🧠Weekly Mind Sweep #80 | Mind Your Business | Permission
July 2023
Week 79: Curated Conversation; Permission
*Week 80: Mind Your Business; Permission
Week 81: Manage Your Mind; Permission
Week 82: What’s On My Mind; Permission
New to the Weekly MindSweep? Past issues live here.
Let’s sweep the brain…
Last week during online events and social media communities, I asked entrepreneurs, "What is a story you tell yourself in your business that you'd benefit from letting go?"
I'm charging too much
I can't be structured
It's hard to find great speaking opportunities
I don't have what it takes
There is a piece of my business that I feel like I can't let go of because of the money
The noise about what to do to be successful in business
I'm not good enough
I'm not giving enough value
I'm an introvert, so I'm bad at marketing my business
I'm not a great businesswoman
First, thank you to the beautiful community I surround myself with for being vulnerable enough to share these thoughts. Some of them were painful to hear, some I've listened to people around me say, and others I've told myself.
So many entrepreneurs out there feel just like you.
Let’s sweep the brain…
We've been telling ourselves the same story so much that we believe it's true. When we pause to consider how far we've come and reflect on our progress, we see we have what it takes. We are good enough and bring value to the world.
We still need to charge more. Let's work on that together.
There is truth that, as business owners:
We need to be conscious of what the market can bare.
There is value in researching other businesses providing a product or service similar to yours.
It's also a fact that you can't force a market to want something you love.
Whether purchasing products for resale or providing a service to your customers, your cost has increased over the past three years. When was the last time you reviewed your business costs, your own cost of living, or increased the amount of money you put into your retirement savings?
All of these factors in business matter, but it all starts with you.
When I meet with entrepreneurs, they are often successful but cannot see, hear or believe it. You listen to messages like these in your head so often that your response to them has become automatic. [1*]
What if you decided to put them down? [2*]What if you paused when you heard it, took a deep breath, and decided that your perspective is as important or even more than anyone else?
You have everything you need.
It takes courage and determination to dislodge ingrained messages and the feelings they trigger. The feelings from the stories you tell yourself are valid. The stories you hear 24/7 inside of your head are not. For today, I invite you to begin the practice of the pause. It will take repetition to unravel and undo years of stories you've been telling yourself.
You are intelligent and capable of making your own decisions.
You must wake up each day and practice choosing yourself, stop conforming to your self-imposed rules, stop asking, and start taking action.
You do not have to ask for permission.
You can choose to stop believing that you are selfish, not worthy, or that you are "bad" at business. Your efforts matter.
Let's take a moment to flip the script on some of the statements shared.
I'm charging too much, or I've researched the market, my competitors, and the math of the money I need to live the life I want, and this is my fee.
I can't be structured, or I've struggled to stay consistent with the tool options available, and I will design a process that works for me.
It's hard to find great speaking opportunities, or I find the options out there overwhelming and lack return on investment, so I will focus my efforts in one spot for a dedicated amount of time and keep track of the feedback I receive.
I'm an introvert, so I'm bad at marketing my business, or I'm not fond of the type of marketing that I see other companies use and would rather show up more authentically in a way that I feel comfortable with.
I'm not a great businesswoman, or I'm great with what I bring to the world, but I could use support with tasks that I don't enjoy or have the experience to do for myself.
I'm not suggesting toxic positivity here. I'm suggesting that you
Reflect on the story you tell yourself to facts from your actions.
Ask a friend or colleague to reflect on what they hear and see from your efforts.
Practice believing the compliments your receive. They feel uncomfortable. Sit in that.
You may perceive yourself differently than others. Be open to different perspectives.
The 1% micro-step can you choose to start today to begin shifting the narrative in your mind. When you hear the message from your brain and the shift in your body that something is uncomfortable, pause, breathe, and say, "Is that true? Or is that the story I'm telling myself? Be honest with yourself.
Simple. Not easy.
But that's how we roll around here at Chickbook Creative. Consciousness is a full-time job in life and business.
Need Support? I'm here.
Did you miss out on summer camp? Interested in a fall group?
This has become a new space for my digressions.
[*1 ] We'll talk more about automatic thoughts next week in Manage Your Mind
[*2 ] The stories don't go away. It is what our brains are best at. But you can control how loud they are and what you do with them
Where to find me
EVERY MONDAY: 8 am - Curated Conversation - Zoom
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Mindful Connections: 9 am -
🧠9AM - Join us for a Guided Meditation with @apparentconnection
🧠9:05-10:00 Roundtable Share
Who you are
The gifts you bring to the world
Who you serve
The answer to a Curated question to spark conversation.
MISS MY VOICE? Check out recent podcast episodes.
What I’m reading
dopamine nation
In Dopamine Nation, Dr. Anna Lembke, psychiatrist and author, explores the exciting new scientific discoveries that explain why the relentless pursuit of pleasure leads to pain . . . and what to do about it. Condensing complex neuroscience into easy-to-understand metaphors, Lembke illustrates how finding contentment and connectedness means keeping dopamine in check. The lived experiences of her patients are the gripping fabric of her narrative. Their riveting stories of suffering and redemption give us all hope for managing our consumption and transforming our lives. In essence, Dopamine Nation shows that the secret to finding balance is combining the science of desire with the wisdom of recovery.
What I’m listening to:
The Sassy Strategist Podcast
Stop Waiting for Change and Start Creating It Yourself with Kim Dawson
Have you been feeling stuck, unmotivated, or simply “meh” about your business lately? Does it feel like you’re in a holding pattern waiting for something to change? Are you telling yourself that eventually things will start to happen for you, and at that point you’ll finally be ready to move forward?
Then don’t miss this episode of The Sassy Strategist podcast. Host Kim Dawson shares a personal story of how she found inspiration where she least expected it, and how it made her realize that waiting for change just keeps you stuck where you are.
She asks the tough questions to help you realize that the only thing standing in the way of you getting what you want is waiting for it. Kim also shares specific strategies you can use to go from feeling uninspired to focused and ready for action.
Collaboration!
Women Inspiring Women
You have big ideas, great ideas! But they keep you up at night and require you to continuously purchase new notebooks and pads of Post-Its because you don’t know how to take them from idea to REAL life.
You struggle to translate it into tangible things that make you money and grow your business forward.
Enter MindSweep Mapping (not to be confused with plain old Mind Mapping), Jamie Chapman’s Chickbook Creative signature offering that helps you go from inspiration to ACTION on your half-formed thoughts and insomnia-inducing ideas.
MindSweep Mapping is one part coaching and one part mind mapping and will give you clear, concise action steps to getting to where you want to go.
This is not your average mind-mapping session!
Join us Friday, July 21st, at noon for a MindSweep Mapping event with Jamie Chapman.
Learn more about LRobinspires.
In other news…
Feeling #FOMO about Curated Conversations? Join us!
