Have you left a corporate or professional job working for “the man” in search of being the “master of your fate and the captain of your soul?”

With apology to William Ernest Henley for wielding the words from his famous poem, Invictus for a business article, allow me to ask you one question…

How do you like your new boss?

In my experience, many small business owners and entrepreneurs find that the new boss isn’t the same as the old boss. You would never tolerate the extended hours, the lack of vacation time, and the disregard to even consider a regular raise in pay. What’s worse, you would never allow your old boss to talk to you in the negative manner your new boss does. So how do you deal with this?

The answer is simple. You need to create a better working relationship with that boss. Or else the consequences are fatal for the business and maybe even you!

Step #1 – Eliminate Harassment

You need to surround yourself with positive people and this must start with you. “Stinking thinking” can’t be allowed to infiltrate your brain. Any insinuations of inadequacy or negativity erode your self-confidence, your self-worth, and your ultimate success. Don’t get me wrong, you need to set high goals and objectives. You don’t need to beat yourself up in your head when things don’t go as planned, however. Cut out the noxious self talk in your head and keep it positive!

Step #2 – Reward Yourself

You do a lot of positive things during your day. Find ways to reward yourself for a job well done. It can be small, yet meaningful. It might mean a chocolate-spiked coffee at your favorite café. Maybe it’s buying that new music CD you’ve been meaning to get. It might simply be taking 30 minutes to sit in the park and enjoy the sights. Whatever brings gratification to you should be considered part of a reward system that rejuvenates your spirit.

Step #3 – Take a Vacation

Don’t tell me you can’t afford the time. You can’t afford not to. Stress is an invidious catalyst to bad health, bad morale, and deteriorating relationships. You don’t have to spend a lot of money. Vacation should be about getting away from your work and spending time letting your mind and body relax (see rewards above). If you work from home, this can be more challenging yet even more necessary. You’d never accept zero days off from the old boss. Don’t accept it from yourself! Find a place or an activity for several days where you can “get away.”

Step #4 – Rinse and repeat. Have you ever found yourself taking good advice — once? Make sure you make this process a regular part of your “annual review!”

Did you happen to notice that none of my steps included significant financial considerations? It doesn’t matter what the economy is doing. Driving yourself to exhaustion and sabotaging your professional and personal relationships is never good for your business. In fact, the opposite is true. The first relationship you need to cultivate in your business (whether you are entrepreneur or executive) is with yourself. That way, you will be better armed to deal with all the others.

Make every day a Happy Boss’s Day!