Prepare yourself; I'm getting vulnerable with you today and exploring one of the yuckiest feelings that I've ever experienced as an entrepreneur - Resentment.
A quick Google search yielded the following definition:
Resentment is a complex, multilayered emotion that has been described as a mixture of disappointment, disgust, anger, and fear at having been treated unfairly.
Ugh. I can feel every word of that sentence in my bones. And, although we often relate the feeling of resentment to people or relationships in our life, the place where I experienced it the most was in my business.
Even worse, I didn't know it.
Over time (I owned that business for over 13 years), the business had gone from being a space that filled me up both creatively and professionally to being the place that I dreaded going to every week.
How was it possible that I could be experiencing resentment toward the very thing that I created?!
It was a painful experience to really unpack how I had gotten to the place where I hated my own business. The one I had built from the ground up. The one I sacrificed so much for. But, here I was. It was time to stop ignoring the feelings and face them head-on.
I won't bore you with all of the details of the past - that's for another time, another blog article. I'm sharing this with you because, we can learn so much from others' experiences - both good and not-so-good.
I have made it a regular habit to do a 'resentment check-in' with myself in regards to the business. It goes a little something like this:
🤔 Is the business feeling like a help or a hinder to my life right now?
🤔 Can I see the impact I'm having through my work?
🤔 Am I genuinely excited to show up and do what I do well today?
🤔 Do I feel satisfied with what I'm getting out of the business?
That's it! 4 simple questions are what works for me. It may be different for you. But, by running through it on a regular basis, you can catch resentment creeping in quickly and waaaaaay before it gets to the point of no return. It allows space to make adjustments and pivots as necessary.
All of that to say, if you've read this far and have felt some feelings stir inside of you too, know that you're not alone. It may be burnout. It may just be that some resentment has started to creep in. Now's the time to fix it!
Processing the reality of your current situation in a healthy way can be powerful for you and your business. I know it was for me. If I can provide you with any support - please feel free to reach out anytime.
My email is jenn@honeyflowcoaching.com.
Keep Being Awesome!
