When you realize it’s time to shift gears…

And put your energy elsewhere.

This week’s “blog post” is an email I sent to my community. If you’ve been loving these posts and want to get your eyes on some juicy stories that engage, educate, AND serve as an example on email storytelling, come join us! If you decide it’s not your thing, you can leave at any time 😉

When’s the last time you bit off a little more than you could chew?

Me? Hmmmm… Right now.

It happens to the best of us, I know.

So, I was sitting here thinking about this mess I’ve gotten myself into and remembered something I witnessed at the park a bit ago.

I used to walk the path there almost every day, but as the weather got nicer, people started coming out of the woodwork.

And I decided preeeetttty quickly that I’d rather walk along the curbline of the streets behind me…

Than dodge children flying at me uncontrollably because they don’t know how to use the brakes on their bike.

At least I can see when a huge car is about to squish me, you know?

Anywhoooo….

As I was walking part of the loop that neared the playground, I could hear a kid screaming in the distance. 

“MOOOOOMMMMMMM!!!!!! 

MOM HEEELLLPPPP MEEEE!!!! I’M STUUUUUCCKKK!!

I CAN’T DOOOO IIIITTTTT!” 

** insert uncontrollable sobs here **

This little girl had one goal: get to the tippy top of this HUGE jungle gym dome.

And boy, did she climb up that dome with an admirable amount of confidence.

But. She never thought about what she would do once she got there…

OR if she even had the knowledge on how to get down.

So at the top she sat, paralyzed by her actions and screaming to her mom for help.

And that’s where I feel I’ve ended up.

(Except my mom can’t help me and she’s too far to even if she wanted to try 😂)

I’ve been so excited about writing weekly blog posts, sharing my knowledge and tips with you, having more conversations with fellow entrepreneurs, posting more to social media (though that’s still a struggle lol)...

And with every action, I’ve been building up confidence I never even realized I had!

But now, I’m sitting at the top, overwhelmed by what I had to do to even get here and unsure how I’ll be able to continue.

I’ve reached that point where I’m paralyzed. 

Or better said, burnt the eff out.

I’ve been struggling a lot lately, not going to lie.

The other day, I decided to look up the signs of burnout and as I was reading, all I could think was:

Holy shit, this is me. This is ALL me.

My days have become so regimented and scheduled just to get eeeevery little thing done…

That I don’t have time for anything else.

Not feeling well? Need to make an appointment? Want to talk with a friend?

Nope, I have to keep working! 

I have to push through or I’ll be working until 9pm the next day to make up for lost time.

And I get that entrepreneurship has its ups and downs, that there are seasons of hustle and times of calm.

But this is not how I want to do things.

This is literally going against how I want to build my business in a way that’s sustainable and flexible.

I didn’t quit teaching and become my own boss just to not have a life! 

So I’m pulling back a bit.

I know that by doing so, I’ll be able to make more time for the rest I so badly need, the creativity I crave to feel inspired from…

And, the energy I need to start working on BIGGER and BETTER things to help you even more.

One of the fun things I’ve realized about building a biz is it's an endless opportunity to learn and grow.

So instead of feeling like failure or getting down on myself and thinking I can’t do this…

I’m excited to shift some things around and make space for the next step.

Because I refuse to be stuck on top of the jungle gym crying.

It’s time to wipe away the tears, take a deep breath, and tackle the next jungle gym dome with a plan of attack! 

So, just in case you need this just as much as I do… let’s give ourselves permission to pivot.

Permission to make changes, decide that what we’re “supposed” to do isn’t working for us, and create our own path.

Because shifting gears doesn’t mean we’re giving up.

It simply means we get to focus our energy somewhere else. 

As far as I’m concerned, that’s not a bad thing.

Now, before I sign off for the week… How are you doing? 

Have you ever had your eyes so focused on one goal that you worked yourself into a state of burnout? 

What did you do to center yourself, gain a fresh perspective, and continue on in a more meaningful way?

I’d love to hear how you were able to navigate your own struggles. We all have so much to learn from each other 😊