What To Do If You Feel Like Giving Up On Your Business

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Let’s be honest.

Sometimes running a business feels like dragging a giant boulder uphill while someone stands at the top waiting to kick it back down again.

You finally get momentum.

Then something happens.

A client leaves.

A staff member quits.

A launch flops.

A bill arrives.

Life throws something at you from left field.

And suddenly you’re sitting there wondering:

“Is this even worth it anymore?”

If you’ve ever felt like throwing in the towel, you’re not alone.

In fact, I’d argue it’s one of the most common experiences shared by business owners everywhere.

I’ve been in business for over 20 years, and I still have moments where I think:

“Screw this. Screw that. Screw everything.”

Usually about four times a day.

The truth is that the feeling never completely disappears.

The goal isn’t to eliminate it.

The goal is to become better at living with it.

The Reality Nobody Tells You About Entrepreneurship

One of the biggest misconceptions about success is that successful people somehow stop experiencing doubt.

They don’t.

They simply learn how to navigate it.

Business ownership is a constant cycle of:

• Growth
• Challenges
• Wins
• Setbacks
• Momentum
• Frustration
• Reinvention

Just when you think you’ve figured everything out, life hands you a brand new puzzle to solve.

That’s not a sign you’re failing.

That’s entrepreneurship.

When Defeat Starts Turning Into Hopelessness

One of the reasons business can feel so emotionally exhausting is because our minds start telling stories.

We start thinking:

• Nothing is working.
• What’s the point?
• I’m working harder than ever and getting nowhere.
• Maybe I’m not cut out for this.

When these thoughts continue unchecked, they create something dangerous.

Hopelessness.

And hopelessness changes behaviour.

The second we start believing we have no control over our future outcomes, our actions begin reflecting that belief.

We stop trying.

We stop showing up.

We stop marketing.

We stop taking opportunities.

Then, unsurprisingly, our results get worse.

Which reinforces the story we were already telling ourselves.

It’s the ultimate self-fulfilling prophecy.

The Viktor Frankl Question

One of the most powerful books I’ve read is Man’s Search for Meaning.

At its core, the book asks an important question:

How much control do you believe you have over your life?

Psychologists often refer to this as self-efficacy.

Your belief in your ability to influence outcomes.

The moment you decide that your future is entirely outside your control, you’ve already handed over your power.

That’s why mindset isn’t fluff.

It’s survival.

Because your beliefs directly influence your behaviour.

And your behaviour ultimately influences your results.

Are You Actually Pushing The Wrong Boulder?

Now let’s be realistic.

Not every business is the right business.

Not every path is the right path.

There’s a famous story from Greek mythology about King Sisyphus.

His punishment was to spend eternity pushing a giant boulder uphill, only for it to roll back down again every single time he reached the top.

Sometimes business can feel exactly like that.

One step forward.

Three steps back.

And occasionally we need to ask ourselves an uncomfortable question:

Am I building something I actually want?

Not:

• Is it profitable?
• Is it impressive?
• Does everyone else think it’s a good idea?

But:

Am I genuinely happy doing this?

Because if fixing some operational problems would restore the joy, that’s one thing.

But if the business itself is fundamentally misaligned with who you’ve become, that’s another conversation entirely.

What Would You Do If Money Didn’t Exist?

Whenever I hit one of these moments, I ask myself a simple question:

“What would I do if I wasn’t doing this?”

For me, the answer is easy.

I’d be bored out of my brain.

I’ve had the corporate jobs.

I’ve had the big salaries.

I was the ‘Executive Director and Head of Campus’ at a university, on a massive salary.

And while many people would have loved that position, I felt trapped.

I felt constrained in the impact I was able to make in the world.

I felt like I had my hands tied and could serve so few people.

I was surrounded by toxic people, in a toxic system that stifled growth rather than catalysed it.

When you are reflecting on ‘what gives me money vs what makes me HAPPY’ – trust me, the joy wins every time. 

For me, entrepreneurship gives me what I need most:

• Challenge
• Growth
• Creativity
• Problem-solving
• Freedom
• Impact
• Purpose
• …. AND money (way more than that big salary)

Even if the money disappeared tomorrow, I’d still be teaching.

I’d still be creating.

I’d still be helping people.

