Are you ready for a new chapter, but don’t know where to start?

how-to-grow-my-creative-business

I’ve always loved September.  There’s a new energy in the air and everything feels creative and active after the more mellow days of summer.

But with that new energy comes a call to take action.  A call to stop ignoring the things you hoped might get better (or magically go away), to finally get that big idea out of your head and into the world, or start a new chapter in your life or business

I know I’m feeling that call as much as the next person. After a summer break from my bigger, scarier ideas (like writing an outline for a book, or pitching ideas to my dream collaborators), I’m ready to feel the thrill of an unrealized dream, soon to be manifested

How about you? If you’re feeling the itch to make a change in your career or business, but don’t where to start, here are 3 things you can do right now to get on-track.

1) Break it down

The biggest obstacle to achieving big things is trying to solve the whole problem at once.  When you break a challenge or desire down into teeny, tiny steps, you’ll find it much easier to move through the challenges with more ease and efficiency.

For example, let’s say you’re not getting the high-quality clients you want because you feel like a generalist, your internal dialog probably might go something like this:

“I want to get better projects, with better clients. But how can I get the clients I want when my portfolio is all over the place?  And look at that design studio, they have it SO together, how can I compete with that? I need a new website, that will help.  But what do I want to say and show? And who am I talking to again? Who am I kidding, I can’t afford a new website right now. I need more clients.  I’ll just keep taking whatever projects I can for now and figure it out later. My life sucks :(”

We’ve all had (have) those internal conversations, so when you catch yourself in one of these loops, stop! Grab a piece of paper and see how many steps you can break one goal or dream into. The smaller the steps are, the more you can accomplish in one sitting, and the more momentum you gain.  And momentum leads to results. Hurray!

2) Ask and listen

Another great obstacle to doing something life-changing is fear because you’ve never done it before. But here’s the thing, there’s always someone who’s done what you want to do, and has gotten really good at it.  You’ll be surprised how willing those people are to give you advice if you just ask. The most successful people in the world seek out mentors, and are happy to advise other people. If  you want to dramatically reduce your learning curve, side-step common mistakes, and speed up your success, this is a great way to go.

3) Take action

Without doubt, the most successful people who go through my coaching program are the ones who take action. Once you’ve identified what you want to do, found people who are willing to give you advice on how to do it, your only job is to take consistent action on what you’ve learned. Will it all work? No!  Will you build confidence, learn a ton, and make progress? YES!

Where are you feeling stuck? What ideas or dreams excite/scare you? How willing are you to go for glory and just try?  I’d love to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment below and I’ll be happy to weigh in with any ideas or resources to help you on your way!

2 thoughts on “Are you ready for a new chapter, but don’t know where to start?

  1. Hey Justine,
    I’m feeling a little stuck. I started a #365project for my drawing on Instagram at the beginning of the year. Something happened and it turned into a 200 day project LOL. I looked at September as a start up point again, but the kick isn’t there. I still practice & start ideas, but feeling like something is worth posting just isn’t there. I was also having tech issues for awhile, so that took it out of me. I still love to draw & still have LOTS of ideas; they’re just not making it on paper. Just wanted to vent 😉 Thanks Jeremiah (instagram.com/jersjourney)

    1. Hi Jeremiah,
      Losing steam happens, don’t beat yourself up too much! BUT, I would advise you get back on the horse as soon as you can. Even if the ideas don’t feel earth-shattering, continuing to create and put your work out there will be the very thing that improves it. You may have already seen this Ira Galss video, but if not, check it out. I promise it’ll help! https://youtu.be/PbC4gqZGPSY
      Keep going!

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