Short post, hard message: what’s your largest source of avoidance or anxiety within your business today?
Setting boundaries with clients? Raising your rates, then sticking to it? Doing your taxes?
I don’t care what it is. Get after it.
That thing that pains you the most – that thing you’ve been avoiding – that’s the thing you need to address right now. Pain is your internal GPS. Physical pain points us to issues in our body that need attention. An appendix doesn’t hurt unless it’s about to burst. A torn muscle tells you all about it – because it needs rest to heal. Your sources of emotional discomfort are exactly what need more attention.
Your clients deserve your best self – you owe it to them.
What is one thing you could do to begin moving the needle? If your relationship with a client is stressed, take action. Have a frank conversation. State boundaries. Be firm – but start with being firm with yourself. You’ll find it extends to others if your boundaries with yourself are strong.
New level; new devil
Do you have baggage about money? About 99% of us do. If you EVER feel resentment toward a customer for taking up too much of your time and not paying enough, you are acting unethically. That resentment will show up in the work you do for this customer. What does this mean? Charging less than you’re worth is unethical behavior. Get really uncomfortable with that – and then get real about your rates (info on this here). Yes, it’ll be scary to hand customers the invoice or have the money conversation the first few times. Get used to it. Fear makes you stronger, and then you find a new thing to fear.
Use your pain as a GPS
What about that one thing that you keep avoiding? What is it for you – sorting your email inbox and getting to inbox zero? Doing your taxes? All of these things will be just as bothersome tomorrow, and tomorrow you’ll feel the failure of another day gone. Let that failure sink in – use it. If you can learn to harness the negative, you can use it to fuel your action. What’s the hardest thing on your list today? That’s your only job. Go get it done. Right now.
Remember, perfect doesn’t matter. Practice matters. Doing matters.
Get out there. Right now. Do the hard thing.
Don’t avoid.
Get after it.
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