Have you ever doubted yourself so much that you have felt that feeling of your throat shrinking…?
Your shoulders tensing and rising…
Your heart almost breaking at the thought of another day going by without publishing something…. Saying something… doing something… UNLEASHING something?
And then, you take to the computer, because nothing is going to tease the words out of you like the flashing cursor at the top of a blank word document.
You stare at the page… tears teetering on the edges of your eyelids getting heavier and heavier and heavier before they roll silently down your cheeks.
You sit there in stillness as they fall down your face…..
Which seems to awaken the gremlins that were laying dormant in your brain. The whispers start-up and you commence the wondering and worrying.
Things like:
“Maybe this isn’t for me”
“I know a lot but maybe, just maybe, I’m not cut out for this”
“Should it be this hard”
“Why can’t I think of something to say”
“Everyone else has this so damn easy”
“What’s wrong with me…”
“Maybe I should get a job”
“Maybe I should just stop”
“I am so good at what I do…why can’t I be good at this too?” ….
“Nobody reads this shit anyway”
“Why would they ever listen to me”
“[Name] has so much more experience than me, why on earth would anyone want to listen to me”.
“Maybe I should do another course”
“If only there was a magic pill”
“Isn’t it a bit narcissistic to be talking about myself”
“Gosh, what would my peers think”
“How do I balance being real with being professional”
“What if nobody reads my stuff”
“What if I do all this work and it doesn’t work”
Ugh. It’s no wonder so many of us feel anxious and uneasy about creating content when we have a cast of 38427098457 voices in our brains telling us all the reasons why we can’t, why we shouldn’t and why we won’t.
It’s time we cast it out. It’s time we let this shit – and it is truly shit – go. To go forth out into the ether, to dissipate and do no harm. But to be gone, no matter what.
The thing that I remember, was that this was me. I was already in business and things had been doing well, but in 2014 I wanted to change things. I wanted to do things differently. I wanted to teach, mentor and coach people who were ready, who were willing, who were able, who were resourceful, who would implement…
And I honestly didn’t think that they would respond to my marketing, to my blogs, to my videos… It doesn’t even feel like that long ago, yet at the same time, feels like 50,000 lifetimes ago! Time is funny, isn’t it?
I think one of the big issues ‘out there’ in the world of entrepreneurialism, is that we all think that the people who are out there writing the things, doing the things, filming the videos, buying the properties, clearly having ‘made it’…. They make it all look so easy.
Now I am guessing that there are some things you probably see me do, that I make look easy. But believe me when I tell you, it hasn’t always been this way.
As you know I play Roller derby. I love the shit out of it! The speed, the physicality of it all. The theatre. The competition. The mental side of it. The comradery. The mateship. I love teaching it. I love coaching it. I love watching it. I love participating in it. Oh, the sheer LOVE and joy of skating. I love it all! (I think we’re clear on that now!!)
But I am not the best at it by a long shot. I have never been. I have to work my ass off to get good at different moves. I’ve been incredibly frustrated over the years at the speed in which others pick things up, and yet I have to think about the moves, break them down so they’re logical in my brain. I have to think about the sequence in how to move my body and my muscles. I have to observe someone doing it. And then, after all of that, I feel like I have to practice it 10349878787 times more than the next person.
It was heartwarming last week to be told by a new skater that she wants to be able to skate like me. I had a bit of a moment in my head after that. Someone wants to skate like me. Wow. Kinda cool to hear it.
I feel like creating content has been a similar thing for me. Well, the writing part of the content creation, anyway. I’ve always been able to speak underwater with a mouth full of marbles 😉
For me, the thing that I have always found somewhat ‘easy’ has been the ‘businessey’ style of creating content.
I know the point I want to make before I sit to write.
I know the steps to helping people within it.
I often know the story I’m going to tell before I start writing the businessey content.
And we’re a go.
I used to struggle, though, with the more ‘blogger’ style of writing. This style of writing. That’s a bit more free-flow and meanders a little.
I like it, though. I just used to find it hard.
When I first started this type of writing (in 2013) I still wanted some structure. I wanted some boxes to tick to make sure that I had made the points I wanted to make. That I had ‘gotten the message across’ that I wanted to share.
And then it started to become second nature.
Like anything, really…..
Yet, we put a WHOLE LOT OF PRESSURE upon ourselves when we’re starting out with it all, to get it RIGHT.
To do it ‘properly’.
To do it ‘professionally’.
To do it ‘right’….
Which means for many of us, that we end up in the position that I wrote about at the start.
Which sucks.
Because you have so many freaking awesome things to share.
You ARE an expert in the eyes of your audience.
Repeat after me: “I am an expert in the eyes of my audience”
You ARE a badass!
Repeat after me: “I am a badass”
(Say it again, they didn’t hear you up the back!)
Who gives a flying hoo-hah about what your peers think! They’re not going to buy from you!!!!! They may support you, they may cheer you on, but they’re not going to buy from you, so honestly ……. Are you ready for this…….. their opinion doesn’t mean jack shit!!!!!
Repeat after me “I have got this and I don’t need the approval of my peers”.
And just one more time: “I have got this and I don’t need the approval of my peers”.
You know it’s true. You don’t. Yes, you may have to be careful that you don’t breach industry requirements (particularly if you’re in allied health) but honestly, sharing your thoughts about these kinds of things is ALLOWED.
The thing that is necessary is that your audience need you.
They need to hear from you.
They need to read what you have to write.
They need to hear what you have to say.
They need to know that you exist.
They need to know that they matter.
They need to know that you have their back.
Got it?!
Good.
So, what are you going to do about it?
Here’s what you ‘should’ be doing, in my opinion:
- You need to put content out there that is going to help your audience
- You need to put content out there that is going to inspire.
- You need to put content out there that is going to educate.
- You need to put content out there that is going to motivate.
- You need to put content out there that is going to help your audience get to know you
Your people (your clients and the ones you want to attract) don’t give a tom cats whisker about how many qualifications you have.
They just need to know that you can you help them (unless your brain surgeon and then perhaps it’s a different ball game).
FYI, qualifications don’t mean you’re any good at what you do!!!! You could just be great at studying. *gasp* I know. It could be true, though, right?
The thing they need to see is that you know your stuff.
That you can help them.
That you CARE about them.
That you have their back.
And that you can help them ultimately get what they want and or solve a problem that they have.
Most business owners need help with this.
Most people don’t know how to do this on their own.
But guess what? This is where the hours and hours of teaching, coaching, mentoring that I have done comes into play….
Cause this is one of the things that I do best:
Pulling your genius out of your brain….
Pulling your knowledge out of you…
Putting it into a structure that supports ALL your content creation from now until forever. Honestly. I know it’s a big call, but once you know how to do this, you are SET. FOR. LIFE.
Businessey content.
More free flow content.
The beautiful dance between both.
This is what we do in VISIBLE | LIVE. This is how we transform those tears that stream down your face into a smile.
No more flashing cursor.
No more putting things off.
No more self-doubt.
You will see your awesomeness in front of you. In a plan, in a structure, ready for you to unleash into the world.
I think you should be in the room.. don’t you?
https://join.nicolamoras.com.au/visible-live
Here’s the thing. Everything takes practice.
Everything you have ever learned; you’ve had to practice in one way or another. You’ve had someone or something teach you….
Creating impact is no different.
Most of all, though, what I really want you to know regardless of what you do from here, is this:
You have GOT THIS.
You are amazing.
You already know more than enough to help people.
You’ve just got to do this:
Get yourself out there.
Go help some people.
Have FUN doing it!
And Remember: The World Is Ready For Your Brand of Awesome.
Nic x
