What to do When it All Seems Too Hard
I just spent two days teaching about money and marketing in my mentor’s program. And here’s what I discovered.
Most entrepreneurs (myself included) run purely on an engine of self-discipline and willpower. That means that if we aren’t getting something done – we beat ourselves up and just “try harder”.
Well as someone who has been running my own company for over 7 years now, I’ll be the first to tell you – running on shear will gets very old after a while. And frankly it stops working unless you are the most disciplined of folks.
Here’s what’s missing for so many of you: JOY. For many of you the fun has dropped out of your business entirely. You are slogging along trying to make it all work out of the sheer desire to make more money, get a return on your investments or cross things off your to-do list. And that means that waking up to do your business has become more of a burden than a pleasure.
I believe this is due to number of factors. I’d like to give you some steps to help remedy the situation.
1. Unreal Expectations. I know there is so much business rhetoric out there about overnight success and how people have grown to six and seven figure in two or three years. The truth is that it takes time. Most businesses aren’t profitable for the first 2-3 year, especially if you have team and mentors on your expense list.
If you are looking at your numbers and tasks and pushing yourself to hit unrealistic expectations – you will always be disappointed. This is a JOY killer. Get real with your numbers and your demands on your time. And know that building relationships, which is the foundation of a killer business, takes time.
While you are building, find joy in other areas – like time with friends and family, the successes of your first clients, building a great community of colleagues and spending quality time with yourself.
I know what got me through my first three years is that I genuinely enjoyed every phase of my business. My first clients met with me at a Starbuck’s in NYC. Other clients met me in Central Park and we went for walks. While those weren’t the most “professional” times and I’m surely a better coach now – I loved every minute of it.
Find the joy with where you are now. If you don’t – this process can be a very long one.
2. Connect With Your Why. Let’s be honest – much of the job of being an entrepreneur is doing tasks you don’t know how to do yet or that scare you. I’ve found that it’s hard to motivate yourself to do these tasks if you are just doing them to get them “done”. You’ve got to connect with a bigger mission, conversation or why.
For example, I’m totally and completely committed to helping women entrepreneurs change their relationship with money, to feel powerful about creating it and to stop worrying about it. When I’m feeling unmotivated to get on a plane, I think of my why – the bigger conversation I’m having with the world. Then I realize why it’s important for me to get on that plane. This conversation needs to live in the world and I need to put it out there to as many people as possible.
Honestly, that why is much more motivating than any money goal or cross off a checklist.
3. Stop Procrastinating. Start Planning. For most people, doing things last minute is very stressful and can take all the joy out of your business (some people thrive on last minute – most people don’t).
Planning ahead of time and giving yourself ample room to get things done allows you to plan fun things into your life consistently. When you aren’t planning, you are oscillating between crazy period of activity and then period after where you just want to throw yourself on your bed and sleep for three days. This up and down is neither joyful nor sustainable.
There will always be periods of business and rest – but planning makes both periods easier to manage.
4. Make Decisions Faster. Many of you don’t realize the cost of mental energy that it is taking when you spend three weeks making a decision. The best way to enjoy your business process more is to make decisions faster – so you aren’t carrying things around in your head for weeks at a time.
You might be thinking, easier said than done. Well my best suggestion for helping you with decision-making is hiring a business coach. I was a terrible decision-maker three years ago. And so I leaned on my business coach to support me in making fast decisions. Sometimes it just helps to get yourself out of isolation and into the guidance of someone who knows better than you.
