When “let it be easy” feels like major BS (and how to shift it for more results in biz!)
If you’ve been in this online marketing and business space for a hot minute, you’ve likely heard the phrase “let it be easy.”
But here’s the thing. There are times in business that can feel anything BUT easy.
And dare I be the one to say, can feel pretty damn hard.
For you, maybe it’s because you just started out and you’re struggling to generate leads, convert clients, and actually make your business work.
Perhaps it’s because you’ve just launched an offering that wasn’t truly in alignment with what you wanted and how you wanted to create it and it totally flopped EVEN THOUGH you followed the very same process that brought someone else 10k in revenue.
Sometimes it’s just that you’ve got a hell of a lot going on in LIFE right now, so keeping your business running feels like constantly trying to keep your head above water.
And yet, coming out and saying that it isn’t all rainbows and unicorns over here in online business land doesn’t seem to sell, so no one seems to want to talk about it…
But I’m seeing this build an inherent distrust in the coaching and online service industry.
Because LET IT BE EASY can be easily misconstrued for IT’S ALWAYS EASY.
I’ve seen those very same women who used to believe in their capacity to build a business they find both profitable and fulfilling doubt their capacity to do so BECAUSE they’ve been burned on one too many online courses that didn’t yield the results they wanted.
I’m seeing the very same women who have skills and passions that are marketable, beating themselves up BECAUSE they’re NOT an overnight success, only to look around and wonder what they did wrong.
And I’m seeing way too many women hesitate to make the RIGHT investments in their businesses, the ones that will actually push them outside of their comfort zone and yield bigger, better, and different results than what they’ve been doing BECAUSE their past investments have yet to pay off.
Having built two businesses from the ground up, I can tell you that neither path to get there looked the same. There is no ten-step process, email funnel, or sales script I can hand off that will get you the results you want.
But from where I’m sitting, I find that comforting.
Because the social media channels will be replaced by the next big thing, the sales funnels will change, and the courses will be irrelevant.
And yet, mastering your mindset will ALWAYS be the single best investment you can make in building and growing your business. Because knowing that all of that will change and you have the skills and tools you need to be okay anyway?! Well, that’s worth its weight in GOLD.
So if you’re one of those people that’s been burned by the success stories, rolls your eyes when you hear, “let it be easy,” or worse, are doubting yourself and your ability to make any of it happen, well my dear, this post is for you.
Let’s talk about the five best ways to shift your mindset around success, so you can see more of the results you actually want.
Get crystal clear on what it is that you want
Are you really CLEAR on what you want in life and business!?
This one may sound super obvious, but I know there’s someone out there who needs to hear this today. In most cases, the reason you’re not getting what you want in life and business is because you don’t even KNOW what you want. Think about it, when you’ve been super clear on what it is that you want and taken consistent, aligned action toward it, doesn’t it almost ALWAYS show up for you?
THIS right here is the mindset work. Because all too often, you’re looking to friends or family for validation (and then feel deflated when they don’t see your vision). You look to people on social media who have what you want (and then feel discouraged that you don’t have it already). Or you look to your bank account for your own self-worth (and then feel worthless when the numbers aren’t there). When you look everywhere else but within, it’s easy to talk yourself out of what it is that you thought you wanted. It all starts to feel out of reach and you get wishy-washy on not only your mindset, but subsequently, your results too.
I had a Future You client recently who hadn’t booked a single photoshoot session for an event she was hosting with weeks to spare before the big day. When we hopped on a call she was feeling at a loss for why it was it wasn’t selling, unsure of what actions she should be taking to book clients, and downright defeated that she wasn’t seeing the results we wanted. But the more we talked about it, the more obvious it became that she hadn’t really made up her mind around what she wanted yet. She kept ping-ponging between thoughts of…
→ “This offer isn’t going to sell and no one wants it.”
and
→ “This offer is seriously amazing and serves my people in an incredible way.”
And ladies, when you have two thoughts that are bumping up against each other like that, THAT’s what causes that mental distress. Not only that, but it becomes that much harder to take actions that are in alignment when you’re constantly telling your brain, “Well, it could go either way…”
And spoiler alert: as soon as she shifted her mindset and went all-in on getting bookings, it’s no surprise that they started rolling in more easily.
When you’re not seeing the results you want, it’s easy to think that nothing’s working and that you need to switch gears. But in reality, knowing what you want and making your thoughts match that is the hard part, but also that part that pays of in the long-run.
I’ve never seen more results in my business than when I’ve been crystal clear on the type of business I want to create and done the mindset work to stick with my mission, message, and marketing CONSISTENTLY to support that.
Look inside for validation rather than externally
When I decided to make a pivot toward mindset coaching and start taking on less of the five-figure design projects so that I could put more time and energy toward this new endeavor, people looked at me like I was absolutely insane. You could practically SEE the fear in people’s eyes.
But I KNEW that this change was ESSENTIAL to creating more profit and fulfillment in my life and business. Don’t get me wrong, it doesn’t mean it wasn’t scary, or that I didn’t have moments of self-doubt but it DOES mean that I was so crystal clear on what I wanted that I was able to push through it and looking for validation INTERNALLY rather than EXTERNALLY.
