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Window cleaning and depression

JBC88

Active member
Messages
145
Location
Yorkshire
I didn't want to hijack the positivity of haz post but hoping people can relate to my situation. I'd like to think I'm like  haz, Darran, damo and others in that I would love to build a real, successful window cleaning business. The difference is they are doing it and I'm not.

 I've done well to build a good one man job but finding it so difficult to know how to expand successfully and do it. 

I don't have a reliable sales system of my own and I've no idea how to hire good employees and interview properly to attract the right staff and weed out the bad. It seems like some who do well just wing it and it works maybe?

To top it off I have depression and it comes in waves out of the blue. I can feel hopeful and have so much ambition and try plan how I'm gonna build and then out the blue it gets me and I then have trouble even going to work. It's so bad atm that I just want to focus on getting through my existing work every 4 weeks instead of dreaming about expanding and being one of the most successful window cleaning owners ever. I've cleaned windows for 15 years and I feel i should be way ahead given the amount of desire i have but it's like i have a war going on inside where the depression saps my will and motivation to keep going.

I'm hoping I'm not alone in this and that theres someone who has successfully overcome it.

For those that don't have it but are driven to succeed,  Do you really wake up each morning raring to go clean windows (this is how I want to be) or is it more a case of you don't like it but are disciplined enough and the rewards of doing it motivate you each day?

For my sake and everyone else who suffers with depression in this line of work, I hope someone on here has cracked it or has some good advice.

 
I think you have done very well to get to where you are considering your circumstances.  Not everyone is able to build a big business, this doesn't make them a bad business man. If you can accept that you might not be able to then this will take the pressure off you and then, without the added self imposed pressure you can wait till the right person comes along. 

Good luck whatever happens. 

 
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Sorry to hear about your depression,I do have some idear what you are going through as my youngest daughter suffers badly with it , she is having counceling and on strong medication which helps to lessen the lows but it’s no cure . As for running a big buisness it takes time drive and ambition , personally Ime not intrested in expanding more in fact I want to cut back on the amount of work we do , just beacause you don’t have 10 vans on the road  turning over 70k per month doesn’t mean you are a failure , running a successful buisness doesn’t happen by chance it , it takes 18 hours a day commitment 7 days a week in the early stages is that what you want ?? 

As for staff that’s a difficult one to answer you will have to try a few before you get decent ones from experience, staff generally will not work like you as the buisness owner will speed  wise or quality wise , I think if you have someone working with you you will very quickly know if they are going to be suitable for the job or not , have them on a three month trial to see how it goes , some sort of bonus incentive for productiverty and no complaints I find works well , set targets to be reached either weekly or monthly , don’t let them get away with things and try and pull the wool over your eyes , but be straight and fair with them then they are less likely to try it on . 

It sounds to me like you are already running a successful buisness and just need to expand a bit if you want to , butbwhy di you want to expand ?? To earn more ? Work less yourself?? Or just the thrill of being successful?. I hope that you are able to achieve what you want but don’t beat yourself up if it doesn’t happen as fast as you would like . 

 
I think you have done very well to get to where you are considering your circumstances.  Not everyone is able to build a big business, this doesn't make them a bad business man. If you can accept that you might not be able to then this will take the pressure off you and then, without the added self imposed pressure you can wait till the right person comes along. I

Good luck whatever happens. 
Thanks Part Timer ?

No not everyone has the ability or desire to build a big business or be a successful businessman, but I believe its possible to learn how to build one and develop the needed skills to be a good businessman. Knowing where to look for the knowledge etc and what to avoid is another matter.

One of the most important things in life I have learned is that mindset has a big impact on what can be achieved. The reason poor people are poor and rich are getting richer is partly their own mindset and beliefs about money.

I think my mindset does hold me back but I think its alot down to the depression that I can't seem to control.

Deep down I believe that I am capable of doing what I need to do though to achieve these aims or I wouldn't really be fussed about how I'm doing atm. It's totally ok in my eyes for those that are happy to stay as a one man band to stay that way but for me I want alot more than that and I think I can achieve it if I can sort my head out.

 
How is your mindset in the wrong place if you want to grow and achieve more for your business? 

Wanting to achieve more is the first step to success. 

