Hi friend,
If you’re reading this in between orders, or after a long day of taking photos, or with your brain still spinning even though your body is begging for a break, I just wanted to share a few things with you.
Numero uno…I see you.
December can feel soooo tender. You’re a tired business owner. Not just because it’s busy, but because it’s reflective. It holds celebration and pressure at the same time. It’s a month that quietly asks how you’re really doing and, sometimes, the answer is complicated.
So if you’ve been feeling tired lately, in a way that’s more than physical… that makes sense, and it’s valid. The one where your brain is struggling to compute. Where you’re trying to remember so much and keep forgetting you already have a running to-do list. You need to remind yourself that you’ve been running a business in a world that asks you to be everything: the creator, the marketer, the customer service team, the visionary, the accountant, the problem-solver, the cheerleader.
And you’re doing it while also being a whole human with a whole life.Whether you have a partner, children, aging parents, a busy social life, a whole other job, a combination of all of these things…making time for you can feel like a lot. But the fact that you’re still showing up, still building your business, means more than you probably give yourself credit for.
If this season has been slower than you expected, I want you to know: slow does not mean stagnant. A fellow business owner once told me that roots grow quietly. Some of the most important parts of your business are forming in places nobody can see yet. If it’s been busy and you’re feeling stretched thin, I want you to know that you’re not failing because you’re tired. You’re tired because you’ve been showing up. There’s a difference.
And if you’ve caught yourself looking around online and wondering if everyone else has it more figured out… just remember you’re seeing their highlight reel, not always their real life. You’re living your real life. And your real life is the thing that makes your business meaningful.
Here’s something I hope you can let land gently today:Rest is not a sign you’re falling behind. Rest is part of how you stay connected to what you’re building. It’s not quitting. It’s caring for the dream long enough to watch it grow. It’s caring for you, and you matter and your rest matters. You are allowed to have seasons, of momentum, of learning, of planting, of quiet, of rebuilding your energy (the energy we all know we are short on! And no, coffee doesn’t count as energy!)
If you’re looking toward January business goals, choose one thing to focus on that feels gentle to you. It could be refreshing your website. It could be writing a few posts that feel aligned with you. It could be giving yourself permission to work ON your business rather than IN it doing all the things.
I’m rooting for you. Not the super polished version. Not the one with their hair done and makeup on with that super cute outfit. The one is soft clothes with their hair in a scrunchie and maybe a little sweaty, a little hangry, a little disheveled. I see her, and I am her right now, too.
With so much love and belief in you,
Serena
