As business owners, when things feel “too hard,” it’s almost impossible to:
1) Keep your mindset in a good place;
2) Keep up with the marketing; and
3) Keep motivated to continue taking action.
Everything essentially goes to hell in a hand basket.
This used to keep happening to me. It was very defeating.
Not that things don’t still get hard – of course they do.
It’s just not an everyday sh*t show anymore.
Before, I was re-inventing the wheel over and over. When I think back, I know why.
I thought I wasn’t “allowed” to NOT do that.
It sounds weird, but that was honestly what was going on in my mind.
It was almost as if taking “easier” ways out was some sort of cop out.
I know, I’m a weirdo.
Yet at the same time, I know many people who are doing this now, today, and really struggling with it.
So, I thought it would help to share how I began working my way out of that frustrating place.
I still do these things to this very day.
First, I re-purpose like crazy. (This is one of those concepts that on the surface seems so obvious and so simple, but I am always amazed at how much this is overlooked.)
Case in point/walk-my-talk example: this blog post is based on a video I made in 2012.
(A few hair colors ago.)
It’s still extremely relevant – if not more so – so why not?
I take past slide decks and pull nuggets for social media updates. Videos and turn them into articles. Webinar scripts and use them for when I’m interviewed on podcasts. Blog posts and tweak them for speaking gigs.
You get the idea.
Second, I use swipe files. (A.K.A I model what’s working!)
I have a physical one in my filing cabinet, and a digital one as well.
This is for modeling and sparking ideas, NOT for copying.
Some of the things I save: certain direct mail pieces or fliers, sales pages I like, email copy.
Third, I look at what has worked before.
It may not sound revolutionary, but here’s the thing: Entrepreneurs are NOTORIOUS for starting new things all the time.
It’s part of our make-up, and it is not inherently bad.
However, sometimes it blinds us to the fact that OMG that offer I put out a year ago really did awesome – why not offer it again?!
It literally took me 2 years into my business to figure this out, but once I did it took a TON of pressure off.
I didn’t have to always be creating something new.
Rinse and repeat.
Fourth, I listen and pay attention.
To what resonates for people, to which email or social media message got a lot of traction, to which topics strike a chord, to which blog posts get the most traffic.
It’s also worth mentioning that I listen to what’s going on in my industry constantly.
Fifth, I go back to my why.
The purpose, the foundation, the brand.
Why did I start this business in the first place?
That’s a beacon that lights the way when I get confused or off track.
Lastly, I’m not afraid to ask for support or help.
(You don’t have to be a lone ranger
The best by-product of all of this? It frees up not only your time, but your energy and the energetic SPACE in your life to bring more of the things you do want in.
Talk to me: does this help?
Hope so. 🙂
