It’s the middle of winter where I live and we’ve had snow on the ground for the last two weeks. School aged kids in our area have actually missed the last 10 days of school due to some weather event or another. I, like many others in my area, have started to experience the winter blues. As I thought about how to fight off the doldrums, I realized that as entrepreneurs are starting or growing their businesses, they, too, often experience the blues. Similar to being confined to the house or seeing little to no sunshine for days on end, the entrepreneurial blues come when you feel stuck at a particular level in your business, when you’re working 14+ hour days for weeks on end, when it’s hard to see the light at the end of tunnel, or even when you get that feeling you’re on a hamster wheel – running like crazy, but never really getting anywhere.
Over the years, I’ve learned that just like with the winter blues, there are ways to combat the entrepreneurial blues and even avoid them altogether. Read on for my top 6 tips to help you get over a bout with these feelings and get back to your normal jovial self.
Be Grateful – Look around you. You have been granted a wonderful gift in the entrepreneurial spirit. You’ve taken the initial steps necessary to start to build your own business. That’s no small feat! It doesn’t matter if it’s part time, full time, in a home office, at your kitchen table, pulling in 7 figures or only making a couple hundred dollars right now. You’ve done it. You’ve taken the steps it takes to create, nurture and further develop your business. And that’s a heck of a lot better than the millions of people who just thought it would be nice or cool to be an entrepreneur but never stepped forward to do it. You had the courage to step out on faith and into your destiny of owning your own business! Don’t just be proud of that. Be grateful for the gift of courage to do it.
Connect with Colleagues, Friends or other Entrepreneurs that Inspire You – Sometimes all it takes to change your mood is a cup of coffee or a nice lunch with a friendly face. Often times as entrepreneurs, we work solo for hours, days and weeks on end. This can lead to a lonely existence as you grow your business. So, if you’re feeling blue, pick up the phone and dial a friend. Chat awhile about things that make you smile. Reconnect with them on important things outside of business. You’ll get to feeling better in no time.
Learn Something New – Learning something new always makes me feel good. It can be a technical skill, a soft skill, business or personal. I really enjoy growing and developing on every level. I recently realized that when I feel blah, if I open a book or listen to a YouTube video or a podcast, it helps to not only distract from whatever it was that had me down, but also lifts my spirits. So, the next time you’re not feeling your best, sit down with a great article or blog post or take a gander at the latest Ted upload or pick your own path to higher knowledge. Before you know it, you won’t remember what had you frowning in the first place.
Re-Focus on your Why – As we get bogged down in the day to day, it’s very easy to forget why we’re in business for ourselves in the first place. Perhaps, it’s so we can live out a lifelong dream or passion for helping others or maybe it’s because we know that our product is life-changing and helps those who need it. Perhaps, it’s because we want the freedom to live a certain lifestyle, be at home when the kids arrive from school, or even to make our own decisions about our time, tasks and results. Remembering “why” you do what you do helps you to refocus on what’s important and onto more positive thoughts in your business.
Take a mini-break – Sometimes you just need a break. It’s my firm belief that entrepreneurs are some of the hardest working people in the world. Even if your work is in an office versus a manually intensive environment, the mere fact that we are always “on” can easily lead to exhaustion and burn-out. That is if we’re not careful to ensure the proper self-care that’s required to avoid those things. One way of doing that is to take a mini-break. It’s tough for entrepreneurs to get away sometimes, especially when your business is new. So it doesn’t have to be a luxurious 14-day cruise around the world. Sometimes all it takes is a few short hours away from my business. I try to regularly take time off to do something fun or simply to rest. When I break, I turn off the electronic devices, go someplace quiet, and don’t allow myself to think about the business at all. My breaks have been as short as an hour or as long as a full day when necessary. They work as long as you’re adamant about the “no-business” rule while you’re away.
Change it up – Change can be very helpful when the root cause of your blues is boredom, repetition, or even a simple distaste for the task at hand. When you’re having a down day in your business, try changing what you’re doing, where you’re doing it, or whom you’re doing it with. Try switching tasks when you’re feeling blue. Put down the financial statements and try a little strategic planning or maybe choose to work on something more creative for a while. Pick something fun. That small change can sometimes help brighten your spirits. In today’s tech society, it’s easy to find a place to work that offers free WiFi and a good Cup-of-Joe. So, if you’re bored, pack up your things and head out to the nearest coffee shop. Better yet, if the weather’s nice and your city offers free WiFi in outdoor areas, try working under the sun for an afternoon. You’ll get the benefit of the sun’s rays, some extra vitamin D and you might just meet your next client there too.
ofit Sherpa & works with rapid growth women entrepreneurs, speakers, coaches, authors, small business owners, entertainers, etc. She helps those who are looking to impact their bottom line, increase profit margins and grow a successful business. Kemberli helps entrepreneurs rapidly increase profits by helping individuals and companies chart a course to the summit, discover their danger zones and blind spots, and develop and implement profit strategies that will grow as your organization grows. Follow @Profit_Sherpa on Instagram for daily tips and motivation for entrepreneurs.