Hi! I'm Melissa Koehler! A certified coach, Enneagram trained, podcasting educator! Grab your favorite drink and stay awhile! Learn more about me right over here!
It’s really easy for me to feel inadequate. And not just in a couple of things, but in all areas of my life.
I have set some pretty high standards for myself and most days I feel like I can’t live up to the expectations I’ve created for my business, my friendships, my marriage, and my children. And it’s so frustrating because, dang, I really want to be able to do it all, 100% of the time.
I am someone who measures success in numbers and when I don’t see the numbers that I define as “successful”, I feel like a failure. I spend a lot of time doing everything I can to stay productive in my business and pushing the needle forward because I feel like that is where I will find success. But unfortunately, that leaves me leaning into all of the lies that tell me I’m not good enough and I begin to question why I even tried in the first place. The feelings of inadequacy creep in and I simply want to quit right then and there.
And I have a feeling that I’m not alone. So many of us struggle with the feelings of inadequacy and I hate the thought of others feeling undervalued in their life’s work. We were made for more; we were made to thrive and we were called to a life of joy and abundance. Not one of self-doubt and feelings of failure.
But when I step back and try to work through these feelings of inadequacy, I see that I am the one setting the tone. I am the one setting the expectations that I feel I can’t meet. I am the one telling myself that I’m a failure when the numbers don’t add up. I am the one letting the lies shield me from the truth. But I am also the one who can change the narrative.
Putting my self worth in the hands of other people, likes on social media, or the amount of interest I get in my business, has never worked for me. And I am willing to bet it hasn’t worked for you either. So why do we keep doing it?
As women, as mothers, as entrepreneurs, as whatever it is we consider our life’s work, we have got to start offering ourselves grace. We have to lower the standards and allow ourselves to rest without feeling like a failure. If you are anything like me, you are always looking for permission, so here it is. Your permission slip is to let go of the expectations you hold over yourself in order to shut down those feelings of inadequacy.
You are doing all that you can. And some days, all you can do is lay on the couch eating pizza while binge-watching your favorite movies. And that is more than okay. Because other days you will literally rule your little corner of the world and both days should leave you feeling more than adequate.
So stop setting the bar so high. Stop putting your faith in numbers. Stop letting the lives of others make you feel less than. And continue doing what you were put on this earth to do without seeking approval from others, including your own worst critic, yourself!
You are more than capable of doing the work set in front of you. You are fully equipped with everything you need to live out your dreams. And you are on the right path to success. Please don’t ever doubt that.
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More small biz #realtalk, head-shaking mom moments, pinktastic photography, and excessive wanderlust right this way...
More small biz #realtalk, head-shaking mom moments,
pinktastic photography, and excessive wanderlust right this way...
Exclusive content designed to grow your business delivered right to your inbox twice a month! Don't miss out on the totally free and totally worth it bonus content!