I don’t know why, but entrepreneurs are a species genetically predisposed to what is known as “a meltdown.” A meltdown, which is similar to a breakdown but not as severe, usually happens when you’ve been putting a lot of energy, creativity and perhaps even money into your business. You’ve launched new project, made significant strides in your marketing or taken a huge leap of some kind.
Then…bam!
You slam headfirst into some kind of resistance, obstacle or emotional frazzle that leaves you limp, lost and without a clue. All of sudden, you are surrounded by copious amounts of soggy Kleenex as you belt out several choruses of pitiful whining.
How do I know? Uh, hum, well,… I’m a meltdown veteran. I’ve had plenty of them, believe me. And so have most of my entrepreneurial buddies.
It seems part and parcel of the entrepreneurial journey.
But here’s the odd thing about meltdowns. They’re often followed by some kind of breakthrough… in your business, your clarity, your state of mind or your creativity.
A breakthrough is like a little epiphany where you are magically transported above the dark debris of your meltdown and can suddenly see your situation, your path and even your next step with excruciating clarity, renewed insight, and inspiration… and, if you’re really lucky, tons of juicy creative energy and giddy joy.
But man, getting through those meltdowns can be tough. Even when you know there’s something good on the other side.
So, as a seasoned veteran of the meltdown/breakthrough cycle, I thought I’d offer some gentle guidelines to help you when and if your own suffocating sense of overwhelm, not-enoughness or creative burnout starts to melt you down.
How to Meltdown With Ease and Grace… and Rebound Quickly!
Meltdown Maneuver #1: Stop Doing! Start Listening!
When there’s a lot to be done and you’re feeling behind, when you know what to do but can’t seem to find enough time to do it, you naturally think, “I’ve got to get at it! Do more! More! More!”
Wrong.
If you’re feeling tired, at loose ends, stressed, pressured and edgy, pushing yourself to do more is a really stupid idea. First, you would be taking action from a place of lack: lack of clarity, lack of confidence, lack of time, lack of sleep. And any time you take action from a feeling of lack, that action will suck. It rarely if ever yields great results and will almost always lead to costly detours, bad decisions, disappointment, dissatisfaction and more lack!
Instead… stop all the doing.
Don’t take action. Just… don’t. Stop, get quiet and listen to all the commotion going on inside of you. Let all that energy bounce around as you sit and listen, objectively, non-reactively.
Hear all those noisy thoughts pushing at you? This is what I call, The Noise of the Stuff. This is the noise inside of your head that barks out orders, demanding you attend to all the Stuff you should be doing, didn’t do, missed doing and still gotta do.
And this noise alone can turn you into a frazzled mess.
But when you stop and listen to it from a place of stillness, it tends to lose it’s pushy power to intimidate, undermine and squash your energy. You can hear it for what it is: noise. You can let it sound off and make a ruckus without following its orders, without springing into action. Thus, that Noise loses its bite and its strange intimidating, overwhelming power.
Meltdown Maneuver #2: Ask Forgiveness
You are so dang hard on yourself! You ARE!
I bet you compare yourself to other entrepreneurs or other experts in your field, and find yourself wanting. So, you push yourself to do more, be more, have more… and treat yourself like pond scum if you don’t “perform” according to your own expectations.
You need to ask yourself for forgiveness. And then give it generously.
But hey, you are NOT asking for forgiveness because you didn’t DO enough or didn’t do something well enough. Geez, no! You are asking your Higher Self to forgive you for holding yourself in such low esteem, for doubting your ability to do things in your own way and in your own time, for getting distracted by what others are doing and thinking you should be able to do it all now and do it brilliantly.
Forgive yourself for being such an overbearing, relentless creep to yourself.
Forgive yourself for believing the road to success has to be hard (because it doesn’t) or that struggle is necessary (because it isn’t).
Meltdown Maneuver #3: Ask for Help, and Let It In!
One of the main reasons entrepreneurs are prone to meltdowns is that we’re doing it all alone. We carry a big load, and we carry it by ourselves. We are the owner, manager, head cook and bottle washer. We are the marketing team, the accountant and the janitor. And somewhere in there, we try to have a personal life.
And what really bites is when something goes wrong or you’re having a bad day, there’s only one person to blame… or complain to. And that’s you! You are the complaint department and the one complaining… all at the same time!
You must, MUST, find a MasterMind or business-oriented support group of other entrepreneurs who, like you, are committed to their business and can offer support when you hit a rough patch or need advice … or feel yourself melting down. It’s so important to surround yourself with people who “get” it, who are walking the entrepreneurial path and are familiar with the twists, turns and roadblocks along the way.
If you don’t already have some kind of MasterMind or support group, find one. If you can’t find one, create one. That’s the cool thing about Facebook and LinkedIn. . There are a lot of virtual groups you can check out and join… or you can create your own!
Meltdown Maneuver #4: Do One Thing
If you’ve let yourself stop, listen and forgive yourself, you should be in a good place to ask yourself two questions:
- What’s really true right now (about me, my situation, what needs to happen)?
- What is ONE thing I can do right now to feel better?
Choose just ONE thing, and then do it. ONE… not two, not three. Just one thing.
Yes, I know you have a list of one hundred and one. So do I. But the only thing you need to do right now is the one thing you are doing right now. That’s all there is for you to do. Just that. And when that is done, you can choose another.
Feelings of being overwhelmed, pressured, under the gun and behind the eight ball all come from nothing more than the thoughts in our head. The Noise of the Stuff… those pushy, relentless thoughts about all we have to do, should do, gotta do. But really, there is only one thing to do. The one thing in front of you. The one thing you are doing right now.
Just do that one thing.
Meltdown Maneuver #5: Celebrate!
You know, chances are pretty good that if you’re heading for a meltdown, you’ve actually accomplished a whole hell of a lot. Your business is growing. You are in demand! You’ve put a lot of time, energy, heart and soul into your work, and it is paying off… even if it doesn’t look that way right at this moment.
So, celebrate, damn it! Acknowledge all you HAVE done (rather than list all you haven’t yet done), and say to yourself, “Who’s better than me? NO ONE!”
Then, have a piece of cheesecake.
And if you feel like you’re on the verge of a meltdown, or you’ve already melted into a puddle, you are most likely on your way to a major breakthrough. So, stop. Listen. Be kind to yourself. Ask for help.
And have another piece of cheesecake!
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