LAUNCHING MY BUSINESS WEBSITE
On 1st December 2020, I launched a new business website, www.linkbreathing.co.uk, telling the world I had become a business owner. I knew I had to go live at some point but needed a deadline. I found a social media opportunity, committed to it and pushed the website live so that they could redirect their audience to my site.
What happened when I launched my website?
I felt calm. I had expected to feel anxious. I had expected to feel as I had felt when I launched my first ever website, this one, www.canidoitmyself.com, in May 2020. When I launched this site, I could feel my heart beating fast, my breathing was fast and shallow. My bowels had gone into knots, sending me running for the bathroom ‘just in case’.
What has changed and why did it feel different?
Over the last couple of weeks I’ve reflected on why launching my business website felt so different to my blog and podcast website launch. I think there are a couple of points which are crucial to mention.
1) What did launching my website mean?
When launching LiNK BREATHING I was realising a dream. I was already being ‘seen’ and I had already hinted that a business was due to launch soon. The scariest part was already over for me. When I launched CAN I DO IT MYSELF, I was exposing parts of myself that had never been exposed. I was allowing myself to be publicly vulnerable. I was allowing the entire world to see me, if they wished…
2) What awareness and habits did I have?
During 2019 and 2020, I have put my main focus on my health and self-awareness. During this time I’ve
studied via books and podcasts
attended courses
retrained myself to become a habitual nose breather (having been a chronic mouth breather since childhood)
become certified as a Breathing Coach and Gravity Yoga Teacher (flexibility training through the use of breath).
I’ve also been as honest with myself as I know how to be when it comes to how I’m living my life and whether this is in line with my values of living a happier, healthier and kinder life. Because of this self-work, and breathing retraining, I have been able to benefit from a reduction in anxiety. Not only have I not recently suffered from intense anxiety, but my anxiety levels have been lower on a daily basis. I also feel more in control of myself, rather than feeling I need to control everything else. Side note: during my menstrual Autumn (the few days before my period), I still feel the need to a point to control my husband’s output around the home. This is down to a hormonal shift and although improving, is a work in progress.
The combination of my awareness and application of breath as a way to affect my autonomic nervous system allowed me to stay calm, even though excited when launching my site. No hyperventilating. No racing heart. No running for the toilet. By reducing my anxiety and therefore feeling level headed, I was able to make rational decisions about delaying how quickly I promoted my website on each social media channel. I took it in bite size pieces, allowing myself to feel comfortable with each stage and not overwhelming myself.
Perfectionism and fear can be the killer of all progress
I know for a fact that my business website is far from perfect. I know that some of the messages are not as strong as they could be. I know that there is still a lot of what I want to show missing.
I also know that I am working really hard to let go of perfectionism where possible. Yet again I am a work in progress.
By launching by a deadline, I knew that I had to ensure links were working and basic details were in, but that was it. It was good enough…for now.
Would someone judge me? Possibly. Would someone be impressed? Possibly. I focused on achieving my goal and that was to launch my business and get a website out into the world to be able to share it more easily.
Over time, my website will adapt, my business will adapt and I will get closer to a model that works for me.
I feel fortunate that I had the forethought to recognise launching a blog and podcast was ‘the start’ of me launching my business. It was me working through some deeper issues on ‘being seen’ in the world. How was I going to show up in my business in the way I wanted to if the very idea scared me.
In the very words of Vicky Shilling, a wellness business coach I have been following the podcast of, I needed to JUST START NOW.
P.S. If you have felt inspired by this blog post to get started on your goals in any way that you can, check out Vicky’s podcast. I’ve found it very inspirational on days that I needed a gentle shove.
P.P.S. If you would like to learn how to get yourself to a place where your anxiety and health doesn’t hold you back from living more of a life, feel free to book a free discovery call with me via www.linkbreathing.co.uk.