What if business could be more than just a relentless pursuit? What if it could be a joyful unfolding? In this blog, I want to debunk the myths of traditional business that prevent us from enjoying the work that we do.
When you decided to work for yourself, you were fueled by ambition, courage, and a belief that your passion could translate into a meaningful service for others. You embraced the freedom of working for yourself, never shying away from the multifaceted challenges of running your own business.
But now you find yourself overwhelmed, trapped in a cycle of complexity and hard work. Why (despite all the technological advancements and your undeniable dedication) does everything seem so hard?
Why is there never enough time to pause, reflect, and implement the systems that could simplify everything?
And why does the dream of an easier life always seem just out of reach?
It took an enforced pause for me to stop and take stock, and recognise the myths and traps embedded in conventional business practices. And it’s something I’m passionate about exploring further.
Here are some of those myths I have uncovered…
Debunking the Top Ten Myths of Traditional Business
The Relentless Pursuit Myth:
Believing that success comes from non-stop hustling and grinding, leaving no room for reflection, creativity, or alignment with your true values. I promise you that working that way will keep you stuck. It. Never. Ends.
The Complexity Myth:
The idea that business must be complex. Like there is some magic formula we have to find and adhere to to run a proper business. This myth keeps us working too hard, and consumes space and bandwidth for the things that matter.
The 9-to-5 Trap:
Viewing the rigid 9-to-5 workday as the only legitimate working pattern. It comes from an outdated era when work hours were about getting the most labour for the amount of pay. Why are we still doing this?! It completely ignores natural rhythms and energy flow, stifles creativity and undermines the quality of your life.
The Technology Overwhelm Trap:
The sheer number of technological solutions promising to transform your business often leads to choice paralysis and and a never-ending cycle of adopting and discarding tools. The bad news is that there isn’t a perfect solution. The good news is that there are many different ways of applying technology to make your life easier. So you can find one, stick with it and make it work.
I moved my entire business management system over to Notion*. I don’t get bogged down in trying to use multiple pieces of software. It’s not perfect but it works. And it allows me to get on with the other parts of my business. Let go of sparkly new tech syndrome!
The External Fulfilment Fallacy:
Whether it’s reaching six figures, hitting sales targets or jumping on a product-creation bandwagon, nothing outside of yourself will bring you lasting fulfilment. Your satisfaction goals will move as you achieve them (if not before). Meanwhile chasing external milestones prevent you from enjoying the organic nature of your business.
The Autonomy Illusion:
Discovering that running your own business doesn’t bring freedom. In fact, it can be worse because you know the only person trapping yourself is you. If you don’t identify the business model that best suits your style, the autonomy you seek will be replaced with long hours, juggling demands and feelings of isolation or overwhelm.
The Scaling Fear:
You strive for business growth but fear what that could mean for your business. Knowing you can’t do it all, do you automate or delegate? Either way, scaling could inevitably lead to losing authenticity, connection, or becoming mechanised. So you try to retain the personal touch, do too much and end up dropping the ball or burning out.
The One-Size-Fits-All Fallacy:
It only takes one successful entrepreneur sharing their latest productivity hack for us to leap in two-footed, naively believing that its the right path for us. Start your day at 5am? Schedule every inch of your timetable? Zero inbox? When we assume that what works for one should work for all, we neglect the uniqueness of our business and the essence of who we are.
The More Is Always Better Myth:
The belief that endless expansion and growth are essential for success. Are you looking to turn over a million (or two or three)? Do you have a sense of what that means for your business…and for you? The trouble with pursuing growth relentlessly is we can’t know what reaching that level will take. It could be more than we are prepared to sacrifice. What if we could find the value and peace of “enough-ness”?
The Hard Work Equals Success Myth:
Let’s be honest, the link between hard work and success begins in our formative years. Try hard. Study hard. Work hard. It permeates society and we have will have bought into the myth unconsciously. After all, perpetuating this myth keeps us more compliant. If we are busy working we don’t have time to challenge the status quo. Even if hard work does lead to success, believing it automatically translates to personal happiness completely disregards the complexities of a rich and rounded life. I believe that the best indicators of business success are your feelings of contentment and ease.
Final thoughts…The path to joyful business
These myths and misconceptions are not only traps but also barriers to realising the true joy in running your own business. Once we see them, we can pave the way for a more aligned, fulfilling, and authentic approach to work.
It’s one of the reasons why I want to be an agent for change – challenging the norms and guiding you towards finding a new way of approaching business. One that just makes the world of business more straightforward and a lot more fun!
I’d love you to join me in rewriting the business playbook.
Plans are afoot for what this might become.
For now, if the concept of “Business Unfolding” appeals,
I want to invite you to join me for updates and inspiration.
Let’s do things differently
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*note: If you use this link, I may receive a small introductory fee. It helps me to keep running my small business. If you are uncomfortable with this, you can access a non-affiliated link to Notion here.