Ever felt so shitty about work that you want to quit? A couple of weeks ago I was getting there. So I stopped. I soul-searched and made changes that have me super-charged and ready to create again. Here are the 5 Ways To Feel LESS shitty about work, it's for everyone: freelancers, doctors, grave diggers, strippers- everyone needs an occasional work reboot!
1. Re-Do Your Business Plan, Soul-Search, Evaluate
I re-did my Track This! workbook (highly recommended!), set new goals, and established a new direction for my brand. I love gardening/whole living/healthy living and thrifting/frugality but I realized above all I'm an artist and need to focus on art and creativity in every part of my brand.
I even used the realization to make a new banner for Etsy that I'm highly pleased with! The antique mall booths are getting a similar facelift next! Likewise, if you feel stuck you may need to re-evaluate the direction you're moving in with your job and change course.
2. Forgive Yourself for Not Doing it All. Take Some Off Your Plate
I realized I'm frustrated because I'm trying to run an antique mall booth, work with clients on designs/marketing, work part time at a raw vegan kitchen, improve my blog quality, and run a successful e-commerce biz with Etsy all while trying my best to improve quality and change direction...yeah. No. This weekend I let my mall booth sit un-updated so I could focus on other projects and was far less stressed this week. It's better to focus on 1-3 projects and do them well, then move on to others than doing it all simultaneously yet half-assed.
The Edgewood Community Garden, helped break it in this Saturday. Photo by Our Fertile Earth.
3. Get Active, Be an Activist, Walk, Move
You cannot be a creator, innovate, or re-fresh your brain without changing your environment and indulging in new experiences. This past week I helped start a permaculture community garden in a retirement center, had lunch at my favorite beach, and dug into piles of my favorite magazines at the book store. Turn off the computer, move away from your usual work space, walk, run, and get your mojo flowing!
4. Choose a Bigger Mission
I want to write more about this later, but creating a mission bigger than just making money or just doing what your boss says is another way to feel so much more fulfilled about work. I have a mission to help people feel happy, healthy, and creative and to live outside the status quo.
5. Clean and Re-Decorate Your Workspace
I realized one part of my frustration was that I'd let my strict organization system slip and my home design was stagnant. Now I'm cleaning the place top the bottom and re-arranging for efficiency and it's already made me feel SO much better about work. It can be as simple as moving the placement of your computer on the desk!
Thanks for all your feedback, it's really helped me think up new solutions and feel fresh and excited about work again.
What do YOU do to keep your work mojo going? Let's discuss in the comments!
Love your Chumbawamba Spirit
ReplyDeleteI get knocked down
But I get up again
You're never gonna keep me down
lanasdreameBay
:) Haha, thank you!
DeleteGreat advice! I like your new Etsy banner. It does really convey your shop. Reorganizing and cleaning up is a good idea. I'm doing that in my basement right now. We're supposed to have a new meter installed down there-- gotta kick a path clean for the "guy." How's that for motivation? Tee hee...
ReplyDeleteHaha, I used to schedule get-togethers to force myself to get the house in shape. Nothing like shame as motivation!
DeleteGreat tips! Fresh air and an organized home always help to reset to batteries. It's when I feel out of control that I lose focus and start to swirl into unfocused negativity.
ReplyDeleteKaty
Well said!
DeleteI garden to put things in perspective. Creating a green space while nurturing plants and watching them grow seems to help me. Most of my best work ideas come while weeding.
ReplyDeleteI definitely believe in meditation through gardening. It's a big writing motivation for me, I get lots of ideas while I'm out digging.
DeleteVan, I am reading Uncertainty by Jonathan Fields and he is a big advocate of meditation when shit is out of control and we are hating our creative process. Glad you got your mojo back girl!
DeleteGotta look into that! I've been trying to read "The Artist's Way" and what I've read so far about nurturing your creativity in it was AWESOME. I work into the night and don't give myself time to read it though, bad me...
DeleteOhhh your on the right track now! I guess I've been doing this for so long I forget so many little important area's that keeps you sane. I exercise almost everyday and I exercise hard...but thats me. It helps me relax and gets me out of the house. There is also this brain dump that is crucial for me. I also look for creative avenue's. I used to sculpt and sell my product (did well too!) along with my eBay items. I've already started a new hobby and I know it will naturally be piped into selling. Thats a part of me like breathing and it is for you too. I'm glad you got your mojo back. Your a talented reseller, don't do what I did and take big gaps of time off........I think in the long run you'll come back to it and you'll be starting all over again. Those years I took off other resellers kept plugging along and are doing well. The foundation years blow but they are essential.
ReplyDeleteOhhh your on the right track now! I guess I've been doing this for so long I forget so many little important area's that keeps you sane. I exercise almost everyday and I exercise hard...but thats me. It helps me relax and gets me out of the house. There is also this brain dump that is crucial for me. I also look for creative avenue's. I used to sculpt and sell my product (did well too!) along with my eBay items. I've already started a new hobby and I know it will naturally be piped into selling. Thats a part of me like breathing and it is for you too. I'm glad you got your mojo back. Your a talented reseller, don't do what I did and take big gaps of time off........I think in the long run you'll come back to it and you'll be starting all over again. Those years I took off other resellers kept plugging along and are doing well. The foundation years blow but they are essential.
