Let me be honest with you, I didn’t anticipate starting this business.
In April 2014, I unexpectedly parted ways from my first business endeavor, a public relations firm that I was the co-owner of (all in the same week that I hosted a gala that completely flopped – like literally no one showed up… Plus, I moved into a new house and I also fell down the steps early in the week resulting in a concussion… Super fun times). More on that period in my life here, should my mess help you accept yours.
[PS – If you’re struggling with entrepreneurship, feeling burnt out, or just want a space to talk about the real struggles you’re going through in your business, come hang out with us in the Facebook Group.]
For so long after that, I bounced from idea to idea of how to run my business and what was going to make it successful. For a good 18 months out of the past 2 years, every decision I’ve made has been based off of one question, “How can I make enough money from this to pay my rent?”
That was, hands down, the worst approach I could have taken. First of all, regardless of what we think, money is a terrible thing to make decisions like this off of (this TED Talk explains why traditional rewards like money aren’t always successful motivators). Second, 90% of my decisions were being based on impulse.
You know how you have this spark inside of you dying to chase your dreams and start something new? For me, I get so excited that I have the hardest time preparing to launch anything because when I have an idea, I just want to put it out into the world RIGHT NOW. I used to think this was because I was just so passionate about what I do, but the psychology degree in me pokes at my core as a reminder that this is probably just my way of overcompensating for my insecurities around things not working.
I’ve have been so used to the constant arms race of trying to keep up with my bills that there is no option for “not working”. I have to act on whatever ideas I possibly can that might make me some profit because chances are, my rent was due last week and my lights are probably about to get shut off (and no thank you, I will not be getting a full or part time job). When nothing “seems” to be working, when new clients aren’t coming, when sales aren’t climbing, and a fresh, intriguing idea is installed into my head, I should obviously put effort into that right? Ehhh, not so fast…
I wasn’t making decisions and directing my energy based off of where I wanted to be, I was making decisions based of my current, temporary (and rather emotional) state. I lived my life like this for 2 years – throwing myself head first into every direction I possibly could (because you know, the “don’t put all your eggs in one basket” thing). At the end of the day, I was just doing anything and everything I could not to drown.
Start making CEO quality decisions today!
Nothing was working, and I had no idea why. All these creative entrepreneurs are blowing up Facebook with their successes, why was I not one of them? I live with integrity and I wake up every morning genuinely trying to be a good person. I was so frustrated because I couldn’t seem to obtain the success I deserved (and I wasn’t even looking for anything massive, just enough money to pay my bills so that I could enjoy being my own boss).
It wasn’t until a few months ago that I started to understand the problem: it was in my decision making. Especially because when you throw a heaping dash of anxiety, a large scoop of depression and the loneliness that comes with being your own boss into the mix, making a choice and sticking with it (which is equally as important) is not next to impossible, it is entirely impossible.
My strategy was next to nonexistent (even though at the time I thought “anything to make money” was a decent strategy), I didn’t give anything enough time to potentially work out, and most of all, I wasn’t taking the time to set up any space for my success. I would either wake up and make a thousand decisions I didn’t need to in hopes of turning my business around, or I would cripple under the pressure and opt out of making any and all decisions for that day. All of this on top of also trying to maintain a unnecessarily perfect facade on social media, since I was certainly not going to find new clients if they saw even a glimpse of my business struggling (which I also found not to be true in the long run).
Just like setting the table before a meal, I’ve learned to recognize the importance of preparing the setting for which my success is to happen in. And no, I’m not talking about a physical space, and I’m not talking about the emotional space in your heart (both of those are important, but not the point here). I’m talking about the real, scientific ways to set your brain up for making decisions efficiently and effectively. When you use this approach, the space of your success naturally expands. And you get to show up and be present in the space you’ve created.
Stop making on-the-spot, spontaneous decisions when it comes to your success, set the space.
So the answer to what happened when I was making impulsive business decisions? NOTHING. Not one thing happened. I was stuck. I was trying too many ideas and putting my effort into whatever I thought was going to make me money that day. I was stuck, and it put me in a very bad spot mentally.
Let me teach you how this will completely change your approach to problem solving and decision making as an entrepreneur! Get your butt signed up for the ?#?DecideToShine? Challenge if you aren’t already. I’ve poured a lot of myself into it because it’s personal and I promise, the time you spend will be WELL worth it. After going through this, I’ve developed a much better system for making choices. Learn from my mistakes so that you don’t have to make the same ones!
PS – It’s not too late to sign up! We will get you caught up on the course material, don’t even worry about that!
