7 Ways to Successfully Break Away From Entrepreneur Loneliness
Summary: It's hard to be an entrepreneur. You're constantly juggling a million things, and it feels like you're always on your own. Not only is it hard to be an entrepreneur, but it can also be incredibly lonely. You feel like you're the only one who understands what you're going through.
Thankfully, there are ways to break away from the loneliness of entrepreneurship. Listen in as I share seven tips for successfully doing just that to stay inspired and motivated!
People don’t tell you about the less-than-attractive aspects of owning a business. There’s so much focus on the “sexiness” of being a new and budding force and not nearly enough on the (sometimes) sad and downright debilitating realities of it.
For example, entrepreneurs are made to feel alone in that they:
- 1Have an enormous amount of responsibility to make decisions that influence people other than themselves.
- 2Have to decide if they should, when, or who to hire.
- 3Stress about the rising costs of doing business.
- 4Worry about sustainability and ethics.
Each of these factors can weigh heavily on an entrepreneur's shoulders. And the worst part? We can feel limited in who we can talk to about these concerns and the decisions we need to make. This is especially the case in this post-pandemic world we live in, where we are working more independently than ever before. That being said, we need to be more intentional about creating a community and rallying the right people around us in order to combat the dreaded feelings of isolation.
To help all my lovely entrepreneurs out there do just that, my team and I have put together SEVEN TIPS. Keep reading to check ‘em out!
How to Combat Entrepreneurial Loneliness:
1. Understand that you are not alone.
Although, a lot of the time, it may FEEL like this whole thing is a solo act, the first thing you need to understand is that this either 1) isn’t actually the case or 2) doesn’t have to be the case. You can acknowledge that there are parts of this experience that make you feel so far removed from other people in your organization, family, or life, but this is rarely the reality. So when you find yourself stuck in these negative thought cycles, acknowledge it and prepare to pull yourself out. This leads me to my next point…
2. Lean into your support system.
You are likely not a simple person; there are many sides of you:
Sometimes your ‘personal’ side needs more attention; in that case, you would surround yourself more with your friends and family. Other times, it’s your business side that needs attention. When this happens, you would tap into your business collective or group to get the support or brainstorming or alternative perspective that you need, and so on and so forth. These communities are there to meet your needs in various ways and at different times of your business journey. Don’t be afraid to tap into them! In fact, not doing so would be doing yourself a disservice.
3. Take time for yourself.
I have found that the more ambitious you are, the less likely you are to take time for yourself.
And this makes me think about the NASCAR race cars. Those high-performance vehicles are being pushed to their limits, but they take strategic pit stops throughout their race.
That being said, I encourage you all to think about yourself as a high-performance vehicle in that you need to be strategic with the time that you take for yourself.
If you don’t take this time along the way, you will experience burnout and your body will force you to take the time anyway, whether you think you’re “ready” for it or not. And when that happens, things tend to turn out a lot messier.
Bottom line: Plan your recovery.
For example, if you know you’re about to do a big push in your business, you should plan ahead for recovery. This is often why business owners take the 13th week after a quarter finishes to recover.
4. Get out and socialize.
Go to the BBQ.
Go to the happy hour.
Go to the neighborhood block party.
We can get lost in our entrepreneurial bubble. You need to get outside of that bubble by getting out at the end of the week and spending time with friends and family.
This time away from work will give your brain the space and rest it needs to and so that you can circle back to your problems with a renewed sense of clarity and energy.
5. Find a mentor or coach to help you through difficult times.
Everyone’s journey is full of surprises. Uncertainty pops up because we cannot control what other people do or the circumstances of the world around us . When you’re navigating the process of hiring someone, when you’ve lost a client, or when you have the opportunity to take your business down a new path, it’s beneficial to have that mentor in your back pocket to bounce ideas off of.
6. Celebrate your accomplishments, no matter how big or small.
Celebration is what keeps your brain going and subconsciously re-energizing itself. And this is the case even more when you’re celebrating alongside someone else – or multiple someone's! So, next time you hit that sales quota or snag that big client you’ve been pitching to for months, grab a drink, grab a friend, and shower yourself with all the praises and fun and good vibes you can get your hands on. The more you allow yourself the time and space to do this, the more you’ll feel inspired to keep going.
7. Reacquaint yourself with why you do what you do.
Define your whys and get abundantly clear on the reasons behind what you are doing.
Every time you’re feeling down or lonely in your entrepreneurial journey, ask yourself:
Is the impact of this negative feeling significant enough to justify giving up?
Or does the impact of the change I’m creating outweigh all the negativity?
Use your whys as both the anchor and the lift for everything that you do. Return to them during the good times, the bad times, and everything in between.
Wrapping It Up
Well, there you have it. These seven strategies aren’t discussed as part of the success formula for entrepreneurs nearly as much as they should, but the truth is I have seen them prove their power time and time again.
At the end of the day, it’s vital to understand that feelings of loneliness are part of the journey. But actually BEING lonely comes down to a choice. Will you let yourself stay stuck in these toxic, self-defeating cycles? Or will you set your pride aside and reach out for a helping hand?
The answer is up to you!
If I can help your business in any way, feel free to reach out! Find some time on my schedule and let's chat!