The limbo. You’ve heard of it. It’s that dance contest that’s often played at parties on the beach (in the case of the insanely happy people below).
Ok. So…maybe the last time you played limbo was at Sally’s Sweet 16, circa 1996.
It’s still a solid game. So…I’m totally defending it.
But I won’t defend marketing limbo…that uncertain period of waiting or indecision – when you’re not sure if you should market yourself or let go of the idea altogether. So you end up…in the game of limbo…in a state of in-between.
We tend to make the thing in the way the way.
So instead of shimmying to “how low can you go,” you’re giving yourself a blow-by-blow. This creates tension between two places…where you are. And where you’re thinking of going.
There’s a flow to marketing. And sometimes you find it through…getting low.
How low can you go?
When you’re scared, you won’t get low. You may try to go under the limbo bar, without actually…bending backwards. This will cause you to hit your head (or another body part) on the bar. Or even more entertaining to others…you’ll fall backwards onto the sand.
Do you want to raise the bar?
The only way out is through.
Meaning…the only way out of marketing limbo…is through yourself. Through opening your heart. Feeling the Earth beneath your feet. And putting yourself out in the world. And yes…this can be scary.
But what’s even scarier is what can happen when you hold yourself back: The bar gets lower. The music gets slower. And you’re left, shimmying…alone, with no customers. And not even socks that say “I danced my socks off at Sally’s Sweet 16.”
How sad (those socks were everything).
So, when you find you’re in marketing limbo, here are some tips to get yourself through:
1. Change your perspective
“At some indistinguishable point a choice was made. Art over celebrity. Language over formula. Poetry over politics. Out of this choice comes passion as intense as that we felt at 16, illuminated by experience. Out of this passion comes real rhythm. – Rosanne Cash
Change your perspective of the word marketing. I had to do this. Because the annoying advertisements. The sales-y voices. The in your face pop ups. Ugh. Everything having to do with marketing is just too damn loud for me.
If you’re like me…and you prefer quiet and solitude, stop thinking of marketing as “promoting yourself.” And start thinking of it…like being the truest expression of the 16-year old you. You’ll raise the bar.
No, not the literal limbo bar (that’s cheating).
You’ll raise the bar in your business.
You’ll get more higher paying clients. And make more of an impact in the world.
2. Pick up a new hobby
“We should come home from adventures, and perils, and discoveries every day with new experience and character.” – Henry David Thoreau
Get away from work to have adventures…so you can think more clearly. This hits the reset button in your brain.
My new hobby is surfing. I love how it’s just me and Mother Nature when I’m out at sea (and the other interesting surfers I meet. Who knew that NYC surgeons like to…surf?)
Splashing around in the water helps me to be in my true nature. The water element is all about: intuition, empathy, quest, beauty, and balance. This is…everything that I’m about.
Being in my water element helps to cast off the shackles of societal conditioning. It allows me to show up as the truest expression of me. My heart beats in unison with all that is alive. And this allows me to tune into my deepest desires more fluidly.
No matter how busy you get, be you. This allows you to more easily find the essence of your brand.
3. Write down your deepest desires
“If ignorance is bliss, awareness is awakening.” – Brian Solis
When you write down your deepest desires, you awaken to more awareness.
Three years ago, I was living in a city. And the threshold for happiness was the polar opposite of how I find it today. I wanted change. So I wrote down three, simple words. They were: dog, beach, freedom. I didn’t quite know how these words would manifest. They almost seemed too simple. Yet they changed my life. I moved to the beach, got my dog (her name is Karma), and started to appreciate the little things. Things I always loved as a little kid: nature. the ocean. writing. creativity. Doing these things has led to more freedom than I ever could have imagined.
The world wants you to show up being free, happy and fulfilled. When you write down your desires, you give yourself permission to hold nothing back. You become a vessel, open to receiving what you deeply desire. And what you deeply desire is (almost always!) what you deserve.
4. Get rid of idea limbo
Idea limbo happens when you you have an idea. But you can’t form it into words. When this happens to me, I’ll capture moments with my camera. Or I’ll sketch them on a notepad.
Or I’ll go to Pinterest and pin fun images or branding quotes (this one is currently getting lots of RePins). I’m a visual thinker, so visiting the more visual platforms (like Pinterest and Instagram) helps to channel my creativity.
Don’t force ideas to come. Capture moments. And then let them gel. You’ll start to see connections everywhere.
5. Have more humility
The humble challenge of being human is in…humility.
“Humility is not thinking less of yourself. It is thinking of yourself less.” C.S. Lewis.
When I need more humility, I start thinking of the people that I serve in the world: The change makers. Tho ones with the spark of madness. Those truly changing the world. I realize that my work in the world truly matters (yes, I’ve had my doubts). And I’m truly humbled.
I love feeding off the magic of other heart-centered entrepreneurs. People who have an intense desire to bring more beauty into the world. Those who see what’s not working in the world…and who want to do everything in their hearts to make it better. They want to break the status quo. They aren’t afraid of listening to their intuition…their inner wisdom. They know, in their heart of hearts, that they’re creating something that will change the way the world works.
The thing is, hesitation is a natural hurdle. But when you raise the bar by opening your heart to the world, you move past inner resistance…so that you can dance your socks off…with the same passion and intensity that you felt at Sally’s Sweet 16.
Need some help? I’m taking on a few select clients in August. Learn how you can apply to work with me 1:1.