Noticing Blocks Before They Stop Your Progress
Noticing Blocks Before They Stop Your Progress
Things aren't flowing? Could be a block.
During the winter I grow cold hardy leafy greens in our greenhouse.
Most of the time it's cloudy and cold, so the soil doesn't need a lot of water.
But sometimes we'll get a sunny day and it warms up to 30 degrees Celcius (86 F).
Suddenly it’s like the tropics and plants need water to survive.
I use a watering can to water the driest spots when that happens.
One day I noticed the water was coming out at a snail's pace.
So I opened up the nozzle and was shocked by how much accumulated algae I found in there. (I’ll spare you the visual!)
I cleaned it out and now using the watering can was so different.
The water was flowing fast and I was able to finish watering in no time.
I believe we experience similar blocks in our lives and businesses without realizing it, too.
We often hear about “blocks”, but what are they?
You may have heard the term "money blocks" before, where you could be sabotaging your ability to earn or hold onto money.
It might be something from your past that you're subconsciously holding onto, or trauma that makes it hard for you to do or accept certain things.
This way of looking at energetic blocks can be helpful to give you a different perspective.
But I think a block might be even simpler.
A block is a habit that used to serve you, that no longer serves you.
It's that thing you've always done that way because that's the way it's always been done.
It can feel like you’re stuck in a rut, but you don’t quite realize that you’re stuck.
You’re “too close” to the issue at hand, or you’re too busy to pause and notice what’s going on.
Why blocks develop
A lot like my watering can, blocks develop over time when we're busy doing stuff and we don't notice that we're no longer operating optimally.
Circumstances may have changed, but we haven’t.
Concrete examples of blocks include:
Not sleeping well or pulling all-nighters even though they’re not necessary anymore to keep your business running
Having no documentation in place, so you need to relearn how to do stuff every time (I share my company wiki example here, it’s a sanity saver)
Using a tool that works, but doesn't quite do what you want it to do
Often we think we're operating at our best when we keep pushing forward.
But it's like that adage that it's better to take the time to sharpen your saw.
Or to decide if you even want to cut the tree in front of you at all.
I'm not talking about inherent structural barriers, that we all operate under in one way or another. You know, like late-stage capitalism, ableism, racism, sexism, ageism, and so on.
These aren’t small things that develop over time, but rather the environment that we all operate in. These things do influence what blocks develop for us.
But blocks are things that accumulate and are within our locus of control, so they aren't impossible to shift.
Especially if you're willing to ask for help and not try to fix them all on your own.
Once you know it's a block, you can clear it
The hardest part is recognizing you have a block.
That's usually how blocks develop: slowly, over time, so they aren't noticeable.
Take a moment to think about what's not working as optimally as you'd like right now, in your business or life.
Write down anything that's frustrating or that feels like it could be better.
Now that you have clues about where you might have a block, you can do something about it.
You might have realized that you're frustrated and sidetracked by social media (check out
by for inspiration).Or that your back hurts from sitting down most of the day.
Or that you never get to attend your kids' activities.
Now that you're aware, you can make different decisions.
It might not happen overnight, but you could remove social media apps from your phone, take meetings standing up, and change your work expectations so you can join your kids’ activities.
You might enlist the help of those around you to keep you accountable for these changes, or to help take some of the load off your shoulders.
Blocks are normal, they happen
It's normal for things to get out of alignment or feel a little "off".
It doesn't mean you're broken or that your business isn't on the right track.
Everything requires maintenance.
Our bodies, our mental and spiritual health, our relationships, and our businesses.
Taking the time to do it is the hardest part.
Don't let too much time go by with a blocked watering can.
Let things in your business and life flow, by taking the time to notice and fix issues along the way.
About Nathalie & The Momentum Memo
Nathalie Lussier is the founder of AccessAlly, a WordPress LMS plugin company for course creators, membership site owners, and community builders who want to scale on their terms.
In The Momentum Memo and Off The Charts podcast she shares her journey of running a tech business, being a regenerative farmer, and raising young kids.
Love this metaphor. 💦🌱