Why You Sometimes Need to Slow Down to See the Bigger Picture (And How to Get There)

As an entrepreneur, you're well-versed in the art of the hustle. To get anywhere, you need to work your fingers to the bone and give your business everything you have, right? Wrong.

Although hard work is definitely a key foundation of any successful company, there's a lot to be said for slowing down and having time where you take your foot off the pedal a little.

Not only is this much better for your mental and physical health, but it can also make you more productive, creative, and effective in the workplace. But what are the benefits of enjoying this slower style of hustle and how do you integrate it into your working day?

Break your day into chunks

Trying to do multiple things at once throughout the day will leave you feeling frustrated and with a never-ending list of half-done tasks. Instead, break your day down into sections. Put time aside in the morning to answer your emails, and schedule the rest of your day by what is most demanding of your attention. It's a good idea to have a 'free slot' where people can talk to you about non-urgent issues, allowing you to be undisturbed the rest of the time, unless it's an emergency.

Make a clear home-work divide

The idea that you're always at work when you run a small business is unsustainable, so make sure you are setting clear boundaries between home and work life. Even if you don't work from home, your business can still follow you when you leave the office. Set your phone to silent for all but certain people - who know only to contact you about work if it's important and time-sensitive - to limit distractions.

Look at your long-term goals

Setting clear, measurable long-term goals will help you adopt a more laid-back state of mind for your business. Balance this with smaller targets that you're already on track to achieve and put KPIs in place to monitor your progress. This will help you - and your team - to feel as though you are achieving things as a company, without needing to work yourself into the ground.

Explore fresh ideas

Having a set time each week, month or quarter, where you look at what could improve in your business is a great way of keeping your mind on the bigger picture, rather than getting bogged down in the day-to-day details. This session should have people from all areas of the company coming together to discuss the policies that should be changed or new services you can offer to improve the business long term.