Running a business can be exhilarating and fulfilling. Most days we are full to the brim with zeal and ideas flow out of our minds with no hesitation. Other times we struggle as if we’re walking uphill in five feet of snow while wearing stilettos and a backpack weighed down with Etsy fees.
It can be easy to program ourselves on autopilot and grind until we crumble. The problem with that is we can lose balance in our time and miss out on rest. Do you remember rest? It’s like that old friend from high school you message every few months on Facebook and ask to get together but never do. But you’ll be contacting her again to chat about plans again even though it’ll probably never happen. Again. Yeah. Let’s not do that with rest. Here are three things to observe about how you feel towards your business that are red flags, that you and rest need to make a date stat.
Lack of Motivation
If just thinking about your business and the aspects of it doesn’t get you excited in the morning…take a break. It’s okay (and actually healthy) for you to stop working for a day or two. Allow yourself a real weekend and do something totally different. In order to be motivated, we usually have to be creatively stimulated. Some days we just don’t want to cheer ourselves on or continue with whatever we’re working on. That is a definite sign that rest should be added to the to-do list.
Lack of Inspiration
Blah blah blah. Oh excuse me. That’s just what I hear in my head right now. Ever feel that way? Yeah I get it. No matter how many doodles you do or notes you scribble, it’s just not working. You’re starting to dislike what you are creating and that won’t win over anyone. Especially not yourself. This might be a good time to put down the pencil and go outside. Get a coffee, put in some ear buds with music (not a podcast) and take a walk around the block. Call up a good friend for a Netfllix binge-sesh and pizza party for two. Rest in laughter and friendly conversation. Be present for a bit and inspiration will find you.
Lack of Excitement
Sometimes we are motivated and inspired but then afterward we lose excitement over something we have made. We feel disappointed with the final results and our attitude is slumped. It’s that feeling you get when you try something different off the menu at your favorite restaurant, only to wish you would have just went with what you normally order. The. Worst. When you have this happen in business, it is time to just create something for fun. No expectations. Don’t even put in on your Instagram story! Rest in your happy place and get your mind back to why you started in the first place. This hopefully will help center your focus back on what’s important: doing what you love.
Last Updated on
I can relate to that completely. I was working over 12+hrs a day out of the 3 of 5 days each week or even working 7 days/week (because it’s not illegal in some countries). I completely lost the motivation to work on my hobbies, couldn’t come up with ideas and just wanted to quit everything. Good thing when I quit my job, all my ideas came back to life.