“I never thought it would be this hard – when do I get to the good part?”

When it comes to business, this statement is true for most of us. The entrepreneur’s journey is often harder than we expected it to be. But it doesn’t have to stay that way.

Here are 5 ways to make the ‘hard’ feel a bit easier…

1. Accept That It’s Supposed To Be Hard – I’ve seen this time and time again with my clients, quite often our RESISTANCE to the fact that it’s hard is what makes it even harder. When you are on a journey of creating what matters you will be challenged – you will be stretched. You will have to do things that you don’t want to do – that you wish you could skip over. Like learning to sell, setting up the right business structure or having to deal with a challenging team member. This is simply part of the process – success is meant to be hard at times, but those times can also be temporary . <– this part is a choice.
2. Learn How To Say NO – some of the hardest times I’ve witnessed with my clients have been when they said yes to something for the wrong reasons. When they said yes to a new client or project simply because they didn’t want to let someone down, or when they committed themselves to something with an already overextended schedule. They always regretted these situations and had to drag themselves through it. Anytime we say yes when we really want to say no we are making things harder. 
3. Ask For Help – I’ve worked with many a recovering control freak, believe me I get it. The pull to DIY and taking care of things yourself is strong… I understand, Just because you can do it – and I know that you can – doesn’t mean you have to. I guarantee that there is something on your plate right now that you don’t have to be doing. Something that is hard simply because you don’t want to do it anymore or you don’t know how to do it but think you should. Let these things go (I can help) so that you can do more of the stuff you enjoy.
4. Quit Wearing Busy As A Badge Of Honor – ask anyone how they are doing these days and you will generally hear them say “I’m so busy!” Busy is easily mistaken as a sign of success when quite often it’s simply a façade. A place to hide out when we are feeling afraid or uncertain around our business. The most successful people I know are NOT the busiest people I know.
   “How often do we try to solve problems by doing more of what’s not working – doing it harder, grinding it out longer. We’ll do anything to avoid the lowest of the low – self examination” ~ Brene Brown, Rising Strong
5. Stop Working Weekends – I don’t care how much you love your work, if you never allow yourself to unplug from your business it will start to suck the life out of you. We all need time to rest & recharge, not only physically but mentally as well. Time for our brains to stop thinking about this project, that client, that idea, etc. Giving yourself the weekends can have a huge impact on the amount of energy and enthusiasm you are able to bring to your work.  

Helping passionate business owners make things easier is my zone of genius. If you’d like to explore some possibilities, I would love to connect.