We talk often here in the home business blog about finding ways to stay motivated and keep up the energy level and focus when it comes to operating a home business. For most of us, this is a genuine concern and something we truly wrestle with. I know there must be people out there who seldom lag or slack, but I haven’t met them yet! As for myself, I am learning that I can only sustain things for so long and then I just lose steam. It doesn’t do me any good to berate or kick myself for the ebb and flow of my business, nor does it do any good for me to tell myself to “just buck up.” What happens when we lose steam—either for the short term, or when we lose so much steam and interest, we aren’t sure if we can even continue our home businesses at all?
First of all, who says that a business endeavor HAS to last forever? Sometimes, I think it is a good idea just to put the possibility that a business may not be meant to, nor need to have a long shelf-life on the table so that it loses its power to scare us into continue to work at something we have lost passion for. The fact that we are losing steam may mean that we need more stimulation, or to head off in a new direction. It doesn’t have to be a “bad thing.”
That said, I also think that losing steam can be a temporary condition—we are just worn out, over-extended or going through some transitions and we might need to recommit or take a step back from our businesses for a while in order to get fresh perspective. Just knowing that feeling a lack of interest one day does not have to be a permanent condition can be liberating for many of us. We do not have to act or panic on every dip and valley we experience in our home businesses.
Give yourself time and room to figure out if your losing steam is a temporary issue or indicative of a need for long-term changes. Watch out for making decisions when you are exhausted, stressed, ill, or under a lot of pressure. These are not always the most informed and reasonable decisions we make.
Also: Are You Making Decisions in Desperation?