overcomplicate & underestimate ... [🐝U]

Entrepreneurship promises opportunity.

But what it delivers is a mess of decisions we love to overcomplicate.
While underestimating what we already know & can do

We're lured in by the romantic notion of the “freedom & flexibility”
& who wouldn’t want more control over time & how we earn money?

Whether it’s to pursue a dream, turn a hobby into a paycheck, or just not have someone else dictate your life.

But at the same time, we’ve spent a lifetime learning to give up control, follow orders, & generally not think for ourselves …

From day care all the way through college and into the workforce, you’re told:
→ what to do
→ how to do it
→ when you can (& can’t) do things like
- what time you show up, have lunch, go home
- take a vacation (& for how long)
- even when you can go to the bathroom!
 
Someone else has always dictated how we spend most (or all) of our time
→ parents
→ teachers
→ bosses
→ & when you become a parent, your kids (& their activities) dictate your time too!

Aaaallllll that to say …

We learned how to be employees, not entrepreneurs.

So when all those decisions land on our shoulders, no wonder it feels chaotic. We overcomplicate every choice & underestimate just how capable we already are.

Now that we’re starting our own business,
We’ve got to figure out how to be our own boss.

It’s hard having all those decisions (what to do, how, when) fall on your shoulders … especially if there’s no support system

That freedom & flexibility is a double-edged sword.

Freedom without structure quickly turns into Netflix binges & endless courses.

That’s why this boss/employee question matters:

If you did the same thing (in the same timeframe) at a job…
Would your boss promote or fire you?

Spoiler alert: for your business, they're both you

So as the boss in your business, you can’t let your “employee-self” keep underestimating their potential if you just show up & do the work.

As an employee you’re expected to work so many hours a week.
Whether it’s “business hours” or shiftwork.

Being on time isn’t optional → it’s part of your job

But attendance isn’t enough.
You’ve got to do the work & keep learning

I work every day.
including Christmas
BUT not all day, every day

I make (schedule) time (& color-code)
→ things that make money (like coaching calls)
→ actions that lead to clients (like networking)
→ time for learning (then doing & sharing)
→ even personal things (like errands)

At a glance I can see where my time is going
& at the end of the day, I can compare what I wanted to do with what got done.

It’s never perfect.

Some days are great…
my calls flow, everything’s checked off the list, I feel unstoppable.

& some days I spiral…
I spiral, waste too much time on Canva or over edit, & networking feels like prospects want to get it all but willing to pay for nothing

You’re not the only one who has days wondering if you should just go back to a paycheck.

& that’s why we need the structure … the consistency in not just showing up
but in trying to do more & be better.

Seriously … if you treat your business like a hobby, don’t be shocked when it pays you like one.

Are you showing up for work “on time” in your business?
Are you leaving early or putting in overtime?

If I don’t treat my business like a job, I’m the boss who’d fire me first.

Showing up is our floor, not the ceiling.

Your boss doesn’t care that you clocked in & opened your laptop.
You have to move the needle.
→ Did you send the proposal?
→ Make the call?
→ Publish the post?

The more you work, the better you get.

Think back to the first day, week, month of a job … any job …

You didn’t just jump right in.
You had orientation & some training
You didn’t know everything.

This business you’re building is no different.
You’re not going to know everything on day 1 or 100.

“Enough” doesn’t have to mean more than your clients.

You DO know “enough” to take something of their to-do list & help

You keep showing up, learning & doing the work
Rinse & repeat tomorrow
Soon enough you’re spending more time doing & less learning

How much time are you spending learning vs doing in your business?

Balancing learning & doing is only half the game.
The other half?

Doing the crap you hate.

Because doing the work doesn’t mean cherry-picking the fun parts & doing them when you feel like it.

If you’re only doing what you love, when you feel like it, you have a hobby.

The stuff you try desperately to avoid?
That’s usually the stuff keeping the proverbial lights on.

Growing a business sometimes looks like invoices, follow-ups, & tech troubles
There were things you loved (& hate) about jobs

I looove coaching calls.
HATE the admin

I love reading & writing emails
Avoid social media.

You still need to get them all done.
until you can afford to pay someone else to do it for you

& even if you haven’t generated income yet or paying yourself a salary,
not treating this as a business, still costs time & money.

There’s an “opportunity cost” that goes with everything you do & don’t do.

We overcomplicate things with trendy tactics & tech tools

There’s a difference between looking busy & building a business.

It really comes down to 2 basics:
→ your offers
→ your leads

What’s the real cost of overcomplicating & underestimating has on your business?

Burnout?
Stalled growth?
Regret?

Look you’re not alone here.

Distractions at home (& from life) lead to reduced productivity (aka things that impact the bottom-line vs keeping busy).

That’s one of the main reasons so many companies are trying to “order” staff back into the office.
We need the structure

As a freelancer & entrepreneur you’re the boss.
You have that freedom & flexibility you wanted.

You still need to decide
But you also have to do.

Set your work hours.
Make your schedule.

It’s your business.
Treat it that way.

Because working for yourself pays off … with structure

Working more for a boss may get you overtime
But then they’re expecting more from you
& the more you give them, the less you have to give to yourself, your family, or your business.

Give your business the time and attention it needs
& that doesn’t mean forcing yourself to work more hours than 2 full-time jobs, burning out, & landing in the hospital with blood clots in your lungs …

learn from my mistake without experiencing it yourself … it’s not fun!

You can build momentum with the commitment to be consistent

Now it’s your turn …

What are you going to do today to make your business’ boss want to promote you instead of fire you?

Block the next 30 minutes.
Right now.
Do 1 thing that moves your business forward.

Make it a great “promotion-worthy“ week!
EG

PS:

Check out these other free resources that help you stop overcomplicating & underestimating…

Techpresso gives you a daily rundown of what's happening in tech & what you shouldn't miss so you stay up-to-date without having to do all the research & reading

Brand Chemistry is a weekly look at how brands build trust, loyalty & scale by organically connecting with their audience.

Nathan Barry’s newsletter shares how to earn $10k from your first book in packaging, marketing, & selling it even if you don’t have a huge following

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📈 Want to talk about better boss-work strategies for your business by being yourself?
Find a time that fits your schedule.