Overcoming Analysis Paralysis – Coaching Session with Erin

[00:00:00] Jamie: All right, I have my client Erin here and we are gonna coach. I don’t even know what we’re coaching on yet. She’s gonna tell me. So Erin, welcome to the podcast. What Thank you. What would you like some coaching on today? 

[00:00:15] Erin: Um, so I would just love, I think some direction going into next year with my coaching business.

I’ve been coaching about a year as of now. Um, I’ve been seeing all along. I do work with a one on one coach and I’ve been seeing all along, like I see myself having a group program and like four or five high ticket clients. Okay. Yeah. And right now I have about seven weekly clients. Um, sometimes some people meet a little less frequently, um, but seven every single week.

And I do still feel like my goal is less one on one in this group program. And I won’t see myself like creating content. I just am like analysis paralysis kind of making the shift and maybe [00:01:00] pulling back on some of the Daily activities I’m training myself to do to increase my reach. So yeah, just cleaning all that up because it’s been very consistent that this is where I see my business going, but I’m doing things to get one on one clients.

[00:01:16] Jamie: Okay. So what is the thought that comes up or what, what comes up? It might be a thought, it might be a feeling. Whenever you think about this transition that gets you into that analysis paralysis. 

[00:01:29] Erin: I think it’s like, I don’t even know where to get started. I think that’s it. 

[00:01:36] Jamie: Okay. And then what do you feel when you’re thinking that?

[00:01:40] Erin: Um,

I don’t know if it’s over, it just feels kind of frozen. Like I don’t, I don’t think it’s as strong as overwhelm, but it kind of just gets me. I mean, like some of the actions [00:02:00] I’m like, I have written out like things I want to share, like content I want to create probably a dozen times, if not more. Um, yeah.

What is the emotion? Yeah. It just, it feels frozen. Okay. 

[00:02:16] Jamie: Well, it makes sense, right? It makes sense that it would feel frozen and then your action would be to kind of like. Withdraw, not do anything is because you’re thinking, I don’t even know where to get started. Like that’s your main thought. It’s almost like you think this is somehow different than what you’ve been doing or it’s somehow different to bring clients into a group versus bringing clients into a one on one coaching business.

[00:02:46] Erin: Yeah. I think what’s coming up is I feel like, like, I feel like I could get a one on one client today if I wanted. Yeah. I feel like to create this course, I have to almost pull back and maybe like [00:03:00] go into my mind to create this content for a few months and it’s like this lull. There’s definitely scarcity to coming up thinking like.

And then it’s all good. I mean, our mind goes to like this all or nothing place. Um, but I, I’m trying to trust that part of it. Like, this is not a new desire. Like I have seen myself working with like very few one on one clients and having like this developing. And I don’t even know if it’s like group coaching or just like a course that I can pour into and it’s almost like I have so much I want to share.

I don’t even know how to kind of like break it down in digestible pieces. Yeah, there’s a lot of spiraling along the same lines. 

[00:03:43] Jamie: Well, what your brain is very, I think what’s happening and tell me if this resonates or not, but this is just me kind of reflecting what I’m hearing and it may be. True. And it may be not, but just let me know, but it almost sounds like there’s just some fear around doing something new [00:04:00] and your brain’s way of protecting yourself from this fear and moving into the unknown, which you’ve never done a course before.

So that means you’re moving into the unknown, whether it’s a course or a group program. Having two offers, right? You’re moving into unknown territory. You haven’t done it before and instead of just being like, well, what’s the next step? Your brain, you’re scared because it’s unknown, right? Not wanting to move into uncertainty.

So your brain is going to, I don’t know, in order to protect you. Because as long as you believe that thought, I don’t know. Guess what happens? We don’t have to take any action. So it works really well. It’s a great way to protect ourselves from moving forward into something that does feel scary. 

[00:04:46] Erin: Mm hmm.

Yeah. What do you think about that? No, I think that’s 100%, 100 percent true because I do think like, yeah, it’s not even true that I don’t know. Cause I do make those lists and like, it’s [00:05:00] almost like so much, I don’t know how to break it. I mean, I just want to fight for it. I don’t know. Person’s just like getting started.

