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So, pour yourself that tequila, lick the salt - drink it down - then suck on the lime. Once you’re done then settle back down and go at it again. Is it that simple? Hell NO! Nothing ever is. However, you have to find a middle ground for your frustrations.

My Wifesty and I recently found ourselves drowning in stress. And as you all know stress kills, often times literally. It can kill businesses, friendships, and marriages. It can kill your libido, your patience, and your creativity.

The last is critical in a business firmly planted amongst the creative. In publishing you have to create. Period. On a deadline. More stress. The stress builds until you are overwhelmed beyond repair. Or are you?

One of those items my Wifesty and I found causing such high levels of stress was a lack of clarity. We are partners. We are equals. However, we found ourselves operating along different lines of thought and this leads to conflicting actions which of course leads to conflict.

I hate conflict. Try my best to avoid it. So, we had to figure a way to get ourselves on the same page so to speak. We settled down after a brief dust up and broke out a large piece of poster paper. Actually, it is a poster size post it note but why split hairs?  

We went through what we needed to do and wrote it down. We discussed each line item until we were both in agreement and set deadlines, we both agreed to. We divided up the work and started over. Believe me it helped clarify what when where and how. We did it again tonight. Clarity is worth its weight in gold when it comes to stress reduction.

It is also easy to let the business creep into every aspect of your life. You have to set some limits. Give yourself some time to do nothing. Let your mind go and even if it goes right back to work don’t go back to the office. Let it be. Give yourself some time off each day to think about something else. Do something else. Believe it or not this will help you in business.

Some of the best times for me when it came to figuring out my problems was when I was doing something else entirely. I used to polish my boots when I was in the military. When I would get pissed, I would pull them out and give them a polish. As my mind focused on the work it also percolated on what was giving me nightmares. The percolating on the back burner of my mind helped me tremendously. 

I use other methods now. I am a physical person. So is my Wifesty. We need physical activity. If we don’t get it, we get pissy. We ignore our needs. We become so focused on the goal we lose sight of everything else and then it simply escalates from there.

Take a moment to breathe. The step back and look at what you really want. Then do the work of getting it down on paper and formulating a step by step plan to get you to where you need to be. Then be prepared to be flexible because no plan ever goes right. Things pop up.

And by all means try not to take it out on your loved ones. They are the closest to you and of course they are the easiest targets. Remember they do love you and will forgive you but before they do, they might just use a brick to love you upside your head. 

Business is stress. Business is conflict. Business is deadlines and being 30 days behind and robbing Peter to pay Paul. Business can also give you a great deal of satisfaction, after you finish crying of course.

And one more thing. Business isn’t writing. Handle your business. Get it done so you can write. And protect that time. Put everything else from your mind when you write. Then write.

I’m Ross, The Editor-in-Chief for the Pyrateheart Press and I’m out.