To create more abundance, start where you are

Me and Mom enjoying a Harbor Cruise on the San Diego Bay

Are you waiting for the abundance in your life to show up before you start living the life of your dreams? Do you find yourself saying “As soon as I have money I will _____?” “As soon as my business gets to certain point I will ____?”

I think we often equate abundance and prosperity to having a certain level of money to buy the trips and home and other material things we want in life. But when you really stop and think about it, is that really what abundance and prosperity mean to you?

Often when I talk to clients about this, what they’re really looking for is more time to spend with family, time to do the things that they want to do, the ability to explore new experiences, a certain level of freedom and independence and other kinds of feelings of well-being. When you distill it all down, it’s a certain lifestyle and the feelings that go along with it that we seek.

I’d like to prompt you to stop and think for a moment, what are some things you could be doing right now that would generate those feelings for you?

I know for me personally, being able to take the afternoon off to spend the day with my mom feels very luxurious to me. Or having lunch in the middle of the week with a friend. Or taking a yoga class in the middle of the day. Or taking off and going for a walk on the beach mid-week when there are no crowds. Or going camping in the middle of the week with my husband and having the campground to ourselves.

Don’t get me wrong, I know how easy it is to make excuses not to do these things. I can’t tell you how many times I have woke up in the morning and thought to myself “I should hop in the Jeep with Harley and go for a walk on the beach” and that thought was immediately replaced by “Oh, but I need to do this and that and the other thing. I don’t have time.”

Sound familiar?

You know what you are doing in the process? You are signaling to the universe that there isn’t enough time and that you don’t trust in your ability to co-create with the universe to get the things done that need to get done. You are, without realizing it, living from a place of scarcity; expressing that you need to “do” more in order to create more clients and more income.

One of my biggest aha moments I’ve had in awhile came yesterday and I know that it was because I gave myself some time and space to spend a fun day with my mom on Friday, on the San Diego Bay, in the salt air, with the breeze in my face and the seagulls squawking and the Pelican posing for his photo, with no agenda, just connecting.

Isn’t it moments like that you really seek?

I found myself relishing in the fact that we were able to do that midweek when it was quieter and fewer people. I felt extremely blessed. It felt very luxurious. And I found myself asking “Why do I not do this more often?”

If you truly want to create more abundance in your life, start where you are. Make a list of how you want your life to feel. What kinds of things does that include? My guess is it’s about more than just having things. It’s about having experiences. Yes, some of those do take money. But abundance is created by living in abundance where you are now. Not waiting until later.

Stop waiting to live the life you want to live. The sooner you start living the life you want to live now the sooner you will start feeling those feelings of abundance which then generate more prosperity in your life. Those feelings of being and feeling full and taken care of and nourished attract more of the same to you. If you are living from a place of scarcity of not enough time and money all you do is attract more of that!

We’ve just entered a Mercury Retrograde, which is a powerful time for going inward and reflecting. Give yourself the gift of time to connect with your spirit, in nature, meditating, journaling, or whatever else nurtures your spirit. Ask your spirit what is one small shift you can create in your life, right now, that would allow you to feel more abundant. Than, take action on it. Get it on your calendar. Today.

If you need support in connecting to your spirit, I’m available for both remote and in-person Reiki and Healing Touch energy sessions. Mention you saw this blog, and receive $10 off your session. Go HERE to schedule your session.

With good energy,

 

 

 

The Power of Focus

What’s your vision for 2015? You’ve probably set some intentions or resolutions or goals. But what’s your overriding theme for the year?

Last year, for the first time, I decided it would be fun to pick a single word as my theme for the entire year — something that would envelope all of my goals and intentions for myself both personally and professionally.

I settled on the word “expansion”. That felt really big to me and had a lot of energy behind it when I thought about it. I just “knew” that big changes were ahead of me.

WHEW! I couldn’t have been more on target! Last year really was a big year. I hosted my first global speaker summit, the largest and most growth-expanding project I’ve ever undertaken in my business.

