Most things in life cycle.
Everything from business to our relationships feel as if they go “up,” but then they come back “down” again.
Our lives feel great one day and feel lousy the next.
Our opportunities expand, and then they contract — only to expand again.
Even during the heyday of my fundraising consulting practice I would go from having more clients than I could comfortably manage to waiting anxiously for a potential client to call.
You Haven’t Lost Your “Mojo”
The ebbs and flows of business are not only familiar to me. Many of my consultant friends have told me that they go from being frantically busy to being sure they’ve lost their client-attraction “mojo.”
A cyclical nature also holds true in personal relationships.
In between the high points when loving each other is easy are the times when all you can see are the ways you rub one another wrong.
We go from feeling fantastic and at ease to feeling mighty uncomfortable.
But in both business and love, if you have the patience to wait, the cycle will likely tick back up without much effort from you.
Use the Time Between Your Highs
Once you’ve lived through a few downturns, the question is not whether your business or your marriage will continue, but how to appreciate and take advantage of the times between the highs.
Grasp the potential for growth in these down-cycle times.
You might not welcome them with open arms. But face them with an open mind.
While you’re waiting for that next potential client to call, you can clean up the things that frustrated you when you were super busy. This is your chance to make decisions about everything from your work space to the type of work you’re doing or the types of clients you want to attract.
When you’re frustrated with your partner, work on feeling better about yourself. A bit of meditating or exercise or walks in the park or a call to a coach or good friend can help make productive use of those down-turns.
A downturn doesn’t mean your business or your relationship is over.
The downturn is just part of a larger, natural cycle. And once you’ve been through a bunch of them, you’ll see them for what they are — a time to reconsider and explore and make changes that’ll help the next upturn to be even better.
Take full advantage your next ebb — the flow won’t be far behind.
ThisNotice Your Natural Cycles
As sure as winter follows summer, your work and your relationships will go through cycles. Sometimes things rise with feverish intensity, and sometimes they’ll dip, often without warning.
Rather than ignoring the lows or wishing they weren’t there, instead use those times to reflect on what’s working and what’s not. You may find that your “downs” can be just as productive as your “ups.”
How do you handle the cycles of your work or personal life? Tell me about it in the comments below.
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