e186 Planning on Purpose - Part 2, How does your business need you to show up next year
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Welcome, welcome to rewild Your Business. I'm your host, Gill Moakes. Thank you so much for joining me again this week. This is part two of a little two part series, so if you haven't heard last week's episode yet, planning on purpose part one, I want you to zip back. Listen to that one first, then come back to me for this one, which is part two, which is all about, now that we've got that vision and we've set some goals for what you actually wanna achieve in 2026, who do you need to be?
What are the identity shifts that you need to make to be the person that can bring that vision to life? So that is our topic for this week, our second part of the series. If you joined me for the workshop that I did in partnership with the Institute of Coaching Studies on the 20th, [00:01:00] so what was that last, I wanna say Thursday, then welcome and I hope you really enjoyed that session.
If you didn't, don't worry. This is still going to be very, very valid, very relevant for you. Okay, let's dive into the episode. Welcome to rewild Your Business, the podcast for women doing the work, their soul intended. I'm Gill Moakes. I'm an international business coach and I'm a guide for women doing the work that matters.
Rewilding your business means cutting away what doesn't belong to allow, what does to thrive. Finding simplicity in your work, and it's about bringing the whole of who you are to the table. Whether you are building something new or finding your way back to what really matters to you. I'm so glad you're here.
Last week we talked about all the actual kind of mechanics of planning, talked about the [00:02:00] reflection process, the vision setting, how we break down that vision into the quarterly projects and the actionable steps. So like I say, if you haven't already listened to that one, go back and listen first. 'cause that is your foundation.
And this episode is really building on top of that. All right, but our topic for today, honestly, is something that I actually think is even more important than the planning itself, and that is really that question of who do you need to be to bring that vision to life? Because one thing I know after years of coaching incredibly ambitious women, is that you can have the most beautiful detail plan in the world.
You can have all of those quarterly projects mapped out. Your milestones are set, your systems are ready to go. But if you are not willing to show up as the version of you that your business actually needs you to be, then that [00:03:00] plan is really just words on paper. It's not gonna make any difference to your business.
It's one of those tick box exercises that you've done and then you carry on doing what you've been doing sometimes expecting a different outcome, which we all know is the definition of madness. So today we're really gonna talk about the mindset piece. This is really the identity piece, actually, the who am I becoming?
Bit. That really does make all of the difference between having that plan that just is the tick box. It just gathers dust and having a plan that actually means something, that's actually gonna mean that your business is going to develop next year in exactly the way you want it to develop. Is in your control.
So often we feel a little bit like we are a feather on the wind, getting buffeted in our business, kind of more by good luck than good management [00:04:00] trundles along. I want 2026 to be the year for you. That that is really different, that that changes and that you really do take the wheel and consciously steer your business in the direction you want it to go in.
Right. So first of all, I want you to think about the vision that you set for yourself when you did the planning work from last week's episode. Get the vision into your mind now of what you want 2026 to look like for you, and I want you to really sit with it for a moment. So if you're not driving, obviously close your eyes.
If you are driving, do not close your eyes. Bad advice. If you can just sit for a moment, close your eyes. If you wanna hit pause, hit pause, and just think about what does your business look like at the end of next year. What are you doing? How are you spending your days? Who are you working with? [00:05:00] What does your bank account look like?
What's the number? What's the number in your current account? How are you feeling about business, about your energy, about the way you're spending your time? So if you need to hit pause and just sit with that for a moment, do. But once you've got that in your mind, I've got a slightly uncomfortable question to ask you.
Is the version of you that exists right now, right now, listening to this podcast, is that the version of you that's capable of bringing that vision to life, of building that business? That you have in your head. And I'm not asking you if you are capable of wanting it, 'cause I know you want it. I'm asking if the way you are currently showing up the habits you have at the moment, the decisions that you make at the moment, the boundaries you're currently setting or not setting, is that version of you going to build the business that you just envisioned?
And honestly, for [00:06:00] most of us, the answer is no. And that's okay, because actually that's the whole point, right? There is a gap between who we are right now and who we need to become to create what we want to create. That gap is where most coaches get stuck because we are focusing all of our energy on the strategy, the what and the how.
