Your Perfect System
“I want to raise my rates”.
“I want to start earning more”.
This is a topic that comes up time and time again in coaching sessions with photographers.
In theory, the solution should be pretty simple. Why would someone need to be coached on this.
You want to put up your prices? Ok, then go and put up your prices to whatever the amount is that you want to charge. Can you go and do that right now?
“Well, I would but…”
Sound familiar?
As humans, we don’t like change. We fear the unknown. We also fear not fitting in as part of our tribe. So we do things, both consciously and unconsciously to avoid these feelings of discomfort.
Your thoughts influence your actions, and your actions influence your behaviour.
You might not know it, but you have already created the perfect system for staying exactly where you are.
Whether consciously or unconsciously, maybe you have created a system to stop you from raising your rates and earning more money.
I used to have one. These were some of the stories I used to tell myself about why I couldn’t increase my prices.
If I wanted to teach a masterclass on it, it would look a little something like this:
My Perfect System For Not Raising My Rates
Reading back through these, they might seem pretty ridiculous. But at the time, these were all things that I believed that stopped me putting my prices up.
Do any of them resonate with you too?
Whenever I’m feeling stuck or frustrated with a situation, I like to use the perfect system to take a look at all the things I’m doing and thinking as a way to take notice of why I’m finding myself in that situation again and again.
And you can do it too. It’s a fun way of using reverse psychology to notice what things you might be doing to sabotage your goals and bring awareness to them.
Areas Where You Might Be Running A Perfect System
- Not raising your rates
- Not launching a new service
- Never having enough time
- How to Procrastinate like a pro
- Never having enough money
- Fail at dieting or fitness goals
- Getting enough sleep
- Staying invisible
- Having unhealthy/toxic relationships
- Not taking time off
How To Identify Your Own Perfect System
Step 1 – “I Always…/ I Never…”
Think of a situation that keeps repeating itself or a goal that you constantly keep setting but not achieving. Some examples might be:
– Raising rates
– Launching a new product or service
– Have no money regardless of how much I earn
– Feel stressed & overwhelmed
– Set fitness/weight loss goals & fail to hit them
Step 2 – Teach A Masterclass
Imagine you are teaching a masterclass on your perfect system. You can get playful and have some fun here. How would you teach someone your perfect system for always failing at a diet or never having enough money?
Step 3 – Create A Mind MapSketch it out, with all the little details. All the things you do to create the perfect system so that you have this blueprint.
Step 4 – Now You Have A ChoiceNow you have awareness of all the things you’ve been doing to sabotage your goal, the thing you’ve said you want. Knowing what you know now, notice as you move forward these thoughts and habits as they appear. Now you are aware of them, you can make the conscious choice whether to act on them or not.
The power is back in your hands my friend!
