The Neglect You Left In The Shadow, Will Wait For You
TL;DR:
Running your own business means you're the last person anyone holds accountable for rest and this is how burnout quietly builds. If you don't learn to lead yourself before you hit a wall, life will do it for you.
Being your own boss is a breath of fresh air. There’s no micromanager watching over your shoulder about how quickly you respond via Slack. There’re no pointlessly overrun meetings to choose between font families to put on a company template deck.
It’s only you and the endless possibilities of what to do next. Some of them make you jump out of bed; others make you question your existence. Welcome to showbiz.
Both need your input, and you’re the one calling the shots, all of them - every day.
Working with me might help you to become a better shot caller. Book a free intro call to see how we can work together.
One Man Show
Working for a paycheck, it was easier to close the laptop. Nobody noticed when you clocked out 10 minutes earlier to avoid rush hour traffic. Now you’re still working at night because you got inspired by a comment and have the perfect solution to that problem. It just needs to be put in front of the right people.
So, you hop online to generate reach for your copy that you finished after a sales call that started right after the call with your client you fought hard for. There’s progress though; yesterday you ate your lunch at the dinner table while it was still warm.
When friends ask why you’re pushing so hard you answer: “I’m the only one who can do it.”
Negligence
You’re right and not complaining; you willingly signed up for this ride and have the numbers already backing you up. Your mind and body scream to hit the brakes, and you’re almost ready to listen but keep whispering ”just one more week.”
After you switch off the lights to get your well-deserved shuteye, your mind just doesn’t want to follow. It got hung up on the last offer you sent, whether you framed the solution clearly enough. “Should I have included how adaptable I am?”
Instead of falling asleep in five, now it takes thirty and a special military-grade sleep method only to wake up exhausted.
Doubt is gentle and won’t kick in the door. As you put in 120%, it steps to the side, but when your mind tries to come down, it steps on stage with that faint smile you started to despise.
You Are In Charge
Last Monday was the third in line when you should’ve started to look out for yourself, and it’s Friday already. Every one of your deliveries gets shipped before the deadline; you’re good with outward accountability.
You misinterpreted “Leaders Eat Last”; it didn’t mean that they didn’t eat. Just as copy won’t write itself, there’s no one else to force you to sit in a sauna for 15 minutes without your phone for once. You also heard “The Body Keeps the Score” and started to wonder what that might mean.
Let me say it to you after three burnouts: it’s no bueno. Coffee won’t give your energy back, and your friend will try to have conversation with a hollow shell where once infectious joy lived, and they will keep wondering how to warn you.
I can’t emphasize this enough. If you don’t step up for yourself, there’s nobody else to do it for you. You will learn self-leadership the gradual or the sudden way, but you won’t be in the driver’s seat when it arrives unannounced.
As a university-certified professional coach, I help business owners to come down calmly before life brings them down. If it’s you who need a moment to pause, I’m here to guide you toward self-empathy.
Everyone pushes to the limit and that’s okay. You don’t have to face burnout alone on the other side to know how it truly feels.
It’s perfectly okay to ask for support. You don’t have to figure everything out on your own. While I believe everyone is their own best expert, I’m also a big believer in asking for help to create change together. It’s comforting to have someone by our side as we go through transitions. If you’re feeling motivated to expand your comfort zone and curious about how I can support you on your journey, let’s talk.
A baseline can slip quietly for years before anyone, including you, notices it moved. Online wellbeing coaching is where you check where yours actually stands.
