It’s been a long couple weeks.
Transformation weekend (a huge success) is finally wrapped. A week of private consults complete. Now I really want to get back to where I left off here.
Because there was a response on the blog that I wanted to address in particular.
During the transformation workshop, I shared a couple topics on the blog that we were covering live during the weekend. One post, about “who you are” relative to your business, prompted “Mary” to leave a comment…
“Oh, wow. I must have it wrong, because my answer is so different. I think, of necessity, I’m the jack-of-all-trades. And it isn’t working. I am an idea person and an initiator of great projects around my niche. I’m a pretty good writer. But I need a really good virtual assistant. And a good tech person to put up lead pages and opt-ins and sites for a funnel. At those things, I’m terrible.
I need money to do that (I ran out!). I’m working on getting that from outside this business.
The problem is: it takes me away from this business. And forces a fairly long delay.
I’m wondering if there is another way. If maybe this delay is psychologically initiated – fear of failure, etc.
Do you have an answer to that, Rich?“
Nope. I don’t.
You see, if that’s what you need… Then that’s what you need. And if that’s all you can do at the moment, then Lynn’s response (about the Kaizen approach) is a really good one. Do what you must. Take those small steps. Stay focused. You’ll eventually get where you’re going.
But to be honest Mary, I don’t think that’s your problem at all. I heard a completely different challenge in your question.
I asked “who are you and who do you need to be relative to your business” in the post. And you responded with your vision of both. Of who you are and who you’re not. (Or put another way, who you need – or who you’d need to be in their absence.)
But what I heard that’s way more important than that, is your vision of how things have to show up. The way things have to happen.
And I think that may be a WAY bigger sticking point for you.
The good news is the answer to that challenge was right in your own comment…
“I’m wondering if there is another way.”
I’m sure I’ve told the story about how I launched Strategic Profits. How I mapped out all kinds of front-ends and mid-tier products I needed to achieve the financial goals I was after. I didn’t make a whole lot of progress.
That’s because I was stuck in the way I thought things had to happen. Turns out, they didn’t have to happen that way at all.
Turns out I didn’t need any of the stuff I thought I did. All I needed was a free report and a live, technically un-sophisticated (and I might add pretty darned ugly) coaching program that delivered the goods. And I wound up with a multi-million dollar launch.
That’s my story. That was one of my other ways.
Other Ways = Alternative Possibilities
There’s a mistake entrepreneurs often make when they think about who they are and who they need to be where their businesses are concerned.
And that mistake stems from a bigger mistake in their thinking. About how things have to show up. And that’s where you may be getting off track Mary.
Because who you are and who you believe you need to be is fixed on your results occurring in a certain way. And that’s limiting all your possibility.
How things “show up” to you determines who you are (and who you need to be).
So back to your question… Is there another way?
I don’t know. But I’m willing to bet you do!
I’d invite you to consider that you’re not really “stuck”. That you’re just on a pre-determined path. And you think you’re stuck because that’s the only possible path you think you have.
You can’t see any other possibility.
Now I’m not talking about changing businesses or niches or even your goals. Only looking for other possibilities – other paths – that can get you to your goals.
I realize all this might sound a little heady. But don’t be intimidated. Entrepreneurs are creative types. And I’m sure you are too.
So here’s a little exercise that might spark some ideas…
What’s Next?
There’s only one thing to work on at any given time in your business. And that’s the NEXT thing. But alternately you can ask a slightly different question. One I just shared with some coaching clients on my weekly Q&A call…
What’s my next PROFITABLE step?
What’s the next thing I could do that will make me money?
Give that some thought. See if you don’t get any new ideas.
And then think about this. What else is possible for your business? You have all kinds of options at your disposal. But without any possibility, you’ll never see them.
Hope that helps you Mary. (And everyone else…)
To higher profits and beyond,
Rich