 
Sorry to hear about your depression,I do have some idear what you are going through as my youngest daughter suffers badly with it , she is having counceling and on strong medication which helps to lessen the lows but it’s no cure . As for running a big buisness it takes time drive and ambition , personally Ime not intrested in expanding more in fact I want to cut back on the amount of work we do , just beacause you don’t have 10 vans on the road  turning over 70k per month doesn’t mean you are a failure , running a successful buisness doesn’t happen by chance it , it takes 18 hours a day commitment 7 days a week in the early stages is that what you want ?? 

As for staff that’s a difficult one to answer you will have to try a few before you get decent ones from experience, staff generally will not work like you as the buisness owner will speed  wise or quality wise , I think if you have someone working with you you will very quickly know if they are going to be suitable for the job or not , have them on a three month trial to see how it goes , some sort of bonus incentive for productiverty and no complaints I find works well , set targets to be reached either weekly or monthly , don’t let them get away with things and try and pull the wool over your eyes , but be straight and fair with them then they are less likely to try it on . 

It sounds to me like you are already running a successful buisness and just need to expand a bit if you want to , butbwhy di you want to expand ?? To earn more ? Work less yourself?? Or just the thrill of being successful?. I hope that you are able to achieve what you want but don’t beat yourself up if it doesn’t happen as fast as you would like . 
Thanks for sharing Pjj, I hope your daughter can get to grips with it and overcome it. It's a horrible illness to have when it gets you.

I don't feel like a failure in this way thankfully, I just think I could be so much more ahead and its frustrating and disappointing. Im sick of the battle of being super buzzed and hopeful about it and then the opposite struggling to cope.

Commitment wise Rome wasnt built in a day and even if I had a magic formula to succeed I know it would take more effort than working 6hrs a day and switching off when I got home.

Thanks for the employing advice, in the past I've employed on a good hourly rate but they've not stayed with me due to lack of interest in job or personal problems etc. One guy was a good worker but I wasnt bringing in enough work to provide enough hours so he got another job which was fair enough.

Why do I want to expand?

When I first started In 2004 i was 16 years old. My dad kicked off saying I wouldn't do well and I needed to get a proper job. My friends got me into it as it was good pay. I noticed most window cleaners worked by themselves or had a guy helping cash in hand.

I wanted to prove my dad wrong but also I had this ambition to have people working for me and build it up into a real sustainable business. There were alot of cowboys in my area too and I was picking up work cos they were unreliable and it was just a side job etc. I wanted to provide a complete professional service to people and stand out as way better. The other reasons is more a thing of if I have a business with systems in place then it will earn money even if I'm not cleaning windows. That means I'm still providing for my family and the more I put into it the better life they have. Running a successful business is a good way to have money to do more in life. 

I guess another reason is just to see how big it could go and achieve my full potential.

After writing this I actually feel more encouraged lol its just that cos of how rubbish I feel with the depression then tomorrow morning I'll probably be dragging myself to work wondering why the hell I feel so **** lol.

I do have the goal of going for a run though before work as I've read just today that taking care of your health can help improve the depression. 

 
How is your mindset in the wrong place if you want to grow and achieve more for your business? 

Wanting to achieve more is the first step to success. 
It's the conflict with depression. I have the right mindset in that I have the desire to grow and achieve. But on bad days like I've had this past 2 weeks every morning I'm waking up dreading going to work and feeling like **** and feeling like i can't handle working today. It's really overpowering and soul destroying cos deep down I want to be working, doing well and providing for my family etc. Its not a thing of being too lazy to try it's that the depression saps your ability to be motivated despite knowing all the good reasons why you need to do it. This is kind of what I'm getting at regarding having the right mindset and 

I always imagine the ones who are truly achieving what I want to are waking up raring to go...but maybe I'm wrong and its just that they manage to drag themselves out every day and they reap the rewards for it.

 
I can relate, been there in a real dark place where I couldn’t even leave the house and am surprised I am here today. Had a lot once and lost most of it, but now things are good, very good, so it’s definitely achievable to bounce back. 

