paralyzing myths

The other day I told you about the times I've been unsatisfied or unemployed, and how I faced those major changes throughout my career.

No matter the situation, it was never an easy, clear-cut move from one role to the next, and when it comes to uncertainty in your career, it can be a daunting and downright paralyzing experience.

I've spent YEARS in roles simply going with the flow and, "happy to have a job" - even if I actually wasn't at all.

And when I didn't have a job to be frustrated with, I was lost on how to make the leap into something meaningful without feeling like I was starting over.

It's emotionally taxing when you try fitting into someone else's machine, especially, when you know there are other options with likeminded people and places that do align with your ideas and ideals.

man wearing white top using MacBook

Trust me, I've tried.

When I was an analyst at an investment consulting firm, I turned down a promotion and quit because of the lack of connection to clients and impact in the industry.

I just couldn't take it anymore, I needed something more fulfilling.

I wanted to transition into marketing but no companies saw my experience as valuable.

When I cleared my plate, I found myself diving into things like writing and photography and discovered that I had a knack for helping artists and musicians turn their passions into a business.

I was excited about the work and felt personally fulfilled but it just wasn't sustainable.

I needed to find and convince clients that my knowledge and experience were enough to help them - but I didn't have any proof.

So I...

wasted time trying to build my own website and blog

squandered cash on developers and designers

spread myself thin attempting to use every social media platform out there

failed at helping clients that ultimately didn't fit my value proposition

assorted-color signage lot on road during daytime

I couldn't keep this up and had to re-enter the workforce.

This time, however, I had examples of the work I did for a few clients which helped me land a marketing role in an early-stage brand in the beverage industry.

This boosted my confidence for a while until I again ran up against similar barriers - a lack of impact and meaning while also battling bosses and feeling blocked while trying to climb the corporate ladder.

I realized I had drifted from my interests and intentions and knew I needed to shift gears once again.

This has happened several times since but I'm lucky to have a little voice in my head pushing me toward doing something else. Something more fitting. Something more me and telling myself I know I can find a way.

I've always wanted to lead my professional career through the lens of my personal journey and continue to do so because I trust the process now.

I've battled finding my focus and discovering what my purpose, passion, and point of view is.

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And how to move through the uncertainty of changing roles and landing the next opportunity.

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I've dealt with the strenuous process of finding new clients and trying to help hard-to-work-with clients.

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The downright truth is that finding meaningful work that matters to you is a perpetual challenge.

We’re in the midst of a major shift impacting how we integrate our lives into the way we work and NOW is the time to do something about it.

The reason most people won't?

Mostly, it boils down to one thing: Fear.

Fear of no one wanting what I have to offer.

Fear that if someone buys what I'm selling, they won't like it.

Fear that I don't know how to sell myself for a role or a product/service to customers.

Fear that I wouldn't know how to create the path on my own.

Just plain ole fear.

Most people just stop before they get to the tipping point. They step to the edge of the airplane, look over the edge and go back in and sit down having never jumped.

The crazy part is, the distance between the Tipping Point and After is measured in seconds and inches. Not weeks and miles.

It’s that book you wrote but decided to never share.

It’s that lemonade stand you were all set to open but decided it was a dumb idea.

It’s that lawn care company you decided to start but couldn’t bring yourself to knock on the neighbor's door to ask them if they needed a cut.

You know all of those success stories you read in magazines and in blog posts? Every single one of those people jumped. They got past that tipping point.

You HAVE to as well.

You have to jump!

man jumping through body of water

There are three things required to jump.

You have to have a plan (get a parachute, an airplane, and freaking jump)

You need an expert to guide you (closer to you the better. strapped to your body is good)

Understand that your fear will lie to you (the closer you get to the tipping point the louder it gets)

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Screw fear.

Today I'm going to show you how to overcome that fear and jump.

And on Friday I'll give you 3 short exercises to start planning and getting you ready for it.

By the end of the day Friday I want you to be so excited and confident that you don’t have a choice but to launch your process to progress.

Before we head into today's lesson make sure you've completed your homework from the other day.

Quick recap...

Action Item #1: Hit reply and tell me what idea you've had floating around in your head for the past 3 months that you absolutely want to bring into the world but have been too scared to.

Action Item #2: Also, tell me what's been stopping you from doing it (and time or money isn't good enough, those are excuses not reasons). Are you not confident people would buy it? Are you scared people will mock it?

Action Item #3: Lastly, answer this question with a simple yes or no: If your idea was guaranteed to work, would you do it?

