From Football Matches to Business Burnout

On Saturday, I was pitch-side at my youngest son’s football tournament—and it reminded me so much of what starting and running a business feels like.

At the start of the day, the energy was electric.
The kids were buzzing, full of excitement, giddy with anticipation. Some of his best mates from school were in the team. They were ready.
And you know what? They were flying.
They won game after game. Confidence was high. No stopping them.

But then came the dip.
By the end of the first hour they were shattered.
Tears.
Falling outs.
Some were ready to give up.
(The fact we’d gone from torrential rain to blazing sunshine didn’t help!)

So we stopped.

Quick change of clothes. Bit of food. Proper rest.
And after that break, they came back fresh, focused, and fired up again.

It was a joy to watch.

And as I stood there with my sunglasses and coffee, I couldn’t help but reflect…

Running a business is exactly the same.

You start out with enthusiasm.
Energy through the roof.
Excited. Motivated. You’re doing it!
And then… burnout creeps in.

→ You’re tired.
→ You’re frustrated.
→ You’re tempted to blame others.
→ The passion starts to feel like pressure.

It happens to everyone. It’s not a personal failing.
But the difference between the ones who grow and the ones who give up?

They learn to pause before they fall apart.

And no, I’m not just talking about a spa day or a week in the sun (though I fully support both!).

I mean taking real time—strategic time—to step out of the day-to-day chaos and ask:

🔹 What systems could I implement to ease the load?
🔹 Who could I bring in to support the next stage of growth?
🔹 What am I doing that’s ‘busy work’—not actual growth work?
🔹 Where are the bottlenecks in my customer experience?
🔹 Do I even know my numbers?

Because here’s the truth:

You can’t scale your business on adrenaline.
You need structure. Systems. Clarity.
And a plan that moves you forward, not one that just keeps you busy.

Like we teach in the EMS system—success isn’t about doing a thousand things. It’s about doing the right things, rhythmically and repeatedly.

💡 Rhythm before results.
💡 Systems before scale.
💡 Energy before execution.

So if you’re feeling a bit like that tired little team by mid-morning—tears, tired legs, maybe a few mental fall-outs…

Take the break.
Look at your structure.
Work on the business, not just in it.

Because the business you want doesn’t live in the hustle.
It lives in the systems you build when you step back, reset, and refocus.

Speak soon,

Cherie