5 mistake I made in 2015
I hope 2016 is going well for you so far!
A couple of days ago, I received an email from James Wedmore. I'm on his list and love the work that he does...
Anyway, he sent out an email about the mistakes that he made in 2015. It was a great email with transparency and vulnerability. I was inspired and felt compelled to sit down and think through my mistakes and reflect on them.
I appreciated the honesty and resonated with several of his mistakes.
So here's my version... These are the mistakes that I made in 2015 so that you can learn from them and hopefully be inspired to reflect upon your own.
1. I created products based on what I thought people wanted instead of what they actually wanted...
This became very apparent to me at the end of the year when I decided to start surveying people. You probably even filled out one of my surveys.
I had a bit of a rude awakening when I saw that the path that I was taking with my training and my courses wasn't actually the path that my customers and following wanted me to take. Now I get to course correct and create the exact thing you want from me.
2. I refused to step out of my comfort zone.
I've always loved podcasting, interviewing people, and "picking brains". For most of the year, I did not pursue this because I was afraid. I didn't know what people would think of another podcast. I was nervous about interviewing people that I "put on a pedestal". I was afraid people would see my podcast as a "me too" podcast since there are a lot of podcasts out there.
In the end, I had to shut out all of that noise going on in my head and just pursue it. The podcast doesn't generate a lot of income but it's the thing I am most excited about and most passionate about. I've got to accept that and follow my intuition with it.
I did practically no networking, staying in the comfort zone of my little office and not getting to know other like-minded entrepreneurs.
2016 is all about growth for me and growth lies outside of my comfort zone.
3. I lost focus and jumped from idea to idea.
True success lies in seeing things through until they work. In 2015, I left Learn To Blog and then proceeded to create company after company, hoping that one of them would give me a "quick win" and just pick up where my previous business left off.
I would never give some of these businesses a chance to mature. I didn't let them play out. I didn't test enough angles until one of them worked... Instead, I'd move on... Leaving my audience confused and myself feeling like I was starting over... Over and over again.
4. I made things about me instead of about you.
I do realize the irony of that statement in the context of this email... However, I think these mistakes are things that YOU can learn from and should take to heart. This email is just as much about you avoiding these pitfalls as it is about me realizing them.
Most of my emails and my products that I created throughout 2015 were about me... Here's what I've done... Don't you want to be like me? I'll show you how I did this...
Instead, if I was focused on you and really realized that what I've done doesn't matter, I would be in a much different place today.
The lesson in this one... Always focus on who you're talking to... Not yourself. Here's what you will be able to do after consuming this... Here's how you can do X... Etc.
This is a lesson that I've always known but have gotten lazy in my writing and communication... Finding it easier to talk about me than to focus on what you'll get out of it.
5. Saying yes to too much / Always putting others first.
I'm a people pleaser. I always think about how my decisions will effect others. This is not necessarily a bad trait but it can be taken too far.
I agree to do too many projects with other people, leaving me spread too thin to carry out my own passion projects.
I agree to working for less than I'm worth because I want to make sure that everyone is happy all of the time... (And this usually backfires and these people tend to be the hardest customers to work with)
I work on projects that I'm really not excited about working on because I have the skillset to do them and don't want to disappoint.
It's been a year of amazing lessons.
Quite frankly, I'm glad I made these mistakes because I've learned lessons that I'll never forget as a result.
My business will be stronger this year than it was last year...
And now, hopefully you're business will be stronger as well.
I apologize for the post about me but hopefully YOU gained some valuable insight from it that will help YOU grow in 2016. (There I go again apologizing... Always the people pleaser. :) )
What is your #1 biggest mistake you made in 2015? I'd love a reply. I might even make a roundup blog post with people's responses (anonymously if you prefer)... So I'd love a reply!
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In case you're wondering... This IS what I'm working on in 2016...
==> Authority Insider
I will see it through until success and I will make it the best entrepreneurial community on the internet. (It's already damn close!)
I appreciate you!
Matt Wolfe













