In the last blog post we asked if the stress you were experiencing was real or just something you had created by allowing it to ‘take you down.’   In part 2 of the series, I’ll share the first of my five-part formula for how to take back control.

It takes a bit of work, but if done properly, you can manage your mindset and stay on top of the stressful elements in your business because managing your energy is your #1 job!  Here are the first two ideas for you to begin working with.

Come Clean – Be honest.  You can’t do anything about a problem if you don’t acknowledge it.  So what does stress mean to you?  How does it look?  And what are your unique ways of doing it?

• Overwhelm because you don’t know what to do next
• Lack of sleep because your mind is going over and over and over…..
• Self doubt which causes you to under charge
• Loss of productivity (cuz you are just doing mindless busy work all day)
• A dip in revenue because marketing stops or slows down
• Immobilization because at this point, shutting down feels like a good solution

Stop the Spinning – Good for you.  You have acknowledged that you may be a bit stressed.  And now it’s time to get off the merry-go-round for a bit.  In this phase you will consciously notice that you have slipped into stress and now make conscious decisions to do something different.  Notice a lot of emphasis on the word CONSCIOUS because for most of us, getting out of our zone and on the stress-train is usually unconscious.  No one chose that destination, but suddenly we wake up one day and its like, “Holy Cow….how did I get here?  The big red sign that says “STOP” is just what you need to do right now.

Here’s what you do – Pick a relatively short term goal like 3 to 6 months out.  Then you will list all the tasks that need to happen in order to get that done.  After you list all the tasks via a big brain dump, you will calendar it.  What happens most often when folks are stressed is that they don’t know what to work on next and they have VERY unrealistic time frames set up. This method will allow you to not only stay focused on the bigger picture goal, but will also solve the “what to do tomorrow” challenge as well.  And one more thing….make sure you have a visual reminder of that big goal.  It’s easy to get lost and stressed about the minutia, so having the tangible thing to focus on can keep you in the game a bit more.

In the next post I’ll cover a the last two steps designed to get you turned around and get a handle on the stress in your biz.  And in the meantime, focus on the good!

Blessings,

Therese

Let me ask you this big question…..

Is the stress you have in your business real or imagined?  And most importantly….what the heck can you do about it so it doesn’t make you go under?

Suddenly you are not in the moment enjoying the work, you are in the grip of one of the number one business happiness and productivity killers – you are stressing which means that as hard as you are working, your energy is going south with attracting the right clients to you.  That translates into the fact that you may be on some level pushing away the very thing you desire because of the stressed and overwhelmed state you are in!

Let me start by telling you that you aren’t alone, and that very often it’s darn hard and a bit scary to be in business for yourself!  I think stress, overwhelm, doubt and confusion are one side of the entrepreneurial journey.  (So are happiness, delight, satisfaction, pride, and so many other cool things!)

If you are like most enthusiastic entrepreneurs you may have moments where you are in the flow, feeling great, and doing the work you love.  But then there are those other moments when you start to worry or feel overwhelmed.  You may start to project fear into the future or ruminate over past opportunities missed or perceived mistakes made.

My request to you today is to notice the self talk you are doing when your stress level is at it’s highest.  Write down your thoughts.  That will prepare you for the rest of the articles that will follow.

Catch ya tomorrow, and know that you CAN turn things around!

Here’s to believing in you……

Therese