As an intuitive and transformation brand coach, I am often asked the question: "Why do we "fall down" after experiencing huge success in our business and how to go through those testing times?"
Many times entrepreneurs find themselves in the ebb and flow of up-leveling and retracting. This is a normal process, which happens with everyone and everything that undergoes any changes. It is a natural cycle, if you will.
Look just at the oceans and the seas. The waves come to shower the shore and then immediately go back, only to return with higher and stronger force.
From energy point of view, success pushes our energy higher and at times we are not really "ready" to operate in this new level. Without sounding too woo-woo, our energetic body is not able to absorb the new influx of improved, stronger and higher vibrating energy and our physical body needs the time to adjust and "learn" how to operate consistently at this rate.
The reasons also, why we go through this period, which to some may look like a drop of motivation, feeling stuck, being drained, thinking there is no way forward, include our limiting beliefs acting even stronger and our ego fighting with success. After all, besides being entrepreneurs, we are first of all humans and at times our own success is the most difficult to acknowledge and accept.
So how does one get back up, after feeling the rug has been pulled under his/her feet.
Below are 10 ways, which you can use to navigate yourself through those times and learn to recognize the value hidden in them, though they might seem dark at first.
1. Examine - Examine how you feel without judgement. Evaluate yourself from a point of view of an observer. Are you afraid, drained, and anxious or just lacking motivation? Our bodies and our emotions are directly linked and learning to be with yourself allows you to know yourself better and then be able to express yourself with more confidence. Please remember, there is nothing wrong with you but it is important to spend some time with yourself and acknowledge how you feel.
2. Accept - accept and forgive yourself. Staying always on a high is not something we can manage physically, mentally or energetically. Our batteries need recharging, if you wish, and you are no different. Accept yourself just as you are, exactly where you are.
3. Rest more, do less - Give yourself permission to relax and unwind. Going for a spinning class might look like a lucrative idea but it might not be just what you need. Often we find ourselves thinking of "what can we do" to get out of a situation. But this situation calls more for rest and less for doing. If that spinning class is really what calls you, listen to yourself but remember you are to rest and relax and give yourself the space to spend some time away from all activities, so your brain and body can find ways to replenish that missing energy.
4. Switch off - TV, phone, computer and yes iPad or Tablet as well. I mean this very seriously. Often I see my clients staying away from social media but still spending considerable amount of time on E-mails or their phones. If you will rest, then do it completely. That way you will not feel guilty at the end of the day how little you have achieved and your energy will be restored quicker. Concentrate on resting fully and only look for ways to grant this to yourself.
5. Body care - care for your body in addition to resting. Nourish it with healthy food, drink plenty of water and be very gentle to yourself. Maybe this is the time exactly for those 3 hours you were planning to spend in the spa with massage, body wrap or sauna. By caring for your body you care for your mind, emotions and mood as well. If not now, then when will you have the chance to pamper yourself for the success you have achieved?
6. Practice kindness in your mind - this is probably one of the most difficult tasks. As entrepreneurs we hustle, run, think, overthink, analyze, rush and impose enormous amount of work on our brains and minds. Be kind in your mind to yourself, to your experiences and to your emotions. Follow your thoughts carefully and if you catch yourself blaming, attacking or using horrible words towards yourself - stop right there. Take your mind somewhere else immediately. If you are not able to find kind words for yourself, just take your mind somewhere where it can think nicer general thoughts. It is not just about plain positive thinking - it is about consciously directing your thoughts towards topics, situations or ideas which simply feel better and better to you.
7. Catch the poison - while observing your mind, try to see what you are telling yourself - "I am a procrastinator", "I will never have another success", "I don't know what's next", "I am lost" - those are some of the most common phrases I see people use after being successful and feeling like they have hit a plateau without seeing their next step. This is only normal and something unfortunately our ego plays quite well with. What you can do is, record those on a piece of paper and review later. Those are never true, please believe me when I say this. The more "violent" the voice is, the less truth there is to the words. The only way we can face our own mind is to shed light on the darkness of our thoughts. Please remember, even the greatest and most successful people go through this. They just practice daily observation of their mind and replace those thoughts with something that makes them feel better in the hot red moment.
8. Don't fake it! - This is crucial. Do not fake your enthusiasm, motivation or inspiration. This will only slow the process of growing out of this place and make it deeper. Of course you want out as soon as possible but "fake it till you make it" doesn't work here. Do the opposite. Stay exactly where you are until it has no power over you anymore. Pushing it, resisting it and fighting inside will only make it come back stronger and with more force. Allow yourself to feel your emotions and go through whatever the experience is teaching you. At the least, you will discover that you are strong and able to go through it without being a victim of it.
9. Re-evaluate - Mercury retrograde or not, re-visit, re-evaluate and re-examine your values, position and mission in life and in business. This time of "drawback" is fantastic for reflection and taking a new perspective on where you have been and where you are going. Your success will give you clues - what did you like, what would you do different without repeating the exercise. Look for the meaning behind the actions and the outcomes. How did that serve you? This is a gentle and soft way to get yourself back into the doing mode. It allows you to instead of setting goals immediately, re-define your path and desires, which in turn will transform into goals and actionable items. If you do not have a crystal clear idea at this point, where exactly you are going next- that is ok. Just be soft with the process and re-visit everything you have been through.
10. Emerge - last but not least. Emerging is like opening the cocoon and flying again with wings spread wide and colors shining in the way you present yourself. See it as a re-birth, re-surfacing, re-introducing yourself and your brand in the same but yet newer improved way. You will never be the same and your voice will never sound the same. The process of being in the cocoon is vital for you to gather new force and inspiration to continue to grow, teach, serve and shine online and offline.