3AM Wakeup call

Ugh.  It’s 3 AM.  Again.  You know this without looking at your phone by the side of the bed. How long has it been since you slept the whole night? 

You roll over, away from your electronics. That way madness lies… or so it seems, since once you pick up the phone you’ll be up for at least two hours doing “the scroll.” How is it that the middle of the night has suddenly become so full of things to see, learn, and buy? 

OK, I’ve got this, you think (not for the first time).  Sleeping should be easy – after all, you’re exhausted from all the fires you put out every day.  Building a strong company should be second nature by now, and in a way, it is.  You’re competitive, competent, collaborative – lots of C-words showing up in the middle of the night to prove your work worth to you.

So why, why, WHY??? is it so hard to shut it off? Lying there in the pitch black, you go over every aspect of the business again. Staff, income, expenses, profit, projections, vision. It’s all there.  So all is well, right? Right.

Back to la la land.

Then the thought hits, without warning, as it has so many other recent nights.

What if I lose everything I’ve worked so hard to build?

You toss from side to side, trying to shake it off before the panic hits.  Everything is working, everything is in order.

What if I lose… everything?

If this is you, you’re not alone.  Being a woman founder or in the C-Suite can be rough. Especially in our heads, where we can be unkind, more unkind than the outside world would be.

You may not be walking around thinking that you are a fraud, but if there’s a little voice in your head that questions your choices, your motives, and your ability to thrive in the fast-paced environment you’ve built for yourself, you may want some help.

Here’s why:

Underneath all the planning and the projections and the expectations and your secret fear, there’s a core problem that you need to address as quickly as possible:

Thoughts become things.

Not every thought becomes a thing, of course; otherwise, every plane would crash as the passengers’ fear seeped into the flight plan.

But you put enough thought behind something and yeah, it will very likely come to pass. 

I’ll prove it to you.  Everything we see, everything we have created, was first a thought. Your company? Someone had to come up with the idea.  Your phone? Your car? Your home? The computer I wrote this article on? 

Everything was first a thought before it went live into the world.

Quantum physics tells us that when enough energy backs a thought, that’s the one we create.  So do you really think all those deeply felt thoughts of fear and loss won’t affect you or your business?

So what’s a girl to do? 

Here are 5 things you can do to help yourself out of the moment, and hopefully redirect those thoughts into something more positive:

1. Let It Be.

Acknowledge your fears. They’re a sign that you care deeply about your work and your impact. Feel your feelings and then let them pass on into the night.  You don’t have to believe everything you think.

2. Build Systems, Build Resilience
Develop robust systems and processes in your business and make sure you believe in them. By creating a strong foundation, you’re not just building your division or a company; you’re creating a legacy that can withstand challenges.

3. Turn To Your Network
Who are your mentors, peers, and team members who share your vision? Share your feelings and your fears with at least one person you trust, without concern for their judgment. Seeing yourself the way others see you can provide a new, more supportive perspective.

4. Practice Mindful Leadership
Incorporate mindfulness techniques into your daily routine, including deep breathing, meditation, and journaling. Doing this kind of work regularly can help you stay grounded and make decisions from a place of clarity rather than fear.

5. Redefine Success
Your mission is bigger than any individual success or failure.  Where can you see yourself successful, even amid a setback? How can you start to look at what you have already accomplished, instead of focusing on all that you have yet to do?

If you’ve already tried all this and none of it has gotten you a good night’s sleep, consider that you might not be able to fix it yourself.

Turn things around! Your actions shape your future, not your fears. Which strategy will you try tonight? Reply and share your thoughts!

Love,
Halle