We all want things to happen fast, but the good things, the things that really matter, can take time. Watch your pace, don’t rush, stay patient. Take the time to experiment. Keep your mind open. One step at a time. Persevere. Breathe. Remember the tortoise. Business, life, creative endeavors, even political movements…they are often more like a marathon than a sprint. What’s important is that you are in the race, doing your best! Stick with it, you will get where you want to go at your own pace.
Whatever you choose to sink your teeth into … ask yourself … “Can I keep this up physically, emotionally, financially?” For example, “Do I have time to add a weekly Instagram live event to my schedule?”; “Can I afford to commit to building and testing this for a year?”; “Do I have the energy and does this fit into the bigger picture of my life?”
If you answer “YES!” then, GO. FOR. IT! If the answer is less clear, you might want to invest a little time to find a solution that does work within the current framework of your business and life. There are always alternative paths to get where you want to go. Choose activities that you can keep up, consistently, for a solid period of time—try three months and then reassess. When the process of building your business or creating your masterpiece is sustainable, it will fit in with the other things in your life (family, job, friends, hobbies), and you will be setting yourself up for consistent, long-term growth without the fear of burn-out.
And, last, but most importantly, check in with your joy. Ask yourself, “Is this fun for me?” Because if you’re not enjoying what you’re doing, you won’t stick with it. It’s that simple. If you love it, you will want to keep doing it. You’ll show up consistently because what you’re doing feels good.
Sometimes even things we love to do can become tiresome. Sometimes we lose the spark. If that happens, I recommend a check-in. Are you going at the right pace? (Slow and Steady) Are you putting too much on your plate at once? (Sustainable)
Or, is it simply the fact that there are some tasks we just don’t like doing, but we have to do to keep our business going? Check in again. Can you hire someone else to do those tasks? If that investment frees you up to focus on more important things that you love, then it might be worth it. If hiring someone isn’t Sustainable right now (see what I did there?) do your best to add a little fun to the mundane parts of the work. Blast music when you pay bills; reward yourself with a walk around the block after writing and designing that email newsletter; reach out to a Business Buddy for some laughter and chatter after you’ve answered all your outstanding emails. Before you know it, you’ll have checked these not-so-fun-for-you tasks off the list and you can get back to doing what you really love!
Slow and Steady, Sustainable, Satisfying—create the foundation for your Success!
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