Growth Isn't LinearBy
Sarah Schwab
Have you ever seen the image where there are two ways to get from point A to point B? The first one is a long, winding, tangled line and the second is a nice, straight line?
Whenever this image is used, it is to show that the second option is clearly better. It's much shorter and easier. The shortest distance between two points. Right?
Who doesn't want to take the simple road if it gets you to the same end result?
Well, what I've experienced is that most things aren't a straight line. Growing a business isn't a straight line. Relationships aren't a straight line. Life isn't a straight line.
You can't actually get to the same place if you don't go through all the twists and turns along the way. See, all those curves and loops... that's where growth happens!
The Easy Road Doesn't Exist
Our culture is really good at selling us the "easy road." There are all sorts of ways to make your life easier, supposedly.
Buy this gadget, use this app, follow this program, do this fad diet. Quick results! Guaranteed!
It's the second line - shorter, faster, more direct. Isn't that what we want?
Not necessarily.
Here's the thing... If someone tells you they can give you a shortcut, they are selling you something.
Have you ever bought something hoping for a quick fix? How did it work out for you? Did you get the results? Did they last in the long run?
I'm not judging! I've been there too - on both sides of the equation.
I've definitely bought things that didn't deliver the results I wanted (at least not as quickly and directly as I was led to believe).
I hate to admit it, but I've also used that same tactic to sell things. I was told that's how you have to do it, and so I did.
But no more!
I love the winding journey. There's a lot of beauty in it. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other, appreciate where you are, rather than stressing about the fact that you aren't somewhere else already. Know that you are on your way to point B... or X, or Q, or wherever!
Getting Help Along The Way
This isn't to say that there isn't a place for getting help and investing in growth. Even on the winding road, there are things you need to learn, new tools you can use, different approaches you'll want to try.
As a coach, I have really embraced the truth that every client I work with is different. We are all on the same entrepreneurial journey, but the details make each situation unique. And that's what makes my job exciting.
My job isn't to try to make everyone walk the same straight line. It won't work! A coach's job isn't about giving you a shortcut. A coach's job is to...
Help you to keep moving even when it feels like you're going backwards.
Help make decisions when there is a fork in the road.
Help you to stay on track when you can't see around the next bend.
The journey of entrepreneurship is a winding road, and it's good to have someone to hold your hand and walk that road with you.
Sarah is the founder and president of Content Creation Coach. She helps small businesses and entrepreneurs create consistent, compelling content they need to grow their business online. She loves being an entrepreneur, world traveler, and mother of three!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/
Copyright © 2018 Sarah Schwab All Rights Reserved
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