Are you a diddly-squatter or 1 of the 3%?

I've realised this past few months that I'm not a diddly-squatter.

When ?? isn't going my way, or I'm not happy with something, I change it up. I try new things and I fail in new ways, until I find that 'void' filling up again.

But I've come to realise I'm not 'normal' in taking that approach. (I'm not normal in a lot of other ways too - but normal is over-rated, so I can live with that. ??)

But seriously, I learned a mind-blowing stat this week; that when people aren't happy with the results they're getting, research shows that 97% of people apparently do one of just 3 things:

1. Diddly squat - Make no changes.
2. Keep their head firmly buried in the sand - Do more of what they're already doing.
3. Retreat like a frightened tortoise - Back into their shell to do even less of what they're already doing...that's already not getting results.

Only 3% of folk will do something different. (Jeez that's depressing.)

More depressing still, is that not only do folk not change what they're doing, but they carry on doing the same old, same old, which is the same old, same old as everyone else in their sector is doing.

As someone going through a bit of a 'What next?' and 'How can I differentiate myself?' moment, I know first hand that sticking your head above the parapet can be terrifying. There's nothing parapet holy about it.

But you gotta do it scared.

Rather than stick in that safe space known as conformity, furiously trying to fit in, we need to be experimenting with ways to stand out, ways to disrupt, ways to express our competence more creatively.

Gulp. It's hard. (I use 'gulp' in place of the not LinkedIn friendly word ?? I use about how hard it is most days.)

Our brains have spent years developing neural pathways that keep us happy, healthy, and safe, and this new approach seems destructive and counter-intuitive...even when the stats prove otherwise.

So if what you're doing isn't getting you the results you want/need, this is your sign to try something new, do even one thing differently, and see how it goes.

At the end of the day, if it tanks, it tanks.

I'm working on something at the moment that I've given a 3 month test period. You know, a decent amount of time to see if it fails epically, or if it fails just enough to show me how / where to tweak it next time round.

Because if what you were doing wasn't working anyway, you've just ticked another 'doesn't work' idea off the list.

Move onto the next, taking the lessons you've learned with you.

My advice would be that if what you're doing isn't working, get support from someone with the skills and experience that can help you 'do different'. (Obviously ??toot, toot??of my own horn here.)

But if you're not ready for that yet, do one simple thing.

Do a quick competitor analysis, see what everyone else is up to...then do the complete opposite. Because doing nothing gets you no further forward.

Repetition incoming...

At the end of the day, if it tanks, it tanks.

If what you were doing wasn't working anyway, you've just ticked another 'doesn't work' idea off the list.

Move onto the next, taking the lessons you've learned with you.

And if you'd like someone to hold your cute tortoise head firmly outside your shiny shell as you become one of the hallowed 3%, hit me up.

??? No tortoises were harmed in the creation of this post.

With (just 3% worth of) intent, Lucy.??

Enquire about working with me.

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