I used to second guess everything.
I used to worry about everything – and I mean, everything.
I remember in 2012 having a conversation with a Naturopath about some things that were really concerning me. The biggest one being so incredibly tired followed by weird pimple-like bumps on my scalp.
Now this may feel a little like TMI for you, but I promise you it’s a necessary detail.
I’d been in business for a couple of years by this stage. I was finally making more money. The first two years were lean… and I mean L.E.A.N. Super lean. I was getting some clients but not many and they were super low-paying options that I had put out there.
So in the April of 2012 when things turned around and I had my first 30K month, I was beside myself with giddiness!!!! I was over the moon. Finally, the hours and hours of testing, measuring, trying, call after call after call and ad after ad after ad and workshop after workshop… things were starting to flow financially.
I was under the very misguided notion that when I stopped ‘surviving’ (let’s be honest. I was barely surviving. I had side hustles on the go. I had all sorts going on. I was definitely barely surviving!!!) that I would somehow magically stop feeling anxious all the time. That I would stop worrying all the time. That I would stop having these strange lumps on my head all the time.
I thought that making more money somehow would mean less stress.
Boy, was I wrong!!!!
The idea that there would be less stress was a fantastical one in hindsight. In reality, what happened was that one stress was replaced with a different stress and one that I hadn’t bargained on.
For me, the new stress was that I was running out of time and quickly. I had a full client load. I was working long hours. I was still doing sales calls. I was worried about my clients! I wasn’t worried so much about me, I was worried about my people. See: one worry/stress was replaced with a different one.
And, as I mentioned, I couldn’t work out why I was so damn tired all the time. Around this time I was not finding time through the day to eat (oops) because I had so damn much to do. I was living off coffee and whatever snacks I could get inside me. And then, dinner was always a healthy-ish option because of the kids. So that was lucky!
What knocked me for a six, though, was this..
I remember being at my parents’ house in Adelaide on a visit. My oldest daughter had spent a week or so down there with them and we headed down to pick her up. I was, of course, tucked away in the bedroom for a while setting up a new CRM provider (always working) and juggling sales calls before around 2 pm when I had a call with my naturopath. She’d had me do some tests and she explained to me on the call that I was living with pretty severe adrenal fatigue.
I did not even know what that meant.
She explained to me that because I was constantly stressed, my adrenals were constantly pumping out adrenaline (a survival mechanism) and that they were tired, oh so tired. And empty. Add to that not looking after my nutrition requirements properly like a grown adult should added to the stress my body was under.
And so my head showed me the signs that something needed to change. This wasn’t an allergic reaction. My hair was being washed at the right frequency. It wasn’t a product build up.
My poor body was completely burned out!
Now, this is not a fun situation to be in, let me tell you. And when I learned that it could take a good couple of years to recover and rebuild… WOAH. I was astonished.
I changed a lot of things back then. I endeavoured to eat better, drink more water and most importantly, I tried to SWITCH OFF.
Which was near impossible.
Fast forward to 2013 and I started learning to skate and learning to play Roller Derby. Man, oh man, does THAT make you switch off from business!!!!
You cannot be thinking about anything else other than remaining upright, being low in your legs (squatting constantly while on skates), trying to remember everyone’s names and constantly getting up off the ground from where I fell… you cannot possibly think about anything else!
Over the years I have been diagnosed a couple more times with Adrenal Fatigue. It’s a real thing and a real problem for those of who are highly driven, highly motivated, high functioning humans.
I am pleased to say, however, that I don’t believe I’ve had this be an issue for probably the last 3-4 years. Thank goodness.
But why?
I mentioned earlier that I used to worry about everything.
From not making ‘enough’ money, to making too much money and having to deal with tax.
From not having enough clients to having too many.
From not having any time for the kids and the family to having all of the time for the kids and the family and not enough for anything else.
From having no outlet of my own to being in a sport that I love almost as much as I love my work.
From feeling like I didn’t have many (or any) real friends to worrying about how to stay connected with all of my friends.
Ugh. Exhausting, right?
The BIG thing that I have learned over these past 5 years is to seriously stop freaking worrying so much.
If you worry about stuff, it keeps everything you’re worried about at the front of your mind and that strangles creativity.
When you worry about money it repels it.
When you worry about taxes, it seems to make it more of an issue.
When you worry about what people think of you, it stops you from fully being yourself.
I learned to let go of almost everything that causes me stress and concerns.
This doesn’t mean that I don’t still get caught up in things sometimes. I am human, after all. But these days I let things like this kind of ‘wash over me’ rather than pushing back on it.
I no longer pick at the sore. (Like I used to do with my head).
I no longer focus on fear.
I look at it. Give it a sideways glance and move on.
The thing is this:
If you have been working endless hours to try and get things to the next level, please know that this is not sustainable and is likely to create burnout. And adrenal fatigue. And that can lead to chronic fatigue.. and then you’ll actually end up with less productive time and you’ll beat yourself up over that so how about we just not do that?
One of my friends talks a lot about building sustainable businesses…..
A sustainable business needs YOU at the helm. A sustainable business needs you being able to function at your best. A sustainable business requires a lot of energy.
It’s impossible to do this if you don’t have sustainable habits in place.
If you’ve been caught up in worrying about money or tax or where the next client is coming from or where the next client who’s waiting for you is going to fit…. Know this: it’s ok. It will be ok. There’s always money out there. There are always more clients out there. There are always more people like you out there to help people.
You are not responsible for all of the things!
Read that again: You are not responsible for ALL of the things.
You are responsible for YOU.
You are responsible for your health.
You are responsible for getting to and maintaining yourself in a peak performance state.
You are responsible for showing up for your people and your clients.
You are responsible for doing the work.
You are responsible for your REST.
You are responsible for your recovery.
You are responsible for creating (and maintaining) good boundaries!
We need you fully present and in great health so that you can steward this business of yours to the next level.
So you can grow, so it can grow, so you can have the IMPACT that you want to have and want to create in this world.
Mkay?
Kay.
Most of all remember, you’ve got this. And you can do it ALL without the worry.
I promise. If I can do it, you can do it.
You’ve got this.
Nic x
PS. One of the things that can alleviate stress and pressure is a plan. A plan that is simple and easy to follow. A plan and a structure that is simple and easy to implement. Something that will inspire and motivate YOU daily!
Surely spending 2 days working on your business, your marketing, your message, and your plan for the next 12-18 months is something you can find the space to do.
It’s a must! Remember, boundaries? Your growth and education are just as important as anything else in your business. And learning to market yourself as an expert is a LIFE LESSON. Yes, this will serve you FOR LIFE.
Find out more about VISIBLE | LIVE here. www.join.nicolamoras.com.au/visible-live I’d love to help you x
