What to Do When Your Business Feels Like a Push
Do you feel like your business has been a struggle...a push causing you to feel stuck, stressed and uninspired?
If so, you're in the majority. There’s a common belief that you have to work HARD if you have your own business. That there needs to be struggle and pushing …and that if you just push through THEN it will all the sudden magically be this dream experience.
I’m on a mission to break this belief.
Running your own business is certainly full of challenges, growth, and it probably won’t feel easy all the time. It shouldn’t, however, feel like a push. None of this “if I just get through this” stuff.
Business should be a total joy.
One thing I observe time and time again, both in myself and in my clients, is that when there is that push and not an ounce of joy is happening that there is a disconnect.
When there isn't an ounce of joy there’s a disconnect between what you started your business for, or what you really want or what you’re naturally good at and what you’re actually spending your time doing.
For (real life) example:
I have been feeling like writing lately has been a push. For the last 3 years it had been a flow. Writing was one of my favorite things to do. Heck, I’ve published a blog every week (with just a few exceptions) every single week for 3 years. With joy. What was different now?
So, I explored when I started feeling that push, or sense of obligation and realized it was right around the time when I had made the announcement of switching from Bedroom to Business. Interesting. I had tons of ideas of what to write and make videos on. Things I knew would be helpful and that I was excited about. What was going on?
Problem: I realized that I had put myself in a box of what my writing had to be like now. “I am a business coach now, so my writing needs to be business-y and I can’t write about all the other stuff I love writing about anymore." No one else had said I had to do this, I know my readers love reading about my personal experiences and how business, relationships and sexuality tie together.
Once I realized this I had the information I needed to be able to make a mental shift.
Solution: I reminded myself that I can write about whatever I want, whenever I want. That this is my business that I can create and change it as I grow and change. What’s most important is that I’m loving it, because when I’m loving it others
In addition to re-gifting myself that freedom I also have decided to change my mind and not write a blog every week. To give myself more creative space to focus on quality. The change is as simple as going from one article a week to every other week. Ta – da! Instant relief. will too (and some won’t – and that’s awesome too).
So when you find yourself feeling that push…that lack of joy in what your doing just remind yourself that it’s time to look at WHY and give yourself the freedom to make changes. To realign with what you most desire.
Following what the business “gurus” are saying or even what your mentor, coach or I am saying is great …until it’s not in alignment with what works for YOU.
Allow the guidance of others to give you ideas, inspiration, a template to model to get started but don’t feel the need to mimic it, instead mold it into your own expression. (Thanks to Erika Lyremark for that reminder).
Your action steps for the week:
Look at what feels easy and in flow (or even like a challenge, but the kind that is really growing you and bringing you to be your best self) in your business. Ask yourself: What makes this feel easy and in flow for me?
Look at what feels hard and like a push. Ask yourself: What about this isn’t in alignment with what I really want? Why is this feeling hard?
Brainstorm and/or do a meditation to explore how you can shift the answers to #2 to make them more in alignment with the answers to #1.
Once you do this you’ll be well on your way to experiencing more joy, ease and reward in your business. Which will make the times of growth and challenge much easier to move through. You can do it!
Xox Allison
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