I’m sure you didn’t start your business to work 16 hours a day and forget what FUN means, never mind when you last had any. And even if you love what you do, everyone has those days where work feels like a slog—where you’re drained instead of energized, frustrated instead of fulfilled. But what if your business didn’t have to feel that way?
My mission at the Strong Impact Academy has morphed into helping entrepreneurs build businesses that work FOR them. That’s a “better business.” So, what does that really mean? It means that your business is providing the money and time freedom for you to live the life you want to live—TODAY! It’s also building an investment that will give you the return on investment (ROI) you need to fund the life you want to live after your business. We use sellability and business value to measure this ROI when we work with our clients.
We know, from research, that your best work happens when you lean into what makes you feel strong. That doesn’t mean avoiding challenges, but it does mean structuring your business in a way that fuels your energy instead of constantly depleting it. Do you remember WHY you started your business? Does that feel like some far-off fantasy? Maybe it’s time to get re-engaged with work, and you can do this by leaning into your strengths.
Whether you’re a solopreneur, a small business owner with a team, or leading a growing company, this principle applies. The more time you and everyone else in your business spend working in your zones of strength, the better your business will perform—and the more sustainable (and sellable) it will become.
1. Follow the Energy
A common misconception is that a “strength” is something you’re good at. But true strengths are the things that light you up—the tasks that give you energy rather than drain you.
Clues to your strengths might be:
- These tasks often feel effortless, fulfilling, and authentic.
- Think about the last time you finished a task and felt excited, focused, and like time flew by. That’s a sign you were working in your strength zone.
- You need to be good at it too, and you likely are if it’s lighting you up.
On the flip side, the tasks that make you feel exhausted (even if you’re good at them) are likely not your strengths—dare I say, we might even call those a weakness.
A strength is a task that makes you feel strong. A weakness, on the other hand, is a task that drains your energy. Lean into your strengths, and they’ll guide you toward the alignment that fuels your success and well-being. It’s as simple as following the energy.
What’s not so simple is dealing with those other things that drain you.
Reflection Question
What parts of your business make you feel strong? What tasks drain you?
2. Where Are You Spending Your Time?
Doing an energy audit regularly can help you stay in your strengths zone and where you may need to rebalance.
- Track your daily work for a week and categorize tasks as:
- ✅ Energizing (things that light you up)
- ❌ Draining (things that exhaust you)
- 🔄 Neutral (things you can do but don’t love or hate)
For John, he noticed a big difference after completing his energy audit. He realized he was spending too much time on administrative tasks, which were draining him. Once he recognized this, he focused on shifting those tasks to someone else, giving him more time for what energized him—working directly with his clients and managing the growth of his business.
If most of your time is spent on draining tasks, it’s time to shift your focus—not just for your well-being, but for the long-term success of your business.
3. Delegate, Automate, or Eliminate
Once you know what drains you, the next step is doing something about it.
For John, delegating became key. He handed off payroll and invoicing to an admin assistant, freeing up time to focus on the parts of the business that energized him. Automating his scheduling system saved hours every week. And as for the tasks that didn’t add value to his business, like updating old inventory lists, John simply eliminated them from his to-do list.
But then there are those tasks that only you can do. Maybe you’re the face of the company, or you need to approve certain decisions. While you can’t delegate, automate, or eliminate everything, you can still manage these tasks more effectively and minimize their drain on your energy.
Here are some strategies to handle the unavoidable tasks without burning out:
- Sandwich the Draining Task Between Two Energizing Tasks: If you have a task that you must do but it drains you, sandwich it between two tasks that energize you. This way, you can ride on the energy from the tasks you enjoy, and reward yourself with something you love afterward.
For example: John might handle his payroll processing first thing, followed by a site visit where he gets to solve problems and interact with clients, something that energizes him. Then, after the site visit, he might tackle emails or some team strategy planning, both of which he finds fulfilling.
- Gamify It: Turn a dreaded task into a fun challenge. Let’s say you need to make collection calls—tasks that drain John. He could challenge himself to beat his previous record. If he hit 3 calls yesterday, today he could try to make 4 before giving himself a break.
- Eat the Frog (Do It First!): Brian Tracy calls this “eating the frog” from a quote by Mark Twain: “If it's your job to eat a frog, it's best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it's your job to eat two frogs, it's best to eat the biggest one first.” The idea is that you tackle your most important and often least desirable task first thing, so you get it out of the way and don’t procrastinate.
For John, this might mean handling project approvals or financial reviews first thing in the morning, leaving the more energizing work for later in the day.
4. Your Business Thrives When You Do
When you build your business around what makes you feel strong, you create a company that is more sustainable, scalable, and—when you choose to sell—more valuable.
John’s business is a perfect example of this. After shifting his focus to his strengths, delegating tasks that drained him, and automating where possible, he found himself working fewer hours but feeling more productive. His business became more profitable, and he had time to do what he loved—working with clients and supporting his team.
But John didn’t stop there. Through regular conversations with his staff, he also discovered what energized them. He made sure they had opportunities to work in their own zones of strength, empowering them to thrive in roles they were naturally good at. This helped the entire team feel more engaged and energized, which, in turn, made the business run more smoothly.
The result? The more John focused on what energized him, the more time freedom he gained. His business started working for him, instead of him working for it.
Even John still has tasks that can’t be automated, delegated, or eliminated. What’s different now is that he’s found ways to manage those tasks efficiently without letting them consume his time or energy. By using these strategies, John’s business is running more smoothly, and he has more time for his life outside of work.
So, if you’re looking to build a business that works for you, here’s the bottom line:
A business that depends entirely on you doing everything is not a sellable business. But when you create systems, delegate wisely, and focus on what energizes you—and empower your team to do the same—you build a company that works for you, whether you're there or not—and that’s what makes it truly valuable.
Ready to Make Your Business Work for You?
Book a free strategy session where we’ll take a look at where your business is today and explore simple shifts that could help you create more time, profit, and freedom—without adding more to your plate.
