Being self-employed is hard. One of the hardest parts is admitting to yourself and others that your work is real. Own the fact that your dreams, plans, and hopes for the future aren’t dumb or illusions of grandeur is a task that many of us face on a daily basis.
Every day you’ve had or are currently having has been experienced by many others that have come before you. Building your dream business or life is not something many understand, only those who step out on faith know this struggle. When you have a society, friends, family, and onlookers judging your every move, telling you your business plans are unrealistic or won’t work, it’s not hard to see why many businesses fail within the first year.
When you step back and examine the WHY of your business and begin treating it as a real, living, breathing thingaka your baby, you gain a new boost in confidence and you begin to learn how to handle the outside criticism better. It takes bigger steps to get there, but if you are serious about breathing life back into your business anything is possible.
GOOD ENOUGH IS GOOD ENOUGH
Raise your hand if you struggle with perfection. I know I do. Put the perfectionist crown down and remember you are only human. There is no magic pill or button that will make things easier. You will never fully be prepared for life as a business owner, much less a creative entrepreneur.
Remember, whatever you do will be better than what you did last year. Whatever you do next year will be better than what you’ve done this year. It’s called growing. But you can’t get to the place of being able to see growth until you make the necessary changes. Often we like to envision an entire crowd of people out there watching and judging us, in reality, it’s only in your head.
KEEP YOUR PITCH HANDY
No lie, I dreaded the question “So what do you do?”. I often spend what seems like forever fumbling through answers, trying to find the perfect way to explain my job. While I wouldn’t exactly call this a pitch, more like a tagline, it’s always best to be able to explain your creative endeavor in as few words as possible. Your tagline will give you a clear, precise sentence or two that explains your title and what you do in a way that makes it seem legit. Craft your tagline in a way that is approachable and easily explains what you do.
Here’s mine below:
I teach creative entrepreneurs the strategies of building and building a thriving business with Pinterest through online articles and courses.
This is the one sentence that could possibly change your life! Keep it handy, remember it always.
KNOW MANTRA NO PROBLEMS
As a new business owner, or even one facing a slump, your mind is fragile. The slightest bit of pushback from clients, family or friends can send you into a downward spiral. I remember feeling so down on myself a few years back because my business was not progressing the way I had hoped. For some reason, I became completely stagnant and after several attempted bookings, I even began doubting my ability and talents. This was my first hump as a business owner, and I did not know how to handle it.
Don’t forget to give yourself praise. Never look for others to understand or even support what you do. Small reminders of why you chose this crazy journey are key to keeping you going. Write these down, repeat them to yourself every day until it sticks.
Personal Go-Getter Mantra
Business Mantra
Want to see a few more affirmations. Check out my post here on our sister site Grits & Grace.
CREATE A DAILY BUSINESS ROUTINE
I’m a chronic lister. Every night before bed, I finalize my list of the next days’ task. By creating a to-do list, I feel more accomplished and allows me to track my progress. If you work from home, it’s important to keep your business to-do list separate from your home/personal to-do list. For years I was guilty of mixing both lists, which led to nothing but confusion and frustration on my end. This is especially important in the early stages of your business. You are already overwhelmed with tasks, don’t make it harder on yourself.
Consistency is key to brand building, creating a daily routine will help you stay on task.
HAVE BIG GOALS
Don’t be ashamed of your goals. Despite what the naysayers may think, this is your business and your business only. Should they decide to invest, then their opinion will count. Until then, keep doing you. Don’t be afraid to set big long-term goals, this is what keeps the small daily routines/task going. Your big goals are there to remind you of the end game. It’s not unusual to get discouraged seeing others succeed, but we must remember those dreams are only made possible by taking one million other steps before that final one. When we do this, we learn to value them more.
By legitimizing your own creative venture in your head, you’ll be able to appreciate what you are doing as real. You’ll put more energy into what you do, and your ideas and creations will begin to flourish because of it.