AMY PORTERFIELD: “Whenever you come up against making a decision and you notice that you're thinking to yourself, ‘You know, this doesn't really align with where I'm going or what my goals are, but I might want to do it because x, y, z,’ stop yourself, do a gut check, because even though it might be fun, it might be something that you would really shine in, is it actually taking you toward your goals or away from your goals? Because, listen, I don't want you to skimp on fun. We can find some projects that will lead you toward your goals that are fun as well. Like, we can get a win-win situation here.
“This is so important to me to share with you, because in the first two years of my business, I said yes to everything that fully wasn't aligned with my goals, not because the things were fun and I wanted to have more fun. I actually said yes to things because I was desperate. I was scared. I was fearful.”
INTRO: I’m Amy Porterfield, ex-corporate girl turned CEO of a multi-seven-figure business. But it wasn't all that long ago that I lacked the confidence, the budget, and the time to focus on growing my small-but-mighty business. Fast forward past many failed attempts and lessons learned, and you'll see the business I have today, one that changes lives and gives me more freedom than I ever thought possible, one that used to only exist as a daydream. I created the Online Marketing Made Easy podcast to give you simple, actionable, step-by-step strategies to help you do the same. If you're an ambitious entrepreneur, or one in the making, who's looking to create a business that makes an impact and a life you love, you're in the right place, friend. Let's get started.
AMY: Real quick, I wanted to talk to you about another podcast that I think you might love. It's called Being Boss, and it's hosted by Emily Thompson, and it's really just an exploration of not only what it means but what it takes to be a boss as a creative business owner, freelancer, or side hustler. So Being Boss is an amazing resource for anyone interested in getting inspired and, more importantly, getting started as their own boss.
So, head to wherever you get your podcasts to check out Being Boss. And I recommend starting with her episode on releasing the sense of urgency in business. Especially coming back from my sabbatical, this episode was a great reminder to slow down and be intentional. You're going to love it.
Hey, there, friend. Welcome back to another episode of Online Marketing Made Easy.
Let's talk about what happens when you're plugging along and something new and shiny shows up, something that isn't necessarily what you're working on. What happens?
For example, let's say you're plugging along, and you're working on creating your course, and you're doing all the things you always do in your business. You're posting on social. You're adding value each week. You're making money doing some one-on-one work. Like, you're doing all the things. But you're feeling a little uninspired. Like, “I keep doing the same thing over and over again,” and you're not feeling super driven right now. Let's just pretend. Things are working, but maybe not exactly how well you want them to work. Can you relate?
So, let's say an opportunity arises, maybe the opportunity to be a part of a digital summit, and it's not really for a topic or an industry that aligns with your business. In other words, you know those who attend likely will not be future customers of yours. But you know you could do a really good job on it. So you start to think, “Well, I'd kill that. Plus, it's a little extra money. Let's go for it.”
So to me, this is an example of playing small. I know. I just went there. It is. Going for something you know you'll crush at because it's easy for you, and it's in your comfort zone, and you get some cash for it as well, that's playing small. Because here's the thing: if you say yes to something that wasn't even on your radar, doesn't really even make sense holistically for the business; maybe it's something you're saying yes to that you promised yourself you would stop doing, because in your heart you know you really should be keeping your head down and continuing to work on whatever it is that you're creating right now in the moment or continuing to work toward those long-term goals that you've set for yourself.
Now, as an adult, as a business owner, as hard as it may seem, we can't always give in to something that will bring us instant gratification. I know, I know. I wish it were possible, but you just can't. And the hard truth is that we can't only do things in our business that we're inherently good at. Did you hear me on that one? If you're multitasking, come back to me. The truth is that we can't only do things in our business that we are inherently good at, things that make us think, “That was easy. I'm really good at this.”
Now, my good friend Susie Moore might be listening, and she might say, “Wait a second. My motto is, let it be easy.” And she's right. But the motto, “let it be easy” is not to say that everything you do should be easy inherently. “Let it be easy” is a mindset shift. No matter what is going on, how can you let it flow? How can you let it be easy? So, very different. Just wanted to point that out.
But if you only do things that are just second nature to you, you don't stretch yourself, you don't get uncomfortable, then I promise you, you cannot grow. And that instant gratification, that hit of dopamine, it actually can be the biggest distraction from what your true vision or long-term goals are.
So here's where I'm going with this: whenever you come up against making a decision and you notice that you're thinking to yourself, “You know, this doesn't really align with where I'm going or what my goals are, but I might want to do it because x, y, z,” stop yourself, do a gut check, because even though it might be fun, it might be something that you would really shine in, is it actually taking you toward your goals or away from your goals? Because, listen, I don't want you to skimp on fun. We can find some projects that will lead you toward your goals that are fun as well. Like, we can get a win-win situation here.
This is so important to me to share with you, because in the first two years of my business, I said yes to everything that fully wasn't aligned with my goals, not because the things were fun and I wanted to have more fun. I actually said yes to things because I was desperate. I was scared. I was fearful. It was FOMO, fear of missing out, but, like, fear of maybe not making enough money or fear that I'm going to miss an opportunity that will be my big shot that will skyrocket me to being an online celebrity, or whatever. I don’t really think I wanted that, but you get the point.
