Tripped up by our own expectations

Hey 2,960+ friends, it’s Hannah here from Quoted Visually 🤍

Welcome to another issue of Floating Thoughts. I hope that you are having an epic summer. I’m reaching the end of my trip and feeling inspired. Let’s dive in ⤵︎

I heard this in a podcast, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since:

The old expectation gap!

If something is taking longer than expected, too often we can wallow in our own frustration, thinking *this should be quick* or *this should be easy*…

But all of these - should be’s - get in the way of us doing the actual task.

Often we CAN accommodate spending the extra effort getting the task done and if it’s a time issue, we can always adapt our schedules.

Because the path with the least resistance is acceptance.

I found this when I was building my course - everything was taking so much longer than I expected!

I burned through 3 different platforms, and kept feeling like I was failing at putting the lessons together.

My mindset changed when I realised that all of these hurdles and iterations were just part of the process.

The only way was *through*…

Realising this, I was then able to rationalise problems that arose because I saw tackling each one as a necessary step to getting my course out.

I couldn't get angry at things taking a long time, because they weren’t diversions. It was the path.

The lesson: We're all resilient enough to get through any problem, but if we set the stage to do so. Mindset matters more than we realise.

🗞️ Update

Gosh, that month travelling has gone fast 🥵

The end of August marks me turning 27 and 2 years of being self-employed, which is wild because it feels only yesterday that I was turning 25.

Story time 📜

I thought that I’d have more stability 2 years in, but I’ve been winging at the whole time, and I see now that this is totally normal!

Yet I find myself at a bit of a crossroad…

It’s the “what got me here, can’t get me there” situation because the game I’ve been playing is no longer going to serve me. Noticing this is the first step!

I need to move out of the family home and optimise for stability. Partly out of necessity and…

Taking on ad hoc freelance projects without a doubt is amazing! Many of my clients become mentors, and I feel very privileged to work with them.

But after getting my highest-paid freelance project back in April and still feeling the stress of *how am I going to earn next month*...

By design, this lifestyle is a rollercoaster, and I’ve realised that:

• all my earnings don’t have to come from illustration - Quoted Visually doesn’t have to ‘tick all the boxes’

• our 20’s are a time for expansion and working from home all the time has made my world small - too small

• I’m in Quoted Visually for the long run, and overdoing it now would be a quick way to kill my passion and ability to give.

Which is why I plan on GETTING A JOB to compliment running my course to:

1. get paid to learn other skills

2. geek out and work within a team

3. get guaranteed recurring income 🤞🏻

Because, ironically, I feel more like an entrepreneur than I have ever felt and I share this all with you, to normalise it.

We don’t have to box ourselves into one thing. We can go in and out of employment. Our careers are not static. They grow with us. It’s empowering 💪

My client did a TEDx talk on this (spot my illustrations at the end) ↑

So I’ll leave you with two curious questions:

• What career moves are you currently making?

• Do you know anyone who you could put me in touch with?

Lastly, brb crying, at this kind course review from Charles ⤵︎

That’s a wrap! Reply to this email if you have any questions, requests or feedback. I will respond when I’m back at the end of August. Made with Beehiiv (aff link) 🐝 

Big love,

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