Are you Distracting Yourself?

"Yes, yes, yes!!! I'll do it" said my client.

We'd just had an intense session clearing some of her blocks and she was agreeing to finish up her marketing plan so she could pursue support for her next BIG adventure in her business...going from serving 27 clients to serving over 90. 

And just as I was about to cheer wildly, she popped my excitement with this one sentence.

Now I'm sure you've never said this. 

I mean who would when it literally means "I'm not really going to do that now"?

What was that next sentence she uttered, that had me deflate like a balloon you start to blow up and then instead of tying it off, you let fly all around the room making that fart noise??

"As soon as I get through this course on my money blocks." 

Now I have nothing against removing money blocks. We had just spent an hour working through some of her blocks. But in this case, I had to push back.

And politely but firmly point out that we knew she has everything she needs to take this particular step at this point in time. That there is a habit of looking for what else is wrong in some of us personal growth oriented folks. That she's potentially distracting herself from doing this next step that would actually move the needle A LOT in her business. 

Luckily, she agreed and finished most of her plan that same day. But it struck me that this is super common for small business owners.

We delay taking key actions that feel "uncomfortable" and justify it by telling ourselves we'll get to it after something else. We distract ourselves with the easy-to-do items because that makes us feel accomplished in the short term, even though it doesn't serve our larger dreams in the long term.  

There is of course, a place for putting off one action while you finish another. But discerning when this is a distraction tactic vs. just moving through your priorities correctly is the difference between your business staying right where it is OR knocking down your big goals one by one. 

Any sentence that starts with "As soon as I..." is suspect for being a distraction. It's a way we allow ourselves the dream of what could be without actually taking the risks that could bring it about. 
 
News flash: moving forward toward our BIG next step in our business is NEVER going to feel comfortable. Comfort is actually NOT the marker for knowing the next step is the right thing to do.

Often, it's discomfort that lights the way.

If you feel slightly sick about taking your next step, it's likely the correct one. Haha, not that you'll actually vomit but you will definitely sit down to do it and realize you have this nervous energy coursing through you. 

That's a good sign. And if you take the step, you'll start the feedback loop that will show you your next step. And believe it or not, that next step will show you the next block you need to remove. And then you can take your next step. 

There's never a need to do "extra" growth work outside of the actions of actually growing your business.

Growing your business is like an immersive personal development course. If you stick with it, and don't stall out with distractions, not only will your business grow but you'll become an amazing person in the process.

So my question to you today is: where are you distracting yourself and not taking that one key action that could really propel you forward?

I dare you to find it and take it anyway. The only thing you have to lose is your distraction habit.