Results = success? Not always.
What happens when the numbers don’t add up?
Some days, this business feels like the truest calling in the world. Other days, if I’m honest, it feels impossible.
I’ve been at it long enough to know both can be true. I’ve taken the courses, hired the coaches, shown up, kept going. And still, revenue doesn’t always line up with the effort, heart, and hours I pour in. On the hardest days, I wonder if my business is just an “expensive hobby.”
That’s my version of the struggle. Yours might look different.
Maybe it’s a performance review that leaves you questioning yourself.
Maybe it’s a project that goes south despite your best effort.
Or maybe it’s sharing your updates on social—only to be met with the roar of crickets.
Different circumstances, same trap: tying our worth to results that may never tell the full story.
The Dream That Named It
Last week, I had a dream: my dad took my bed. He just carried it out without asking.
I woke up angry and unsettled. The bed symbolized my rest, safety, and reward—and it was gone.
As I sat with it, I realized how much it mirrored the way I sometimes feel in my business. Like the security, acknowledgment, and reassurance I long for has been yanked away.
Like no matter how hard I work, I don’t get to rest—or feel satisfied—until the numbers prove I’ve “earned it.”
That dream named something I didn’t want to admit out loud:
I’ve been equating income with validation.
And it’s exhausting.
The Results Trap
Here’s what I see in myself—and in so many of us:
Metrics—whatever they are—become the measure of whether we “deserve” to feel good about ourselves.
Revenue, the number on the scale, or reviews become the arbiter of our worth.
Outcomes start to feel like someone (or something) else is holding the authority to decide if we’re enough.
For solopreneurs, this might look like waiting for the next client payment to feel secure.
For others, it might be stepping on the scale in the morning—and letting that number dictate your mood for the day.
It’s the Prover’s Path all over again. And it keeps us striving, second-guessing, over-delivering.
What I’m Trying Instead
I don’t have this all figured out. But here’s the shift I’m practicing:
✨ Revenue, weight, or reviews—none of these define me. They’re data, not identity.
✨ Action itself is validation. Showing up, trying again, choosing care—that counts.
This isn’t a neat formula that fixes everything. Some days it feels like a lifeline, other days like a stretch. But when I remember it, I can breathe again.
I can notice the impact that isn’t on a spreadsheet—the breakthrough in a client’s eyes, the release in their shoulders, the tiny flicker of joy that returns. Or even the simple satisfaction of honoring my body, resting when I need to, or speaking up when I’d normally stay quiet.
Those are the quiet wins that help me reclaim my “bed”—my right to rest, to feel enough, to honor the worthiness that was always there.
The Invitation
I’m sharing this because maybe you’re in the trenches too.
Maybe you’ve wondered if your business (or your efforts) are “real” because the results don’t yet match the energy you’ve poured in.
Maybe you’ve felt like the numbers decide if you get to exhale.
Maybe you’ve secretly asked yourself if it’s time to quit.
If so, I get it. I’m right here with you.
And I don’t know your answer—but I do know this: your worth is not up for debate. The recognition you crave doesn’t have to wait for income, results, or approval. It can start with you.
💌 And if someone came to mind as you read this—a friend or fellow solopreneur who could use a reminder that they’re not alone—would you share this with them? Sometimes a simple “I see you” is the best gift we can give.
A Practice You Can Try Right Now
When the results trap sneaks in—whether it’s tied to revenue, the scale, productivity, or approval—you don’t have to wrestle with it alone. Meredith AI Coach is always there—private, confidential, and trained in my Nothing to Prove framework—to help you come back to yourself.
Here are three prompts you can take straight into the Coach the next time you feel stuck:
💬 “What’s one way I can validate myself right now, without looking at numbers or outside approval?”
💬 “Show me the hidden impact of my efforts today that isn’t measured on a scale, spreadsheet, or checklist.”
💬 “I feel like I’m only enough when the results prove it—help me challenge that thought.”
👉 Try Meredith AI Coach here—it’s free, private, and always available. https://link.pauseboxco.com/Meredith-AI
With love (and solidarity),
Meredith
P.S. Want to go deeper with me? Nothing To Prove Weekly Ritual gives you 52 practices + live monthly sessions for less than $2 a week. Your subscription is a vote of confidence that keeps this work alive, and I'm so grateful. 🧡
