WHEN YOUR GROWTH ISN’T HAPPENING FAST ENOUGH – THE CASE FOR SLOW BUSINESS GROWTH​

Discover Why The Hidden Secret To Sustainable Growth May Very Well Be Swimming Against The Mainstream Standards Of Success

ANXIETY, OREOS AND KID-MILLIONAIRES

I’ve been there.

The sleepless night was brought on by an innocent decision to scroll through Instagram on a whim.

‘Competitor research’ and ‘looking for inspiration’; well at least that’s what I’d convinced myself I was doing before spiraling into a hot mess of anxious thoughts..

“Maybe I’m not cut out for entrepreneurship after all.”

“F*ck my life. Sandra’s just had another $100k day”

“Why isn’t it happening faster?”

Oh no.

Not another 13-year old kid millionaire on my feed.

“What the hell am I doing?”

**Stuffs another 3 Oreos into my mouth while crying like a Disney princess**

– 02:30 am (An extract from Megan’s spiralling thoughts)

Sound familiar?

PEEKING BEHIND THE CURTAIN; UNMASKING THE ILLUSION​

One look behind the curtain of success would reveal something unpalatable for our modern ‘instant oats’ society.

Behind the curtain, we wouldn’t find luck, fame or coincidence.

But rather…

Consistent work, recovering from failure and continuing down the path to success while holding fear, failure, uncertainty and lack of confidence over an extended period; sometimes years.

Falling and getting back up again, and again, and again until we reached our desired outcome.

In other words – all the unglamorous stuff that would make most of us feel unsatisfied with how we’ve been living our lives.

There isn’t a secret to success. As Bill Gates said: “There’s no secret. I worked really hard on my idea to get it as good as I could, and then knocked on door after door.

I ended up showing my idea to 1200 people.

900 said no.

300 people showed some interest.

Only 85 people actually did anything.

30 took a serious look.

And 11 made me a multi-millionaire.”

You see most people would rather believe that lack of luck, opportunity, good looks or ‘the stars aligning’ is the reason that they haven’t achieved their dreams.

It feels far more confronting to realize that you simply made a choice again and again and again not to make the micro choices, and take the daily uncomfortable actions that would offer you your ‘golden ticket’ on the road to success.

But once we muster up the courage to unmask the illusion we’re able to…

INVOKE RADICAL HONESTY

Most people aren’t cut out to be entrepreneurs.

Now before you race off to comment #meganchalidisthedreamkiller below this post, let me explain.

Most people fall in love with outcomes, not the process that creates the outcome.

If asked, the majority of people would love to have a 6-pack, but ask the same audience how many people would raise their hands to a lifetime of dry chicken breast and spinach lunch boxes, green juice over happy hour and waking up at 5 am daily to hang out with a bunch of sweaty at the gym – the number of takers would be significantly lower. 

When I find that I’m in a hurry, to hit a certain income goal, to reach a certain audience growth milestone or launch target – I know that I’ve become more fixated on the outcome than the journey it takes to get there.

I love outcomes and big visions. They get people out of bed.

But the journey is the thing you walk with every day.

And the fastest way to get out of comparison, and to let go of the feeling of ‘it’s not happening fast enough’ is to…

SLOW THE F*CK DOWN​

Bet you weren’t expecting that one.

Yip. Slow. The. F*ck. Down.

This has changed the game for me entirely when it comes to running a successful and sustainable business.

Take a moment to breathe.

To be present.

And to begin to find ways to embrace the present moment, while still staying excited about the future you are creating.

This means coming back into your body and choosing to infuse joy back into the process.

Learning to turn the mundane into something magical.

After all – growing a business is a lot like taking a road trip.

And there are 2 ways you could go.

You could go fast. Try to get there as quickly as you can. Turn off the music so you stay focused. Skip the bathroom breaks to save time and get there quicker. Say no to the snacks because you’ll eat when you arrive. Keep the AC turned off so the car has more power for when you hit that hill and drive through the night to make it there before anyone else.

Or, you could go slowly. Pack heaps of snacks to enjoy along the way. Make a playlist full of all your favourite songs. The songs that make you feel higher than life, and the songs that make you want to cry for all of life’s wrongs. You can plan to make stops along the way. Stops to rest, recover, refuel and explore. Stops to discover all the little shops and hidden gems along your adventure. The stops that make the journey all the more memorable. You could take the scenic route and enjoy every moment. You could turn the AC up so everyone is cool while they belt out their favourite tunes along the way.

Will you go slower?

Yes.

Would you still get to your end destination?

Also yes.

Both cars will take you there.

The difference is how you FEEL at every step of the journey.

Now imagine that both cars have a flat tire along the way.

An unforeseeable setback.

Which car would you rather be in?

You would personally find me in the car that contains all the snacks. Just saying.

THE CASE FOR SLOW BUSINESS GROWTH​

Years ago, in my business, I made the decision to go slow.

I made the decision to do my best to disconnect from where I ‘should’ and ‘shouldn’t’ be along my journey.

I chose to trust my timing and believe that my success was inevitable.

Why?

Very simply – I knew that no one would outlast me.

Because I was deeply committed to being present, to brining joy and sustainability to the tasks that would ultimately grow a flourishing business.

The kind of business that I could sustain year after year after year.

While everyone was focusing on going hard and fast – I chose to go slow, to go deep and to choose the most joyful path through all the highs and lows.

I chose to focus on loving my very first hundred audience members in the same way I will one day love hundreds and thousands of readers.

I chose to go horse riding on Friday afternoons instead of packing in an extra hour of outreach to grow my business because my joy is important.

I chose to spend time building an offer that I loved, instead of racing out of the gates with the idea that profit is somehow more important than the people I serve.

I chose to spend Monday mornings in quiet meditation, cup of cacao in hand, reflecting on my journey and celebrating my victories instead of falling into the hustle and bustle of the week without first saying thank you for everything that brought me here.

I chose my slow growth.

And I own every moment.

Knowing that when the time is right, everything I desire will be mine – and I trust that when that day comes, the version of me that receives that, will be ready.

You and I will both find our way to the destination we hold in our hearts if we choose to make the journey.

The question is, which car is taking you there?

IN SUMMARY HERE ARE MY BEST BUSINESS BOOSTING TIPS:

* Practice detoxing from social media. Limit screen time to avoid comparison.

* Take some time off. Sometimes losing the joy in our business journey is actually the result of the early signs of burn out. Rest. Replenish. Restart. 

* Remind yourself that growth takes time and that the best things in life come from dedication and mastery over time.

* Decide to choose joy. Brainstorm ways you can bring joy back into the process. Build a spotify playlist that makes you feel like a boss. Light a candle. Make a cozy cup of tea. Make the process your ritual.

* Surround yourself with honest influencers. The kind of mentors and influencers that show you behind the curtain of what it takes to build something successful.

* Get support. Sometimes having a roadmap for growth is exactly what we need to allow ourselves to breathe, show up and trust the process.