Because it’s part of who I am.

So here’s the question for you:

If you won $500 million tomorrow, what would you still CHOOSE to do?

The answer tells you a lot about your purpose.

Turn Your Business Into A Vocation

When the activities you love become the foundation of your business, something shifts.

It stops feeling like a job.

It becomes a vocation.

A calling.

Something you’re naturally pulled toward.

That doesn’t mean every moment is fun.

It doesn’t mean every task is enjoyable.

But it does mean the overall direction feels aligned.

The challenge is making sure your business contains more of the things you’d willingly do for free and fewer of the things that drain your soul.

The Business Owner’s Survival Framework

Whenever I’m overwhelmed, I use a very simple process.

I call it:

E.A.D.

Eliminate
Automate
Delegate

Only after you’ve exhausted those options should you do the task yourself.

Step 1: Eliminate

Look at every task on your to-do list.

Ask yourself:

“Does this directly contribute to my goals?”

If not, delete it.

Seriously.

Business owners waste enormous amounts of time on tasks that don’t move the needle.

If it doesn’t contribute to your key objectives, remove it.

Step 2: Automate

If the task genuinely needs to be done, ask:

“Can technology do this for me?”

Today, AI can assist with:

• Content creation
• Email writing
• Research
• Marketing plans
• Sales pages
• Customer communication
• Data analysis
• Administrative tasks

In many cases AI can complete 50-80% of the work.

That means less time spent pushing boulders uphill.

Step 3: Delegate

If it can’t be automated, ask:

“Does this really need to be done by me?”

Most business owners dramatically overestimate how many tasks require their personal involvement.

Yes, someone else might only do it 80% as well as you.

But if they remove 80% of the workload, you’ve gained your freedom back.

And that’s often a worthwhile trade.

The 80/20 Happiness Rule

I want you to aim for this:

• 80% of your day doing things you enjoy, value, or feel neutral about
• 20% of your day doing things because they simply need to be done

The problem is many business owners operate in reverse.

They spend 80% of their time doing things they hate.

Then wonder why they’re exhausted.

When your cup is constantly empty, hopelessness arrives much faster.

When your cup is regularly being filled, resilience naturally increases.

Change One Small Word

Here’s a simple exercise.

Look at your to-do list.

Now listen carefully to the language inside your head.

Do you say:

“I’ve got to do this.”

Or do you say:

“I get to do this.”

One creates obligation.

The other creates opportunity.

Instead of:

• I’ve got to record a video.

Try:

• I get to share my expertise.

Instead of:

• I’ve got to market my business.

Try:

• I get to help more people discover what I do.

Instead of:

• I’ve got to build this workshop.

Try:

• I get to teach something that could change someone’s life.

Language shapes reality.

Pay attention to yours.

Before You Quit, Ask Yourself These Questions

Before you walk away from your business, ask yourself:

• What would I do if money didn’t exist?
• What would I still do if I had all the money in the world?
• Am I doing work that aligns with my purpose?
• Which tasks should be eliminated?
• Which tasks can be automated?
• Which tasks can be delegated?
• Am I saying “I’ve got to” or “I get to”?
• Am I designing a business that fills my cup or empties it?

Because sometimes the answer isn’t to give up.

Sometimes the answer is simply to redesign.

Final Thoughts

Business ownership will always come with highs and lows.

You’ll have moments where you feel unstoppable.

You’ll have moments where you question everything.

Both are normal.

The trick is remembering that feelings aren’t facts.

A difficult season doesn’t mean you’re failing.

A setback doesn’t mean you’re broken.

A challenge doesn’t mean you’re on the wrong path.

Sometimes it simply means you’re being invited to adjust, evolve, and redesign the way you’re working.

So before you throw in the towel, take a breath, look at your business through a fresh lens, and ask yourself:

What would this look like if it actually supported the life I want to live?

Because often, the answer isn’t quitting.

It’s building a business that works better for you.

Want Support To Help You Build Your Business?

Come and join me in my business coaching programme at The Legends Lab. We cover everything from your mindset and mental well-being as a business owner, all the way through to practical strategy, implementation, marketing, product creation, tech, and AI so that you can grow a modern-day business with a happy soul: JOIN US HERE: sarahcordiner.com/legends