The Breakdown before the Breakthrough – what to do when the gremlins strike?
OK, so today I want to talk about the famous ‘breakdown before the breakthrough’ situation.
So this is more or less how it goes: you’re motoring along just fine in your business, things are going well…maybe even great, and you’re feeling proud of yourself, maybe even a little smug…you’ve got it in the bag! And then….all of a sudden, out of the blue, the darkness descends. we often find ourselves in, especially as entrepreneurs. Do you know what I mean? Before I move on to describing the ‘breakdown’ phase, I really want you to hold on to the ‘breakthrough’ part, because that’s where ultimately we’re going with this.
Things that worked well so far, don’t seem to work any longer. You’re working very hard, but your income isn’t growing, new clients aren’t coming. The panic sets in. “Have I done something wrong? Am I being punished for being too greedy? Maybe it’s not OK, after all, to want to make good money for my gifts? Am I even cut out for this? What made me think I could do it?”…and so on. Sounds at all familiar ladies?
This, of course can happen to anyone, and men are not entirely immune to it, but we ladies are by far the experts in this emotional roller-coaster…I know, I’ve been there a few times lol. I’m being really open here, and if my honestly can help you in any way, than I’m willing to be vulnerable.
Heart and authenticity, by the way, were the two words that popped out at me from my little word game in the last article. Do you remember yours? Check it out here, if you missed it last time.
This form of self-bashing, self-sabotage, the doubt and fear attacks…are what I call gremlin attacks. Have you heard ‘of them gremlins’ before…lol? Yeah, they feel like foreign creatures living inside of you, but they really only are the voice of your subconscious…aaahhh, the famous subconscious lol. So what can you do to survive these attacks, these temporary breakdowns, and get to your BIG BREAKTHROUGH that awaits you, that much faster?
The truth is, more likely than not, this is happening to you, because you’re ready to up-level your business; to go much bigger, and impact many more people. Think of it as shedding the old to make room for the new, like a butterfly coming out of the cocoon, or a snake shedding its skin. You’re becoming the person you need to be, to embrace the new reality. Is it painful? Heck yeah, it can be. Is it worth it? Heck yeah, definitely!!!
So here are a few things I find helpful, while going through the ‘breakdowns’:
SURRENDER and let go of control! Acknowledge what’s happening, relax into it as much as possible….and let go. Have you heard the saying ‘Let go, and let God’? Well, this is it exactly. Nothing new can come in, while you’re desperately trying to hang on to the ‘old’. Create some space energetically for the new inspiration to come.
FORGIVE yourself for not being perfect! Even more than that, acknowledge yourself for everything you’ve accomplished so far. List all your recent accomplishments on a piece of paper, if that’s going to make it more real for you.
BE GRATEFUL for everything you already have in your life, down to the smallest detail! Again, we women especially have a tendency to always look at what’s still missing, or what we haven’t done yet, overlooking what is already there. I’ve read this recently, and I thought it was right on point: “if you’re not happy with what you already have, what makes you think that having more of it, will make you feel any different?” Again, if it helps, write down everything you’re grateful for.
BELIEVE in your services and the value you offer to others! I can’t stress this enough, how important this point is. Especially when you’re in your black hole of fear and doubt, it’s so easy to start doubting your value, and the value you give to others. Here again, making a list of all the benefits and results your clients get when working with you, can help you enormously.
HAVE SOME FUN! Go dancing, have a massage…give yourself some love, and do something you love doing. When we’re in this ‘vortex of transformation’, as I like to call it, when the ‘old’ is disintegrating, and the ‘new’ hasn’t formed yet, our tendency is to push even harder, as in the old ‘no pain, no gain’ saying. So have faith that the new is coming, and it might even come faster if you have some fun in the meantime!
I hope this was helpful for you. As always, I’d love to hear your comments, and your experiences, and your ways of moving through tough ‘breakdown’ situations.
With Love and Bliss,
Julia