[00:05:08] Jamie: Yes, because as long as you say, I don’t know, you don’t have to feel uncomfortable. Which, I mean, at least you don’t have to feel a new flavor of discomfort. So let me put it that way. It’s not that you don’t have to feel uncomfortable, because there is discomfort in staying in the known, staying in the stuck, right?

There is discomfort in you saying, I don’t know because you’re not moving forward, and that doesn’t feel comfortable. Right? With this desire that you want. So that doesn’t feel great. But in some ways, you’re just, it feels safer. It’s like, oh, this is a known discomfort. Versus, if I told myself, maybe I do know, and even if I don’t, I’m just going to take the next step.

I’m going to try something new. I’m just going to get started on it. Well, then you have to move into a new, uncomfortable [00:06:00] feeling that maybe you’re not as used to. Yeah, 

[00:06:06] Erin: I think what comes up is I feel like I have to give up something to take that step. Like it’s not just like take the scary step and figure it out along the way, because I think I’m good with that.

Like I, I haven’t done a course, so I’m like learning a new technology to put that all together. And I’m okay with that being messy and failing, but I feel like, but then I need to pull back on creating one on one clients. In order to pour into doing this course and in some ways I want to but I also feel like Yeah, there’s just like the scarcity coming up like it’s yeah It’s so crazy and yet like all my clients are just like renewing and renewing and renewing So it’s like I don’t have any evidence Yeah, I don’t know.

But I, [00:07:00] um, I, I, there is a flavor of scarcity. And I think I come from like a social selling background. So it was very much like these are the activities you do every day on social selling. And it was really good at that. I still kind of do that and I have created some clients through social media. So I’m kind of like in this fear spiral, like I almost, I don’t love it and I almost don’t want to do that.

And it’s not the only way I’ve gotten clients, but I feel like if I give that up, I think there’s a thought because so long with social selling, it’s like it’s the, it’s the consistency factor. Like you got to keep doing these activities and it’s like, I’m not going to not be working, but I’m going to be doing more things like behind the scenes.

Yeah. 

[00:07:41] Jamie: So yeah, totally. It makes so much sense. So with scarcity, which is fear, what we want, I think the opportunity is to, instead of just like, Oh, I’m scared. I’m afraid of giving something up. I’m afraid of this. So let’s pull back and just like go into this. I don’t know. I think it’s going to be more powerful to [00:08:00] first identify what you’re afraid of.

What is the scarcity? What are you afraid will happen if you do start moving forward to creating discourse? I think 

[00:08:12] Erin: worst case scenario, it’s like I will lose all my clients and have no one. And like, my business will be at zero. And I, like, I know. Yeah, I think that’s what, that’s the fear. 

[00:08:25] Jamie: Worst case scenario, you’ll lose all your clients.

Why would that happen? 

[00:08:30] Erin: Um, I mean, the goal is that, I mean, I know for me, it’s like, I can’t, I can’t imagine not having a coach, but the goal is also. To hopefully get my clients to a place where they don’t need me. So I mean, like, just that my clients that I have, they find themselves like, I mean, I don’t, it’s such a weird, weird place because it’s like, I want them to heal.

But also like, I’ve been [00:09:00] coached for years and I can’t imagine not having one. Um, so I think it’s like, I’m going to, they’re going to get to a place maybe where they don’t need me, which is fantastic. But if I’m not doing those daily activities to kind of like bring new people into my content, then I’m just going to like dry up this wall.

I don’t know. I’m 

[00:09:19] Jamie: curious about why would you have to give up those activities just to create a course? 

[00:09:28] Erin: I think it’s just like. It’s time. So it’s like, okay, I’m either going to spend one hour doing these checklists of activities. That move the needle that I have been taught that move the needle forward.

And yes, I’ve gotten some evidence from that, or I miss an hour creating my course or whatever time I have. 

[00:09:50] Jamie: So notice, and those are two options, right? Where you can, you know, you’re giving yourself two options where it’s either like, I don’t create this or I [00:10:00] give up these activities that have been client creating activities in order to make the course, right?

It’s kind of black or white. It’s like one or the other. But I wonder, I just, and you may choose one of them, it’s totally fine, you could choose to do that, but it might be helpful to explore more options. Like, oh, maybe there are more ways than just those two options. How could I do this without turning off my funnel, which your funnel is those.

