Failure or Failure to Implement?

 

Success or failure? It's your decision.

Something to consider when speaking on failure: you can't fail if you never do anything. So are you really experiencing failure over and over again, or are you stuck in the "failure to implement" cycle? Tell me if this story sounds familiar.

Personally, my mindset used to be "if I take that next class, then I'll know everything I need to make this work." I would come home so energized and excited about what I wanted to build, create, change, and expand for my business! I basked in the glow of networking with other women who wanted to grow and learn, and inspired by all the things I had learned from my mentors.

And then I would start to come down from that euphoric feeling, and realize that while I wanted to do ALL THE THINGS, doubt, fear, and overwhelm would creep in. I would become so paralyzed by my goals and vision that I assumed it meant I didn't actually have the knowledge or skills to create it. I would think, oh gosh, I must need more education, another workshop, another class from someone who obviously knows more about this than I do. Rinse. Repeat. Hamster wheel.

I've been in the beauty industry for over two decades, and I've seen my share of cyclical decision making and the rise and fall of education trends. But I found myself stuck in the mother of them when I started my journey into luxury hair extensions. What started out as a simple desire to learn how to master the service I wanted to offer my clients, has turned into a six year money grab and emotional cult. Sufficed to say, I have learned my triggers and changed how I approach investing in education, my fear of failure and my desire for success.

This year, I did take classes with a company that I love. But instead of consuming the information and eagerly anticipating the next class, I took steps to begin IMPLEMENTING the lessons that I had learned. I assessed which areas of my business that I wanted to change, then applied the strategies I brought home from class with me. I didn't do it all at once! Step by step, adding in, deleting, trying to reach my goals using different methods to see what actually worked for me and my business.

Once I started seeing how my shifts affected my business, I either continued using the strategy, or I checked it off my list and tried the next strategy. See, what I've figured out is that there is no one way to do things, no one-size-fits-all plan. I have finally found a way to feel that energy and inspiration at class AND bring it home. I use the lessons as a FRAMEWORK for my business, not a copy-and-paste answer to all my problems. And I now look at investing in classes, workshops, and conferences in a different way. What am I looking for? Inspiration, networking, excitement? Will this teach me specific skills that I can implement in my business in a way that works for my goals? 

I've learned the hard way that it's easy to feel like you don't know enough, or you need more encouragement, or you aren't built for success. It's easy to feel like a failure. That's why it can be very easy to slip into a cycle of paying other people to "guide" and "mentor" you. It can become predatory and habitual, and before you know it you've spent more in the name of personal growth than you've made in return on your investment. 

It can be scary, painful, and embarrassing to admit. But the easiest way out of it is to really look at your business, understand why you want to pay for a class, and make sure you've already implemented the things you've learned. You know enough to get started. I'm positive you'll see success if you start the work. One step, one small change at a time consistently will move the needle on your business. But you have to START. And if it doesn't work the first time, that doesn't mean you're a failure--it means you were successful in learning from yourself. Congratulations--that's the real success.

 

xoxo,

Linds