AMY PORTERFIELD: “Sunday Scaries are the absolute worst, because let's be real: all you want to do is relax on the couch with a glass of Pinot and watch a couple of your favorite episodes of Virgin River or House of Dragons—I know. Very different shows. I love them both. And you want to do this before you go to bed, but you can't stop thinking about how much you don't want to go to work the next day. This could also come in the form of not wanting to get out of bed in the morning because you're not excited or you're not engaged or inspired about what's to come for you at work. And look, I know that work, whether it's for yourself or someone else, isn't always butterflies and rainbows, but you shouldn't dread going to do your job.”
INTRO: I’m Amy Porterfield, ex-corporate girl turned CEO of a multi-seven-figure business. But it wasn't all that long ago that I lacked the confidence, the budget, and the time to focus on growing my small-but-mighty business. Fast forward past many failed attempts and lessons learned, and you'll see the business I have today, one that changes lives and gives me more freedom than I ever thought possible, one that used to only exist as a daydream. I created the Online Marketing Made Easy podcast to give you simple, actionable, step-by-step strategies to help you do the same. If you're an ambitious entrepreneur, or one in the making, who's looking to create a business that makes an impact and a life you love, you're in the right place, friend. Let's get started.
AMY: The Duct Tape Marketing podcast, hosted by John Jantsch, shares marketing tips, tactics, and resources for small- to midsize-business owners and marketers. John recently did an episode where he talked about the topic of analytics, specifically tracking results either for your own business or your clients who you work with. The episode’s called “What You Should Be Tracking in Your Marketing Efforts and Why.” And I know my audience. I know you love to know benchmarks and numbers and analytics and what you should be tracking. So you are going to love this episode. He also talks about the other marketing aspects, like how to support your customers and build an online community.
So, you can listen to the Duct Tape Marketing podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Enjoy.
Well, hey, there, friend. Welcome back to Online Marketing Made Easy.
I wanted to check in with you. How are you feeling? Are you feeling energized and excited to take on the day? Or maybe you're feeling a little bit tired, maybe even a little burnt out?
Well, if you are feeling burnt out, that is what we are actually talking about today. That's what the episode is all about. It's something that affects so many people, especially in this day and age, where hustle culture is a very real thing. Being burnt out is a terrible way to feel, and it manifests itself in so many different ways, not just physically. For instance, you can be emotionally burnt out or creatively burnt out. Maybe you're unmotivated and uninspired, and you feel like you're just putting one foot in front of the other, going through the motions every single day.
I know I can relate to all of these feelings of burnout. In fact, if you've been with me for a while, you know that before I started my business, I worked in the corporate world. So I worked for companies like Harley-Davidson and Tony Robbins. And although I learned so much at each of these jobs, I'll be honest, I was in a constant state of burnout. Not only was I tired from working late nights and traveling for work and being stressed about someone else's business, but I was mentally burnt out. Even if I got eight hours of sleep, I'd still wake up feeling tired the next day. Plus, I was constantly thinking about the fact that I knew there was a better life out there for me. I knew there was a life out there where I could call the shots; I could be my own boss. And at a certain time, I knew I needed to stop thinking about becoming my own boss and actually make it happen. But it definitely took some exploration on my end.
So, my friend, if you're feeling anything like I was thirteen years ago, if you're feeling burnt out in your nine-to-five job, and you're thinking, “There's got to be something better out there for me,” then listen on because I'm about to share some telltale signs that it's time to make a change.
And look, when I say “make a change,” I'm certainly not encouraging you to up and quit your full-time job, because that just wouldn't be a smart move to do recklessly, right? Well, unless you have the financial means to be able to support yourself, and then, I guess, it's not so reckless.
But one change you could consider is starting to explore what it might look like to start a side hustle or explore some hobbies or things that you're good at that could naturally form into a side hustle. And if you already have a business, stay with me because what you're about to hear might just help you identify whether or not you should make some changes in your own business. Maybe it will help you realize that it's time to hire a team or a VA or take some things off your plate or maybe try a different approach altogether.
