I’m on a train right now, as I write this, going into Edinburgh for our in-person PF team get together. It’s always good fun to get together with the team (who are usually remote and communicating via Slack and video), and the sun is shining, and the skies are blue. A nice change from Storm Gareth yesterday!
A few seats ahead of me are three people who since the moment they boarded the train, have been loudly complaining, arguing, blaming, swearing, accusing, and generally being miserable themselves as well as polluting the environment the rest of us are in.
It’s easy to get annoyed at those who are complaining loudly. Or blaming others for everything that’s not their fault. Or simply being negative.
It’s one of the things I hate most in the world….and I hate it because it’s something i have to fight in my own head.
I have a lot of people tell me I’m such a positive person. I’m always so grateful to hear it, because i want to be: and also because i know how hard I have to work at it in order for this to be true. Constantly, daily, minutely.
From time to time I’ll have a few days where things aren’t going terribly wrong, but the challenges feel greater than the wins for a little while. Miscommunications. A slight thing that wasn’t done as well as it could be. Me double booking and having to rearrange a call. Dropping a glass and watching it shatter on the wood floor. Confusion and long discussions with a friend to sort it out. Pouring rain, howling wind, beating hail. That sort of thing. Nothing disastrous, simply the stuff of life….but the temptation is to complain – at least inwardly.
What struck me about the continual (loud) voices on the train today was….this is what the complaining voices in my head sound like. Even if they never see the light of day, they still pollute my mind and my actions as a result.
And of course (always turning these things to marketing!) it got me thinking about how my clients can have a similar thing happen in their minds when it comes to marketing.
“I can’t do this.”
“It’s too hard.”
“I’m not creative/a designer/artistic.”
“I don’t have time.”
“They’re doing it better than me / why bother?”
“It will take too long to get results.”
It’s so very tempting to think these things, even if you don’t necessarily say them aloud. But the pollution of those messages can prevent you doing good marketing. Can make your marketing head miserable. And can result in frustration for you and the team around you in your firm.
The truth is…
You can do this.
It’s hard, but enjoyable.
You are creative. (Every human is.)
You absolutely have the time.
They’re not you.
Results will come.
Tell yourself those things, because I can assure you – with all the weight of my working with accountants and seeing what works and what doesn’t – that they’re 100% true.
The others are just noise pollution for your marketing.
Oh – and if you’re struggling with confidence, uncertainty, confusion, or scepticism in any area of marketing, drop me a line. I’m happy to listen and direct you to something that will help you get some quick wins, or encouragements.
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