Life is hard. It just is.
Running a business is exhausting and exhilarating and can, honestly, drain the life right out of you. So what do you do when you're running on fumes and your soul is tired? When you wake up and you're already dreaming of crawling back in bed that night? When you longingly think of unplugging your computer and silencing your phone and hiding under the covers for 36 hours? When you want to hide but people are depending on you and the To Do list is a mile long? What now? I've just returned from 2 weeks of conferences and traveling. I went from feeling on top of the world to flat out exhausted. My soul is tired. My brain is tired. And yet, there are one hundred things to do and people who need me and who are asking me questions every minute of the day. So what now? 1. Pray. It's so simple, and yet, "I surrender" thrown up to the heavens can activate God's presence to show up and take over. Sometimes I walk through my neighborhood and pray, sometimes it's just as I go through my day, and sometimes I lock my door and literally kneel beside my bed. It's an act of surrender and it's more effective than working for 6 hours straight. So why don't I do it more often? Who knows. It's the human condition. But when I do pray, my strength is renewed and my soul feels a little lighter. 2. Play. I honestly hate to have fun. I know, it's weird and terrible. But it means stopping the hustle and the energy flow. It means letting go and relaxing. And it's hard for me! (I know, I'm strange.) But when I do really, truly, let myself relax and play a game or enjoy my kids, or laugh until I almost pee my pants, or ride a ride at Disney World, something shifts. We are made for play and we were created to rest and NOT work all the time. (Yes, I'm guilty of enjoying Netflix WITH a computer on my lap.) Sometimes walking away from the never-ending projects brings clarity when we return. Fun and laughter are healing for our relationships, marriage, and our kids (or grandkids) love it. Sigh. I need to play more often. 3. Self-Soothe As little children, our parents are supposed to meet our needs when we cry, are hungry, fall down, or are scared. When we are adults, we are responsible for meeting our own needs. If you are hungry, are you giving yourself delicious, nutritious food? If you're cold, are you lighting a fire and wrapping up in a sweater blanket with fuzzy socks? If you're lonely, do you pick up the phone and reach out to a friend? We don't have a parent nurturing us anymore, so it's our responsibility to self-soothe. We have to hear what our body and soul is asking for and NOT ignore it. Don't push through. Take a moment and light a candle, play your favorite music, prepare a simple meal. Yes, other people can take care of us, too, but we can't wait or rely on it. We have to really listen to what we need and either make it happen or ask for it. And the next day you just may wake up refreshed. Renewed. Ready to tackle the world again. Is your soul tired like mine? Do you need a little break? Maybe schedule a massage or a night out with friends. Maybe stop working early tonight and just take care of YOU. After all, if we don't take care of YOU, what will happen to your employees and your company? We need you to be okay. We need you to be thriving and happy and alive and excited about what's ahead. So go ahead. Make some plans. Take care of yourself. I'm going to take care of myself, too.
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September is here! I hope you survived your Summer and you are ready for a HUGE, wonderful Fall at your Studio! This summer, we intentionally carved out some family time with our kids. We enjoyed the Minnesota State Fair last week, famous for its amazing food! We spent a day riding rides at Valleyfair the week before, and also enjoyed renting a relaxing cabana at the water park. It's so important to make these memories with your kids. After all, isn't that why you started your business? To make a better life for your family? In fact, we've already booked two trips for winter to escape the Minnesota cold! Can't wait to travel and relax in the sun when it's FREEZING here in January and February! I've been spending some time thinking about YOU and how Never Alone Business Services can serve you better. We are adding more team members and we want to be a full service agency to meet all of your marketing needs. Please know that we believe in the arts and we believe your studio is a positive force for good in your community. We are here for YOU so you can do what only you can do. We can manage your website, your ads, and handle the techy stuff. We are honored to free up your time so you have less stress, and so you can manage what really matters: impacting the lives of your students and their families. We're here for you. So please just let us know what you need. Now, if your studio isn’t filling up as quickly as you wished it would, usually one of these 3 things is off: your website, your email marketing, or your social media marketing. When these 3 are all working in unity, your enrollment is buzzing, your phones are ringing, and your studio is filling up! We enrolled 65 new students last month, pretty much JUST using our website, email marketing and Facebook/Instagram. It WORKS! If you’re feeling stuck or discouraged, you’re not alone! There’s nothing wrong with you. We just have to figure out what’s missing or not quite up to par. Message us at info@neveraloneservices.com a free phone call. Let’s figure out what’s missing and FIX it! Let's have an AMAZING Fall at your studio! I believe in the power of the arts.
And I believe in YOU. |
About the AuthorHi, I'm Jen Hickle! Archives
December 2020
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