They were right. There IS no such thing as a free lunch...
Today, for a split second (and it really was a split second, so don’t start getting any ideas…) I almost missed the normality of a ‘job’. The thing is – being an Entrepreneur is a weird and wonderful place and when you get to make the rules it’s liberating. But it can also be lonely. Now before you start throwing your #firstworldproblems hashtags at me, hear me out.
I started the day with Bible study and prayer as usual and then moved into some journaling, as usual… and then it was like ‘now what?’ not like there weren’t a million things on my to-do list, but more, it was like I almost wanted someone to give me my next task… kind of like what happens in a job. Except the person giving the tasks is me and so is the person doing them. I wasn’t feeling especially creative and so instead of writing this post then, I chose to check in with my incredible clients – reply to their emails, check Voxer etc.
Now you might argue that that is my job but you’d be wrong to think that’s all it is. In fact, you wouldn’t even be close. In order to have those incredible clients working with me, I’ve had to show up, I’ve had to write, live stream, teach and connect and if I want my business to scale and grow, that’s what I’m going to have to continue to do. And it’s not even a ‘have to’. It’s a LOVE to. It’s a privilege and I get that.
We can't 'wonder where our clients are', as though they turn up banging down your email inbox simply because you published a website telling them they could and they were supposed to find it without you showing them how.
Aside from the sheer grace and favour of God, the only reason I now run my business full time is because I’m consistent in taking action, even when I don’t want to. Because (if you want to put it in more ordinary terms) that’s my job. And trust me, I know. I’ve been online (inconsistently) for the past SIX YEARS and have only been in business for one. The disconnect? No consistent action (for the first five years) = no one remembering who you are, what you do and whether or not they actually do want to work with you after all. The thing is – I’m not just going to jump on Facebook and post about my latest program and wait for the clients to roll in because that’s literally just not how it works.
Imagine someone walking into your house, dropping a crumpled, tea stained business card on your coffee table, saying ‘hire me’ and then walking off.
1. You’re never calling them. Ever.
2. You’re probably calling the police instead.
It’s literally bizarre to me to think that anyone believes that you can say ‘I’m really great at this and you should pay me for it’ and expect that they will get paid. But in the online world, because it’s perceived as ‘easy’, people are falling for it every single day.
It’s not easy.
But if it’s your calling, your purpose and your life’s work, that shouldn’t matter. You just do it. You can’t imagine not.
So, to get my creative juices flowing so that I could literally write this blog post, I went for a walk and ended up buying an unreasonable amount of cleaning supplies. Then I headed to the food court and took myself on a little date. I ate chicken with noodles and read some of Brene Brown’s latest book (pure gold, by the way.)
And then I laughed at myself.
As if, under any other circumstances than the ones I’m living in right now, could I pick myself up, go and buy myself some noodles and sit and read in peace while clearing my mind and getting ready to create, show up and do my job.
But you know what they say. “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.” Because although my noodles and Brene sound like freedom, it hasn’t come without a cost. You just have to decide how much you want it.
Are you okay with not having ‘stability’ for a few months while you work out what ‘this’ is?
Are you okay with doing something that not everyone is going to even get, let alone celebrate?
Are you okay with late nights, early mornings and fleeting moments (which you resist) where you question why you can’t just be ‘normal’?
If the answer to all of that is yes, then jump in with both feet and SHOW UP. You have an opportunity to make your dreams and goals a reality. The rest is truly 100% up to you.
Know you need to dive in but need a little kick start of accountability to re-ignite what once was? Look no further than my 21-day program 'Awaken', designed to help you shift what's not serving you so that you can move into action. Click the link below to sign up!