So it's those moments that I said yes to all those things, but imagine if I had stayed in my lane. Imagine if I put my head down. And even when it felt awkward and scratchy and scary, I kept at it till it got easier, till it was second nature to me, and then I got to move on to the next thing.
So as a reminder, no matter how easy it might feel, it's still pulling you out of your lane and taking time and energy away from what's most important to you in your business.
Now, if you keep your head down, let's say you decline the offer I mentioned earlier about speaking at a summit that's totally not aligned with your business model, and instead, let's say you create your course, and let's say you launch that course, and the first time out, you didn't hit your goals, but you made a few thousand dollars. For the record, you started with zero. So if we measure backwards, you started with zero, and now let's say you have three thousand bucks, and you've never made three thousand dollars with a digital course before, so you are winning. And let's say then you give it another shot and you launch that course again and you triple your revenue because each time you're getting better and better at it. Before long, you're going to make enough money to cover what you would have made on that stage, and then I can promise you, ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty times more because you're going to launch your course over and over again. It's letting go of that desire, or dare I say it, that need—I hate it being a need, but it is for some of us—that need for instant gratification.
Or, this is one that I deal with: the ego. So, you know, getting up on stage and being paid a lot of money to do your thing, that really boosts the ego. Am I right? But that does not, does not, move your business forward at the end of the day. So we've got to keep our eye on the prize.
Part of being human is wanting to avoid anything uncomfortable. It's very normal. I actually love this quote from my friend Chalene Johnson. She says, “Get comfortable being uncomfortable. That's how you break the plateau and reach the next level.” I couldn't agree more, because to be honest, sometimes staying in your lane is uncomfortable, and it’s the hardest thing to do as an entrepreneur. The easy thing is to chase the next shiny opportunity. The difficult thing is to actually stay in your lane. But if you choose to stay in your lane and it feels difficult, that's when you use my friend Susie's motto, “let it be easy.” How can you change your circumstances or your mindset to allow being uncomfortable; and that resistance you feel, to allow that to actually morph into something that is enjoyable? There is a way, my friend, I promise you, if you just allow your mind to go there.
I believe that being uncomfortable and continuing to move forward, like, feeling that grind and just like, “Oh, I don't want to be here right now, but I think this is the best thing for me right now,” I believe if you stick with it, that's when the magic happens.
To be honest, there were many times in my business where I wanted to jump ship because things didn't work out the way I wanted them to. I wasn't making a bunch of money yet, I wasn't growing my email list as fast as I wanted to, and things just hadn't quite clicked yet. But I just kept going. I kept creating content. I kept getting better at it. And ultimately, I stayed in my lane when it was the last thing I wanted to do. And guess what? At some point along the way, it did finally click. I felt like the magic had finally started to happen.
If you're multitasking, come back to me. When you stay in your lane and you start to be known for something, you will come to a point where all of a sudden it will feel as though you're finally in the flow. But the truth is, this flow tends not to happen right away. I don't think that everything has to be hard all the time. In fact, this is something I know firsthand. Businesses ebb and flow, just like life. So don't mistake challenging or moments that aren't exciting to you for hints that it's time to switch gears or try something new or change lanes.
Instead, here's what you can do to get really clear on this: ask yourself, “Do I have a little bit more in me?” That reminds me of my friend Ed Mylett’s book The Power of One More. Can I give it one more try, one more day, one more fill in the blank? I love this concept of one more day.
If you want to hear more about Ed Mylett’s approach, you've got to check out one of my most favorite episodes. It's number 466. So you just go to amyporterfield.com/466. I interviewed Ed, and we chatted all about this idea of just one more. So I'll link to it in the show notes.
So, here’s what I want you to remember. Don't walk away, don't switch lanes before the magic happens. Here's the cold, hard truth: a lot of people do just that. I could name tons of people that used to be in the industry that I'm in that no longer are creating their courses or building their online businesses, and they went back to nine-to-five jobs. I could name a lot of them over the last thirteen years. And they were so close. The magic was so, so close. I saw it with my own eyes, but they jumped ship way too soon. So I don't want that to be you, and that's why I wanted to share today about staying in your lane, getting uncomfortable one more day.
All right. So to recap, whenever you get a nagging feeling that maybe changing lanes would be easier or going after that instant gratification, quick-hit kind of thing, I want you to gut check yourself. Are you doing this because it's truly something that lights you up and aligns with your long-term goals? Or are you just taking the easy route? Stay in your lane, keep your head down. At least give it a valiant effort and watch the magic unfold.
All right. I hope you love this Shorty episode, and I hope you found it valuable. Thank you so much, as always, for hanging out with me.
And if you love what you're hearing, make sure to follow Online Marketing Made Easy on your favorite listening platform and leave a review.
I'll see you later this week, Wednesday for Wisdom Wednesday and Thursday for more entrepreneurial goodness. Talk to you soon.
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