Photo by Peter Nijenhuis
As entrepreneurs we are, by default, husslers. We see opportunities, assess them quickly and get crackin’. Our “potentials” folder is bursting at the seams, filled with awesome ideas we just can’t part with yet. A notoriously curious bunch, we consistently look for new ways to improve, maximize, morph what we are doing into something newer, fresher and better, and tend to feel bad about ourselves or our business when it’s not matching up to what we see in our heads. Throw in our voracious drive for exploration coupled with a visionary perspective, most of our energy and brain power are focused on the future which often leaves very little room and energy for staying rooted in the present.
But the “now” is where our attention is needed most because it’s how we anchor in all our enthusiasm and vision into something tangible to create a dream we haven’t even seen yet.
This can be tricky, especially when the structure is not dictated to you but created by you. And soon there is no line where the business ends and you begin; you feel like you are one in the same. And sometimes, the passionate fire that consumes entrepreneurs can also be what does them in — ninja style.
Building and Living your Passion
It seems harmless enough — few extra hours here and there, adding, polishing and tweaking, especially in the beginning. Getting yourself organized and key systems in place is commendable and necessary to get things running and enable you to outsource things when you really get rolling. But as you get busier, you don’t outsource. In fact, there are 10 more things you add to your plate daily and know there will be more tomorrow. There are blog posts to write and new platforms to explore. And what about that idea you had about teaching a new class — you need to write the content for that, too. Oh, and networking? Yea — need to drum up some new business of course, always!
Soon you look at your business and see a list of tasks and to-dos, while your passion is buried at the bottom of your inbox. The reasons that inspired you to follow the fire in your belly are MIA, and you aren’t sure if and when they are coming back. And you are in the thick of the day-to-day tasks, just like in a traditional job, without the paid vacation.
Yea, you got ninja’ed by your to-do list. And it sneaks up while you are embroiled in “doing”.
One of the most important lessons I learn (and continue to learn) is that I’m the only one who is going to choose “me”. If I lose myself in tasks, not only do I suffer, but my current and potential clients suffer because I’m not able to deliver the creative juju. And that, after all, IS why I do this every day, why I show up to connect, create and show others how to share THEIR passion and gifts. And if I’m constantly doing, I cannot be with who I am OR what my business is in order to both appreciate and shift it to match where my heart is leading me.
Turning the Meaning of Balance on it’s Head
In my personal experience there is no one set definition of balance because it will change every day. The sooner you leave behind the idea that balance means consistency, the better off we will all be. After all, consistency breeds mediocrity and leaves no room for growth or change. And that is NOT what being an entrepreneur represents, by its very factual definition.
Being present is the real key to balance because it gives us the right information at the right time to make a decision or create with the energy of now, and the passion to make it stick.
This post is part of Word Carnivals, a collection of awesome small business minds coming together once a month to share their insights. Want to read more awesome, than go for it!