How to Get Unstuck if You're a Perfectionist or an Overachiever
Episode 376: Show Notes
Our whole mission is to help you transform your passion into a full-time business that provides you with a sustainable income, while also giving you the freedom to make your own rules. But becoming a creative entrepreneur comes with its own obstacles, and today we talk about the three-level model that we use to help our audience better understand business and where they are at in the process. The first tier of the model has you stuck in the idea phase, which often involves redesigning your brand, changing your website and trying to get all the cosmetic aspects perfect. The problem is, however, that you never move on to the implementation stage.
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When you are on the second level, you have started implementing your ideas and have made a few sales, but here you might also get trapped. There is a temptation to try several ideas at once and you come up with many tools and programs to help you grow. But the truth is, if you want to get to that third level, you need to simplify by choosing to focus on only one or two things, and then to carefully measure their results. Remember to sign up for our upcoming webinar where you’ll learn a whole lot more, including our business philosophy, the most common mistakes creative entrepreneurs are making and how to get past yourself!
Unpacking the Term “Full-Time Creative Entrepreneur”
Sometimes it’s intimidating to hear the phrase “full-time creative entrepreneur” because it immediately conjures up associations with the traditional workspace. We equate “full-time” with the classic nine to five job, the 40-hour workweek where you work enough to get certain benefits from a company such as healthcare and paid time off. But in the context that we refer to, “full-time” can still mean you get to determine your own schedule and make your own rules. There is a caveat, however: while some people still structure their work around getting those same hours of productive work done, others might rebel against all structures and end up watching more Netflix than working. The cool thing about being a full-time creative is the very fact that you determine how and when you work, but it requires self-discipline.
The Things That Were Important to Us When We Were Building Our Business
We have always had a family-first philosophy, which means that work is never number one in our lives. With that in mind, we adjust our work around our families and their needs. When Emylee was going through the adoption process, we prepared a lot of things in advance so that she could pay attention to Penny when she arrived. Over time, we also adjusted some other aspects to accommodate for childcare or to allow either of us to focus more on health or creativity for example. But, having said that, when we work – we work! We opt for efficiency and productivity and we automate as much as possible. In the last two and a half of the four years we’ve been in business, we have worked no more than 30 to 32 hours a week – we average between 16 and 20! The point is not that you can do the bare minimum and still be successful but rather that, once you are set up and going, you can make your business fit into your lifestyle, not the other way around. It’s easy to get trapped in that constant hustle and overworked space when you work for yourself, and that’s why it’s important to always keep your priorities clearly in sight. The boundaries and expectations you establish early on will likely to determine your reality for the duration of your business. So, be sure to set the right tone from the start.
Why We Disagree with Dave Ramsey
Dave Ramsey repeatedly says that you must work and live like no one else so that you can give and live like no one else. But according to us, that mindset puts you in hustle mode and you end up working far beyond your capacity. This might mean working two jobs or building your business on nights and weekends, and while we get why he says that, we are fully convinced that our listeners are strong, hardworking women who can get to where they want to be in business while working fewer hours and not getting burned out. Moreover, that mentality puts you in a headspace of waiting until you are “ready” or for that thing to fall into place before you can do the next. If you want to do that workout class in the morning – prioritize it! Your business needs to grow and be established around the hours that you are willing to give it. If you don’t make time for your wellness right now, you’re eventually going to have to make time for your illness. We can think of several people who have been hospitalized as a result of the unhealthy habits they’ve created around their work.
The Three-Tier Pyramid to Get to The End Goal
We’ve noticed that our audience generally falls into one of two categories. The cool part is, it all fits into our creative entrepreneur method. It’s a three-tier pyramid and you guys are at level one or two – and of course we’re all aiming for level three. We’d like for you to do a quick self-evaluation of where you are at and then DM us what you find. Across the board, a lot of you are either perfectionists or overachievers. So, level one is the perfectionist level (where you remain in the idea phase) and level two is the overachiever level (where you remain in the implementation phase), and both these tendencies by themselves will prevent you from becoming a full-time creative entrepreneur. The great news is that moving from level one to level two is only a decision away because you are shifting from the idea stage to the implementation stage by deciding to act.
