I help entrepreneurs leapfrog over the typical potholes that derail most small businesses with inspiration, motivation, education, and support across a wide range of business topics drawn from over a decade of running my own business, teaching entrepreneurship for the City of New York, and coaching and consulting privately with dozens of women and minority small business owners. Honestly, why go it alone when help is an email away?
Twist and Shout
It's been hard to avoid news coverage of Simone Biles stepping away from several Olympic gymnastics events this week after experiencing what she called "the twisties."
As she described it, the twisties are when "you can't tell up from down," which is scary and dangerous when you're spinning around in the air.
But it's also scary and dangerous when you're standing on the ground and just have no idea where you are in relation to where you want to go.
To me, the twisties sound like a fairly common occurrence that afflicts most people at some point in their lives and hits us entrepreneurs perhaps more frequently.
We get spun around till we're dizzy trying to do everything all at once, we get tons of advice that's contradictory, we're being sold countless quick fixes and done-for-you solutions that carry an undertone of 'you really don't know what you're doing.' It's disorientating and oh so easy to lose our way and our trust in ourselves.
And, it's why the twisties can often lead to what I'm going to call "the stuckies," which is when you're so confused and overwhelmed that you don't trust yourself to make a move and you stay stuck in the same place waiting and hoping for things to change.
The stuckies are the worst. Because you feel helpless and also kind of unworthy of receiving aid and support.
Have you ever felt this way, Reader? OMG, I sure have!
To me, the deeper lesson in Biles' example—Take a step back and take the pressure off—is what's important. I love that she didn't just leave the competition, she remained to cheer on her teammates giving them her support and giving herself a break at the same time.
And then she rallied to take home the bronze in the balance beam—a medal she said meant more to her than the countless golds she'd already won because of the journey it took to get her there. Wow, that's powerful!
It would have been so easy for Simone to brood and beat herself up about what had happened. I have been in that headspace and it's neither pretty nor fun. It's also not productive. That self-blame doesn't help and often hurts more than whatever kicked things off in the first place.
If you're experiencing the twisties or stuckies, I recommend you:
- Take a page from Biles and step back and take the pressure off yourself to fix the situation fast. The speed of recovery is pretty meaningless when compared to the depth of that recovery.
- Reach out to someone you trust to talk things over. Be clear that you're not looking for a solution, you just want some help understanding what's going on.
- Don't be afraid to take baby steps, an inch at a time will still get you places.
- Don't isolate—there's amazing power in sharing what you're going through. We've all been there and can relate. And, you never know how someone else's story can help clarify your own and inch you forward.
If you're in that space right now, let me know. I'm happy to provide a judgment-free zone of support.
I talked last week about the limiting beliefs that keep us from charging what we want for what we deliver. If you missed it, you can read it here.
Please feel free to share this newsletter with anyone who might benefit from its contents.
Easily Said & Done
I help entrepreneurs leapfrog over the typical potholes that derail most small businesses with inspiration, motivation, education, and support across a wide range of business topics drawn from over a decade of running my own business, teaching entrepreneurship for the City of New York, and coaching and consulting privately with dozens of women and minority small business owners. Honestly, why go it alone when help is an email away?
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