Sometimes we think we have it all figured out. What we are going to do, where to go and how to do it.
When it comes to business we are advised to have a business plan. “Failing to plan is like planning to fail” Benjamin Franklin once said. I like planning. I am really good at planning. But sometimes all the plans in the world can’t help you get to where you want to be.
Sometimes our plans change. And the only thing we can do is accept it.
2014 was what I’d like to call a year of growth.
I had a really good business year. Didn’t make any millions but I made a difference. I helped, I was of service, I explored life, I grew, I laughed and I had fun. And I cried. It was a year of self discovery. Of figuring out who I am and what is important to me.
I had the opportunity to work with talented people, to travel and to try to understand myself. I learned a lot.
Of course I had a plan. But the plan wasn’t working and when something isn’t working you need to try to figure out why it isn’t working. And how to make it work.
Sometimes we need a whole new plan.
Why I decided to change the route of my business
I wasn’t happy. It’s as simple as that. I was completely stressed out. I hit the bottom. Something inside of me has been telling me for a long time to change. I have tried but for some reason I have yet not been ready to embrace the change.
I’ve been in this business for almost a decade. That doesn’t mean I am perfect by any means. I have fears and feelings just like anyone else. It doesn’t mean I know the exact route to take. I also come to crossroads and wonder if I take to the left or right or just continue forward. Or should I perhaps go back..?
What made me decide to change was the inconsistency. I like consistency and there sure was nothing consistent with what I was doing. Instead I tried to keep up with several things at the same time and it was just stressing me out.
So I decided to scale back. To delete the things that are no longer adding value to my life. A few things I am changing in 2015;
- Unsubscribing from email lists – just keeping the best. And reading them!
- Cleaning out my Twitter accounts. From now on you will find me as @lindahdasilva and that is it.
- Slowly stepping away from Ekko Web Solutions. It is still my company but my focus will be here at Lindahdasilva.com.
- Stepping away from the above means also stepping away from what is connected to EWS; Twitter, Facebook etc.
- Removing products, services and programs that no longer serve my purpose and what I want to do.
Additional things I am doing to ensure I stay on the right path and don’t let stress take over.
- Trusting to my feelings, if something doesn’t feel right it’s a no.
- Focusing on adding regular fun to my life. It may be something small but things that makes me feel good.
- Taking better care of me than I have done the last few years.
What To Do When Everything You Have Planned Fail
Changing is hard. It is challenging. It means you have to try to accept what you may not want to accept. To step out into the unknown. To embrace your fears.
Think through what it is you want to change and why. Make a list, talk to some friends. Cry, laugh. Analyze the good and the bad. And accept that you may miss some parts of what you are changing, that is when you need to focus on the good. Be prepared that it may hurt. You might wake up in the middle of the night wondering what you have done. That is ok. Give it time. and if it still doesn’t feel right, change it again.
It is as simple as that. Don’t push yourself too hard.
Maybe I will regret some of the changes I am making but I don’t think so. And if it doesn’t work out the way I planned I will just have to change it again. Because no matter what I will always strive forward. I will never be satisfied.
I want to invite you to accept change in your business as well. If there is anything you want to change but do not have the courage to, feeling unsure of I want to encourage you to just do it. I may be scary but it will be worth it.
Is there anything holding you back from making changes in your business? If you have made changes I’d love to know how it affected you and your business.
Riktigt bra Linda. Det är okej att ändra sin plan. Det är ditt mål du ska behålla. Hur du tar dig dit kan ändras många gånger om.
Tack Dorotea. Ja vägen kan ändras flera ggr, det gör det hela mer intressant….
I was so drawn in by your post Linda. Each line and thought so resonated for me, and I love that you are honest about your need and reasons for change. Someone recently told me, “Business is experimentation.” It made sense to me, but here’s my confession…part of me thought, “I don’t want to experiment, I want wave a magic wand and have it magically be done.” That’s the part of me that doesn’t want to take risks, put myself out there and change.
The other part of me, the more intuitive part that is the talent I offer my clients, is a “tweaker,” and out of the box “soulution” finder! And she sometimes remembers to embrace her own change. During an “on the brink” time when things feel chaotic, and just missing alignment, I do a lot of EFT tapping with these words, “I trust in the face of doubt.”
I support you in your change choices, even though I have just stumbled upon your site, I get the feeling from your heartfelt words here that your choices are spot on. Something tells me 2015 is going to have a lot of fun, and joy in it for you!
~Jul’s
Thank you Jul, I’m so glad to hear it spoke to you. I think we need to be honest, no least for ourselves but also for those who trust in us. That is the only way we can really grow and be authentic. Most of us (everyone perhaps even) wants a magic wand… but think about all the lessons that would be lost. There are a lot to learn from the things that didn’t wuite work out the way we had planned. Thank you for your support, means a lot to me. I wish you a great year also!