Lost your Mojo? …here’s why it’s a good thing!

It’s September again, with that “back to school” feel – not only if you’ve got kids, but for all of us who took time off over the summer as we gear up ready to get back into the flow of work and business.

There is one thing I am guaranteed to hear several times a day at the moment and that is some variation of:

“I’ve lost my mojo, I just can’t get motivated and back into the swing of work”.

Sometimes followed by a worried:  “What if this is the wrong business for me?” or even “What if I’m just not cut out to be in business for myself, and I should look for a job instead?”

And it’s not just my clients – it’s exactly the same for me.  When I take a long break from work I also normally come back with my Mojo nowhere to be seen!

Another thing I’ve heard this past week is:

“I feel like a fraud or an imposter”, or “I’ve lost confidence and belief in myself and my business”

This summer I didn’t take a full “proper” holiday – instead of my normal 2 week break a series of events and an injury meant I ended up just taking one week off to attend a festival.  But in previous years I’ve taken a full 2 week summer break with no email, no social media, no blogging or creating a new programme, and even no business books or podcasts in the interests of giving my brain a complete rest

And it always takes a bit of time for my mojo to kick in again when I get back

And I’ve seen the same thing over and over in my clients too.  (So much so that I used to run a Refocus Day for my mentoring group every September, and in my membership we have Refocus September).

So I don’t panic, or worry,  or buy into those little voices whispering at me “What if this just isn’t for you any more?  what if your passion for this business has run it’s course?”, “What if I’m actually no good at this after all?”.    Instead I get on with what needs doing – but I’ll admit it isn’t always easy to move those gears up a notch and it can take me a full week before I feel fully back in the groove of my work again.

So if you are also feeling like you left your mojo somewhere on a beach in August, and are despairing of getting back into that flow and momentum you had in June, then read on:

You see, a bit of Mojo depletion after the summer is completely normal.

More than normal, it’s a good thing – a positive thing!  I’d go as far as to say that:

Losing your Mojo is something to Celebrate!

Because what I observe is that it’s not everyone who loses their mojo by the end of summer – it’s only those people who have taken a proper break.

A break to spend quality time with the kids and family, or just to swim, sunbathe, walk barefoot in the grass and hang out with friends.

The people who tend to not lose their mojo are those who haven’t taken their foot of the pedal – they have kept going at the same pace throughout the summer.

And I know which of those two is best for your business.

I know what it’s like to work too long without a proper break or holiday – in the years when I’ve done that I have felt I haven’t quite had the juice in the engine to see me through to the end of the year.  I haven’t had the full energy to really immerse myself in my launches and programmes and give the best of myself to my clients.

But when I take a proper break I come back fully refreshed and recharged and ready to give my all to the rest of the year.

You see, we are not robots or automatons and we can’t just keep working at an intense pace throughout the whole of the year – it’s just not how human beings are designed.

I believe that it’s best for us and our business to take a complete break several times a year, to switch off completely from business  – to let our brains wander to other interests and focuses – even if that’s just a series of chick-lit novels by the pool or playing with our kids on the beach.

This resets and refreshes our brain, just like a holiday refreshes our body.

And you come back with more energy, clarity and inspiration that before.

But there is a downside:  The transition back isn’t easy.

It’s my theory that as humans we are naturally programmed to want to rest and relax – and that once we do get into that relaxed, unstructured mode, there is a lot of resistance to cranking back up a few gears.  It’s certainly the case for me.

This doesn’t mean I don’t love my business and my clients, passionately and with all my heart.

It doesn’t mean I’m not brilliant at what I do.

But it does mean that if I’ve taken a lot of time off I don’t naturally want to get back into “work” mode.

So the secret here is not to beat yourself off if your Mojo seems to have remained on holiday while you know you should be back at work.

Instead recognise that this is normal.  Even a good thing!  It’s a sign that you have given yourself, your business and your clients the gift of a proper break, so you will be on top form and available to do your best work for the rest of the year.

It’s to accept that yes, it might take you a few days (in my case usually a week) to fully get back into the “groove” but it doesn’t for a minute mean that you don’t love your work or that your business is the wrong one.  It just means that you’re human, and that the pre-historic part of you that just wants to curl up in the cave and snooze by the fire doesn’t really want to get up and get moving yet.

It also helps to have strategies ready to help you get back in that groove more quickly:

Before you go Away:

Next time, before you go create a clear plan for your activities when you get back:

• Book client calls in the diary for first few days after you get back.
  (I find that connecting with my clients is the fastest way to get that Mojo back up and dancing).
• If you are in a very early stage of business and don’t have paying clients yet you can achieve the same result by booking in some research calls.
• Plan a series of webinars, a challenge, or a workshop you will be promoting as soon as you get back. (Anything with a deadline will get you moving – especially if you announce the date publicly before you go!).

When you get back:

If your mojo needs an extra kick-start as soon as you get back then:

• Put an offer out for free 1-2-1 sessions with no other agenda than to connect back in with your community and with your own magic – and who knows, you might even net some new clients as a result)
• Run a free webinar, or series of webinars – again, with the purpose of reconnecting (and of course you should make an offer while you are there!)
• Commit yourself to a certain level of activity – whether that’s calling 10 potential clients each day, or getting out to a networking event each day for a week, whether you feel like it or not
• Reconnect with some business buddies and talk about your plans and vision to get your passion re-ignited.
• Pick the thing in your business that feels most in flow for you and go do it – today.

And you’ll soon be celebrating the return of your Mojo!

What about you?  Do you find you lose momentum after a holiday, or do you bounce back to work bright-eyed and raring to go?  Have you found the tips and advice in this article  helpful to get you back in the groove?

I love to hear from you so let me know in the comments below!