Hosting a summit challenged my confidence in approaching well-known speakers and authors, my organization, my delegating (could have done better in that area, I’ll admit), my energy and stamina, my technology skills and my ability to maintain balance in my life (could’ve done better in that area as well, just ask my husband!), and SO MUCH MORE.

On a personal level, in great part due to the above, I grew exponentially as well. You just don’t take on a project of that magnitude without making some giant leaps internally.

The power of that kind of focus is immeasurable.

It gives you a quick and easy way to make decisions, even without having to go back and revisit your goals. If it doesn’t fit in with your theme, you just don’t give it much thought. You can immediately either back-burner or toss it.

That brings me to the next powerful tool that works hand in hand with having a theme – a Vision Board. I’m on my 4th or 5th Vision Board now I think. I keep perfecting the process and adding to it.

If you’re in the San Diego area, I’m excited to announce that due to popular demand, I’m leading another Vision Board playshop this month!

Now, this is not your run-of-the-mill Vision Board. Oh no. You’ll have fun not only with paint and images, but you’ll incorporate the emphasis of the Chinese New Year (which this year is the Ram) AND the power of Feng Shui AND you’ll experience a new self-discovery process to assist you in tapping into what really lights you up on that deep spiritual level.

The playshop is happening Saturday January 31st. I’m partnering with Inspire San Diego Studio who will be hosting the event. Their studio is a wonderful setting for this kind of soul-ful work.

WHAT: Feng Shui Vision Board (with a twist)
WHEN: January 31st
TIME: 12-3 p.m.
WHERE: Inspire SD Studio
TICKETS: Purchase HERE

I’ve had people tell me that they’ve done vision boards before but that “they weren’t like yours” and “you made the experience fresh”.

Here’s what a couple of past participants have had to say:

“Thanks. This is great for inspiration & creativity. Fun! Fun! Fun!” Sue H.

“Nice format. Loved the Chinese New Year info.”

“Wonderful!”

“Loved having the space to do this important visioning. Nice approach.” Nancy G.

Grab your seat now while you can as the studio has limited seating.

We’ll supply all of the materials including paint and poster and even the magazines, but feel free to bring any images that you’ve been collecting. I also suggest bringing a few personal photos of you, your family, etc. to include to put YOU in your vision board, but make sure they’re photos from a happy time that give you a warm fuzzy feeling when you look at them.

Go HERE to grab your spot!

With good energy,

 

 

Reaching your goals quickly – one small habit at a time

During my end of day review the other day I started to feel a little panic come over me. My week had progressively gone from full to overload. More new clients coming in (a good thing!) had thrown my “plan” for the week.

In reviewing all the things I had intended on doing I started to wonder how the heck I was going to work it all in.

What I “should have done” in the moment is taken a few minutes to detail out the action steps needed for two projects I’m working on and have an honest conversation with myself about what was left on my task list for the week. But I didn’t do that.

So what happened? I did it in my sleep – allllll night. My mind and subconscious went to work trying to sort it all out for me. (Thank you subconscious, I appreciate that!).

Ever happen to you?

When I woke the first thing on my agenda was to get all that down on paper. As soon as I did that I realized that I had a lot of the pieces already, I just needed to pull them together. Getting it down on paper though allows your mind to let go of the process and release the angst and panic around it all.

That end of day review is a powerful process, and a habit of mine, but you have to take it to the finish line. The whole idea is to review and track your progress and make adjustments if needed.

Skip that step and you miss the whole point of the process which is to leave you at the end of the day at peace with where you are, and that allows your mind to let go so that you can sleep and wake restored.

When you don’t do that, whether you’re aware of it or not, your subconscious will try and sort through it all during the night and then instead of waking up feeling recharged and excited about your day, you wake up feeling like you need another 8 hours of sleep and a cup of coffee!

If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed it’s time to ask yourself some questions:

• Did I take on too much this week?
• Does everything on my list really need to be done, this week?
• Is everything on my list in alignment with my goal for this month and the year in total?
• Which item on my list is most powerfully going to move me forward towards my goal for the month?
• In light of things that have come up this week, are there some things on my list that are now lower priority or, maybe not even important anymore? Would it make sense then for any of them to be postponed to a later date or removed entirely?

