Many believe working longer leads to success, but it’s crucial to challenge this and prioritize breaks. We’re talking about finding a “healthy hustle” here – a way to do business that cares about your health as much as it does about making money.

The Misconception of Hustle Culture

As a patient advocate and someone who runs their own business, you might feel like you have to work too much. You might think the more hours you work, the more successful you’ll be. But I’m saying, let’s rethink that idea. I think a better way to do business is by working smart, not just working a lot. It’s really important to change the way we think about working hard so we can take care of ourselves and still do a great job.

Establishing Work-Life Harmony

Secondly, balancing work and life varies for everyone and can be challenging. I’m figuring out a plan every day that lets me mix my advocacy work with my personal life in a way that works for me. One thing I do is set boundaries, like having a special spot to work and sticking to certain hours, even if they’re not the usual 9-to-5. As a matter of fact, these rules help me keep work and personal stuff separate, so I can do well in both without getting too tired.

Prioritizing Self-Care and Delegation

In addition to integrating my work and personal life, self-care is pivotal in maintaining a healthy hustle. For me this includes scheduling regular breaks, engaging in physical activities, and making time for hobbies and relaxation as non-negotiable aspects of my daily planning. Equally important is delegation, which involves assigning tasks that others can handle effectively, freeing up time to focus on core activities and strategic planning. Whether it’s through professional assistance or home-based task sharing with other family members, delegation can be a powerful tool in preserving energy and enhancing focus.

Staying Agile and Adaptable

Similarly, the ability to remain agile and adapt to changing circumstances is key to achieving a healthy hustle. Embracing technology to streamline operations, welcoming feedback to refine business strategies, and remaining open to adjusting business methods are key components of agility. I adore and encourage the use of automation tools and client/colleague feedback in continuous improvement.  I believe flexibility in business approaches leads to more innovative and resilient business practices.

Building a Supportive Network

Surprisingly, (or maybe not if you’ve been hanging out with me for a while) having friends who understand you and your work is super important. When we’re around people who think like us and have a good attitude about work, it makes us feel better and helps us do better at our jobs. Being part of groups with other professionals can help us make friends and learn new things about doing business in a healthy way. If you’re not already in The Circle, you should join! It’s a really nice group of people who want to help each other out.

Cultivating a Healthy Entrepreneurial Lifestyle

Moving from working too hard to working in a healthy way doesn’t mean making big changes. It’s about making small changes every day to how you work and live. Setting goals that make sense, knowing what to expect, and being happy about even small wins can help patient advocates avoid working too hard and have a good and lasting practice.

Changing what it means to work hard can help you have a happy job and a good life. It shows that doing well isn’t just about how much you work, but about how well you manage your time and take care of yourself.

Final Thoughts:

I hope these ideas help you change how you do your advocacy work, making it more balanced and successful.

If you liked this article, you might also like learning about Compassionate Sales Strategies. My writing is meant to help you with your healthcare advocacy journey. Take your time reading and thinking about what I’ve said, and let it inspire you. And if you want to be the first to know when I have new information or support to share, join me in The Circle where we meet on Zoom every week!

Look out for my next blog post, where we’ll talk about “Medicare Part D.” I’ll explain what it means for everyone’s prescription drugs. Stay tuned for more!