Episode 4: Small Beginnings and Slow Growth

It's In The Small Beginnings 

We often feel like we are stuck when we are at the beginning stage of something. We are putting in the time and energy, but we don't feel like we are seeing the growth we want to see. However, it's in the small beginnings that big things can grow, it just takes time for our "seeds of effort" to take root. 

It's so easy to get caught up in looking all around us thinking that many people grew overnight, or that there are overnight successes. Even these situations that we think "had it easy" have had growing pains and perseverance. You weren't a part of that beginning and you didn't see the waiting and the effort that happened beforehand. 

This podcast for me is a "small beginning" and I know it is going to take time to grow. Even though I know this in my head, my feelings can get in the way. I can start to spiral and think "what's the point?" when I can't see the growth I want to see now. We ALL feel this from time to time and It can be hard to not get discouraged when the growth isn’t happening that we want to see. 

It can feel pointless to keep moving forward when you aren’t seeing people sign up for your class, when you didn't make the money at the craft show, and when no one signs up for the amazing freebie you spent hours creating. 

5 Things You Can Do When You Are Discouraged In "The Small Beginnings Stage"

1. Take a walk through memory lane.

Look back at what you have accomplished and how far you have come. The simple act of doing this is encouraging. If you are brand new to something, bask in the fact that you took the steps to start learning the thing. This podcast…may not be much right now but I can already look back and remember that it used to just be a conversation, then it was a research project, and now it is a thing. Look at your older work as an artist and see how much your work has developed and changed over time. This is a grounding experiment because the lie that you can believe is that…you haven’t grown. Yet you truly have! 

Check out the Instagram reel I made from taking a "walk down memory lane". If you are inspired, make your own and tag @thetillagepodcast so I can see it! I would love to see your growth story!

2. Normalize the experience.

Every person who has set out to do something for the first time has a learning curve and more often than not it wasn't an instant success. Even the “instant success” stories you think exist still came with a lot of hardship and perseverance. It is normal to feel discouragement and you don't need to be embarrassed or ashamed about it. Sharing how you are feeling can also open the door for others to be vulnerable, and allow you to see you are not alone in your feelings. 

3. Repeat, repeat, repeat.

Keep doing the task that will enable growth in whatever it is you are setting out to do over and over and over again. Just like keeping a real plant alive, with repetitive watering and weeding, growth will happen when we continue to show up and do the work. I know it can be easy to give up at the starting line. We try something once and say that didn’t work. We launch the class and no one signs up, and we think our calling isn’t education. We make art to sell and no one buys it…so we must not be talented or no one likes our work. Those we look up to and inspire us did one thing, they kept repeating and they kept showing up. I encourage you to keep going, repeating, and to not give up. 

4. Celebrate even the smallest wins.

Write down a list of all of the wins you can think of for the week, the month, and even the quarter. Seeing these will give you a boost of energy and affirmation. If you feel like there aren't any wins to celebrate, celebrate your action instead of the result! Even if you haven't landed a licensing opportunity or a new account to carry your product, if you still pitched...that's a win! 

5. Squash the comparison.

Easier said than done, I know. But the comparison is the thief of joy AND is practically poison for growth. Some helpful boundaries with your phone, Instagram, or Pinterest could be helpful in this area if you find yourself continually sucked into comparison. I have even "muted" certain artists I know I have a difficult time not comparing myself to at times. Comparison is like allowing yourself to kick yourself down at the stating line. Give yourself a chance! 

A Haiku Conclusion

To conclude, here is a haiku that I wrote when making a calendar all about growth in 2020. September's haiku went perfectly with this episode (and I promise I didn't plan it!). 

A haiku for you:

Seeds are not unearthed
For growth to be monitored
Trust in the waiting

I encourage you to not uproot your seed and trust in the waiting. I know it is hard, but good things will come and growth will happen!

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• From small beginnings, big things can happen

• Your work is valuable in the early stages even when it is not being affirmed 

• Slow growth is nothing to be ashamed of 

• 5 ways you can keep going when small beginnings are discouraging:
  -Take a walk down memory 
  -Normalize the experience
  -Repeat, repeat, repeat
  -Celebrate even the smallest wins, and celebrate your actions if you aren’t seeing results
  -Squash the comparison