There you are.
Cruising full speed ahead in your business, working on a new project or plan, feeling slightly full of yourself (in a happy way), excited by the possibilities and fueled by your own momentum.
Until… something happens.
A potential client says No.
A colleague questions your decision.
No one attends your free webinar.
A competitor releases a new program that looks an awful lot like yours.
And BAM! You’re thrown overboard into the dark, choppy seas of doubt, despair and even devastation. Your excitement turns to anxiety. Your confidence turns to self-doubt. And that idea, project or possibility that had you flying high and feeling victorious? Now it makes you feel like a big, fat loser.
It’s amazing, isn’t it? How little it takes sometimes to throw us off our own fast-moving ship into the murky waters of self-doubt, confusion and frustration.
Is it because we’re so emotionally fragile that any wayward wind can throw us off course?
No.
I believe it’s because as entrepreneurs we pour so much of who we are, what we believe and what we personally care about into our businesses that when something happens to threaten our certainty, cloud our clarity or cut down our credibility, we take it hard.
And we take it personally.
And to make matters worse, we have to fight what I call the two-headed monster of Isolation and Information.
It’s no secret. As entrepreneurs, we’re alone. A lot.
We don’t have a boss or a gaggle of workmates or a board of directors to keep us buoyant and above water when things get stormy. No one’s around to help us steer our ship, stay on course and fuel the engine that propels our businesses forward.
You may have a coach, and you may outsource some of your projects and tasks to virtual experts. But when it comes to your business, you’re IT. You’re the captain, first mate, chief cook and bottle washer.
So, when a storm’s a’brewing or something happens to make you feel shaky, uncertain or stuck, no one’s there to look you in the eye and say, “Hey, snap out of it! You’re thinking crazy.”
No, you’ve got to drag your own soggy ass out of those deep, dark waters of fear, doubt and worry.
And sometimes, that’s really hard to do.
Because when you’re in the muck, you can’t see straight. You can’t get enough distance, enough objectivity, to discern whether “that thing” that threw you off course is something to worry about or something to be shrugged off.
Plus, there’s the Internet.
Oh, yes, I love the Internet. But it can be a cause and contributor to your doubt, fear and confusion.
Why? Because it gives you unlimited access to what everyone else thinks, believes, espouses, and does. Your colleagues, your competition, your clients and every expert in and out of your field. And all that information, free advice and questionable expertise? It can sway, swamp and swallow you whole with “stuff” that actually undermines rather than strengthens your clarity, conviction and confidence. For instance…
- You’re digging the new blog post you’re writing until you read one written by a colleague. Now you think yours sounds weak and pathetic.
- You’re excited about your new program until you get a bulk email from a competitor announcing the release of her new program, which sounds painfully similar to yours. At half the price.
- You’re starting to get really good at closing the sale when talking to new potential clients until you attend a free webinar where some expert tells you you’re doing it all wrong.
Your constant over-awareness of what everyone else in the world thinks, does and professes is not only a huge distraction but an easy way for you to lose touch with your own inner compass and authority. It’s like static in the radio waves of your brain, a constant, annoying buzz that keeps you on edge and unable to hear the guidance of your own knowing.
But you know what?
Neither Isolation or Information are bad, evil or the source of all anguish.
Ironically, both Isolation and Information can just as easily be sources of creative inspiration, motivation and clarity. And even community.
So the monster isn’t the real issue here.
The real issue is that when we get thrown off course, we don’t often have a way to get back on board, regain our clarity (and our confidence) and keep moving forward.
That’s why I’m now offering True North sessions – short, 15-30 minute, totally free, one-on-one sessions to help you get clear, confident and on course any time you find yourself lost at sea when it comes to your business.
Because when you’ve been thrown into those dark waters of doubt, confusion and despair, the last thing you need in that moment is more information or isolation.
What you need is someone who can pull you out of the water, dry you off and get you back on course with confidence, clarity and conviction. Someone who won’t necessarily tell you what to do but will help you reconnect to that part of you who already knows what to do: your own True North.
So… the next time you get thrown off your own ship by something or someone who makes you doubt your abilities, your direction or your newest project… the next time you need someone to gently guide you back to clarity and your own inner knowing… you can always contact me via this website and request a free True North session. I’ll get back to you as quickly as I can and we’ll arrange a time to meet.
Yes, I know you have what it takes to fish yourself out of those dark and choppy waters. You’ve already done it a thousand times. But next time, you don’t have to spend so much time flailing about and praying for a rescue boat. Just contact me and we’ll quickly get you sailing fast over smooth waters towards home.