This daily habit of reviewing creates a clarity that is powerful, AND IS CRITICAL, in moving you forward towards manifesting what you want in your life.

It’s one of the many daily habits that I employ. It’s simple in its application and easy to do.

Daily habits like this are the very small, simple steps that create BIG momentum.

It’s one more of the things that I’ll be covering in my Conscious Plan-for-Success Virtual Retreat taking place this Thursday 1/15/15 from 1:00-5:00pm PST.

Registration is open NOW!

Go HERE to grab your spot now!

Enter the special coupon code “75off” and save over 75% on the registration fee. Why? Because I am on a mission to help you, a follower of my BLOG, to create a real shift in how you approach your goals and intentions for the year. And I want to help you do it now, at the beginning of the year, while you’re still fresh and excited about the year!

Make 2015 your best year yet!

With good energy,

 

 

P.S. Don’t procrastinate – grab your spot now before you forget! I promise, you’ll be so glad you did! Go HERE, now. 

How about a more conscious approach to goal-setting?

You know what’s occurred to me over the last couple of weeks? This annual planning and goal-setting stuff takes TIME! If you’re going to experience real results, and make it to the finish line, it requires being very intentional about the process. And that, my friend, takes time and a proven process.

This time of year energy and excitement and motivation are high. All you have to do is check out your local gym, and you’ll know what I mean. There are waiting lines to use the weight machines and you can’t get into your favorite yoga class.

Check back in a couple of months and it’s a whole different scene.

According to a research study by Scranton University, only 8% of people actually succeed in reaching their goals. After the first week, which is today, 25% have already given up. 

That makes me very sad. 

What happens to all of those great intentions and resolutions?

You know what I think? I think we make the process too darn hard on ourselves. 

One of the key components to success is making the intention realistic, while still stretching you. I saw someone in my circle on FaceBook post that her new year resolution was that she was going to practice yoga every day. Now, if you already practice yoga, say, 4-5 days a week, then stretching it to daily, is expanding you but not out of reach. If on the other hand, you practice once a month or once a week, then to set the intention for daily practice is most likely setting yourself up for defeat and discouragement.

And yet, that’s what a lot of us do. That’s just setting the bar too high and what it does in the process is that it creates a level of tension that is just too much to bear.

Here’s what I mean by that. When you create an intention that is too far out of your current reality, it creates a level of discomfort that instead of being motivating, de-motivates you. Why? Because it scares you! At a deep level you’re afraid that you can’t live up to your own intention, the very one that you created!

You’re biologically wired to stay safe. Any time you undertake something that stretches you out of your comfort zone, you’re going to trigger that biological fear factor. It’s human nature and there isn’t anything you can do about that.

What you can do, however, is start slow and steady. When you create minor shifts that feel fairly easy to manage but still take some discipline because you haven’t been doing them that biological instinct doesn’t kick in, at least not to the degree that it’s paralyzing. It’s a way of tricking yourself, if you will, into taking action on big dreams, but in little steps that aren’t quite so scary, both on a conscious and an unconscious level.

There are a few other keys that I’ll be sharing over these next critical days.

All of this talk about resolutions and why so few are successful at them got me thinking. What could I do? As a member of my tribe, I want you to be one of the 8%!!! 

So I’m doing something I’ve never done before. I’ve done lots of workshops and I’ve done retreats and I’ve done webinars. This time I’m going to conduct a virtual retreat. I’m calling it the Conscious Annual Success Planning Virtual Retreat. It’ll be virtual so you can join me from all over the world. All you’ll need is a phone or Skype, although if you can be at your computer, even better as I’ll have slides, as I usually do.

I wanna help you take a conscious approach to your planning this year. How about for once you plan your life more from a place of being in alignment with what gives you joy and with ease? When done correctly (in my humble opinion) there’s more work involved in the planning piece than the actual execution. In my experience, the easier you can make it for yourself to stick to your plan, the more likely you’ll succeed.

There are some techniques to doing that. That’s what I’ll share during the retreat.

