I keep making this mistake. Are you?
There’s a theory out there that the universe will keep giving you the lessons you need to learn until you really learn them.
For me, that lesson is TRUST YOUR GUT.
And along the way there were mini-lessons in how to trust your instincts: Speak loudly when necessary. Stop listening to what other people think is best for you if it doesn’t feel right. Be the boss of your business and stop doing things just because someone else did them.
Basically, all these mini-lessons eventually dumped me right back at the big one: TRUST YOUR GUT.
This has played out in all kinds of ways in my business this year. I network a LOT, which is great, because I have plenty of opportunities to talk about the Matchmaker program and help Free Mamas connect with fabulous clients.
But every so often, someone comes along and pitches an idea or a service or something that sounds exciting… but something feels off.
Each time, I would find myself halfway down a path before I stopped, looked around, realized I wasn’t anywhere near what I wanted, and then I’d have to backtrack to find the way to where I actually wanted to be.
Again. And again. And again. Call me a slow learner.
In hindsight, these situations are so clearly and obviously crying out at me. I should have been suspicious of the “easy win.” I should have stepped up as the CEO and put my foot down. I should have recognized that someone promising overnight success was a dirty, rotten scoundrel — well. I digress. I should have learned the “how to trust your instincts” lesson at those points.
It’s easy to get caught up in the moment when that easy win is being waved right in front of you, because it’s an easy win. We LIKE easy wins. We LOVE the idea of overnight success, because instant gratification is AWESOME.
Unfortunately, it’s not real.
Overnight success isn’t a thing. Show me ANYONE who got where they are by sitting on a sofa eating bonbons, and I’ll show you a champion bonbon eater who hasn’t accomplished much else.
Success takes work, and a decent amount of it. I know that’s not exciting, but it’s the truth.
But here’s the other side of that coin: when you’re moving in the right direction, things can actually move pretty darn quickly.
Here’s what that looks like in real life. You start getting visible in Facebook groups by listening to the discussion, chiming in with real, genuine questions, providing answers and value when possible, and making real connections with people.
You do this consistently — which means every single day — for several months. It feels like forever, but you keep showing up. And then, on a random Tuesday, you get three messages from people, book two discovery calls, and sign a client within 24 hours.
You could truly be one conversation away from your next big win — but you’ll never get there if you keep looking for the shortcut and the easy way out.
There isn’t one.
If someone on LinkedIn is promising to pay you $400 a week for 2-3 hours of work, trust your gut, delete and block.
If someone swears they can make you a millionaire by next Friday and all you have to do is sign up, RUN AWAY.
If someone says they can get you access to the secret client nirvana, THEY ARE LYING.
The big secret to success is being willing to show up and do the work. That’s it. That’s the WHOLE secret. And that is how to trust your instincts and know the truth!
And if you can master that lesson, nothing will stop your success. And if you’re in a season of feeling overwhelmed, I have some thoughts on that too!