Are You Running Your Business or Is Your Business Running You?

That is the question.

Cleelia Uudam Costa
3 min readNov 18, 2023

This is the question I have asked from myself numerous times over the last 15 years. And certainly this is the question I should have started to ask from myself way earlier on my entrepreneurial journey.

Are You In Charge (Photo: Magnet.me on Unsplash)

Being an entrepreneur is an amazing journey for the courageous and the brave. (Thank god we have this kind of people cause they do turn the world into a better place).

It does not really matter if you are running a more traditional brick-and- mortar business or an online business, entrepreneurship is absolutely always filled with creativity, learning and endless possibilities. But also responsibility.

It is easy to get lost in the middle of your entrepreneurial dreams and business worries. It is easy to mess up the priorities, to have messy boundaries, or even totally forget that you have a body and a mind that need to be taken care of.

When you are super-excited about something (trust me, building your business is among the most exciting things one can do in life), you can actually “get lost” in it. You can get lost in the vortex of your business.

Getting Lost (Photo: Robert Bye on Unsplash)

You are excited about the successes and you feel deeply frustrated about the challenges and failures.

You most likely even start to define yourself and your personal value through your business. When things are going well, you feel good about yourself, when there is a challenging season, your self-trust and self-confidence takes a hit. [Something I myself know firsthand too well. I was almost considering the devastating impact of Covid on tourism as my personal failure!] And the sure thing is, businesses do have seasons, ups and downs!

Most likely you think about your business all the time. Most of us are no strangers to the expression “my business is my baby”. And.. well.. we all know how it is with the babies..

Carrying a Baby (Photo: Toa Heftiba on Unsplash)

Only that it is not.

Your business is not your baby.

Your business is not you.

I am here to remind you to slow down and to start consciously putting yourself first.

It is only then, when you fully take care you of your own needs, when you untie your self-worth from your business, and when you have a clarity about your vision priorities for your life, that you will you be able to fully and completely enjoy this ride.

Wherever you are on this journey, either you are still dreaming of starting your “own thing” or a seasoned entrepreneur, it is possible to set yourself up for success in a more balanced and sustainable way!

Self-awareness is the key!

It all starts with (re-)visiting your WHY and becoming clear about what does SUCCESS in life ON YOUR TERMS look like.

Just wondering..

Has anybody here ever felt that “they are run” by their business?

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Cleelia Uudam Costa
Cleelia Uudam Costa

Written by Cleelia Uudam Costa

Writing to inspire people to grow into their best version. Mindset Coach for Female Entrepreneurs. Entrepreneur. PhD. Mom of 4. www.cleeliauudamcosta.com