Comparison is the Dream Killer | Getting out of Funk | New Events
If you’re new here, welcome. If you’ve been a reader for a while, thank you.
My goal this year was to write a monthly newsletter. Since January, it’s been sent to inboxes on the third Thursday of the month. Sometimes it’s finalized at the last moment, others a little earlier. What I’ve learned in writing this is that I work well with deadlines and promises to others. If I was the only one who had anything to do with this going out, it may or may not happen. But the small and mighty part-time team who works with me (and deadlines in Asana) helps me get things done.
I know I’m not alone. Countless clients I’ve spoken to have shared with me that just knowing we’ll be having a session soon helps them with accountability. I guess it’s just how some of us are wired, and that’s totally okay.
We’ve got a lot of projects in the works here, things I’m excited about sharing with you and will soon. For now, at the bottom of this email, I’ll share with you a few snippets of things we’ll be announcing soon. I hope there’s something for you in what’s to come.
“Comparison is the ultimate killer of dreams,” I said to a client feeling defeated on a call recently.
Carla launched her business a few years ago, and felt it was going pretty well until she joined a Facebook group, only to doubt everything instantly.
“I see posts from people in my industry that make me feel like I’m not doing enough,” she continued. “Their businesses are bigger; they serve far more clients, have larger teams, and likely make way more revenue.”
I asked her where she thought this was coming from, and she pondered for a moment, then laughed as she said, “I wish I knew.”
As we discussed it further, she shared with me that while she was delighted with her business, the revenue it generated, the clients she worked with, and the amount of time it gave her, some part of her was questioning whether this was enough? Should I be doing more?
We dove deeper into what was coming up, and she recalled a book by a business expert she’d read early in her business that gave a statistic about small businesses that fail. The solution was a certain growth percentage each year to stay ahead of that.
For homework, I encouraged her to pull out her Big Picture of Success we worked on at the start of her coaching program and read it a few times each day. The idea is to reconnect with what she wanted. A few weeks later, she reported feeling much better about herself and her business.
Early in our work together, she’d defined what she wanted and how she wanted to feel and had worked to create precisely that. In addition to reading what she’d written daily, she also ran with my suggestion to start a Celebration Journal and each day, she was writing something extraordinary about her business. She picked up a 5-year journal and reported that she’s already enjoying looking back at what she’s written and can’t wait to fill it each day.
It’s easy to get distracted online by what others are doing and spiral into a pit of self-doubt if you’re not super clear about what you want. If you don’t yet have a big picture for your business and life, take some time to put that together – and then, like my client, read it often and make some time daily to celebrate something extraordinary about yourself and your business.
Sometimes when I’m feeling stuck or in a funk, I’ve found the best way to shift is to do something totally different. Take a walk, move to another location to work, outside if the weather is favorable, make some tea or take a break and do something different entirely. The kids and I did some crafting not long ago, which helped me shift out of a bit of funk – you can read about our shenanigans here.
At the recommendations of one of my mentors years ago, I created a go-to list of things to do when feeling that way. A few of the items on the list are taking a shower, watching a movie, phoning a friend, or taking a nap. I’ve found that I can handle some of the biggest challenges that come my way when I feel my best.
Over on Instagram, I’m doing a LIVE on September 21 at 2 pm Central Time to talk a little more about this topic. For now, your homework, should you choose to do it, is to list five things you can do the next time you’re feeling stuck or in a funk. Bonus points for sharing it with a friend with permission for them to remind you of it when needed.
- In 2015, I watched and shared this video. It recently came up as a memory on FB, and I wanted you to see it. One of my favorite lines is, “somebody tells me I can’t do something, I’m gonna show ’em I can” – Gosh, I adore her moxie.
- A Ted Talk I’m loving today – “Once you know what you want, understand why you want it” Stacey Abrams
- Brené Brown never disappoints – this 10-minute video is spot on
- Ted Lasso is by far one of my favorite shows (on Twitter, it’s almost as great).
- 9/21 – Instagram Live “Getting Out of a Funk”
- 10/6 – New newsletter reveal and bi-monthly content launch
Save the Date for these upcoming events
- 10/19 – The Myth of Success live 2-hour workshop
- 11/15 – Book Launch – Nathaniel’s Journey (Pinch me, book three is being birthed)
- 12/17 – End of year celebration, reflection, and goal planning workshop
Links to join these events will be shared in my next newsletter
Are you feeling stuck? Need some support in crafting your business to allow you to live your desired life? Let me help you get things on track and fall in love with your business. Sign up here for a discovery call.
Thank you for spending another month with me digitally here – if we’re not connected on social media, then please let’s do that – my favorite place is Instagram (slide into my DMs if there’s anything I can do to help you).
Leaving you with this reminder – The moon is full of imperfections, but it’s still beautiful and a pleasure to watch.
Cheers,
Michelle Spalding
Business Alchemist | Mentor | Author