Stagnation comes in many forms. Maybe you’re burned out. Maybe you’ve reached a plateau or milestone and just lingered a bit too long with that satisfying feeling of accomplishment. Maybe you’re feeling insecure or scared to make a mistake, thus putting off important decisions. Whatever the reason, if left unchecked, stagnation can cripple a business and throw all of your goals off track. That’s why it’s critical to identify and deal with it early on.

Know thine enemy.

If you’re burned out, you’ll be experiencing intense feelings of overwhelming dread. You have nightmares about your ever-expanding task list. That is — when you’re not suffering from insomnia and heart palpitations. You vacillate between anxiety and depression and begin to lose your appetite. Not only can burnout hurt your business, but being stressed all the time will make your health go downhill in the blink of an eye.

If you got a little lazy after a big win, you probably have a nagging suspicion that you’ve basked too long in your glory. While it’s important to celebrate the heck out of reaching your milestones, it’s also important to keep your eye on the prize and remember what you’re working so hard for. When we stop pushing for too long, it’s that much harder to start up again.  

If you’re procrastinating because you’re terrified to make the next business move, you’re letting fear hold you hostage. We see fledgling companies hit this snag all of the time. They score a bunch of little wins and start to see some serious growth, but instead of getting more confident, they get paralyzed with insecurity and fear. Now there’s skin in the game, and they’re afraid to make a bad move. So, they make no move.

You’re stagnating because you’re burned out.

You’ve been pulling 16-hour days for the last three months straight. You haven’t gone grocery shopping for at least a month, and your work area is littered with take-out menus, an odd Chinese food container and enough coffee mugs to stock up a diner. There’s a funky smell you can’t quite identify. When’s the last time you opened a window? Nevermind, you’re on a roll, and you’re going to get this thing launched if it kills you.

Then suddenly, it hits you like a freight train, and you feel like you’re suffocating. Hello, burnout.