Q. I’ve been running my brokerage for a few years now, and I’m exhausted. I’m across everything – client work, admin, compliance, even social media. I know I should be delegating more, maybe even hiring offshore, but I worry about losing control. How can I avoid burning out without letting things slip?
FIRST THING, you are not imagining it. Carrying every role in your business is the fastest path to burnout. The tricky thing is that burnout does not typically arrive with sirens blaring. It is more of a slow leak: you get a bit more tired, your patience wears thin, small mistakes creep in, and before you know it, work that once lit you up feels heavy. It can be hard to acknowledge what you need when it has already taken hold. The fix is not just more grit – it is creating more capacity.
That starts with getting clear on the work that truly needs you, such as the client relationships and the decisions that steer the business, and identifying what can be done by someone else 80 per cent as well or better. Worried about losing control? That is totally normal. Letting go is not easy when your name is on the door. But control doesn’t mean you need to do everything yourself – it means setting the direction, putting the right people in place, and trusting them to deliver.
Think of your role like being the pilot of a plane. You can’t safely fly if you are also serving drinks, booking tickets, and loading the luggage. Your job is to stay in the cockpit, focused on where you are going, while a capable crew handles the rest. Every task you hand over is not just time saved – it is headspace reclaimed. One costs money, the other costs everything. Choose the investment.
If you have a question that you’d like answered by psychotherapist Bronwyn Penhaligon in the Your Health in Mind section of The Adviser, you can email your question in confidence to [email protected].
Or if you feel you need more support, you can visit penhaligons.com.au to schedule a one-on-one appointment.
