Have you heard the phrase, “Stop comparing your chapter one to another’s chapter 20″?
As I was journaling, recently, I came to a realization that really jumped out at me. And it was this:
One of the reasons newer entrepreneurs get so overwhelmed and frustrated, and have no idea what to do, is because they are seeing all these other — more advanced — entrepreneurs saying “do this, this, and this“, OR telling their stories of how they did X, Y, and Z to get to where they’re at.
What these new entrepreneurs aren’t considering, however — and here’s the real “aha!” — is that the tactics and methods being touted / recommended by these other (advanced) entrepreneurs is actually “Level 30” stuff … not the “Level 1-5” stuff that would actually make sense in the beginnings of entrepreneurship!
If you haven’t yet walked through Levels 1 through 29, of course the Level 30 stuff is going to confuse, frustrate, and overwhelm you!
The problem is, a lot of those other, more experienced entrepreneurs don’t stop to think about this. So, there aren’t usually any caveats saying, “As a pre-requisite, you need to have done ___, first, or none of this is going to work for you.“
There should be a clear distinction between what’s beginner-level, what’s intermediate, and what’s more advanced. And yet, there isn’t (to my knowledge, anyway).
Instead, there is so much information online, and no real (affordable) way to know — quickly! — what belongs at what level.
Some might recommend you get a coach or mentor to help you figure this out. And yet, for most new solopreneurs, the prices charged by these coaches are so far out of their budget that it feels impossible to ever get any help.
[Side note: This is one of the reasons I love my own coach, Crystal! She believes coaching should be affordable, so that those who are ready to do the work can get the help they need, without breaking the bank! Check her out, and tell her I sent you!]
One of the things I am working on doing is putting together a reference that will show you what you need to focus on at each level of your self-employment journey. This way, you won’t have to waste time trying things you’re not yet ready for (thereby, feeling like you’ve somehow “failed”), and you don’t have to worry that you’re missing a step, as you will be able to “cut through the noise“, and just do what you need to do, right now, where you’re at.
Do what you can, with what you have, where you’re at.
Theodore Roosevelt
I also offer a guide called The Heart-Led Start-Up Guidebook, which is one of these helpful resources!
That’s a very good point that I didn’t consider. No wonder I’ve been so frustrated when learning stuff about being a solopreneur. I was running around learning next level stuff instead of focusing on beginner-friendly material.
I’m so glad this was insightful! And yes… too many people don’t make this clear, so it can be super-frustrating for newer entrepreneurs!