You’ve heard me talk about my deep-rooted belief in success without sacrifice. That your business should support the life you want, not strain it, and you shouldn’t have to give up what matters most to you in life to have a successful business.
But recently I realized something:
I actually did give up a lot to get where I am today, but not necessarily in the way you might think. Most people don’t realize that this kind of shift is required to get their businesses to the next level.
For you to be as successful as you want to be, you might have to give up these things, too, and that’s why I’m laying it all out for you today.
Don’t miss this one. It’s quick, potent, and game-changing.
Giving Up the Option to Go Back to My Previous Job
One thing was clear when I quit my corporate job: I did not want to go back.
But there’s a difference between not wanting to go back and not giving myself the option to go back.
For me, in order to make sure my business worked and I didn’t have to go back to a corporate job, I had to put my ass on the line and take the option of going back off the table.
This kind of mindset shift isn’t about putting yourself in a high-risk situation, but setting your mind on the right track. My mind track at the time: By golly, this will work!
To ensure your ultimate success, you’ve got to give up the option to go back to your old job (or whatever that equivalent would be for you). Even when you hit a rough patch, even when success feels impossible, even when you have a bad day, week, or month… remain steadfast that you will make make your business work and you won’t go back to a job you hate.
My Personal Recommendation for YouI Eff’d Up: How I Failed My Way to SuccessGiving Up Distractions
Running an online business as a one woman show requires not only a ton of work but also a ton of discipline and focus. To be successful, you can’t give into the “squirrel” moments, chase shiny objects, or be drawn off track by the allure of Facebook, Instagram, and Periscope.
To get it all done without working late nights and long weekends, you’ve got to give up letting distractions pull you from your focused action plan.
Giving Up Crappy Thinking
Left unmonitored, a single bad moment can get the better of you, and when you’re a small business owner, a bad moment can arrive in the blink of an eye. Whether someone leaves a negative comment on your Facebook page or you see a competitor celebrate a huge win, opportunities to get down on yourself are always there.
But you can’t let that kind of crappy thinking bring you down.
To be successful, you’ve got to fearlessly push past your own limitations, manage your mindset, and simply quit the game of crappy thinking.
My Personal Recommendation for YouThe 3 A’s of Success: Increase Your Chance of Succeeding at AnythingGiving Up Being Comfortable
Doing new things is uncomfortable! Whether you’re learning how to write better copy, testing out new sales skills, or pitching yourself for interviews, pushing beyond your status quo can feel scary as hell.
But once you master a skillset, it gets comfortable. What used to give you hives, now feels like second nature.
The problem is that if you stick to what’s comfortable, you’ll stay right where you are. Or, as I’ve been saying a lot lately:
What got you to this point won’t get you to the next level.
To get to the next level of success, you have to give up being comfortable and get used to being uncomfortable.
Click to TweetTo get to the next level of success, you have to give up being comfortable and get used to being uncomfortable.Giving Up Having Someone Else Make Decisions
As business owners, we are constantly making decisions. Some days, we wish we could outsource it. But since we’re our own boss, that’s just not going to happen.
You’re the boss and in charge of everything, so to be successful, you’ve got to make the decisions (or they won’t get made!).
Giving Up Wasting Time
We all love a good dilly-dally day of Netflix and not getting much done, but as the sole person responsible for making sure your business moves forward and makes money, wasting time doesn’t move you forward!
I’m all for taking days off and resting when you need it, but when it’s time to work, it’s time to work. Your success depends on you giving up spinning your wheels and wasting time (if you want to get shit done).
My Personal Recommendation for YouSteal This! My Rock-Solid System for Getting It All Done (& Having a Life)Giving Up Paying Attention to Everyone Else
As I’ve said a few times before on this blog, it’s easy to think we have to diligently follow industry experts and constantly scope out our competition to determine our next moves and ensure our success.
But paying attention to everyone else is actually inhibiting your success, because it slows you down, distracts you from your own next steps, and adds to your crappy thinking.
Save time, brainspace, and creativity, and stop paying attention to everyone. (I’m serious! Stop paying attention to everyone!) The most successful business owners only think about their businesses, not anyone else’s!
Giving Up Saying Yes
As you build your successful business, your time and energy become more constrained. You’ve got less to give to everyone who wants it, and NO must become your new favorite word.
It might not be easy to do, but you’ve got to stop saying yes to everyone if you want to say yes to your own success!
Click to TweetYou’ve got to stop saying yes to everyone if you want to say yes to your own success!Giving Up a Predictable Income
The hardest thing to give up in becoming self-employed was the predictable income from my corporate job. Knowing, month after month, exactly what my paycheck would be was a comfort, and leaving the predictability was scary.
The good news was that after working for myself for four years, I hit my stride and knew that I could pay myself a steady salary. Talk about a stress-relieving moment!
Now, for the three years since that stress-relieving moment, it’s been comforting to know that success actually didn’t require me giving up the predictable income for good, just to get started. (Getting to this point is something I love helping experienced businesswomen achieve in my Make $10k program.)
What Are You Giving Up?
You know what I had to give up to be successful, and I’m curious what you’ve had to give up or might now realize you have to give up.
Which of the ideas above gave you an aha moment?
What have you had to give up that I didn’t list above?
Is there something you know you should give up but still haven’t been able to?
I can’t wait to read your stories and insights in the comments below.
Hi Jenny,
What a great a post! I love it.
I can see myself through your post. I struggled with each one and then made the decision to give it up.