[00:10:34] Erin: I mean, I think another layer of is like, there’s a lot of the stuff that I am forcing myself to do that I don’t even love. So it’s like, I almost would like to give up some aspects. I don’t mind posting and sharing like content, but there’s certain activities that I would love to just give up that I think could be replaced with a paid ad when I’m ready to do that.

Um, but I also [00:11:00] feel like. I’m kind of at the place where, you know, ultimately it’s like this group program and it’s not even created. So I wouldn’t run an ad for some, I don’t necessarily want to do ads for one on one clients. Um, it’s like, I don’t want no one on one client. I think that’s where my brain goes.

It’s like, honestly, I’m, I’m thrilled with the seven that I have. Um, but I’m, I’m like fearful that they’re going to dry up and I’m going to be in this process of creating this group program and having no one. But I almost like. It’s not even like I, I would love to get rid of it. So it’s almost like I have to get rid of the scarcity and trust.

Like I can bring them in other ways. I can take a pause from like. Because honestly, it’s like some of these clients have found me. It hasn’t even been, and there’s been referrals and some have been off of social media. Um, so I don’t even know how many, if any, have been from like directly from this checklist.

[00:12:00] Yeah. 

[00:12:01] Jamie: Yeah. Interesting. Yeah. So with that understanding, what are you coming to?

[00:12:12] Erin: I mean, I think like without saying it, I kind of already knew. Like I’m okay posting regularly because I, that feels like there’s so much I want to share just with my course. It’s like, there’s, there’s not a lack of what it’s like, how to organize it. Um, but this intentional, like trying to expand my network just does not light me up.

Sorry, what was the question? I got a little sidetracked. Like, what is, what’s the answer? I guess I would love to let that go and feel good with it. I would love to just like, just be like, this, I can do social media however I want, as much as I want. And not be fearful [00:13:00] that it’s going to ruin my coaching business.

Like what I’ve built so far. 

[00:13:05] Jamie: Yes. Yes. So what would you, in order to do that, to try that out, to go for it, to be willing to lighten your load on that, not have such a structured kind of checklist. And like you said, like all the activities that you’re not even sure are producing clients, but you’ve just been doing them out of habit.

What would you have to be willing to feel?

[00:13:35] Erin: Oh, gosh. Um,

I mean, part of it’s like confidence, but it’s not totally landing. Um, yeah, I think like that belief that this is the way you do things is so strong. Only 

[00:13:52] Jamie: because it 

[00:13:53] Erin: came from someone who’s obviously very successful, so it’s like, but I want to like have, I know there’s so many different [00:14:00] ways that you can create.

[00:14:02] Jamie: So it’s probably going to be a more uncomfortable emotion. That’s why you haven’t done it yet. It’s probably not going to be confidence. It’s probably going to be uncertainty. It’s probably going to be fear. It’s probably going to be something around that, like the willingness to feel a little bit shaky, but doing it anyways.

Okay. I like that. Probably the feeling of uncertainty, like, Oh gosh, I haven’t tried this. I know for sure that if I do these things, I can get one on one clients, but I’m going to test something new and it’s scary. So I’m going to be willing to feel uncertain. But do it anyways, because that’s what I’m feeling called to do.

And I’m not going to actually know unless I try it. Yeah. Yeah. With the knowingness that you can always go back to it. You already know you can do this. And what you’ve been doing has been working in terms of client creation. [00:15:00] But you won’t know if something else is going to work unless you’re willing to try it.

Yeah, 

[00:15:07] Erin: I know. I like, I like that because it’s like I want to lean for like a positive feeling emotion, but it is going to feel uncertain. I think it’s kind of, not that I’ve been in hustle, but it’s like I was hustling for so long and I gave that up and it really was like, I don’t know if this is going to work, but I know I can’t keep doing this and it’s kind of the same.

I don’t know if this is going to work, but I can’t, I can’t keep forcing myself to do it. You know, this is just not the way I see myself doing it 

[00:15:39] Jamie: forever. 100%. That’s part of the becoming, right? You’re like, this is not what my future self is doing. And it’s scary to move into something new. It’s kind of like, I remember the year where, I hustled kind of to create my first hundred K, like I did it through hustle and I got there and I was like, Oh my gosh, [00:16:00] I’m exhausted.

And I realized this is not the way that I want to continue, but it’s scary not doing it because you know, it worked. Right. And so for me, I was like, I can’t keep doing this. It’s just not worth it. I got to that breaking point where I’m like, it’s not worth it. So the way that I held it was like, it is scary to pull back.

