I don’t know about you, but the first 3 months of this year were insane. On my side, I did 8 public speaking events, 12 workshops/webinars, wrote 15 articles, hosted 16 podcast interviews, gave 3 podcast interviews, mentored 7 founders, did one-on-one coaching for 3 different people in 3 different time zones, wrote 3.75 chapters for my book, got an agent for my book (!), all while juggling another business, a toddler, and a 4 month old baby. *Deep exhale….*
So, at the end of March, I did the best thing I could do for myself and decided to take the month of April off. I didn’t unplug 100% but I did the bare minimum to keep things ticking along and gave myself a break. I read all eight Bridgerton novels, saw my family in New York, took the pressure off to do, do do, and do, and am still on a slow burn until next week.
BUT, I know I can’t – or won’t – last like this. I am a do-er, an action-taker, a creator, and a mover, so I need to do, act, create, and move. But after almost a month off, getting back into gear is SOOOOOO hard.
We all face this how-do-I-get-going-again conundrum at some time or another at least once a year. Usually it happens after a career break, parental leave, summer holidays, Christmas, a sabbatical, or just a long weekend, and we find it hard to muster the energy to get going again.
So what do I do to get back into execution mode? Well, I start slow. After my “April off”, I am warming up my doing muscles by writing a little each day and hosting just one workshop next week.
And I make plans, based on what is most important. I have sat down to map out what the first few weeks of May will look like so I get all of my submissions in to publishers and my mastermind gets up and running with a bang. I’ve even planned to go out for a long, leisurely breakfast cooked by someone else on the day my baby daughter starts at day care.
And I ask for help. This means my VA, my husband, and a few other select people I can trust to lend a hand. Asking for help is hard because it means letting go, but I would rather let go than be resentful of all I have to do (for me, those are the only options). The things I’ve asked for help with are as small as asking my husband to organize play dates instead of the family “admin” always falling on me, to ordering ready meals so I don’t always get stuck in the kitchen.
That’s it: start small (to build up the momentum again), make a plan (so I don’t flail around feeling overwhelmed and stare blankly at my computer each day), and ask for help (so I don’t loose steam before I have any to loose).
These small things have helped me time after time, and if you’re in need of a mojo injection, I know they will help you too.
