Learning to Let Go

People start businesses because they are driven and determined. But most importantly, they start businesses because they saw something in their industry and thought, “I can do this better.”

All of these traits are strengths that make for truly great entrepreneurs. But if not kept in check, these same traits can become weaknesses.

Too much drive, and too much certainty that you are the only one who can do something right, can lead to a business that is poorly managed and doomed to fail. It also negatively impacts your mental health, as well as your personal relationships as you neglect them in an attempt to run every part of your business at once.

For this reason, one of the most profound skills that a business owner can have is to learn when to let go. Let go of perfectionism, let go of working 24/7, and let go of projects that would be better suited to employees.

By doing this, your business will be stronger, because it will be able to continue to run even without you monitoring it constantly.

Accept that “perfect” is unattainable.

Entrepreneurs and business owners put a lot of pressure on themselves to be perfect, and on the surface, this seems like a positive thing. Of course, you want to deliver the best-finished product possible to your client. Of course, you want to avoid making mistakes. No one begins a task with the intention of doing poorly at it.

But the truth of the matter is that no one is flawless. And no matter how careful you are, mistakes will happen. Even published books with professional editors will occasionally have a typo, and even you will occasionally miss a deadline or forget an appointment.

Pretending that this will never happen is not productive. Preparing for it is. Have a plan in place for mistakes, and instead of going to pieces when they inevitably happen, you will be able to fix the problem quickly and proactively.

Take a break.

No matter how much you love your job, you need breaks.

Sometimes, you will need to work through a weekend. And sometimes, you will need to say no to an evening out to meet a deadline. But doing this regularly, or constantly, is a great way to ensure that you will not have the stamina to continue running your business in one year, or five.

Try to have at least one day a week where you do not work (and where you do not even check your email, if possible). When you go out to dinner or make time for your family, make sure that you leave your work at the door. Be present in the moment, and your brain will thank you for it.

And while it can be difficult to step away from your desk for an extended period of time, vacations are important and help you reset. Even a long weekend can be incredibly beneficial to both your mental and physical health.

Know when to delegate.

Business owners, especially small business owners who are just starting to hire new employees, can sometimes have a hard time knowing when to delegate tasks to their hires.

When you are used to doing everything yourself, it can be hard to trust someone else enough to give them important tasks. After all, you probably went into business for yourself because you thought you were uniquely suited to do these things.

But if you continue to cling to tasks that would be better suited to someone else, you will not be able to grow your business. And more importantly, the business will never survive without you watching over it. This means, if you ever decide to retire or to give the business to someone else, it will most likely fail.

If you want to create a business that will last, learn to let go.