It seems as though you are applying some of you’re own pressure by wanting to be one of the most successful cleaning businesses and are disappointed that you are not and thinking you should of achieved more. As Part Timer has said you are doing well considering. For me, I would take a step back for now (before taking on additional stress) and try and work out why you are where you are. Speaking to a professional recommended counsellor to get to the root of the problem should help, you may not know how far it goes back. Not a short 6 week course laid on by the doctor (that prob won’t be enough time to get to the root) but someone that can dig deep. It can take years and cost thousands but is definitely worth it for the end result. The medication imo does nothing to sort the problem it merely masks the problem and definitely not a long term solution. Exercise helps. Listening to good positive speakers and entrepreneurs I found is a good way to keep positive and take onboard good ideas and tips, not just about business but also about life in general. I agree with what pjj has said about employing. At some point when the time is right and you choose to employ you may need to make gamble. It may or may not work out, but that doesn’t make it a mistake, it’s a lesson which gives you more knowledge going forward. 

I enjoy cleaning windows and it comes across as most on here do also, but I do it for me, not to prove a point to anyone else that I can be successful. So yes most mornings I do enjoy going to work even in the cold and the rain, but for the odd mornings when I am not so up for it, as a business owner you have to be disciplined.  

For me, success is not measured in how much money I earn, but how happy I am with my life. 

Onwards and upwards and all the best ?

 
Working on your own can be lonely at the best of times. I have found that joining a networking group that meets regularly has helped me with my mind set and also talking to other local window cleaners over a coffee every now and then to chew the fat. Try and find a mentor or a support group for small business. 

 
It's the same as learning to run.  Yeah you think I've lost the plot now but no.  

We all know how to run, but how many of can run for any distance or any length of time at all?  There's maybe 5 people on here I would believe if they said they could run for more than 5 minutes. 

 Before I continue something a few already know about me is I have been clinically diagnosed with depression over 20 years back and still have it to this day.  I was going to say struggle with it to this day but I refuse for it to be a struggle. 

Before we move forward we have to know by what measure you measure success? If you go back a few years my measure of success was putting food on the table and the bills being paid. If I could do that daily I was highly successful. (And still am) This was a small bar to hit but I would hit it every day. 

Next level of success was to get a car with roofrack for my ladder. 

Next level a van with a pro system and so on...  these weren't how I measured success they were just natural progression.   

There are a few lads on here that talk of having 5 vans 10 vans etc. and making their millions and if that's how they measure success then ok, but remember on all forums there are people who seem a lot more successful than in reality. (NO I AM NOT SUGGESTING ANY ONE YOU PARANOID MOB, JUST POINTING OUT FACT) 

For others having one van with a full round and impeccable local reputation is their measure of success so really what I am getting at is what makes you think you are unsuccessful? 

You mention your dad, mine was an absent b@$€@rd from when I was 2 years old. The day I got the news he died was one of the most insignificant days of my life.  Point here is people will say this and that about you but only you give them the power to let it affect you. 

@Pjj has a successful business and is looking to cut back not take on more. I wish him the best with his daughter and hope she kicks the meds as they are nasty in most cases. 

Now back to running. (And Guns N Roses) 

I peaked at 20st a couple of months back, just massive weight gain mostly down to cider and junk, i've often been a stone or stone and half overweight but can't handle 5st overweight that's 25% more than I should be and struggling to breathe walking down the road.  To combat this I started running a couple of months back on the C25K program, very first session I was actually puking 10 minutes in, but not the next session, or the one after. So far I have not completed a single session with 100% success but every time I do complete a session I get closer to that 100%.  My goal isn't to beat every session, just to be sure I improve on the last, by the end of the program I will have it beat. 

This is the same with depression (some not all) I can wake up like you not wanting to face the job sheet for the day but there are steps I need to beat, shower = success, get dressed = success, get to first job = success and soon enough the day is done, then that low starts getting less as I am victorious, next day, I know I can do this cause I did it yesterday, and it becomes the challenge, the game, to do a little more today than yesterday as all my past bad days I survived are but proof I can't and won't be beaten. 

My motto is actually a drug reference from Guns N Roses 'Mr Brownstone' 

I used to do a little but a little wouldn't do it so the little got more and more, I just keep trying to get a little better a little better than before'

My little however is not heroine, it is the things I achieve in a day. 

