Running a business can be tough. And if you’re currently feeling stuck with your messaging and in your business generally, it can be soul-destroying for you. You want your own business to be a success but feel like you just can’t seem to make it work.

You may even find yourself in a position where you need more clients, more money and more time. You’re totally frustrated with yourself over your lack of progress, so you start doubting yourself. And before you know it, you’re wondering if you’re even cut out to run your own business in the first place.

Feeling stuck with your messaging? You’re not alone!

Ask any business owner to be honest with you, and they’ll agree you’re not alone. We all feel stuck at one stage or another, especially if we’re doing something that takes us out of our comfort zone.

But if you’re feeling so stuck that you’re doubting whether you’re cut out to be a business owner, you need to look at the four key reasons I’m sharing in this blog. Because it took me far too long in my own business journey to realise that if you’re feeling stuck, it’s usually down to one or more of these four key reasons. And if you want to shift and get going again, you need to address the core issues behind them so that you can start confidently moving forward again.

Reason #1: You’ve lost sight of your vision

Your business vision drives you forward, and it’s the vision that will motivate you when things get tough. It’s often tied to the reason why you’re working for yourself in the first place.

But if you’ve lost sight of your vision or never had one, you have nowhere to go – and nothing to head towards. And there’s nothing to motivate you to keep going. It’s the same if you’ve outgrown your vision – if you don’t make a new one, you’ll feel no desire to grow or expand further.

So get clear on what it is you want. Journal on it, visualise how it will look – see it, feel it and connect with it. Do that for 5 minutes each day, and you’ll soon be motivated by it. You could also create a vision board of words and images that inspire you and reflect your vision. You can then use that to also help you visualise what you want.

Reason #2: You’re not showing up

If you want to grow your business, you need to get visible. And if you’re hiding and not being visible, you’re not showing up!

There can be so many reasons why you’re not showing up, from limiting beliefs and fears over success or failure to a lack of confidence or self-doubt. The key is to understand why this is happening for you – and that may need you to work through things with a coach or therapist.

In the meantime, the best thing you can do is work on your mindset and self every single day. Start with what you think is currently stopping you from being visible. Journal on your responses to ‘Why am I not showing up’ and ‘If I was more visible in business, then…’.

And when it comes to getting visible, start small. Scrap the ‘go big or go home’ mentality and aim for one thing – whether that’s one post, interacting with one person, getting one subscriber or being brave for one day.

Reason #3: You think you’re broken and need fixing in some way

You don’t need to be perfect, have all the answers, and know everything to run a successful business. Because it isn’t about you – it’s about the solutions you can give your clients.

So you don’t NEED to do another cause or clear your childhood trauma or limiting beliefs before moving your business forward. And you certainly don’t need to be ‘fixed’ – you just need to get started!

Because you can work on yourself, your issues and your blocks WHILST you’re working on your business.

So help yourself get out of your own way by deciding who you need to become. I found this so helpful in getting started – what actions, thoughts, beliefs, and behaviours do you need to adopt to become your future you now? Another great exercise is to write down your past wins and successes so you have something to remind you of how great you are when you start doubting yourself.

Reason #4: You haven’t anchored into your stories and messaging

You see, it’s the stories you can share that drive your messaging. They give you focus for your messaging and posts, and they help you connect emotionally with your clients.

When you know the different stories you can share, you no longer have to hide or worry about what to talk about. You’ll always have content for your messaging, and your messaging will resonate with your ideal clients. And you’ll be able to embrace being the expert that you are.

Stories are everything.

So start by getting clear on why you’re in business and who you want to help. You can then look at the journey you took to get here and whether there are other stories in your life that are relevant to your current audience. Think about your experiences, qualifications, interests and values – as these can all help you find some valuable stories to share.

And when it comes to stories and messaging, I can help.

If you’re looking for a little help to get started with storytelling, get yourself a copy of my freebie – it will show you the 5 different stories you need to be sharing in your business, why they matter and how to use them. You can also access it by clicking on the big button below!