Deal with Short-Term Stress for Long-Term Success

So you’ve started a new business or jumped into social media…and realize that this is the time of year when things get crazy in your house: holidays, end-of-year business tasks, family visits or vacations…how you will get it ALL done?!  When your daily schedule and best intentions suddenly get sidetracked by short-term events (or crises), what happens to your long-term goals?

Here are a few tips to help you deal with short-term stress for long-term success.

Get Better at Time Management: plan ahead for the busy times –

• Write several blog posts in advance to be scheduled later
• Use applications to schedule and automatically post social media updates
• Schedule some extra time each day just to play “catch up” (maybe that means getting up an hour earlier)

Increase your value: focus on the results your business brings your clients

During the holiday season,everyone around you is probably just as stressed or pressed for time. What can you offer to help? Retailers obviously can offer discounts or sales, but in the service industry, think of something your business can do to help in one area that will free up time in another area or help alleviate overall stress.

Don’t bite off more than you can chew: Focus on tasks that give you the best results with least amount of “over” time.

Or outsource what you can; free up your time for the most important things that ensure success, so you are not spending time on things that keep spinning your wheels. I experienced this myself just this week, when I spent several hours working on a project (graphic-design related) that is definitely not my strong suit, only to find out later that my daughter (who is certified in Photoshop) can do that for me in a fraction of the time!

For me this time of year can mean lots of crazy, hectic days if I’m not organized and focused on my long-term goals. Using these tips on how to deal with short-term stress means a better chance for long-term success.