We're learning the what and the how of what to actually do. We're doing the planning work, for example, but we don't then do the internal work of becoming the person who can actually execute on that strategy. And I honestly do see this all the time with the coaches I work with. They'll come to me and they'll tell me their goals, and they've got big goals, wonderful goals.
They wanna be fully booked. They want to charge premium prices for their coaching. They want to build a sustainable coaching practice that doesn't require them to be on social media 24 7. You know, really great [00:07:00] goals that they have for their business. They wanna build a business that matters. But then when we start looking at how they're actually showing up, they're still operating from a place of scarcity.
They're still people pleasing. They're still saying yes to things that really drain them because they're afraid to say no. They're still underpricing because they're really terrified of being rejected or of being accused or judged for being greedy, maybe. They're often still hiding behind busy work instead of doing the really scary thing that would actually move the needle.
Hopefully, you know by now that when I say things like this, this isn't me judging. 'cause I get it. I absolutely get that. I have been that person. Honestly, some days I am still that person. So this isn't about being perfect. This is about being honest with yourself and about that gap between who you are [00:08:00] now and who you need to become to bring that vision to life.
So I wanna talk a bit about identity, because that's really what we're talking about when we say, well, who do you need to be? Right? We're talking about your identity. And your identity is simply the story that you tell yourself about who you are. And I think this is quite fascinating, really, about humans because we will always act in alignment with our identity, always, even when it works against us.
For example, if you identify as someone who's say not good with money, then you are gonna make decisions that prove that identity true. If you identify as someone who is, you know, I'm not a natural marketer, can't do it, I'm just not that person, then you are gonna avoid marketing or you're gonna do it halfheartedly and then you are going to use your results as the evidence that you [00:09:00] write all along.
I'm just not a natural marketer. 'cause our brains love being right. Our brains love consistency, even when that consistency is keeping us stuck. So if you want to build a different business next year to the one you have right now in this moment, then you need to consciously choose a different identity.
You need to decide who you are becoming and then start making decisions from that place. So, let me give you an example of this. Let's say your vision for 2026 includes being fully booked with private clients at premium prices. Wonderful vision. How good would that feel? Right? But right now, maybe you are charging less than you want to.
You've got some clients who honestly, you kind of wish you'd never taken on, and you keep saying yes to things that just don't align with where you wanna go. The version of you [00:10:00] who achieves the vision of being fully booked with private clients at premium prices, the version of you who achieves that, she has clear boundaries.
She says, no easily and without guilt to the things that aren't right for her. She knows the things that aren't right for her. She knows her worth, and she communicates it really clearly and confidently. She doesn't need external validation to feel confident around her pricing. She trusts herself. Now, that is a really different identity to the one that's creating your current reality and the gap between those two identities.
That's the work. That's the work we need to be doing, and I wanna be really clear about something actually. This isn't about pretending to be someone you are not. Right? This isn't about putting on a mask or performing confidence that you don't feel 'cause [00:11:00] that's exhausting, honestly, and that's just bloody unsustainable.
This is actually about growth. This is real growth. It's about looking at who you are right now with compassion. And consciously choosing to develop the qualities and the habits and the ways of thinking that are gonna serve your vision. So this isn't about being one way and clicking your fingers, and then suddenly you open your eyes and you are a different person, right?
It's not about that. It's about doing the work, the inner work on yourself. It's about bringing the whole of who you are to your business. How often do you hear me say that? But it's bringing the most empowered, aligned, and confident version of who you are, and that will take some work. So you know that I like to give you the practical step-by-step things that I think are gonna make the difference for you.
Humming and ing over this, and I [00:12:00] think there are five kind of identity shifts that probably apply to most of us when we are building a business. I think there are five shifts we need to make to become the person that can hold that bigger vision. The first one. Is shifting from being someone who is reactive to someone who is intentional.
So if you are someone who is constantly just responding to whatever's loudest in order to make decisions, in order to prioritize, then that. Reactive version of you is kind of calling the shots. You know that version of you that's checking emails first thing in the morning because it's like they're calling to you and you can't resist it, and then you go and let that inbox dictate the rest of your day, right?
