Those of us running businesses, working from project to project, or surfing the gig economy know that work naturally ebbs and flows – as does income and inspiration. When you are new to this cycle, the first big lull will probably freak you out. In fact, it took me 8 years of being in business for myself to get accustomed to the cycle and then learn to harness it as a very special bastion of stillness in an otherwise insane world.
But you can’t enjoy the quiet if you are in financial or existential terror about what comes next. So I’m here to tell you what all seasoned independent professionals have learned the hard way:
There will always be something that comes next.
The universe abhors a vacuum, and sooner or later that void will be filled by something. The nature of that next “something” is up to you.
If we spend the void in the pattern of panic, fear and scarcity, the vacuum will inevitably be filled by the familiar things that we have known to keep us safe (read: more of the same).
If we spend the void leaning into creativity and quiet, we will proactively shift our relationship to the future and invite in more inspired and expansive opportunities over time (read: aligned evolution, or conscious growth).
By choosing to welcome the void without contracting and recoiling, we open up to different outcomes. Rather than feeding a basic survival need, the thing that comes next will fulfill a broader, more limitless part of your path. It will be your next act, rather than a re-run.
What is the Void?
These lulls in activity, income and general busy-ness are periods that permit insight, reflection and – as some might call it – divine intervention. What feels like a pause (a scary pause) is often a gift of possibility and potentiality. It’s a time to gain perspective on where you are headed if things stay the same and where there is need for realignment.
Voids are opportunities.
And you don’t get to schedule these opportunities, which is why they feel more like punishment or defeat. But trust me, they are not. Every growth spurt requires a period of rest and recalibration. In the stillness you come face to face with your default mode – scarcity or trust. In the stillness you come face to face with your ability to create in the face of uncertainty. Every void is an opportunity to shift a little more into trust. Because the void ALWAYS gets filled.
Think of the void as soil. What you plant here will be harvested by the next cycle of activity. Fear in the well that waters the crops? The crops will be just enough to get you out of fear and hunger until the next void. Imagination in the well that waters the crops? The crops will surprise you with a different yield, and you will no longer be able to predict the feeling nature of the next void (though it always comes). Now you have moved from predictability to possibility, from contraction to expansion.
Of course, changing how you experience the void takes time because it takes time to live a different kind of mental programming. So be patient, and persistent.
While You’re In It
You may be wondering what exactly it looks like to expand into the void and what to do with the time you have instead of freaking out and desperately strategizing for ways to secure the next client or gig. Here are some of my go-to moves I use to support my clients and myself:
1. Build Systems
Take a look at the way you are managing your life, your business, etc. Single out inefficiencies or bad habits and consider building a system around each one. When we standardize mundane or repetitive processes we ultimately save ourselves a lot of time, stress and money.
2. Clean out the Skeletons
We all accumulate unfinished business. It’s a natural part of life. The more diligent you are about periodically addressing the skeletons lurking in your closet, the more easily life will unfold into the next iteration. Moving energy is aligned with expanding into possibility. You don’t need to know why having that tough conversation with a friend or returning that package to UPS will lead to the next thing, you just need to know that it will.
3. Create
This one is probably a no-brainer. But the way you choose to create is not. Consider being creative for creativity’s sake, rather than it having to mean something to your business or future. Take the pressure off of your creative process and just play. This could look like cooking new dishes or free writing in the morning. Keeping this channel well oiled is infinitely beneficial.
Of course, in an non-stop world full of burnout, there is immense value in rest.
Final Tip: Prepare for the Void
They are inevitable. So if you are finding yourself mostly financially beholden to the next gig or check, consider a profit-first model. I realize this requires discipline and a reconsideration of how you spend money, but paying yourself first is not only smart, it’s insurance against the future inevitabilities and surprises. Cash in the bank and mac-n-cheese on your plate is far better for your future self than any #yolo impulse. Plus, it trains you to value yourself over any persuasive expenses. Putting away 10 – 15% of every single payment, sale or check into a “do not touch” online savings account is a way to realign your values with an abundance mindset – and protect yourself from overwhelming stress when the inevitable void comes ‘round again.
PS: I’m launching my programs for 2020 very soon! Take a look HERE for a sneak peek of what will open up for enrollment in January. More details to come. I’m excited to work with more professionals, creatives, and solopreneurs in a format everyone will enjoy.
