Entrepreneur

  • Blog

    5 Signs you’re blocking your own success

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    Let me ask you a question – how do you know if you’re blocking your own success?

    I get asked this question a lot.

    In fact, I got asked it only the other day when I was running a workshop for an amazing group of business owners, and to be honest it’s a really good question.

    Back when I first started my Coaching Business back in 2015 I used to wonder about this too. For me it was like I’d hit some kind of invisible ceiling and I’ve heard this many times with the hundreds of people that I’ve worked with since then.

    And even though they know that they’re getting in their own way, they just can’t seem to put their finger on what is going on…just that it feels like trying to drive a car with your foot firmly on the brake pedal.

    So, if this is you – here are 5 signs that you’re blocking your own success.

    You’re resisting taking the step that you know will make a difference.

    It doesn’t matter what your goal is – whether it’s to grow your business or progress your career, if you’re not taking that next step that you know will move the needle for you, something is going on.

    You might have had this step on your to do list for a while.

    You might talk about it all the time.

    You might think about it a lot

    You might even keep writing it on your to do list…

    But somehow you never seem to get round to do it, and it appears on your list again for the gazillionth time the next day.

    If you know exactly what I’m talking about, and can even name the ‘task’ you’re avoiding, chances are you’re getting in your own way.

    You have excuses for not doing something you actually really want to do

    So, let’s pretend that you get an amazing opportunity. Maybe it’s to appear on your favourite podcast. Maybe it’s to work with your ideal client or get your dream job, and instead of jumping straight in feet first you find yourself saying something like…

    “I haven’t got the time right now”

    “I’m not ready”

    “I’m not good enough”

    “I need to do X first”

    “I’m too [fill in your own blank here eg too old, too young, not enough experience]”

    “I’ve got too much on right now”

    “I’ll do it next time”

    And before you know it this amazing opportunity has floated away and you’re left secretly kicking yourself. The thing is excuses can feel a lot like reasons, apart from one thing…we always know if we’re just avoiding something, and if that’s the case…Hello Success Block!

    You keep listening to your inner critic

    We all have that voice in our heads that keeps showing up when we least need it to that says all sorts of super helpful things (NOT) like:

    “You’re not good enough”

    “You’re going to fail”

    “You’re going to get found out any second!”

    But that doesn’t mean that we have to give it unnecessary air time and actually listen. Just because it’s your thought, doesn’t mean it’s true!

    You can’t seem to get the results you really want.

    You’ve got big dreams and goals but you can’t seem to bring them to fruition. Instead, you feel like you’re taking one step forwards and one back. Like you’re going round in circles or stuck in your own version of Groundhog Day, and it doesn’t matter how hard you try, or how many books you read nothing seems to get you to where you want to be. If you can relate, chances are that you’re holding yourself back in some way. Check out this blue print to see what yours is.

    You can FEEL it!

    This is a big one right here. Most of the time, we can feel it. We can feel a whisper somewhere deep down inside that you’re resisting. You know that you’re more than capable of more and you know you want it, and you get frustrated with yourself because it always feels just out of reach.

    If this is you and you’re ready for more download your free workbook 7 ways you’re blocking your own success and what to do about it by clicking here

    Hope to see you there

    Barbara

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  • Blog, mindset

    3 tips to stop resisting, whatever it is you’re resisting?

    About three months ago I decided to put some structure into how I manage my working week. Now I’d always resisted this because I told myself that I don’t like structure that I like spontaneity. That I had to be available for my clients, that any kind of structure would dampen my creativity. So I resisted it for a long time until I decided I had to create a structure that was right for me.

    And you know what? It worked an absolute dream.

    Which leads me to ask the question to you – what are you resisting and why are you resisting it?

    Now, chances are that you can put your finger on it immediately because resistance feels a little bit uncomfortable.


    I’ve got a few tips for you because I have a theory that when we resist something, chances are it is going to benefit us.


    Tip #1- Ask yourself what is it that you’re resisting

    You are probably going to be able to put your finger on it. If not then write it down in a notebook and see what comes up for you.


    Tip #2 Ask yourself what’s your reason for resisting it?

    You might find some stories that you’ve been telling yourself popping up. See what excuses pop up. What messages you’re telling yourself and see what happens.


    Tip #3 – Create an experiment

    I’m not the type of person that will tell you to dive in to do something because if it works for me, it’ll work for everybody. But, I do encourage people to test and measure things for themselves. Create a little mini-experiment and see how it works. Tweak things, adapt things, move things around, make it work for you.


    Those are my three tips for stopping the resistance. I’d love to hear your comments. Let me know what you are resisting and if you’ve got any tips that you can share.

     

    If you’d like to grab your FREE WORKBOOK on 7 ways you’re blocking your own success and what to do about it click here 

     

     

     

     

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  • Blog, mindset

    Stop with the excuses

    One thing that I see an awful lot of is when amazing people get fantastic opportunities that might be a little bit out of their comfort zone. Instead of putting their hands up and saying I would love to have a go at that, they find themselves coming up with an excuse why they can’t.

    Here are some tips for you if you find yourself in that position.


