I’ve had one of those months.
Things aren’t really lining up perfectly at work…sales are a little slower, some systems aren’t as efficient, and I’m most certainly more scattered & unorganized. Some of my ideas aren’t panning out, and the ones that do seem to require a lot of my time–which is a little limited right now.
This doesn’t make me angry, ungrateful, or even frustrated necessarily. I do notice, though, a constant unease. I’m a little more in my own head, I’m less focused, feel less productive, and no doubt, I’m less pleasant to be around.
Sorry everyone. Ahem.
source unknown
Isn’t that just like us? Things get a little more difficult, the path is a little rockier or overgrown…and we are rattled. I am, at least. Running into those obstacles in operating a creative business isn’t crippling to me, but usually by the time I notice how agitated I am, they have certainly derailed my thoughts and my energy.
Retail can be hard. Blogging can be hard. Writing a book can be hard. Juggling those can be hard.
Creative work is simply hard sometimes.
I like to go for what I want, and man, when something gets in my way, it’s not my favorite. I like to think that most of the time I just assess what the solution should be, but sometimes, the list of “just not quite right” is much longer than the “going well.” My thoughts are derailed and my mind is unsettled.
But that’s the problem, right?
We get so consumed with the what and when of our wants, that we can hardly see it. We are already on our way to the want.
Goals and plans and systems are important, especially running several businesses. And I do want to accomplish it all. I want to tackle every single thing I put my mind to. Stubborn like that.
But…the getting there is part of the fun.
We all have so many goals and hopes for PI and Factory South, and it is a lot to juggle. Some things are going to work out and some won’t.
That’s the nature of business. There are times of excellent growth and accomplishment, and times of standing still. As a matter of fact, it would do me a lot of good to remember in the seasons of growth that some tests and tension are right around the corner.
I’m re-learning that struggling through some of the how and the process is energizing in an odd way. It forces you to be in the moment, to tackle one problem at a time. To fine tune. To be better.
We’ll grow slowly, one day at a time. We’ll remind ourselves to enjoy the process.
But we’ll get there.
Thank you for this! I’m feeling the same way right now. Retail is hard work. I’ve been struggling lately to not be too overwhelmed. To not get discouraged when things aren’t how I think they should be. And I agree — we don’t always see what’s going right and hyperfocus on what isn’t. I’ve been making an effort every month to jot down our successes and goals we reached. Not just monetarily, but getting some extra publicity or selling out our classes. No matter how small…it still is something to celebrate!
Thank you for the inspiration!
Jessi
Yep, Jessi…totally feel you. Gotta keep on keeping on though!
Wow, thank you for this complete honesty! As a long time admirer of yours I am relieved to know that even you have struggles and things don’t always go your way. As a blogger and shop owner it is hard and sometimes really hard. Your words in this blog post are summed up so well. I feel all of these emotions too.
But ultimately I love what I do and clearly so do you and this makes it all worthwhile.
It’s just nice to know you are not alone and other people hit road blocks too. Thank you for continuing to be a source of inspiration and motivation. I keep reminding myself that the hills we climb make us smarter and stronger! Jackie
Thank you for this comment Jackie…of course I have hard (sometimes very hard) times. Gotta be real, you know? Wishing you loads of success with blogging!
Thank you for this. I’ve been thinking the same things. That mostly I need to be ok with small, measured, slow growth. I need to see that as progress.
I appreciate knowing you’re thinking the same things. Keep going, you’re doing amazing work!
Yep, Meredith. Totally get it….you keep on working at it, too!! 🙂
Business is so slow down here right now! I have days in Dothan and Ozark where I see 3 customers all day. Such a let down. I hope your spirits stay high to know that you rock… business will pick up again and when it does you will be ready for it! I miss you around the blog though 😉
Yea, it’s just that time of year, I think. Hopefully back to normal on the blog, now–thanks so much for your patience and understanding while we were filming! 🙂