“How you create something is how you will experience it. So, step away and get inspired.“

(This is a guest post by Tonya Leigh of French Kiss Life.)

If you’re even a little bit anal, obsessive, or a Type A personality (like many entrepreneurs are, myself included), running a business can be a death sentence.

That may sound dramatic, but I’ve seen it play out over and over again.

Brilliant, motivated women leave their jobs and set out to create a business that will grant them freedom and joy… only to become enslaved by the same prison of worry and stress that held them captive at their job. And, years of stress and angst starts to take a toll on the body.

I get it.

I spent almost a decade as a critical care nurse overworking myself to take care of others in the most literal sense before I started my business. That tendency to want to constantly hustle and be reactionary still comes up from time to time, especially during launch season.

A Tale of a Launch Gone Wrong..

Not long ago, my team and I were preparing to open enrollment to my signature program. This launch was well-planned, six months in the the making, and everything had gone well up to the this point. We weren’t sipping on champagne trying to manifest a miracle or being lazy.

But sometimes, things go wrong. And for us, it was an eleventh hour technical glitch that sent us reeling.

Burning the midnight oil desperately trying to make it happen, my team worked away to try and find the answer. My business manager at the time, who was French, was still up the next morning working while most of France was heading out for a croissant and cafe au lait.

As I sat frustrated on my couch with my laptop open, I was too busy to talk to my daughter who was sitting next me. She didn’t dare speak to me anyway because, clearly, “I was too busy.”

That was when I had a moment of awareness.

When it comes to how I choose to live, I want to French Kiss Life. I want a life of elegance, joy and simplicity.

I want to live in alignment with my values and savor moments with my daughter. What message was I sending to her while I ignored her sitting next to me while I worked away?

So I asked myself, ”Tonya, how do you want to feel right now?”

Stressed, worried, and overwhelmed was definitely not what I wanted. I wanted ease… and rest! It was like a divine force took over my hands as I typed in the Skype box, ”We’re not launching tomorrow. GO TO BED and GET SOME SLEEP!”

Almost instantly, my body relaxed. I felt total clarity, and I was back in the flow of sweet, decadent ease.

If your business has been in the driver’s seat lately, I encourage you to take a step back, and see how my story might reflect yours. It seems like my business is always teaching me lessons. Here are three lessons my business has taught me to embrace ease.

1. It can wait.

Missing a self-imposed deadline is not the end of the world. Integrity is important, and you should try to do what you say you’re going to do, but at the end of the day, how much is really riding on you to get it done right this second?

Probably not enough to justify destroying your body with not enough sleep, junk food, and ignoring your personal needs.

There will always be more to do, so whatever it is, it can wait one more hour, day, week or even month so that you can take care of yourself.

2. Pushing harder is almost never the right answer.

How much do you actually accomplish when you try to work way too many hours? For me, it’s much less than when I feel at inspired and at ease.

Doing great work is not about pushing, grasping, and chasing. Anything created from that energy will only produce more of the same. How you create something is how you will experience it.

So, step away and get inspired. Then come back to your desk with a renewed sense of energy.  Create freely, wildly, and deeply – and make sure you do it on your terms according to your values.

3.  Focus on ONE priority.

When our to-do lists are so full that we feel scattered and confused, instead of trying to do more, I invite you to consider that what you really need is to do less.

My mantra is, “Less but better.”

Sit down and figure out what’s most important right now. If everything is important, nothing truly is. Many business owners are afraid that if they do less, things will fall apart. And the result? Feeling like things are falling apart.

So, ask yourself: what really needs my attention right now?  Choose one thing to focus on, give it all you’ve got, and discover more space to live your life.

Business isn’t easy, but it can be full of ease. Taking care of your body and mind is a top priority, especially if you’re an entrepreneur.

So how are you going to create more ease in your life and business? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

About the author: Tonya Leigh is the founder of French Kiss Life, a movement dedicated to inspiring women worldwide to embrace elegance, style, and joie de vivre. Click to get instant access to “An Insider’s Guide to the French Way of Life” and learn how to French Kiss your own Life. 

About this site: Hi! I’m Tia. Multi-passionate Sparklepants, Life Lover, Curator of Awesome. I run this website featuring kickass inspiration to help you sparkle through life, no matter what! Go here to ignite your Inner Sparkle — that shimmery part of your spirit that says YES to courage + connection, and NO WAY to ‘shoulds’ + restrictions. Click here to contribute a post.

pic credit: www.gotcredit.com

Facebook comments:

comments