That's being reactive. Whereas the intentional version of you makes a plan for each [00:13:00] day and really protects her time. And this doesn't have to be over complicated, right? It can be perhaps before you turn your computer off. At the end of each day, you simply write on a post-it note, the three things, the three main things you wanna get done the following day.
It could be as simple as that. This doesn't have to be super detailed. It could be that you make a rule that you don't go into your email inbox until you've gone into, if you're like me, use Asana. This is my own practice, so every morning, the first thing I ever do when I turn my computer on is I go into Asana.
For me, that's like stepping into my office. That's like looking at what's on my desk. It's like go into Asana. Okay. What is on my task list for today? And out of those things, what are my priorities? What actually needs to happen today? What are the needle movers today? So [00:14:00] in practice, this really starts with saying no to things that aren't in your plan for a start.
Once you've got an idea of how you want your day to look, then you know that if you are gonna be the old version of you that's checking social media every 20 minutes, for example. Then you are not acting in alignment with that identity that you're trying to embody. It's so important to create some boundaries around your time and then really defend them.
I'll tell you something actually, and this is really important, the intentional version of you, the less reactive, more intentional version of you, doesn't apologize for having those boundaries. She doesn't feel guilty about prioritizing her own business over someone else's urgency, right? Your attention on your business is your most valuable resource, so if you are gonna [00:15:00] allow things to distract it, you better be sure they're worth it.
So that's that first identity shift. I'll tell you what we'll do. We'll use these shifts as your journal prompts. Okay? So we'll put these in the show notes and you can just journal around how are you going to shift from being reactive to intentional. Second one, going from being a perfectionist to more of a practitioner.
This is a really big one. I think so many of us sit on things. Brilliant things, great things that we should be moving forward with, but we sit on them because they're not quite perfect. And that perfectionist version of you wants everything to be super flawless before you can bear to share it. Whereas the practitioner version is the version of you that understands genuinely.
That things don't have to be perfect, that you can learn [00:16:00] from putting things out into the world before you are feeling a hundred percent ready to, and you can shift things and tweak things and change things as you go along. And there's gonna be so much more growth from that than just preciously sitting on things until they're perfect.
Wasting so much time where that needle could be moving because you're scared of doing something that isn't pristinely perfect. And I think this identity shift really is about being willing to be seen before you're ready. This is such a big one for so many of us. If you're someone that does struggle with the thought of being visible, this can be very paralyzing.
You know, if being visible feels scary as it is, then being visible as anything other than the [00:17:00] most perfect version of you can feel very vulnerable. But I think if you can learn to trust that you can refine as you go, that perfection isn't what people are looking for from you anyway. That's what you need to understand.
Your future clients really don't need you to be perfect, but they definitely need you to show up. They definitely need to be able to learn from you. They need to be able to see your experience. They need to understand your unique perspectives. And they need it now, not in six or 12 months when you finally decide that something's good enough.
So that's the second identity shift really, is moving from being a perfectionist to more of a practitioner, somebody who practices a. And isn't afraid to start before they're ready or to put something out into the world and be transparent about, you know what, this is okay for now, this is okay. This has value.
Is it [00:18:00] perfect? No, but it absolutely has value. Third shift. This one's important. They're all important. All five of these are really important. I know that. Yeah, I was about to say, if you're anything like me, I know you're like me because you tell me you are. Most of the feedback that I get on this podcast is from people saying, oh my God, Jill, I feel exactly the same as you about that, which is lovely.
Thank you. And don't forget, I always love hearing from you. Third shift. I want you to think about how can you move from being a people pleaser to being a values led. Leader. I feel like this one hurts a bit when I say this one because I can really identify with this, and I think most coaches can actually, because we became coaches, because we genuinely care about people.
That's the truth. We want to help. We wanna make a difference, but the problem is. You can't build a sustainable business if you constantly [00:19:00] betray your own needs and your own values. What matters most to you in service of making other people comfortable? So the people pleaser version of you. She's the one that says yes when she means no.
She offers discounts that she can't really afford to offer. She is the one who is overdelivering to the point of. Complete bloody exhaustion. She's the one who takes on clients who aren't a good fit because she doesn't want to disappoint them, right? That's the people pleaser version, the values led leader version of you.
