Do you believe that success comes with a certain amount of struggle?
If so, you’re not alone.
I’ll admit that I was a first-class passenger on the struggle bus for a long time – longer than I care to admit. I truly believed that it needed to be hard to achieve what I wanted and that struggling was just part of the process. The idea that success could be easy was beyond my realm of possibility.
And because of that kind of thinking, I made life and work much harder.
- I bought into the idea – hook, line, and sinker – that I was being productive because I was working long hours. I wasn’t. I was just exhausted.
- I took on work I thought I should do rather than work I wanted. I fell into the trap of letting other people’s expectations trump my desires.
- (This one is hard to admit.) I ruthlessly compared myself to other professionals in my field. The toxic comparison didn’t equal success in any way, shape, or form. And the stress, stagnation, and anxiety this harmful habit generated in my life and work are difficult to convey.
- I lacked clarity about what success in my business and life looked like. Lacking clarity made it easy for me to lose focus on what was truly important. As you can imagine, it also made it difficult to gain real momentum on much of anything. So, I spent my time constantly shifting/changing my goals, switching tasks without completion, and saying yes when I wanted to say no.
The good news is that that’s not how it is anymore. Today my days are spacious. I have plenty of time and energy for my amazing clients, and I’ve created spaces throughout my days and weeks for creativity and strategy as needed. It’s a good balance, and it works for me.
What changed? The biggest thing that changed for me was letting go of the idea that I had to struggle to be successful. That success had to be complicated.
That one mindset shift alone allowed me to open up to new ways of doing things that were actually easier, and that supported rather than sabotaged me. So,
- I began working in ways that felt more natural, energizing, intuitive, and thoughtful.
- I checked in with myself when deciding what work to take on and what to let go of. And, I listened to and honored what my inner voice was telling me.
- I set boundaries around my time and focus and stuck to them. (Hallelujah!)
- I embraced my uniqueness and celebrated (rather than compared myself to) the uniqueness of others.
- I got super clear on what success looked like TO ME. And, I let that image of success guide my choices every day.
As a result, I experienced a seismic shift of positive energy around my business. Not the frantic kind of energy I’d experienced before, but the type that engaged, sustained, and supported me to do the work I’m meant to do
How about you? Are you ready to jump off the struggle bus?
- Where in your life could you use more ease?
- How might you be making things harder for yourself?
- What small change could you make that would allow you to experience more ease?
I’d love to hear from you about what you identified and the progress you’re making to create more ease in your life. Drop me a line by replying to this email and let me know!
Enjoy your discoveries!
xo
Erin
P.S. If you’re ready to hop off the struggle bus and could use some strategies and support to help you do so, hop over to Getting an Edge and join the waitlist for the next program starting in October. GAE offers strategies, accountability, community, personal support, and resources galore to help you jump off the struggle bus and work and live more easily. https://www.encompass-coaching.com/getting-an-edge-program/
P.P.S Know someone who would find this note helpful? Forward it along to them so they can hop off the struggle bus too!