Are you ready to roll up your sleeves and put into place a conscious plan to create success in 2015? Then reserve the time on your calendar, right now for next Thursday, 1/15/15 (oh wow, there’s gotta be something magical about that date, right?!) from 1:00-5:00pm PST. Go ahead, do it now, I’ll wait.

I’ll have the registration page and all the details for you in the next few days. As a member of my tribe this is going to be almost free. The fee will be so small, like, two or maybe three Java’s from your favorite coffee house, depending on whether you’re like me and like the fu-fu drinks. Hey, what can I say, I like a little coffee with my Hazelnut and foam!

The only reason I’m even charging anything at all is because, well, let’s be honest, you’re just maybe a little more likely to invest something of yourself in the process if you have a little skin in the game. But I promise it will not hurt your wallet.

If you’re excited about this idea (or if you think it’s the worse idea I’ve ever thought of) drop me a quick  “YES!” or “Heck No!” comment below! I’d love to know how this is landing on the other side.

Check back soon! I’ll be posting it in the next couple of days.

With good energy,

 

 

P.S.P.S. Remember, next Thursday, 1/15 1:00-5:00 PST. It’s on your calendar, right? No? What are you waiting for? This is going to be the best planning session you’ve ever done. Did I mention that I’d be throwing in a little energetic healing to help remove any blocks? I didn’t? Oh, well, that’s the icing on the top then!

Find Your Purpose in Business (and a FREE Gift!)

In my last couple of posts we’ve looked at two pieces of the equation to discovering your purpose in life and in your business: your life story and your interests.

One of the saddest things for me is seeing someone who’s taken the scary jump of going into business for themselves and yet they’re unhappy.

Perhaps they’ve created a business doing something they’re good at. Or maybe they hung their hat on some business opportunity that “sounded good” at the time. They may be quite successful by many standards; they’re making money, they have a full business and yet something’s missing.

That’s exactly what can happen when you align yourself with work you have no passion for.

What happens when you do that?

See if any of these sound like you:

• You have a sense of emptiness inside that just won’t go away.
• You find yourself procrastinating – a LOT.
• You have this nagging sense that deep down you know your purpose, but it feels like it’s just beyond your grasp – kind of like when you’re searching for that word that’s just “on the tip your tongue” but it won’t come to you? Yeah, like that!
• You don’t feel excited about your business like perhaps you once did.
• You feel “pulled” to do something else, but you don’t know what.
• Or maybe you have a sense of what your purpose is but it scares the crap out of you?!

Now some of these, by themselves, could be symptoms of some other things going on but more than likely, they’re not.

When you’re coming from a place of purpose and passion, you can’t not do the work. It feels like it’s a part of who you are at the cellular level. It’s why you’re here.

It’s that kind of passion and purpose that keeps you going when the going gets hard. And at some point it will feel hard. At some point in your business, you’re gonna have some rough patches and it’s then that the passion and purpose is so crucial because it’s what keeps you going. Without it, it’s so easy to give up!

That’s exactly what happened to me when I was in the technology field. I had spent close to a decade in the industry. I was really good at it. I made good money. I had built a successful business, but once the challenge of creating it was gone, I felt empty, hollow.

It felt like I was just doing it for the money and the lifestyle that money could buy and that left me feeling flat or dead inside.

After I got certified as a Reiki Master I didn’t have a clue what I was going to do with my new-found knowledge and training. I didn’t even know why at the time I felt drawn to become a Reiki Master. I just knew I had to do it. But the thought of starting a business with it at the time seemed unfathomable for me.

“What will people think?” I thought. “Reiki? What the heck is that?” I could hear them say. Some kind of “woo-woo”. I just couldn’t bear the thought of being ostracized.

And yet I knew on a deep level that it’s an integral part of what I am here to do.

But I ran the other way, for years.

But sooner or later, it catches up with you. Life has a way of pulling you back, sometimes through hardship, life transitions or just an emptiness that won’t leave you alone. Nothing, I mean nothing, can take that feeling away except following your calling.

As soon as I looked inside and reconnected with why I was here, what I was passionate about, that’s when things fell into place.

