From Yes to No... The Important Shift You Need to Make to Get Past the Messy Middle

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Transcript:

When you're stuck in the messy middle growth can feel incredibly daunting. Because you just don't have the capacity to take on more projects, more launches, more stuff to do because you're already overwhelmed and exhausted. And so the idea of doing more things so that you can have more growth, it's just too much for most people.
[00:00:21]Well, my friend, I have happy news for you that if you want to grow out of the messy middle. You don't need to say yes to more things. There's just one thing that you need to do. And I'm going to tell you all about it in this podcast episode, back in December. I took my daughter Britta to Mexico to do this beautiful art retreat with Nicholas Wilton, from art to life.
[00:01:15] We were in Salida and it was just a gorgeous setting. We were in this yoga retreat area and we were in a shallow up on top of a Hill or mountain. Thing. I don't know if it was technically a mountain or not, but it was way up high. And you could see mountains in the distance and you could see the jungle around and you could see the ocean and it was dreamy.
[00:01:36]We just had the most beautiful work space and I'm not really a painter and I haven't done a lot of painting. I love to paint. I just haven't done a lot of it. And Nicholas walked us through the fundamentals of making and art and painting, and it was all abstract painting. And one of the biggest things I took from it was that.
[00:01:59] You don't start with the end in mind. You kind of let yourself experiment. You let yourself grow. You let the painting change on the pallet in front of you. And so, uh, we'd always start by getting some paint. We just get some paint down. We just make something happen. We'd put some paint on, on the board.
[00:02:19] We'd let it dry. And then we'd start layering more on. And as we went, the painting would start to take shape. And one of the things that we were encouraged to do to make the painting stronger was to remove elements that kept it busy, to make quiet conversation and add space back into the painting so that the elements that remained stood out more and had more focus and attention.
[00:02:51] And that's exactly what needs to happen in our businesses. If we want to get out of that messy middle area. When you're starting your business, you have to say yes to so many opportunities to get things moving forward. And actually it's really good to say yes to a lot of these things. Anytime an opportunity comes your way.
[00:03:10] If it's something that's going to help you grow your audience or help you grow your platform or whatever it is is there's a lot of great reasons to say yes to the things that come your way. However point your palette is going to be full. There's not going to be any room or space left for you to breathe.
[00:03:31] And it's going to feel overwhelming to try and fit more on there. You probably can't even keep up with everything that's already on there. If you're like most people stuck in the messy middle. And if that's you take a screenshot of this, share it on Instagram and let me know tag me in it because I want to know who my people are, who are out there struggling so I can support you.
[00:03:49] And. Really just reach out and get to know you a little more personally, since right now you're listening to me, but it's not real time. This is a recording and I would just love to get some interaction with you. But when you get to that messy middle, I want to promise you and give you hope that there is something better.
[00:04:09] When we start to shift from saying yes. To saying no saying yes. Got you to where you are today saying yes. Was a beautiful underpainting where you tried things, you learned what you, he loved, you learned what didn't work, and now you've got this mess in front of you.
[00:04:27] And it's probably a very profitable mess. And it's probably a mess that brings you much joy, much meaning and has been really wonderful for you, but has left. You exhausted. It has left. You overwhelmed. And so now if you want to move forward and truly make a masterpiece out of this painting that you've created out of this business, that you've been growing, that you've been putting your heart and your soul into now, instead of saying yes, key for you is going to be saying no, what things can you say?
[00:05:01] No, two in your business that currently exists there that you can take away so that the things that remain. Really do well, where can you go deep? And what's left. And in part we need to say yes, early on. So we can learn what we really love. We can learn what works for us and what doesn't. We don't know what we're going to be aligned with without actually trying all the things and seeing which things feel phenomenal and leave us energized and which things where us out and leave us drained.
[00:05:36] And now that you've tried all the various things, you've probably taken all the courses and you know, many of the tactics now it's time for you to get focused and start removing things one at a time that no longer need to be a part of your business that leave you drained that you dread. Just because you added it to your business in the first place does not mean that it always needs to remain.
[00:06:03] Now I'm taking my own advice in this. In fact, I just announced to the membership that I had been running in the photography industry, that I'm going to be closing that at the end of January, just a few months from now, but it was another. Place in my own business in my life where I said, do you know what I love?
[00:06:21] So I held onto this longer than I probably we should have, but now it's fall. It's a time of life. Didn't go of the things that no longer serve us and making space for the beautiful new life and the beautiful new two things that are to come. And so. I made the announcement is the second time I've closed a membership in my business.
[00:06:45] And you know, it can be scary, especially if it's something that's been highly profitable, but when you, you really go deep with the things that bring you the most joy, bring you the most excitement and really feel the freedom. To let go of the things that don't, or that have served their purpose. Maybe it's a wonderful thing, but it served its purpose.
[00:07:07] Like the second membership, I have loved doing that membership, but I know you deep down, if I was honest that it had served its purpose in my life and in my business and that it was time to let go, even though I really need income and it's hard. Yeah. And to say goodbye to you, no recurring revenue coming in the door.
[00:07:25] I fully believe deep down inside of me that by creating that space, something beautiful and something better can happen. And I, and even if it's just going deeper on the things that I'm currently doing. So that's what I want you to be thinking about right now, especially if you're overwhelmed and tired.
