Meditation is hard.
Like, really hard.
Clear your mind and think about nothing? Yeah, okay! Might as well ask an entrepreneur to stop breathing.
That’s how I used to think, so I completely get where you’re coming from if you feel that way. Why spend time sitting and doing nothing when you’ve got shit to do? It doesn’t make any sense!
Except, you are completely missing out on a huge opportunity to grow your business.
Hear me out on this: For years, I was completely against hobbies, downtime, or anything that I thought would take me away from making money. I was stressed to the max. And unable to sleep in the same room as my husband. (I needed the TV on to drown out my brain. And he can’t sleep without quiet.) And was totally wearing my body down.
Meditation Tips for Entrepreneurs
A few years ago, when I started going to therapy, my therapist helped me get out of this downward spiral of stress. And start embracing things that weren’t directly money-making, if only a little bit at a time. He challenged me to just give something, anything, a shot for 10 minutes a day.
So I downloaded Headspace and tried that for awhile. As I figured it would be the easiest way (guided) for me to let myself relax.
I won’t say it made a huge change right away. But little by little I started to notice differences in my daily rituals. I wouldn’t let a bad customer, or a late shipment, or any of the other little annoyances that come up bother me as quickly.
I started to slowly want to take care of myself and make my well-being a priority. So I spent money on myself getting a full spa day once every quarter. Or letting myself spend time gardening instead of slamming the keys on my computer.
This isn’t an endorsement of Headspace. Truth be told I don’t even use that app any more. But this IS an endorsement for sitting the fuck down for 10 minutes every day and just being still.
Here’s what I’ve seen happen when I meditate:
1. I gain clarity on my situation
This sounds a little cliche but it’s a cliche for a reason. Sitting down and being still has helped me come to some amazing realizations. Helped me create new ideas, and given me a chance to have perspective on issues when I sit down and focus on something else, instead of constantly turning it over and over in my head.
2. I get help learning new tools to get what I want
I’ve said this in a video I did about manifesting. But one of my favorite guided meditations is by a hypnotist named William Wood and is about abundance. His guided meditation has helped me develop a better understanding of having an abundance mindset. And has given me an opportunity to create a space where I manifest what I want. It’s a very cool meditation and is free on Insight Timer so check it out.
3. It makes me want to be better
Meditation becomes a little bit addictive I think and becomes a slippery slope of self-improvement. I’ve scoured Insight Timer for meditations on emotional eating, stress, abundance, pain relief, self-esteem, and probably many more topics that I can’t immediately think of. Finding ways to reprogram my mind to remove old, detrimental habits or thoughts with new pathways that are about self-love has become a fun little adventure.
4. It makes me more creative
Sitting quietly, breathing, and listening to a guided meditation has helped me create over a dozen new product ideas in a short amount of time. (This post from Instagram shows all of the ideas I created in only 18 days.) I think it’s because I stop focusing on trying to create. And instead, just let it come to me, so it’s like opening a spigot.
5. I became a better entrepreneur
Letting go of the stress that I was clinging to helps me run a much better business. Instead of being afraid to spend money, meditation has shown me new pathways to earn money and helped me open up to letting other people in to help run my business. It’s given me the ability to say “I deserve to have the time I need to create”. And thus, made bringing new staff on to handle more routine tasks way easier. Now I don’t stress about the money going out. Because I know that it’s replaced with money coming in from new things I’ve created when I would’ve instead been trying to stay in the weeds with things that don’t raise the business.
At the end of the day, what’ve you got to lose? I challenge you to give meditation a shot this month. If only for 10 minutes a day, and see what happens.
