Sometimes to be successful and grow, you have to set yourself free from your own self-imposed limitations - and that's exactly what I did to grow on Pinterest.
I spent SO much time trying doing the things mentioned below, and when I finally decided that I wasn't going to obsess over them, not only did I experience increased happiness, but increased growth!
Here's what I had to STOP doing to gain confidence in my brand and myself as a creator, and as a result doubled my Pinterest following!
1. Trying to find the perfect formula.
Do you see the (what seems like) millions of people selling you the 'My Secret Formula to Gaining 500K Followers in 10 Days!!' ? While these courses/tutorials/memberships can have some incredibly helpful tools and resources (I don't want to discount their value) remember that there is no perfect formula to success.
If there's one thing that's certain it's change. Have you noticed how often the social media platforms change? That's why the "11 Steps to 1 Million Followers" sound so appetizing sometimes, because we get tired of dealing with the changes. Once you think you have it figured out, things change!
Just keep in mind that there is no perfect formula. Success takes trial and error! What worked for one creator/business owner won't necessarily work for the next!
2. Obsessing over my stats.
Am I the only one whose been super excited to look at their stats after creating some (what I thought was) incredible content, only to find your stats tanked? Ouch.
It can be easy to become discouraged when we feel like we're creating a lot of value, but our stats aren't reflecting it. Or, maybe you had some really hard life circumstances/events, and you missed a week. You sign on and realize that unexpected absence you took really hurt your reach.
I've learned not to obsess over my stats. Are they a useful tool? Absolutely. But I'm not going to let my stats define me. I'm not going to label myself a failure because of it. I'm not going to let it affect my entire day.
I used to look at my stats daily. Now, I set aside one day every two weeks to do an in-depth analysis of my stats, and I'm much happier that way!
3. Comparing myself to other creators.
Don’t compare your progress to other creators! Be inspired and learn from them, but compare your progress to yourself.
Everyone has unique challenges related to their business, personal life, etc. and it can be easy to think, “wow it seems so easy for them.” Or you can be tempted to think “wow I think my content is way better than this why am I not getting the same results as they are??”, just keep putting in the work, trying new things, learning from mistakes, and focusing on your progress (not someone else’s).
4. Grow all social media platforms at once.
Naturally, I tend to be kind-of squirrel-like with my attention, trying to do a bunch of different things at once. I convince myself in my head that I'll be more efficient this way.
However, if I'm making dinner, folding clothes, AND updating our monthly budget all at the same time, dinner usually ends up burnt, clothes end up in the wrong drawer, and I accidentally add a 0 onto the end of the bill I'm paying. Please tell me it's not just me.
When I first started blogging and creating, I tried to do all the things at once. I would get on an Instagram kick and post like crazy there for a few days. Then I'd hop over to Pinterest and do as much as I could there. Then if I had some time left I'd make a Facebook post or two.
The problem was I'd fall behind on one platform, get discouraged, feel overwhelmed, take a step back, get frustrated, and so on so forth. I felt like a hamster on a wheel trying to keep up with simply being present each day on each platform, let alone keeping up with the algorithm changes.
So I stopped. I literally one day became so overwhelmed and decided I was going to focus on growing one platform at a time, and I have been MUCH more successful that way!
5. Stopped Having a scarcity mindset.
That pervasive feeling of never having enough of something, usually time or money, is referred to as having a scarcity mindset.
You believe there are limited resources, so if someone else has something, you feel there is less of that resource available to you. I've felt this way as a creator many times - because such and such account is so successful, I better hurry up and grow my account because that means there's less available for me!
But that's just not true. While the success of others can be a great motivator/encouragement, if I'm operating from a scarcity mindset, I'm going to ultimately become discouraged.
I've shifted my perspective to operate from an abundant mindset. Collaboration, gratitude, and inspiration flow freely from an abundant mindset.
Being a creator/business owner is a journey, and it's not linear. There are many ups and owns, so it's important to stay grounded! Hopefully these five things I stopped doing can give you some encouragement to determine what you need to stop doing in order to grow 🙂
Post any questions/comments below!
I'd love to hear... what have you STOPPED doing as a creator that benefited you?
