Jumping headfirst into anything creates a sea of emotions.
Excitement at starting something new.
Fear of failing at this new thing.
The uncertainty of what’s to come.
When I first started my Copywriting business, I was a Stay-at-Home mom. I didn’t have a “day job” I was trying to get away from. What I did have was a desire to do a little more to provide for my family. It also felt amazing to be doing something I loved!
With nothing holding me back, I decided to jump feet first into the world of copywriting.
I signed up for as many content mill sites as I could. *Insert cringe face here*. I read blog post after blog post on topics related to Marketing, Copywriting, and Sales. I took online courses to help me learn skills I was lacking.
It was exhausting!
Unfortunately, all this hard work in the beginning, left me feeling like a chicken with my head cut off. I was doing so much but doing absolutely nothing at all.
The prospecting stopped. The marketing fizzled out. I was over it before I had even begun. That’s the moment I knew it was time to recharge my batteries and get back to business.
How can you tell it's time for a recharge?
You don’t have the motivation.
If the things that once made you happy now make you feel burdened, it’s time for a change. Think of what made you start your business. Was it for financial freedom, time, or fulfillment. When you forget that driving force behind your business it’s easy to lose the motivation to continue.
You’re going through the motions, but nothing more.
You wake up, go to work, do the job, come home. Rinse and repeat. Every day is always the same. You get no enjoyment out of your business anymore. It’s like a wheel that keeps turning but is getting you nowhere. When this happens, your business will halter. Your business can’t grow if you're stuck in one spot.
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You’ve lost your passion.
There is always a reason behind any businesses beginning. That passion for your work is what got you started in the first place. It's what keeps your business going. If you lose that passionate feeling, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the job. That’s what happens to business owners that “give up” on their business. They’ve lost their passion.
Wait, there is good news!
With a quick recharge, you can get back to doing the business you love. You don’t need to escape to some tropical island in the middle of nowhere. All you need is a little time and a positive mindset. Let me share with you a few things I do when I need to recharge.
Take a break. From everything.
When you feel overwhelmed by all the work of running your business, it’s ok to take a break. Get off social media. Stop checking your email. Don’t answer your phone. Stop doing anything related to your business. Take a day…week…month…whatever it takes to feel recharged.
The stress of running a business can really drain you, both physically and mentally. By cutting yourself off from some of this stress, you’ll be able to recharge and enjoy life again. It also means your mind will get some much-needed rest. You’ll come back to the job feeling refreshed and ready to go.
*Please make sure that you leave someone in charge of your day-to-day business operations while you’re "offline."
Delegate tasks to another professional.
Sometimes the lack of passion isn’t because you dislike your business. It could be that you hate doing all the behind-the-scenes tasks you need to do to keep your business running. The bookkeeping, marketing, and other job duties are all necessary. If you’re less than thrilled about doing them every day, it's time to hire a professional.
You’re living in the digital age. Chances are, you can find a professional freelancer who would love to help you out. Delegating tasks to someone else gives you a chance to breathe. You won’t feel overwhelmed with deadlines and responsibilities.
Cut back on workload.
Are you someone that tends to bite off more than you can chew? I’ve been guilty of this a time or two. The extra work creates extra stress in my life. My work performance suffers, and so does my mental health.
The best thing you can do in a situation like this is to cut back on work. That may mean you delegate tasks to someone else or start saying “no” more often. Whatever you have to do to cut back on your workload, DO IT!
Read instead of scroll.
Not all social media newsfeeds are created equal. From time-to-time, my newsfeed seems to be written by “Negative Nancy” herself. So much complaining! All that negative talk can really put a damper on your mood. In times like these, I put down my phone and pick up a book. Reading is a great way to give your mind an escape from the stresses of everyday life. Even if only for a few minutes.
Vent your frustrations.
We’ve all had our fair share of frustrating business interactions. Maybe you caught a co-worker talking about you to someone else. Maybe your client hasn’t paid you for work that was completed 2 weeks ago. Whenever something gets under my skin, the first thing I do is talk over the situation with someone I trust.
What you don’t want to do is vent your frustration online. As easy as it can be to hop in a Facebook group and bad-mouth an employer or employee, it’s also just as easy for them to hop in that same group and see what you said. At that point, it’s likely you’ll be taking a permanent “recharge” from your job. Not good!