Manar Al Hinai: Structure your schedule to make the most of your time

Nurture yourself as well as your business to ensure you succeed, writes Manar Al Hinai.

An acquaintance of mine works for a difficult business owner. As driven and motivated she is, the situation with her manager brought her down and made her dread her work. She fell into depression. This is not a novel story; nothing special there. Who has not experienced a tough time with their manager or colleagues at some point in their lives?

According to a study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association, employers lose an estimated US$44 billion every year as a result of employees suffering from clinical depression. That is not to mention other psychology-related issues. In my acquaintance's case, her situation was the result of someone else's behaviour.

There are numerous advantages to owning your own business. One of them perhaps is that you do not have to deal with difficult people. However, it is also important to acknowledge that the entrepreneurship journey is not exactly a walk in the park, and most of the time the psychological obstacles we are faced with are inflicted by us. Things to consider to avoid falling into this trap include the following:

• It does not always have to be perfect

I have to admit I was once the kind of person who refused to take action until I’d ensured that everything was aligned perfectly. Then an opportunity would pass me by. In business, time is of the essence, and often you do not have time to plan things perfectly. You need to be reactive and deal with the best you have got, and also accept that every situation involves some kind of risk. Risk should not scare you as long as you know how to manage it. You would be amazed at how much you can achieve if you let go of your own high standards.

• Lack of guidance

Although working in a full-time job, or for someone else, may not satisfy your entrepreneurship hunger, the great thing about it is guidance. When you were first hired, your manager or colleagues guided you through your tasks and when something went wrong they were there to point that out. When you are the one running your business, you have to do that for yourself. One way to keep yourself on track is to plan your day, or even week ahead, outlining the tasks you need to complete. Doing so has helped me keep things in check, stick to deadlines and ensure I achieve my targets.

If you would like to discuss your ideas with someone, then look for a mentor – either a friend or someone within your field you admire who can serve as your sounding board.

• Exhausting yourself

As an entrepreneur you have more freedom and flexibility and can be your own boss, but there is a double-edged sword to this scenario. This is because entrepreneurs tend to overwork themselves. A traditional job has set hours, but entrepreneurs have a tendency to work in the evenings, skip sleep to finish a proposal or even work during their holidays. Constantly being on the go could make you sleep-deprived, see you skipping meals and neglecting your health. To avoid this, schedule and plan your working week and do the same for your personal life. Dedicate time for exercising, eating well, sleeping properly and taking some time off.

Investing in a business is important, but so is investing in your health and well-being. It all boils down to being aware of those psychological challenges that may arise. Once you do that, you will know how to avoid these obstacles, and as a result succeed and be more productive in your business

Manar Al Hinai is an award-winning Emirati writer and communications consultant based in Abu Dhabi. Twitter: @manar_alhinai.

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