Part III: The Solopreneur’s Self-care Framework

Prioritize self-care. Adopt the mindset that you are your business — the most crucial, important, and indispensable part of your business. This is the way to be “fine” or even “thriving” in the long period.

How to do this? Through everyday small habits, which will take care of all areas of your life.
Humans are holistic beings. It’s not enough to have great relationships, great health, or a great intellect.
In fact, usually a deficiency in one area often creeps into other areas of your life. You need to prevent that. You need habits in each and every area: finances, health, spirituality, relationships, personal growth, and professional growth.

It doesn’t have to take you a lot of time. Hal Elrod’s Miracle Morning formula starts from six minutes, and it covers most of the above-mentioned areas. Especially, when you don’t have any good habits, even the smallest habit can make a lot of difference.

If you totally neglected your marriage while chasing money, saying “I love you” to your wife when you leave home, can make miracles for your relationship.

If you completely neglected your finances, tracking your expenses can be a game-changer.

If you paid zero attention to your diet, switching soda with the water with lemon can be a huge thing for your waistline.

“An apple a day keeps the doctor away.”

What if this is true?

Well, maybe not entirely true, but the slogan “An apple a day keeps 95% of doctors away” is not so catchy, right? Stick to the basics of the right nutrition and your health will be much better. Stick to the basics in any area of your life, and your life will be much better.

You will be much better.

Your business will be much better.

A Handful of Sobering Facts

Over 65% of small businesses die in the first 10 years since founding.

My virtual mentor, Craig Ballantyne, said once on his podcast that the main reason why small businesses fail is because their owners give up.
What gets them are not taxes, recessions, or competition. It is poor health, broken relationships, lack of purpose (spiritual drought), lack of personal growth, so they are not prepared for the change in external circumstances.

In other words, small business owners give up. They cannot cope with whatever is going on in their life AND their business on top of that. It’s easier to throw in the towel, than to continue.

I found multiple different research on the reasons why entrepreneurs shut down their enterprises, but I never found this one: “I was taking too much care of myself, so I had no time to do my business.” It never happens.

The opposite story? “I didn’t take care of myself, so I had no physical, mental, or spiritual strength to continue.” It happens all the time.

Summary

You are your business, especially at the early stages of the business.

Take care of yourself. Prioritize your self-care. Turn it into habits in every area of your life.

This is the most reliable way to succeed in business. It is THE way, if you are a solopreneur, in a business of one.

Beat the odds. Don’t join the 65% crowd. Be smarter than them. Prioritize your self-care.

Take care of the most neglected areas first; the chain is as weak as its weakest link. Start small. Even one minute of focus in the neglected area is infinitely better than zero seconds.

Build relevant habits for different areas of your life: finances, health, spirituality, relationships, personal growth, and professional growth.

That should be your #1 priority till those habits are firmly established. If you prioritize anything else, including things as crucial as cash flow or time management, you put your business in mortal danger. You will fight against the odds.

You are your business. Take care of yourself, and your business will be taken care of.

Part I: Part I: Your #1 Priority

Part II: Self-care Makes You Bulletproof