Urgh, I realized recently that I absolutely hate being told what to do. I don’t like being put under pressure and I especially don’t like feeling as though I am being coaxed into doing something I don’t want to do; or should have to do. I just don’t like feeling as though just being me isn’t enough and I need to do something else to be better or do better.
I’ve also noticed that I very seldomly move into action unless there is some sort of deadline, some sort of pointing out of how uncomfortable it is as is, or painting a picture of success that I want in on (pocket money in exchange for cleaning my room) – ALL THIS FOR ONLY 9.99 IF YOU BUY NOW.
There are delicate, specific moments where a little bit of pressure, a deadline, “if you act now”, and a consequence of missing out really feels good… there’s a feeling of success and accomplishment, good dopamine if you will, and yet for the most part, being put under pressure and told “miss this and you miss out”, feels really constricting, patronizing, and quite frankly annoyingly overwhelming.
I am referring to the marketing tactics to buy now before the cart closes, buy today and get this bonus, buy this to earn six figures, lose that weight, build this muscle, get that girlfriend or boyfriend, and so on and so on.
We are so trained to do as these marketers say – buy buy buy – but we don’t actually act on something that could be good for us unless we are being put under pressure to make a decision.
The worst part is that we’ve all been suckered into some too-good-to-be-true bullshit deal that has left us feeling skeptical and resistant to anyone offering something unless of course, they have employed all the usual marketing tactics to have you know, like, and trust them to hand over your money to get richer, thinner, prettier, more money, more sex, more, more, more, more, mooooooooore, or your money back, guaranteed!!
This all gives me anxiety.
It gives me anxiety because it is meant to. These marketing tactics prey on my feelings of not being enough, these marketing tactics force me into obsessing about being perfect, fixing myself, healing myself, and improving myself. They make me feel like a failure when I can’t get a handle on my own life and feelings, I feel like an imposter who is left behind in life and isn’t prepared for adulting. This makes me procrastinate on doing things that are fun and creative because I’m afraid of being the weird one that everyone will laugh at. This constant feed of marketing, and pressure to buy, and miss-this-and-miss-out makes me second guess myself, letting that inner critic run rampant about how fat, lazy, poor, ugly, and stupid I am – unless I buy what they are selling.
Ok ENOUGH!
It makes me feel overwhelmed and it means I feel as though I have to resort to the same icky marketing tactics to make any success of my business… and I don’t want to!
How can I run a workshop called The Anxiety Clinic, which is designed to support those who attend with techniques they can do themselves to bring rest, relaxation, and regulation, and then create anxiety and pressure for people to join?
Gosh… all I can say is that I have been feeling all kinds of anxiety in the lead-up to running this workshop, wanting to be sure that it’s a raving success… I can now confirm that all the techniques do work! ;P
I am unlearning old marketing habits and having to create new ways of inviting people to come and work with me, thank you all for sticking around for this!