Welcome Fall Season
Now I Can Enjoy Apple Donuts in Peace
Fall Sundays are meant for getting sweaters out of storage. I'd be more eager about rolling out the fall wardrobe if I was able to fit into most of the outfits and I forgot to celebrate a milestone because I was too busy working nonstop.
I used to think I had a pretty strong work ethic comparable to my lifestyle. I justified the afternoon naps because I'd often bring the laptop to bed and work until 1am.
Some call it "grinding." Others call it a lack of boundaries.
With this new job, I have no choice but to firmly establish boundaries. I'm also learning that I still have the capacity to overwhelm myself and still function.
I also realize how I went undiagnosed for so long, for both ADHD and OCD. In many ways, they became so normalized and functional that I couldn't be successful without leaning into my disorders. It helped provide some context re: why I was so invested in identifying as an entrepreneur to the point of detriment.
Letting go of my unrelenting perfectionist working style meant letting go of myself.
Who would I be without sacrificing my well-being to get a website finished?
Who would I be without compromising my health to produce shows and record audios?
One of the best things I did was leave my personal brand to focus on the Renaissance Empress.
For anyone who's wondering what brand name + URL to go with, I can't advocate enough for checking your personal name at the door. I'm biased.
I was never capable of distinguishing between "ME" and the brand so when the business wasn't doing well, that would mean I wasn't doing well. I'm learning about RSD as well which also adds additional clarity to things.
Maybe you're different and I hope you are. Maybe you're OK with using your personal name and establishing proper boundaries. Maybe you don't need to run around in circles for 15 years to suddenly realize that the patterns you've been modeling were never sustainable.
So much has changed since 2003 and as I watch all of the striking globally, these realizations are coming to a head for many people.
How sustainable is your hustle?
How long can you keep doing what you're doing?
Sustainability is not just monetary but also logistically.
Solopreneurship is often a "Jane of all trades" game.
We wear many hats because we have to, or at least we convince ourselves that this is the only way.
Operating with integrity gets expensive because the ease of AI makes exploitation accessible in a way it wasn't before. Back in the day we had unpaid interns and cheap outsourced labor from overseas or on Fiverr. It's so easy to turn a solopreneurship endeavor into a virtual sweatshop and for some, that's the route they take because it's part of the hustle.
Is infringing on other people's work aligned with your values?
Fall marks the start of Libra season. This is a time to sync up with what's fair. The Libra symbol is the scales. On one side it's lady liberty showing the scales of justice. On another side it's the concept of finding harmony with all areas of your life.
Maybe this is the season to embrace how both converge.
Spend this Libra season honoring the boundaries that promote sustainability. Because when you're "good" then you can be great for others.
Be especially astute with the signs and thoughts that are indicating a drastic change because those pivots often put you on a better direction.