Overcoming My Lizard Brain To Grow a Business
How I'm quietening all of the self-doubt thoughts sloshing about.
As I forge on with this second attempt at developing a business (the first ‘attempt’ being my old study website ‘The Study Gurus’ that I basically treated like an unpaid internship) — there are a few mantras that I am employing frequently to overcome my Lizard Brain self-doubt.
If you’re not familiar with the term Lizard Brain, it’s basically the parts of your brain that regulate emotions and behaviour. (Lol that as I was searching for a reminder of the actual structures that make up the Lizard Brain I came across this old Seth Godin video on basically exactly what I’m trying to say.)
Anyway, I am very aware that at the moment, I guess because I am taking some risks to develop Cram Lab, that my Lizard Brain is alive and well and tells me things like I can’t do this, it won’t work, why would anyone want to buy the Exam Study Survival Kit, I don’t know what the hell I’m doing…
So to combat my Lizard Brain I’m making frequent use of the following mantras, and they seem to be helping immensely.
No One Cares
This has been a biggie for me for a long time, probably since I left school and went to uni.
But actually, it’s been useful recently in new ways.
For instance, I watched this really helpful video about starting a YouTube channel, and as Ali Abdaal says, no one cares that I have a YouTube channel. Literally no one. My friends don’t care; past colleagues don’t care; my Mum doesn’t care; my husband doesn’t care. And not in a mean way, but whether I’m on YouTube or not, affects their lives zero per cent.
But also no one else in the world cares. If someone comes along and watches a video and doesn’t like it or doesn’t subscribe, who cares? No one cares. I won’t even know. And if they do like the video, then yay.
I also think about ‘no one cares’ in lots of other random life scenarios; in inconsequential moments like when I don’t feel like introducing myself to a stranger because it’s awkward but then I tell myself — no one cares Clare — just introduce yourself.
Basically, it’s my way of getting me to get over myself and just get on with whatever needs to be done.
But now with Cram Lab, it’s being really helpful to quieten all of the self doubt. What will people think if it doesn’t work? What if people think I look stupid on YouTube? What if people think my writing sucks?
No. One. Cares.
If I Don’t.. The Opportunity Cost.
I have basically been obsessed with the idea behind Cram Lab for over 10 years. Like I am totally convinced that high school / secondary school teens desperately need better study help.
It breaks my heart how many school leavers leave without any school qualifications, or crap ones. So on the one hand, the opportunity cost for me is that I won’t be able to sleep until I have a system up and running where thousands of teens have access to the study skills and tools they need.
And on the other hand, there’s the opportunity cost to myself. I don’t want to live a ‘what-if’ life. It’s something my Dad instilled in me I think. And I think it also comes from being an Athiest, or at least, very sure that we only get one life and I’m probably about half way though mine, so shit. I better get cracking and give this my best shot.
The Best Time to Start Was 10 Years Ago, the Next Best Time Is Now.
This is one I’ve heard before and I heard it again recently on the YouTube channel and podcast I’ve been binging somewhat, Ali Abdaal — that the best time to start was 10 years ago, the next best time is now.
It applies to everything, but for me right now it is pertinent for Cram Lab as a business — it’s time to treat it as a business, rather than an up-paid internship. It is also pertinent for YouTube, where I have posted videos in the past as The Study Gurus but have been putting off making new videos because I’ve basically been telling myself I don’t have time to make and edit weekly videos.
But really what the problem is, is that I haven’t had a good system in place for making regular videos. I know objectively that it is possible for me to grow a YouTube channel, I just need to commit to making weekly videos, and being patient while the channel grows. It’s really hard when you’re at the beginning of that process, but every business, every YouTube channel, starts with 0 subscribers, so it’s a matter of perseverence and patience.
So those are some of the mantras I’m telling myself all the time to overcome self-doubt and excuses, and they’re actually really helping. I’ve made more progress with Cram Lab in the last month by experimenting with some ads on Instagram than I have in the last year, so that’s exciting.
I’d love to know what mantras you employ to propel yourself towards your goals, business or otherwise. Jump into the comments if you’ve got a goodie to share :)
Yours with a hefty dose of cautious but excited optimism,
Clare
