Are you sick of posts like these?
Feb 01, 2022
Are you glad you're done with January? I am. Mostly because, just like every January, I get so sick of seeing these kinds of posts. (Stay with me here because I want to go deeper…)
Why do I hate these kinds of posts? First of all, misery loves company. When someone creates a post like this, of course, they want validation for how they feel, and I get that, we need it as humans. But the energy behind the post comes directly from a place of scarcity.
Secondly, this kind of post isn't productive, it's just complain-y. If and when you ever feel like this, my assumption is that you're looking for a boost, some ideas, or just someone to give you permission to feel frustrated about where you're at. That's totally normal… so why not make a mindset move that led you to a place of abundance and positive momentum? (one of the posts above does do this)
Question for you: What if you made a different choice when feeling frustrated? Instead of focusing on the frustration, dig deeper into the root cause underneath the frustration. Are you fearful that you won't be able to pay your bills? Are you ashamed that your business might be “struggling”? Do you worry that things will never turn around? That's a place to examine.
What should you do about feeling that fear and shame? Get into action. Pause and make a list of items to take the pressure off ASAP.
- What are 10 ways you could make money today?
- Are there options to make minimum payments on bills or delay payment for a week or two?
- What item has worked really well for you and could you sell more of it?
- What method has made you money in the past that you could “turn on” right now?
- And finally, what's the worst that could happen?
No really, what IS the worst that could happen?
I know this sounds extreme and maybe even more terrifying than you want to deal with, but let's go there to just dip our toes in the deep, dark water. If the worst that could happen is that you pay some bills late (a late charge here or there), ask a landlord to make partial payments, or sell inventory in a destash group at or below cost… that's not the end of the world, right? The thing about being an entrepreneur is that it really will test every one of your triggers and limits. If you're not in the mindset to be able to handle a month that's slower than fall and holiday, you need to check in with your grit (watch this to see what I mean.)
If this month really means sh*t is going to fall completely apart, then you've got to take a step back and consider how you've been running your business and life. Honestly, I never expect a boutique to support a person's life for at least a year or two. If you are spending money you just don't have to make this business work, consider stopping and zooming out. Do you need to get a part-time job? Should you put the dream on hold for a few months or years? It's totally OK to take a break, re-examine, close temporarily or decide that owning a boutique is just not for you at all. There is no shame in breaking, whether it's for a day or forever. Your health, happiness, and safety are most important always.
Now back to our regularly scheduled programming…
January is not a month that takes up a large percentage of your year in terms of sales. For most people, it's about 2-5% of the total year.
That means:
- If you're making $10,000 a year, it's a $200-500 January. But I bet it was a $1,000-2,000 December.
- If you're making $100,000 a year, it's a $2000-5000 January. But I bet it was a $10,000-20,000 December.
- If you're making $1,000,000 a year, it's a $20,000-50,000 January. But I bet it was a $100,000-200,000 December.
Stop thinking every month should be the same-- it's unrealistic. You just went through the biggest months of the retail year, which represent 10-15% each of the total year. Now January panned out to be 3% of the year (as it should) and you're freaking out about how “slow” or “bad” the month is. But it's not.
January is the start of two months where people are recovering from the holiday season and want to treat themselves for making it through the winter. There are plenty of excuses to give up, run insane sales or do wild giveaways just to get your customers to pay attention. But really, it's a time to take some deep breaths, stay the course and start planning for the massive Spring season you're about to have to start in March.
This month we're going to get you ready for that by focusing on abundance. I want you to see all that you do have in your life and business and focus on that. Because what we focus on expands, and this is your time to start expanding your abundance mindset!
Here's to making lots of friends and making lots of money,
PS. Really desperate for a Mindset reset? Get my new book ‘The Retail Mindset’ available in paperback and on Kindle on Amazon now! Click here to learn more. (Audible version coming Spring 2022!)