When Limits Are Freeing, Rather Than Limiting!
If you spend time in Facebook groups as you go about your digital marketing day, you probably see various variations on this idea:
Never set limits, go after your dreams, don’t be afraid to push the boundaries. And laugh a lot – it’s good for you!
~ Paula Radcliffe
or …
In our society, the women who break down barriers are those who ignore limits.
~ Arnold Schwarzenegger
But I have a different view of limits. I see them as a powerful part of making the most of what you do, especially what you do well! I side strongly with these two quotes from an individual most would deem an expert in his field.
Once we accept our limits, we go beyond them.
~ Albert Einstein
The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.
~ Albert Einstein
Limits Are Legitimate!
Have you seen any of the Holiday Inn Express ads? They’ve been running for years now, so I’m guessing you’ve seen one at some point. This is one of my favorites …
Why am I sharing this? Because, as ridiculous as the concept is, if you stop and think about it, you know you’ve come across brands and individuals offering products or services and wondered if they really had the expertise and experience to back their claims.
Would you accept any schmuck off the street as your helicopter pilot? Your surgeon? Your mechanic? Hell no!
So, why do we allow social marketing schmucks and big-talking braggarts into our small business circles? Why do we consort with gurus, ninjas, evangelists and mavens?
ENOUGH!
Limits Don’t Losers Make!
We all must set limits in order to manage, maintain and grow our businesses. We must also set limits which allow us to step away from our business in order to maintain other aspects of our life, including relationships with family members and creating time for hobbies and activities outside of our business scope.
If we don’t set limits when we’re managing a project, we’re likely to fall prey to scope creep.
If we aren’t deliberate and honest about what we can actually accomplish, we may find ourselves accomplishing little, or worse – nothing.
If we don’t set limits on the length and breadth of our to-do lists, we can become a slave to the list and lose out on anything we haven’t written down.
Limits let us get back to doing what we do well. That’s a good thing, right?
Limits Can Actually Lift Your Business!
When we set smart limits we allow ourselves the room to seek out and seize opportunity.
When I hired a virtual assistant to help with some of the daily tasks that were taking up too much of my time, I then had the time to explore new service offerings and a side project that I quietly “whisper-launched” last week.
Can you do your own taxes? More than likely you could muddle through them on your own. But is it worth it? Is it worth the worry, the time invested and the time taken away from something that actually showcases your expertise? Probably not.
[clickToTweet tweet=”There’s something fabulously freeing about honestly admitting we cannot do something! ” quote=”There’s something fabulously freeing about honestly admitting we cannot do something! “]
Limit Smarter!
We are constantly seeing/hearing that we need to work smarter, not harder.
Legitimate limits are a smart part of working smarter. Limits, boundaries, realism … they’ve all been given a bad name by those I call the positivity pushers.
You can absolutely set smart and valuable limits while still remaining positive about your business and the solopreneur lifestyle. And those limits will let loose the time and opportunity to expand your expertise and increase your reach amidst the types of clients and peers with whom you REALLY want to do business!
