is radical minimalism the new 'it' thing? (with examples)
++ Art shop grand opening ++ open house call on Wednesday 7/20
Last time I wrote, I made a case for tuning into your CAPACITY. Capacity is a word I see within somatic therapy circles quite a bit, but not so much in coaching circles - yet.
Which seems strange.
Because what good is motivation, discipline, goal-setting or even a plan (all popular topics for coaching) if you don't have what it takes to follow through? No good at all, and that’s the truth.
Which is why I think we ought to look more closely at what helps create capacity.
Something I find works is a little thing called:
Minimalism.
Yeah, minimalism is one of those slightly boring, stodgy-sounding words, but before you write it off, what if I told you minimalism is the real reason I shut down my branded training business (Wealthy Thought Leader) in 2016?
What if I told you that in the 6 years of semi-sabbatical I’ve been on since then, my singular goal has been to right-size, through minimalism, my life and work?
And what if I told you that the seemingly impossible task of having an online business can be vastly simplified? Here, I’ll do it right now:
Most online businesses can be vastly simplified, by at least 25%. Some by even more, in terms of expenses, team, tools, and overall complexity.
No - you do not need a big honking course building platform or a Rube Goldberg machine-like launch plan.
No - you do not need content creation workflows that require a whole separate calendar to manage.
No - you do not need a heavy-duty team that causes your accountant to frown at you.
Would you rather spend millions of dollars building a pen that will write in outer space? Or would you rather use a pencil (which writes fine on Mars, thank you very much.)*
Some years ago, I started to use lean heavily on the coaching question “What’s the fastest path to cash” and I love how popular that line of questioning has become. It’s not always the right question but it’s a very clarifying one. Here’s an example:
Give a name to your invitation or offer.
Add a few sentences of description.
Make sure there's a way that people can say 'yes' to it easily - sign up or pay.
Share it where you already have people reading you (no need for something new.) (And if you don’t have anything at all, there’s a minimalist answer to that too.)
That's it. That’s a fastest path to cash available to any online person today. Whether your path to monetising is longer than that, or more complex than that is entirely a choice. My encouragement is simply to make sure it’s a choice you’re happy with.
My intuition tells me this is going to be a hot topic in the next few years: radical minimalism in online businesses.
And really, there’s no need to wait until it’s popular, am I right? I’m curious…
Does the notion of radical minimalism free up energetic capacity for you? Do you exhale, as if your corset has been loosened? Does taking action on something you’ve been stalling all of a sudden seem more possible?
If you said yes to any of these questions, we may be onto something for you.
As someone who has done a lot of things in my life out of fear, afraid of not measuring up, of life blowing up around me at any given moment…keeping things simple has been one way I've found safety. Maybe you'd like to find some of that too.
Here are some coaching questions to help you take this further:
- What can you get rid of or stop doing this week? (Example: I’ve let go of trying to get a whole art shop set up, and instead, I’m inviting you to peek at just ONE of my artworks below.)
- The thing that has you stuck and not moving forward, what’s a minimalist workaround? (Example: I’ve recognised that my book manuscript is way too ambitious. I’ve been wearing myself out trying to promise TEN things, when all I really need to do is really deliver on ONE.)
- Where does play and lightness deserve a spot in your plans? (Example: I find that often, the answer to this one is - find a friend and do something with them instead of alone. I bet you have a friend who would feel the fun in that. Sometimes it's just time to reach out.)
If all this strategic talk about minimalism has you inspired to get some coaching support for you, my minimalist approach and business chops are open to inquiries.
Biz coaching in small packages; done-for-you writing of simple sales pages; finally getting a long-standing project completed... all are fair game for coaching. All it takes is to hit reply and share a bit - from there we can decide whether to meet and explore further.
I await with joy. <3
Meanwhile, as a demonstration of 'sometimes it's just time' and 'seeking the minimalist business way'... here are some things that are happening in the neighbourhood:
ANDREA J. LEE ART STUDIOS Grand Opening
Imagine my delight when I sold my first original watercolour painting earlier this year...
Now add to that the full body high when I unboxed the print version of the above yesterday... my first ever art print, y’all » Welcoming Wise Whale!
And if you really feel into that you’'ll understand when I say this is a PEAK EXPERIENCE in my life, to get to invite you to visit my brand new online shop.
I hope you will, and if this piece and its sense of simple stillness and wisdom appeals to you to make yours, well, there are lots of sizes to pick from, and three whole formats, too (1) Paper, (2) Canvas or (3) Fully Matted and Framed.
Can’t wait to hear what you think.
"A BOOK IS FOREVER, WRITE A GOOD ONE" or "What I Wish Authors Knew" an open-house call with AJ Harper and Andrea Lee (moi) is happening next week!
Last but not least, aha, a collaboration with a dear friend to which you are cordially invited. In this no-fee, candid hour on Wednesday July 20 at 2pm ET…
Author of Write a Must-Read, Head Coach of Top Three Book Workshop and the Must-Read Editing Workshop, AJ Harper and I will dispel myths and celebrate the surprising joys of authorship, as well as announce Andrea joining AJ's editing team starting this fall. (Wooooot!) There will be room for Q&A.
If you've been wanting to write a book you can proudly call your life's best work, pr you're simply curious about the publishing world, you're hereby invited to grab a beverage and join the fun. This call is open to the community and is no cost, but registration is required and a replay will be sent. (Please watch for the password to get on Zoom.)
It's been awhile (ahem, 2 years??) since an open community call - what could possibly be worth convening one? Come find out. Looking forward to connecting with friendly faces old and new.
And, that's it for this time, from my new desk in central Ontario, the land of slow mosquitoes and incredible sunsets, sometimes together.
Until next time, may you catch the beauty of minimalism bug in just the way you want.
Warmly,
Andrea
* The story about the over-engineered pen and pencil turns out to be a myth, but it does a great job of illustrating what happens when we overcomplicate things. Here’s the real scoop.