The Emotional Toll of Entrepreneurship
The good and the bad of always being on a roller-coaster ride
Summary:
A reflective mood is hanging heavy all around us in December. There is something about this transitional time and the lull between Christmas and New Year that simply makes us look back at the year we had, make peace with the past and well… begin again! Sharing a few thoughts from us as entrepreneurs, female founders and lastly both fragile and strong human beings - and yes, it will be emotional :)
The emotional toll of entrepreneurship’s “always on roller coaster.” Buckle up!
Far-flung towards our 3rd year of entrepreneurship, or better said entry-preneurship, we figured we both underestimated and overestimated… well, everything.
If you are an entrepreneur yourself - you know the drill. The Martian highs and the bottom lows of one’s professional life are an everyday thing, and going from one to the other like on a rollercoaster ride is a frequent trip we take. A side effect of this is the emotional toll that entrepreneurship taxes.
The emotional levy is something we didn't have on the map of our journey, neither did we consider it for our business “balance sheet”. And now, that is December and a more reflective state conquers us all, here we are, sharing our thoughts about it.
They say awareness is the first step in everything so now we have finally fully acknowledged the presence, impact and patterns of the emotional fretting that becoming an entrepreneur implies. It’s harsh and joyful at the same time.
So how can entrepreneurs handle their emotional reactions better?
Doing the emotional conga, even when you enjoy the “party”, entails an intense energy consumption and at the end of the day you are extenuated. Low energy makes entrepreneurs more prone to losing motivation, the creative juices start running low and the inspiration goes away too.
Luckily, there is also a bright side to it all! Since entrepreneurs do this dance a lot, they have seen that, sooner or later, the sun comes out on their street again, with one condition: to persevere.
The emotional tumult is an exhausting exercise but sustaining it repeatedly keeps flexing an important muscle: the one of resilience and perseverance. Some days you fight to win, others you fight to survive.
When in the latter scenario, we just step back, try to change perspective, look for the progress made so far and inexorably, continue the climb even if at a slower pace, until we are fully charged again.
What’s your relationship with the emotional grinding of entrepreneurship?
Care to share what’s in your bag of tricks when you reach emotional exhaustion?
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Your emotionally drained but proud survivors of another year of entrepreneurship,
AM & Diana
Image credits: Somruthai Keawjan (via unsplash).
About Journee - Digital at Ease
Founded by two digital marketing professionals with extensive international experience, Journee GmbH is a female owned digital marketing and technology boutique consultancy.
We aim to make a big difference for the small: small business owners and solopreneurs looking to start and advance on their business digital journey.
Our combined expertise covers digital marketing, digital analytics, advertising, marketing technology as well as overall digital strategy support and mentorship.