Small Business Entrepreneurs: 5 Things to do when you feel lost
2:21 pm in articles by Jane Chin, Ph.D.
I don’t know about you, but I often feel isolated as a small business entrepreneur. Sure, I have hundreds of contacts on LinkedIn and Facebook. Apparently more than 1200 people find me interesting enough to follow on Twitter (give or take a few spambots and p0rnbots).
But this isn’t the same as connecting with people in a substantive level every single day. Some of us crave this more than others. I am one of those people who like to think about life’s questions and who view entrepreneurship as part of my “Hero’s Journey” and how I “give back” to the world during my time here on earth.
Like many of you, I am juggling entrepreneurship with parenthood. I consider myself lucky that my son is going to school for 3 days a week at 2 hours each of those days: this is the only “predictable 6 hour time window” where I can accommodate schedules, appointments, and intense bouts of writing (I’m also writing a book this year – my publisher gave me 1 year from time of signing the contract to complete 60,000 words by end of 2010). This is of course, barring my son catching a bug from kids at school and having to stay home, in which case my work week becomes “not-so-much-work” week.
So it is not surprising that after a while, I start feeling lost.
It’s something I’ve come to expect on a periodic interval, maybe once a month, or every other month, I will wonder whether what I am doing would mean anything at all. If I do not address this somehow, this feeling takes over and distracts me from being productive and running my business.
Here are 5 ways that I’ve managed this “feeling lost” and become productive again:
1. Remember why I’m doing any of it.
Why do I bother risking as an entrepreneur? Working irregular hours? Demanding my brain to work harder than those who clock a 9-to-5 job?
For me it’s about teaching people how to accelerate their results and success by offering my shoulders for them to stand on. I may not be quite a “giant”, but I will get you there faster than allowing you to make costly mistakes on your own for years at a time.
2. Schedule a conversation I crave.
Like I said, I need deep conversations from time to time. This can be a highly analytical exchange with a colleague on leadership issues and entrepreneurship issues. This can be a highly philosophical discussion about whether God is necessary and/or sufficient for meaning in life.
For example, last weekend we met up with one of my husband’s coworkers for brunch and the three of us covered a lot of philosophical ground.
I’m not saying that you should get philosophical – unless you crave these types of conversations. I’m saying whatever type of dialog you need – whether this be hard-thinking or hard-belly-laugh… make a point of scheduling one.
3. Take some time off.
I’m bad about this one…. I will keep postponing and procrastinating giving myself any time off to decompress!
But there are days when you just want to “not work” for a few hours, and that’s OK… seriously, the world will go on, your business will continue to exist for those few hours, and you will not be a bad lazy human being.
It’s helpful to have a running list of “what to do” in these situations. Is it taking a walk? Watching TV (sometimes I do this as a deliberate way to induce a comatose state on my brain)? Reading one of those novels where the cover models are busting out of their super-tight frilly frocks while wrapped around men with longer hair then yours could ever grow?
4. Look at something that motivates you.
For me, this is opening my business P&L statement and analyzing my revenue earnings and the types of revenues I’ve earned. For some reason, seeing those numbers there is at once motivating and stress-inducing – but it is more motivating than stressful so I do it.
You may want to read an inspiring quote or look at a motivational poster instead!
5. Do something physical.
Getting your hands busy and body moving is a great way of re-engaging yourself without continually using your mental and emotional reserves. This is also the only way that my house ever gets cleaned!
Feeling lost is really a symptom that you have disconnected from your center – or your grasp on your ideals or your self. It’s a sign that you need to take some time out and say “hello!” to that important person in your life – the person who is powering all the many wonderful things you are doing – YOU.
Image by Nimalan Tharmalingam (UK)
The people who are selected for masterminds must be at a comparable caliber of business achievement with slight deviations in business result. Members should have similar drive and goal standards. If these pieces are missing, the mastermind will not work to the members’ benefit. It’s a bit like playing tennis – you improve when you play with someone slightly better or much better than you – not someone who is a beginner, even if you are a beginner.

It’s very easy to make the leap and get fantastic results when times are lush with opportunities and everyone is flush with cash and we all gather around the fields of possibilities to sing kum-bay-ya.