The Most Valuable Personal & Professional Lessons I’ve Learned in My Four Years of Blogging
Tabler Party of Two turned FOUR this month!
Yup… in August of 2014, I clicked PUBLISH for the very first time. (The post was called The Adventure Begins and you can check it out here!)
I was so scared!
Why?
Because of fear of the unknown. Fear that no one would read it except my mom and dad. Fear it wouldn’t succeed as a business.
After all, I had no idea what I was doing! I didn’t have a mentor. No social media expertise. Utterly and completely tech challenged. Lacking in photography skills (What an understatement! I cringe every time I pull up one of my early recipe posts!).
What I DID have was enthusiasm and a love of creating, writing, and serving others. Passion can take you a long way, even with major deficits in other critical areas.
This applies to LIFE! Not just business. So many things about me have changed in both areas of my life. And the best part? My new direction is bringing my business completely in line with my LIFE’S purpose and passion!
Here are the top five most valuable lessons I’ve learned in my four years of owning Tabler Party of Two.
1. Passionately pursue your dreams.
Girlfriend… you were made for something spectacular. We all were! Each of us has a very unique combination of God-given talents and skills. You are fully equipped to make an impact… to leave a legacy! No dream is too big or too small.
You don’t have to try to make the entire dream happen today. What you CAN do is to take one little step towards your dream each day, with a clear vision of where you want to end up. Your dream WILL come to fruition if you do this. Be persistent and make necessary adjustments along the way.
2. Life AND business are about relationships and serving, NOT about the numbers.
It’s so easy to get caught up in comparisons and numbers instead of what REALLY matters in life. I know people who stew over the fact that they have a smaller house, an older car, and fewer friends than others they know. On the business side of life, many (including me at times!) focus way too much on our number of followers, our email list, and how many sponsored post offers we are receiving.
When we focus on numbers and comparison in any area of our lives, we miss out on life’s beautiful journey with others and the blessings of serving others. We were MADE for community! I encourage you to focus on building stronger relationships with family and friends, and to serve in the community. When it comes to business, don’t fret the numbers. Instead, spend your time serving others with your unique gifts and talents. Then take time to encourage others with comments and reactions to their blogs and social media. Last, find your tribe! You don’t have to do this thing alone… there is an abundance of wealth in online biz groups and tribes!
What’s the biggest benefit when we focus on relationships and serving? GOOD THINGS naturally come our way! Good things beyond our imagination that will bless our lives and our businesses.
3. Your MINDSET will probably be your biggest challenge.
It turns out that all of the deficiencies I had when I started this business were not my biggest challenges. My most gigantic obstacle — by far — has been mindset issues. Like insecurity, inaccurate self perception, and Imposter Syndrome. All that other stuff? Well, I quickly discovered that with enough research, I could figure most of it out. And when I couldn’t, I hired someone to help me. The mindset issues have been much more difficult to overcome. I have seen this play out both personally and professionally.
I’ve written more on this topic that will help you to really grasp this mindset challenge thing… Go here to learn how I overcame those struggles and depression last year, and here to learn specifically how I came to understand the role FEAR was playing in my life.
Also, I highly recommend you read Getting Past Your Past by Francine Shapiro, to better understand how to overcome mindset restraints in your life!
4. Don’t put all your personal or business revenue “eggs” in one basket.
I’m glad I’m finally grasping this concept at this point in my life! I’ll make this one short and sweet. The fact is, unexpected things will inevitably happen during our lives… some of which can very negatively impact (or even destroy) our financial well-being. When we rely on salary as a sole means of income, we put ourselves at risk. In business, we can’t rely on just one product or category to maintain long-term health in our organization. We need several streams of income to weather the storms that will eventually come our way.
5. You have options.
Who knew? Yep, I’ve got options every single day. And you do too!
I’ve lived most of my life constrained within the boundaries of “should,” “ought to,” and “have to” if I’m going to be a good person, compassionate friend, caring Christian, loving wife and mother. But sometimes we MUST SAY NO!!! Sometimes we simply have nothing more to give. OR… sometimes, the choices we’ve agreed to don’t make sense. You — and you alone! — reserve the right to change your mind. Without giving an explanation or apology.
In business, you might gain very valuable clarity and realize you need to restructure and change your focus. You might occasionally need to drop a client, cancel an appointment, or disappoint a customer. Guess what? You are allowed to do it! It’s part of living a life of intention.
Let me tell you… SO MUCH FREEDOM lies within these three simple words: I Have Options.
Now, go forth and be FREE when it’s best for you, your family, and your biz!
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FINALLY…
Friend… Do you have a dream, either personal or professional, that you aren’t pursuing? If you do, please share with me in the comments below! I’d love to pray for you and encourage you along the way.
xoxo,
