5 things to do when you're ready to throw your hands in the air
In my family, we have a funny story that we like to bring up around birthdays. I've heard this story many times although, I'm sad to say I wasn't there at the time to witness it first-hand. Hearing it told in my father's dramatic story-telling fashion is probably funnier anyways.
The story goes that it was my birthday, and my mom was working and unable to bake me a cake for my dinner. One of my younger sisters (who's always loved being in the kitchen) jumped at the chance to make the cake in her place. Although she insists that she did everything correctly... something obviously went wrong as the cake was a total disaster... sticking to the pan (and eventually having to be re-made.)
In the world of small business, with obstacles that we can be faced with that are daunting, overwhelming and frustrating, oftentimes we can find ourselves over our heads, out of patience or without the knowledge or expertise to deal with some of the challenges thrown at us as companies of one or a small few.
We can certainly sympathize with the reaction of wanting to scream out, throw our hands in the air or throw in the towel; wanting to bang our heads against the wall at bureaucracy that moves at the speed of the sloths in Zootopia. Frustration in challenges that we just haven't found the answer to yet or unwillingness to accept answers that we want so badly to change can be debilitating if we don't learn how to handle them.
But when you've chosen the role of entrepreneur or small business owner, that's not in our DNA. We bang our heads against the wall for a minute and then we keep pushing forward, fighting through the sludge to get the outcome we need; to get the cake out of the pan.
It seems like a silly metaphor - to compare a ruined cake to the problems you face day to day as an entrepreneur... I know. But sometimes those small, seemingly menial obstacles are the ones that can push us over the edge.
There was one day I remember, not long ago, where I was just having a very bad day. For reasons outside of my control, I learned one of our most popular products would be changing rather significantly in a way that I didn't agree with and that I expect significant backlash from with our customer base. Unfortunately, hands are tied and there's not a lot of options and the news from this one email swept the wind right out of my sails.
Obviously, as entrepreneurs and small business owners, we can't necessarily drop everything on a whim and take a vacation when the stress of business is getting the better of us. And that's probably not really who we are anyway. :)
The story goes that it was my birthday, and my mom was working and unable to bake me a cake for my dinner. One of my younger sisters (who's always loved being in the kitchen) jumped at the chance to make the cake in her place. Although she insists that she did everything correctly... something obviously went wrong as the cake was a total disaster... sticking to the pan (and eventually having to be re-made.)
In incredibly dramatic fashion, my sister reached her breaking point in this moment throwing her hands in the air exclaiming wildly: "I'M DONE!" before storming away.
In the world of small business, with obstacles that we can be faced with that are daunting, overwhelming and frustrating, oftentimes we can find ourselves over our heads, out of patience or without the knowledge or expertise to deal with some of the challenges thrown at us as companies of one or a small few.
We can certainly sympathize with the reaction of wanting to scream out, throw our hands in the air or throw in the towel; wanting to bang our heads against the wall at bureaucracy that moves at the speed of the sloths in Zootopia. Frustration in challenges that we just haven't found the answer to yet or unwillingness to accept answers that we want so badly to change can be debilitating if we don't learn how to handle them.
But when you've chosen the role of entrepreneur or small business owner, that's not in our DNA. We bang our heads against the wall for a minute and then we keep pushing forward, fighting through the sludge to get the outcome we need; to get the cake out of the pan.
It seems like a silly metaphor - to compare a ruined cake to the problems you face day to day as an entrepreneur... I know. But sometimes those small, seemingly menial obstacles are the ones that can push us over the edge.
So here are my 5 tips for when you reach the "throw your hands in the air" moment:
1. Walk away / Do something else
It's okay to walk away from a frustrating problem for a bit or to move something that's really stressing you out to the back burner. Move to another project or do something completely away from work: be outside, go to a movie, play a game. The act of moving away from the project will allow your mind to think about other things, which may help clear the space for a solution or a new way of looking at your problem.
2. Go for a run (or walk)
There was one day I remember, not long ago, where I was just having a very bad day. For reasons outside of my control, I learned one of our most popular products would be changing rather significantly in a way that I didn't agree with and that I expect significant backlash from with our customer base. Unfortunately, hands are tied and there's not a lot of options and the news from this one email swept the wind right out of my sails.
Adrenaline started pumping through me. I was angry. I'd already completed the "Talk it out" method in a long, loud rant and felt so helpless and dejected as I know this product is too great the way it is and I'm terrified of making the changes. After all, the job description dictates that I'm the first point of contact when the backlash begins.
This was certainly one of my hands in the air moments. Recently I had gotten back into regular exercising and so I strapped on my tennis shoes and went out the door with some loud music for a run.
The anger was clearly pumping crazy adrenaline through me, as I nearly effortlessly smashed my personal record for total distance by at least 2.5 miles, running much farther than I've ever done in my entire life. In fact, I couldn't really stop running. I reached the end of the circle route I'd created for myself and wasn't ready to stop, so I just kept running in small circles until I ran out of steam after a total of 6.31 miles. (And if you want further proof it was the anger fueling that run... I haven't even hit 3 miles since then.)
But once that run was over, I had a new sense of accomplishment in me. I just set a crazy new personal record for farthest distance and longest duration for a run ever. Plus, all the endorphins from the run helped clear my mind and ease the stress I felt from the bad news. P.S. This is a real thing.
Running or going for a calming walk can help even when you're hands in the air or hitting a brick wall moment aren't stress or ange related. It can help be helpful too if you're hitting a creative road block or feel like you're out of juice or inspiration. Put on the tennis shoes, go out in nature and let your mind relax while your body does some work. Chances are it will come back refreshed and ready to work again.
3. Talk it out
Hopefully you have someone close who isn't directly involved in your venture that can be there for you when you need to rant, vent or talk something out. Often, just the act of talking about the problem out loud will help get the weight off your chest. Talking it out can give you the opportunity to see the problem from another perspective and hopefully cool off a little bit to come at it with a fresh mind.
4. Vacation / R & R
Obviously, as entrepreneurs and small business owners, we can't necessarily drop everything on a whim and take a vacation when the stress of business is getting the better of us. And that's probably not really who we are anyway. :)
However, I think it's important to remember that a little R&R (even small getaways) are important to staying sane and productive in our paths. In fact, if you find that you feel the "banging your head against the wall" feeling more often than usual, it may be a sign that it's time to start thinking about your next getaway.
Changing your surroundings is a great way to let the mind explore, wonder, learn and relax. The short term downsides to you being away from constantly monitoring your gig will likely pale in comparison to the balance that you feel in your life and work when you return... Allowing you to be much more productive.
I would assume everyone has a different tolerance for how often they need their vacation time away and how drastic the time away needs to be. But if this doesn't strike a chord with you, or if you feel like you just CAN'T step away, think of it this way: everyone pretty much agrees that one of the best ways to keep employees happy and productive is to make sure they take time off and have good vacation plans. Why would that change as a business owner?
5. Go back and look at old files / photos / designs / ideas / blog posts / etc. to rekindle old inspiration and spark new ideas
This is always a good way to spark new creativity as well. I often find that looking through old notebooks and old files that are long forgotten can often be inspiring. Many times I'll find old ideas that never made it off the ground - either due to lack of time, budgets or never fully developing the idea. Looking back at these old ideas and notes, sparks new ideas or gives me a chance to re-evaluate what I'd been thinking before.
I find this is a great activity when I'm lacking inspiration or overwhelmed by my current tasks.
I find this is a great activity when I'm lacking inspiration or overwhelmed by my current tasks.
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