We are looking forward to spending Halloween with our boys tomorrow. And hope you've got some fun planned for yourself.
Even though our kids aren't wearing scary costumes, today's blog post is about how to handle things when you get scared after the sh*t hits the fan in your business.
Imagine this...
After plugging away at your business for several months, suddenly, everything clicks into place.
You are so magnetic that nearly every potential client you talk with books a package of sessions with you...
Powerful people want to interview you and invite you to speak at their events.
In one month, your income has tripled! So you book that vacation you’ve been dreaming about.
You feel SO grateful and think to yourself: “It was all worth it…All the struggle, the hard work, the lessons... to get to this place.”
Most inspiring movies end at this point. But your life and business continues on.
You ride this glorious high for a month or two or even three...
Until one morning, you get out of bed feeling irritable, which is compounded by a text you get from one of your favorite clients, asking to cancel.
Later that day, another client cancels, and then the next day, another client cancels and asks for a refund.
You lose your spark…and your work with clients becomes less inspired.
Suddenly, you’re about to go on vacation and discover that you’ve lost so much money that you’re not sure how you’re going to pay for it.
At this point, it would be normal to lose faith in God, the Universe, etc.
You might question whether you’re cut out for this entrepreneur thing. You might wonder if the Universe is on your side, or if we really do live in a cold, dog-eat-dog world. You might feel alone, resentful, frustrated, and discouraged.
If you’ve had this experience, you are not alone. The sh*t hits every Coach and Holistic Practitioner’s Fan...
Some quit.
Others stay in their business but decide they want to avoid feeling this pain and stay small and broke.
But there is another way…
Over the last 10 years, the sh*t has hit our business’ fan many times (especially in the early years).
But we’ve come out of each experience stronger and with a deeper capacity to serve our clients.
Most Coaches and Holistic Practitioners make 3 massive mistakes when this happens.
Mistake #1:
Avoid The Pain
Most Coaches and Holistic Practitioners do everything they can to avoid their feelings when the sh*t hits the fan.
This makes sense... why would you want to feel like sh*t?
Instead, they blame themselves, blame other people, feel like a victim, avoid thinking about it, try to fix it, raid the fridge, drink alcohol, take drugs, work harder... all to avoid the pain.
The reason that none of the above strategies work is because you’re operating as if your SITUATION is BIGGER than you.
How to Avoid Mistake #1:
Become BIGGER than your pain
For you to transcend the pain, you need to become BIGGER than your situation.
And the best way to become BIGGER than your situation is to breathe into your pain. Feel it as fully as you can. Feel your feelings of loneliness, resentment, frustration, discouragement, and despair.
You’re not trying to get rid of the feeling with your breath. You’re just trying to FEEL it as fully as you can…on both your inbreath and your outbreath.
Breathe into the pain until you feel that YOU are BIGGER than your situation (it should only take 5-10 minutes).
Once you feel bigger than your situation, then say out loud an affirmation of your power. You could say: “I am POWERFUL.” Or, “I am INSPIRING.” Or another simple, but powerful statement.
Mistake #2:
Deciding That We Live In An Unfriendly Universe
When the sh*t hits the fan and everything seems to be falling apart, it’s easy to make up that you are not supported, and that you’re all alone in this dog-eat-dog world. Unfortunately, this belief that you are alone and unsupported will not only kill your energy... it can also kill your business.
How to Avoid Mistake #2:
Look for Evidence that EVERYTHING is in your Favor
Jacob, Zachary and I, watched yesterday as a giant excavator tore down a 3-story building near our home.
In one day, this excavator destroyed a building that most likely took years to design, zone and build.
Had we been attached to keeping this 3-story building intact, we would have been devastated by the destruction. Instead, we were in awe of the power of the excavator to destroy. And we were inspired by the fitness resort at this that they are planning to build in its place.
So when the Excavator of the Universe destroys some of your business, how can this be in your favor?
Using our example above, let’s say you lose 3 clients... how can this be in your favor?
1) You now have a lot more free time. (Weren’t you just saying that you want more time for rejuvenation or adventure or with your friends and family?)
2) You can decide to charge more with your new clients.
3) You can think about what you didn’t love about those clients and what qualities you want in your new clients.
4) You may now have more time to do more leveraged strategies, like lead workshops, create high end group programs, create a home study course, etc.
5) You now have more empathy for the struggles and challenges your clients face.
6) You now have the beginning of a hero’s journey story that might even inspire yourself. How do you prevail after facing this incredible challenge? Prepare to blow your own mind.
Make a list of all the ways that the shit hitting the fan is actually a sign that the Universe is working in your favor.
Mistake #3:
Keep Doing Things The Same Way You’ve Been Doing Them
Often, when the sh*t hits the fan, the Universe is giving you a message that the old way isn’t working.
Continuing to do things the old way will often lead to more sh*t and bigger messes.
How to Avoid Mistake #3:
Get Support
Sharla is my inspiration when it comes to getting help.
She told me a long time ago (during one of our first sh*t hitting the fan experiences), “There has got to be someone else who has faced the same problem, solved it and can teach us how to do the same.”
We didn’t have the money to hire these people, but we found the money, because we just couldn’t stand to keep going the same way.
We recommend that you don't get support from people who will allow you to feel like a victim to your situation.
Instead, reach out to people who have walked through the situation you are facing and can give you new strategies so that you never have to learn this lesson again.
If you found this post valuable, please share it with friends via email and Facebook. Today’s tweetable: When ur stuck, find someone who has faced the same problem, solved it and can teach u how 2 do the same. @sharlajacobs
But over the years we’ve had enough f--‘d up things happen during Mercury Retrograde that we have become Believers, LOL.
