For years I felt called to develop my work, but I struggled to fulfill that goal.
I invested heavily in business strategy classes and business coaching groups.
I worked hard.
I learned a lot of strategies and gained a number of insights, but I struggled to implement what I learned.
Every.
Single.
Time.
When one class didn’t work, I’d search for the next, thinking it would help me resolve whatever gap I thought was keeping me from succeeding at that point.
I couldn’t understand why others were so successful in implementing the strategies that I couldn't make work.
Talk about frustrating!
I can't tell you how many hours I spent agonizing over this scenario while I was in it. The hours I'll never get back. The detrimental impact this experience had on my self-esteem. The devastating influence it had on my pocket book.
I Was Not Alone
Along the way I realized other classmates and colleagues were experiencing what I was.
They were also investing their time, money, and energy in “Build Your Business” courses and coaching programs.
Like me, they were dedicated, creative, and committed to their work and their business.
And yet they also ended up receiving little to no return on their investments.
While I was in the midst of this spin cycle of frustration, I could NOT see what was getting in the way of our success.
Finally A Fresh Perspective
At one point I had the opportunity to step away from my business for a few months. When I returned with a fresh mind and heart, I decided to take another look to see if I could sort out the root cause of our frustration.
This time, rather than looking at the scenario through the eyes of a business owner, I decided to apply my professional expertise.
- What could my nuanced understanding of clarity show me? (For most of my career I have specialized in helped clients gain clarity about their new work.)
- What could my knowledge of navigating significant transitions tell me? (I created a natural approach to navigating transitions that I've woven into all of my work with clients.)
Looking at the struggle through these two lenses gave me several significant realizations within an hour!
My Aha Moment
All of a sudden, I realized the path I'd been working on so diligently was the WRONG path.
I wasn't Building My Business!
I was Developing My Work.
BEFORE I tried to Build My Business, I needed to gain clarity about the focus of my new work.
No wonder my colleagues and I had struggled so hard for so long. We were trying to build our businesses before we had sufficient clarity about the focus of our new work!
As soon as I made this connection, I felt a re-calibration run through my entire body.
My pain, angst, and frustration dropped away.
I could finally see a new path forward that made sense and felt doable.
As soon as I switched my focus to align with this new "Evolve Your Work" path, I made more progress than I had in years. I knew what to work on. I knew what milestones I was working toward. I saw how I could build my confidence layer by layer.
Getting to Know the "Develop Your Work" Journey
The last couple of years I've dedicated to testing, deepening, refining, and strengthening what I know about this new journey to “Evolve Your Work.”
Combining my clarity coaching expertise, my transition support experience, and my personal history of transforming my ideas into viable businesses, has given me a unique way to help Change Catalysts Evolve Their Work:
- Gaining clarity about the core focus of their new work
- Transforming their idea with potential into a viable business vision with engaging offerings
- Deepening their confidence in themselves and their new work before they begin sharing it with the world
It's likely you have not heard of the “Evolve Your Work” journey and philosophy in the courses you’ve taken thus far.
That's because no one else is talking about it. It’s not on anyone’s radar.
And yet, if you are feeling called to Evolve Your Work, it is the very path you need to take to bring your new work into the world.
My Five Realizations
My personal experience and my professional background have led me to discover five realizations that have deepened my understanding of the journey to "Evolve Your Work." This list will give you a taste of these insights. I'll be writing more about each of these topics in the coming days.
- Realization #1: Collectively we’ve held the belief that the “Build Your Business” Approach works for everyone. It does not!
- Realization #2: Those who aren't clear about their niche aren't failing or slacking off. They are actively evolving an emerging body of work, and just aren't clear YET.
- Realization #3: Without a clear sense of your idea with potential, you are at a standstill. Any investment you make won't give you the results you are planning on.
- Realization #4: Finding the Core Focus of Your Work is just the first step. The journey to Evolve Your New Work is inherently laced with unknowns.
- Realization #5: "Building Your Business" is all about taking action...NOW! Evolving Your New Work" is all about gaining clarity and confidence first. Without clarity, you can't take action. Bottom Line: Clarity must come before Action.