ReplyDeleteI need to exercise hard! I've got the healthy eating down but need to move it. Thanks for the kind words and advice, it means a lot coming from a successful reseller like yourself. I'm evolving the biz to be less about reselling and to make education/writing/art the bigger money-maker, but I still enjoy the reselling process and love having it to support myself while I make steps toward accomplishing bigger life goals.
DeleteBurning out on your passions is such a bummer. Been there, done that. Congrats on finding the excitement to continue the journey. Enjoy your blog & I hope things work out for you. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! I'm enjoying it and can't forsee stopping into the future. Things are actively evolving and it's a challenge, but an exciting one.
DeleteGlad you are feeling reinvigorated. My biggest thing is to give myself permission to have time off. My favorite is to read a good book and not feel guilty about it. Then I am ready to go again.
ReplyDeleteI'm the same way about permission to have time off. And an old favorite is indulging in books, too. Haven't done so in a while, I've got a whole library I want to tackle!
DeleteVan you and I are much alike, with dreams of wanting to help others. I'm glad you've found a way to reboot your mojo. I've had to do a reassessment of what's on my plate in the last week or two. I therefore announced to a group that I'm involved in that I would be pulling back on things now that I've only have until August before baby number three comes. I need time and less pressure to concentrate on the things I need to be a priority on the home front before baby comes. With two other young children I need to have things streamlined as possible with the business before August because my time is going to pulled at even more then. At the end the day I don't have any crazy cool tips on how I make things work, other then to say that in my situation with young kids I am forced to reassess on a constant basis as their needs change and then I it in everything else around that.
ReplyDeleteI'm always in awe of families and parents pulling off working at home and hitting huge goals, it's hard enough for me without 'em! I also reassess all the time and change things for the better. What are your plans to help others? I have many I wanna set up and accomplish! It makes working so much more rewarding.
DeleteThere's several things I'd like to do in time to help others some of which I am slowly working on now. First up I want to inspire other stay at home mums who say they wish they could do a little something, but feel it's too hard of a juggle with kids. i get o many comments about how I can make things happen and how they just don't see how its possible for themselves. I want to show them that there are ways with time and patience to have their dreams and base them into reality.
DeleteSecondly I'm studying to be an Australian Breastfeeding counsellor so I can better support others with that journey, one of which I'm very passionate about.
Thirdly I want to turn my experiences and journey with the loss of my twin girls into a way to help others. My old blog is still public and shares many of those moments. I'd like to turn the content from that blog and my journey through grief into a e-book perhaps to raise funds for charity in pregnancy loss.
And there are other things, but it's all in good time, the intention is there and somehow I'll find a way yo make it happen.
Very inspiring. :) That's a big part of my mission, too. Inspiring others to be their own boss and do accomplish their lifelong goals.
DeleteAnd lots of gardening, community stuff, frugal teaching in there, too. I wanna do too much really. Gotta take it one step at a time.
DeleteNice! So funny how I can so relate to the track you're on... I just decided to start a series of art projects with my hubby for the store. I love how yo are getting involved with the community through gardening. I am a huge proponent of the GROW FOOD NOT LAWNS movement.
ReplyDeleteThe banner looks fantastic and really reflects the true vibe of your business.
Becky :)
Glad I'm not alone here, I always have positive responses to art lines I'd put out and I'm eager to get crafting/drawing/paint like crazy again. I'm also a big proponent of FOOD NOT LAWNS. Mmm. Veggie lawns. I'm excited to help build more community gardens all around town.
DeleteVan, I have been feeling like this for several weeks. I was ready to quit too. And then I just unplugged, did other stuff, read some good books, and now I am getting back into my groove in an even better and focused way. Reevaluating your brand really does refocus your work.
ReplyDeleteIt does, now that I remember the importance of including art in everything I do I feel a lot better about everything. Thinking of the bigger picture and the big goals for the future to accomplish helps, too.
DeleteYou are awesome! Thanks so much for this - I needed to hear (read) every word of it!
ReplyDeleteI hope it helped you!
DeleteThanks for sharing, Van. I'm so glad to see you back in the swing of things. For many, many years, I didn't really know how to relax. With the help of some great hypnotherapy, I've been able to know when to say when and give myself a break every now and then. I listen to how I'm feeling and take time away from work if needed. Sometimes all I need is a nice long nap. Other times stepping away from the house and getting some sunlight and fresh air really helps.
ReplyDeleteBreaks and getting out are a big help. I can't wait to get out to the beach with a good vintage book I've been needing to complete. BUT FIRST, gotta list edit photos, list on Etsy, ship things out, check the antique mall booth, do a little Craigslist listing...at least it's all fun to do again ;)
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