It is scary. And I was like, going to lean further into manifestation. I was still going to take courageous action, but not from that place of like, I have to do all of these things and I have to check all these things off the list. Right. Like, and for me, what I held it as was an experiment. And that really helped.

Like in terms of my mind and I guess my ego it helped me feel more safe doing it because I was like I’m gonna give myself a year with this experiment and if it doesn’t work, I can always go back to hustling Doing all the things. Yeah, right, but I’m never gonna know unless I’m willing to [00:17:00] try it So why not?

Experiment with something that my intuition is leading me towards and it sounds like this is what your intuition is leading you towards Yeah. Right? And it doesn’t even have to be a year. It can be like, I’m going to experiment with this for a quarter or for two months. Yeah. And the worst, like the worst that could happen is I go back to what I’ve been doing.

[00:17:26] Erin: No, I like that. I mean, cause I do, I, I am this all or nothing mindset thinking like, it’s all going to go away. But I’m like, I’ve only been doing this coaching for a year and I’ve created, well, more than seven clients in a year and. I’m like, gosh, worst case it’s like, and then the next year I could do it.

And again, I don’t even know if I would choose to, I would probably still just choose like to figure out something different because I can’t, and it’s not even like, it’s so interesting. Cause it’s not even like it takes a lot of time, but I can just see in certain [00:18:00] activities, how like, it just does not feel very aligned and I just like resist.

Yeah. Or it takes me like, it’s mentally, like it takes mental energy, like I should do this today to check this box versus like just giving myself the permission to have an experiment not to do it. Yep. And seeing what happens. Yeah. 

[00:18:21] Jamie: Yep. And it’s going to be about the willingness to feel uncomfortable in that space.

Right. And I always say manifestation is not just about cultivating more positive emotions. That’s a part of it that can be helpful of learning how to cultivate emotions on purpose. But I think it’s also equally the willingness to sit with uncomfortable emotions. Because anytime we’re manifesting something new that we’ve never done before.

Anytime we’re evolving into that next version of ourselves, or that next, you know, layer of our business. We have to learn how to feel uncomfortable because it’s not [00:19:00] comfortable. We’re not going to be confident in it yet. Confidence comes from doing it over and over and over and being like, okay, I know how to do this.

In the beginning, we are not going to have confidence, but we have to move for it anyways before we feel ready. And that’s how you manifest. It’s like that willingness to hold both. Your fear, your discomfort, and you move through it anyways, and you go through that liminal space, and also, at the same time, intentionally cultivating emotions that you want to on purpose, and practicing the mantras that you want to step into, and the thoughts that you want to believe, right?

So we’re like holding both of these throughout the journey. Yeah, 

[00:19:38] Erin: yeah. No, I like that. Um, I would love like a thought because I just feel like I, I feel strong now, but I can just feel like it’s so strong. Me feeling like I should do it a different way, um, or should just keep doing what’s working, even though it’s like, if I do look at that, is it really that, [00:20:00] that thing that I’m giving up that is brought.

And that’s definitely questionable. 

[00:20:06] Jamie: Well, it’s like, I would even question the whole, what I’ve been doing is working. Because I think as long as you keep telling yourself that, you’ll be like, well, what’s the point of doing something new? Let’s put it this way. What you’ve been doing has worked up until now, but you’re in a new place in your business.

It’s definitely not working in order to become the next version of yourself. Or the next evolution of your business, it’s not going to work to move into what you feel called to do. So as long as you’re saying, well, what I’ve been doing is working, it keeps us staying there, but it’s a lie. It’s not really working energetically.

Yeah. Because you’re not feeling aligned with it anymore. And you, it may have worked at one point. That’s awesome. You know, and it did. Like look what you’ve created in the last year. It’s [00:21:00] amazing. But it’s kind of a lie to say that it’s working right now because it’s, it’s not, it’s not moving you where you really want to go and where you really feel called to.

Yeah. 

[00:21:13] Erin: Yeah. I love when you said like that not working energetically because we still look at like, what is the result? Is it working? Is it not working? But it’s like, it, it’s not working energetically like I, a hundred percent. So there’s definitely days that it feels good, um, but I think there’s so much, it’s like the pressure to.

