Here's the thing: no mud, no lotus

It’s not easy running your own business, working by yourself, or at least being the person it all hangs on.

Sometimes it can seem like everyone is doing better than we are. Their perfectly instagrammed life, work, awards make us feel like we’re missing something, like we’re struggling and less glamorous, and generally less than.

I’ve taken to reminding myself than there’s no lotus – perfect, pretty, delicate – without the mud – messy, stinky, ooze.

That successful award? The result of years of hard work, hours of entry-writing, deep soul-searching.

The beautiful product photos? Weeks of hard work, or, indirectly, the work it took to pay for, brief and manage a professional photographer.

That stunning trip? The reward for months, maybe years, of hard work, and not to mention the sacrifice of travel and time away and saying no to a thousand less important (but still quite appealing) things.

To get what you really want requires commitment, sacrifice, and hard work.

It’s the same for you as everyone else – they haven’t just fallen into it, the same way you can’t simply transport yourself to where you want to be.

But here’s the thing:

Make sure your lotus is worth the mud. And make sure you know you’re making a lotus, not a cabbage or a daffodil or a water lily.

As much as it’s hard work, you don’t have to work yourself to the bone. Often (and I see this with clients all the time), we overestimate what we can achieve, and we believe it’s easier than it really is.

The answer, most of the time, is to prioritise and focus in closely on what you want your lotus to look like.

Is it a regular income? Is it press coverage? Is it meaningful, sustainable work that will keep you going for years to come? Perhaps you really do want everything to look and feel more polished and together.

Have a little brainstorm. Ask yourself what you’d like to work towards. What’s your unique lotus?

Then make sure the mud is worth it. Don’t take on too much. Don’t try to grow too many lotuses at once. Prune.

Nourish your fertile mud. Consume the things that will truly aid your lotus. Don’t over-water. Don’t allow anything that will prevent growth. Add only the good stuff.

For me, this is the crucial bit. Yes, there’s going to be mud, but honestly it doesn’t have to be as hard and crappy as we think it does.

If you’re unsure what your lotus looks like, consider booking onto my March 2016 retreat (opens for booking 12 October). We’ll be diving into so much of this work then.

Jx