Does Your Business Run Like A Hamster Wheel?

When you created your business, you probably envisioned a life of freedom. A way to escape the 9-5  grind. You probably pictured a peaceful lifestyle; one where you’d be spending LESS time at work and MORE time at home, around loved ones or enjoying your hobbies. 

BUT here’s the truth…The majority of business owners DO NOT have that lifestyle.  The reality is, when most business owners gain some momentum, it becomes a loop they can’t get out of….And it’s one that prevents you from achieving the lifestyle you REALLY want. 

What is the “hamster wheel”?

Does this sound like you?

Most business owners have been lied to. TV shows and movies have taught us that to own a business is to own your life. 

You have the freedom to pop into work whenever you want, sleep in and still have the money to do whatever you want.

But the reality is, most business owners fall into a negative belief system that ends up deterring any chances they have of fulfilling that dream..

They end up..

• Worrying about what’s happening in their business every minute of the day 
• Constantly stress about staffing issues, unhappy clients, or worry the business is burning while their not there
• Feel like they have to be ‘on’ 24/7
• Burnt out and exhausted working countless hours, knowing that if they take a step back, things will fall apart

It’s a ruthless cycle that doesn’t seem to end until either the business falls apart, or the owner does.

Fortunately, there is a way to eliminate these fears, unhealthy habits, and MOST importantly, get off the hamster wheel…

4 Myths That Business Owners Need To Forget

Myth #1: My business will burn if I’m not there

As the business owner, you are 100% involved in all the processes of your business.

Naturally, you are made to believe that if you take yourself out of the equation, your business would fall apart. Does this type of mindset sound familiar? 

Listen, I get that most business owners want to be hands-on. 

But when you focus too much on operations and are constantly putting out fires, you’re losing the bigger picture of what your business should achieve.

I’m sure you didn’t intentionally sign up for 70-hour workweeks, unpredictable levels of cash flow and a decline in your personal health.

The whole point of why people hire smart individuals to work for them is to NOT do everything on their own. 

It’s hard to let go of control and trust others with your business. But you need to learn how to comfortably let go and ensure the right systems are in place to create the freedom we want without worrying.

Myth #2: “If I work hard, I will succeed.”

To get to where you want to go in life, you MUST work hard…There’s no way around it.

This myth is difficult to shake because it’s essentially part of our culture.

We all have at least one friend who is always at work, yet they’re struggling to make ends meet, or they end up having to close their business. 

Hard work is important, but in business, you need to be smart about your decisions.

Create balance in your life so you can work “smarter, not harder”.

Myth #3: “Nobody “gets me, and I’m all alone.”

It takes a special type of individual to want to become a business owner. 

Running a business is a lonely job, even when you are surrounded by staff every day, and it’s easy to feel like you’re the only one who gets it. 

This can become alienating and a deterrent to creating the success you WANT to achieve. 

This, of course, is not true, there are 8 billion people on this earth you need to find your tribe.

Create a community of individuals around you that help bring you up and are there to talk when you need to…

Myth #4: “I’m a Business Owner”

The question you want to ask yourself is, “Can your business run without you?” 

If the answer is no, the harsh reality is that you have a job. 

You are an employee in your OWN business. 

Your business will dictate everything in your life, and If you allow this to continue, your business will eventually run you right into the ground.

There is no amount of business strategy or hard work that will solve personal growth problems showing up in your business…

And awareness of them is the first step to breaking the hamster wheel and achieving the freedom you THOUGHT you were signing up for when you started the business.

Take a step back

It’s difficult to be the owner and an employee at the same time. 

Ask yourself…When’s the last time you took a vacation or didn’t answer a work call during dinner with your family? 

The hamster wheel you’ve created does that to you, and you can become so invested in the business, that your personal life takes a back seat.

That’s not a sign of dedication, it’s a sign that you are worried… So much so, that you feel like you can’t afford to take a few days off because the business might go under if you’re not overseeing all the processes at all times. 

What can you do?

Let’s be honest, you can’t escape it overnight. At this moment, your business works like a machine to which you are the engine.

Take away the engine, the machine stops working.

With proper strategy, systemization and mentoring, you can plan to replace the engine. 

If you feel it’s time to raise the standards for your business, Book A FREE Breakthrough Session NOW

April Cummins