[00:07:45] Fall is a beautiful season. To really reevaluate what things in your life and your business are no longer serving you. What things no longer bring you joy or never did in the first place? What are the things that make you know, that you're doing out of obligation? Because you think that you should, and not because they light you up and they really, really just make you feel alive.
[00:08:11] And be ruthless with this because here's what I know to be true when we let go of the things that we're doing out of obligation. And we take that energy that we've been putting into stuff that has just not been giving us life, the things that drain us. And we focus that energy into the things that are now naturally easy for us that are fun for us that bring us joy and give us energy.
[00:08:36] Everything changes. Not only do you enjoy doing your business more or, but you have more energy to do it. You feel more rested and you get far, far better results. It is more important than I can explain to learn. How, what, like what makes you come alive and to align your business with who you are as a leader and as an entrepreneur, because when you do that, That's when the true magic happens.
[00:09:04] That's when you start to get out of that messy, middle and start to see the growth that you've been longing for. And instead of feeling like you're pushing your business along, pushing people to become clients, pushing, pushing, pushing, it begins to gain momentum and it starts to grow. And you'll find that you're suddenly being pulled forward by the momentum of success.
[00:09:26] Yes, because you're doing the things you love. And I know it sounds too good to be true, and it's really hard to trust. I'm just going to speak it like it is because I struggle with that. As a doer, I have this, this belief that keeps trying to pop up and say that if you're going to be successful, you should have to work hard to get there, but it's not the case.
[00:09:44] You should have to work. Like not have to, you should get to work right. In your strongest gifts because that's when you have the best progress. That's when it's the easiest, that's when it's the most life giving. And that's when you're really going to Excel, don't focus on strengthening your weaknesses, let go of those folks, focus on going deep in your strengths and the things that bring you joy and the amount of benefit that you will get by doing those things even better, even more joyfully and making your business easier is kind of far outweigh any benefit you would get.
[00:10:16] From focusing on the things where your weak areas, where you're weak and trying to improve those. So that is my encouragement. You today, my friend is stopped thinking about the things that you should say yes to, and instead take some time to focus on the things that you need to say no to and put everything under examination, really examine how they make you feel.
[00:10:40] What you love, what you don't and, um, use that to make a plan for moving forward with life on your plates. You can have more time. You can have more joy. You can have more space while also having better results, because you're really doing the things you love. So, if you want any help with that process, I still have a few clarity coaching days left, and I would love to help you sort through the business that you've created and really simplify, simplify, and create a plan that is customed to who you are, so that you can go into this fourth quarter, which is going to be busy the whole day.
[00:11:19] These are coming as much as I hate to say it. It's not going to be long, and I want you to be able to go through them. With less stress and less fear and like overwhelm than you've ever had before. Because your business finally feels light and easy and you got clarity and what you need to go deep on. So if that's something you'd be interested in, I have a few clarity coaching days left to this fall, and I would love to consider you for a clarity coaching day.
[00:11:50] You can just go to the show notes. You can reach out to me on Instagram at Jamie M Swanson. That's in the show notes as well. In case you are listening to this while you drive or something, but reach out to me there and we will set up a free clarity consultation. It's about a 30 minute. Zoom call where we will talk okay.
[00:12:10] About your business and see if it would be a good fit if I'm really going to be able to help you clarify, but also give you a plan that is going to help you make your money back from that day. As soon as you can implement it, like that's my goal. I want this to be such a no brainer for you. And it's also an opportunity for you to see if I would be a good fit for working with you.
[00:12:30] So we can do that. I'll ask you a bunch of questions about your business, and if we both decide that it's a good fit, then we'll talk about, okay. You know how to make payment and move forward and set a date right then there at the end of the consultation. So it's very easy. It's low pressure. Well, not just low pressure.
[00:12:45] It's no pressure. I, it really needs to be a good fit for you, but I, I just want for you so bad. To get out of the overwhelm and I've feeling it, it feels so heavy. And there's so many people I know who are pushing so hard right now. It has been an incredibly difficult year. And when you can let go of the things that are draining your energy and just focus on the things that make your life better.
[00:13:09] You will have so much more time to do the things that are important to you. You have time just straight up time. Like that might be even new to you. It's how I've been able to homeschool my six kids while fully supporting our family with my online business and doing crazy things like training for 52 mile race.
[00:13:27] Like I don't work more than 25, 30 hours a week. Yeah. Because I don't need to. When I go deep into my strengths and I have the freedom to actually enjoy my life and to spend with my kids and to get out in nature, I had to do self care. Like I haven't done self care. I hadn't done self care in like 15 years, maybe longer.
[00:13:48] And. You know, that doesn't just mean like going to a spa or pampering or whatever. It just means truly filling my own cup so that I can come at life from a place of energy and a love and not exhaustion. Even though 2020 has been crazy year, I have never felt so alive and so excited about the future. So I want that for you.
[00:14:13] I really do. And I would love to help you find it. So if you'd like to work with me for clarity coaching day, Get all the details in the show notes already told you how that works. I would love to help you find this for yourself. And with that, my friend, just remember we are brighter together. The world needs us.
[00:14:30] The world needs you out there functioning at your very best. So let's go out and let's make it brighter.

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