Don't skip the action items and tell yourself you'll come back and do them later. You won't.

Take 5 min. Set a timer. And do them right now.

We'll wait on you. :)

Done? Good.

Onward!

We need to revolt against spending our days and hours doing things that don't inspire us just because that's what we got a degree in. Just because some guidance counselor when we were 18 told us that we could, "Have a stable job and make a good paycheck".

We need to get back to having an imagination. Building great big things. Innovating great big ideas.

We need to get back to bucking the status quo.

We need to build ideas, not walls.

Know where it all starts?

It starts with a random idea.

It starts with that one little spark of an idea you had 3 days ago and ignored.

It starts with you taking that idea and trying it out. Exploring it further. Doodling it on a napkin.

It starts with you waking up 10 minutes earlier tomorrow to mockup that app you've had an idea for. Who cares if it works? Right now that's not even the point.

It starts with you setting up a lemonade stand in your neighborhood this weekend.

It starts with you learning how to code.

It starts with…you.

It starts right now!

So, take that idea, and write it down on a piece of paper with me right now.

Then pin that thing to the wall.

Like this…

Done?

Now, before you start building, exploring, and creating, there are a few things that I want you to delete from your memory first. These are lies you’ve been told.

Things that people who have stopped believing, stopped dreaming, and stopped creating have invented to soothe their own conscience.

If believed, these lies will suck the life out of your idea before it gets started and leave you frustrated and disenfranchised for the rest of your list.

Ready?

Myth #1: Thinking that you have to have the perfect idea in order for you to succeed.

One of my favorite shows on TV is Shark Tank.

It's done a lot of good. It's inspired a ton of people to explore and create.

But one massive consequence of the show is that most of those people think they have to be picked in order to make it. They think you have to get approval from some rich white guy in order for their idea to be good.

Let's be extremely clear...

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO HAVE THE PERMISSION OR APPROVAL OR MONEY OF SOMEONE ELSE TO SUCCESSFULLY ACHIEVE YOUR DREAM JOB OR LAUNCH A BUSINESS

You do not have to have someone else pick you!

Do you think in the late 1970s that if Jobs and Wozniak would have asked people if they should start a new computer company to compete with IBM they would have said yes? Never!

Pick yourself.

Myth #2: Thinking you have to figure out everything yourself (the hard way) to be successful.

Myth #3: Thinking that creating something outside of a resume and doing something different has to be an exhausting and time-consuming process.

Psychologically, there are so many fears and mental hurdles to overcome that it can be hard.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

If you make good choices and plan ahead, a large portion of the stress and frustration can be eliminated.

Planning is HUGE.

Myth #4: Thinking you have to have a massive following or some high-profile role already to make your ideas work.

It's not about the size of your audience.

It's about the plan you follow.

Myth #5: Thinking that you have to have to KNOW exactly the job you want or have a product finished before you start building your ideas.

You'd spend months and years toiling over perfecting something that is impossible to perfect without real-world interaction and feedback.

What I've found to work is instead of waiting until you are finished your book, business, or career plan - you START!

Myth #6: Thinking you don't have what it takes. That you have to be a special unicorn.

Perhaps the biggest myth of all is this one.

Thinking you don't have what it takes.

Thinking that you don't deserve a certain career or that creating successful products and services is a special unicorn thing.

Thinking that only a specific type of person that is born with specific qualities is able to do it.

You'd be shocked at how many ‘thought leaders’ believe this. People you read and follow and trust that in their heart of hearts don't think anyone can do this. It's just not true. I've seen too many people do it. I've seen too many people start from scratch, with no built-in unfair advantage, follow a plan-guide-ignoring-fear, and make it happen.

It's 100% doable.

It's not about being lucky.

It’s not about having the perfect idea.

It's not about some old rich white guy picking you.

It's not about reinventing the wheel and discovering a hidden unlocked plan.

It's not about waiting to start.

It's not about working yourself to the point of a physical or mental breakdown.

So what's it about?

I've discovered there are 3 key elements to crafting your own career or launching successful ideas that leave you fulfilled and legitimately help other people:

Element #1: You have to follow a proven plan

Element #2: You need to find a guide (coach) that will figuratively strap themselves to you and help you

Element #3: You need to be crystal clear on the fact that despite everything you do, every plan you put into place, every coach you listen to, that fear will do everything it can to stop you. And despite that, you have to move forward.

These three things are the keys.

And Friday I'll give you 3 short exercises to start planning your career and business growth plan.

By the end of the day Friday I want you to be so excited and confident that you don’t have a choice but to take back control and craft your own career.