    Tip #1 – Listen out for the excuse

    Next time something comes up or next time you feel like doing something, and you find yourself coming up with an excuse or a reason, try and spot what that excuse is and write it down. Make a note of it because chances are it’s going to be coming up time and time again.

     

    Tip #2 – Ask yourself if it’s really true

    You’ve got to be really honest with yourself here. Ask yourself if it’s true, or is it just an excuse. You have to tune in and listen to yourself because you’ll secretly know. Now if it’s the truth, fair enough, you don’t have to do everything. You can just write it down and say I’m going to come back to it when the time is right. If you’re just lying to yourself then be honest and lean into that conversation with yourself.

     

    Tip #3 – Decide what the next small steps would be

    Now, if you’ve been hanging out with me for a while, you’ll know that I’m a massive believer in not disregarding the small steps. You don’t climb a mountain in one leap. It’s a series of small steps that gets you there.


    I would welcome your comments. So let me know what works for you, which are the tips you prefer. I’d love to know what tips you’ve got for getting you past excuses. And I’d also love to know what your favourite excuse is. Let me know in the comments and I will see you next week.

     

    If you’d like to grab your FREE MASTERCLASS on how you’re blocking your own success click here.

  • Blog, mindset

    How to stop comparing yourself to others

    Comparing yourself to others is really common because we’ve got access to other people’s lives via social media. And if we’re not careful, we can fall into the trap of comparing where we are to where somebody else is and feeling envious or jealous. You might question your ability, your value.

     

    Tip #1 – Spot yourself comparing as it’s happening


    What you might find is that you start seeing it after the event. That’s fine, but let’s start raising that self-awareness. After some time you may be able to spot that you are comparing as it happens.

     

    Tip #2 – Write a list of all the things that you find that you are envious of


    Write a list of the things that you wish that you had that this person is experiencing. That will give you a shopping list. You can add that to your vision board or your goal list and you can start working towards it yourself.

     

    Tip #3 – Thank them for showing you the way


    Now, this might be a little bit of a tricky one. You don’t have to phone them up and thank them. But in your head you can thank them and think, I’m so pleased that somebody showing me that I can have all those things. I can achieve those things because you’re actually doing it and somebody always has to go first.


    Change your mindset and reframe it from feeling envious to feeling grateful.

     

    Tip #4 – Focus on service


    You’re going first for other people. You’re ahead of other people and they’ll be looking at you, whether you realize it or not, and thinking, look at them they’re doing so well and I want to do well.


    So focus on service, on giving back, on serving your clients, on serving your team and the people around you.


    Focus on how other people can get there too, so you’re helping other people along the way.


    Those are my tips for how to stop comparing yourself to others. I would love to see your comments. So let me know what your experiences are and if you’ve got any tips that you’d like to share about how you’ve got over comparing yourself to other people then we’d love to hear from you.

     

    If you’d like to grab your FREE WORKBOOK on 7 ways you’re blocking your own success and what to do about them click here

  • Blog, mindset

    5 ways to stop waiting for an invitation?

    Have you ever been in the position where you see other people smashing it out of the park, and you’re still in exactly the same place?

    You look over and wonder…

    “How did they get that opportunity and I didn’t?”

    ‘How did they get chosen or picked?”

    “Who do they know that I don’t?”

    I was having this very same conversation with someone the other day, when they found themselves in exactly the same position, and the fact of the matter is that chances are that the one thing the other person isn’t doing, that maybe you are is waiting for an invitation.

    The thing is I see this so often with the people I work with (and I have to say that I’ve been there myself) that instead of looking and asking for the opportunities, they’re waiting patiently for someone to come and invite them to take part. To do things like:

    …speak at that event!

    …be on that amazing podcast!

    …write a post for that popular website!

    …speak up in that meeting!

    …go for that promotion!

    And although, yes, sometimes that invitation does happen, most of the time especially when you’re trying to get some traction, you have to be the one to make your own opportunities and go after the things that you want to do.

    So, if this is where you’re at, I’ve got you covered…try these 5 tips.

    Decide what’s on your dream list

    First things first, you need to decide what you’d like to do. Is there something that you’d love to be part of? If so, it’s time to make a list. It’s so much easier to go for what you want, if you know exactly where you’re going. Here’s a hint…if you keep writing it as a goal, you keep talking about it, or you find yourself envying anyone who’s done it – chances are you should be aiming for it too.

    Do your research

    Once you know exactly what you’d love to be involved in, it’s time to do your research.
    What are they looking for?
    What are the submission guidelines?
    Who is the organiser?
    How do you get involved?
    Knowing all of this first, will make it so much easier to get the yes that you’re looking for.

    Ask

    This can often be the hardest step of all as it involves stepping out of your comfort zone and ‘putting yourself out there’ – but as the saying goes “if you don’t ask, you don’t get!”

    Watch out for your excuses, assumptions and blocks

    Be super aware of any blocks popping up round about now to stall or stop you in your tracks. Have you got an excuse why you can’t move forward? Are you suddenly too busy? Are you making an assumption why you can’t do it? Is it on your to do list as something you’ll do tomorrow? If so, check in with yourself to see how you feel. It’s OK and perfectly natural to feel nervous about taking action, especially if it’s something you’ve not done before – but remember ‘confidence comes from action.’

