A few days ago…I was having one of those days.
I was in a business funk.
I’m in a transition space right now, so my 90-day plan is, shall we say, looser than usual, and it has the planner in me feeling unsettled. Add to that feeling awful news about Houston and Florida, and wildfires and . . . there is so much happening in the world right now. It’s easy to get overwhelmed or feel like your business isn’t all that important in the grand scheme of things.
And if you are focusing on your business, but it’s a little lean right now or your launch isn’t doing what you hoped it would, it’s easy to get discouraged. Easy to think, What am I doing? Or even, I can’t do this.
We all have days like that, and one of the ways we succeed as Mama CEOs is by knowing how to get out of a business funk.
5 Ways to Break out of a Business Funk
I love strategy . . . creating a 90-day plan, planning a week or day. Working your plan can keep moving you forward. But sometimes before you work your strategy, you need to do a little mindset work first.
Here are 5 things to do next time you feel stuck or like you just can’t do this (because you totally can).
Decide How You Want to Feel
I suggest starting 90-day planning with how you want to feel. Once you know how you want to feel, think of three things that you can do that will make you feel that way. This process works to get out of a funk too.
So say you want to feel focused today. Three things you could do are:
- Streamline your to do list—pick 1–3 things you will accomplish today.
- Turn off all distractions—bye-bye Facebook, calls to voicemail, etc.
- Take 5 deep breaths as you transition from one activity to the next.
Action Step: Decide how you want to feel today and pick 3 things that you will do to feel that way.
Tap Into Your Why
Why did you decide to become a Mama CEO? What is your big vision for your life?
Do you want the flexibility to be available for your kids after school? Do you dream of being location independent? Do you want to contribute more to your family’s income, or the college fund or the vacation stash? Do you have a vision of how you can help people and make the world a better place?
Action Step: Write your big why on a Post-it and stick it somewhere you can see it regularly
Focus on What You’ve Accomplished
When you are focused on the 12 people who turned down your invitation to join your newest program, it’s easy to overlook the two people who said “hell, yeah!”
When you haven’t made your first business sale, it’s easy to forget that you have quadrupled your list size in 3 months because of some your strategic networking.
When you haven’t had a 5 figure launch, you can forget that you changed the life of one very important client.
If you’re starting to wonder if this is all worth it, get out a piece of paper and list things that are going well in your business – people love your free opt in offer, you were asked to guest blog for a big name blogger, your current clients love you, you have a paid speaking engagement coming up, you have consistently blogged for 3 months even with a newborn at home, you love what you are working on and feel fulfilled, writing down the things that ARE going well can fight that feeling of “yeah, but, I haven’t done…..”
Action Step: Write down 3 things that are going well in your business.
Create a Mantra
I love creating a positive mantra to break out of the cycle of negative self-talk that is so easy to get into as a Mama CEO. The easiest way I know to do that is to take your negative thought and remove all the negative words.
So I’ll never get enough clients to work with turns into I will get enough clients — or even massage it a little more I will find the right clients who want to work with me.
I talk through the process of creating a success mantra in this Mama Minute and how to reframe your fears to get out of your own way.
Action Step: Write your success mantra. Say it aloud several times throughout the day.
Have a Support Person
As Mama CEOs, not everyone gets us. While a different perspective can be helpful, advice, even well intentioned, from somebody who just doesn’t understand how your world works, probably isn’t what you need when you are in a funk.
Having a business bestie, one who knows what it’s like to be an entrepreneur and a mom can save you. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve texted a Mama CEO friend to say “What if this launch flops?” or “OMG, my kids school got cancelled on the day of my live workshop.”
Knowing who you can turn to for a pep talk, commiseration, logistical advice or to make you laugh (bonus if that person always knows just which one you need) can break you out of rough patch pretty quickly.
Action Step: Make a list of people you can turn to when things get rough. Reach out to them today.
There are a lot of things you can do to get out of a business funk—take a break, get out in the sun, get some exercise, get some sleep, take a risk . . .
While a 90-day plan or your daily schedule may feel like a concrete thing that you can do to elevate your business, don’t make the mistake of overlooking mindset. Make sure you have a system in place to get past mindset issues that hold you back.
What’s your go-to way to get out of a business funk? How have you turned your mindset around to help your business? Let me know if the comments
Do you want to elevate your business this year?
Applications close soon for the Mama CEO Mastery experience. I am so excited about the amazing group of women already starting their work of elevating their business and amplifying their voices. You could be part of it!
