Are You Running Your Business Like a Horror Film?

Time off? No, I must work. I must work all the time or I will never make enough money and I will never be successful. I am running my own company here, everything will fall apart if I don't works nights and weekends and holidays and when I am sick.

Wait a minute. Why did you decide to create your own company? I bet one reason was so you could control your own time and now you are working more hours than you ever would in a "regular job". So why is that?

1. You are afraid that if you stop for even one day, this precarious tower you have built will come crashing down.
   
2. You feel guilty because you should be working hard. If you took time off that would be slacking.
   
3. You don't actually know what you have to do or when it has to get done so you just keep working and hope it all happens when it is supposed to.
   
4. You truly believe that working 24/7 is the only way to make money in a creative business.
5. You are stuck in a cycle of too much work and then not enough.

I am going to tackle these one by one in the next few posts. So let's start with #1.

I could write about this forever but lets boil it down to the essentials which

are fear and lack a knowledge.

It is like the woman running in a horror movie. The minute she looks back, she trips and the killer gets her. Many creative businesses are run the same way. Just keep moving forward and something good is bound to happen but don't ever look back and try to figure out what did and didn't work in the past. It is just too scary.

I have coaching clients who have been doing this for years. At least it feels like movement and if you don't stop, you can't take time to reflect on your success or happiness or lack of either.

Lack of knowledge has nothing to do with your artistic ability. Most creative people take classes in their art form all the time. They are always learning new skills and techniques. I am speaking of a lack of business knowledge.

I am not suggesting you go get a business degree, I am suggesting that you learn how to run your company. What you need to do and why. That may mean not taking another creative class and instead investing in your

success as a business owner.

Throw yourself forward by attending The Business of Creativity Retreat.