What Happens When You Decide to Stop Waiting?

Core Article: What Happens When You Decide to Stop Waiting?

Paragraph I’m Pondering: “Your bravery builds beyond you…”

Powerful Affirmations to Inspire: “I’m safe, supported and…”

Cool Stuff: The world’s longest commercial flight takes off today…

AI Info & Resources: How AI has changed the way we search for things

What Happens When You Decide to Stop Waiting?

Have you ever stopped to think about how much time you spend waiting?

Earlier this week, I was reading Melody Beattie’s Daily Meditation on “Putting Our Life on Hold.” Her words about waiting for others to fulfil us, change, or make our lives better landed hard.

Then I went down a little rabbit hole with the actual numbers that were kind of crazy.

Did you know that we spend 37+ hours a year waiting in line, stuck in traffic, and on hold? Over a lifetime, some estimates say we spend around five years just standing in lines. Collectively, it adds up to roughly 37 billion hours a year.

And that’s just logistical waiting.

I’m not even talking about the psychological and emotional kind, the waiting that happens in our minds, as I mentioned earlier. Waiting for someone to change, for closure, or to feel ready to market your business in a bigger way.

There were so many times in my life when I quietly put my work and my life on hold.

In my writing class, the prompt this week was “I remember the time…” and a good number of my stories were about how I put my life on hold because of someone or something else.

I did this with my very first course, which I launched in 2009 called “Create Amazing Surveys.” It was from all the work I’d done in corporate market research, geared towards entrepreneurs. I spent months “getting ready” to launch. I kept editing the modules, recording the videos, rewriting the sales page, and rearranging the lessons. It looked like hard work.

Yet, in reality, I was waiting to feel less afraid. When I finally launched, it worked. People joined and got results. Then I got overwhelmed with client work. So I quietly let the course die, telling myself I would bring it back when life felt calmer. That invisible “later” is one of the sneakiest ways we put our work on hold.

This same pattern sneaks into your business.

Maybe you tell yourself:

I will post three to five days a week on social media, and “something else” gets in the way.
I need to wait to promote my new course, program, or product cuz it doesn’t feel ready yet.
It’s not the right time to raise my prices with all that’s happening in the world, maybe next year.

Meanwhile, maybe weeks, months, or even years go by where you’ve put your work quietly on hold, waiting for… [Insert reason here…]

When I see this pattern in myself, it looks responsible and thoughtful. Yet underneath, I notice, I’m still waiting. Maybe for me to feel more confident, less afraid, or for something “out there” to give me permission.

So what’s the next step to get out of this psychological and emotional waiting trap?

Here is the question I am sitting with today, and I am handing it to you too:

What is one thing you could do today in your business that takes care of you, regardless of what anyone else does or does not do?

Not something big. Just one simple thing.

Call or email that potential client back.
Write or respond to that one email.
Create one relatable story for social media.
Take one step to get your offer, course, or product forward momentum.

Do something that says, “I am not putting my life, or work, on hold any longer.”

Today, I am practicing taking my life off hold in small ways:
– Getting back on social media with a couple of posts a week.

-Writing at least two stories a week, which I love doing, and making more time to do it.

If this hits home, reply and tell me one place you are ready to stop waiting.

I would love to witness that with you.

Hands at your back always. 🙂

Paragraph I’m Pondering

“Your bravery builds beyond you. You are needed by all the little girls still living in secret, writing oceans made of monsters, and throwing like lightning. You don’t need to grow up to find greatness. You are so much stronger than the world has ever believed you could be. The world is waiting for you to set it on fire. Trust in yourself and burn.”
~ Clementine von Radics, Mouthful of Forevers

Powerful Affirmations to Inspire

“My business is in alignment with universal flow; it unfolds perfectly.”
“My energy is sacred—I protect and replenish it daily.”
“I am safe, supported, and guided in every moment.”

Cool Stuff

The science behind our brains and why our body wants to move when we hear music…
The world’s longest commercial airline flight is taking off today. The flight will last 29 hours. Hmmm… not sure I’d be up for that…
I definitely think I need this for the holidays – “Pile of puppies.” It’s actually a treatment to cheer up seriously ill kids. I just love that, being surrounded by a bundle of puppies giving you love, kisses, and piling on top of you…

AI Info and Resources

How AI has really changed the way we search for things. I’ve talked to many people who are using AI to find experts in many fields. How does your business hold up when someone searches for a like-minded business like yours? Want some insights? Hit reply, I’m happy to share how to improve your business on AI platforms. 🙂
I find it interesting and inspiring how the medical field has used AI for so many interesting innovations, like this one…
One of Google’s biggest AI advantages is what it already knows – … about you. 🙂

Weekly Photos

This past week, we had the infamous “Tule fog” come visit us in the northern/central valley of CA. I shared a pic last week, and it stayed for 4 – 5 days. It was a bit like London Fog, very cold, wet, and eerie as it moved across the water and over the hills…

This black cat always seems to find me on the trail. I was quick and got this shot. I like her white whiskers. And her black coat clashes with my sneakers. She’s very friendly and must live nearby.
I loved finding this feather on my hike. There’s a website where you can look them up. And I found this feather is from the Northern Flicker, a woodpecker.
You know me and heart-shaped rocks, they just jump out at me everywhere… 🙂
In this pic, you can really see how thick the fog is. That’s looking down the trail.
This was kind of cool, catching this boater coming towards the bridge in the fog.
I miss this dog so much this time of year. We’d have so much fun playing in the water, cold, and swimming. You’re always with me, Emma.
I love this old tree hanging over the Sacramento River, and the fog, well, makes for an interesting.

NEW: P.S. New Invitation – I’m going to launch my next Soulful Marketing Accelerator Co-hort in late January. 🙂 If you’re longing for like-minded community and ready to move through your fears to grow a purpose–driven business rooted in authenticity and aligned with your dream clients… Welllll. Go here to be first in line when I reopen the doors again. Would love to have you.

P.S.S. Whenever You’re Ready: Here are 3 Ways I can make an impact on creating greater success in your business using marketing that’s aligned with your mission and values without feeling like you’re selling your soul.

1. Make Money Now Sheet – It’s one of the bonuses in my 7-Step Soulful Marketing System. I wanted to give it to you for free to help you create more success.

2. Love Books Like I Do? – I’m always reviewing the best nonfiction books – Where Buddha Meets Business.

3. Get my proven 7-Step Soulful Marketing System. It gives you the framework you need to implement authentic and connected marketing using online customer experiences and launching your products, services, or courses. It will help you create greater success.

It’s a simple system, especially if you love to read like me. There’s no video or audio. Plus, you get my proven templates, tools, and worksheets, all with tremendous value. And I’m pricing it incredibly low so it can be more accessible to more people. 🙂

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I appreciate your sharing. Thank you!

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