How to be fearless when you feel anything but

By Justine Clay

 

Running your own business has many upsides, but can we all agree….it’s not for the faint hearted?  It can feel like an emotional roller coaster at times – some days you’re flying high – business is booming, you’re powering through your to-do list and feeling great.  And then there are those days where nothing seems to come together.

I had one of those days yesterday.  I just didn’t hit my stride and felt really unproductive.  Of course, the more unproductive I felt, the worse I felt and I became even less focused.  It was one of those days when a large glass of wine usually puts things into perspective, but I’m pregnant so that was out. So what did I do? I took it home with me.

Luckily for me I have a wonderful husband who, after letting me whine for a bit, gave me a dose of my own medicine. Yes, he gave me the Pitch Perfect treatment..and it worked! (I must be on to something). I went to bed resolving to make today a better day. 

So this morning I got up early – read the New York Times and WWD (to put myself in a business frame of mind) and got a few tasks/emails out of the way before leaving the house.  By the time I got to work I was already in productive frame of mind and was able to devote myself to work that would build my business– right down to writing a blog post.  

So here are my recommendations for beating the solopreneur blues:

1) Identify exactly what you’re feeling. Disempowered, scared, unproductive…?

2) Ask yourself why. Did you not get enough sleep? Is there something you should have done, and didn’t? Once you know why, you can often find a remedy fairly easily.

3) Acknowledge your feelings, but don’t dwell on them.  It’s boring for you and those around you!

4) Come up with a plan to make tomorrow a better day. Write a list of things that you want to achieve/prioritize, it’ll help focus your energies.

5) Have a large glass of wine (unless pregnant or in recovery!)