If running a business is like a rollercoaster, at the end of last year the joy of the ride came to a halt and I was desperate to get off!
My business and I started out together in late 2019 with the pandemic closely round the corner. The heady first days and months of creating, dreaming, coaching and buzz of getting new clients intensified as the World went inside and we locked down. Whilst some struggled to new ways of working, I fully embraced the WFH option as I was starting something new; offering sessions online, building my business, working every evening, but loving it! My energy was strangely high, driven by a clear vision and purpose - I was trying to help people when they needed it. I felt useful, needed. I felt where I finally should be.
Three years past and the honeymoon period crashed. The reality of this being forever, me and Dot Dot Dash entwined and committed to each other was scary. Within all the highs of winning business and getting out of my comfort zone, there had also been rejection, loneliness, feeling stuck myself, anxiety and the continual juggle of life (moving house, kids starting school, family, etc). Online I was encouraging people to ‘get out of their comfort zone’, whilst offline I was trying to squeeze BACK into mine. The critical voice in my head asking; ‘shouldn’t you get a real job?’, ‘should you really be registering a business’?, ‘that other coach over there seems a bit more qualified / capable / professional etc’. I felt me and my business needed Couples Therapy - the energy, the thrill and the drive had gone. However, as all good relationships have shown (and through hours of watching BBC’s actual Couples Therapy), this is the point where you need to put in the work.
Coaching is an amazing, powerful, empowering life changing process, but it takes energy, full attention and dedication. Coaches need coaches, Coaches need collaboration, Coaches need contact and Coaches need care.
So this is what I did. I got a coach (the fabulous Sarah Fox), I started to collaborate and I gave myself abit of care and a break. I am at the point where I am strategising, cleaning up my ‘behind the scenes’ and once again excited about the next steps. For those of you going through the same thing (The stuckness and the ‘I don’t know’), here are my top tips.. and if you get to number 4 (you know where I am!).
My Tips For ‘Falling back in Love’ with what you do…
1) PAUSE AND REFLECT – Not to over-egg the analogy, but just like a rollercoaster you have to stop. You have to get off. You have to have the lows to experience the highs. Pausing and reflecting is so important in order re-energise and look after your main USP. You.
2) GET INSPIRATION – Whatever inspires you can be good for your business. Getting away from your screen allows you to get a different perspective and ‘disrupt’ your path for a moment, helping creativity, momentum and motivation. My Go-To is Art. Art can strengthen two important business skills (Attention to details and the ability to think differently).
3) REVISIT YOUR VALUES: Your values are like your compass. They can help you come back to your mission and purpose at times of uncertainty and when you have gone off track. They will help you understand what you and your business stand for, where you are going and how to smash your goals. If you are unsure of your values – do the quick Values exercise here.
4) GET YOURSELF A COACH! I know a good one…ha! Coaching is not purely a method - it is communication tool. Coaching can help overcome ‘stuckness’, help you get in to your groove and give you the confidence to get you where you want to be. It is a forward thinking process which provides a safe space to explore ideas, think out loud and make accountable actions. To book a discovery call contact me here
AND FINALLY
Check out these great links to help you;
WATCH: How to find your Life’s Purpose in 5 minutes by Adam Leipzig.
LISTEN TO: Ask the Expert with James Clear on Squiggly Careers by the Fantastic Amazing If!