So chances are, if you are reading this, you’re running your own business, or you’re creating plans to make that happen. And if that’s the case, you’re probably going to spend a fair amount of time hustling & working super hard to build your business into something that makes you stoked.
But there’s something inherently dangerous about the journey we embark upon as entrepreneurs… it’s a little thing called drive. To be honest, it’s both a blessing and a curse. Without it, our businesses would fall at the first hurdle, but too much of it can send the smartest entrepreneurs into an unsustainable spin.
How do I know this? Because I’ve done it myself. Somehow I was born with buckets of drive. Like crazy amounts. There are days when I feel like my alter-ego should just be called Rocky because I swear if you tell me I can’t do something, I’ll do whatever it takes to show you I can. Now don’t get me wrong, I love that side of me, but it can get me into some serious trouble.
Here are the words that pop up for me when I think of being in that ‘driven’ state: striving, pushing, battling, persistent, determined, tenacious. Yikes…. even as I’m reading that list, I find myself breathing a little faster as if I’m readying for battle.
When I work in that driven state, I get results. But it definitely doesn’t feel sustainable, and it really doesn’t align with how I want my life to feel day to day.
So what do you do? Do you find another way to work and let go of that drive? Absolutely not. There will be times when you’ll need to dig deep and tap into your inner Rocky to get through tough times. I know I’m always grateful to have that resource. But what I’ve learnt is that in everyday life (and business), I need to find a balance between drive and ease.
When I think of ease, I think of breathing deeply, of being present, of feeling grounded. Ease feels sustainable. Where drive is rigid & fierce, ease is flexible & understanding. Where drive is pushing forwards, ease is allowing the path to show up for you.
I’ve met people who work with tonnes of drive, and I’ve met people who work with tonnes of ease. Too much of either doesn’t work too well. Driven entrepreneurs burn out. ‘Ease’ entrepreneurs flake out. Most people will naturally sway in one direction. I definitely lean towards the wish-I-was-a-superhero driven way of working.
But the sweet spot is somewhere in the middle. Where you have both options in your toolbox and you’re mindful enough to figure out which to use when. And it’s not easy. I’ve picked the wrong one time and time again, but I’m learning. I’m finding my balance and realising that when I find that sweet spot, everything feels so much easier. My productivity goes through the roof, I find myself smashing goals & getting epic results but feeling energised and stoked every step of the way as opposed to feeling overwhelmed and strung out.
So the question I want to ask you today is…. which direction do you sway? Are you more driven or more relaxed? Have you experienced that rad feeling of being in full flow? How did you achieve it? How could you make that your default way of working?