Keep the momentum of certain activities that just does not feel aligned. Um, yeah. 

[00:21:42] Jamie: So I think that’s the thought. It just does not feel aligned anymore. That, it just sounds like truth, right? Right there is truth. The whole it’s working is not true.

Okay. So tell me what is [00:22:00] aligned now?

[00:22:04] Erin: Well, I think what’s coming up too is like a lot of what the work I do with my clients is It’s finding their own personal menu of like what’s working for them. And yet I’m finding myself like so tied to what this very successful person has said is the way to do things, which is just so funny, even though I’m not following my own like alignment in that way.

Yeah. So no, I think that this has helped a lot, like just shift a few things like ultimate, cause that’s what I’m always saying. Like ultimately, like, you know, and like, if you get into a regulated spot, like, you know, it’s right for you. And I think I’m just holding it so tightly to what the habit that I did for years that worked really well in terms of, and at that time I think it did feel aligned.

So it was like, I did not, yeah, I wasn’t doing it and it’s now just a habit and it’s just no longer [00:23:00] working for me energetically, 

[00:23:01] Jamie: so. Well, and this is what’s happening, I think, Erin, too, is that you are, and so many entrepreneurs go through this at this point where now you’ve created the success in a way that someone else has kind of taught you, which we all have to start there because We don’t know how to market and we need to learn from someone, right?

So we all do it how someone else tells us to. But then we hit this point where it’s like, it’s time to move into thought leadership. You’re like evolving into, you are becoming the thought leader. You are stepping into your own authority. That’s the phase you’re moving into and it does feel uncomfortable because we have to kind of trust our own instincts and our own way, which we haven’t done before.

And we’ve seen evidence of someone else’s way working, but what you’re doing is you’re just fine tuning it and making it more you. Hmm. Okay. Yeah. So I think that’s what’s happening is it’s like you’re taking probably a lot of what you’ve [00:24:00] learned that’s going to, you know, that has worked, that does feel aligned, but then mixing it with your own mind and your own intuition, your own instincts and making it so uniquely you.

So you’re just moving into that space of thought leadership. 

[00:24:14] Erin: Yeah, no, I do like 

[00:24:15] Jamie: that. And you can trust that.

[00:24:22] Erin: Yeah. Cause it’s like, I could always go back. I mean, I could always create these clients again in a year if I, if I really need to want to. Um, yeah. And I think like you said, just embracing the uncertainty. I think that like, of course, this is going to feel uncertain. Like if I feel like it shouldn’t, that’s where I’m gonna 

[00:24:42] Jamie: get stuck.

Yeah. Um, totally. Yes. Yep. And what you will often find is when you’re willing to feel uncertain but go for the things that you really want, most often you’ll rise to the occasion. You’ll actually create the thing that you want because you were willing to move through the [00:25:00] fear and just take action towards it anyways.

Learn from any mistakes, learn from any failures, but just keep going with it and before you know it, you’ll be like, I have this thing and I did it in my way and it’s so awesome. 

[00:25:13] Erin: Yes. Yeah. Oh, yeah. No, I can see pulling back from the pressure to do certain things and, and being so proud of myself six months later, even if I don’t have like this group coaching program that’s like successful running.

Like I can just see myself being so thankful that I, I listened to myself as well. I feel like when I stopped hustling. You know, there was almost like a shift before things like took off too. And that like, I can hustle, not hustle and create just as much results, but I was still proud of myself for choosing not to hustle.

So I think it will be the same as like, I can, I’ll still be, um, proud of myself for choosing to [00:26:00] trust my intuition, even if it’s like. Okay. Maybe I don’t have as many leads or consults for a period, but it just feels so much more aligned. 

[00:26:08] Jamie: Yes. That’s it right there. Yep. A hundred percent. And hold that vision of like seeing you, you know, I would hold the whole vision, not of just the course, but hold the vision of like you in six months, having created this in your own way.

And you feeling so proud of yourself because you went for it and you trusted it and you moved through some of the fears, but you did it anyways. and cultivate a vision around that can be really, really helpful to kind of hold onto and anchor yourself in. Yeah. 

[00:26:39] Erin: Okay. Yep. That’s super powerful. Thank 

[00:26:42] Jamie: you. Oh, I love it.

I’m so excited for you. All right. Thanks, Erin. Thank you. Yeah.