Can you spot me panic?

One thing I know about myself is that I like time to think. Whilst many of my business pals thrive on the unexpected and do their best work in response to whatever arises in the moment, I prefer space to mull things over, to process, problem-solve and form ideas slowly and thoughtfully.

So imagine how I felt when, in the middle of a podcast interview, the host asked me a question I’d never been asked before, and wasn’t entirely sure how to answer.

I’m going to level with you here, , I panicked.

But guess what?

I was able to answer her question perfectly well, thank-you-very-much. I mean, naturally a few hours later I thought of all the things I could have said, but that doesn’t mean that what I did say was a load of old rubbish! I didn’t have time to think, but I also didn’t fall to pieces and turn into an incoherent wreck.

This experience got me thinking. I talk all the time about working with your own natural preferences and tendencies as you build your business and design your days. Getting curious about what does and doesn’t work for you is SO important if you want to experience more ease and flow.

BUT if you want to grow and evolve, you also need to be willing to stretch yourself from time to time.

Every time I sit down with another human to record a podcast I risk being put on the spot, which goes against my natural preference for thinking time. 

But I do it anyway because I care deeply about helping people cultivate a healthier relationship with getting stuff done, I love talking about sustainable productivity, and I know it’s important to the growth of my business. (And the more I do it, the more I trust myself to cope when someone throws me a curveball.)

To put it plainly, if I allowed my preference (“I prefer time to think”) to turn into a limitation (“I can’t function unless I have time to think”), I’d be closing the door on all sorts of wonderful experiences and opportunities.

I often see this show up in those who have a strong preference for freedom in their business, and who struggle to focus because they’ve turned that into a limitation that tells them structure is bad. I’ve lost count of how many clients reach out to me having realised there’s freedom in structure after all.

Of course, I’m not suggesting you forget everything you know about yourself and run full-steam-ahead into excruciating discomfort. If you prefer freedom, structuring every minute of every day is probably not a good idea! Instead, I suggest finding just the right amount of structure that will help you feel supported and held, so you can actually ENJOY the freedom you’re creating through your work.

Is any of this resonating for you? Have a ponder over a cuppa - where might you be getting in your own way?

Oh, and back to that podcast interview! If you want to have a go at spotting the point at which I went into panic mode, you can listen to my conversation with Hannah Power for her Start A Movement With Your Message podcast here. (I think I hid my mini freak-out quite well, but now I’ve told you it happened you might be able to hear it! 😱)

Here’s to self-awareness, ease, flow… and a willingness to stretch from time to time!