Are You Langiushing?
It’s the place between fulfilled and burnout. When languishing, you feel a lack of meaning. The days roll into each other.
Imagine you’re driving in a fog so thick you must pull over. You’re in an area with no cell service and there is no one around. You have no way of getting to your destination and must wait it out. You feel stuck with no direction. This is what languishing feels like.
You’re no longer excited about your business.
You don’t hate it or love it. You’re grateful to have a business.
You want something to change, but don’t know where to start.
Whether you just started your business or want to next level it, this can happen because there are new skills to learn at each stage of business, which requires you to step out of your comfort zone.
Go from languishing to fulfillment.
1) Boundaries.
Take time to reflect and plan. You’re so busy working on your business, you may not realize that you’re sacrificing your personal life. Or you’re hoping things will get better. We all need to set boundaries that give us the chance to think about where we are and where we want to go. Setting boundaries helps us gain control of our time, energy, and emotions. Ask yourself: Where am I feeling frustration with my time and energy?
Your answer will lead you to where you need to start. Once you decide on a boundary, who do you need to clearly communicate it with?
Example: You need to say “no” to taking every phone call. Make a commitment to not answering every call. Make sure your team knows who the 1st and 2nd person to get the phone are. Don’t be discouraged if, at first, things don’t go the way you planned. It’s not a one-time practice, and it may take multiple conversations.
2) Reflect on your path, success, and mission.
Ask yourself, “How did you get here? Was it intentionally or did you somehow fall into it? We all have a story. What’s yours?
Get clarity on what success means to you. I broke long-term success into four categories.
- Joy: A feeling of fulfillment in your life and work.
- Achievement: What you’ve accomplished
- Significance: Making a positive impact on those you care about
- Legacy: Your established values and accomplishments that help others
Which of these areas of success do you connect with the most? Which are you strongest and weakest in?
Review your answers and let them guide you moving forward. For clarity ask yourself What are your three most important work values? (Examples: accountability, performance, culture, leadership, professional and personal growth, or well-being.) Who do you want to benefit from your work and why?
We’re more likely to establish good growth habits and not drift along when there’s alignment between our path, our view of success, and our mission. After you’ve created the space for reflection and explored what you want, it’s time to get to work.
3)Design your business.
When reflecting, you may find a disconnect between what you want and your reality. That could be what’s causing your languishing. This may be a sign that it’s time for you to make a change. Get some help. A coach or mentor. It doesn’t take major changes. Small shifts can make an impact.
Is your business profitable, sustainable, and enjoyable?
Shift your thinking: Figure out how your work satisfies you personally, helps those around you, or impacts the community at large. Here’s an example: Instead of thinking “What do I need to do today?” reframe the question in your head as, “What’s the impact I’m having by doing this task?”
Shift your activities: Are they revenue generating or busy work. Focus on the activities that will generate revenue. Networking events are a great way to meet other business owners. It’s looking for ways to make your owner’s role more interesting by changing the type of tasks you do. Can you think of 1 or 2 projects that you’ve been putting off that will improve efficiency, productivity, or customer service?
Shift your relationship building: This includes building new relationships and nurturing the relationships you have. Focus on connection. Improve your business culture by changing the way you interact or show up. Try volunteering or giving back to your community.
It’s easy to feel helpless or unable to act when you’re languishing. But to be fulfilled, you must take charge of your business and your future by figuring out what you want and taking the steps to make it happen. Your team is watching you. You are an example. No one else can design your joy. It’s yours to create.
Maryann Croce, a certified partner of Todd Herman’s 90 Day Year™, is a coach/speaker and creator of ‘3-Day Weekends’ System. Her company Small Biz Vantage specialized in performance and leadership for automotive and skilled trade business owners. She has been an auto shop owner since 1999.
You can reach Maryann at (203) 913-7741 or maryann@SmallBizVantage.com Maryann speaks on strategies to achieve work-life fulfillment SmallBizVantage.com
