We all know the “good” bits about having your own business, but here’s 3 things I didn’t expect.
You don’t have to do it the way everyone else does.
Some things just have to be done a certain way, right? If you’re an accountant, you need to prepare a client’s taxes the way the Government states. You can get creative with it but only within the law. Otherwise your client will end up with the auditors at their door.
But no-one said you have to wear a suit and tie all day, and sit in a brown panelled office.
You CAN let your creativity loose on the WAY you provide your services, the environment you choose to work in, and how you market yourself to your ideal clients.
Same goes for your business. There are loads of people out there who will tell you that marketing must be done according to their formula for success. Their formula may well be super-successful for most people but I bet you can still tweak it your way and put your own personal spin on it to make it speak to YOUR audience.
500 people can take the same course and still come out with a different point of view on how they will implement those skills into their life or business. No-one can do {insert your thing} in the same way that you will. Your life experiences, your particular set of skills and knowledge, your unique viewpoint will all bring a different flavour to your business.
You’re going to want to give up. Sometimes, a lot.
And you can, for sure. You can go back to that other job you left behind to start this business.
You can go back to feeling stuck, frustrated, and like you’re not actually living your life, just drifting through it. Would that feel better? Somedays, yes. But EVERY DAY? Do you want to wake up to those energy-draining feelings again? Or do you want to close that door and move forward?
At these times, it helps me to remember my goals and values. What’s really important to YOU?
For me, I want to have flexible work so that I can be home for my children after school. I want to do something that allows me to bring some creativity to whatever I’m doing. I don’t want to fit in with other people’s expectations of me, or demands that I be somewhere in particular for x hours of the day, regardless of whether I need that long to complete their tasks.
I value creativity and expression. I value the feeling of being invited to help someone bring their dreams to life via getting their message out to their people. I value being part of that journey.
So on the days when it’s really tough, when I think I just want to have someone tell me what to do, and pay me for it, I weigh up those goals and values.
Freedom, flexibility, creativity, expression, and helping others wins out so far.
The fear doesn’t go away. Learn to accept it.
I read somewhere recently that learning to move forward and take action despite the fear, is far more achievable than losing the fear.
Even for the most successful of your business idols, there will still be fear there somewhere. They might be confident speaking to the world on Oprah, or on a stage in front of thousands, but they very likely still have those same doubts and fears they always had when going into a big launch – does anyone want what I have to offer? Will anyone sign up? What if it’s just a big, fat dud?
The difference is, they feel the fear and they do it anyway. So get more comfortable with those feelings, and find your ways of coping with them. Whether it’s meditating on it, journalling about it, confiding in your mastermind group, or using EFT or kinesiology to get unstuck – surrender to it being there, but don’t let it stop you.
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