Lost your mojo? Learn to get it back by Willemijn Laan
Ever since the lockdowns were done in the beginning of the year I was trying to get back into a rhythm. Back into productivity as I had before and now wanted back. I used to always find ways to keep my energy up… Except for this time.
The fact that it took 3 months to still not have my ‘old’ way of working back, I attributed to the two years in which I dealt with the pandemic in relation to my business and personal life, my divorce, my two house moves and my newfound love…
Until I was on the boat to Vlieland (a Wadden island in the north of The Netherlands).
I sat there with my laptop open and gave myself the task to make myself ‘useful’ while I was on this boat for 1,5 hours.
Only to figure out that, once again, I really didn’t feel like doing anything I had on my to-do list. I stopped and thought; ‘I think it’s time to realize that the things that I do on a daily basis are not the things I want to be doing on a daily basis anymore.’
Now that I gave myself space to feel beyond my original assumptions, I realized that I missed the vibrant feeling of generating new ideas, of being creative, and creating new products and services. I missed working ON my business and realized that I’ve been spending too much time IN my business, on the daily operational stuff, answering questions and reactively solving problems going in and out of multiple lockdowns. Working from a survival mode, really.
Whoa! The energy that these kinds of realizations give!
I needed to make a shift. The butterflies in my stomach were clear about that. Because now I know why I didn’t get my mojo back. It didn’t have anything to do with the past two years. Yet, it also had everything to do with it. I’d outgrown some things, things that I was happy not having to deal with anymore came to the surface during the lockdowns;
Keeping track of all the little daily operational things, of being lived by the tons of questions I got every day made me feel tired. And more importantly not being able to focus on creating, growing, working on the strategic side, on my coaching as much as I wanted to, made me feel worn out. I even noticed I could get scared of having a new idea because this idea would also mean I needed to get it into the world and be the one to make it happen. And I didn’t have the spirit for it, so it would end up on a pile of all my ideas that never saw daylight.
Why bother making new ideas if you don’t have time to do anything with them? Right?
And then it hit me; I needed to make space. Because, if there is anything that makes me move it’s when I feel the space to be creative and can feel the energy of new possibilities. I needed space to be with my ideas and feel the excitement inside. Not being scared of the amount of work this idea would give me. And for this, I needed to get rid of a lot of the daily stuff that I’d been doing for years.
I’d made shifts like this before, but this time it had to be a bigger leap. Much bigger. One that actually felt scary because it meant letting go of a lot of things that I had been doing for over a decade. I wanted a new role in the business.
But with change, the fear also comes; will the business still thrive with me in a different role? Is it possible to fulfill a strategic role and let someone else do the daily operations? Will everyone who works for us still like the place as much as they do now? Will our customers still experience the, oh so, important family vibe (it’s me and my sister who own the business)? Will my sister be ok with me changing my role? Or is all of this too much of my ego talking (am I really replaceable)?
These were legitimate fears because the unknown always comes with the scary parts of not knowing everything. Plus there was money involved. Asking someone to take over a big part of my work without having a clear vision of how this investment will be paid for or if I will be able to earn it back in another way…
But from the moment I decided that this was the way to go I started to feel the energy flowing through my body. It created such an amazing feeling of space and possibilities that I knew instantly it was the right decision.
So how can you find your mojo back? Try following these steps:
- First, try to feel the things that make you feel energized. Are these things in any way the things you’re doing on a daily basis?
- How can you incorporate (and preferably start your days with) these energy-giving things in your day-to-day activities?
- If you notice that your mind is finding reasons why this is all not possible; Ask yourself what you’re afraid of and in what way you are holding yourself from doing the things you love (common reactions are: I’m not worth it, I’m not good enough, what will friend/family/neighbor think of it?!).
- Love yourself for having these fears…
- After loving yourself for holding you back. Say this to yourself: “I commit to living a life that is full of love, energy and abundance.”
- Then think of at least one action step to move in the direction of love, energy and abundance.
As long as you commit to living your life the best you can and re-commit to it every time you take a side path. You will make amazing steps forward.
Now that I’m a few months into my new role, I’m still giving myself the time to get used to the changes that I’ve made and to find my way in my new way of working. Adjusting wherever it’s needed. But the feeling of being on the right path has not changed a thing. I’m fully enjoying this time of discovery, creativity and play.
And in the meanwhile enjoy my new path, one that is not clear yet, and therefore giving me even more the feeling of being on an adventure that I always love so much.
Whenever you lost your mojo and feel stuck…Take the leap!
Love,
Willemijn
PS: Please note that the changes I’ve made in my work are mine. This might not be representative of what you can, should, or want to do to get your mojo back. If there is no money to change your course the way I did, there are much smaller, but super impactful ways to shape your life in a way that works best for you. I’ve been doing that all of my life with and without financial resources. So, please focus on the 6 steps above and focus on finding your own mojo back.