Doing it all is overrated.
Focusing your efforts on strategic, key tasks is the only way to fly.
Buuuuuut ... let's take a moment to acknowledge that honing in on those key tasks and letting go of schedule-clogging, energy-sapping activities is daunting. After all, some of those schedule-clogging, energy-sapping activities are the ones you could do in your sleep, and others yield instant positive feedback. Work like this sometimes FEELS more productive than big-picture work because it's done in the moment and we see results in the moment.
The risk of keeping ourselves busy with these non-strategic tasks is that we get stuck. We end up treading water - sometimes very much on purpose - to avoid tackling bigger, scarier decisions and getting serious about growing our businesses. And when we finally start to dial in those strategic tasks? Fear shows up. Fear of risk and failure, waste and embarrassment, trashing all progress and having to start over from scratch. When fear climbs into the driver's seat, wrenching back control of the wheel can feel impossible.
I believe thoughts compel behavior.
I believe we can change our thoughts.
In changing our thoughts, we can change our behavior.
Really, I believe in the power of language.
There are two words that can make or break your business.
What if.
What if I don’t make it?
What if I can’t pay my bills this month?
What if my website gets hacked?
What if I launch a program and no-one enrolls?
What if I raise my rates and no-one buys from me?
What if I spend 3 months writing a book and no-one wants to publish/buy/read it?
Instead of what if-fing yourself to death, hit the pause on this disturbing thought train and choose a more productive line of inquiry.
What then?
If I don’t make it [this time], what then?
If I can’t pay my bills this month, what then?
If my website gets hacked, what then?
If I launch a program and no-one enrolls, what then?
If I raise my rates and no-one buys from me, what then?
If I spend 3 months writing a book and no-one wants to publish/buy/read it, what then?
What then may have a similar end clause to what if. The difference is in the result.
What if leaves you grasping for straws, what then leaves you prepared to take your next steps. Building a thriving business is not the path of least resistance. In order to thrive, there are so many lessons that we need to learn.
And in changing your thought process from what if to what then, there are two very important lessons.
@@What if leaves you grasping for straws, what then leaves you prepared to take your next steps @@
(1) Let Go of Fear
The unknown is innately terrifying. And what if, takes us deep into the terror—creating worst-case scenarios and forcing us to stew in that fear. But we all know that fear doesn’t serve us.
Fear holds us back from success by preventing us from even trying. Fear causes us to guard our hearts—keeping us from showing the very vulnerability that makes us human (and in turn develops trust!). Fear keeps us from making investments in our businesses and in our education—what if I don’t make my money back on this investment?
Guess what? The fear never goes away. We just get better at letting go of it and acting anyway.
(2) Always have a plan B (and maybe a C & D)
Let’s get very clear on something—letting go of fear does not mean being reckless. It does mean letting go of the negative thought patterns, beliefs and behaviors that are keeping you from deeply trusting yourself – and your mission in the world.
Stop playing the what if game with yourself, because you’re only feeding a fear-monster that doesn’t serve you. BUT don’t ignore the fact that things do not always work out as we would like.
The possibility of failure is huge—especially for new entrepreneurs who are just starting to build a following.
Prepare for any outcome by changing your language from what if, to what then.
Knowing how you are going to pick up the pieces and move forward is invaluable. It has the power to reduce anxiety and reduced anxiety will increase confidence and, in turn, increase your potential for success.
@@Prepare for any outcome by changing your language from what if, to what then.@@
Your Dream Clients can sense your confidence or lack thereof—even if they can’t quite put their fingers on it. Amazingly enough, boosting your confidence is as simple as changing just two words. Those two words are the difference between being scared and being strategic.
To more sacred strategy,