Success?  I have a small franchise company and can sit back if I want to no real need to work so in that aspect yes I measure myself successful. I don't need or want 10 - 20 vans and the responsibilities that come with it.  Health? Once I can crush that 5k in 25 min then I will have succeeded. 

Will I continue to grow? Yes but only organically now, no real big pushes. 

Good luck. 

 
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I have gone through difficult times over the years which has took it's toll on me so can relate and I assume that having a family can make things more difficult as there is various personal pressures you will have put on yourself that you want certain things in life for you and your kids and you have maybe let this eat you up and lose focus a bit, the one really good thing is that you've continued to graft everyday got your work done and put money in the bank that's one big positive.

As you have already named dropped then you already know what it takes to move your business forward it's just how to implement those changes for your own business, for me increasing turnover and profit was a big thing for me in the past and I thought that by working flat out I could achieve this and I did to a point but my health suffered, so I dropped some work isolated jobs etc which were a pain to do and put my prices up, it's not about having the biggest business simply work smarter not harder and try and take short breaks weekends away etc this also helps 

 
I was wondering when a thread like this would start, @JBC88 if you’ve built a business like yours with the fight of depression then you’ve ‘succeeded’ already imo

I see you you have ‘88’ in your name, if that’s your birth year then we’re the same age, I’m a ‘89-er’ I too have been battling with depression for the last 18-24 months.

I was on medication last year, but it was making me sleep too much, was going go bed at 10 and not getting up till 10.

I now try to ‘control’ rather than eradicate it. I definitely have good weeks & bad weeks, a good week is going to the gym twice in that week, start work at 8:45/9 everyday & socialise. A bad week is lying in till 9:30 not socialising at all and just eating absolute ****. I work alone & currently live alone. 

I often plan to one day have a full round with 1 employee lad in the van with me. I don’t want a big business, doesn’t appeal.

But like you I sometimes think how? I don’t even think I’ve got it in me. Why don’t I have that drive like others do?

And it’s easy to fall into a negative mindset.

But well done for you & all the others for speaking out. Nice to know there’s actual real humans with imperfections on here! I’m no Dr and every person & depression is different, but continuing to do what you’re doing all things considered is very successful, never compare to anyone. 

 
You will never make it without a plan, I read that fact years ago relating to trading. Firstly you need to know what the problem is and by discussing it with your GP is the best advice. Half the population will get depressed at one point in their lives so the facts are telling us. A short course of SSRI will help and even better in the winter time. Try and deal with one job/problem at a time which will help enormously just by focusing on it. Buy a book on Transcendental Meditation which is great if you can do it. I tried it years ago and was great at it but I find it hard to do now because of too much work on. So today or this evening sit down and make a plan of action on what steps you are going to take to change your mindset. 

 
A short course of SSRI will help and even better in the winter time


Awful advice mate.  Stay away from drugs to manage the issues. 

Write a list of all the things that are important to you. EG: 

Get a mortgage on a place that's your own

Pay off all debts

Travel to see that one place you always dreamt of

Learn a new skill or sport

These do not need to be massive goals but just simply achievable things, work out how long it will take and set it as a target and with each on comes more 'success'

Re-design your business:

Any jobs that bring 'dread' when you face them every month (a$$ hole customer) bad access etc sack them off

Underpriced work, pull it up to modern prices. 

Just those two things drastically improve your business overnight

Success is individual. 

For me it is currently just being able to run 5K (I am not yet successful) ? 

For someone else it may be buying their own first home

For others it's colonising Mars. 

Wonder what Dicky Branson and Elon Musk would have to say if they were in this conversation. '10 vans?  I got 10 Jumbos' ?

 
I can relate, been there in a real dark place where I couldn’t even leave the house and am surprised I am here today. Had a lot once and lost most of it, but now things are good, very good, so it’s definitely achievable to bounce back. 

