There’s no truer truth than this.
In life and in business, where we spend our attention, time, and energy is where we see growth. For better or for worse.
truth & strength
I tend to struggle with idea overload and execution paralysis. It’s true. Making things happen is what I do, and it can be a challenge to reach the point of actual tangible delivery or implementation for me. I can do it, sometimes even be good at it, or even excellent. But exceptional, no.
After years of doing everything myself in my business, I know I can do just about anything. But it doesn’t always mean that I’m the best person for the job.
In my personal life, the same is true.
I used to assume everyone was afflicted with the frustration of being good at ideas and struggle with making them happen. But, it turns out to not be true.
What I’ve come to is this:
There are people who generate ideas. You? Definitely me.
There are people who put ideas into plans. Often me. Maybe you?
There are people who bring ideas and plans to fruition. You? Ugh, for me it depends on the idea and it can be like pulling teeth.
A very simplified view on people, maybe. But you can likely relate. Are you one of the idea people, project people, or worker bees?
We need all of these people to get ideas off the ground. Sometimes we’re even playing all the roles. In my honest opinion, to have a collective sense of joy, ease, and flow (with you, your clients, your people), having people in the right roles aligned with their strengths is key.
Sure, you can get your ideas into the world on your own. No doubt you’re used to doing it. You might have had ideas that were so good and exciting that carrying the project and worker bee responsibilities didn’t even feel that bad.
I’ve done it this way most of my entrepreneurial life. Examples of when I did 100% of the ideation, project planning, project management, and project execution that didn’t feel so bad:
Creating Clarity Pages
Every workshop I’ve ever hosted
Full day retreat in January 2020
My websites (this one, claritypages.com, my first blog turned anniesanchez.co)
Incorporation (I know now that some people hire others to do this. Like, what?!)
WOC Culture Club (every cohort with the exception of the last three were handled from start to finish by me)
This doesn’t mean I’m good at project planning, project management, or project execution. It just means I’m capable and scrappy, and have a debilitating eye for detail. I say debilitating because on the flip side, when I’m exhausted or just over it, things are riddled with typos and steps get missed.
Turning these ideas of mine into real life things that now live in the world didn’t feel so bad though because I was excited about them, believed in them, and had no choice but to make them happen alone.
I’ve learned that just because I’m capable and scrappy, and able to make shit happen does not translate to being fully present on a project.
When I am fully present, I am calm.
When I am calm, I am able to generate ideas rooted not just in areas of interest but core to my purpose here in this lifetime.
When I am calm, I am able to discern which ideas deserve to be turned into goals and project plans and the timing for when that should occur.
When I am calm, I am able to prepare for things not going as planned! This is one of the biggest lessons I’ve had over the years. When I am prepared for the unforeseen, my anxiety is less likely to engulf me. I’m also able to handle the unexpected things that have to get done with so much more clarity.
Presence is more than not being distracted. Presence is about having clarity and being grounded in our power — integral to a life and business that feel joyful and abundant.
tapping into presence
Not every idea has to be followed.
Not every project that has legs has to be followed through on.
You get to change your mind.
You won’t know what’s working or not working until you start doing. This is one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned, and seem to relearn over and over.
Each time I turn an idea into a project with a plan and start taking action, I’m learning to pay closer attention to what doesn’t feel good.
The things that suck are often things I’m just not that good at. This doesn’t mean I have to stop the project from moving forward, but it does mean I have to figure out how to get the sucky things done in a way that isn’t so sucky for me.
Some questions I ask myself when a project feels draining:
Who can help me?
What can simply not be done?
How would not doing what’s draining impact the outcome?
Who would be impacted if this project stops or changes right now?
Sometimes I may invest a lot of time, energy, and resources into a project only to get a big loud, “I really don’t want to do this anymore.” This is a gift.
If I don’t want to do something anymore, before dropping it immediately, I do a few things:
I push pause as soon as possible and let anyone who is involved know we’re pushing pause or that I need to on my end (this may look initially like saying, “I won’t be able to get X to you by Y, I’ll be in touch by Z with an update.” I don’t put another deadline or deliverable on my pause.)
I sleep on the feelings.
I journal about the feelings.
I meditate.
I consult my teachers.
After doing all these things, with a calmer, less overwhelmed, presence of mind, I ask myself why I don’t want to do this anymore.
If I’m going to stop doing something I’ve spent resources on, I want to be very sure it’s the right decision for me. It’s helpful to have support in the process, to bounce ideas and feelings off trusted people. And, at the end of the day, only we can decide what’s right for ourselves.
Tapping into presence is a lot like a spiritual practice — it takes returning over and over to what serves us, remembering why we believe what we believe, whey we do what we do.
To get here, I focus on getting caught up, grounding into the goals that matter so deeply to me, and anticipating that I will get off track and giving myself grace when I do.
My invitation
I want you to pause and consider all the things you’re working on. Big and small, important and not-so-important to the growth of your life and business.
Make a mental or actual list of all these ideas and projects you’re noodling on or spending time working towards.
Ask yourself with complete honesty, “Is this what I want to be doing (still)?”
What you pay attention to grows.
And, what you neglect or half-ass it on, will never reach its full potential. This I can guarantee.
I may be to help
I love figuring shit out. It is what I do. Understanding why things work or don’t work, and coming up with pathways that cultivate ease — this is my jam.
If you’re trying to figure out some things and need outside perspective from someone who understands building a business from the ground up, I can be that someone for you.
I’ve built my business to more than six figures after starting with $100 in my business account all of which came from my personal account at a time when I really didn’t have $100 to spare.
If you’re trying to figure out some things in your personal life, I may be able to help you.
I’ve been a clarity coach for more than three years and love helping people cultivate ease in their lives. I’m selective and careful with how I stack my time so I can be at ease for my clients.
I cultivate ease in my life with a framework focused on liberation, presence, and resources. I am focused on moving from overwhelm to clarity, from depletion to relief always.
I would be absolutely love to learn about what you’re trying to figure out right now. Find a time on my calendar here, and let’s see what’s up.