One of the hardest parts about being a Misfit Entrepreneur is that you have to constantly put yourself out there. It can be draining, emotionally turbulent and demoralizing. Gaining the strength to persevere thru these times makes the difference between succeeding and getting a J-O-B.
I know how hard it is to put yourself out there. It’s a big part of why I wrote A Misfit Entrepreneur’s Guide to Building a Business Your Way. And with the release of the book still minty fresh, I am living these challenges as we speak! You see, I sometimes have a strong physical reaction to putting myself out there, as in I physically become ill.
It happened right after I first started publishing a draft of A Misfit Entrepreneur’s Guide on my blog. And it happened again right before the release of the book. I don’t know if it’s the added stress that weakens my bodies defenses or an ironic gift that reminds me to focus on what’s really important; the fact of the matter is that putting yourself out there gets ten times harder when you’re also dealing with life’s trials and tribulations.
I am here to tell you that you’re not alone in navigating these struggles. Have hope! And when in doubt try these five things to ease the pain of putting yourself out there:
1. Take Care of Yourself
First and foremost, you have to take care of yourself. Sometimes your plans will get tossed out the window. Instead of spending the day in meetings, writing your book and going to the gym, you just might need to sleep. There’s no need to add insult to injury by making yourself feel guilty, a healthy you is a better you. And if you take care of yourself first, you’ll have more to give later on! What can you do in the next day to help yourself relax and rejuvenate?
2. Re-Connect with Your Purpose
There’s so much stimuli out there, so many voices and opinions about what you should be doing it can be easy to get distracted. One minute you think you have things figured out, then the next minute someone informs you of a marketing program you absolutely must do if you want to succeed. Suddenly, you’re overwhelmed and over committed. Instead of letting other people should all over you, stop and see how your projects and responsibilities align with your deeper purpose. If they don’t, consider renegotiating your commitments. Does what you’re doing support your deeper purpose?
3. Bite-size Your Expectations
Ok, so your projects do align with your deeper purpose, that’s wonderful news! Now bite-size your expectations. Cliche is it might be Rome was not built in a day, and mountains are not climbed in one step. The Misfit Entrepreneur’s Journey is a long one, as in epic. So take your time and plan to work on it day-in and day-out. You’re not going to get on the New York Time’s bestseller list a week after self-publishing your first book as some no-name author (ok, granted that was for me).
What’s the very next action you can take to make progress towards your goals?
4. Celebrate Small Wins
It’s easy to lament everything that still has to be done. A Misfit Entrepreneur’s to do list is like the song that never ends. It gets annoying if you play it over and over and over again, oh and you’ll never finish everything on the list either. Rather then letting yourself feel weighed down by your ever-growing to do list, take a moment to celebrate how far you’ve come. Seriously, this is a proven technique for building your resilience. So you haven’t booked a new client yet, but you’ve made 15 phone calls, and have 3 meetings setup, those are some great small wins to celebrate!
What milestones have you reached on your journey so far? What obstacles have you had to overcome to accomplish them?
5. Call Upon a Friend
And last but not least, call a sympathizing, cheer leading friend. Someone that will understand how hard it is and how blah you feel. And who knows how to encourage you to persevere. The ideal friend is someone that will remind you of all the things that you have done so far. While also giving you some straight talk when you’re being bullheaded, it happens to the best of us.
Who can you call on to talk you thru the ups and downs?
Share your thoughts with us below! What helps you manage the highs and lows of constantly putting yourself out there?