All right. So the first sign that it might be time to make a change is you get the Sunday Scaries, a.k.a. that feeling in the pit of your stomach that overcomes you when the impending doom of Monday is right around the corner. Sunday Scaries are the absolute worst, because let's be real: all you want to do is relax on the couch with a glass of Pinot and watch a couple of your favorite episodes of Virgin River or House of Dragons—I know. Very different shows. I love them both. And you want to do this before you go to bed, but you can't stop thinking about how much you don't want to go to work the next day. This could also come in the form of not wanting to get out of bed in the morning because you're not excited or you're not engaged or inspired about what's to come for you at work. And look, I know that work, whether it's for yourself or someone else, isn't always butterflies and rainbows, but you shouldn't dread going to do your job.
Like, sure, in my business, I am my own boss, and there’s days that I’m, like, kind of not excited about what I need to get done, but I’m always excited about the work I get to do in general. I always love my business at the end of the day.
So think about that. If you're getting the Sunday Scaries, we need to reevaluate.
The second sign that it might be time to make a change is that you constantly find yourself daydreaming about what it would be like if you had your own thing going on. So you think about how amazing it would be to create your own work schedule or how great it would be to work from home without having a commute. That's kind of extra exciting, right? Or maybe you dream of being able to go to your kids’ field trips or take time off without having HR to approve it. The point is you know the life that you want, what you're capable of, and it's constantly on your mind. That's a sign that it's likely time to make a change.
Okay, moving on. The third sign that it might be a good time to make a change is that you're jealous of someone. You're jealous of a friend, a family member, or a neighbor who has a lifestyle that you want. Maybe they have a side hustle that's making them an extra thousand dollars a month. Then because of that, they're able to have a nice vacation or do the things that you really want to do, but you can't. Or maybe they have their own online business, and you heard how their most-recent launch made more money than you do in an entire year.
I get it. A lot of the times when I feel jealous—and I absolutely do—I always ask myself—if you're multitasking, come back to me. I want you to hear this part—every time I feel jealous, I ask myself, “What do they have that I want?” And it's okay to want, my friend. You can want all day long because it, hopefully, inspires you to go after it. And if you find yourself envious around other people who have a different lifestyle, it doesn't mean that you wish them ill will, but it just might be a sign that you want something different for yourself. Think about it. What do they have that you want?
Okay, the fourth sign that it might be time to make a change is that you're constantly gravitating toward podcasts and books and shows and digital courses about doing something entirely different than your current situation. And if you are, then I commend you because this is definitely something you should do if you have dreams of becoming an entrepreneur, and it's a pretty big hint that you're taking a step in the right direction.
So if you can relate to any or all of these four things, my friend, it may be worth exploring these feelings just a little bit more. And you know I love a good journaling session, right? So I'm going to leave you with some homework that will help you to determine whether it might be time to make a change. So grab that notebook or open up a Google Doc, and answer these questions. It won't take you long.
Number one, what feels heavy in your life? By being specific about what's weighing you down and burning you out, you can start putting a plan together to move away from that.
Number two, what's your mindset like in regard to your work? Do you have the Sunday Scaries? What are you feeling when you do? What are you thinking? What are you dreading specifically? Are you waking up, dreading going to the office or that first Zoom call or the people that you work with or the work that you do? What is it specifically? What are you anxious about?
Number three, at the end of the day, what do you want your life to look like? What will absolutely bring you joy?
And finally, number four, what would need to happen to get to that life that you dream of? What would need to happen? And I'm going to tell you right now, it is absolutely doable. You can get there. I have no doubt in my mind.
So, my friend, I hope this little journaling session got your wheels turning about what life could look like. And I'm going to put these journaling prompts in the show notes so you could actually go to this episode—amyporterfield.com/507—go to this episode, copy and paste them, put them in a Google Doc, and actually answer them. I want you to actually do the work because it can make such a difference.
I hope you love this Shorty episode, and I hope you found it valuable. And thanks so much for tuning in today. I love doing these Shorty episodes. You're in, you're out quickly, but hopefully you get tons of value.
And if you did get value from this and you have an entrepreneurial friend that you think should listen as well—my friends are constantly texting me podcasts that they love that they think I should listen to—I would really appreciate if you would do that for a friend today. Just grab the link to the show or a specific episode, text it to a friend, and say, “I think you might enjoy this.”
Thank you so much for tuning in. I'll see you on Thursday for more entrepreneurial goodness, same time, same place. I can't wait.
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