Hey Reader We kicked off Week 1 in my new group offering this week, and man it reminded me of my first week of teaching way back when. My journal entry read something along the lines of, the kids have bodies and bodies have physical needs. 17 years later, and I'm living those feelings again. I'm a little embarrassed that I forgot until more than halfway through our first workshop that people could use a break. But someone said something super kind. They alluded to me having things together. And the truth is, while there are things I feel like I do have together, I also see all the gaps and possibilities I'm not capitalizing on. When someone says that things are working, my brain likes to argue with, "But you don't see all the additional possibilities I can see in my head!" Imposter syndrome can be paralyzing. Something that's been helping me is putting things into context. And the Deep Sky documentary I watched a while back helped so much (trailer here.) It reminded me about how massive the universe is, and what a tiny blip our existence is. While that could be a scary thought for some, for me it was liberating. We have all these ideas about the impact of our actions. And when we care so damn much, the worry about serving people perfectly can prevent us from serving at all. It can prevent us from creating and making offers to generate business and revenue. Or it can create tunnel vision, where we see only one way in which we want to serve and generate revenue. This isn't an argument for generating revenue in ways that are counter to your values or putting things out there that aren't somewhat thought through. The invitation here is to see the strengths you bring in as much clarity as your challenges. If you feel like you're not doing 'enough', is that true? Or is it because you can see so much possibility - more than your clients could reasonably take advantage of? And if you're doing something that's generating money, but isn't the thing you actually want to be doing, do you need to burn the boat? Are there some things you can salvage and generate revenue from, while still serving your vision and allowing you space for creativity? Another thing that can happen is we're so focused on our past mistakes. Someone I spoke with recently talked about how her first $10,000 month was the first time in her life that she bounced a rent cheque. That can create paralysis too. Because if the greatest amount that you earned came at the same time as something that made you fear for your personal security, it can be scary putting yourself out there for bringing in more money. So here are some things to consider doing:
Let me know if any of this lands for you! And if you have something different that supports you, I'd love to hear about it. I love adding to my toolbox of strategies that support me through challenges. Brittany |
Hey Reader Every time I hit this time of year, I feel slightly like I've been run over by a bus. It can be hard remembering what's happened over the last year. Flipping back through planners, journals and calendars is a lifesaver. This year? I'm celebrating: Friggin beautiful, kind words from clients (the first round of group coaching is closing this week, and I might be feeling a little sappy about it) Finally feeling like I know my messaging and positioning (how amazing is it when you hear...
Hey Reader, This morning I realized there are only 48 days left in the year. Can you believe it? It crept up on me. It feels like a good moment to pause and reflect. It doesn't have to be a huge pause, mind you. It can just be a little pause to recalibrate. It's so easy to get swept up in the busy-ness of the season. And global politics don't help. It's easy to feel like you're riding the waves in someone else's boat. It's easy to forget where we have influence. So I'm practicing remembering...
Hi Reader When I started my bookkeeping practice in 2020, a business coach friend asked what the top 3 things I wanted from it were. The only one I can remember with certainty was ‘agency,’ because that’s the one that got me a funny look. Mind you, this was a couple of years after I left teaching. I was on the tail end of burnout, and all I could think about was being able to pee whenever I wanted to, never mind all the bigger things I had wanted to experience and create with my students....