If any of this resonates with you, I invite you to join me in a training I’m doing on Thursday called Find Your Purpose in Business.

I’ll take you through a powerful process that has helped thousands of people find their purpose and passion.

You’ll discover:

• How to quench that longing for fulfillment and sense of purpose, once and for all
• The simple formula used by thousands to successfully “tap into” what it is your spirit is being pulled towards
• The three must-have ingredients for true life-business satisfaction and joy
• The 7 gateways to lasting business success
• How to start 2015 with momentum and power

You’ll also receive a FREE Gift from me just for opting in – the Life Purpose Worksheet! This worksheet process will give you a powerful jump-start on our webinar training.

Click HERE to reserve your spot on the training and receive your free gift now!

Isn’t it time you live a life of pure joy, doing what you love and sharing your unique message and gifts with the world?

With good energy,

 

 

P.S. Let me introduce you to the Way Through All Those Stagnant Feelings, Emotions, and Actions and Onto A New Path…TODAY! Click HERE to reserve your seat AND to receive your Free Gift!

What makes you different?

To pick up where we left off in my last post, in connecting with your life purpose there are three keys I find to be at the core of an individual’s true life satisfaction and fulfillment – that feeling of living your life purpose and what you are here to do and be.

You came into this world with a mission and purpose, a seed, although you may have forgotten what it was. 

One key is the life challenges you’ve experienced. But sometimes you’re too close to what you’ve gone through in life to see where your life purpose lies in at all. It can feel like a random string of events, with no real thread.

Sometimes you have to take a back-door approach to get there.

Your life story, the challenges you’ve experienced, serve to not only remind you why you’re here, but to give you the tools to share in order to live your life purpose. And the best part is when you connect with that, your life and business can be a reflection of that in a way that feels soooo easy!

Your natural abilities are the second key. Your inborn way of dealing with the world may not seem all that unique to you, but someone else most likely would deal with the same set of life circumstances differently.

That’s when it’s helpful to have a mirror. Some way of reflecting back to you what it is that makes you different.

One place to start is with those closest to you. Depending on your relationships, your family can be a great first resource for you. Now, if that immediately brings up resistance or feelings of vulnerability, then move your thoughts to your closest friends or advocates. What do these people closest to you say about you? What do they compliment you on? What do they say “You’re so good at ______”. What do they all come to you for assistance with? What natural ability do you have that you’re the go-to person for?

Not sure? Ask them! Make a list of your closest family, friends and trusted advisors. Go ahead. Do that now. Then come back and we’ll pick up from there.

Got it? Okay. Now here’s what you do. Call them up or make a point of asking them next time you see them “Hey, I’m curious, what do you see as my natural skills or abilities? If you were talking to a friend about me how would you complete the statement ‘She/he is so good at ___________’? Are there certain abilities that you feel seem to come so easily for me but not other people you know?”

These mini-interviews can be the starting point in helping you to begin to connect the dots. They may or may not be the answers in themselves, but most likely, at the very least, will start to trigger a thought stream.

As you go through the process, record what you’re hearing without judgment or criticism. Try to keep an open mind. Remember, you’re looking for the common threads that tie it all together. The more open you can be to the information you’re receiving, the more insights will begin to come to you. Don’t get too caught up on all of the details. It might not be the actual skills or activities themselves, but some attribute about them.

After reading the above you may have thought to yourself, “Just because I’m good at something doesn’t mean I’m going to be successful at it, or that it feels like my life purpose.”

And you’re right! I’ve had more clients than I can count who fit that bill. They quit their job and started a business doing what they were good at as an employee and they’re miserable, with a capital “M”.

There’s one more key to the life purpose equation that we haven’t talked about yet. I’ll address that in the next email. So watch your inbox for the next installment!

What are your thoughts on all of this? What have you found to be the missing pieces for you in your life satisfaction? Have you found the perfect mix for you? I’d love to hear your thoughts! Please post your thoughts or questions below.

