#302 Clearing Emotional Clutter + Getting Out of Your Own Way
If you feel like a mess on the inside, your business will, too.
The past two years have been a huge process of personal transformation for me. Now that my 50th birthday month is here, I’ve been doing a lot of reflection about my own journey and struggles…
And I’d like to share the work I’ve been doing to clear my emotional clutter and get out of my own way.
It’s personal, but I think it’s relevant to the challenges we face as makers and business owners.
The problems in your business can sometimes be a reflection of your own inner turmoil. While that may be difficult to come to terms with, it’s also great news – because it means your own personal healing can have far-reaching benefits in your business and personal life.
For the purpose of this episode, I’ve broken the process down into five steps, and many of these exercises are a core part of our Momentum coaching program over here at Flourish & Thrive Academy.
Ready to dive in?
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Click here to download the show notes
Step #1: Clear the Stories Holding You Back
The stories we tell ourselves are powerful.
You may not realize it, but we all have an internal script for what we believe to be true about ourselves. That’s why I often teach my students about getting to the root of your issues and clearing the stories that are holding you back.
These stories can be about money, relationships, health, success, your own abilities, and pretty much everything under the sun.
When it comes to finances, a few common examples I hear from artists and designers are…
- “Money doesn’t grow on trees.”
- “You can’t make money as an artist.”
- “Money is easy to make but hard to keep.”
The first step to overcoming your limiting beliefs is to identify where they come from and do the legwork required to unlearn them.
It’s a long process. If you’re interested in diving deeper, Jason and I did an entire episode on it last year.
Once you’ve identified where your negative emotions or beliefs are coming from, you have an opportunity to flip the script and change that story.
Step #2: Give Back What is Not Yours to Keep
Throughout life, we experience different types of trauma that trigger different emotions.
Sometimes we take those emotions to be true when they are often just a feeling or a memory of an experience.
If we let them, those traumas can keep us in a victim loop or emotional rollercoaster when something negative happens.
For example, if a customer asking for a refund sends you into a tailspin of panic and negativity, there is probably a bigger issue that needs to be addressed.
It likely isn’t about the money, unless you don’t have the cash for the refund. It probably upsets you because it taps into base fears of failure or being undervalued.
Without dealing with the root cause of these emotions and reactions, you are bound to be stuck with these negative associations and limit your growth.
Step #3: Connect with Your Inner Child
This step has personally been very impactful for me.
Many of the limiting stories we carry with us stem from childhood experiences we were not emotionally equipped to process at the time.
Exercises that help you visualize your inner child and make them feel safe can be an incredible way to let go of negative attachments.
It’s a way of accepting the past so you can better focus on the present.
I cover this in more detail in the full episode above, as well as the last two steps of the process that will help you clear your emotional clutter and get out of your own way.
xo, Tracy
Links:
Episode #258: Change Your Story with Jason Ayers
Expand Your Audience & Grow Your Sales Workshop
