Why Personal Development Is Personal and Why It Matters To Business Owners (and Their Business)

I can’t let this one go. I am tired – so tired – of the posts on social media that blame us for choosing overwhelm, stuckness, negativity, fear, without also acknowledging the circumstances BEYOND our control.

These often posts have a pretty one-size-fits-all recipe of steps to take to move forwards with our business: simply let go of everything that is holding you back.  You can probably think of the sorts of captions that have made you feel uneasy.

In a time where the marketing message is to “be yourself”, it needs to be acknowledged that it’s a lot easier and safer for some to do so than others.

We do not choose mental illness, anxiety, depression. We do not choose the privilege we are born into. Trauma that happens to us as a child. Physical health issues. The list goes on.

I am not choosing to stay stuck if I have anxiety. There ARE things I can choose to minimise anxiety, to prevent it, to help it when it comes. But not always. And it is not my fault if I am unable to make that choice.

I would add that I am not shaming those who do speak this way – it is ‘the way things are done’ in marketing after all, any many of us have done it. It’s about expanding the conversation and considering the bigger picture.

“As business owners, we need to apply this approach to the way we do our business too.  We definitely don’t have the capacity to run our businesses playing by somebody else’s rules.”

I know it is possible to build & run a successful business without sacrificing what you need, who you are, or what you value. You can work in a way that totally honours who you are as a person (thoughtful, complex, brave, scared, overwhelmed, ambitious, awkward, & everything in between).

The bottom line is, we need more nuance in personal development AND business. I’m all about doing business differently. Taking care of yourself now and making it all sustainable. Business without sacrifice AND acknowledging the messiness. So, let’s change the way we talk about and go about business.

What does that look like?

✨Personal responsibility AND compassion in the face of circumstances beyond our control

✨Inspiring others to take ownership of their actions AND kindness and compassion, always.

✨Unshakeable belief AND acknowledgement of our own privilege.

✨Speaking our own truth AND listening to others when they say that theirs looks very different.

End rant.

If you’d like to dig into doing things your way, take a look at my FREE EBOOK: 3 PILLARS OF MY SIMPLE & JOYFUL BUSINESS

This free e-book helps you focus on what matters in your business, to simplify the work you do and to make more space for what matters in your life.