The Weird, Wonky In-Between.
How are you feeling?
I've been checking in with some of my favorite solopreneurs as we transition out of pandemic life and enter the “in-between” phase.
The light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter, but not everyone feels how they expected to feel.
I've heard things like:
“I'm tired. I feel uninspired, unmotivated, and ambivalent.”
“The last year changed me and how I see my business.”
“I’m sitting on decisions like I’m a goose on an egg.”
"I’m longing for my old life. But leaping quickly doesn’t work anymore, because that’s not who I am anymore.”
Psychologist Adam Grant names “languishing” as the space between depression & flourishing.
If you're not ready to flourish, it's ok.
You're normal.
(And if you are flourishing, congratulations).
We've just been through a long, intense, wonky year. You don't have to be ready to jump right back in full force.
(I remember watching the movie Speed and thinking, "Keanu and Sandra wouldn't feel sexy after surviving a high-speed bus-bomb; they'd be shell-shocked and need to cry and sleep!")
Physically, it takes time for the adrenaline, cortisol, and other stress hormones to wear off and stabilize.
Emotionally, you may need time to process, to grieve, to reevaluate, and to refocus.
This goes for your business, too.
A few tools that will help you as you move through the “in-between”:
*Self-compassion. Give yourself space to rest and have less bandwidth than usual. Stop comparing yourself to others (especially on social media). Be patient with yourself.
*Curiosity. Ask yourself open-ended questions about how you want your business to be, and how your goals may have changed. Think about how you want to serve your clients now.
*Simplicity. Try to focus in on only 1-3 areas of your business that you can put your attention and create consistency. Even if you're not ready to make big, long-term goals, what's the One Thing you'd like to feel good about right now?
What are you noticing in your business in the “in-between?” Share in the comments.