Do you ever feel like you simply can’t keep up with what everyone else is doing? Does it feel like everyone is moving at a much higher speed than you are?

Working for myself over the past 16 years, I have to remind myself that there were periods of time when I was the one moving at high speed – consistently growing my event planning business, starting new businesses, getting published frequently, being featured on local news stations, booking incredible events, and winning awards. That was a phase of rapid growth (and crazed insanity at times).

It was thrilling.
It was exciting.
It was not sustainable.

We ALL go through challenging life situations

There are various stages we all go through as business owners. I am currently in a chapter of maintenance mode while I have treatments for an ongoing health issue. These treatments take a significant amount of my time which can quickly make me feel guilty for not working as much. The to-do list for my business is full of ideas I can’t wait to implement, but I am simply not in a stage of life right now to work on many of them.

Other life phases that force us to slow down our business aspirations could be:

• starting a family
• taking care of young kids
• managing a physical or mental health issue
• helping our aging parents
• buying or selling a home and moving
• recovering from an accident or injury
• grieving the loss of a loved one
• getting married or divorced

While it may seem like you are spinning your wheels when you are in a chapter of life that requires more time away from your wedding planning business, you are doing exactly what you need to do.

Sometimes what is good for your ego and bank account is not good for your calendar, your body, or your soul.

It could be a few weeks, months, or even years, but you will move through this chapter and onto the next one.

Give yourself grace

It is so important to cut yourself some slack so you can focus on what you need to in this moment. You are doing your best and that is truly enough.

If you haven’t experienced a life stage that takes time away from your event planning business, prepare the business for this possibility by having systems, checklists, and a backup plan in place so that your business will keep running even when you need to take time away from the business to deal with life.

The Ultimate Business Success Checklist for Wedding Planners will ensure that your wedding planning business is healthy and on track for the long run. Using these checklists enables me to work smarter and more efficiently so that I get more done in less time. This is especially helpful during the times when life gets in the way of my regular work schedule.

Reminders about “keeping up”

Your success is not measured by the success of someone else.

You can admire other’s success without questioning your own.

Your worth is not measured by your productivity.

Playing the comparison game is always dangerous to your self esteem and confidence.

Those kind and supportive words you offer others are the same words that would sooth your mind and heart if you were to offer them to yourself.

There are a lot of smoke and mirrors in the events industry.