One of the biggest mindset blocks that I see hold entrepreneurs back from getting started on anything (whether they’re brand new or years into business and trying out a new strategy) is the fear of what others will think. What will my coworkers think if I leave my full-time job? What will my audience think if I make this pivot? What will my clients think if I don’t take calls on Friday? What will my dog think if I’m home all day? (Kidding. I haven’t heard that one yet.)
But in all seriousness, this one has been coming up A LOT in my coaching calls lately. And not just my Future You sessions either, it’s been a hot topic on my free coaching calls too. But here’s the thing: what others think falls squarely outside of your control. You can’t determine what they think about you any more than you can control what they eat for breakfast. Plus, everyone always filters your stuff through their own struggles, desires, and life experiences anyway, therefore pushing it even further outside your control.
Confidence in your business stems from confidence in yourself. You need to believe in YOU. Meaning you need to be so without-a-doubt sure this is the right thing for you and your business that everything else is simply background noise. Now here’s the messy secret: that kind of validation can only come from within, but it will get you big external results.
Stop letting fear drive your decisions
Which brings me to my next point: it’s time to stop letting fear run the show. There are so many times in life and business when the next step we need to take, the one that feels hard, stretches us outside our comfort zone, and helps us to grow in BIG ways, is downright terrifying. But in order to grow, both personally and professionally, we often need to step past that fear and do the scary thing anyway.
To do that, I think it’s first important to acknowledge that fear is holding you back. Lately, I’ve been doing a daily fear inventory. This just means that I jot down on a piece of paper any of the fears that are holding me back from reaching that next level in both life and business. Some days the list is shorter than others. I don’t dwell on the fears or try to go deeper on any of them. I simply write them out and then rip them up.
This practice has been a huge game-changer for me in reaching that next level in my life and business. I’ve been more aware of the areas in which I’m holding myself back, I’ve landed bigger clients than I would have thought I was capable of, and I’ve put myself out there in ways I would have shied away from before (hello, podcast and speaking gigs!).
By writing out the fears, they’ve had even less power over me. They’re not as charged or big and scary. In fact, I think we’re cohabitating quite nicely at this point. I know they’re there, but they’re not driving my decisions and that makes all the difference when it comes to knowing the scary is there, but doing it anyway.
Upgrade your mindset and celebrate the wins
For the longest time in my business, I didn’t want to let myself win. Sure, I was good at celebrating the wins in my life. My finacé will tell you, one load of laundry and I’d walk around the house praising myself for how much I’d accomplished. 😉 THOSE kinds of wins I was good at celebrating. But celebrating the business stuff...well, that felt like I was skating on thin ice.
All the business-related wins came with an asterisk attached (*). There was the little voice in my head that said, “Don’t get too excited about that new client...they may not sign their contract or pay their invoice.” Or another one, “They’re happy working with you now, but that could change in an instant.” It was the equivalent of not letting myself celebrate doing laundry because the clothes would get dirty again.
I mention this because, in a field where you’re constantly pushing for new goals, trying to hit new numbers, and growing in ways you never thought you were capable of, it’s easy to dismiss the wins. It’s easy to look past what you’ve accomplished on your way to the next big thing and I want to caution against that way of thinking.
It’s that failure to stop long enough to CELEBRATE that will keep you constantly hunting for happiness. Because the goals you’ve worked so hard to reach deserve a moment to celebrate and consequently, celebrating will bring you more happiness and more confidence in your ability to REACH big goals in the future.
Stop waiting for the other shoe to drop
There was a time when feeling THIS good and THIS happy was something I never would have shared. You know, the relaxing in a steaming hot bath, curling up in bed with a good book, and sipping rosé champagne kinda happy. I would have been worried that I would “jinx it” or I’d be waiting for “the other shoe to drop.” But what has been really powerful for me is seeing just how much of an impact mindset work has had in my overall well-being and accomplishment.
Because I’m effing obsessed with the life I’ve created for myself. The business that allows me to make money doing what I love, the one that means I can take a week to travel with family and work from anywhere, or better yet, take two weeks off entirely.
Even still, I know life most definitely has its ups and downs. But also don’t need to be LOOKING for things to go wrong (because in my experience when you look that hard for something, it almost always shows up for you, good or bad). Through the ups and the downs, I know that the right mindset is essential to getting me back to a place of ease, confidence, happiness, and fulfillment so that I can create more of the results I actually want in life and business.
I see it in my Future You clients too. Shifting their mindset around what success looks like FOR THEM helps them to bring in more of the good stuff, in large part because they know what they’re looking for and they stop looking for how the odds are stacked against them. Because the things they want more of in life aren’t usually that far out of reach. It’s things like working less and having more time with their kids. Feeling more organized and less frantic. Bringing in more clients without putting their health and wellness on the line. And once they shift their mindset around those things ONCE, by creating better boundaries around “work hours” or time off, it’s easier to operate from THAT place and create more of the results they want again and again and again. Talk about ease.
Tell me in the comments below:
What’s your favorite way to practice mindset work regularly so you can lean into more ease in your life and business?
Photography by Jennifer Morgan Photography
