Are You Running Your Business Like a Horror Film? IV

Now you are working more hours than you ever would in a "regular job". So why is that?

1. You are afraid that if you stop for even one day, this precarious tower you have built will come crashing down.
   
2. You feel guilty because you should be working hard. If you took time off that would be slacking.
   
3. You don't actually know what you have to do or when it has to get done so you just keep working and hope it all happens when it is supposed to.
4. You truly believe that working 24/7 is the only way to make money in a creative business.
   
5. You are stuck in a cycle of too much work and then not enough.

And now for # 4...

This is a common issue for many business owners, not just creative ones. Let's face it, it is scary to own your own company and depend on yourself to pay the bills. This fear sends many business owners into a working frenzy.

There is always something to do and you have been told over and over again that you have to work hard, really hard, to earn money on your own. This goes back to what I discussed in #2 to a certain extent. But it is even more than feeling like you are slacking. It is a true belief that if you are not working on the things on your list at all times, your business will fall apart.

Don't get me wrong, you do have to get those things done and in a timely manner but "timely" and "right this second" are not the same thing.

This is not emergency surgery, it is a business. No one will die is you don't call them back in the next two hours or if you take a Saturday with your family and wait until Monday to work on your website.

Many successful business are run with people taking vacations and the office closing over the weekend. Your business can too. You just have to let go and let it.