I love my work, because when I love what I do, it is no longer work!
Certain Uncertainty
September 27 by Leave a Comment
Business is uncertain. Anyone who begins to think that their success is a certainty is simply fooling him or herself.
We create promises to ourselves that create our motivations to get things done. We consciously or unconsciously say to ourselves, if I start to make calls to my perspective clients, my business will grow and I can be successful. I can increase the certainty for prosperity.
There simply is no certainty. Change your thinking away from wanting security. Begin to be comfortable in the uncertainty. Simply be aware.
Awareness and curiosity are the states that will lead you to business and personal success.
Business is not a mechanical process. It constantly and organically changes. Trends change. Your competition changes. Your relationship to your business changes. Market conditions change. Uncertainty is constant.
Keep your eyes open and practice unbridled awareness. This state of being and not doing will allow you to get as close to your own definition of success as possible at any given moment.
There is no dogma. There is no security. There’s only aware exploration. Not all successful entrepreneurs know this. Most fulfilled and contented ones do.
The Great Non-Thinker
August 13 by Leave a Comment
Historically, our society has rewarded us for being great thinkers and for possessing an analytical mind. The 21st century is bringing a shift to this trend. We have entered the era of the Great Non-Thinker.
- No more worrying
- Less of that little voice that is telling us we can’t do something
- More control over our mind and our thoughts
We spend a lot of time dwelling on our problems without really doing anything to solve them. This often happens while we are doing something else. We might be thinking about a meeting scheduled for tomorrow or about an argument we just had with our business partner, while in another meeting or even while talking to an employee. This takes us out of being present in real time and puts us either into the future of planning or into the past of reliving our argument. It diminishes our ability to enjoy and be effective in what we are doing now. So what I am suggesting is we can all use the permission not to think about things all the time. Problems can also be solved in our subconscious. How many times have you gone to bed needing something solved or a new perspective, only to wake up with a solution or a refreshed outlook on a situation? Often, it is precisely when we step away from a problem that an answer comes to us. I am not suggesting that we stop thinking all together. I am suggesting that with greater control of our own minds, we can lead happier, more present lives and design the business of our dreams.
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What can you do to set aside time to solve a problem your business is currently having while giving yourself permission not to worry about it in the meantime?
The Seth Godin Advice Column
July 23 by Leave a Comment
Seth Godin inadvertently gives all coaches, consultants and other professionals great advice on giving advice. Below is my version of Seth’s ideas:
Timing is everything
- Don’t point out spelling mistakes in the first draft of a book.
- Don’t tell someone you don’t think their product is going to sell the day before launch.
Give analysis and ask questions
What I want instead of your opinion is your analysis. It does me no good to hear you say, “I’d never pick that box up.” You can add a great deal of value, though, if you say, “The last three products that succeeded were priced under $30. Is there a reason you want to price this at $31?” Or, “We analyzed this market last year, and we don’t believe there’s enough room for us to compete. Take a look at this spreadsheet.” Or even, “That font seems hard to read. Is there a way to do a quick test to see if a different font works better for our audience?”
Compliment whenever you can
- Be genuine
- Point the parts your like best
- Don’t just say you like something, explain why you like it
Don’t give advice unless asked
(I just realized that this works in personal situations as well. Perhaps I could use this advice once in a while.)
Inspire Procrastination
June 22 by Leave a Comment
I was in the middle of having an email discussion about procrastination with a friend and Coach Talk ezine reader of mine. In the middle of writing the email I noticed being inspired to write a blog post regarding this topic. So here I am happily writing. I was inspired. I caught and noticed the inspiration. I acted on my inspiration.
One simple way to avoid procrastination is to:
- Get inspired (remember and feel why you want to do something in the first place)
- Notice and catch that inspiration
- Use the energy of the inspiration to do something about it NOW.
Inspiration gives us the energy for action that requires minimal effort and maximum flow.
- In the moment when you are inspired to write — write
- In the moment when you are excited about your marketing plan — execute the plan
- In the moment when you feel gratitude towards your clients — call a perspective client
- In the moment you get the urge to exercise — go for a run
- In the moment you feel love for someone — call them and let them know
Seize the moment of inspiration as it creates the intersection of wanting and needing to do something.
The Biggest Challenge
June 15 by Leave a Comment
What is the biggest challenge you have in building your business? I emailed all of the subscribers of my Coach Talk newsletter to ask them this question. Below are some of the answers:
- Making decisions, picking from choices at hand
- Knowing what I want and then going for it (trusting my intuition more)
- How to stay committed to the things I really want to do
- Channeling the energy into one or two things and sticking to it
- The best way to market and/or sell my products
- Having confidence to take massive actions
- Producing product fast enough and getting the word out to qualified buyers
- How to transition from a secure job to having prosperity in my own business
- Staying focused on business building while balancing other desires
- How to set up a structure for yourself when you are your own boss
- Difficulty in talking and promoting myself
- Patience in waiting for marketing to bring in more clients
- Break through my own inner battle to START something new
- Aligning myself with what I really want for my business
- Figuring out why my marketing is not as effective as I would like it to be
- Committing enough time to business development
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What are the patterns we see here?
Add some more comments about your biggest challenges…