With good energy,

 

 

P.S. Have you been living with the question of your life purpose for so long that just the thought of it makes you cringe inside? I’m hosting a free training next Thursday at 1:00 PST where I’ll walk you through my powerful process of gaining clarity around your life purpose, once and for all!

So reserve the date and check back here for the announcement to grab your spot for this powerful free training!

The question you, and only you, can answer…

One of the most common life challenges I hear from new clients is “I don’t know what my life purpose is” or “I’m not sure what I’m here to do”.

It’s a frustrating place to be. I know. Believe it or not, I was there at one point. I’ve been there more than once, actually. “How can that be?” You might ask. “If you figured it out once, why would you ever have the question again?”

Let me tell you.

The first time I remember having the question was in my early 30’s.

I remember seeing some rock star being interviewed, I think it was Bon Jovi, and he was talking about how all he ever wanted to do, from the time he was a child, was play music. I remember thinking, “Wow, how cool to know from a young age what you wanted to do with your life.”

I don’t know about you, but when I was young there were a variety of things I thought I wanted to do and be when I grew up. It started out as a hair stylist (probably because my mom had a weekly visit to hers) and from there it was a surgical nurse; that is, until I saw the reality of what it was like to be in an operating room on some TV documentary, with all the blood and guts. That took care of that.

I was making a very good living in the technology field. I was a contract software instructor. I worked when and how often I wanted, which for me was about 3 to 4 days a week. I played a lot on our boat. I travelled to places like Roatan, Honduras and Cozumel to scuba dive with my husband and went on all-inclusive dive boat charter trips. Life was good!

And yet, I remember standing in the kitchen one morning, coffee cup in hand, having this conversation with my husband about how it just wasn’t enough. Something was missing. I just didn’t feel like this was what I was meant to do for the rest of my life. I wanted to have a bigger impact. I wanted to help people change their lives, not just the way they worked.

That led to my work as a career coach and professional speaker.

Fifteen years later, my husband and I suffered great personal financial loss from the economic fallout of 2008. In addition, as a result of some life transitions, I had moved away from the work that really gave me joy.

I found myself once again asking “Why am I here?”

We’re back to that question, if you figured out your purpose once, why would you need to figure it out again?

Sometimes we move away from what we know to be true for ourselves. We get off track, for a variety of reasons: life transitions, moves, money, etc.

And sometimes, you evolve, personally and in your business. You reach a sort of plateau and find yourself asking, “So, what’s next?”

This is when it is necessary to stop and assess your life path. You have all the answers inside you. Your spirit knows what makes you happy; what gives you joy. You just need a way to reconnect with that.

When you find yourself in that place of stuckness, here’s a process you can try:

1. Carve out an hour or so for some quiet time. Find a place you can go to be undisturbed. If it’s hard to find a quiet space in your home, then drive somewhere, a park, the beach, sit in your car if you have to!

Is your head already finding reasons why you can’t make that happen? I know, your life is really busy. But hey, this is your LIFE we’re talking about. Is your happiness and satisfaction worth an hour of your time? YES, it is. And guess what, no one is going to do this for you. Only you can make the choice, and it is a choice, to do this for yourself.

2. Next, take a few moments to silence your mind. Focusing on your own breath is a great starting point. Just notice the inhale and exhale of your own breath. I also like to do some yoga poses and meditation as another way to silence my mind and connect to my spirit.

3. With some blank sheets of paper begin contemplating and free-writing answers to the following questions:

• What are some of the major points of transition in your life? Think of your life in terms of decades. What were the transitions, if any, in each decade?
• What happened in each decade?
• What shifted for you?
• What values were tested for you, if any?
• What kinds of questions did you find yourself asking?
• And finally, what are the common themes?

Often, this process can identify some significant points of leverage for you.

Here’s the deal, your life story, the stuff you’ve dealt with, is often the same stuff you can help others with.

A colleague of mine went through a pretty contemptuous divorce and is now coaching individuals on how to go through the process with ease. She learned a lot from her own experience and is sharing what she learned and the tools she used to not only survive, but thrive through it as a result.

But back to you. What if you do the exercise I suggested above and come up empty? What if you still don’t have a clue why you’re here? Then what? How do you figure it out? Usually the clues are literally right in front of you.

