There will always be obstacles as you build a business you care about. They’ll block your clarity and make you second guess if you’re “cut out for this”. Remember that if this were easy, everyone would be doing it. But they aren’t.

The good news is that with self-awareness and small adjustments, you can bust through these common blockers.

For this Summer Series pick, we’re going back two years on the podcast! I share the 8 most common obstacles I’ve noticed coaching business owners.

See if you recognize one or more of these clarity blockers showing up in your business building journey…

1. You don’t know your Minimum Viable Income

   Guesswork and your financial goals are a recipe for disaster. Why? The number in your head is almost always more than the actual amount needed. This causes unnecessary stress and worry. Take the time to complete the exercise in the link above, then come up with a concrete plan to generate the income you need. It really can be that simple!

   Ask yourself: What can I do today to get myself to my minimum viable income?

2. You’re always learning for learning’s sake and you don’t apply it

   In a world where any information is at your fingertips 24/7, it’s easy to binge on courses and articles that don’t support where you are right now. Practice “just in time learning” instead.

   Make sure the information you consume is useful and relevant to the stage of business you’re in now. If you haven’t chosen a topic for your biz – you do NOT need to learn about SEO yet!

   Ask yourself – what do I need to learn about right now?

3. You don’t put first things first

   Think of your business building in terms of steps along a path. Many entrepreneurs stress themselves out and freeze up. How? They’re on step number one and worrying about step number ten! There’s a path for all of this, you simply can’t do it all at once. Don’t focus on what’s ahead, stay where you are. Remember: you won’t be the same person in a few steps. The person on step ten is more experienced and ready for what lies ahead.

   Ask yourself: How can I trust my future self?

4. You don’t understand the audience and product cycle

   To have a business all you need is a thing for sale and people to buy it. It’s simple in theory, difficult in practice! Everything in business comes back to this cycle.

   In order to hit your MVI – you have to have an audience + a product/service/offer they want. Building an audience can be hard and involves discipline, you have to play the long game. As you grow your audience and release products, you’ll collect feedback iterate, then release again. There aren’t short cuts. The engine and heart of your biz will always be building your audience and improving your products.

   Ask yourself: what am I doing to grow my audience + improve my product offerings?

5. You’re not keeping track of your progress

   Building your own business is a long slog if you’re constantly chasing the next goal. You have to celebrate the small wins along the way. There will be many small wins on your path to “success” – don’t wait until you’re at an imaginary finish line to celebrate. Otherwise, it feels like a treadmill – you’ll always look to the next milestone. Trust me, the goal post always moves further – so you have to celebrate how far you’ve come at every step of the way.

   Ask yourself: What small win and progress can I celebrate today?

6. You’ve stopped learning

   This is the opposite of clarity blocker number 2! Some biz builders procrastinate by learning more than they need at the moment. But this blocker is reminder that you need to expand. It could be reading a book, listening to a podcast or taking a course. Learning more will inspire new ideas and new depth in your work. This may happen when you’ve reached a level of success where you feel too busy to learn. The risk here is letting your creativity get stale. Keep momentum and new energy in your business by learning what you need to know for your next step.

   Ask yourself: What have I done to keep my edge lately?

7. Bells and whistles syndrome
   Another common challenge when we have the internet at our fingertips 24/7! Great marketing will make you question if you have the tools you need. You may think you need all the new and shiny things to make progress. Remember, there will always be a new tool, app, platform and invention trying to get your attention. The core of your business will always be you. It’s important to know the difference between a tool that will make your work simpler and more effective vs shiny object syndrome.

   Ask yourself: Is this investment necessary, or a distraction?

8. You’re not leading with your meaning

   When you build a business you actually care about, everything must come back to your why. Don’t focus too much on the outcome. If you disconnect from why you’re doing this, it will be hollow. Stay anchored in what you care about, why you’re doing this and show up to serve your people.

   Ask yourself: Do my daily actions connect with my deeper why?

Show Notes

• Fizzle – try it for free!

• 15 Powerful Sales Affirmations – download your free printable