3 quick hacks for a Beyond Solo mindset
There’s a bit of ‘meh’ in the air right now. Can you feel it? More than the usual post-holiday blues, it might be the grinding exhaustion of realising we’re already one month into another year. And things don’t seem to be getting easier.
If you’re running a solo or small business, ‘meh’ makes it hard to perk up and win (or work on) new projects. ‘Meh’ holds you back from making brave decisions – like hiring or firing. ‘Meh’ can even make you lose the joy in the work you love. Or reduce the quality of that work.
All of which could damage your short-term cash flow and longer-term growth prospects. Creating a spiralling ‘meh’-induced meltdown.
If you’re feeling the ‘meh’, you might start questioning why you even work for yourself. Wouldn’t it be easier to hide behind a screen, and take that monthly pay cheque?
When I lost my corporate job at age 30, three months pregnant, I realised the security of that regular pay cheque was an illusion. Previous performance has no bearing on future potential, as far as employers are concerned when it’s time to cut.
That’s when I chose to take back control.
Control of how stable my income was, how much time I spent at work, and who I shared my energy and skills with.
Once you’ve had a taste of that entrepreneurial freedom, it’s very hard to go back to reporting to a boss, begging for budget, jumping through hoops to meet arbitrary KPIs, or managing people you had little say over hiring.
Mojo re-set
‘Meh’ can hold you back from setting clear intentions for the year ahead. But in a market that does feel harder and riskier, that’s exactly what you need to do.
Here are three ways to pull yourself out of the ‘meh’ malaise:
1. Keep a weekly mojo journal
⏱️ 5 minutes every Friday
Make a note of one thing that went well that week. A positive meeting, great feedback, or the feeling of getting one task done. Over the next few months, look for patterns. You might also realise which bits of your day don’t lift your mojo. That’s the stuff to delegate or outsource.
2. Take control of one thing
⏱️ 10 minutes right now
Set yourself a measurable, numerical target for the next year. Maybe it’s your personal income, or reducing the number of hours you work each week, or your business profit margin, or the minimum fee you will charge. Write it down on a Post-it note, and stick it on the wall.
3. Remember what got you here
⏱️ 15 minutes right now
It’s so easy to forget what got you off the corporate hamster wheel in the first place. You always had a choice, and you still do today. Anyone who has the tenacity to create something from nothing is inherently employable.
With that choice in mind, write down:
One word to capture why you decided to go solo or start a business. For example, it might be freedom, flexibility, control, or independence.
One phrase (or a few dot points) to describe what that choice has already given you. For example, the things you’ve learned, relationships you’ve built, time you’ve had with your family, travel opportunities.
One sentence to commit to what you want your business to achieve for you in the next 12 months. For you, personally. Not for your clients or your family or your partners. For you.
I’d love to know if any of this helps – please drop me a note at sara@beyondsolo.co with any questions or ideas.
