You know how it feels, the fires are burning all around you and you feel like you are constantly spending all your time and energy just trying to put them out.
You cannot see the wood for the trees and there seems to be no way out of your current circumstances. You have little time to focus on what you really want, and everything you do feels like an uphill struggle.
Unfortunately this mind-set can engulf not just our personal lives, but our business life too. In fact, if you are a freelancer (or entrepreneur), the two can often be virtually impossible to distinguish between, as one will almost inevitably affect the other.
When we are stuck in a rut or negative way of thinking, when things are not working out, siege mentality can literally take over everything and make life look very bleak indeed.
But what to do? You cannot make your problems disappear with a magic wand nor is there a ‘magic bullet’, but you can take action. Of course if it is impossible to take any further action, then there is little point worrying about it any longer as you have done all you can. Sounds easier said than done right?
That’s because it is.
From a personal perspective it can feel safe to withdraw and blame your situation on others. However you simply cannot do this in a business environment or inevitably your business will fail.
The only way to break siege mentality is to do the one thing it seems counter intuitive to do. Let down the draw-bridge, fling open the windows, open your mind and let it all in and then go out and explore the world. And I mean, really explore, gather the data, find all the facts, observe what’s going on, because you do have options.
You always have options.
Once you start clearing the way of the old debris, new options always appear; it’s just a form of natural law!
It might be that you just need to try a new workable system of doing things, or your strategy needs tweaking, or perhaps you need to move on and try a completely approach.
But whatever happens.
You cannot stay inside your castle any longer or you will be overcome. Perhaps not by a garrison invading your castle with medieval weapons, but by your own lack of action and fear.
The world is not out to get you, but it will keep on turning, whether you are with it or not.
So prepare your steed, adjust your armour, put your head above the parapet…and prepare to charge!