How to regain your motivation as an entrepreneur

A framework to dealing with the feeling bad cycle.

👋 Hey, it’s Orel here! Welcome to my weekly newsletter where I share my journey and lessons as an entrepreneur who quit his job to chase his dreams.

I am a software developer, and so far I have x3 failed projects, and x2 ongoing.

I am also publishing along with Anton Zaides tech book summaries here

You are not alone!

I found out that the worst thing about feeling low is feeling alone.
It’s having the feeling like you are the only person who’s going through this and that you have no one to share it with.

If you ever feel that way, reach out.
Send me a DM here or on LinkedIn and we’ll talk it over a virtual cup of coffee 🙂.

I have been through that down-cycle for the third time now in the last 8 months, and let me tell you something: It gets better.

You can check out my first down-cycle documentation on YouTube right here.

If you are short on time or need a quick boost, here are the article’s takeaways:

Takeaways:

• It gets better

• It’s okay to feel bad

• Write any idea that comes up

• Stay away from work for a while

• Life throws curveballs. You chose yours

The Cycle

Deny the feeling

Every down-cycle starts with trying to ignore the feelings and power through.

“I don’t need to stop. I can power through it”

Personally, I usually believe that I can’t allow myself to feel bad, so it’s probably just momentarily and it will pass pretty soon.

By that, you ignore your needs and deepen your misery.

Personal tip:

It’s okay to feel bad.
The time length can differ, depending on what you are doing, though.

Recognizing that you are going through a down-cycle gets easier with time and so does learning how to cope with it.

Lean into the feeling and accept it.

Am I alone?

Thoughts like:
”Nobody goes through it the same way I do” or “It happens to me too many times. I am probably the only one” run through your mind.

Even though you know logically that you are not the only one, you feel alone in the world and that nobody can understand what you go through.
You start thinking that maybe this is not for you and that you should perhaps find a job.

Personal tip:

You are not alone.
Look for a community to share your feelings with. Send me a DM here or on LinkedIn.

Keep in mind that it’s okay to feel that way and do not ignore your feelings.
You are going through the uncharted territories of the anti-comfort zone.
It takes its toll, but you will come out better on the other side.

Perhaps rent a spot in an open-space area like WeWork to find new people to connect with.

Try new activities

At this point, you realize that you are currently going through something and that you need to listen to your body and feelings.

So you try to do things that are not work-related, like going on a vacation or adding a new activity to your routine like running.

Your mood and general feeling start improving ever so slightly.

Personal tip:

It’s okay to NOT work.

Let yourself have some time off of what you are doing.
Nobody’s going to blame you for taking care of yourself.

Take a day or a few, don’t work or do only mandatory tasks and feel free to explore.

If you’re like me, you’d probably think that you don’t have any other hobby.
I have realized that it comes from not letting go and feeling obligated to work.
Let that feeling go and let yourself experience new activities and new feelings.

Fresh ideas and motivation

When you try new activities you are exposed to new feelings and events.

You build new experiences and slowly build up the motivation and confidence you had before you started the Cycle.

At this stage, you start getting new ideas and slowly regain your motivation for work.
Soon enough you will feel energized and rejuvenated enough to get back on the horse and continue working.

Personal tip:

Write what comes to mind.

I found that documenting my ideas makes a huge difference.
It feels like your brain is suddenly more receptive to new ideas and more of them are coming up.

Don’t let them go to waste.
Write them on a note or send yourself a voice memo and organize them in a specific place, so the next time you feel low, you might get out of the slump much sooner.

Last words

Remember that we’re all different. Everybody feels different things and has different thoughts.

This framework represents how I feel and how I go through those feelings when they come up.

You should do what feels comfortable for YOU and adjust my framework to make it work the best for you.

And again, I am here for you if you need anything!
Hit me up here or on LinkedIn.

📣 Shout-outs of the week

👉 6 mistakes we've made at PostHog (and what we learned) by Andy Vandervell - A fascinating read about 6 of PostHog’s mistakes that any entrepreneur can learn from.

“Building a startup isn’t a zero-sum game, but the best way to fail is to chase someone else’s idea of success.”

•

👉 Map Is Not Territory - Mental Model by Michał Poczwardowski - In this article about mental models, Michal shares his take on using a map (a plan) to guide you through life.

“Maps are valuable tools, but we must be mindful of their limitations.”

•

👉 How I sharpen my mental models over time by Wes Kao - Wes shares her way of sharpening her mental models. How? By finding the “scallops” in your life.

“…The outside world is constantly changing. Your inner world is constantly changing. Something you once believed might not apply anymore.”

🎉 Welcome to new subscribers!

Heather Zhou

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P.S.
Sorry for those of you I missed, SubStack’s search is awful.