It seems as though you are applying some of you’re own pressure by wanting to be one of the most successful cleaning businesses and are disappointed that you are not and thinking you should of achieved more. As Part Timer has said you are doing well considering. For me, I would take a step back for now (before taking on additional stress) and try and work out why you are where you are. Speaking to a professional recommended counsellor to get to the root of the problem should help, you may not know how far it goes back. Not a short 6 week course laid on by the doctor (that prob won’t be enough time to get to the root) but someone that can dig deep. It can take years and cost thousands but is definitely worth it for the end result. The medication imo does nothing to sort the problem it merely masks the problem and definitely not a long term solution. Exercise helps. Listening to good positive speakers and entrepreneurs I found is a good way to keep positive and take onboard good ideas and tips, not just about business but also about life in general. I agree with what pjj has said about employing. At some point when the time is right and you choose to employ you may need to make gamble. It may or may not work out, but that doesn’t make it a mistake, it’s a lesson which gives you more knowledge going forward. 

I enjoy cleaning windows and it comes across as most on here do also, but I do it for me, not to prove a point to anyone else that I can be successful. So yes most mornings I do enjoy going to work even in the cold and the rain, but for the odd mornings when I am not so up for it, as a business owner you have to be disciplined.  

For me, success is not measured in how much money I earn, but how happy I am with my life. 

Onwards and upwards and all the best ?
You've definitely helped put things in perspective with this post. I don't know you obviously but still glad you're in a better place now. I don't want to give in to it and let it best me. 

Yes I definitely do think its self imposed pressure and for now I'm putting those ambitions on the back burner and focusing on just getting through my current workload regularly for a few months. I think alot of the reason why I'm where I am is lack of consistent action but the depression seems to cause me to seriously struggle each day to get going when it's really bad and this contributes to the lack of action.

I am considering going on meds, I know they wont cure the problem but they might help me cope better. Yeah I know I need counselling too the thing is the one I used to do was just me talking to the counsellor each session. It didn't help me get to the root of why I'm depressed or cure it. Not sure what type of counselling would be better.

I do enjoy listening to podcasts like business bootcamp and grow my cleaning company, they pretty much keep me inspired and help me know its possible to achieve what I want.

With employing it seems like there isn't a blueprint for it and it's a gamble. I guess it's likely a numbers game with finding the right people.

I'm glad you're actually enjoying it now too, that's what I want it to be like for me. I don't mind window cleaning when I'm not feeling majorly depressed, after all theres rubbish and monotony to deal with in all jobs so i doubt its window cleaning that's depressing me or anything.  You make a good point about success though, I'm not out to prove a point anymore but for my own sense of achievement I want to still go ahead and build a relatively business. Success  and happiness overall not just in business is most important though. From the comments it seems the measure of success is a personal thing too.

Thanks for your comments 

Working on your own can be lonely at the best of times. I have found that joining a networking group that meets regularly has helped me with my mind set and also talking to other local window cleaners over a coffee every now and then to chew the fat. Try and find a mentor or a support group for small business. 
I think loneliness plays a big factor in it tbh cos on weekends to catch up I have a mate help me and even if I feel really **** I have no problem picking him up and getting through the day. 

 
The most important thing you do is control your depression, i think everyone suffers from depression is some sort of way, i suffer from it heavy but i dont call it depression... i call it life... the more older we get the more problems we will get, hats off to u for coming open about it because i think this post can inspire you and help u a lot in the long run mate (Y)

U need to join the gym... your a young lad... 2 years older then me... start eating the correct foods... start training... the gym helps u mentally.. physically and emotionally.. the gym is the best medicine for your body and for your stress/depression. I go to the gym 3 times per week,, i do chest 1 day and then shoulders and back and then biceps and triceps... and i also play football once a week, i played on Monday for the first time in 9/10 months... and honestly i still got aches and pains in my legs and lower back and my buttocks.. thats how unfit i was... football is amazing for your body u need to get in to a routine and stick to that routine it can help so much with depression ?

And them days when you wake up.... and think oh i cant be bothered today, trust me i am worse then u ! i have that cant be arsed attitude... but i still plod along u know why? because i push my self and keep going in my head knowing that this is my business and it will be worth it in the long run !

I have a target in my head.... and to reach that target i have to wake up everyday at 5:45am.

Do it now and rest later or rest now and do it later - YOU PICK

As for staff... u need to know how to manage them and how to control them, if u can not control them then u will struggle having people working for u.

