You know those days when nothing seems to go right?
When every time we turn around there’s a new problem to solve, there’s a technical issue that we don’t know how to fix, there is too much money going out and not enough money coming in, there’s disappointment, there’s frustration.
We know in our hearts that we are the lucky ones. We are here, we are working on what makes us happy. But it doesn’t change how we feel some days.
When things aren’t working the way we want them to.
When we have issues to address and problems to solve but feel like all we want to do is fold ourselves in half and hide under the bed covers.
Dealing with this is most certainly something that gets easier as we continue to build our businesses. But it doesn’t mean it goes away.
There are still days I want to stay in bed and talk to no one. There are still days I cry out of frustration.
For a long time (and still every now and then) I let these thoughts and feelings and doubts impact my drive and my confidence.
Over time I’ve learned that these feelings are natural. That when you’re working on something so different than what is comfortable you are going to hit walls, feel discouraged.
The key is to know what to do when these feelings pop up.
It’s not about ignoring them. It’s about recognizing them and then taking the steps, when you’re ready, to move past whatever is holding you back.
It’s about strengthening your mindset.
A strong mindset is a pillar in building a business. Without it, you’re constantly hitting walls and letting those walls keep you from making progress. I talk about this a lot in the free class I offer called How to Launch Your Fashion Business Without Having Any Prior Experience. <– If you haven’t yet, definitely register for it. It’s good.
Over time I’ve learned that it’s OK to have a good cry and let it out.
Over time I’ve learned that in order to do my best work, I can’t do only work.
Over time I’ve learned that while feeling sorry myself will get me nowhere, cutting myself some slack will go a long way in helping me grow.
I believe it’s my body and my mind and my spirit telling me to chill the hell out. It’s OK to take breaks.
There is no way that we’re all going to embark on this journey of building our businesses without mountains to climb and disasters to avert. So we have to be OK with that.
But it’s about what we do next.
It’s about how much time we give ourselves to be in that break and what we do to pull ourselves out of it and continue to go after our goals.
We have to give ourselves a break, we have to stop judging ourselves unfairly.
The life we have all chosen to lead is one of uncertainty and questions, rethinking and revising, wondering and trying. Not everything we do is going to work. Not everything we do is going to be right.
So stop beating yourself up when you have a day with no motivation. Stop second-guessing yourself when things go wrong. Stop feeling silly for needing a good cry. Stop thinking you have to work all the time or otherwise you aren’t really trying.
Honestly, it’s OK if sometimes things go wrong. That’s a given.
Just make sure that you have a way of pulling yourself out when you’re ready to keep going.
You’ve got this.
Achu Blessing Ebere
Hello Nicole,
I am working towards setting-up a fashion designers Co – working space here in lagos Nigeria. I want the place to where technology meets fashion but my challenge is that I am technology business development manager I have not done anything in fashion. Please do advice the steps to follow to avoid too much mistakes.
Jovanna
Nicole, thank you so much for writing this. I have been following you for about a year now and I really appreciate this article as a start up handbag designer. I was feeling this exact way last week after a few things didn’t pan out the way I expected, and I was really questioning myself and what I am doing. But then I started seeing quotes on social media about all the great business owners and inventors who failed multiple times and kept working at their craft and that is what I am going to keep doing. This was a great morning inspirational read! You are really helping others by what you are doing I’m so grateful I found you. Thank you Nicole!
Nicole Giordano
HI Jovanna,
I’m so glad to hear that the post helped you! Thank you for following along for a year!
Nicole
Erica
After seeing this, I feel so relieved that I’m not the only one feeling this way. Most days, I think to myself that “I can do this”! Then the next I’m thinking “what are you doing and how will I ever accomplish such big tasks”. I’m just at the beginning stages of doing my samples for my collection and can’t help but to feel a bit overwhelmed and overcome by the other details ahead that have to be done in order to get my collection at green light. Either way, I’m glad you put your musings out there for us to know that we’re not alone! Thanks Nicole!
Nicole Giordano
I’m so happy to hear this post helped you, Erica. What you describe is what every single business owner goes through on a regular basis. You are certainly not alone.
I know it seems like a never-ending list of “stuff to do”, but you’ll start to see progress soon. And when that happens, it puts all your hard work into perspective and you’re able to see what you’ve been working towards.
– Nicole
Tamia
Hear hear! Just the other day I had to remind myself that it was perfectly ok to be in a pissy mood. It happens. It’s fine.
Nicole Giordano
Yep. When I’m finding myself in a pissy mood, I walk away form work for a while. It helps me relax and that break ultimately is a good thing for my business.
milena
Hi Nicole, thank you for this post. Everything you said its how I feel sometimes.. sometimes I don’t even know what I’m doing with my life. I do know what I want, and I hope I’ll get there one day..
Thank you,
Milena
Nicole Giordano
Milena, knowing what you want is often the hardest part of all! We all have moments of wondering what we’re doing with our lives. When this happens, I take some time to remember why I do what I do. And then I’m immediately brought back to my mission and feel driven and focused once again.
veena
If u know what you want, you are luckier than those who don’t know what they want. If you are pursuing what u love, you are braver than those who haven’t taken that step. Start up phase sucks..Feels good to know I am not alone. Lets embrace the roller coaster!
Nicole Giordano
Certainly true, Veena. It’s an interesting balance of feeling incredibly lucky to have what we have but at the same time being OK with the fact that everything isn’t perfect all the time.
Billy Bones @billybonestx
Great post Nicole! What you described is very real and something that all entrepreneurs go through. I know I can definitely relate to everything that you said in this post. Your site is great and provides a lot of value to not just fashion start-ups, but start-ups in general. I hope to be able to connect with you in the future.
Nicole Giordano
Thanks for your comment, Billy! This is my first “musings” post and I was certainly a little nervous to put it out there, as I feel a lot more vulnerable than when I write other posts. But I thought it was important to start talking about the stuff that is not always so easy when it comes to entrepreneurship.