In my next post I’ll share how to identify them using a powerful back-door method.

Check back for that! I’ll be posting it in the next couple of days.

With good energy,

 

 

P.S. I’m doing a free training next week where we’ll dive into this topic more deeply. Check back soon for more information on that!

What are you not seeing?

 

During a Strategic Planning Session yesterday with a business owner, we were exploring avenues for her to find clients for the new business she’s launching. Her business model lends itself well to both men and women. When I asked her which gender she likes to work with most, she said “both” but she followed that with “I don’t really understand women”. She then stated that she felt there was some room for personal growth and learning there so she was going to focus on women because “Working with men is easy”.

She talked freely about how she loves men and how all her friends are men and then she said “Men are FUN!”

When she said those words her voice elevated and her energy shifted into high gear. It was clear to me that this is where her heart is!

She acknowledged she has this ability to take men deep into their emotional stuff – which is key to the work she does. That ability is something that makes her different. Most likely there are men who will open up to her in a way they would never feel safe in opening up to another man. That’s her gift, and yet she was going in another direction because of some underlying belief that she “should”.

Here’s the bottom line. You come into this world with gifts, things that are effortless for you. That my friend is where the gold is!

If you capitalize on what’s easy and natural for you, your business will flow. You’ll be more excited and motivated about it. Doing the work of the business will come easier for you because you’re having fun. When you’re having fun you’re tapping into what gives your spirit joy and when you do that, the money flows!

There’s often a misconception that “If it’s easy for me, it must be easy for everyone else” and then there’s no value in it. “I can’t charge for that” or “I can’t make a business out of that” because “Doesn’t everyone know how to do that?”

Not necessarily!

I’ve seen this belief play out a lot with artists or even those in the healing professions. They often discount the fact that something that comes from their soul, something they eat, live and breathe and that gives them such joy is something they have a right to not only make a living at, but a very good living!

What do your friends and colleagues acknowledge you for that for you seems straightforward and comfortable? Are you discounting its value? Does it come so easy that it’s hard to wrap your head around why it wouldn’t be easy for everyone else? Most likely that’s a special gift or talent. Embrace it!

This one insight can save you light-years of frustration and fast-track your success in business because you won’t waste time trying to make your business be what you think it should be vs. what gives you joy.

What are you not seeing about you and your business? Let’s find out in your own complimentary Strategic Planning Session. I only have a few spots left!

With good energy,

 

 

P.S. The replay of the webinar on how to Expand Your Business & Income in 2015 ends today. If you missed it, you can view HERE for the rest of today only.

5 Powerful Steps You Can Take to Finish 2014 Strong

In my last post we talked about how procrastination is really a form of resistance, and that resistance is really an unconscious avoidance to some sort of pain or discomfort like feelings of failure, inadequacy or even overwhelm. In the end, it’s what stops you in your tracks and prevents you from gaining progress or taking action on your goals.

There’s a tendency to slow down once the holiday months roll around.

But as of today, there are 54 days left in 2014!

You still have time to end the year on a strong note. Here are 5 powerful steps you can take:

1. Go back and review your goals and vision for 2014. Take a real honest look at what you set out to accomplish. What feelings do you notice as you do your review? Do you have a sense of excitement “WOW! I’ve done so much more than I realized!” Or instead did your stomach go into knots with feelings of failure or disappointment at having missed your mark? Are you feeling like you’d just really rather not think about it? Hang with me here!
2. Review what you HAVE accomplished. How does that match up with your vision for the year? Did something shift? Did you get distracted and off course?
3. Identify the one goal that was the most important to you this year that you haven’t yet met. Does it still matter to you? If not, skip it and go on to the next most important. Review each goal and then decide which one goal, if taken action on, would yield you the most return between now and the end of the year.
4. Now ask yourself these three questions about that goal: 1) Why do you want this goal? 2) What does it give you? 3) What will this goal help you feel? Write down your responses. Do you still want it? Is it still as important as you thought it was? If yes, continue on to step 5. If not, go back to your list and identify a different goal.
5. Write down three actions you can take in November towards reaching your high-priority goal. Now, look at your calendar, exclude any holiday travel and time with family, and block out times in your calendar, on specific days, to take those actions. Leave some room for some flux because, let’s face it, stuff happens! Now write down three more actions you can take in December and plug them into your calendar.

