Most of us have to deal with so many unforeseen situations and make so many large or small business decisions that, in the end, their quality will inexorably drop down.
This is what psychology calls it - decision fatigue. And this is what equally kills the efficiency of both big leaders and the leaders of their respective areas in general.
Christopher Myers, American businessman and author of the book "Enlightened Entrepreneurship: How to Start and Scale Your Business Without Losing Your Sanity", however, is confident: reduce the amount of stress by work and home is possible with very simple installations.
He shares his experience and expert advice with the American edition of Forbes.
“Not so long ago, I finally deigned to go to my doctor and get tested for an annual medical examination. Everything was in order - I looked like an absolutely healthy and strong man, and just by looking at me, you would never have guessed that I have problems. But one unhealthy indicator in my analyzes was still: stress hormone levels. He was unnaturally tall.
Of course, my doctor started asking me questions. However, when she heard that I was an entrepreneur, she immediately stopped. “This explains everything,” the specialist said with confidence, “all my patient entrepreneurs suffer from the same.” And with these words she let me go home, vainly advising me to "try to relax."
Of course, it's no secret to anyone that being an entrepreneur is always stressful. And if very few people care that experiencing nervous tension is harmful to health, then I will tell you something else: it is also harmful to your business.
I have noticed that there is a common but, alas, misconception in business communities around the world that strong leaders are stronger than stress. In other words, talented leaders, one way or another, are able to curb fatigue and, despite their own health, make great strategic decisions one after another. This is a great motivational attitude. But she is so far from the truth.
I have studied the phenomenon of entrepreneurial fatigue throughout my career, and I can confidently say: the simultaneous management of a large company, raising capital and correlating all of this with the basic needs in personal life will definitely take their toll.
It is useless to pretend to be a hero and convince you that you can simply overcome your tension. I delved deeper into the problem and, while looking for a solution, found that stress can easily be reduced to zero - if you follow just three simple rules.
Rule 1: Get rid of the simplest irritants
We may not even be aware of it, but the fact remains: most of the stress we experience in everyday life can come from the most unexpected things. These can be small, barely noticeable manifestations of chaos, which we tend to overlook and which, nevertheless, can have the effect of an exploding bomb.
For example, for me, the biggest irritant is disorder. By myself, I am a very tidy person, and therefore - if I come to an uncleaned house or a cluttered office - I begin to feel overwhelming dissatisfaction with everyone around. This is disorganizing and, of course, negatively adds up to the results of my work.
Now I spend a certain amount of my time every night cleaning my home or office. This does not always make my colleagues and my family happy, but for me cleaning has become not only a way to eliminate a negative trigger, but also the very process during which my brain and nervous system relax.
Of course, cleaning the working and living space is not a universal solution (I do not exclude that, on the contrary, it is easier for someone to work in a mess). One thing is important here: even minor irritants can disorganize all work so much that you will imperceptibly get tired and experience remarkable stress. Your first step in this case is to understand what exactly is causing you anxiety every day and get rid of it.
Rule 2: Don't make things harder than they really are
One of my favorite sayings belongs to former US President Ronald Reagan and says: "There are no convenient answers, but there are simple answers." I admit that it is sometimes difficult to abstract from problems and understand the simplicity of their solution, but this, I believe, is the basis of your success in dealing with stress. Your peace of mind is directly dependent on your commitment to Essentialism.
Essentialism is a doctrine that goes back to the works of Plato and Aristotle, and says that every thing in this world has its own foundation, essence, core, which never changes.
Of course, objects or phenomena may have additional signs, but their basis is always the same. And this is what determines the utmost simplicity of everything that is around us. It would seem - a very abstract concept, and, nevertheless, it perfectly helps in decision-making, when it is important to preserve your mental strength and "not make an elephant out of a fly."
As soon as you apply essentialist thought to a problem, you begin to dissect it into "major" and "minor". So my advice is, when you are solving an issue, concentrate on the "essentials."
Rule 3: Think Easier
So, we found that making important business decisions becomes much easier and less harmful to mental health when you make the process as simple and straightforward as possible. I myself am guided by three control points when deciding any questions.
Step 1. Ask yourself the question: how much does this or that solution to the problem go against your core values. If there is a contradiction, then immediately discard this decision.
Step 2. Imagine the worst outcome of the problem and listen to yourself. If you feel like you can handle it somehow, then don't be afraid of failure. Just make a decision and watch what happens next.
Step 3. Assess how the consequences of your decision will affect your resources (time, money, HR). Is the potential benefit worth all of the potential cost? If so, go ahead boldly. Yes, perhaps you will be wrong, but is there any point in grieving over what has already been done?
We all suffer from time to time stress and decision fatigue. However, I will insist that nervousness can be overcome by not making it harder to solve the problem. Look at things easier and try to avoid unnecessary complications as much as possible."
Original article - Forbes.com
Photo: Getty Images
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