Do you remember digging a hole on the beach next to the sea?

… I guess you could say ‘trying’ to dig a hole.

You know when you get started and before you can get it deep enough the water comes up and fills it in.

You are now in a race with tides that will never stop.

The next wave is coming yet you still try to get all the water out and continue to dig deep.

I remember how fun this was, until it wasen’t.
You got fed up of the waves messing up your progress that you decide its best to take a couple of steps back and dig your hole just outside of the tide line.

Just a couple of steps back thats all it takes.

I’ve been feeling a bit like that hole recently - Life’s waves are just going to keep coming and I’m standing right in it, mindlessly digging thinking there will be a different outcome if I just keep going.

I realised today I need to pick my head up - find out what’s causing me so much stress at the moment and see what I can take out/do about it.

What are the priorities?

Implementing Systems

Building and implementing systems is the priority right now.

It is never a good time to start, but I have got back into the habit of posting day of content, and for me it’s the quickest way to lose my flame of creativity.

I feel like I’m digging a hole on right on the tide line.. and not having fun with it.

I don’t like the added stress that comes with it, and I don’t like the lack of thought that has been going into my posts recently.

I feel I am posting for the sake of posting, not because I have something worth saying at the moment.

My goal for this month was to get back to my old start up salary which was 3,000 USD per month.

As of last week, I realised I hit it!

• 1,000 USD - Graphic retainer from my old company

• 2,000 USD - Graphic retainer - new client

• 500 USD - Content repurposing - new client

This is where all my attention has been going, and there is nothing like onboarding new clients to make you realise how flimsy your systems are.

I have also realised, since clients have been the priority the first thing to get booted out of the equation is ‘your stuff’.

I’ve flown full on into old ‘Busy’ mode and back into old bad habits of not taking care of myself.

I’ll train tomorrow
I’ll go for a walk tomorrow
I’ll catch up on my writing tomorrow

… Remember how last week I said I would get it under control?
I have realised I need more than a week to get it under control!

Unfortunately each new day brings along with it a new set of things to do that gets added to the ‘tomorrow list’ and you end up in this fun little loop.

This is something I pride myself in helping my clients with, getting them out of their own little catch 22’s.

Creating the space to decide on a direction then designing the buffer to keep them going.

I go over The Creation Loop in a previous newsletter so I won’t dive into it too much here.

But why is is so much easier to do with clients than it is with yourself?

My content is lacking because I haven’t given myself the space to be creative with my writing.
There is no time to think
no time to read
no time to reflect
no time to learn

I do not feel I am doing the things I know I need to be doing to get out of this rut.

I realised after this conversation on Wednesday that ‘trying’ had been the key word.

I actually haven’t been trying…
I’ve been using these new clients as excuses to not do my own work anymore
I’ve been procrastinating
I’ve been shutting down
I’ve been postponing
I’ve been feeling lost

I’ve been saying the right things again, but not doing the things I know I need to be doing.

Self awareness only helps you to a certain point. Yes the first step, you have to become self aware to even realise there is a problem…

But once you have identified the problem, awareness is now no longer enough, we must change.

I’ve been throwing myself so many ‘oh woes me’ pitty parties again, but luckily I’m bouncing back quicker than ever with my mental talk.

Because I see that I am fully responsible - I am in control

If something isn’t working

What is going on?
Why are you crying?
Why is your profile not growing?
Why are you feeling overwhelmed?
Why are you upset with were you are right now?
Why are you sad when you actually hit your goal for this month?

The most important question though…
What are you going to do about it?

What are YOU going to do about it.

Patterns

This week I have realised I’m not crazy, my favourite creators are all talking about the same thing and I don’t feel this is a coincidence.

I’ve just not carved out the time and creative space to get it into words.

April 16th - Listening to a podcast episode about how life unfolds in chapters and phases.

This sparked a line of thought to write a newsletter about how life unfolds in chapters and phases.

The Newsletter was outlined… the ideas formulating throughout the week, and it quickly got lost in my drafts.

I have not implemented a writing system that keeps me going back into my notes to develop these creative thoughts.

Yesterdays Koe Letter…

If you are thinking it, someone else is thinking it.
If others are learning the lessons, you can too.

Stress is the enemy of Discovery.

This is exactly where I am at right now. I am feeling Stressed!

And the answer is there - That last paragraph.

When we are stuck we need to shake it up!

Not just dig deeper into what’s not working.

I have decided its time to take a break from this Newsletter - just for the Month of June.

I am creating my own content loop buffer.

My free time is the one thing I can control and right now I feel like I ‘Should’ be getting my newsletter done, and the last two weeks have showed me that this is just not a priority right now as I keep letting it slide.

My priority is to find my creativity again and gain clarity on the direction of the work I want to produce.

“Make a conscious effort to expose yourself to experience”

3 Goals for June:

1) Find the joy in my writing again
- I decided to jump into Kieran Drew’s High Impact Writing Course at the beginning of this week.

I am using this month to complete the course and give myself time to implement the content before it starts gathering digital dust on my desktop.

2) Maintain my new clients and hone in the systems to manage them without getting overwhelmed.
- Set up client systems and weekly schedules.
- Track the time spent with each one so I can see where I am wasting time or have miscalculated how long it takes me to get things done.

Don’t fall into the Freelancing Trap!

3) Get ahead of my own content creation.
- By the end of the month I want to be at least 1 month ahead of my general content.

I like to have a balance of both, in terms of content that is created during the week as things come up, and content that is ‘evergreen’ that you can get ahead of.

This is something I do with my clients and it’s now time to do for myself.

I dove down the rabbit hole of Dan Koe’s work this time last year, and it has completely changed my life. I also intend to plug myself back into his Digital Economics course as I feel this last year has been about basic self discovery. (You need to do this part first before you figure out the niche of you)

Seeing Dan’s work made me know it was possible.
But knowing and doing are two very different things.

“If you can gain 1 follower you can gain 1 million
If you can make $1 you can make $1 million”

Do the things to prove its possible for you to achieve the results you want.

I have finally proven to myself its possible to make an online income.
That you can create something ‘seemingly out of nothing’ with a social media channel, an idea and consistency…

But it does take sticking power!

Time to celebrate my mini win of getting to my old salary and to refocus my attention onto whats going to make the biggest difference over the next month instead of getting overwhelmed with whats going on right now.

“Nobody Panic - This is Supposed to be Fun!”

If you are struggling with anything similar at the moment reply to this email and if you want to schedule a call let’s have a chat. I’ve found just getting it off your chest sometimes helps with finding where you’re stuck.

Follow me on Twitter - That’s where I will be exploring new content and ideas this month.
 
I will see you back in your Inbox’s 1st weekend of July.

Time to put in the reps.

Maja