She has really clear criteria for who she works with and why, and she communicates her boundaries really clearly and really kindly. So often we kind of make a villain out of someone who sets boundaries. We almost see them as being standoffish or unkind, [00:20:00] and it's the opposite. Values-led leaders who have great boundaries actually offer so much more to their clients in the long run.
That values-led leader version. She understands that saying no to the wrong things. So saying no to things that are wrong for her actually creates the space for the things that are right for her. She knows that actually being liked by everyone isn't possible. It's not actually desirable and. Isn't important.
So this shift really is asking you to get. Crystal clear on what your values are. If you haven't already do sign up for Unearth Your Edge. You know, I'm running my three day free masterclass again in December. Yeah. So next month values is something we cover in Unearth Your Edge. So I'll pop [00:21:00] the link to that in the show notes.
Do make sure you sign up for that one. I ran it last year and it was my most popular event of the year by far. So I will drop the link for that because all of these things actually were gonna be touching on in that free masterclass. So it's getting super clear on your values and then using those values as the filter for every decision you make in your business.
This identity shift as well around values led leadership in your business. It needs you to trust that the right people are gonna appreciate the boundaries you set. And that the wrong people who don't, were never the right clients for you anyway, so that's okay. You don't need everyone to like you and love you and want to work with you.
Doesn't work that way. And I promise you that big vision that you've got for your business needs you to understand that fourth shift. [00:22:00] You'll have heard this one about a million times, but it's incredibly valid. You need to shift from scarcity to abundance. So you need to shift from, I need to take every single opportunity that comes my way.
In fact, I need to grasp and hang onto with dear life every opportunity that comes my way. Because what if there's not another one coming? You need to shift from that to I trust that the right opportunities will come. The scarcity version of you is the hustler. She's always anxious. She's always convinced that if she's not doing more, then she's falling behind She'll underprice because she's absolutely convinced and terrified that no one will pay more.
She's the version of you that says yes to things that simply aren't aligned with you with your values because she's worried about the money. And as [00:23:00] counterintuitive as this sounds, because you are probably listening to this and saying, well, it's all right for you to say that, Jill, but I need to pay my mortgage at the end of this month.
So I can't afford to say no to X, Y, Z. Fill in the blank. But that mindset, that scarcity mindset. Is what is gonna keep you exactly where you are now. So you can keep repeating that story to yourself and acting in alignment with that if you wanna stay there. But if you genuinely want to move towards that bigger vision, then you need to embrace the abundant version of you, the one who trusts her worth.
Trusts it really believes in it and price what she does confidently and is selective about who she works with. Proudly selective, you know, having the confidence to say, I am not the right coach for everyone, [00:24:00] so let's have a really good conversation to make sure we're right for each other. You know, how often do you do that?
But that is coming from a place of abundance instead of scarcity. The version of you who is abundant invests in herself. She invests in herself and her business because she believes in her ability to create returns on that investment. How many times have you wanted to develop maybe as a coach, or wanted to grow your coaching business and you've wanted to invest in something?
It might even be with working with me. Right, but you've held back because you'll tell yourself, I can't afford it at the moment. But what you are really saying is not that I can't afford it at the moment you're really saying, I don't trust myself to be able to create a return on that investment. [00:25:00] I don't trust that it will work for me.
And you know what? There's something really amazing, I think about this shift from scarcity to abundance. And it's not about having more money first, it's about thinking differently before the money shows up. And that's the bit, most people just cannot get their head round. Most people will say, yeah, as soon as I am comfortable enough to invest in myself, or as soon as I'm comfortable enough to say no to a misaligned client, I will, doesn't work like that.
You won't get comfortable enough from a monetary perspective until you make the shift. This is a chicken and egg scenario, right? You have to think differently before the money shows up because it's the abundance mindset that actually creates abundant results. It's not the other way round, so you've got to get willing to turn down money that doesn't [00:26:00] feel right.