Clues That You Might Be Stuck at The Perfectionist Level
Some clues that you are stuck at the perfectionist level are when you keep changing or redesigning your logo, you fuss over the branding and layout of your website or you are constantly doing research. You might also want to obsessively learn from others and get as much information as possible about the industry. This desire for perfection and to perform at an excellent level is not a bad thing, but it means you are waiting for the “ding!” moment where everything is exactly as it should be – and that probably won’t happen. Just make the decision to move on and transition from focusing on appearances to focusing on what you can sell right now with the skills you already have. This requires a more practical, present-orientated way of thinking about your business. We want you to start making money ASAP. We have set up a challenge which we give you for free in our signature program, Strategy Academy, and we’ll tell you more about it on the webinar. It’s designed to get you passed the idea stage in only five days!
Welcome to The Implementation Stage!
When you come to level two, you’re considered an overachiever who has made a couple of sales and you’ve started doing something with this idea of yours. Some people (like Emylee) do not have perfectionist tendencies and they almost immediately skip to this stage. But you can be equally as stuck at this level. What might happen is, you could get something out there, make a few sales, but then fear starts setting in and imposter-syndrome convinces you that you need to learn more and expand what you’re already doing – because what is currently out there is not good enough. Listening to a gazillion podcasts on business and binging on new tools and software might be indicative of this stage. The problem with this stage is that there is a perception that you are seeing results and being productive when in fact you are not busy working on things that are moving your business forward. You might accidentally do things that are getting you more business, but you are not even sure where the positive results are happening, so you keep doing more and more. It’s much more exciting to look for and implement new systems and tools than to commit to the predictability of what you know works, but that is what it takes.
How to Move to The Third Tier
For you to move your business forward, it is crucial to know which channels are getting you those positive results, and then to double down on them. You should be able to dissect and analyze your results and figure out exactly how they are related to your different marketing efforts or other ways of getting your product or service out there. It comes down to this simple equation: pick a product to sell, focus on one sales method and then do this method for at least six months before moving on to another one. This is the only way you will be able to identify what works and what does not. When you focus on one thing and pour all your energy into that thing, then your efforts are ten times more impactful. Every time you start a new marketing strategy, it’s like you are building a bridge to the sales you are trying to make. So, with each new strategy, a new bridge is constructed, and you are not walking on those bridges you’ve already put in place. You end up with a bunch of half-built bridges that are not getting you to your result. In addition, if you only have four hours to work in a day, you better not be spending your time maintaining all ten bridges you’ve started building, but rather, you want to focus your time on the actual work. You might also want more time for your hobbies, your family and things outside of work.
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Our goal is to make reaching your goals simpler, easier, more efficient, faster and more fun.
Highlights
Unpacking the Term “Full-Time Creative Entrepreneur”. [0:02:42.1]
The Things That Were Important to Us When We Were Building Our Business. [0:04:33.1]
Why We Disagree with Dave Ramsey. [0:09:40.1]
The Three-Tier Pyramid to Get to The End Goal. [0:14:14.1]
Clues That You Might Be Stuck at The Perfectionist Level. [0:17:00.1]
Welcome to The Implementation Stage! [0:22:46.1]
How to Move to The Third Tier. [0:27:08.1]
ON TODAY’S SHOW
Abagail & Emylee
The Strategy Hour Podcast
We help overwhelmed and creative entrepreneurs break down their Oprah-sized dreams to create a functioning command center to tame the chaos of their business. Basically, we think you’re totally bomb diggity, we’re about to uplevel the shiz out of your business.
KEY TOPICS
Dream job, Full-time entrepreneur, Family first, Perfectionists, Overachievers, Simplification, Focus
