What to do When Success Means More Work

“This is the best thing ever!” You think as the initial euphoria of closing that big client, getting the media feature, or hiring that team member sets in. You’re screaming from the rooftops and overflowing with gratitude and joy and… 10 minutes later reality sets in.

That client is excited and sends 12 emails in an hour. The speaking opportunity you’re applying for is going to need your media kit asap. Your new team member is ready for training and your schedule is slammed.

And all of a sudden the success that you’ve been dreaming of is not sipping mojitos from a beach lounger but a burden of more work and responsibility that’s pulling you down from the euphoric high that comes with getting exactly what you wanted.

Here are 3 ways to enjoy your success when you’re stressed:

1. Don’t stop celebrating
Achieving your goals doesn’t mean work ends and you immediately enter a life of luxury. So while you work on the next steps in your business, keep a spirit of gratitude. This is mostly a mindset challenge because you could be thinking “Jeez, give me 10 minutes before you start harassing me for x, y and z!” Or change your perspective and approach the situation by thinking “I’m grateful that so and so is helping me see that I will need x, y and z prepared. I’ll put these together right away and send them over now.”

Once you get the right mindset you can focus your energy on creative and productive endeavors like completing the worksheet, files or whatever is needed instead of complaining about it. So once it’s done you want to…

2. Document like it’s going out of style
One of the problems with growing your business is that mo’ money, mo’ work. More clients, more management. More team members, more interruptions.

So instead of winging it, document how you do things. When this type of client signs on we send x, y and z. Or when a new team member is hired we request a, b and c.

Create that media packet and save a copy with your intro email and headshot in a folder for the next speaking opportunity that crosses your path.

This doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive to do. And don’t wait for the mythical “later” – write it down right now when you’re in the moment and document your process. This will help you with Step 3…

3. Automate to create freedom
I really want a picture from Braveheart here… alas. Freedom is more than having income or media exposure or a team, it’s all about whether or not you’re needed on the front line of every emergency.

So systems that automate response or trigger actions are invaluable because they’ll save you time, shortcut the training process (“it happens automagically” is my favorite explanation) and will work where people fail.

Those documents you wrote down are now your “I’m so tired and can’t remember what happens next” checklist. Or what you hand off to an assistant to do for you. Or, better still, the process you automate in a sequence so that purchase —>welcome packet –→ forms to sign → schedule first appointment.

Let’s map that out for a new team member. Hired —>paperwork to complete –→ training packet to read —→ first training call scheduled.

Easy peasy!

Now you can hired 12 people in an afternoon without the paperwork taking a week. Or sign 7 new clients and serve them all efficiently and completely at once.

Best of all is that instead of holding yourself back and not reaching for those opportunities for success, you’ll tackle them head on with the knowledge that you’ll be able to handle anything that comes your way!

Action Step: Choose one area of your business where more success currently means more work and begin your documentation today.