Back in the early days of starting your business you probably had boundless enthusiasm and willingly put in long hours to get your venture off the ground. Lately, though, it's a struggle to get through the day and you just can't seem to get motivated or stay focused. You're even wondering if you should just throw in the towel. If this sounds familiar, you're probably suffering from a collection of symptoms known as "burnout".

Burnout is like a physical and mental rebellion which makes it difficult or impossible for you to complete your work. Besides taking a toll on you personally, it's bound to affect your relationships with significant others as well. In the beginning, burnout can manifest itself as a lack of motivation, trouble concentrating, and fatigue. Over time it can ultimately lead to chronic depression, physical symptoms and feeling unable to function at all. If you think you might be suffering from burnout, give some thought to what the underlying causes might be.

Are you just plain tired?   Working long hours with few days off is the norm for entrepreneurs in the startup phase, but over time that grueling schedule can grind you down physically and mentally. If you drive yourself too hard in an effort to get ahead you will actually be undermining your success. By neglecting nutrition, exercise and "down time", you'll sabotage yourself in the long run. Shorten your hours or take an extra day off every week. Try to work smarter, not harder. You'll probably find that by working fewer hours, you'll actually accomplish more.

Are you suffering from isolation?   Isolation is one of the biggest pitfalls of entrepreneurship, and one of the most frequent complaints of solo entrepreneurs. You miss out on all the lunches with colleagues, brainstorming sessions, after work get-togethers and office parties that the employed take for granted. Unless you make a real effort to get away from your computer and socialize, isolation is inevitable. Schedule activities outside the office several times a week. Take a walk, get to know your neighbors, work out at the gym, join a civic or professional group or take a class. You'll broaden your horizons and improve your state of mind.

Are you feeling discouraged?  Having unrealistic expectations of yourself and your business is a sure way to feel like a failure. Instead of scrutinizing yourself, take a good look at your goals and the strategies you choose to accomplish them. Are they realistic given your abilities, resources, and the current economic conditions? Don't expect to make a lot of money fast on the Web, even if you have a great business idea. Don't set yourself up to fail. Make sure you're setting goals that you can realistically achieve, and take it one step at a time.

Is your life out of balance?  Having a business and a life outside work is a challenge for entrepreneurs, but family, friends, recreation and time for "you" are all crucial to your happiness and wellbeing. Unfortunately, the demands of running a business can easily crowd out everything else. If you haven't been making time for the people who matter to you and the activities you enjoy, maybe it's time to rearrange your priorities. It's easy to feel like your work is never really "done", but it's important to find a stopping point and call it a day. You'll be happier, and so will your significant others.

Do you feel out of control?  Are you running your business, or is your business running you? Entrepreneurs wear so many hats (and switch them so often) that it's easy to feel overwhelmed and out of control. Ironically, you might experience the most stress just as your business is finally succeeding. If all the details have become too much for you, stop trying to do it all yourself. Get organized, automate tasks, harness technology, outsource some work, or hire an assistant. You may be thinking that you can't afford to pay for help, but maybe you can't afford not to. A business that's out of control won't be in business for long, and you can't be effective as a manager if you're suffering from chronic burnout.

Is your business a bad fit?  Is your business a good fit with your personality, values, constitution, work style, talents and lifestyle? If it's not, you're bound to feel conflicted and unable to give it your best effort. Maybe the business seemed like the right choice at the time, but your circumstances have changed (marital status, financial situation, health) and it's no longer a good match. Is the business meeting your needs? Is running the business causing friction in your personal life? Are the demands of your business more than you can handle physically or emotionally? You can still be successful as an entrepreneur, but you'll need to make some changes in your business or find a new one that's a better fit.

Are you cast in the wrong role?  Maybe you're in the right business, but you're in the wrong role. Which tasks do you actually enjoy, and which feel like drudgery? Are the administrative tasks consuming too much of your time, keeping you from strategizing and planning for the future? Would you like more customer interaction... or less? If you enjoyed building the business but you're not crazy about running it on a day-to-day basis, maybe it's time to hand off some responsibilities. Outsourcing the tasks you dread or hiring employees to handle them will help you regain your enthusiasm and let you concentrate on expanding your business or undertaking new ventures.

Are you frustrated?  Does your business sometimes feel like an exercisize in futility? If you feel like you're spinning your wheels, you probably are. First of all, take a good hard look at your business model. To succeed in business, you must have three things: a product, a market for it, and a way of bringing them together that creates a profit for you. If you're missing any of these elements, then you don't have a foundation for success no matter how hard you work at it. Examine your business concept and revenue model and make some changes if you need to. If you're convinced you have a good idea and a viable business model, try some new approaches to reach your goals.

Are you bored?  Do you still enjoy your business, or would you rather be doing something else? Many times the excitement of launching a new business gives way to feelings of boredom once the business is running smoothly. Maybe you've spent so many hours working that you've let other interests and pursuits fall by the wayside. Start making time for the things you enjoy and the activities that are meaningful to you. Find a hobby or pick up an old one again. Try a change of pace or a change of scenery. Take a vacation, if you can (and you can, if you really want to). Get away from the computer periodically and add some variety to your life.

What if nothing seems to help?  If you've takem steps to combat burnout but nothing seems to help, you might need to do some soul searching. Ask yourself whether running your own business is really the best occupation for you. Maybe you don't really enjoy working for yourself, or feel the demands are too great in relation to the returns, or maybe you enjoy having your own business but you're not in the right business. There's really no way of knowing in advance whether entrepreneurship is right for you, so if you've given it a fair chance but feel you'd be happier doing something else, cut your losses and move on. You've gained a valuable experience and skills that will help you in your next venture.