In this episode, I’m digging into what happens when the expansion stage of our work cycle meets the inevitable dip in late summer.
Last week, we named the “exploitation loop”, that cycle of pushing until there’s nothing left. Today, I want to explore what interrupts that loop before it burns us out completely.
How do you reconnect with what fuels you when you’re disconnected? And what does it look like to arrive in Fall refreshed rather than resigned?
Let’s explore this together, and reflect on what you could do to break out of the exploitation loop right this week.
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✦ REFLECT & CONNECT
🌱 Sit, walk, or dance with this question:
What’s one small, doable, joyful thing you can do this week to interrupt the pattern?
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✦ RESOURCES & NEXT STEPS
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TRANSCRIPT
[0:29] Hey there, how are you? I am feeling very lucky that for now at least the heatwave is gone and that I can enjoy some slightly fresher air. Okay, today I want to share some reflections about what I believe is a way to avoid falling into the exploitation loop we explored last week.
[0:56] Okay, so let’s take a moment to recap. The exploitation loop, in my view, is when you push yourself to complete exhaustion and then need to stop altogether and usually pretty abruptly to recover. It’s a loop because as clients and business friends tell me, as soon as they restore some capacity, they tend to start pushing themselves to the limit again. It’s like a long rinse and repeat cycle until they burn themselves out completely. Okay, before we move forward, let me share once again that if it happens to you, it’s not your fault. You are not broken in any way. There are many factors at play as we explored last week. So consider listening to that episode if you haven’t yet.
[1:49] Now, let’s think about a real life example. Picture yourself in September. How are you feeling and what’s going on in your creative mind? If you’re anything like my clients, my business friends, and myself too, you are probably dreading that you will get to the fall feeling tired, confused, uninspired, and maybe wondering where you will find the capacity to move your business forward through the rest of the year. Well, that happens because you are reaching the end of the expansion stage of the exploitation loop. You have almost used up all your life points, but you are still relentlessly going ahead.
[2:38] If that doesn’t resonate with you, because you usually thrive in September, please keep listening anyway. There’s a chance that the exploitation loop shows up at a different time for you, and I would love you to hear what I believe might help overcome it. So, last week I mentioned that what helps is more about interrupting the pattern than avoiding the loop entirely. We will always cycle through stages of expansion and contraction, I guess, right? The point is to avoid bringing the expansion stage to a point of no return. That’s where interrupting the button comes into the picture. You know, when I hear my clients telling me they’re keeping, doing, going, pushing through, I notice the red flags of the stage of dangerous expansion. So the quote-unquote solution I have in mind is to interrupt that continuous stepping forward by punctuating it with moments to replenish and nurture your capacity and energy, specifically by allowing yourself to experience joy often through activities that bring aliveness and inspiration to you.
[3:55] You know, they might look like playing, creating, connecting, being present, following your curiosity, and so on. And yes, pleasure, fun, play, enjoyment are usually seen as something that can wait or something that we need to earn. So sometimes choosing that will make a voice whisper in your head, you should be working. And that can happen. We can hold both and we can work on that. So why joy, you might be wondering? Well, because instead of that voice telling you that joy can wait until after you finish being productive, I believe that joy is essential. I believe that joy is the soil where creativity and impact grow. And if the soil is barren, the seeds you plant won’t grow. You know, joy nurtures your energy, your drive, your motivation. When you are doing something that brings you joy and feels meaningful, you feel more energized and inspired to create.
[5:04] Joy is also a way to nurture hope by noticing and being present through things in our work and life that are already bringing us joy. You know, when joy enters the equation, you stop measuring progress solely by output. And, you know, suddenly the finish line isn’t the only thing that matters. And there’s a scientific foundation to all this, because I found out that research suggests that when we experience joy, our brains shift into states of peace, excitement, contentment, or anything in between. This, of course, has a positive impact on our well-being, and it also helps regulate our nervous system, which is key when we have to deal with the inherent unpredictability of business, right? Well, all of this is why I believe that reclaiming joy is an act of resistance against exploitation and extraction. And I believe that reclaiming joy is how we make sure that our work remains a source of life and not a drain on it. And I believe that reclaiming joy and making it an integral part of our work is how we can enter the fall excited, inspired, energized, and with our creativity and capacity replenished.
[6:32] Now, of course, none of this means you figure it all out all alone overnight. Because, you know, of course, beliefs don’t translate into habits by themselves, right?
[6:44] So, while the way you reclaim joy is deeply personal, because what feels joyful to me might feel dull to you, sometimes, especially when you are close to burning out and feeling disconnected, you need guidance to rediscover what joy actually looks like for you and a practice when you can come back to when all patterns kick back in.
[7:07] And that’s precisely why I will be hosting Joyful Impact Summer Camp in August. I will guide you through playful practices that will help you find your own aligned way to reclaim your creative joy for two reasons. First, your own way has a better shot of working and sticking because it comes from you, not outside. And second, once you have learned the practices, you can revisit them anytime you need to replenish your creativity. Plus, by engaging in playful activities, you will start restoring your capacity while also practicing integrating joy into your days. And yes, in the process, some unhelpful beliefs might get in the way, which is perfectly normal, and we will deal with them together. So, Joyful Impact Summer Camp itself is a way to interrupt the pattern of the exploitation loop, while also giving you all the tools to find your own creative ways to stay out of that loop.
[8:15] Okay, so registration for camp opens next week, and in the meantime, you can join the waitlist, so you will be the first to know everything about it. You will find the link in the show notes. But first, let me share a question to help you start breaking out of the loop of exploitation. What is one small, doable, joyful thing you can do this week to interrupt the pattern? Thank you so much for spending some time with me today. Talk soon!