I’m stuck. I can’t figure out what I want to do or try next. I can’t figure out what to do with my business. I can’t figure out where I want to live. Throwing my stuff in storage and roaming around the country staying with friends is on the list of options. Finding an apartment in a new neighborhood here in Chicago is as well.
I am the type of person who, when I actually have a plan, executes on the plan and (mostly) makes stuff happen. In this case, I can’t seem to find the GPS coordinates to put in.
This is the type of situation where I ask myself if I were my own client, what would I recommend?
That answer comes back immediately: I would tell me to get out of my analyzer (brain) and look for the answers elsewhere.
Brains are great, but they often serve up only fear-based or experience-based options. When I am in this type of sticky stuckness (suckness), I need more and better options.
So, as I walk myself through this, you can ask yourself these questions as well:
What kinds of professionals am I drawn to – or are drawn to me?
For a long time all my friends were in sales, as I was.
Then, I started attracting musicians, artists, and healers.
Now, most of my friends are solo or very small business owners, not surprisingly.
The professionals who are drawn to me are exceptionally competent and subject matter experts who generally do some type of consulting or training for businesses or for business owners.
Affinity is a good way to evaluate if you are in the right place.
What kinds of clients do I like working with?
I get to work with some seriously awesome, smart, and driven professionals. While I am kind of laid back, my best clients are definitely drivers.
If someone who has previously had a successful career path has lost their way due to job loss, fight with a co-founder, loss of confidence, loss of a parent, etc., I can get them back on track in a very short amount of time.
Both the client and I am thrilled with the results.
Once again, affinity for the win.
What tasks / skills get me excited when I think about doing them?
I absolutely love jumping on calls with prospects, going in completely cold having no idea what they want to talk about, and being able to listen deeply, find patterns, and offer suggestions.
This is so fun that I could do it every day.
I don’t care if we talk about business strategy or career transition, these calls are the best!
What kind of work or project gets me into a flow state?
While I can’t say I love doing resumes, I do find that if I block out 2-3 hours to work on one, I will go into a deep state of flow where time stops and I feel like I am doing magic.
Leading up to working on a resume can make me feel anxious, but once I carve out the time and begin, I usually go into flow quickly, which feels fantastic.
Also, going deep on calls with long-time clients makes time stop for me. These conversations are energizing and spiritually rewarding.
Clearly, I should keep doing both of these.
What can I do to feel more joy?
This is something I should take action on immediately. I know what brings me joy, and yet somehow I find myself sucked into engaging on social media, watching training videos, and blocking my own joy.
Dancing, swimming, drawing, and making music bring me joy. I started tango dancing again last year, which has been great fun. I need to do more moving, playing, and creating.
As I said in my TEDx talk: self-care isn’t self-indulgent. The reality is that filling myself up will help me serve my clients better, which should help me grow my business. Having more fun leading to more profit is a win-win for sure.
As I think about this, I am starting to feel a little better. I am starting to see some options for my personal and professional life. I am starting to have a better sense of what I am trying to create.
I’d love to hear if these questions sparked anything for you.
