Here’s the thing – in the 15+ years of being a Creator (and lifestyle entrepreneur), I’ve seen that we work hard and we wear a lot of hats on an as-needed basis. We pour our hearts and souls into our promise to the people we committed to serve. But all that hard work that’s required of us often gets us stuck into the hustle and productivity loop of running a business day, after week, after month, after year.

And if you ever found yourself on the receiving end of that perpetual hustle, losing the ‘spark’ that lit you up in the first place.

Or that the work-life-play balance you wished upon when you got into business, has remained the distant shooting star it was to you at the start.

Or if the clarity and focus you once had about the big picture and the value you wanted to deliver, has steamed-over in the heat of the effort it takes to keep up with the changing environment.

Then you may need to enter the Self-Design Matrix… no I’m not mad – I’ve just always wanted to say that :o) And – it is relevant…

Matrix – because this isn’t a one-off single methodology.
It’s the ‘water’ you choose to swim in, and the way you choose to operate in it.

It’s a way of thinking about being a modern-day entrepreneur who loves their work AND has time for all the other things they enjoy in life.

It’s a fluidly interwoven set of coaching, strategies, and tools for self-design, that you learn to make your own – so you can use them as YOU see fit for the challenges YOU need to face.

Self-Design – because it teaches you to see yourself
for who you really are inside the business-life dynamic you live out each day.
To discover what makes you tick or stick. To see and understand
the natural traits that map out the way you work, live, and play most fluidly.

And to ultimately cultivate an understanding and compassion for the fascinating mix of ingredients that emerge as the unique, highly nuanced, individual human being that is YOU. 

Only through that compassion and understanding can you gain clarity about what’s causing YOU, specifically, the lack, dissonance, or disengagement you may be feeling right now.

To discern what’s already working, what may need changing, and to gracefully accept that which you can’t or should not change.

Because for better or worse, the social and economic events of the past 2-3 years have forced us to evaluate our priorities and to shift our perspective on the value we should want AND should extract from life.

Grit, hustle, and determination are no longer the differentiating factors
and panacea they were for creating a successful and fulfilling life path.

Now, pretty much anyone you know is working tirelessly in their business. And with the already present advent of AI tools, this rat race we got ourselves onto is about to get even fiercer. 

Now you’ve somehow become THAT rat: running endlessly on your wheel – knowing your ‘cheese’ has gone, and struggling to keep up with the never enoughness and always behindness we are made to feel, if we’re not hustling every waking hour.

Now, the wheel is spinning fast, and there’s only one of two ways this could go: you keep running; or you’re flung mercilessly out of the race.

That’s not your fault, though.

It’s simply a case of what got us here isn’t what will get us through the next phase. 

It’s time to shift gears. To take a step off the rat-race wheel and re-set up ‘shop‘ in a way that lights you up. In the way that creates the best interplay between the work you got into business to do, and the life and play time you wanted to create in tandem with that business. 

I call this your ideal work-life-play allostasis – it’s like a combination of balance and antifragility. It’s where you adapt and thrive on the inside as a response to the changes in your external environment. 

Imagine that! THAT’s the ultimate way to do the work and life you’re here to do.

Not by following the generic old formula of blindly pushing through the tough times, not fearing failure, and imagining what you want. Not by telling the inner jerk on our shoulder to shut up and to “treat yourself like you’d treat a dear friend”. 

On the surface, these expressions sound like good advice, except:

• We don’t know who we are amidst the definitions already imposed on us by our upbringing and our environment;
• We can mostly only construct a future through the lens of pieces experienced in the past;
• And in the same breath of telling ourselves to be kinder to ourselves, we label true vulnerability as weakness, and true struggle is kept private for fear of being seen as “someone who can’t stay on their game”.

It’s like being on a diet because you’re trying to live a healthy life. It doesn’t work long-term – because it’s not made for YOU. It doesn’t teach you how to own your relationship with food – hence you’re never truly healthy (or happy, for that matter). You remain captive to someone else’s recipe. A recipe that you will always have to WORK for – it’s never yours.

On the flip side…

In the Self-Design Matrix we (you and me), look at who you are in terms of how, why, when, and where you do your best work. What you want your work, life, and play times to look like. And together, we empower you with the skills to rig those components in a daily life that you love showing up for.

It’s a simple idea – but it asks you to look at taking responsibility for how you move through life. That’s not the easy way out – which is why many don’t choose it…

Except now we don’t have a choice. As a lifestyle entrepreneur – if you want to stay on the wheel – you have to own it.

This ‘game’ is no longer about survival of the fittest. It’s about being adaptable – knowing yourself well enough so you can dance with the ever-changing environment.

And survival?

You didn’t get in the game to ‘survive’! You took on the massive boulder that is running your own business so you AND your life can THRIVE!

Or, if you like the sound of the Self-Design Matrix but you’re not quite sure yet, reach out to me with your concerns or questions. I’d love to see if I can help you make the right decision (which, at this stage, may be to just hang around and get a feel for my style). 

And if you’re the type that knows you want the shortest path from here to your goal, let me know your aspirations. I have limited private coaching options that may be the best path for you.

Either way – as business owners, we have to heed the shift we’re in the midst of. It’s exciting, a little uncertain, but mostly inevitable. So your choice has to be to ride with Change. 

Now, here’s to the path we’ve chosen to embrace as Creators!