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Feeling Stuck? Here’s What’s Really Holding You Back

A few weeks ago, I was chatting with Lisa Hood, a member of my mastermind group and an amazing maker with a booming business. We were talking about her goals for 2024, and something she said really stuck with me. It was such a good example of why so many of us stay stuck in our businesses, and I wanted to share it with you because it’s something we can all relate to.

Lisa’s story highlights something we all do:

We default to the work we enjoy or that gives us quick wins, but we don’t always focus on the work that will lead to the big changes we really want. So, let’s break it down and see how prioritizing your time and energy can truly unlock your business potential.

The Quick Win Illusion: Why Chasing Success Keeps You Stuck

Lisa, like many of us, loves the creative side of her business. She’s a maker who thrives on formulating new products and launching them to her loyal audience. And why wouldn’t she? Every time she releases something new, her customers snap it up. That kind of instant validation feels great, right? You create something, put it out there, and boom—sales come in.

But here’s the thing. While these launches bring in sales and feel good, they were actually keeping Lisa stuck. We all tend to default to the work we enjoy the most, and in Lisa’s case, that meant constantly coming up with new products. But launching new products over and over again wasn’t moving her business forward in the way she wanted. And honestly, this is something a lot of us do. It’s easy to stick with what feels good, but it doesn’t always align with the big picture.

When Saying No Means Saying Yes to Growth

During our conversation, Lisa made a game-changing decision. She decided to limit herself to just one new product release for the rest of the year. Yep, just one. Now, this was a big deal because Lisa could easily have launched multiple products—she had the ideas, the audience, and the confidence that they would sell. But she made a conscious choice to scale back, and the reason behind it was eye-opening.

Lisa told me, “I realized what happens in the fourth quarter of my business is a lot more important than what happens in August.” And she’s absolutely right. The time and energy we spend on any given project is not unlimited, and when we focus on something small (like a single product launch), it takes away from the bigger projects that could create massive growth down the road. By saying “no” to a bunch of launches, Lisa was freeing up time to focus on the long-term goals that really mattered for her business.

Most of us underestimate the time and energy our projects will require. Launching a new product sounds simple, but think about everything that goes into it: messaging, pricing, listing, production, marketing… it’s a lot! And when you’re busy juggling all of that, it leaves little room for the big-picture projects that could take your business to the next level.

Lisa recognized that launching new products, while fun and profitable in the short term, wasn’t going to get her where she wanted to be long-term. 

Stop Managing and Start Leading Your Business

Lisa is working toward something a lot of us aspire to—becoming the leader of her business instead of being stuck in the day-to-day grind. She’s at a point where she doesn’t want to be the one making all the products, managing every sale, and handling every detail. She wants to scale, maximize profit, and have more time and flexibility.

For Lisa, that means stepping back from the constant cycle of product launches and focusing on acquiring new customers and streamlining her business. She’s making the hard decisions now, and it’s going to pay off in the long run.

This applies to you too. If you’re always chasing the next quick win, you’ll never have the time or energy to focus on what will really move your business forward.

What’s the One Thing That Could Change Everything?

Here’s where I want you to stop and reflect. Ask yourself: If I woke up one year from today and one thing had changed in my business, what would that be? What’s the one thing that, if it happened, would make the biggest impact on your business?

Now, once you’ve identified that, think about what it will take to make that happen. What are the projects or changes that you need to prioritize? And here’s the tough part—where are you spending time on things that feel productive but aren’t really moving the needle?

Time to Leap: Don’t Sabotage Your Own Growth

The biggest takeaway from Lisa’s story is that growth doesn’t come from staying comfortable. It comes from doing the hard work, the work you might be avoiding because it’s unfamiliar or it feels overwhelming. But here’s the good news: you don’t have to do it all at once.

Start by blocking off time in your calendar for those big projects. Create space for the work that will move your business forward. Don’t try to add one more thing to an already full plate. Instead, consciously choose what matters most and say no to the rest.

If you’re an Inner Circle member and feeling stuck or unsure of where to start, book a one-on-one call with one of our coaches. They’ll help you drill down on your goals and break them into actionable steps. It’s time to stop defaulting to what’s comfortable and start focusing on what will really make a difference in your business.

So, what’s the one thing you’ll change in the next year? Go for a walk, think about it, and make a plan. Your future self will thank you for it.

RELATED LINKS:

The Fear That Will Keep You Stuck

https://thesocialsalesgirls.com/the-fear-that-will-keep-you-stuck-episode-100/

Stop Avoiding This And Get Control Of You Sales

https://thesocialsalesgirls.com/stop-avoiding-this-and-get-control-of-your-sales-episode-229/

Ditch Your Decision Fatigue

https://thesocialsalesgirls.com/ditch-your-decision-fatigue-im-giving-you-my-framework-its-brilliant-episode-186/

6 Steps You Should Take To Get Results Faster

https://thesocialsalesgirls.com/6-steps-you-should-take-to-get-the-results-you-want-faster-episode-184/

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