PS. I like you is a free weekly(ish) newsletter for people who want to jump ahead and need convincing you really can do this one thing first… Which will lead you on to the next thing, and the next, and the next beautiful thing.
Here’s one of the things I see my clients do again and again that gets in their way:
They jump ahead.
Way, waaaaaaaay ahead.
Clients worried about having to create and fulfil a marketing schedule — before they’ve even made a post.
Clients worried about internet trolls — before they’ve shared any of their work.
Clients worried about how they’ll have everything ready for a deadline — before they’ve even started.
I want to be clear, this is not about shaming my clients or anyone else. I do this too. We’re all humans, it’s what we do.
Anticipating the future is a sound strategy for not getting eaten!
Anticipating the future is a sound strategy for survival!
And anticipating all the things that could go wrong is an excellent way to feel safe and in control. I’m not mocking it. It has been once of my most compelling (and time-consuming) pastimes.
However, anticipating everything that could go wrong in the next three years is one of the main reasons you don’t take action now. It keeps you from taking the next, most necessary step, now.
This is something I had to learn the hard way. And by that I mean continuing to want to anticipate the future while not getting a whole lot done in my business.
At some point I had to learn to focus on the present. I had to learn to focus on what I could get done today.
What is the next most necessary step?
Do that. That’s it.
And then, and only then, think about the next one.
I know someone reading this will be thinking, “But it’s not that simple! I need a plan or a structure — or how else will I know what I’m doing?"
Here’s an example that might be useful:
When I send an email newsletter, the LAST thing I think about is pushing the send button.
Because, even though I love sending these emails, I can still sometimes feel a resistance around the idea that I need to write a newsletter. It takes effort. It takes time and thinking… and what if I don’t know what to write about? What if I get stuck and it doesn’t flow… And you notice how it becomes a chore almost immediately? (Also, notice how I said 'need to write a newsletter’? Now there’s a surefire way to turn anything fun into a chore.)
Here's the simplest way I bypass that resistance:
Instead of thinking “I need to send a newsletter,” I ask myself questions that have nothing to do with sending a newsletter.
“What’s one thing my client needs to hear today?”
“What’s my truth, and what do I want to say about that?”
“What’s one thing I’ve learned recently that I could share with my clients?”
“What’s one thing that’s come up for my clients recently that could be useful for other people to hear?”
And I start from there.
I start from a question and then I answer it. I start typing or writing down the thoughts that come out of my head and take it from there…
And THEN, once I’ve got a conclusion, I edit it.
I put the copy into my email newsletter platform, make the obvious edits, send myself a preview, read it through, edit again… and then I press send.
That’s how I write this newsletter. That’s how I make it fun.
That’s how I make sure this newsletter happens.
If you have a number of thoughts that come up from reading this, like “But, it can’t be that simple,” or, “But she left a whole load out in-between; how does she know what to write in the newsletter?”… I would put it to you that you are trying to jump ahead.
(And that’s okay!)
If a task feels too daunting — if an end result feels too far away — I would encourage you to bring the end result closer.
Choose a different end result. Make it easy on yourself.
THEN, once you’ve reached your end result, choose the next one.
If this feels hard, you can literally ask yourself: "What feels doable, right now?"
And then do that. That one thing.
Some people reading this are going to really resist this idea. I get it. I've been there — big time.
And if this is you, I would ask you: What are you gaining by staying here? What do you gain from staying in confusion?
This isn’t a trick question by the way. There’s A LOT to gain from staying confused and exactly where you are. Sometimes the first step is to notice what that is. And the next step is to let that sink in... And the next step is to ask what you want to do about it (if anything). I promise it will take you closer to where you want to be.
PS. If you're wondering how I wrote this newsletter…
I wrote it one sentence at a time.
You can do that too.
Love,
– Kathryn
PS. I like you
If you need help disentangling things… or working out what to do next… how about we jump on a call?
You can always contact me via my website, or email me: hello@kathrynho.com. I offer free, no-pressure consultation calls to help you work out what’s the next best step for you. You can also book a call direct here.
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