Let’s be honest – running a business or even just simply working at a business can sometimes leave us feeling (and maybe even looking) like a hot mess. Some days are hard – like, “give me five more cups of coffee” hard. It’s easy to just call it quits, go home and Netflix it up until the next day comes when we are forced to face what we are avoiding. But guess what? It doesn’t have to be like this!!

Rough days are normal, unproductive weeks WILL happen, but we need to learn to be okay with that because it doesn’t mean our business is failing. It means that we are doing something good, it means we are headed in the right direction. Things are moving, we are being stretched beyond what we are used to. This is really a GOOD thing, even if it might feel like everything is falling apart.

So what if you didn’t have to sink down into the mindset of failure when you are having one of “those” days or weeks? What if you could see the situation for what it is, rise above and change it for the better?

You’ve been here before – it feels familiar, this place of impending doom. That place where the inspiration starts to drift away, the caffeine crash sets in and you are just DONE. As you feel yourself getting to this place, recognize it. Call it out for what it is and don’t let it drown you.

Once you have caught yourself falling into that place of no inspiration and motivation, its time to take action so as to not let yourself call it quits and give up. It’s time to take a different angle, its time to DO.

Y O U R   A C T I O N   P L A N

1. DON’T WORK YOURSELF INTO THE GROUND

Just because it’s time to take steps to find inspiration and motivation does not mean that you have to work and work and work until you are only getting 3 hours of sleep every night. You don’t want to be at the point where your brain feels so spent that it aches to even think about what you are going to eat for dinner. Taking a break and stepping back from the situation is incredibly important. The hustle of business can be good, don’t get me wrong – but if you never take a break to refresh and care for yourself, you can just wave inspiration and motivation goodbye.

2. WHAT INSPIRES YOU?

You are smart, I know you are. Creativity runs inside of you whether you believe it or not; it’s just how we were made. Tap into that creativity for ideas on how to get inspired. Start thinking about things unrelated to business that make you happy. Is it taking a walk, grabbing coffee with a friend, reading by a window, sitting in silence, cooking a meal? What are those things that make your soul come alive? What are those things that bring calm and joy to your being? Identify those things, choose one and do it. Inspiration is sure to come when you are doing something that you truly delight in!

3. GET OUT OF YOURSELF

When we are not feeling inspired, it is often because we are stuck in a certain mindset, or simply stuck in our mind, our own selves. I find it so helpful to work on a creative team or at least surround myself with other creatives that can see the situation from a perspective that I never even considered. We were created for community, for doing life TOGETHER. So take your un-inspiredness ( totally just made up that word ) to a coworker, a friend, a fellow creative and ask them what they think about it. Ask them if they would have some time to help you brainstorm and start moving in the right direction.

4. RESEARCH

This world is full of incredible projects – so check them out! Do a little research, read articles about how other people are using their creativity to change the world, to make an impact. Explore the ways that other people are motivated to push through their rough weeks and keep on serving their clients with excellence. Everyone struggles at a certain point and learning about how others get though it can really help to remind you that you are not alone in the struggle.

5. CONNECT BACK TO YOUR WHY

Why are you doing what you are doing? Think back to that deep passion that led you to take risks in the beginning of your business. What drove you to pursue your dream, to make a beautiful and lasting impact on world around you? Let those sparks of excitement come up again. Step away from the task at hand for a little while and think back to the bottom line. What is the heart of your brand story? What are your long term goals for your business? Remind yourself of these things to help reawaken that motivation to press on even through some of those rough times.

I can’t stress this enough – everyone has bad days or weeks. Instead of letting yourself drown in the fact that maybe you didn’t reach a goal that you made a year earlier or that you aren’t getting your dream clients, remind yourself that this is just for a time. When going through the process of creating and telling the story of your brand, there WILL be bumps and places where you stumble. But you don’t have to stay down! Learn from your mistakes, and do it better when you get back up.

We truly believe in you and we want to come alongside you to empower your brand with confidence, clarity and an action plan to live out a compelling brand story. We are ready for you to connect deeply with your ideal clients resulting in growth and goals met!

Want to learn more about what we offer and how we want to partner with you to develop a brand story you are proud of? Well, you can check it out here or feel free to send us a ‘just curious’ email at info@char-co.com. We would love to talk with you!

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words by bethany – community creator / photographer