You’re stuck.
That old deer in headlights scenario.
You’ve got a ton of ideas, you know, more or less, what you want to offer and it feels really good but somehow you can’t put your finger on exactly what it looks like. Something’s missing. You’re so close yet so far and it’s so frustrating.
We’ve all been there and chances are you’ll re-visit that place again as your business grows.
So what do you do when you have to do something to keep the money coming in but you’re stuck on what needs to happen next?
Well, first, here’s what not to do
- Don’t spend your time trying to find an original idea (take a look around, there aren’t a ton of original ideas out there, it’s more about you being you, not about you having the most original idea since sliced bread)
- Don’t wait for a ‘fully bodied hell yes!’ feeling to make your decision (you could be waiting for a looong time, sometimes taking action in business is uncomfortable, this is work, after all)
- Don’t try to invent some irresistible new marketing technique (there’s a reason the ones that are used, are used, they work)
How to move out of stuck and into clarity
Here’s a simple formula for you:
Clarity comes through action
Step 1: give yourself space to feel into what it is exactly that you want
If that works, great. If not and you find yourself totally wound up in that head space and overwhelmed by it all, it’s time for step 2 (ie. Don’t wait for a hell yes if it ain’t coming!).
Step 2: Tell perfectionism firmly where to go so that you can take action.
Any action. It doesn’t matter if you know that this is the right action or not. As long as it’s sensible action, taking that next step will bring you a huge amount of clarity. Either to continue down that path, or veer off in another direction.
Of course I’m not saying here to take one action after another guesstimating your way through. That would be a waste of time. What I mean is when you feel truly stuck and giving the situation time and space isn’t helping, take a logical next step. Then another. But don’t carry on shifting from one direction to another. That won’t get you anywhere fast.
You’ve done all the work but you’re still not entirely clear on your message, put something out there, explore it, experiment, see how it sits for you, see how it sits for others. Deepen it. Try it out in different forms and platforms. Expand on it.
Feeling overwhelmed with possibilities? Choose the next easiest or most exciting one.
The key is to take action rather than staying stuck.
One step will always lead to another.
And the simple fact is that not all business building is fun and exciting. You actually do need to go through certain motions – or outsource them. Don’t kid yourself into thinking it can all be based just on fun (setting up a webinar is not my idea of fun, I outsource it. Being visible for the first time on video wasn’t my idea of fun, I cursed and re-recorded a gazillion times until I’d had enough and just put it out there).
Yes, I consider that I built my business ‘my way’ and it was/is pleasant most of the time. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t have to actually do work that, well, felt like work. This is your profession, remember. Find out the 5 steps that I took to grow my business and that my clients use, bringing them results and as much room to do things their way as possible.