You've got to be okay with investing in yourself and your business before you feel ready. I'm not talking about that horrible, horrible, pressurized sales thing of people saying, oh, just put it on a credit card or put yourself into debt. I'm not talking about that. I'm not talking about going into debt.
I'm not talking about making stupid decisions around money. I'm talking about investing sensibly when you can because you trust in your ability to make a return on it. So I do need to clarify that 'cause I am not one of those people who is ever going to encourage anyone to go into a ridiculous amount of debt or to give themself anxious sleepless nights because they've overstretched themselves.
That's not what this is about. Okay? But it is about trusting yourself and your abilities [00:27:00] even when you don't have the external proof yet. And that's the big shift, the last one. The fifth shift is the shift from isolation to connection. And that's about shifting from closing yourself in trying to figure out everything alone, to actively building relationships and asking for the support you need.
'cause the isolated version of you, entrepreneurial loneliness is a thing. It really, really is, and that isolated version of you often partners quite nicely with the imposter syndrome piece and the perfectionist piece. Do you know what I mean? It's like that version of you that kind of shuts everything down, stays very isolated and insular because then no one else can see what you're doing or judge it.
And that version of you thinks she needs to have all the [00:28:00] answers. She doesn't wanna bother anyone. She's constantly on Google trying to solve every single problem herself. And quite often those coaches who are trying to build their business that way often are, are seeing other coaches as competition as well.
That makes me really sad. 'cause I think if you can make the shift from that to the connected version of you, the version of you that is building relationships really intentionally. Remember in a few episodes ago I was talking about relationships over algorithms and the different kinds of relationships.
It's not just about building relationships with potential clients, it's potential collaborators, it's potential introducers of business. All of those kind of relationships are still gonna help you build your business, right? That connected version of you asks for help when she needs it. It's the version of you that is really generous and kind of celebrates other people's wins and is [00:29:00] genuinely happy for others when they're doing well.
Building a business is honestly so much easier and more enjoyable when you are not doing it on your own. I feel like I can talk quite authoritatively about this. 'cause honestly, I was that perfectionist, imposter syndrome ridden people pleaser in the beginning when I was building my coaching business.
And I know this is exactly what I used to do. I didn't want to expose what I was doing to the outside world. 'cause number one, I didn't want people to see what an early stage I was at. In building my business, I wanted to come across as more established than I really was, and that actually stopped me from genuinely connecting with people.
It makes me feel quite sad now when I think back at that version of myself, and I know without any shadow of a doubt that that version of me would not be able to hold the vision for the business I have now, or the business [00:30:00] that I am now visioning for myself in another few years. Right. So the connected version of you is constantly building genuine relationships.
Yes. With potential clients, but also collaborators, peers introduces, you know, not just broadcasting content out into the world hoping someone will notice. Right. It's that relationships over algorithms again. So that shift from isolation to connection. Really important. So how do we actually make these shifts?
We understand the what. We understand the, okay, so there's five things I need to think about. I'm gonna journal about them. What do I have to do? And the answer of how do you do that is really slightly disappointing. I know. 'cause it's not sexy. There's no hack to it. It's a daily practice. You make these shifts through [00:31:00] tiny.
Repeatable, consistent decisions that align with the identity you are choosing. So every single day, if you think about it, you have so many opportunities to choose the new identity over the old one. When your inbox, your email inbox is overflowing, and you kind of want to sit and spend the whole morning getting your inbox down to zero because that's what you've always done, where you have a choice.
Do you listen to the perfectionist who's saying, I want to see that zero number in my inbox, or do you follow the plan that you made? Do you stick to the things that you decided either the day before or in the morning that you were gonna prioritize for the day? What's the decision? Which choice are you gonna make?
Right? When a potential client, you know, you've had a really good discovery call, maybe, and then they're asking if your [00:32:00] discount. Your pricing and you need the money, then you have a choice. Do you discount your pricing 'cause you're scared that they won't say yes if you stick to your guns? Or do you hold your boundary?
Do you accept that the pricing that you decided on for that package of coaching. Was right that the right clients will recognize that and that you feel this is the right client for you, and trust that, yeah, that they're gonna recognize that. And then very kindly but firmly say, I don't offer discounts.