I dont need my staff, they need me... they arent doing me a favour by working for me..... im doin them a favour by giving them a job.. i am ruthless with staff and i can manage them at high levels, i have trackers on them, they can not go out over 1 mile distance for dinner, i have set rules,, they  perform good and are a good bunch of lads.

U need to be on the ball when it comes to staff and u will be fine... but u do not need to pay top dollar for staff... look after your staff give them a free role with a van and let them get on with it and it will be fine. My trackers help me a lot and by looking at a drivers tracking history it allows me to see how each staff performs.

U may not have the motivation in the morning... but once u get on with your day and its around 3pm and u been working all day u end up feelin proud of yourself for such a productive day  ? i sometimes have such a good day that i just finish 1 hour early haha.. because its well deserved ! u have to be productive each day... if your having a bad day atleast do 4/5 hours work ? 4/5 hours work is better then nothing.

You are doing well but try not to over think as overthinking can trigger of depression.

I been in bad places aswell mate with the wrong people etc, ive been in black dark holes depressed trust me .. i have seen the other side of life, and the best thing u can do is to work hard concentrate on your business and pick a hobby gym or football and spend time with close people in your life and u will do well, aslong as your business is making steady progress you should be happy because window cleaning businesses take years and years to build.
 

 
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It's the same as learning to run.  Yeah you think I've lost the plot now but no.  

We all know how to run, but how many of can run for any distance or any length of time at all?  There's maybe 5 people on here I would believe if they said they could run for more than 5 minutes. 

 Before I continue something a few already know about me is I have been clinically diagnosed with depression over 20 years back and still have it to this day.  I was going to say struggle with it to this day but I refuse for it to be a struggle. 

Before we move forward we have to know by what measure you measure success? If you go back a few years my measure of success was putting food on the table and the bills being paid. If I could do that daily I was highly successful. (And still am) This was a small bar to hit but I would hit it every day. 

Next level of success was to get a car with roofrack for my ladder. 

Next level a van with a pro system and so on...  these weren't how I measured success they were just natural progression.   

There are a few lads on here that talk of having 5 vans 10 vans etc. and making their millions and if that's how they measure success then ok, but remember on all forums there are people who seem a lot more successful than in reality. (NO I AM NOT SUGGESTING ANY ONE YOU PARANOID MOB, JUST POINTING OUT FACT) 

For others having one van with a full round and impeccable local reputation is their measure of success so really what I am getting at is what makes you think you are unsuccessful? 

You mention your dad, mine was an absent b@$€@rd from when I was 2 years old. The day I got the news he died was one of the most insignificant days of my life.  Point here is people will say this and that about you but only you give them the power to let it affect you. 

@Pjj has a successful business and is looking to cut back not take on more. I wish him the best with his daughter and hope she kicks the meds as they are nasty in most cases. 

Now back to running. (And Guns N Roses) 

I peaked at 20st a couple of months back, just massive weight gain mostly down to cider and junk, i've often been a stone or stone and half overweight but can't handle 5st overweight that's 25% more than I should be and struggling to breathe walking down the road.  To combat this I started running a couple of months back on the C25K program, very first session I was actually puking 10 minutes in, but not the next session, or the one after. So far I have not completed a single session with 100% success but every time I do complete a session I get closer to that 100%.  My goal isn't to beat every session, just to be sure I improve on the last, by the end of the program I will have it beat. 

This is the same with depression (some not all) I can wake up like you not wanting to face the job sheet for the day but there are steps I need to beat, shower = success, get dressed = success, get to first job = success and soon enough the day is done, then that low starts getting less as I am victorious, next day, I know I can do this cause I did it yesterday, and it becomes the challenge, the game, to do a little more today than yesterday as all my past bad days I survived are but proof I can't and won't be beaten. 

My motto is actually a drug reference from Guns N Roses 'Mr Brownstone' 

I used to do a little but a little wouldn't do it so the little got more and more, I just keep trying to get a little better a little better than before'

My little however is not heroine, it is the things I achieve in a day. 

Success?  I have a small franchise company and can sit back if I want to no real need to work so in that aspect yes I measure myself successful. I don't need or want 10 - 20 vans and the responsibilities that come with it.  Health? Once I can crush that 5k in 25 min then I will have succeeded. 