    Take the next small step

    As you’ve probably heard me say a thousand times, you don’t climb a mountain in one leap – so don’t freak yourself out by trying to get everything done straight away. Instead look for that next small step to keep you taking action until you’ve achieved your goal, and give yourself a deadline for when each small step should be finished.

    I’d love to hear your thoughts, let me know in the comments – and if you’re ready to take the next steps join me on the next 5 day Smash Your Own Ceiling Mindset Challenge.

  • Blog, mindset

    The Power of Consistency

    One thing that I see a lot of is business owners fall into this pattern or scenario of starting things and stopping them and starting them and stopping them and starting and stopping and not being consistent. I see this in all areas of business, but I’m going to pick on communication as being the main one that we’ll talk about today.

    Instead of being consistent, you do it for a little while and then you lose the habit and it falls by the wayside. Does this sound like something you do? Because if so, you are not alone.

    There is real magic in consistency because it’s like having that snowball effect. It might be tough to start with but it gathers momentum then opportunities come your way and people start to notice you and remember your message. That’s when you start to get the results that you’re looking for.


    Three Tips to stay consistent

    Tip #1 – Decide what adds value to your business

    Pick one thing. It’s harder to build up a habit when you try to do all the things. Whether that’s sending a newsletter out each week, or a podcast, or a blog post or whatever is for you.


    Tip#2 – Decide how it adds value

    What is the benefit of doing that every single week? What results do you want from it? What are you expecting? How do you want people to see you showing up? So put some meat on the bones here, what does it look like for you? Why do you want to do this one thing?


    Tip #3 – Decide on a day that it will happen every week

    Create a system for you to put that out into the world every week. Put it into your calendar that this is your day for doing that thing. Hold yourself accountable for this to make it into a habit that you do every single week.

    Bonus Tip – Batch your content

    It’s so much easier when you’re not having to create it every single week. Create three months’ worth of content all in one sitting. Then all you have to do is pick it up and drop it into place when that time comes.

    I hope this has been useful to you. I’d love to know in the comments where you fall down in your consistency, what tips you’ve got to help other people out and what works for you.

    If you’d like to grab your FREE MASTERCLASS on how you’re blocking your own success click here.

  • Blog, mindset, Uncategorized

    Why Mindset Matters To Your Business

    It matters because it is money left on the table.

    All the tiny decisions you make each day matter because not all these add value to your business. Concentrating on the high ticket tasks that may take longer, or stretch you, or make you feel uncomfortable but add value to your business.

    Whether you choose option A (the high ticket task) or option B (the easy task) is why mindset is so important. If you are choosing option B, is it because you’re uncomfortable about option A? It might take more of your time. It might make you feel a bit more uncomfortable. It might be a stretch. You might be doubting yourself at that moment in time. How do we stay laser-focused in your business so that you’re not letting your mindset run the show?

    Tip #1 Divide your to-do list in two

    I’m a huge fan of a to-do list and that’s because they work. But, the problem that I’ve seen with to-do lists is that we can get into the trap of just writing everything down. If we’re not careful, we fall into the trap of just doing the quick things every single day. The easy things, the things that we can cross off. We leave the meatier tasks, the ones that we just talked about that do pack a big punch to another day. But that other day might never come. And then you might end up with the same goals year after year after year if you’re not careful.

    This is why dividing your to-do list comes into play. Have a to-do list with everything on it. Then create what I call a leap list, which is where you put your high ticket tasks. I’d recommend choosing one a day or a couple, two or three a week. Tasks that you’re going to focus on at that time. These are the tasks that will leap you forward, that will propel you forward. These are the ones that will get you in front of people, that will improve your visibility, which will get you the clients that you want. These are the ones that will actually get money in the bank.


    Tip #2 – Do your leap task first every single day

    Whatever it is that you’ve written down on your leap list, you do that first. Before you dive into social media, before you go onto your inbox, before you start messing about with your website. Before you start doing all the simple tasks on your to-do list, you work on your leap task first. This will ensure that it’s always getting the attention that it needs, and you’ll get it finished much faster.


    Tip #3 Challenge your own thinking

    Now, this is a biggie. When you are going through your day and you are deciding, what should I do next? What should I work on? When you feel yourself gravitating to that easy task, that quick task, that one that you can cross off quicker than the others.

    Challenge yourself and think is this going to get me closer to my goal faster than if I chose something off my leap list? I might not be able to cross it off by the end of the day. However, if I cross it off by the end of the week because I’ve been working on it consistently, it’s going to propel me forward.


    Those are my tips for you. This is why mindset matters. I’d love to hear your thoughts so do let me know in the comments. I’d love to know where it is that you are getting stuck or what it is that you’re fighting against in your mindset and why it’s keeping you stuck in the same place. Or the tips that you’ve got to propel yourself forward. So let me know in the comments.

    If you’d like to grab your FREE MASTERCLASS on how you’re blocking your own success click here.