Turning plateaus into progress

Hey, I see you. You're at your desk again, aren't you? It's past seven in the evening and you're still working through that endless to-do list. The one that never seems to get shorter, no matter how many hours you pour into it.

You remember when this business felt different, don't you? When clients seemed to appear effortlessly from your network.

When each new project felt like validation that yes, you'd made the right choice leaving corporate. When growth felt inevitable.

But something's shifted.

The phone doesn't ring as often. The referrals have slowed to a trickle. You're working harder than ever, yet your revenue stubbornly refuses to budge. And there's this creeping fear that whispers: "What if this is as good as it gets?"

The plateau isn't your enemy

Here's what I need you to know: every founder hits this wall. Every single one. The plateau isn't a sign you've failed. It's not evidence that you're not cut out for this. It's feedback.

Think about it. When you started, you were solving immediate problems with the tools you had.

• Your network sustained you.

• Your corporate reputation opened doors.

• You were brilliant at delivery and that was enough.

But businesses, like children, outgrow their clothes. What got you here won't get you there. The plateau is your business telling you it's ready for its next evolution.

The question isn't whether you're good enough – you've already proved that. The question is: are you ready to listen to what this moment is teaching you?

Why being busy is seductive

I know what you're thinking. If you just work a bit harder, stay a bit later, perfect that proposal a bit more, surely things will shift.

But here's the uncomfortable truth: busyness is often fear in work clothes.

When we're busy, we don't have to face the difficult questions. We don't have to acknowledge that what we're doing isn't working. We can hide behind the comfortable lie that effort equals progress.

You know this, don't you? Deep down, you know that:

• another late night tweaking your website won't bring in new clients

• reorganising your filing system for the third time this year won't increase revenue

• being exhausted doesn't make you more valuable

The plateau persists not because you're not working hard enough, but because you're working hard at the wrong things.

The questions you've been avoiding

A plateau is an invitation to get curious. To ask the questions you've been too busy to consider:

• Who do you actually want to serve? Not who you've been serving because they were there. Not who you think you should serve. But who lights you up? Who values what you uniquely bring? Who are you genuinely excited to help?

• What shape do you want your business to take? Are you building a practice or a business? Do you want to scale, or do you want to go deeper with fewer clients? What would success look like if you designed it yourself, rather than inheriting someone else's definition?

• How do you want to get there? What got you here was hustle and hope. But what's next requires strategy and choice. It requires saying no to good opportunities to make room for great ones. It requires being visible in new ways, even when that feels uncomfortable.

These aren't questions you can answer while you're racing through your task list.

They require space. They require honesty. And often, they require someone to hold up a mirror and ask, "Is this really what you want?"

From frustration to insight: The Plateau Map

Let me give you something practical to work with. I call it the Plateau Map and it's deceptively simple.

First, list your frustrations. All of them. The petty ones, the profound ones, the ones that keep you awake at 3am. Write them down without judgement.

• "Clients don't value my expertise."

• "I'm tired of chasing invoices."

• "I feel invisible in my market."

Now, here's where it gets interesting. Take each frustration and translate it into a lesson. What is this frustration trying to teach you?

• "Clients don't value my expertise" becomes "I need to attract clients who can recognise and pay for excellence".

• "I'm tired of chasing invoices" becomes "I need better systems and boundaries".

• "I feel invisible in my market" becomes "It's time to claim my space and speak with authority".

Finally – and this is the crucial bit – identify one bold choice you've been avoiding. Just one.

The one that makes your stomach flip when you think about it. The one you know would change everything if you actually did it.

Maybe it's doubling your prices. Maybe it's firing that difficult client. Maybe it's finally writing that book, launching that programme or partnering with someone who complements your brilliance.

You know what it is. You've known for months.

The three-year forward look

Here's another tool that cuts through the noise. Project yourself forward three years. It's 2028. You're looking back at the last three years of your business.

If you keep doing exactly what you're doing now – same clients, same services, same revenue, same exhaustion – how will you feel?

Will you be proud? Satisfied? Or will you wonder where three years of your life went?

Now imagine a different scenario. What if you used this plateau as a turning point? What if three years from now, you looked back at this moment as the time everything changed?

What would you need to do differently, starting today, to make that second scenario real?

Why coaching changes everything

This is where coaching becomes transformative. Not because a coach has all the answers – you already have those.

But because a coach provides what you can't give yourself: perspective, accountability and permission.

A coach sees patterns you're too close to notice. They hear the story beneath the story. They catch you when you're playing small and challenge you when you're hiding behind busy.

More importantly, a coach holds space for the messy middle. That uncomfortable place between where you are and where you're going. They remind you that discomfort is growth in progress. That uncertainty is the price of evolution.

From Busy to Blooming – my six-week programme

This is exactly why I created "From Busy to Blooming" – a six-week programme designed specifically for brilliant solopreneurs who know they're capable of more but feel stuck in the endless cycle of busyness without progress.

Here's what we do: we sort through everything you're doing right now. All of it.

We separate what's actually working from what just feels like work. We identify the activities that drain you from those that energise you. The clients who value you from those who exhaust you.

But we don't stop at analysis. Over six weeks, we run experiments. Real, practical experiments in doing more of what works.

• We test new ways to attract the right clients.

• We try different approaches to positioning your brilliance.

• We measure what moves the needle and what's just keeping you busy.

Think of it as a laboratory for your business's evolution. Instead of massive, scary overhauls, we make small, strategic shifts.

We gather data. We learn what resonates with your ideal clients. We discover what feels authentic to you.

By week six, you're not just less busy – you're blooming. You have clarity on where to focus. You have evidence of what works.

And most importantly, you have momentum towards the business you actually want to run.

Coaching turns plateaus into turning points because it provides structure for change. Instead of hoping things will get better, you create a plan.

Instead of working in isolation, you have support. Instead of second-guessing every decision, you have someone who believes in your capability even when you don't.

The choice point

You're at a choice point. You can keep pushing against this plateau, exhausting yourself with effort that doesn't create progress.

Or you can pause, listen and let this moment teach you what you need to know. The plateau isn't punishing you. It's preparing you.

It's preparing you to step into a bigger version of your business. To serve clients who truly value your brilliance. To create offers that excite you. To build something sustainable, profitable and aligned with who you're becoming.

But first, you have to stop running. You have to stop numbing yourself with busyness. You have to be willing to feel the discomfort of growth.

Your next bold move

So here's my challenge to you. Put down the to-do list. Close the laptop. Pour yourself a cup of tea (or something stronger) and sit with these questions:

• What is this plateau trying to teach me?

• What bold choice have I been avoiding?

• What support do I need to make that choice?

Then, make one move. Just one. Book that coaching consultation. Have that difficult conversation. Send that bold proposal. Take that scary step.

Because here's what I know to be true: on the other side of this plateau is a business that fits who you're becoming. A business that energises rather than exhausts you. A business that creates the impact and income you deserve.

The plateau isn't the end of your growth story. It's the beginning of your next chapter. And you, brilliant as you are, are ready to write it.

Remember: plateaus aren't permanent. They're just waiting for you to be ready for what's next.

The question isn't whether you'll move past this – you will. The question is whether you'll do it alone, or with the support, challenge and accountability that turns struggle into strategy.

By the same author

• Why busyness isn't growth: How to be more profitable

• Lunch and Learn: Why busyness isn't growth

• Lunch and Learn: How to turn procrastination into progress