Instagram highlight reels.  People’s overnight success stories.  Messages of ease and flow and not trading “time for dollars.”

No wonder it can be tempting to want to bypass doing the work and expect epic results when it feels like the core message of leading a business in the online space is to do as little work as possible. 

But don’t let that fool you.  The truth is: it takes work to build a business, and it takes time for that work to pay off.   

The good news is —- when you can choose to do the meaningful and brave work over busy work, you can watch your skills and experience improve, and your results compound over time.  

Now, I completely understand WHY it can feel tempting to want to search for an “easy button” and want results…like yesterday.  Building a business can feel uncomfortable: there’s new skills to learn, the landscape is always changing, and it can bring up your personal “stuff” to work through.  

That’s why in this blog post, I’m sharing with you the 3 types of money-money actions.  When you’re consistent in doing these, you’ll begin to see more consistent results. Learning how to work on the right thing at the right time (in a way that feels right for you) can truly be a gift to your life and business.  

But first, Here’s How to Discern Between Discomfort and Being Uncomfortable 

There can be some tricky feelings that come up when you’re marketing and selling — This feels hard.  Am I doing something wrong?  

The best way you can navigate this is by discerning the difference between feeling discomfort and being uncomfortable, and understanding what action to take accordingly.  

The feeling of discomfort comes from doing something new or outside of your comfort zone, but is aligned with your goals and your core values.  Like butterflies in your stomach, or a scary but exciting feeling of doing something to help you to grow.  For example, the first time doing a live video can feel this way — you know you’d like to connect with your audience in this way but there’s a discomfort in it being new and present.  Take the action, do something to calm your nervous system afterwards, and keep doing it – it will feel easier over time!  

The feeling of being uncomfortable though – is when something is not aligned with your goals or even violates your values.  Like the sinking feeling that you need to trust your gut and listen to your intuition.  For example, maybe you feel like there are certain topics or types of content that will overstep your personal boundaries — like breaking client confidentiality, and so you don’t take the action, and figure out a different way that WILL honor your integrity.  

Learning how to manage your discomfort and how to recognize when something feels off will help you to understand what’s important for personal and business growth.  

Now that you understand the distinction between feeling discomfort and being uncomfortable – let’s use that framework to discuss the 3 types of money-making actions so you can find a strategy that fits you and honors your values.  

The 3 Types of Money-Making Activities: 

1. CEO/Leadership Actions:

These actions are the ones that help you to “work ON your business instead of working IN it.”  They are usually the actions that aren’t necessarily urgent, but have long-term importance.    This includes commitments like: visioning/planning, working on your messaging or a new offer, checking in with your finances, team calls, or working with your own coach.  I also consider self-care actions under this category because your own health and well-being is key to the sustainability of your business.   

2. Visibility/Sales Actions:

Visibility and marketing actions increase your traffic, reach, and potential leads.  Sales actions increase conversions and clients.  I remember wondering if I could get clients without selling – mainly because I didn’t have to sell in my 9-5 as a teacher, and the skill was new to me.  Instead of trying to bypass visibility and sales actions, ask yourself: What’s my favorite way to create content, and connect with people?  What’s a sales strategy that feels good, and I can get really good at? 

3. Client Work

Delighting your clients and doing excellent work together is a great money-making activity since it can lead to word-of-mouth referrals, return clients, and improve your own craft.  By deciding on what your true capacity is for this season of life and business, you can determine what boundaries you need and how to leverage your time and energy. 

What is your client capacity for this season // # of work hours?  What client projects would you like to commit to?  

When you identify these 3 types of actions in your business, you can create a weekly or regular schedule to make time for the activities that pay off in your business.  This way, you can be intentional with focusing on the right things at the right times instead of feeling like you have to do it all, or chase shiny objects.  These actions may not feel easy at first, but with time, grace, and skill development (and permission to lead with your strengths), business can be filled with ease.  

I’d love to support you to build a simple, profitable, and sustainable business. If you’d like support and accountability on these types of actions, then book a free clarity call to see if we would be a good fit to work together.

With Joy,

If you’d like to create your own ideal work week that blends both business growth actions with time for personal freedom, then download the “Create Your Own CEO Schedule” resource — and use this to identify your money-money actions whether you’re working 15 hours/week or 40/week.