what do you do with panic about business? Encouragement please.

I delve deep inside myself to find out what this puddle of panic is all about? What are you doubting about yourself? What is it that really panics you - be specific. What do you believe to be true in order to feel this panic? Remember a time when you were (the exact opposite of panic - maybe calm or excited or powerful) what did that feel like? Where were the feelings in your body? Recreate that great feeling for yourself again now. With that great feeling go and do some of the work you have to do. If that great feeling leaves you then you are pushing yourself too far or too fast!

The other thing is to have some fun - whatever fun is for you. Just go and do it. Leave everything and go and play!!

I hope this helps. Sheila Holt Business and Life Coach in the UK

If you can go to bed at night and think about one thing you did that should have a positive impact on your business during the day, you deserve calm and a good night of sleep. Just one thing a day over a month adds up to a whole lot of opportunity. We all know that most of our good ideas aren't going to deliver so we need to keep piling on. When one does get some traction, nurture and repeat it.

These are the times that separate the entrepreneurs from the hobbiest. The entrepreneurs won't give up and will put the time and effort into their business to make it succeed in good times and bad.

Elke, One thing that helps me stay on track in a lot of areas and keeps me pretty much stress free (even in times when stress seems to go with the territory) is to remember the words of Solomon: "There is nothing new under the sun."

In essence, there isn't anything going on in my life at this given moment that I haven't been exposed to in the past along the pathway from where I once was to where I am in this moment.

The only thing that I can do to affect my future is to prepare for it by doing things in the present. And, in that present, stress is not something that is productive.

I don't think more clearly, work harder, or have a better approach to problem solving when I am dealing with stress. So, I remind myself that I've "been there...done that...and lived to tell about it."

I also reflect on any specific lessons learned in that process and use the memory to my benefit in the present.

Cut the panic off at the pass, Elke! :-)

Seriously, if you start every day looking at your To Do List, prioritizing what you are going to get done today, and reviewing at the end of the day, the panic should be kept at bay.

Working this way will help you remain confident that you are doing everything you can, using your time wisely, and that you are making progress every day.

It is hard for panic to gain any traction when the rest of you is receiving constant confirmation that you are moving forward and accomplishing your goals.

Sound good to you?

Elke... From the seeds of your worst moments, will grow your greatest strengths.

Your puddle of panic is just that. A puddle along the path. Don't let it become an obstacle to your destination. Jump over it. Go around it. Plow through it.

As fellow travelers on the entrepreneurial path, we can relate. But what can one say to give you the hope you are looking for? What will help inspire you to continue your journey when you might feel like giving up?

What has kept me going through the tough times is my work ethic. (Do it even when you don’t feel like it. Especially then.)

From my sales training, that translates into the GOYB rule. (When sales are bad, get off your butt, and make calls.)

From my business training it translates into management by walking around.

Don't fret but keep moving, keep working, and never give up. The reality is that this puddle will soon be traversed and you will have to navigate the next. You may even learn how to swim through the next one with wild abandon.

Think how boring the journey would be without the rocks and puddles along the way. What keeps me going is the adventure of the next obstacle and the challenge of turning them into opportunities.

Activity overcomes Adversity which leads to Opportunity.

My best to you on your trek. Your friend. ...Howard

It is what I love most about you, my friend. Your willingness to bare all and reach out to others. As Howard says, we have all been there. And we will undoubtedly be there again.

But, wow, 23 years? We are coming up on our 17th year and I thought THAT was pretty good.
: )

I love the advice you have been given so far. I think it definitely helps to keep busy. Write the next issue of that newsletter or blog post. Send a friendly (no sales) email to someone. Just keep putting yourself out there. It's an act of faith really.

Howard calls it his work ethic. Christian calls it moving forward and accomplishing your goals. For Mark, it's preparing for the future by doing things in the present. Time and effort for Richard. And Sheila says "go do some of the work you have to do."

It's harder to focus for you right now, but I've found that just doing the work gives me some momentum and makes things start to happen.

What a great discussion here. I love Biznik because it isn't full of a bunch of stuffy shirts and people who won't admit that owning a business can be a challenge. Bravo for all of us!

Stop don't panic, grab a towel and be ready for anything. Seriously do whatever it takes. Get a part time job if that makes you feel better. Better yet get back to your basics. You know all those things that you did that made you want to start out on your own. I think you might find those things still work. Simplify, stay in control visualize success. Art T.

I talk with other business owners about it...try and get some perspective on the issue. If I realize I'm not alone, I'm less likely to panic.

I am still new here and you are welcoming me with valuable admonition worth gold. I thank Rev. Elke for starting the post and I thank everybody for your invaluable contributions. You just make me feel good that challenges are part of the life of an entrepreneur and am not the only one going through it.

I think what has kept me going through the ups and down is my passion for what I am doing and always focusing my attention on the positive side of my life and always waiting on the Lord for a better tomorrow. I am sure am at home here.

I am new here as well but I think the best thing to do is focus on what you want and how you are going to get there. Keep looking at the positive and remember you are never alone. We have all felt that way at one time or another.

I think everyone has some great insight here.

Minimize risk. What can I do over the next few weeks that will make me less financially vulnerable over the next few months? Having multiple streams of income can be a great way to minimize risk. While you're building your business, are there other sources of income (day jobs, pt jobs, consulting gigs, contract jobs, side businesses, etc.) that can build your financial buffer and help you fund biz growth projects. Thinking outside the box re expenses, too. Finding ways to cut biz & personal expenses dramatically can help you survive well and thrive during lean times. Finally, LOTS of emotional support from current/new friends and colleagues, as well as deep and compassionate self-care.

What I do in that situation (and I've had it plenty of times since I went freelance 12 years ago) is to remind myself that I AM THE ONE WHO IS CAUSING IT. As spiritual entities, we create and express our own emotions volitionally. Since the one thing we CAN'T do is DIE (our bodies can, but that's another matter) our single real enemy is the boredom of the immortal being who has, enternally, been there and done that. In order to have more of a game to play and to have a bit of drama in our lives, we often forget that our feelings are our own, and we reduce ourselves to the level of the physical and pretend to be rudderless ships on a sea of emotions. No....that's not accepting personal responsibility. Nothing and no one can "make you feel that way" without your consent...you observe things around you, arrive at a conclusion and create an emotional response based on that conclusion. What can be misdirected is the conclusion you reach - if the bills are due and the account balance is low, you can choose to reach the conclusion that it's all grim; or you can accept it as a challenge to your abilities, joyfully plow ahead and save the day, enjoy the drama of snatching victory from the jaws of defeat and love that cliffhanger episode of your life. What a great game!