerings and looked for ways to diversify what we sold. After a couple of years of tweaking and refining those ideas, sales grew significantly. Eventually, we were hiring staff during periods when we once worried about layoffs.

As leaders, we also need to look after our own well-being. If that means getting more exercise, spending time outdoors, improving our sleep habits or simply stepping away from work once in a while, then we need to make those things part of our routine.

One challenge many entrepreneurs face is that success doesn’t necessarily reduce stress. In fact, growth often creates new pressures. More customers mean more expectations. More employees mean more responsibility. Bigger opportunities often bring bigger risks. The problems change, but the weight of responsibility often remains.

At one point in my career, I failed to recognize that. After several years of intense work and pressure, I ended up on the couch for two weeks, unable to do much of anything except sleep and complain. It took months before I felt like myself again.

The lesson was simple. Downtime isn’t a luxury. It’s part of doing the job well.

Leaders also need to get out there. As leaders, we’re often embarrassed to ask for help because we think we should be able to do it all ourselves.

But that’s often when we need people the most. Call a friend. Have coffee with someone you respect. Spend time with family. Find something worth celebrating.

It’s amazing how an evening with friends and a few laughs can improve your outlook for days.

Like many entrepreneurs, I have a support network of professionals, mentors and trusted advisors I can rely on when I’m going through a difficult period. They don’t always have the answers, but they often help me see things differently.

There is no shame in admitting you don’t know everything. Chances are someone else has faced a similar challenge and survived it.

Business ownership can be rewarding, but it can also be lonely, stressful and exhausting.

The important thing to remember is that periods of struggle are normal and often temporary. They happen to more entrepreneurs than most people realize.

David Fuller, MBA, is a commercial realtor and award-winning business coach. A lifelong entrepreneur and author of Profit Yourself Healthy, he specializes in helping business leaders scale growth and manage succession.