Startup life can be intense and grueling, lasting much longer than expected.
You may be obsessed with building a fantastic company. However, I want you also to devote energy to maintaining the best version of you possible.
Put yourself in the right mindset to take the optimal actions.
Resilience Mindset
While there are many paths to success, you are the main driver. Success depends on resilience because there will be many obstacles and stressors as you build, scale, and grow your business. By concentrating on what you can control, taking care of yourself, and improving constantly, you can grow along with the business.
Here are some characteristics to help you grow in tandem with your business:
Optimism. Define the meaning and purpose of your life. Be clear about why you started a business. Write these thoughts down and continually refer to them.
As you review, be grateful that you have made it this far and can keep learning.
Insight. Identify the stressors affecting you, simply naming them without judgment. This self-awareness can derive from meditation, reflection, journaling, or constructive conversations. With each insight, determine one step forward to evoke change. Examples include drafting an email, outlining a plan, and conducting initial research.
We are tempted to solve every problem immediately and thoroughly. Instead, move in the right direction by taking a step forward. Plan your next step forward, and repeat. Breaking down arduous change into tiny steps allows you to work toward a solution without overwhelming everything else.
“Change is the only constant.”
– Heraclitus, Greek philosopher
Adaptability. While change is inevitable and often frequent, that does not make it easy. Facing the unknown and reforming habits are surprisingly hard, even when change is for our benefit. Distinguish between the idea of change and the direct effect on your life by listing the activities and behaviors impacted. Then recognize the reasons for your discomfort based on that list.
You can compare the pros and cons of any transition, now that the impact is more apparent. Either recommit to the change or decide to wait until the benefits exceed the costs.
Compassion. We may seek perfection, but we are inevitably flawed. Forgive yourself when you make mistakes. You should embrace a growth mindset and know mistakes can eventually bring valuable insights.
When you make a mistake, accept responsibility, apologize to those impacted, and fix it to the extent that you can. If possible, learn from what happened and then distinguish what parts you controlled to prevent the mistake from being repeated. By explaining to others what you learned and how you intend to fix the root cause of a problem, you demonstrate to them that you appreciate the impact the mistake had on them.
Compassion recognizes that most people are trying to do their best, yet they also make mistakes. Give yourself that same compassion when the time comes.
Resilience in Action
With these considerations in mind, here are some ways you can practice self-care and be more resilient over the long haul of entrepreneurism (with details on each to follow):
Practice positive self-talk
Connect with people
Help others
Nurture yourself
Be persistent
Embrace some uncertainty
Practice Positive Self-Talk. Face life with the confidence that while you may not control your circumstances, you can control your response to them. When it comes to adverse circumstances, treat yourself the same as you would a friend. What advice would you give to someone you love?
As soon as possible, start describing ways you can improve your situation. You may need to reset expectations, seek others’ input, or decide to try something (anything) to make a change from your current situation. That helps get you to the right place.
Connect with People. Review your current relationships and find or reconnect with people who genuinely support you.
You want to identify and foster two types of relationships. There should be people in your life who support you unconditionally and are willing to see you holistically, not simply based on your latest actions. There should also be people who challenge you to be a better person. They also support you but show respect by pushing you to the next level and beyond.
Pro Tip: If someone does not fall into either of these categories and is not working with you to build your company and improve your life, find a way to stop spending time with them.
Help Others. Find a way to assist others. If you feel overwhelmed or temporarily defeated, helping may seem counterintuitive. How will you have the time to help others when you’re already overwhelmed? If you’re struggling, how can you muster the energy to help others?
Here’s my contrarian thought—helping others is downright selfish. It turns your attention to positive activity, refocuses it somewhere other than on your problems, reinforces your value and worth, and allows you to learn and feel good.
Supporting others also promotes asking for help because you witness the value. To grow successfully, you will need the help of many others.
Nourish Yourself. Add time to take care of yourself into your current schedule.
Open your calendar now! Block out times for physical and mental health. Having time to care for yourself will improve your energy when collaborating with others. You may need to adjust the calendar, but never delete items. Just move them to other times.
Be Persistent. Keep practicing your resilience mindset and actions with intention. The marathon is run differently from the sprint, and you must pace yourself for the long run.
If you are not seeing desired results in any area, make changes. Sometimes, you may benefit from a professional coach or expert advice. Resilience is not easy, so you may need various forms of help.
Embrace Some Uncertainty. The path to success is uncertain. However, some aspects can stay constant.
Be clear on your destination. Choose a genuinely satisfying outcome. For instance, making a ton of money likely will only be somewhat rewarding by itself. The passion driving you to solve a problem strongly indicates whether you will have the resilience and perseverance to overcome many challenges and setbacks.
With a clear destination in mind, choose to move at a pace that aligns with your life. While there may be an expectation to move fast and never stop, you do not have to follow that belief. Some people move fast to avoid problems, not to realize their dreams. Remember, your journey may take many years, so find a pace that perfectly balances growth and gratitude.
During the chaos of fast growth and constant change, recognize your control. Make choices consciously and carefully. Finally, distinguish between uncertainty and impossibility.
Key Takeaway: The saddest stories may not be about the founders who failed to reach their goals but the ones who accomplished their dreams only to end up scared and defeated themselves. With a resilient mindset, you're ready to succeed personally and as a leader.
---------------------------------
This photo is by Matthew Henry who can be found here
𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲: 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗣𝗲𝗮𝗸 offers over 130 independent articles across 500 pages including leadership, growth, sales, marketing, operations, finance, and teams. In five minutes, learn the best methods and practical options to activate your dreams.