Am I Stuck? We All Are at Some Point
The past couple of years were difficult, not because of any external factors, but because of my very internal struggles. I thought pursuing entrepreneurship was the utmost joy, since I would be breaking the chains of a nine-to-five. I was wrong. It was harder mentally, even though it was emotionally rewarding (a roller-coaster type of reward).
I have been very active… Maybe a little more than I was supposed to be in this “glamorous” world of entrepreneurship.
I was busy making ideas and plans; something every one of us overthinkers loves to do as a hobby.
I started by naming my potential endeavors. So came up with literally hundreds of options… My motto before I knew the world of business was: “The more options you have, the more you succeed.” I even wrote that on my Facebook page when I was a new graduate and aspired to the world of employment. Don’t judge me! It made sense to me back then, since I thought that having three job opportunities was better than having one.
Anyway, I took my time filtering the business names (they are the most important thing in your business, right?). I finally settled on a name that came to me while I was taking a shower (where I came to reality).
My brain said: “ENOUGH! We need to move on. I am tired of thinking.”
That process had a heavy emotional weight on me because it drained my energy and left me with frustration, guilt, and quiet anxiety. I remember waking up in the middle of the night because I had a dream about a name that could be a good fit for my business. I am not exaggerating this; I always have dreams about what I focus on during the day. That was normal.
However, that doesn’t mean you need to pick a random name for your business; it simply means: don’t take longer than you should. Trust me, you don’t want to end up having decision fatigue like me, or having an emotional weight plus a business to run.
The Relationship Between “Too Much Mental Work” and Laziness
I strongly believe that excessive thinking can drain the mental energy required for action, making you appear lazy even when you’ve been mentally busy. Because even though you have been busy, you lack the necessary focus that you need. This would lead to you having decision fatigue and being lazy.
At the end of the day, the goal is achieving. The game rule is simple; people who achieve great results are those who understand and are able to “trick” their mind to focus and continue no matter what. I simply didn’t know how to stay consistent when motivation disappears.
Here is the trap (it lies between start and repeat), please avoid it:
Excitement → Start → Doubt → New idea → Repeat
It represents the clear struggle between short-term dopamine vs. long-term results. The truth is, every idea feels right at first until your brain attacks it and you start to doubt it.
Have You Ever Thought That There Is More to What You Are Building Now?
Has your brain ever stopped accepting the “focus on one thing” plan? Is that a blessing or a curse? I needed an answer, so I started Googling and researching. I came across a video, something that seemed like the answer to my question.
The speaker talked about the possibility that some people might not be “scattered”; their diverse interests can actually be connected. I felt like he was talking about me, and that I have connected skills, not scattered thoughts. But as soon as the speaker laid down a framework to know whether you are unfocused or scattered, I knew immediately that I fall under not being focused.
Here Is the Context…
I started completely different endeavors and business ideas without finishing any of them. That made me feel a huge disappointment, knowing that it was due to my inability to focus.
I can tell you that the real problem was a lack of decision commitment due to fear of missing out (FOMO). It felt like I did all I could to avoid failure and protect my ego at all costs.
I knew the remedy, but every time I decided to take it, I overthought it. Because deep down, I thought that I had to pick forever when I picked one thing. But I found that the solution is as follows: since it is a mind game, let’s trick our minds. In fact, let’s convince ourselves to believe the following:
- That if we pick one thing, it will not be forever; it will be for long enough.
- It is just an idea, a business model; we can always pivot, modify, edit, or even delete. There is no shame in that. That is all part of the game.
- We seriously have to believe that focus happens when we have clarity, and clarity comes from choosing and staying long enough, not from thinking longer.
Finally, I would like to invite you to be gentle with yourself in your tough journey. The only person that you don’t want to create an enemy of is you, because in most cases, you are the operator and/or the owner of the business/project, the most important piece of the puzzle.
Remember: “Clarity is not found. It is created by committing longer than your discomfort lasts.”- ORDAXI
