Is your self awareness holding you back?
We all want life to be easy and enjoyable, but it’s not always that way. The same is true for growing a business.
Back in the 2010s, “ease” was all the rage. Coaches would market their services by saying that they could help you build a business the “easy way.”
I still find myself accidentally saying things like this from time to time.
But the reality is, there is no “easy way.”
If you’re going to pursue your dreams and accomplish your goals, it will be hard.
For most people, going independent will require you to create an entirely new life for yourself. This is quite the undertaking.
When clients start working with me, they’re often surprised to find themselves emotionally hitting rock bottom over and over.
They’ll ask me if this is a normal part of the process. And I always reassure them that it is.
All of my clients experience at least one Dark Night of the Soul – but usually many more than that.
You’ll compare yourself to others.
You’ll wonder if you’re on the wrong path.
You’ll question whether you have what it takes.
You’ll re-hash every decision and action you’re taking.
You’ll play out every doomsday scenario in your head – most of which will involve the fear of financial ruin and/or losing everything.
You may even start to feel disconnected from yourself and others – like you’ve lost touch with reality.
These are all signs that your self awareness has morphed into self criticism.
Self-Awareness helps you understand what happened so you can improve. It’s like a helpful coach cheering you on.
Self-Criticism makes you feel bad and might make you want to give up. It’s like a mean voice that isn’t helpful.
If you’re feeling lost, desperate, anxious, or consumed with worry, there’s a good chance you’ve crossed the line from awareness to criticism. I explore this distinction in much greater detail this week on my podcast. Check it out on Spotify or Apple.
This means you’re no longer operating from a place of reason and possibility. You’re operating from a place of judgement and limitation.
Not only is it emotionally exhausting, but it’s a futile exercise. It will not make you any better at your job or at growing your business.
Rather than try to change yourself and the situation, simply let it be hard.
When I say “let it be hard,” I mean that you have to accept reality rather than resist it.
Accepting reality doesn’t mean giving up or resigning yourself to defeat. It means accepting where you’re at in the process and being ok with it so that you can more easily move forward toward your goals.
Growing a business is hard – product development, marketing, sales, delivery. All are hard.
Showing up consistently is hard. So is waking up and getting out of bed to face another day.
You have to let the process be hard without making it mean anything about you.
When you allow it all to be hard, here’s what happens:
Relief - you’ll feel a sense of relief – like it’s ok that things are hard.
Action - you’ll start taking more effective action – testing and trying things
Results - the more you test, the better your results will get
This allows you to take your time and learn the lessons you need to learn as you go.
You’ll be free to think and act.
You’ll enjoy your work more, and you’ll also enjoy your down time.
You’ll stop obsessing over what didn’t work out or what you could have done better.
You’ll learn to turn off your brain and release the pressure within yourself.
This will feel so damn good.
And when you show up feeling good, you get better results.
It’s a virtuous cycle.
This is what I coach my clients to do – to successfully navigate the hardest parts of starting a business and to find an inner state of peace in the process.
Imagine what it would feel like to be in love with the process – even when things aren’t going the way you want them to.
Imagine if you were surrounded by other like-minded solopreneurs who were also in love with the process and practicing these same principles as they grew their businesses.
It’s so fun and freeing.
Most of my clients think that they are somehow unique in their suffering. They’re often flabbergasted to learn the opposite – that we’re all going through the same damn thing!
It’s so validating to see other folks navigating the same challenges that you’re facing.
You’ll instantly feel less crazy!
This is what it’s like to work with me inside my program, GO INDEPENDENT.
We create freedom through independence, together.
You’ll benefit from every lesson I’ve ever learned – from business strategy to battling your inner demons.
If you’re thinking about going independent or have recently taken the leap, GO INDEPENDENT is the perfect community to support you at this stage.
As we close out 2024 and move into 2025, now is the perfect time to SIGN UP.
Your future self will thank you :)
Chris
Thanks For Reading!
I am on a mission to help driven people find clarity in the fast lane – making great money doing work they love, on their own terms.
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