Have you lost that loving feeling?
Remember the honeymoon phase in business? Where you couldn’t sleep because you were so excited? You would lie awake at night dreaming about success, freedom, and fortune. Entrepreneurship held all of the keys to everything you dreamed of.
Until… you actually got to work on the business. People said no. Someone accused you of being dishonest. Someone defaulted on their payments. You had some months where you ran out of cash. You realized that most of what you do to run a business is 100% outside of your comfort zone and you found yourself wanting to crawl under your desk with a blankie. Or maybe you just got so into the day to day work that you have lost that passion for your business.
When the passion goes, one of three things needs to happen. 1. You work from discipline because this business really is the right option for you. Check out my blog post “It’s Not about the Passion” to learn more about why that is actually a strong option. 2. You’ve got to reconnect to your passion. This will be the focus of today’s blog post. Or option 3. It’s time to quit. If you think you might be in option 3, stay tuned for next week. I’m going to let you know when it is time to jump ship and build a new one.
As I discuss in “It’s Not about the Passion“, passion can be a fickle friend. But let’s be honest, it’s more fun to work when we have it! I’ve gone through many seasons of working with Passion, working without passion, and reconnecting with passion and here is the formula that works best for me.
I reconnect with what brings me joy in life. Often times the passion for my business left because I stopped living a joyful life. I got too focused on dollars and deadlines and stopped playing. I’ll start taking walks again, paint, play my cello, go on dates with my hubs, have fun with my kids or do some yoga. Whatever makes your soul feel happy, do it!- I release the failures or perceived failures. Often times the passion leaves because we experienced some sort of disappointment or failure. Maybe we missed a sales goal, got passed up for a speaking opportunity, had an angry client, or were just plain too scared to do the work that really needed to be done. If you hold onto that story, it will effect how you show up in all areas of your business. You’ve got to let it go! Forgive yourself, forgive others, and just move on.
- Reset your goals. Don’t set humongous goals that will be a huge stretch to reach. If you’ve lost the passion, you are probably not doing much at the moment. Set measurable goals to give you a path for re-entry into the world of the passionate.
- Get to work. The return of your passion will not come until you create some movement. Passion is a very high energy emotion and simply does not manifest in stagnant situations. Go to a networking meeting. Talk to some potential or past clients. Close some sales. You’ve got to get to work to generate some results.
Experience the REWARD of feeling passionate again. I’ve come to learn that passion is 2 things. First it is the fuel that ignites the fire for embarking on a new journey. And second it is the reward for living an above average life. Couples that feel passionate about each other after 40 years of marriage are experiencing the reward for a lifetime of support, selflessness and commitment. Business owners that feel passionate about their business after 2, 5, 10 or 25 years in business are experiencing the reward of constant recommitment, innovation, building strong systems, and solving every challenge that has come their way.
Even at it’s hardest, I’d still take this life I’ve built over any other option. I don’t feel passionate every day. I don’t expect to. But if I notice I’m entering a season where passion is low for an extended period of time, this is the EXACT process I use to get back on track. For more details: http://amywalkerconsulting.com
Remember the honeymoon phase in business? Where you couldn’t sleep because you were so excited? You would lie awake at night dreaming about success, freedom, and fortune. Entrepreneurship held all of the keys to everything you dreamed of.
Until… you actually got to work on the business. People said no. Someone accused you of being dishonest. Someone defaulted on their payments. You had some months where you ran out of cash. You realized that most of what you do to run a business is 100% outside of your comfort zone and you found yourself wanting to crawl under your desk with a blankie. Or maybe you just got so into the day to day work that you have lost that passion for your business.
When the passion goes, one of three things needs to happen. 1. You work from discipline because this business really is the right option for you. Check out my blog post “It’s Not about the Passion” to learn more about why that is actually a strong option. 2. You’ve got to reconnect to your passion. This will be the focus of today’s blog post. Or option 3. It’s time to quit. If you think you might be in option 3, stay tuned for next week. I’m going to let you know when it is time to jump ship and build a new one.
As I discuss in “It’s Not about the Passion“, passion can be a fickle friend. But let’s be honest, it’s more fun to work when we have it! I’ve gone through many seasons of working with Passion, working without passion, and reconnecting with passion and here is the formula that works best for me.
- I release the failures or perceived failures. Often times the passion leaves because we experienced some sort of disappointment or failure. Maybe we missed a sales goal, got passed up for a speaking opportunity, had an angry client, or were just plain too scared to do the work that really needed to be done. If you hold onto that story, it will effect how you show up in all areas of your business. You’ve got to let it go! Forgive yourself, forgive others, and just move on.
- Reset your goals. Don’t set humongous goals that will be a huge stretch to reach. If you’ve lost the passion, you are probably not doing much at the moment. Set measurable goals to give you a path for re-entry into the world of the passionate.
- Get to work. The return of your passion will not come until you create some movement. Passion is a very high energy emotion and simply does not manifest in stagnant situations. Go to a networking meeting. Talk to some potential or past clients. Close some sales. You’ve got to get to work to generate some results.
Even at it’s hardest, I’d still take this life I’ve built over any other option. I don’t feel passionate every day. I don’t expect to. But if I notice I’m entering a season where passion is low for an extended period of time, this is the EXACT process I use to get back on track. For more details: http://amywalkerconsulting.com
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