Happy Monday Reader! I'm proud to share that I followed through on last week's plan to show my face more in my marketing content! Batching content is a great way to be more efficient as a business owner, so I used that strategy to record & create a half dozen videos last week, which I can now use for a wide range of content! I set aside a chunk of time to record videos, made notes on topics and key points I wanted to mention, and even planned costume changes. I fixed my hair and put on some light makeup and jewelry so that I would feel as confident as possible. Would I like to feel confident enough to show up without all this pre-planning, to record spur of the moment content as I think of it? Of course! But that is more than I can convince myself to do yet, and we have to meet ourselves where we are. It's important to stretch outside of our comfort zones to grow as business owners, but just like with affirmations, it needs to be a small enough change that it's achievable. An "all or nothing" mindset does us no favors in our business or our personal lives. If I see that setting, accomplishing, and celebrating small, achievable goals is effective for my coaching clients...it's damn well good enough for me too! So, I accomplished my micro goal of recording videos...now I just have to use them. And in pondering how to do that, I'm still encountering a surprising amount of internal resistance, so this week's affirmation is about overcoming that: "I trust that those meant to support my business will stay." I recorded a couple of videos that are pretty strongly worded. So there's a little voice inside that tells me to scrap those because I don't want to piss people off by taking such an outspoken stance. I am a recovering people pleaser, so I've made quite a bit of progress,, but this is my people pleasing tendencies flaring up. There's a part of me that still secretly hopes I can get everyone to like me if I hide my sharper edges and quirks, especially online. That everyone could be my client as long as I don't say anything controversial, political, or passionate to alienate them. But that's me playing small. That's letting fear run the show. And I'm ready to set myself up for change this week by repeating 21x every day: "I trust that those meant to support my business will stay." ❤️ (P.S. If you're a recovering people pleaser too, I'd love to hear what strategies helped the most for you! Hit reply or grab a spot on my calendar to chat about it.) As always, affirmations work best when you truly believe them. They need to resonate with you and feel achievable. So feel free to modify any I suggest, or develop entirely new ones! Say them as long as you want. I'm sharing a new affirmation each week, but that doesn't mean you have to switch it up each week unless it feels right. You can add new ones as often as you want and have as many as you want. You can say a different affirmation every day, or at different times of the day. You choose! I'd love to hear the impact it has! (But if you decide affirmations are not for you, click here to be removed from this weekly email.) I hope this affirmation sets you up for a kick ass week and I'll see you next Monday for a new one to try! Ready to make time for great things in 2024? I have 1-1 coaching spots available to teach you how to put your limited time, energy, & attention to the work that moves the needle in just 1 hour a week. Hit reply or pick a time on my calendar here to learn more. I always have time for you. ❤️ -- Jen |
Time is the single most valuable thing we have. I help busy business owners get out of overwhelm to work fewer hours in their business (without sacrificing income!) so they can get back to enjoying their business and their life again.
Happy Labor Day Reader! Last week we looked at the water we're swimming in here in the U.S.--the water that makes constant productivity feel normal or even virtuous. Although I've been aware of this cultural pressure for many years, I still succumb to it regularly! As a business owner it's easy to put pressure on myself to work more, work harder, work longer to get my business to succeed. It's hard for me to slow down and rest when there is still so much to do! A webinar I could be watching....
Happy Monday Reader! How familiar are you with the "Protestant work ethic"? Here's a refresher that AI provided during my Google search: The Protestant work ethic is a sociological, economic, and historical concept that emphasizes the importance of hard work, frugality, and productivity in one's job. It's also known as the Calvinist or Puritan work ethic. The term refers to the religious significance that some Protestant groups believe is attached to working hard and trying to succeed. I...
Happy Monday Reader! How are things going for you? For me? I was on the struggle bus last week! Most of my client contracts are ending this month, and my pipeline for possible new clients is pretty empty. That's a terrifying place for a business owner to be! This really got into my head, and kicked up a lot of doubt and limiting beliefs. Ah, those old familiar frenemies! Due to my empty pipeline, I felt like no one was interested in my business or my coaching services. Which made it seem like...