Will I continue to grow? Yes but only organically now, no real big pushes. 

Good luck. 
Thank you for contributing and for sharing that you too have depression. I know you've said on your videos that you're not a people person and me neither but you would never know from your videos that you've ever had depression. Just this alone is encouraging because it appears you are doing well in business to the kind of levels I would like to atleast.

I get the analogy of running, if you do a bit better each day you're improving and getting more successful at achieving the goal.

Its helpful how you mentioned the little stages of the day you get through- shower, dressed, first job etc =success. I will try apply this to myself. I always tend to think this shouldn't be a challenge cos everyone else does it every day like clockwork.

Again it seems success is relative and an individual thing but maybe i should be kinder to myself and give myself more credit for just doing the basics for now?

Thank you

 
I have gone through difficult times over the years which has took it's toll on me so can relate and I assume that having a family can make things more difficult as there is various personal pressures you will have put on yourself that you want certain things in life for you and your kids and you have maybe let this eat you up and lose focus a bit, the one really good thing is that you've continued to graft everyday got your work done and put money in the bank that's one big positive.

As you have already named dropped then you already know what it takes to move your business forward it's just how to implement those changes for your own business, for me increasing turnover and profit was a big thing for me in the past and I thought that by working flat out I could achieve this and I did to a point but my health suffered, so I dropped some work isolated jobs etc which were a pain to do and put my prices up, it's not about having the biggest business simply work smarter not harder and try and take short breaks weekends away etc this also helps 
Yeah those pressures are real for me, I have to provide for them and it's so frustrating when I can't manage it.

In general I'm surviving and keeping my exits work and providing. I get sick of the internal struggle though and hope I eventually get on top of it so I can achieve what inset out to.

 I do tend to look at turnover and profits. If I've earned as much as possible in the month according to my round value then iv done my current best I can.

 
I was wondering when a thread like this would start, @JBC88 if you’ve built a business like yours with the fight of depression then you’ve ‘succeeded’ already imo

I see you you have ‘88’ in your name, if that’s your birth year then we’re the same age, I’m a ‘89-er’ I too have been battling with depression for the last 18-24 months.

I was on medication last year, but it was making me sleep too much, was going go bed at 10 and not getting up till 10.

I now try to ‘control’ rather than eradicate it. I definitely have good weeks & bad weeks, a good week is going to the gym twice in that week, start work at 8:45/9 everyday & socialise. A bad week is lying in till 9:30 not socialising at all and just eating absolute ****. I work alone & currently live alone. 

I often plan to one day have a full round with 1 employee lad in the van with me. I don’t want a big business, doesn’t appeal.

But like you I sometimes think how? I don’t even think I’ve got it in me. Why don’t I have that drive like others do?

And it’s easy to fall into a negative mindset.

But well done for you & all the others for speaking out. Nice to know there’s actual real humans with imperfections on here! I’m no Dr and every person & depression is different, but continuing to do what you’re doing all things considered is very successful, never compare to anyone. 
Thanks for sharing @RWCleaning

yeah I was born in 88 so we are in the same generation I used to have meds but they made me an emotional zombie. There are other types though and I may try them cos not having them isn't helping at all. I often have days where I'm starting at 10 and doing what I can. I'd love to be raring to go doing 7 hour days from 8.30 and everything just working out. I used to do it no problem  when abit younger but don't think the depression was as bad back then. I'm not sure you can 'eradicate it's' but controlling it would be enough for me cos then it doesn't interfere with providing a living. Alot of window cleaners are happy to be on ther own or with one guy but it's like I have this massive desire to do way more than that and i believe I'm capable of it if i can get the depression under control.

I'm glad I took the risk to share my depression its surprising to learn who else has it and how many. I hope this thread helps us all.

 
You will never make it without a plan, I read that fact years ago relating to trading. Firstly you need to know what the problem is and by discussing it with your GP is the best advice. Half the population will get depressed at one point in their lives so the facts are telling us. A short course of SSRI will help and even better in the winter time. Try and deal with one job/problem at a time which will help enormously just by focusing on it. Buy a book on Transcendental Meditation which is great if you can do it. I tried it years ago and was great at it but I find it hard to do now because of too much work on. So today or this evening sit down and make a plan of action on what steps you are going to take to change your mindset. 
I've painstakingly sat down many nights trying to diagnose what's wrong me but I've not been able to figure it out. It's just overwhelming feelings of' I can't handle today and I feel like ****' the docs don't help much in my experience as they don't have time. 

