Hey Reader,
So the results from last week’s poll are in and the results surprised me.
I asked “When it comes to growing or changing your business, what do you feel like gets in your way?” and the most selected answer was:
“I’m not sure what the next step is”
Full poll results at the end of this email.
In today’s email I want to make a case for why feeling unsure and uncertain about the next step is not a bad thing. In fact I’m going try to convince you that it’s a really good thing to be experiencing. And I’ll try to share some advice that might help you out.
It’s Like a Horror Movie
Being uncertain about what your next move is isn’t fun.
It’s kind of like watching a horror movie where you just know the killer is about to jump out from the dark cupboard, but it just never happens. So you’re just left there, watching that slightly open door, waiting and waiting and waiting.
I get it. I’ve been there a lot and I think it can be helpful to understand why that feeling makes us want to close our eyes and bury our head into a pillow.
The thing that makes uncertainty sooo uncomfortable is the tension. Comedians know this well. They’re experts at creating and relieving tension. They know that the bigger the tension, the bigger the release which means the bigger the laugh.
So it’s natural when you feel unsure that the first thing you want to do is get rid of that feeling by any means. One way we do this is to look to someone else to tell us what to do. Podcasts, social media scrolling, investing in a course that promises to solve all your problems, stopping people in the street and asking them what they think. All seem like good ideas when uncertainty is filling your mind.
But here’s the thing, if you can sit with that tension, that’s when something special can happen.
It’s Also Like a Rubber Band
Think of a rubber band.
If you use two fingers to stretch the band apart, it naturally wants to pull your fingers back together. The tension creates the potential for movement.
The potential energy created by the uncertainty you feel wants to be used. You don’t need rush to find certainty as things will usually resolve itself if you’re patient and have some idea of where you want to go.
Let me share a story to illustrate.
The Second Bootcamp Was 'The One'
When I was starting out working as a personal trainer I really wanted to run a bootcamp.
The problem was my first bootcamp wasn’t really going anywhere. Numbers were stuck at 2-3 people per class and I didn’t really know how to build it up despite having bought a few courses and ebooks. So I kept chugging along, trying to pick up any other trainer work I could.
It was then I noticed that the local PT studio was looking for a boxing class instructor.
I applied, went in for an interview and was told the position had already been filled. However, they were hiring PTs and would that be something I might be interested in?
They seemed nice, I needed experience and so I took the gig.
Even though it wasn’t doing well, I’d learned a lot from running my bootcamp and had an idea for a kind of bootcamp 2.0. On a whim I approached the studio owner to see if they had ever considered running a bootcamp. That unplanned conversation resulted in us partnering up to start a new bootcamp together which then went on to be incredibly successful.
I couldn’t have planned out that route in advance. There is no way I would have predicted that my first successful bootcamp would involve teaming up with someone else.
Uncertainty creates potential. The potential to find exciting, interesting ways to solve your problem.
So don’t be disheartened if you’re not sure what to do next. Focus on where you want to end up and let the path present itself. That ended far more woo-woo than I intended, but I’m gonna leave it there.
Big hugs,
-Kyle
Next week?
As promised: here are the results from last week’s poll:
The results really surprised me, I though more of you would select time. I see that the second most popular problem holding you back is comparison. It’s one that gets me too so let’s dive into why we compare and some ways to move past it in next week's email.
