Being a solopreneur can be lonely. In the first few years it’s easy to slip into workaholism. There’s a false idea that more work will necessarily lead to better results. When you’re creating something new or no one has ever heard of you, spending more time working has diminishing results.
What you often end up with is burnout from working 60%+ of your waking hours, leaving yourself depleted. This depletion makes it even less likely you’ll be creative or able to close new clients.
The first 18 months of full time entrepreneurship I worked myself ragged. I remember the first few weeks waking up at 3am inspired and working on my website till daybreak, going to bed for a few hours, and then going to work at my day job. I was possessed by the muse and a full on workaholic.
It all came to a head on June 9th, 2023 at a coffee shop in Barranca, a gorgeous hipster neighborhood in Lima, Peru. I realized three things:
- I was not going to load the photo into the self guided course I was creating.
- I was not going to meet my self-imposed deadline.
- I was not going to stop myself from desperately bawling with frustration and fear.
I burned out.
I broke
and in the breaking,
I saw that I was brokenness itself;
the brokenness we all are and
that thus there was nothing to break.
I let everything be possible,
including rest.
Weeks later while journaling a prayer came to me: Spaciousness and Impact.
To prevent burnout and change how I followed my calling I needed more space and I wanted more impact, or maybe All the Colors itself was feeling strangled by me, and my deadlines, and my ego.
All the Colors has given me so much, has shared much with others and is endlessly fruitful. In the giving it receives because it is a conduit. More than something to be mined, All the Colors is a conduit of empowerment. For me flow is the best description of entrepreneurship and using our skills for good.
I am celebrating that a year ago I broke my obsession with extractive productivity. I have learn to rest consistently and All the Colors is thriving!
The photo above is me the day after I burned out, at the Huasteca Potosina, an oasis in the desert three hours south of Lima, Peru. I was exhausted, scared, and even a bit humiliated. I feared that I did not have what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur.
Thankfully this feeling started to shift in the following weeks and months as I let go of producing anything and simply served the clients I already had. With time as I wrapped my nomad lifestyle, my energy and creativity slowly came back.
Now here I am, a year later celebrating this new more embodied and gentle pace of working. It can still feel frightening to give myself down time and trust my inner process. Yet, learning this new way of being is essential to have a sustainable and profitable business.
For all the solopreneurs out there, I’d love to hear how you balance your energy! Please hit reply and share with me your story.
With care,
Diana Yañez