[jwholden]

As the season begins, I find myself evolving into a giant ball of stress. I am thinking about the equipment maintenance that I have not yet completed, the estimates that I'm already falling behind on, and the projects scheduled I need to complete. This makes me so worked up worrying about projects that my productivity becomes tapped.

Some of the methods I use to to help control my stress level are below. Do any of you out there have good ways to control the stresses of running a busines?

1) I got a yearly planner and am writing all jobs on the board so I know where I am in relation to scheduled work and when I can comfortably give a start date for a job.

2) I have been screening phone calls as hard as ever, vowing not to waste two hours of my time on a job I really don't want or most likely won't get.

3) I make a list of work to be completed so I know I'll remember it. I also keep a sheet of paper for each estimates and appointment I have. This way, I have all notes I need if I'm in the neighborhood to look at a job or running to an appointment right after work.

4) I am vowing to return all calls prompty and keep my clients posted as far as start dates. I rarely get bit by a client that doesn't like hearing about their start date being pushed back due to delays, but know that I don't look good if I don't keep them informed.

5) When I screw up I try to remind myself that I am only human and it is going to happen. I also try to remember what I did wrong so it doesn't happen agian.

6) As Magnum PI taught me, I try to listen to that little voice inside of me. Too often I ignore my instincts, and it invariably bites me in the butt.

What do you do to control the pressure of running your business???

[Nek]

I make it a point to do things I enjoy which arent work related. I 'used' to work like an animal until I realized long term I wasnt doing anyone (including myself) any good.
Work used to be priority number 1, now its 2 or 3....and Im much happier for it.

[GLAN]

Been in the game to many years now to have stress


One thing I found in the early days that worked at reducing stress.....was not to make promises.

[cutntrim]

Stress is one aspect of the job that's consistently difficult for me to handle. Most of the reason for that is probably related to my personality type.

However, writing stuff down helps. As does forcing myself to tackle the worst jobs first (for me that means doing installation estimates...I hate it). I make it a priority to return all calls as soon as possible. Also, I'm slowly learning to delegate more to my employees rather than shoulder everything myself.

Physical activity (for me weightlifting), also helps to let off steam. I doubt that smoking and drinking would help...neither of which I do.

[Stonehenge]

Originally posted by GLAN
One thing I found in the early days that worked at reducing stress.....was not to make promises.

This is a good one. I used to want to make the client feel good about us and so I'd willingly pin us down to a specified start date. Sometimes this resulted in heartburn, as we weren't able to start when promised. And I found that many other companies push their clients off for months and still end up with repeat business (this is happening right now with us - long story). So I've found that trying to reduce the number of promises I make seems to help.

Also, I know that not returning calls is a certain no-no, but sometimes there just aren't enough hours in a week, and some calls get dropped. That's just the way it is.

And, I like looking up at the stars. I'm just a tiny little speck on a tiny little stone in the middle of a great big universe. Sounds odd, but thinking about this helps.

[site]

I make a new sheet of paper every couple of days with several headings- People to call (with #'s so I can do it on the fly if possible), products to order, bids and bills to complete, and miscellaneous. I also try to remember to breathe. Nobody is going to die if I don't get to their house tomoorow to plant those new shrubs.

[cutntrim]

"Nobody is going to die if I don't get to their house tomorrow to plant those new shrubs." In landscaping that's true.

Now...in snowplowing...don't get me started! Boy, you wanna talk about stress? I'll take summer over winter anytime.

I don't look at the stars much since there's too much light pollution where I live, but I do enjoy playing with my kids.

[Stonehenge]

Site - one thing my wife suggested to me about 5 years ago has worked like a charm, and I've done it ever since. I carry a composition book with me everywhere. I have a palm pilot for appointments, but every note about everything for the business goes in this book. Phone messages, plans for the next work day, notes to myself, etc - it all goes in there. Has helped me a ton. I used to have 5 different systems to remember the different things I needed to do in a day. Invariably, post-its got lost, or pieces of paper got filed in some random folder, never to be found again. So it all goes in the composition book. Then I know there's always one source for information, Sometimes it's not as easy to find, having to leaf through 3 pages of chicken scratch - but at least it's all there.

[Bill Schwab]

Besdies my usual beach, jogging and Hakido practice, vacations.
At the peak of my most stressful week this April, we took a family vacation to San Francisco and just got back.

I'm fresh raring to go, and have an exact focus on what needs to be done.

[justgardens]

JW I feel your pain. I am getting a daytimer to control all the little notes as Stone eluded to this week and going to stick to it. The way I look at it, the world would go on whether I'm here tomorrow or not. I have to remember that and keep it all in perspective. My stress relief....that little sweet dog that greets me when I come home and knowing in December I have 4 months off that I can't work outside. It just melts away.

[cutntrim]

How's the Aikido going? I took it for around 6 months before heading off to university years ago. Didn't get back into it, but it was an enjoyable martial art. Previously, I'd taken Tae Kwon Do, but the owner/head instructor was arrested for having cameras in the girls changeroom, so that ended my Tae Kwon Do. Could have gone to another Dojo I guess, but would have had to go out of town, and I was already playing basketball, skiing, tennis, baseball, and hockey...too busy.

[trees]

Limit promises, palm pilots, returning phone calls, time with family...
These are all great things to help deal with stress. Also, make sure you take a little time each day to enjoy something outside of work, be that stars, a stream, a good book, a couple of beers. Get some exercise.

Also, a great tip that I got from the ANLA clinic last Feb. was to be positive to your employees. Try to tell each one (even those that are on the *%-+ list) that they have done something well each week. It works. Keeps employees happy and makes you appreciative of their hard work.

Finally, a phrase that helps keep things in perspective. You've done all that you can (maybe not perfectly), and something still jumps up to bite you. "It is what it is"... turn the page.

[Bill Schwab]

Cutn, it's Hapkido, a Korean form of the arts. I have studied since high school, 32 years. There have been times I have not done much for a year or so, then picked it back up. Usually anything physical is great for stress that accumulated over the years. We don't have any decent ice around here, and if we did Im sure it would cost serious money to skate, and I figure since we are paying for the weather, who is the fool if I don't use the beaches and be outside right?

[BCSteel]

Once I realized that money wont make me happy, my perspective changed for the better. I used to work 12 to 16 hrs/day, 7 days/week for 9 or 10 months. Sure I had lots of $$ but I had no time to do anything else, at all, ever! I kept thinking that if I could only make and extra $1000/month every thing would be better but I was wrong, it wasn't. I used to think that I would rather have the money than the time, but I was wrong, I would much rather have the time. I used to think that I could start to enjoy my life later after I made scads of money, but my life is passing by just as quickly now as it will later.

For me, taking time to go fishing at my favourite river and enjoy nature in its pure unchanged state makes me forget about everything else. Underneath the calm that seems to come over me when I'm beside the river my mind is slowly working out the problems and coming to logical conclusions that may not solve all my problems but at least put them in perspective and develop a plan of attack.

[GLAN]

Actualy...I like gardening at my house. I like hanging out in the backyard. Jacuzzi for 20-25 minutes does wonders.

Best of all!!!!

Coming here to GTX calms my nerves