When you ask most people why they started their business, you’ll commonly hear:
- To have more freedom
- To have more flexibility
- To spend more time with my family (which really boils down to freedom and flexibility)
- To be my own boss (again, freedom and flexibility)
Last week, I started feeling resentful towards my business. I was feeling overwhelmed. I was doubting whether I wanted to continue to be a business owner. I thought to myself, “If I got a job, it’d be easier.”
And then I thought, “But if I had a job I wouldn’t have the flexibility and the freedom I have now.”
After doing some soul searching that day – and talking with my Mastermind peeps – I realized that I needed a break. I have a lot of distractions going on at the moment – baby goats being born practically daily!! And when those kids are born, we need to make sure they nurse and sometimes have to step in and guide them in the right direction.
Side note: You want to talk about something that you have to be patient about, it’s getting those kids pointed in the right direction and nursing! I wait and wait until I can’t take it anymore, then I try to gently get them pointing towards the back.
Anyway, I do truly love helping clients grow their businesses and figuring out marketing strategies! And I love working in Infusionsoft.
But just temporarily, I needed to give myself permission to take a break from working ON my business and enjoy the baby goats. I needed to let myself relax and not feel guilty if I’m watching babies and not figuring out my marketing assessment package or getting my new home page launched. I needed to be out in the pasture and not thinking, “I should be doing…”
The client work that I am responsible for is getting done and the things I absolutely have to be doing on my business is getting done (like recording podcasts). The team works like a well-oiled machine and we’re still fulfilling client obligations.
During my Mastermind call, one person suggested: “Take your to-dos and put due dates on them two weeks from now. If you have time before then that you can do something, great! Now you’ll feel better for getting it done early. If not, it’s okay – it’s not due for two weeks.” What a great idea!! And that is exactly what I did — I took the pressure, and I have to say it has felt great!
That day I also emailed my business coach and canceled the following week’s call because, quite frankly, I hadn’t done anything I said I would and I didn’t plan to either.
I gave myself permission to enjoy the goat kids as much as I wanted and to do it guilt-free. And you know what I’ve discovered? Within 24 hours of making that conscious decision, I felt more creative and I felt a new energy. The creative juices are flowing!
I am so grateful to have the business that I have and the team members and clients that I have that allow me this flexibility in the spring to watch babies…
What types of non-business things do you enjoy? Share with me below!
How great that you get to spend guilt-free time with the baby goats! I enjoy walking my dog, attending life groups at church, reading and keeping up with my daily fitness (yoga or barre3). These have become nonnegotiable parts of my life. I work the business around these (most days). Stepping away from working on the business is rejuvenating and refreshing!
That is awesome that you’ve made those things non-negotiable! It really is important to take care of ourselves!