Give yourself some down time with family, but at the same time, push yourself a little. The last two months of the year do not have to be a vortex of lost momentum.

Last year around this time one of my clients had just formed her business idea. By the end of the year she was working part-time at her day job and part-time on her dream business. By the end of the first quarter of this year she was already in action selling her services and getting a support team in place. By the 3^rd quarter she had quit her job and was working her business full-time! A lot can happen in a very short period of time when you have all the right systems and structures in place. 

Applying these steps will get you that much closer towards reaching your target than you would have otherwise, and, you’ll probably find that it gives you a new sense of energy at having made some progress.

Save the Date!

Join me next Thursday in a free training I’ll be hosting where I’ll show you the common root causes of inaction and I’ll give you practical but powerful action steps you can take to move yourself forward in 2015 in a way you didn’t know was possible! It all starts with implementing the three vital structures necessary for taking action with consistency, clarity and purpose.

In my next post I’ll outline some of the common business pitfalls or mistakes we often make as business owners and show you how you can avoid them.

In the meantime, let me know your thoughts by posting your comments below, or on my Conduit for Self-Healing Facebook page. If you’re feeling brave, post what three actions you intend to take between now and the end of the year so you can finish the year strong.

Stay tuned!

With good energy,

 

 

P.S. Mark your calendar! On November 13th I’m going to be hosting a FREE online training “Ready. Set. GROW! – 3 vital structures your business needs to triple its expansion & income in 2015”.

The #1 reason you won’t reach your business goals next year

It’s that time of year, you know, you’re in the last quarter and you’re starting to feel that sense of “CRUD. I’m so far from reaching my income goals for the year…again.”

This can evoke all kinds of reactions, such as:

Avoidance. “The holidays are almost here. I’ll just get through them and then I’ll figure out how to do things differently next year.”

Disappointment and self-criticism. “Why is it that every year I find myself repeating the same pattern?”

Feelings of failure. “At this rate, I’m never going to have the kind of success I want for myself.”

I see this all the time in my work with clients. They’re very accomplished, highly intelligent and driven business owners. And yet, somehow, they can’t seem to make any real progress year over year. And they’re frustrated or worse, feel disempowered; like there’s something wrong with them.

I read recently that the #1 reason stated by individuals for not reaching their goals was – procrastination.

But I think it’s much deeper than that. You had a dream when you started your business, why would you intentionally procrastinate when it came to growing it?

Here are some questions to ask yourself to see if you can get to the root of the problem:

• Did you make your goals so large and then get discouraged when you saw that you weren’t making any headway?
• Did you chunk your goals down into measurable action steps? And then calendar them?
• Were you using a shotgun approach to your marketing, going after a bunch of different products or services in the hopes that something would stick?
• Have you lost the passion or enthusiasm you once felt for your business?
• Are you doubting that you have a viable business service or product?

This kind of honest reflection can be pivotal in uncovering the resistance behind your lack of action. Resistance is really an unconscious avoidance to some sort of pain or discomfort: the pain or discomfort of not living up to your own (or someone else’s) expectations or feelings of failure or shame or inadequacy or even overwhelm.

If you dare to go deep, and have an honest conversation with yourself, you can consciously decide to make a different choice.

In my next email I’ll reveal 5 Powerful Steps You Can Take to Finish 2014 Strong.

In the meantime, let me know your thoughts by posting your comments below, or on my Conduit for Self-Healing Facebook page. If you’re feeling brave, post what three actions you intend to take between now and the end of the year so you can finish the year strong.

Stay tuned!

With good energy,

 

 

P.S. Mark your calendar! On November 13th I’m going to be hosting a FREE online webinar “Ready. Set. GROW! – 3 vital structures your business needs to triple its expansion & income in 2015”.