A copywriting colleague was sharing some frustrations about moving towards his goals. And asked me straight up…
“How have you overcome such significant setbacks on your way to your goals?”
The “setbacks” here related to having lack of time. Of a poor experience with a paid course. And our good ol’ “friend”… procrastination.
Now, I’m probably not the best model to follow for setting and attaining goals. But I might have one or two insights to share from years of service on the freelance copywriter battlefield.
Heh… maybe that metaphor’s a bit OTT… but, it can be jolly hard at times.
And often hard to find clarity. Let alone figure out goals and whatnot when you’re starting out.
So here’s what I offered…
I have been a chronic procrastinator. With perfectionist tendencies. So I’ve progressed way slower than I might have otherwise.
But also means I know a lot about what people, who are trying to forge their way as a freelancer or are getting a business off the ground, face.
But, for me, there’s two things that have been most helpful…
One is writing in public. Having an audience to show up for. For me, that’s daily email. And that’s helped me get over many “What if they this or that?” type of worries.
It’s also helped my ideas come together. And give direction for my business based on what people are needing. I’m just a bit further along the road, but sharing the kind of stuff that might have been helpful for me a couple of years back.
The other thing is having people I can walk the road with. Where we can just share what’s going on. And help each other.
It’s actually the two-year anniversary this Friday of when I held the first meetup for our Site Content Audits class which morphed into our current FOC group. [FOC = Figuring Out Copywriting!]
Other stuff like making decisions about what to do… I kinda got sick of going around in circles and just did something.
Just picking what was looking to be the best choice at the time… and knowing I have the freedom in my own business to course-correct if needed.
In other words, slay the perfectionist dragon… and just do the damn thing!
It’s why I have a self-drawn poster on my wall with a rather Tony-Robbins-esque…
“THE ANSWER: TAKE MASSIVE IMPERFECT ACTION!”
Moving towards our goals… or at least nudging forwards as we try and gain some clarity… does come down a lot to mindset.
Stuff like… dealing with self-doubt. And facing up to those things our brains conjure up to try and protect us from stepping into the painful space just beyond our comfort zones.
But in freelancing. In business. In reaching for our dreams. Comfort zones MUST be expanded. There’s no painless shortcut.
I’m a scaredy-cat when it comes to pain. And would rather not be scrambling over obstacles in the road. “And keep your damned barbed wire away my flawless skin!”
But it’s the scars that add character. And are medals earned from leaping hurdles while pressing on towards our goals š
As always… I’m happy to help with freelancing & business questions.
So if you want to dig in more into things I’ve written about in this email… or anything else that’s burning a hole in your cerebral cortex… ask away!
If gaining clarity is what you’re looking for, to help you take some strides forward… then coaching could be the way. Contact me if you’d like to discuss this option.
Have a great week!
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Chris Milham