Things are going well in your business.
You’ve finally got some momentum.
Folks are starting to recognize your genius.
You are happy and settling into a creative space that feels like “you.”
Your confidence is through the roof because you are doing exactly the work that you’ve been called to do.
And, you do it damn well… (Go ahead. You deserve a good pat or two on the back).
Then all of a sudden, you hit a wall. The creative energy halts. The ideas come, no more. And then random ish starts to happen. You get sick out of the blue. You receive an unexpected bill. Or [insert some ridiculously insane and stressful thing].
And the work? It stops.
How do you overcome creative blocks when there’s work to do?
When I first experienced this situation I mentioned it to a good friend of mine. She said very matter of factly, “Patrice, you are experiencing upper limit syndrome.” My response, “Upper what?” I did a bit of googling to quickly learn that her diagnosis was spot on.
You know how we tell ourselves that we only deserve so much? That we can only be this great? And, that all of the goodness and success in business that we truly desire is not in our reach? (Yep, I know it’s not just me). We set a goal that feels “reasonable” or “possible” versus the one that we truly want.
Well, that’s a self-imposed glass ceiling. For example, you land a really big media opportunity that you don’t believe that you are ready for. You sign on a huge client and can’t figure out how. You roll out a new program even though you were terrified to step out in this way. The upper limit issues happen when you start to break through these self-imposed limits.
Upper limit leads to creative blocks that prevent you from sharing your magic with the world.
It will happen, again and again. So, we have to determine how to deal with it and get through to the other side of our greatness.
Finding a source of inspiration helps me push through the upper limit. For instance, I listen to one of my favorite podcast series, Entrepreneur on Fire or I talk it out with other serious entrepreneurs.
If you are experiencing a creative block via upper limit right now, I want you to know… it’s only temporary.
The difference between the people who make it and who don’t are those who have the gall to keep at it.
I want to leave you with words from Steven Pressfield’s manifesto Do The Work (it’s seriously the best, short biz read ever):
“Resistance cannot be seen, heard, touched or smelled. But it can be felt. We experience it as an energy field radiating from a work-in-potential. Resistance is a repelling force. It’s negative. Its aim is to shove us away, distract us, prevent us from doing our work. Resistance will tell you anything to keep you from doing your work. It will perjure, fabricate, falsify; seduce, bully, cajole. Resistance is protean. It will assume any form, if that’s what it takes to deceive you. Resistance will reason with you like a lawyer or jam a nine-millimeter in your face like a stickup man. Resistance has no conscience. It will pledge anything to get a deal, then double-cross you as soon as your back is turned. If you take Resistance at its word, you deserve everything you get. Resistance is always lying and always full of [crap].”
Now, knock that block out of the way. And go, do the work.
How do your TKO your creative blocks?