WHAT'S YOUR RECIPE FOR SUCCESS?

As we all live in this loud & crowded world, we're tempted to try everything that anyone says will help us find success. Maybe this product, that pattern, or the next income stream will finally be the thing that sells like crazy. And once it does, then we can finally relax a bit and breathe. Sound familiar? We're all being sold this lie that going viral is the holy grail to making money online. But going viral has about a 1-3 day shelf life and people move on to the next viral thing. So I'd like to suggest a pivot. The slow, quiet, intentional build of a sustainable business. Not just any business, a business that works in the background while you're working on the next thing. But even with this model, I see people scrambling, jumping from one idea to the next because they see it working for someone else. But that's not the recipe for success. We need to slow down, stop doing all the things, and focus only on the things that truly make a difference in our businesses.

I don't know if you've ever seen the movie One Fine Day with Michelle Pfeiffer. It's one of my favorite movies, maybe because I resonate with how she feels at times. She plays a mom trying to survive a hurried day and it seems like one thing after another threatens to derail her whole life. She has this line where she's trying to justify her intensity in a particular moment. She explains that she has all these balls up in the air and she can't trust someone else to catch one because if one falls, they might all come crashing down. oof. I feel that fully. No matter how laidback I set my life up to be, there are still things I struggle to let go of.

“I regret less the road not taken than my all-fired hurry along the road I took.” -Robert Brault

This morning, as I sat down to work, I couldn’t decide which tasks were most important. I had several competing priorities and could feel the anxiety bubbling up. So I paused.

Not what you thought I was going to say? Ya, it's not what I usually do either.

I took a few deep breaths and reminded myself: I’m not in a rush. Anything I do will still be forward progress. I don’t need to do things perfectly. And however and whenever the tasks get completed will be JUST FINE, even if it's not today.

Then I got back to work. I finished the mockups I’d started, and only later remembered that I hadn’t written this blog post yet. whoops. Wrong priority first. But here I am writing it, and it will still be posted today. And guess what? Even if it weren’t, it would still be okay.

Over the past several years, I’ve walked through many seasons of feeling late, behind, and rushed, as if all of my success depended on my perfect timing. But time itself has a way of showing you that isn’t true.

We live in a culture that tells us there’s a right timeline for everything: when you should start your business.... how fast you should grow.... when you “should” be making consistent income. But there is no correct timeline. Growth doesn’t happen in straight lines, and there's not one single moment that completely defines our success.

“We are kept from our goal, not by obstacles, but by a clear path to a lesser goal.” -Robert Brault

The danger isn’t just in being rushed. It’s in veering off your big goals and chasing easier, lesser ones that look appealing in the moment. Society, social media, even well-meaning friends can steer you wrong. They don't see the vision in your head. They don't know what you're capable of. Instead of rushing to create every little thing that might have merit, choose your path deliberately. Decide what you are building and say no to everything that isn't aligned with it. Build foundational bricks that layer on each other and work together synergistically. That’s how you create a business that’s solid, generates reliable income, and works even when you’re not.

We aren't meant to function in constant high stress.

My personal recipe for success looks like: setting clearly defined goals, identifying which vehicles can get me where I'm going, prioritizing the most important tasks, and establishing boundaries so when new things come up I can easily look to my plan and see if it adds to or takes away from my big goals. Once you get clear on where you're headed, it doesn't take long to decide your path when you get to a fork in the road.

Warmest regards,

P.S. If you want step-by-step plans to simplify your passive product business roadmap, I guide people through this inside my Designed Simply membership. Or if you just want clarity on what to focus on right now, check out my Focus Workbook.