The Hustle of an Entrepreneur: Eating the Elephant

Do you feel relaxed after the school holidays? Or have you started 2023 with half a tank? Desmond Tutu once wisely said “there is only one way to eat an elephant: a bite at a time.”

What he meant by this is that we should take the big things that life throws at us gradually by taking on just a little at a time. But many entrepreneurs try to eat the whole damn elephant, and quite frankly try to eat multiple wrinkly grey bois - family, friends, business, second business, personal brand. It’s a herd, and no-one is that hungry.

One of my favourite authors and ‘digital mentors’, Arianna Huffington, collapsed from complete exhaustion in 2007. Smashing her face against the desk on the way down was the wake up call she didn’t know she needed.

Although I am a massive advocate of the hustle (controversial statement these days) - I love living on the edge and thrive in an environment of ‘busy’. I have also been through fatigue and burnout before and it’s not pretty. I blow shit up. Like anything in my path… so maybe I need to pump the brakes a wee bit.

Like me… maybe you need to step back and have a look around because we all need to start 2023 refreshed and renewed. Not batshit crazy. Some of the warning signs that you may be on the path of wellness self-destruction could be:

Everyone Tells You
EVERYONE seems to see it - except me. My staff say often that they don’t know how I’m still standing and how on earth am I managing ‘all the things’. Even my website designer and creator said that I was trying to ‘eat the whole elephant’ (thanks for the analogy and the visual Jeremy!). If everyone around you is saying the same thing, maybe it’s time to listen.

Your Tolerance is a Wafer
When you tell more than two people to Go F*ck themselves… it’s probably time to have a little lay down. (But also - maybe they NEED to be told). It’s cathartic for sure, and most times in retrospect it’s the cleansing that was needed, the person, client or ‘thing’ that wasn’t serving your values or goals anymore. But let’s maybe bid them a beige farewell instead of lighting it on fire.

You Language Can’t
You get words wrong, you forget what you were saying and quite frankly you start sounding drunk… or like an idiot. Or both. Avoid being Yoda and take that trip to Bali.

It’s Not Fun Anymore
Is everything a chore? Are the kids giving you the irrites? Does going to work bring forth existential dread? Are you doubting every idea and choice you are making? Fatigue, stress and burnout paints everything grey. It’s hard to feel joy when you’re in this state.

Creativity is a Long Lost Friend
Without that ‘space’ in your brain, creativity will elude you. Believe it or not, taking actual timeout will make you more creative and you will be able to work faster too. Instead of pulling your work day through mud, you will ski on top of it.

Like I said, I am a massive fan of the hustle, but there are only so many balls you can keep in the air at a time… and sometimes you have to drift into that space where you drop a few so you know where your limits are. Just make sure you drop the rubber ones and not the glass ones and take that gawd dayam break.

Nic.