Sometimes when you’re not seeing results, even when you’re pushing so hard, it’s very easy to want to give it all up. This post is not necessarily about tips and tricks on how to get things done, but more on your mindset becauseIi’ve personally found that the way I approach certain situations in my mind, is what really helps move through the roadblocks when they occur.
1. Embrace uncertainty and hardship rather than trying to avoid it.
Sounds a bit cliche, but I believe that uncertainty is part of this game of starting and running your own outfit – even when things are going great. Constantly focusing on avoiding uncertainty and trying create safety like you would have in the 9-5 situation, is usually what gets you stuck.
In the past 10 years of starting and running businesses, i’ve found that the more certainty, I sought in my situation, the more stuck I became. The more I focused only on things I thought would create certainty, the harder it was to get traction.
Focusing more on being interesting and resonating with the people I wanted to work with FIRST, is what started changing things. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a photographer, designer or coach, resonating first with people and aiming to be interesting is ultimately what will bring certainty and get you moving from stuck to momentum.
2. Focus on your actions, not your passion.
It’s all well and good to say you became a freelancer or solopreneur to do what you love but what they never tell you before you make that jump is that you only get to do what you love 20 percent of the time. The other 80 percent of your time, is spent doing marketing (in other words, being interesting and resonating with people) which is something you may not love so much but is absolutely essential to enable you spend that 20 percent doing what you’re passionate about.
You’ll begin to get unstuck when you accept that your business is not about your passion but how good you resonate with people.
Every single day, ask yourself what actions you’re taking to resonate with people. People only begin to care when they find you interesting. Things changed for me as a photographer, when i finally got this - Don’t follow your passions, follow your effort to resonate and be interesting. It is what will lead you to your passions and to success, however you define it.
3. You’re not special. There are people like you. Find them.
Sounds harsh, but it’s true. People don’t really care until you begin to care. Here’s what I’ve learned on my journey so far, when I’ve held back because I wasn’t sure people would like something, I became stale and uninteresting. It doesn’t matter whether it was with my photography, stationery design, or marketing work here at minted creative. I’ve learned that you and all the others i’ve met on my journey don’t care what I do in my life as long as I’m interesting. If I am able to share with you my journey, and things that i’m doing or have done, then you can identify with me when you do the same things. This is what begins to build traction and get you moving from being stuck towards momentum.
Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable from time to time. People resonate with people. The more people say: “wow, i’m going through the same thing” as they follow your journey, the more unstuck you become. We’re all going through the same drama
That’s the beauty of being a one man show or small outfit. People don’t want you to be something you’re not, they just want you to be more of YOU and not be afraid to show it.
