Thanks to Simone Douglas for this summary of Bels session on behalf of the Office for Small and Family Business at the recent Tourism Industry Council SA (TICSA) conference – let me know if you and your team want a session to check your Balls!
Running a business, especially in tourism, is no walk in the park. It’s busy, unpredictable, and full of competing demands. Bel’s session served as a timely reminder that just because you can carry it all, doesn’t mean you should.
Here’s what really landed:
1. You Are the Glass Ball
Not all the balls you juggle are the same. Some can bounce if you drop them. Others, like your wellbeing, family or personal values, will shatter. Start asking yourself which ones actually matter, and which ones you’re holding onto out of habit or obligation.
2. Call It for What It Is
Bel opened with a simple but powerful truth. You can’t deal with what you won’t name. Dismissing your own experience with “first world problems” or “suck it up” may feel like resilience, but it’s avoidance dressed up as toughness. Real strength is being honest with yourself.
3. Watch Out for the Three Ps
Pressing: Not everything is urgent, even if it feels that way.
Perfectionism: Chasing 100 percent on every task will wear you out. Good enough is often enough.
People Pleasing: Saying yes when you mean no will cost you your peace. Check yourself before you agree to something that drains you.
4. Know Your Stress Signatures
Bel had us sign our names with the opposite hand to show what stress does. It gets clunky, confusing and harder than it should be. Your version might be forgetting meetings, dodging calls, snapping at your partner or eating nothing but toast. Learn your warning signs so you can catch the slide early.
5. Interrupt the Cycle
Stress doesn’t solve itself. You need tools to circuit-break it. Think daily walks, journaling, sweat sessions, playing sport, sitting in silence, listening to music, or talking to someone while waiting for your coffee. Not every strategy works for every moment. Mix it up. Have options.
6. Drop the Balls That Aren’t Yours
This one hit hard. So many of us are carrying expectations that don’t even belong to us. You’re not a fairy godparent. Ask yourself: is this mine to carry? Or do I need to give it back?
7. Don’t Avoid the Hard Conversations
Avoiding an uncomfortable chat today will always cost you more tomorrow. Whether it’s an underperforming team member or a brewing workplace tension, clarity now beats clean-up later. Bel was blunt: if someone isn’t doing what’s needed and you haven’t told them, that’s on you.
8. Ask “What Do I Need Right Now?”
Not “what’s on my list” or “what would look productive,” but what do you actually need? Sometimes it’s rest. Sometimes it’s movement. Sometimes it’s calling in help. You’re allowed to prioritise yourself.
Bel didn’t give us another generic wellbeing chat. She gave us permission to stop pretending we’re superhuman and start acting like we matter too.
Take this with you:
- You are not a machine.
- You can lead without breaking yourself.
- You are allowed to say no.
Check your balls before they break you.
Author: Simone Douglas