Why Business People Feel Stressed Out

I find that when business people feel ‘stressed out’ it’s not because they are working too hard.  It’s most often one of these causes:

1. They have slipped into spending a lot of time working in an area of weakness
2. Their work is unplanned and they feel out of control
3. They aren’t getting the results they want (see #’s 1 and 2 for the causes)

Working (too) hard at something you’re good at actually makes you feel great.  Working hard at something you’re bad at makes you feel drained and hopeless.

So if you feel stressed out this week, don’t spend any more time daydreaming about Maui.  Instead, make a list under this heading:

What are my top 3 strengths and how are they being maximized in my work this week?

All of the upside in your life will come from working in your areas of strength, not in developing a great set of weaknesses.