Last week, I gave up paying attention to others. I was so angry at the whole thing. It was a total distraction from living in the present and focusing on my business. In the same breakdown moment (it was a total melt-down with tears and snot), I’ve also gave up waiting for my coaches to give me permission. Never again. I can get directions. I can get a team. but it’s still my business.
I’m still working on giving up swirly Facebook distractions. And apparently emails from the lovely Jennyshih.com.
Thank you,
Nathalie
I love that you’re giving up these things, Nathalie! It is hard to not pay attention to others — especially when things like social media put everyone right there in front of us.
Bravo for not waiting on your coach’s permission to take action and do what you need to do. Keep it up!!
Terrific blog post!
In my line of work I find that giving up paying attention to others is the hardest thing to do. It’s a constant struggle to not let the jealousy monster creep in!
Totally, Laura! I find the most helpful things for me are to not subscribe to anything that doesn’t support you. Check out this post:
https://jennyshih.com/2014/04/caught-comparisonitis-heres-cure/
I also don’t scroll through my FB feed — I just go to the groups where I like to contribute, and that’s it. I can so easily get stuck in this bad trap, too!
Perfect timing for me on the heels of reading ‘Turning Pro’ by Stephen Pressfield. Everything you’re saying is exactly true and I’ve been guilty of all these things at one time or another! Loved your post and for that matter, pretty much all of them!
Happy to support you on your business-building journey, and glad you’re giving up what doesn’t support you to make your business work!
Jenny, once again you’ve nailed this. I think the thing that I see more often than not that we all struggle with is crappy thinking. I love this reminder of what it takes to “Make It Work” I’m sharing with my private clients because this is awesome.
Thanks, Kendrick! You’re right; no one is immune to days or bouts of crappy thinking but we can not let it get the best of us! Thanks for sharing with your clients. I sincerely hope it helps them!
Jenny, now I really know I’m on track because a few months ago, I decided to give those things up, too. The ones I hadn’t given up yet, like distractions, saying yes, wasting time, and being comfortable. AND my word of the year is FOCUS. With your guidance in “Make It Work Online,” my business is moving in the right direction. Thanks so much!
I love FOCUS as a word of the year. The power of FOCUS is undeniable!
Bravo for giving up what’s not supporting you and for taking action on what is yours to do. So glad to have you in MIWO and watch you make it work online! xo
Love your list, Jenny! I found it incredibly freeing when I gave up the thought of going back to corporate. I kept using it as a safety net, but it was also bringing me down and allowing me to not be ‘all in’ with my business. As for the others, I go through phases, but I’m aware of them now and recognize what they are. My latest action item is letting go of being comfortable. 🙂
Love that you went “all in” in your business, Tami! It totally shows with the level of determination, commitment, follow through, and go-getterness you’ve always displayed. That quality of person is so obvious in someone who is serious about making it work — like you! Cheering you on!!
Hi Jenny – another blog post that speaks directly to me!! I DO want to make this into a business, so I’m going to have to give up quite a few things to make this work.
1) Giving up distractions and wasting time – huge! And, ironically, then I really complain about NOT HAVING ENOUGH TIME! But I squandered the time I had. (which leads me to #2)
2.) Giving up my story about spontaneity. Being focused and deliberate is what I need to work on. I’ve led a really spontaneous life – and yes, that leads to a lot of fun adventures, but you don’t always get where you might have liked to go. Before this, I was fine with wherever it all landed – most things turned out to be awesome. But now, I want a successful business. And I need to trade in my overvaluing of being spontaneous. Or at least compartmentalize it a bit. 😉
3.) And (these all tie in together, I think!) I have to give up the idea of saying yes to so many shiny objects in my path! 🙂 After this week’s lesson, I’m discovering that that may be an attempt to hide my fear of staying the course… and all those stories that go along with that!
Thank you for the blogpost and the insight! xo
I love this, Sue! Giving up distractions — and getting focused! Channeling spontaneity to where it supports you — and way from where it doesn’t. And sticking to a plan of action and ignoring shiny objects (yes, that’s often fear!). I’m so excited for you!!
Jenny, this is such a nice and original post!
Thinking now, I do realize that life gives a constant balance between gaining and losing. The more you lose from the bad stuff, the more you gain on the good side.
The more you say No to the wrong things, the more of the good things you get.
With all my love,
Cristina
I love how you put that, Cristina: ” The more you lose from the bad stuff, the more you gain on the good side.” I’m going to use that again!
Thanks for being here and sharing that insight. Love it!
Such a great post, Jenny!
I really love your point about giving up wasting time. I think somehow a lot of entrepreneurs are seduced by the “lifestyle business” concept which, on social media and in the hundreds of Facebook ads and pitches I see every day, looks like there’s little to no work involved (cue running through a field with a sun flare in the background, or sipping a cocktail with your laptop on your lap somewhere warm and sunny). Despite the fact that there is autonomy of when and where the work happens when you’re an entrepreneur, I’m realizing one year into it that there is a LOT of work to do, even if you’re doing it from home in your pi’s. Thank you for simply and concisely busting the myth of entrepreneurship being something that’s compatible with spending days watching Netflix. Not so!
So true about the seduction! I just had lunch today with someone who also has an online biz and we were laughing about the “make millions while you sleep” concept that is so easy to sell… but not so much a reality 🙂
You’re also right that there is a lot to do to make it work, but with the right tools, persistence, mindset, etc., it’s possible. Keep it up!