A financial reserve will help beat stress, exhaustion

I remember a few years ago reading a survey that asked Americans what they would do if they had one more hour in the day. The most common answer, given by about 60 percent of those surveyed, was one word: sleep.

I have to think a lot of shop owners would probably give that same answer. This can be a stressful, exhausting career. At times it seems like the to-do list never gets shorter, and there's always a new challenge.

But finding satisfaction in what we do and taking time to enjoy the other aspects of life can be easier if you build up a little "reserve," a reservoir of time, energy and money that allows you step out of the rat-race at times.

Here are some suggestions of ways to do that.

Just say, "No." Sometimes you have to say "no" to more demands for your time and energy. There always will be someone who needs your help who claims that they can't do it without you. So you have to be able to say: No, there is a limit to my time and how much I can do, and I've hit it. Draw that line in the sand and stand your ground.

Just say, "Oh." If you find yourself listening to people complain and criticize about things you can do nothing about, just say, "Oh," and move on. Don't let it sap your time and energy. Nothing good will come of it.

Exercise your options. We all know regular exercise is good for our bodies, but it's good for our minds and attitudes as well. You end up thinking more clearly and having more energy. Find a form of exercise that you enjoy and do that.

Save some money. Money doesn't buy happiness, but having at least some in the bank can sure reduce stress and give you more options. It's a psychological boost. Don't keep thinking you will start saving as soon as something happens or that one debt is paid off. Start now.

Make a plan. If you want more time away from the shop, come up with a list of things you need to do to make that happen – and a list of the things you will do with your new-found free time. This process might require taking a weekend away somewhere to really think about your plans.

Make a public commitment. Announce to key employees that by a certain date, you're going to reduce your hours. Be specific about both your new schedule and the target date. You'll probably be surprised at how well your team works with you and each other to figure out how to make the plan fly.

Delegate, delegate, delegate. There's no way around it: If you want more free time, you have to delegate and let go of the details. Figure out what non-essential tasks you're handling at the shop that someone else in the business should be doing. It can help to first make a list of everything you do each day for a week or two. Go through the list and ask yourself, "Is this the best use of my time, skills and experience?" If the answer is no, look for another way to handle the task.

Redefine your goals. I've talked with shop owners who have worked hard to increase the size of their business – sales, number of employees, square footage – only to find their overall satisfaction with their business and lives didn't similarly increase. So consider whether growth is really what you are looking for. Staying at your current size might be good for your mental health.

Start small. You don't have to take a two-week vacation to start a redefined life. As you give your staff more responsibility for day-to-day decisions so you can handle issues more central to the business, schedule a day off here and there. Both you and your staff will see (and start getting used to the idea) that the business can run successfully even in your occasional absence.

Life and shop ownership will never be easy or stress-free. But these are a few tried-and-true ways that you can prevent stress and exhaustion from swamping your life and sapping your energy.