Back when I was in corporate I would get what I called the “Sunday night blues.” As the day would go on, I’d have more and more anxiety.
It didn’t matter how much fun I’d had, or how relaxing the day had been, by 7:00 pm my stomach would be in knots. Just the thought of returning to a job I hated on Monday morning was enough to ruin half my weekend.
Unfortunately, as a business owners you might be going through similar things. But instead of getting the blues at the end of the weekend, you might get the dreaded 3:00 am blues.
It happens when you wake up in the middle of the night gripped by fear. All the emotions you’ve been keeping locked down during the day start flooding in.
When you’re vulnerable and half-awake, suddenly all you can think about is what’s not in your bank account. Or how your latest product launch fizzled. Or how exhausting it is to work night and day on a dream of business that’s become a total nightmare.
The good thing is the 3:00 am blues usually passes. And when it’s time to go out in the world you pull yourself together, smile and pretend nothing’s wrong.
You keep hustling and hope that something breaks before you completely break down.
What happens if you can’t make it work? What happens if you risk everything to pursue this dream and you end up losing it all?
Not sure if it’s time to stay or go? Close your business, shut the doors and start looking for a JOB?
“Just don’t give up trying to do what you really want to do.” – Ella Fitzgerald
Before you decide, here are three things to try:
1. Stop Comparing Yourself to Other Business Owners
Give yourself a break. Even if everyone else seems to be happy and successful with no problems, that’s far from the truth. There are no overnight successes.
No matter what their PR says, everyone has had to go through rough places in their business. Sleepless nights, self-doubt and soul-numbing fear. If that’s what you’re going through, you’re not alone.
2. Get Back to Basics
Why did you want to go into business in the first place? Have you forgotten your “why?” Did you get sidetracked from your original idea?
It’s okay to change direction if you’re not where you want to be. Stop and take stock of your situation.
3. What Action Can You Take Right Now?
Instead of getting stuck in an endless loop of thinking without action, take a step right now. What is the best action you can take at this time?
When you’re confused and frustrated, it’s easy to lose the ability to make any decision.
So you either jump from thing to thing looking for the magic pill that will make everything better, or throw up your hands and give up entirely.
Give yourself a break, take a deep breath and take stock of where you want to go. You just might find that you’d much rather be doing something else that will be better for you in the long run.
Copyright © 2015 Deborah A. Bailey
