Finding Your Why in the Chaos
When life and business overwhelm me, I return to why. Why did I start this business? Why did I choose this work? How did I get here?
For many of us, our businesses emerged from purpose. We saw a need in society and wanted to bring solutions into the world. But what happens when that vision doesn’t crystallize as expected?
As a working mother, home and business pull at each other—each demands its own time, priorities, and pursuit of excellence.
What does it mean to be a woman in business? What does it mean to be a mother in business—in a world that tells us to burn the midnight oil until we reach profitability? Work-life balance died during the pandemic. We’ve all adopted a WFH mentality, where the lines between work and play blur more than ever.
On the business side, I often wonder how entrepreneurs like me can achieve growth when the paradigm narrows our path to cross the chasm and break into generational wealth. I want the work we do to influence our communities and families, creating lifelong opportunities beyond our own efforts.
What transforms a moment of momentum into a movement?
Understanding Resistance
When I first entered entrepreneurship, I read “The War of Art.” It explored resistance. Every creative endeavor faces resistance that pushes against our work. It threatens to stop us if we allow it—if we aren’t persistent or determined.
I’ve learned that a thousand factors—distractions, detours, budgetary constraints—can sabotage your success. The biggest factor? Yourself. That’s right—our own mindsets, perspectives, and limitations pose the greatest threat to our businesses.
So what can we do to lighten the mental and spiritual load of entrepreneurship when times grow heavy, when we feel overwhelmed and uncertainty clouds our path forward?
Four Practices for Renewal
Stay the Course
“He who has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”
I recently had lunch with a friend, a woman of purpose. We sat outside a Bruster’s Ice Cream shop and enjoyed Southern Banana Pudding flavors. As I poured out my cares to my dear sister in faith, she poured back into me with these words: Stay the course.
You started this work for a purpose. It is not just your purpose; it is the work God has given you to do in this life. That means grace exists in your life to receive every resource and ability necessary to accomplish that vision. Don’t give up. Stay the course.
Rest
Over the last few days, deep sleep arrested me like a sudden wave. Through the holidays, family responsibilities, umpteen trips to the grocery store, and travels to visit and connect with family members—all while running a business and a household—I was tired.
I had invested in a contractor who showed much promise, only to face disappointment. I felt frustrated and burnt out. I needed time to encourage myself, to restore my creativity and bottom line—to rest.
I spent a morning in bed. I spent a couple of days doing light work at home—after all, the business won’t run itself. Then, I planned a week-long vacation just for me.
Discover what rest looks like for you. In her amazing book Sacred Rest, Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith shares different types of rest—creative rest, rest in sisterhood or community, physical rest (sleeping or doing nothing), and sensory rest. Explore what you need specifically, and take care of yourself as you would a child or someone you love.
Do Something Different
Doing something different means taking a different route to work, changing up your routine, and being willing to clear everything off the table and start over—after all, it’s your life.
Don’t spend years doing the wrong things, chasing the wrong goals. Take inventory of every part of your life—from your exercise regimen, your diet, your ministry service, your schedule, your vitamins—not to mention your services and offerings, your processes—everything.
How can you eliminate excess things that drain your strength and energy?
Document the Journey
You’ll be amazed at what you learn by stepping away and taking inventory of your life and business. Keep a journal of this process. Take time to sit still and reflect on your emotions, your experiences, and where you are now.
Journaling and meditation serve as useful tools for reflection and self-examination. You may discover strategies to navigate more effectively. You may uncover something new about your strengths, weaknesses, and how you can cope, manage, and overcome burnout.
The Path Forward
Entrepreneurship is its own reward. Yet it requires many sacrifices—mentally, emotionally, spiritually, financially, relationally, and in countless other ways.
The key? You can’t pour from an empty cup. Take the time to refill, then rise with more focus, diligence, and passion than before.
