Are You "Quiet-Quitting" On Your Own Notary Business?

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I looked up “Quiet Quitting” to find out what, exactly, it means. Several websites later, I’m still not sure. News outlets, bloggers, and influencers, seem to use it how they want and make it mean what they need.  It looks like a cross between those employees looking to establish a better work-life balance and those who just simply don’t want to work in their position anymore. 

The essence of quiet quitting is to do the bare minimum within the job description, so you’re not working too hard and have time to enjoy life, or work on your own thing. 

I can maybe get behind that in many cases. Why burn yourself out building someone else’s dream? Conserve some energy for hobbies, family, and yes, even building your own dream, right? 

But, I am also a huge proponent of taking 100% responsibility for your life and your results. If you’re not happy there, make a plan to leave. If your boundaries are being violated, have a conversation. 

But what about when you’re self-employed? What happens when you do the very bare minimum to scrape by as your own, and only, employee? 

I can only speak for myself here, because while I never called it “quiet quitting,” I’ve certainly been checked-out of my “job” as CEO, HR manager, marketing director, janitor, et al, multiple times in my entrepreneurial career. How do I know that? Results. Though often harsh, results never lie. 

Through 26 business failures (and counting) I’ve used every excuse in the book to avoid doing things that needed doing:

• I am too busy
• I don’t know how
• I am overwhelmed
• I already know that
• That’s ridiculous
• Why bother?
• The economy is screwed
• My business partner lied
• Maybe it will just go away on its own/take care of itself
• I already work three jobs

Look, I love the idea of a work-life balance, I really do. In fact, I think I do a pretty decent job of it now. Admittedly, when you also love your work, it’s harder to maintain that balance, because it doesn’t feel like work! But I worked hard for it, and I continue to work hard for it. 

“Balance” looks different when you get it. It’s not about a 50/50 split at all times. Sometimes, it’s 90/10 for 12 months (or 24 or 60), and then it may shift closer to 50/50, or 30/70 for a few weeks or months. 

But one thing is clear in my entrepreneurial experience: bare minimum doesn’t cut it when you’re building a business.  Avoiding hustle culture doesn’t build empires, hustle does. Dreams don’t take weekends off. And you don’t get a pass for every reason you have not to work on your business. There’s always a reason, never an excuse. 

If I dig deep, and really tell the truth about it, I had likely been quiet quitting on myself for years, long before it was a buzzword. That’s how you fail at 26 businesses-do the minimum effort and avoid the hard and boring stuff. 

The good news is, once recognized, the course can be adjusted. As a solo-preneur, who may have once been their own worst employee, quietly quitting, giving up on a dream, you can shift and become your best employee. 

Re-engage with the reason this business must work for you. The work of being an entrepreneur isn’t easy. Sometimes it sucks, frankly. You MUST remind yourself why you are building this business and what it could mean for you. 

And then get yourself a win as soon as possible and start boosting your confidence again. Even something as simple as waking up an hour early or making your bed just because you said you would is enough to get back in integrity with yourself. 

When I am out of sorts and need to get my head straight, I default to the basics of The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod. Even after nearly ten years of practicing the SAVERS, I still fall off the wagon and “forget” to do my silence/meditation, affirmations, visualization, exercise, reading, and scribing/journaling. Before I know it, months go by and I wonder why I am anxious and discombobulated. It’s usually because I am disconnected. Those six daily practices keep me grounded and give me a clear canvas on which to create. 

Whatever you use to light yourself up, do more of that. And if you find that you too may be quiet quitting on yourself, take a breath and make a choice to change. If you want this business to work, no more quiet quitting. It’s time for the ambitious engagement of your dreams.

Bill Soroka is the founder of Notary Business Builder, an elite community of professional Notary entrepreneurs that are committed to building a successful business in any economy by leveraging authentic sharing technology and cultivating deeper relationships.