How To Be Better At Being Your Own Boss

Being your own boss is one of the perks of entrepreneurship, but sometimes as solos we can be pretty bad at it.

We hold ourselves to standards and work longer hours than we would ever expect from an employee. In most cases, we don't even notice that we're terrible bosses to ourselves.

But failing to be a good boss to yourself can lead to burnout, poor work quality, stress, and a general unhappiness in our lives.

Simple Steps to Being Better At Being Your Own Boss

Step 1: Evaluate How Well You Are Doing At Being Your Own Boss

Ask yourself the following questions:

• How many hours did you work last week? This month?  Did you have any days off?
• How many vacation days do you give yourself each year? Do you make yourself use them?
• If you are sick do you take a day off?
• Do you give yourself a  clearly defined list of tasks every morning?
• Do you provide yourself with a comfortable and organized work environment?

Step 2: Spruce Up Your Workspace

You probably spend a lot of time in your workspace, whether it is an office building, a home office, or your couch. Take a look at your space. Would you allow an employee to work there? Is it inspiring? Do you have all the tools you need?

One of the perks of being your own boss is having complete control of your workspace. Take advantage.

Step 3: Set office hours.

One of the most difficult parts of being your own boss is managing your own schedule. I sometimes have difficulty with this- I can easily work from 8am to 8pm with few breaks.

One way to be better at being your own boss is to determine a start and end time for your workdays. This includes scheduling lunch and breaks. These times can vary each day depending on your schedule, but forcing yourself to have firm start and end times can help you get more done and still have a life outside of work.

Step 4: Plan Your Day

Starting each day with a clear, realistic plan will help you be a better business owner and get more done. At the end of each day plan what you will do tomorrow and at the end of each week make a plan for the next.

Knowing what you need the accomplish each day can save time, help you accomplish more,  and make your workday shorter.

Step 5: Schedule Time Off

Along with the random spontaneous day off, you should block off vacation time in your schedule. Use this time to travel, spend time with your family, or just give yourself a break from your business. Even if it’s just a few days, you’ll come back refreshed and ready to work harder than before.

Step 6: Don’t Be So Hard On Yourself

You may be your own boss but you’re also human. We are so much harder on ourselves than we would be on anyone else.

No one is perfect and you are going to make mistakes. Learn from it, forgive yourself and move on.

Attorney burnout is real.  By occasionally looking at yourself from the eyes of an employee, you can figure out how to be better at being your own boss so you can continue to be happy working for yourself.

Want more tips like this straight to your inbox? Join The List.

P.S. Our new course Lawyer's Guide To Getting Paid is filling up fast. There are still a few seats available at the presale price so enroll today.