I'd love to go on a meditation trip but If it's like astral projection what your referring to then I'd rather avoid that or I'll end up with much more problems with depression. I've heard mindfulness and breathing exercises for relaxation are helpful though.

Awful advice mate.  Stay away from drugs to manage the issues. 

Write a list of all the things that are important to you. EG: 

Get a mortgage on a place that's your own

Pay off all debts

Travel to see that one place you always dreamt of

Learn a new skill or sport

These do not need to be massive goals but just simply achievable things, work out how long it will take and set it as a target and with each on comes more 'success'

Re-design your business:

Any jobs that bring 'dread' when you face them every month (a$$ hole customer) bad access etc sack them off

Underpriced work, pull it up to modern prices. 

Just those two things drastically improve your business overnight

Success is individual. 

For me it is currently just being able to run 5K (I am not yet successful) ? 

For someone else it may be buying their own first home

For others it's colonising Mars. 

Wonder what Dicky Branson and Elon Musk would have to say if they were in this conversation. '10 vans?  I got 10 Jumbos' ?
Lol the 10 jumbos comment..the fact is they all will have started with that idea of what they have now in their heads and they have achieved it, they and hundreds of others and it all started with thoughts and ideas.

 
The most important thing you do is control your depression, i think everyone suffers from depression is some sort of way, i suffer from it heavy but i dont call it depression... i call it life... the more older we get the more problems we will get, hats off to u for coming open about it because i think this post can inspire you and help u a lot in the long run mate (Y)

U need to join the gym... your a young lad... 2 years older then me... start eating the correct foods... start training... the gym helps u mentally.. physically and emotionally.. the gym is the best medicine for your body and for your stress/depression. I go to the gym 3 times per week,, i do chest 1 day and then shoulders and back and then biceps and triceps... and i also play football once a week, i played on Monday for the first time in 9/10 months... and honestly i still got aches and pains in my legs and lower back and my buttocks.. thats how unfit i was... football is amazing for your body u need to get in to a routine and stick to that routine it can help so much with depression ?

And them days when you wake up.... and think oh i cant be bothered today, trust me i am worse then u ! i have that cant be arsed attitude... but i still plod along u know why? because i push my self and keep going in my head knowing that this is my business and it will be worth it in the long run !

I have a target in my head.... and to reach that target i have to wake up everyday at 5:45am.

Do it now and rest later or rest now and do it later - YOU PICK

As for staff... u need to know how to manage them and how to control them, if u can not control them then u will struggle having people working for u.

I dont need my staff, they need me... they arent doing me a favour by working for me..... im doin them a favour by giving them a job.. i am ruthless with staff and i can manage them at high levels, i have trackers on them, they can not go out over 1 mile distance for dinner, i have set rules,, they  perform good and are a good bunch of lads.

U need to be on the ball when it comes to staff and u will be fine... but u do not need to pay top dollar for staff... look after your staff give them a free role with a van and let them get on with it and it will be fine. My trackers help me a lot and by looking at a drivers tracking history it allows me to see how each staff performs.

U may not have the motivation in the morning... but once u get on with your day and its around 3pm and u been working all day u end up feelin proud of yourself for such a productive day  ? i sometimes have such a good day that i just finish 1 hour early haha.. because its well deserved ! u have to be productive each day... if your having a bad day atleast do 4/5 hours work ? 4/5 hours work is better then nothing.

You are doing well but try not to over think as overthinking can trigger of depression.

 
Thanks haz these comments are genuine, this maybe type of thing where you don't necessarily enjoy it but you drag yourself out of bed to do it for the rewards you have alot of the same ideas I want to implement. I know if I got up at 5.30am I'd achieve far more in the day but it's abit beyond me atm.. I'm gonna come back to this later on. If anyone else wants to contribut or reply just go for it. Also a mod might want to combine my multiple replies.?

 
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