Failure is the first step to any breakthrough, because you can’t make a breakthrough unless you have something to break. So if you’ve tried and you’ve failed, congratulations! You’re now ready to break down the model that yielded you failure, and rebuild it into something that can give you the success you deserve.
Let me give you a real world example.
For months and months I tried building my coaching and healing services traditionally. I focused a lot on setting the right price, networked with people who could promote me to a wider audience, and regularly wrote uplifting articles. However, I never got the level of business I desired because I wasn’t comfortable with actually asking for a sale. I marketed around my business, without creating a real opportunity to turn the people I met into clients that paid. Doing sales just never felt right to me, and I somehow felt like the price I set was somehow too low and too high at the same time!
One day, it hit me that I’m following a business model that gives my power away. With that model, other people have to bring me their business in order for me to do what I want to do. I don’t get to be a coach or a healer unless someone else comes to me. While some people are naturals at sales and self-promotion, that’s not my strong suit. So I was left with far too little business to satisfy the desire of who I want to be, and a lot of contradictory thoughts around how much I should charge and how I should try to drum up business.
So I decided to create a new model. One that will allow me to begin experiencing what I want right now, and leave plenty of room for growth down the road. So instead of setting a price and trying to market my services, I’m going to decide how many sessions I want to do a week, and then sell those sessions on eBay to the highest bidder. That way I can guarantee I’m doing what I want to do, and let the market set the price automatically. This automates the things I like doing least and gives me the freedom to focus in the areas where I’ll have my biggest impact (preparing really awesome coaching sessions and being available for my clients).
Now it’s your turn.
Is there an area of your life where you feel discouraged? Where your efforts have yet to bear any real fruit despite your strong desire to make progress? I would like you to consider the possibility that you’re trying too hard to do things you aren’t meant to do. You were born with innate talents and abilities, and when you work in congruence with your natural skillset, you’ll happily achieve progress. But when you try to do more than is natural for you, you end up sapping your enthusiasm before you gain enough momentum to get where you need to go. The solution isn’t to try and get yourself to do the things you need to do in order to make progress, but to change your model of success so that you get to do the parts you can easily do and the rest can be fulfilled in a way that doesn’t drag you down.
Creating Your New Model
The reason the old model doesn’t work for you is because you’re not yet ready for success. If you were, you’d succeed the moment you agreed to follow it. So instead of trying to make yourself more ready than you are, I’m going to invite you to create a new model. One that is not designed for long-term success, but for short-term momentum building. Your goal is simply to get the ball rolling, and that may involve doing some things inefficiently or sub-optimally.
The learning process is naturally wasteful. Think of all those failed prototypes that precede any truly innovative invention. You just need to give yourself permission to create some waste in exchange for creating the momentum that will allow you to learn to be more efficient as you go.
As I put my coaching sessions up on eBay I’m probably not going to get paid as much as I’d like, but that’s OK. The important thing is that I’m doing what I love and I’m getting paid in the process. If someone else gets a deal because I haven’t yet created enough demand for me to get paid better, then so be it. We will still both benefit from my willingness to put myself out there, and I will only get better from the experience.
The New Model In a Nutshell
Prioritize momentum over perfection. Anything you can do that will help you feel more enthusiasm or build up confidence is worth doing, even if it’s only sustainable in the short-term. Don’t try to emulate other people’s success, just focus on getting yourself moving. Movement = life. Aiming for perfection and getting bogged down in analysis paralysis will bring your progress to a screeching halt before you’ve built up enough momentum to actually close the gap between you and your goal.
Letting Your Past Failures Fuel You
There were many times when I’ve tried to jumpstart my business, only to get discouraged and give up. That’s OK though, because now I’ve mapped out exactly what happens if I try to be too perfect and expect results I’m not yet capable of yielding. If I had to get 20 clients a month at my going rate right now, I’d probably fail. But if I just decided I’m going to 20 sessions no matter what… well, I can do that. I’ve set myself up for success because I’m the one who has the power to make it happen.
That’s what I want to help you create as well. A dynamic where you have the power to create the change you want, even if you’ve failed time and time again in the past.
Thanks for reading and click here to check out my eBay listing for this coaching session and add your bid! Your willingness to invest in yourself as you pursue your dream will help me live mine along side you!