Don’t overthink this, Elizabeth

My business plan was stuck…I was paralyzed by information overload, competing interests, and trying to be all things to all people. Ideas were flying everywhere, but none were getting traction in my heart or head, and I couldn’t seem to work my way out of that stressful spot.

Laura Roeder was my business coach. Laura Roeder is also younger than my youngest child, but she’s smart, savvy, wise, and has an amazing gift for taking complex things, boiling them down to their bottom line, and explaining them clearly.

“Don’t overthink this, Elizabeth,” she said during a recent coaching session. “You don’t need to start two blogs and develop two niches at the same time. Just be yourself and think about the things you do really well and love to do. Leave your freelance writing site the way it is for now. Start where you are, create some content for your blog (Heartspoken) so people will find value when they visit and get to know you, and let’s think about how to turn some of your writing into products.”

I had one of those “Aha” moments when I could just SEE what this might look like. I must have been quiet, because then she said, “I can hear the wheels turning.”

Now that I appreciate what a tendency I have to “overthink” things (is it part of the “Oldest Child” syndrome?), I will be quicker to recognize it the next time I feel stuck. I’ll stop, think clearly about what is most important to me, and then remove everything else from the equation except those things that will move me closer to that goal. Those other things aren’t going anywhere…they’ll be there if I need them. But for now, they’re just in the way.

Thanks, Laura. I needed that!