Working from overflow

It had to be the reverse

The Sustainable Solopreneur is a weekly newsletter about seasonal, cyclical, supportive business strategy for solopreneurs and creative souls who want more out of life than the status quo, hosted by business coach and strategist Jenni Gritters. If you’ve been reading this newsletter for a while and you receive value from it, I’d encourage you to sign up for a paid subscription.

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You may remember that in June, I slowed things way down. I was feeling some tension in my business — which I’d now describe as me needing to catch up to the version of myself that I’ve become in the past 6 months — and I needed a break.

In July, I decided to keep that pattern rolling. Instead of working long days, I chose to pick up my kids early from school and head to the river for a picnic. Instead of answering emails, I bought a paddle board and took it up to the mountains. Instead of working on the weekends, I took naps. Instead of opening up my calendar for new client calls, I blocked Mondays and Thursdays off completely.

As a result, I ended July feeling absolutely lit up. I felt playful, rested and like I was living my absolute best life. And you know what happened? In July, my revenue numbers didn’t go down. They stayed steady.

And in August, my revenue numbers doubled. Within the first two weeks, I’ve already surpassed my monthly revenue goal.

As I sat and thought about why, the answer became very clear: My gas tank was so full that it was overflowing. I was happy, energized and living life on my terms. As a result, I was able to pop up a few programs — my new retreat and a fun workshop — without much effort. And those extra programs brought in more money.

I was also aware that my presence across all platforms (email, Substack, social media) was more magnetic. Why? Because I was happy. Because I wasn’t rushing. Because I had margin. Because I was showing up every day, living out my values — and the sparkle in my eyes wasn’t an act.

I was also so calm and grounded that I felt deeply hopeful about my business (and the businesses of everyone around me). When I stepped into the coaching room, I had so much energy to put toward solving problems and creating new versions of everyone’s businesses. And that energy was magnetic, too.

I’ve always heard people say that we should try to “pour from overflow!” — but truthfully, that felt a little too woo-woo for me, especially as a mom of two and primary earner in our family. Like, I’m sorry, but what would overflow even look like in this scenario?! But the truth is that “they” were right: The more resourced I am (and the more fun I’m having in my life), the more revenue the business generates, the less stressed I am and the more people I can help.

It’s not about hours worked. It’s about the energy I’m bringing to my business, every single day.

I was chatting with a client the other day who admitted to being prone to delaying gratification. She’s not alone in that; so many of us have taught that we need to have more (money, time) or different (a new house, a new partner) to be able to experience joy. And the result of that is that we end up waiting. We think about what we want and we put a “someday” label on it.

I’ve been there, too. I’ve said out loud, “I’ll work one less day when we hit $30k/ month in the business” and “I’ll feel less stressed when our revenue feels consistent.”

But you know what’s true? It had to be the reverse. I had to give myself what I truly wanted — space to play outside during my absolute favorite season — in order to hit the numbers I hoped to hit, in order to feel less stressed. I had to give myself the gift of a joyful life first.

Now, I’m working on holding that margin over the fall months. That’s tricky, as I now have a waitlist of coaching clients booking out through October. I have some calendar tetris to play with. But if I’ve learned anything this summer, it’s that I am the most important resource in my business. And when I’m genuinely satisfied, I can make my creative ideas a reality. I can play. I can bring you all along into this energy of hope and creation and making your dreams happen.

I’m going to keep driving up to the mountains on Thursday afternoons, even when the snow comes.

I’m going to keep prioritizing slow mornings, even when I could fit someone new into my calendar.

I’m going to keep sitting down on Sunday nights and asking: “How could I make this week fun?”

I’m going to keep reserving one evening per week for myself, to let my husband put the kids to bed while I hike at twilight or eat dinner in silence.

I’m not waiting until anymore. I’m doing it now.

And this is my invitation for you: Make a list of what you are waiting for — the trips, the slow mornings, the days off with your kid, the date nights, the creative writing projects.

Then ask: How can I make time for a tiny bit of this tomorrow or this week?

How can I operate my business from a state of overflow?

Before I go, I want to say one more thing: If you’re one of those people who’s trying to move from scarcity to abundance, this is a practical way to make that happen. You’re choosing to operate from a place of hope and possibility. You’re choosing to lean into the fact that there can be enough for you right now.

This is where abundance starts.

Sending you hope, and love, and permission to let a little more joy in,

Jenni

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Curious about my background? I’m a writer and business coach living in Central Oregon. My goal is to teach everyone who will listen that it’s possible to build a simple, stable, successful business that support your human needs first. Join my group coaching program, SUSTAIN, for more conversations like this (and a community of people who are all about the path less taken), and follow me on Twitter & Instagram.