culled from:articlebase.com
Around Thanksgiving, you see a lot of posts on what to be thankful for. I myself have written many. But here, I’d like those of us who run small businesses on our own — us micropreneurs — to give ourselves a pat on the back instead, and to thank ourselves for a job well done. After all, we know that the sleepless nights, difficult business decisions, and stress of waiting for clients to get around to paying us aren’t for the faint of heart. We deserve recognition! Let’s celebrate our hard work in six ways.
1. Take Time Off
Hear me out, you workaholics! We’ve gotten to an epidemic point in the workforce, with Americans taking fewer vacation days than they have in 40 years. And yet, research shows that stepping away from our businesses — even for a short break for coffee — can have huge improvements in our performance and productivity. Why the disconnect? I blame it on technology. It makes it difficult for us to step away from our businesses, and so we never fully do. Here’s your chance to thank yourself: take time off. Eat some turkey and browse Cyber Monday deals in your pjs. Or go to a tropical island where Thanksgiving doesn’t exist. Just shut down and get out.
2. Buy Yourself a Client Gift
This is the time of year I start shopping for holiday gifts for my clients, and I always throw in an extra gift basket or box of cookies for me. And while this sounds silly, I also write myself a note of appreciation. I pretend I’m my own boss, and acknowledge all my hard work for the year. I know, it sounds ridiculous. But it makes me happy.
3. Cut Yourself Some Slack
If you, like me, have a long list of to-dos each day, you might get a little stressed when you don’t finish them all by quitting time. I officially give you permission to be okay with what you get done. We all tend to load too much in our days, so say to yourself, “I’ll finish it tomorrow.” Just make sure you do that.
4. Get a Massage
Or read a book. Lounge in the tub. Whatever life pleasure makes you relaxed and happy. Because if you don’t take care of yourself, you can’t take care of your business (or your family, for that matter). It doesn’t have to be time-consuming or expensive. Light a coffee-scented candle and catch up on past episodes of Revenge. Get a manicure. Spend time in the garden. Just mentally log out of work and enjoy your downtime.
5. Invest in Your Business (and Yourself)
If you’ve been struggling to get work done on an ancient computer, or maybe discovered some software you’re certain will make your work faster, tell yourself that you and your business are worth the investment. If it’s not equipment or software that you need, invest in training or education to expand your skill set.
6. Reward Yourself for Accomplishing Goals
I’m a firm believer in setting business goals. And while accomplishing them should be reward enough, it’s fun to give yourself a small treat when you succeed. Maybe you promise yourself a bonus when you score that $10,000 client, and then you go shopping with the windfall. Or you take a day off after completing a major project. You’ll find that working toward those goals will be more fun with a dangling carrot.
Being a micropreneur is worthwhile, but that doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to step back and appreciate all the hard work that you do. Take this time to thank yourself and treat yourself in small ways.
