Stepping Away From Expectation

BLOG EMAIL RECIPIENTS, PLEASE READ! IMPORTANT NOTE BELOW… Truth be told, we often hold expectation over our own heads with more burden and weight than others do. The expectation to succeed, to follow through, to win, be someone, be great, be the best, be the GOAT 🙄, or just to fulfill a dream or a promise.

But why? Sure there’s value in making good on a commitment and being an expert in your field, but picking and choosing what hills you’re willing to die on is a lesson in maturity and I guess I’ve arrived because I’m releasing the pressure valve and stepping away from expectation.

Have you ever made an open-ended promise, fully intending to see the thing through to the end and after giving it everything for as long as you could decide to break up with expectation you set? Well, that’s where I’m at.

Everyone tells you how much work it’s going to be. Running a business. Training for a marathon. Growing a social media presence. Keeping a marriage strong and vibrant. Hiring, leading and managing a team. Having a baby.

Wherever you’re at, whatever you’re doing, it’s work, I know.

What they can’t tell you is how you are going to change in the process or exactly how much work it really will be for you personally.

When I started Propel in 2009 I was on fire with a passion for what I do. And I still love helping business owners strategize, execute, and grow which is exactly why Plan Promote Prosper is still a great tagline for our business.

Over the years I have harnessed the power of my network and applied various marketing approaches to grow our clientele. And today, we run a small but mighty agency that serves amazing clients, all of whom I consider family. Because when I partner with an entrepreneur, I’m in it for the long haul and we forge meaningful and trusting relationships by delivering what we promise.

In 2021, when I brought our social media content under our own roof and began posting our intellectual property on our own site for our own benefit, I made a promise to publish my thoughts on business inspiration, education, and entrepreneur motivation weekly.

Back then, posting blogs weekly really relieved the high expectation and pressure I felt to post daily on our Instagram with meaning, heart, and a dynamo image. And even though I knew my email list might not grow as fast as my Instagram followers might, I made that decision anyway.

But when our world changed and a baby was on the way I knew it would need to change again, so I committed to posting every other week as much as possible. I still love writing and sharing my thoughts very much. I seem to have them more often than not. But now, the time it takes to sit and compile these bits of soul are taking more than I can justify, especially knowing the time I need to reserve for the projects I’m starting to take again. (Yes, I’m back in the saddle!)

That’s why I’m stepping away from expectation (my own, the ones I set, the ones only I feel everyone has of me) and releasing the pressure valve.

I’m the first to tell you that consistency is key and for so many reasons. But moving forward, that consistency is taking a back seat to all the other priorities. Yes, I’ll still be writing on a semi-regular basis. You can’t take the business, the thoughts, the inspiration, the insight or the need to connect and write out of me 👉🏻. But I am being called to put down the compulsion of the keyboard and focus on the little family we are now embracing.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Because I won’t be posting as consistently or often, I’ll also be changing up the delivery method and not sending by email. So, please bookmark the /PropelSocial/ page and check-in regularly to see posts and updates of this new entrepreneur-mama life I’m living. Yes, of course, I’ll still be sharing all the good old business thoughts, but don’t be surprised if moving forward they are peppered with the juggle of business ownership and motherhood.

DON’T WORRY! Propel is still serving our clients, working on websites and brands and content small businesses need. There’s no changing this passion I’ve had for so, so long.

But remember…

Life is a dance, and as we waltz with it we can find our joy, rhythm and grace even when the tide changes and days are tricky. May you waltz through changes you need to make, too!