But if there's any other information I can give you, so that you can make the right decision for yourself, just ask away. Trust the client to make the right decision. And these sort of tiny choices made over and over again. That is what creates transformation. That's always what creates transformation, right?
It's not the big dramatic moments. It's a daily practice of choosing [00:33:00] that new identity, the version of you that can bring the vision you have to life, right? Creating a daily practice that reinforces that identity is a really powerful thing to do. You might like to think about what. Rhythms and routines, could you build into each day?
Is it a morning routine for you? Is it an evening reflection practice? Is it something you can combine with your coaching reflection practice? Sometimes it might just look like a weekly check-in where you're gonna look back over the decisions you made that week and say, you know, where was I making the choices that the identity I want to embody the identity that I am developing into.
Where did I make choices in alignment with that and where didn't I? It doesn't have to be super complicated. It just does need to be consistent. Okay, so I want to [00:34:00] invite you as we come to the end of this little two part series on planning on purpose for next year, I want you to take that lovely plan that you've created and look at your vision for 2026, and then really think about these five identity shifts.
And I'm gonna pop them into the show notes so that you can journal around them, but also these journaling prompts I think are gonna help. So the first one is, who do I need to become to build this business? The second one, what needs to shift in how I show up? Third prompt, which of the five identity shifts is most important for me right now?
What's one daily practice that I can implement to reinforce that new identity? And then this is really important. I want you to start making decisions from that future identity [00:35:00] right now, today, in this moment. So not next week, not in January when the new year starts, right? This is something we're gonna do now.
Because the truth is you don't become the person who builds that business and then build it. You build that business as you are becoming that person. So the transformation and the action are happening at the same time. The business that you have the vision for is asking something from you, you know? I love, I love, love, love in coaching.
The question, if X could speak, what would it say to you? And you know, if your business could speak. I believe that when you are planning and when you are visualizing and visioning your business for next year, I think your business is gonna be asking you to grow. It's gonna ask you to stretch and to develop into [00:36:00] this different version of yourself.
A new identity and sometimes that's uncomfortable and I think it's probably supposed to be that bit of discomfort is probably how you do know you're growing. It's growing pains, you know, that's a real thing. So if you haven't done your planning work yet, it's not too late, don't forget, go back, listen to part one, come back, listen to this one again, because there is a reason we do them in that order.
So want you to have the vision in your head. You're gonna break it down, you're gonna break it into the milestones, the projects, and then come back to this episode and do the identity work. And if you are listening to this and you're thinking, oh my goodness, I need support with this. I don't think I can do this on my own, then honestly that's exactly what my programs are designed for Mastery, which is my 18 week accelerator for early stage [00:37:00] coaches, is where we really build the foundation together and.
As I say, I'm holding my three day free masterclass next month, which is called Unearth Your Edge. If you've enjoyed this episode, I think you will really want to be part of that three day masterclass. It's a really important one, so I will put the link into there, but I'll also put the link to MASTERY in so that you can take a look at that, see if that feels like it might be an aligned next step for you.
In alignment with that new version, and that could be something that you think about for January. Our next cohort starts in the beginning of January, and then my legacy clients, which are my private clients, my one-to-one coaching with every private client that I work with, we go so deep on this identity piece, so deep.
I work with my legacy clients to build a business that outlasts you. This isn't about transactional work. This is about [00:38:00] building a body of work that is really driven by what you came here to do. So if that is something that you would like to talk to me about, you can apply for a breakthrough session with me at john oaks.com/apply, and we can talk about legacy as well.
If you are someone who is like Gill, maybe one day I'll work with you, but for now, I love listening to the podcast and I know that is some of you, and I love that this podcast is always gonna be here for you and free, and I have lots of free ways that I support you too. But one thing I would ask of you is to drop me an email.
Let me know what resonated with you about this episode. [email protected]. Okay, I will see you back here, same time, same place next week. Do go to the show notes now. Check out all of the links. I will also put the download link for the planning document in case you didn't get that last week. I'll pop that into the show notes [00:39:00] for this week as well.
This episode has been a lot. This might be one that you wanna come back to. Maybe listen in a couple of parts. Alright, much love. See you next week. Bye for now.
