.

.

Are you where you thought you’d be
six months into 2010?

.
I know this weekend signifies the unofficial start of summer for many of us, which means we are almost at the halfway point of the year.  So, are you where you thought you’d be six months into the year?

If not, I have one question for you.

What’s the energy behind the decisions you’re making in your business?

I recently had a huge A-HA moment after participating in a call with one of my mentors.  He was giving an awesome lesson about how subconscious beliefs affect our ability to manifest what we want.  In the midst of his explanation, I realized that every time I allowed fear to creep in and made business decisions from that place of fear or lack, I experienced a delay, a blockage or some sort of setback.  But, when I made decisions from a place of faith and absolute belief in myself and my ability to succeed, I zoomed ahead and opportunities beyond my wildest dreams seemed to show up on my doorstep.

The thing was, up until that moment, I never realized that I had been allowing my fears to drive many of the important decisions I was making in my business.  In fact, I thought that because I had “done a lot of work” around outdated beliefs and mindset issues, that I was “cured” from letting fear rule any part of my life.  But the truth is, our habits and belief patterns took years and in some cases decades to create and they take constant awareness and committment to shift them.

To help the process along, I’ve recently developed the simple practice of asking myself these few questions before I make any decision in my business:

• Why am I making this decision?
• What is the emotion that’s driving it?
• Am I choosing this because I believe that if I don’t, then I will (insert favorite fear here) such as lose money, be embarrassed, feel unworthy etc.

By asking these three simple questions, I can tell in an instant if my decision is based in fear or faith.  Once I am aware of the energy behind the decision, I have a choice whether I stay in fear or step into faith.

Do I always choose faith over fear?– not yet, but I’m working on it.

What I can tell you is that each and every time I choose faith over fear, something magical happens and I am able to move my business forward in ways I hadn’t even imagined.

So if you aren’t exactly where you thought you’d be by the midpoint of the year, I challenge you to examine the energy behind the decisions you are making in your business.  You can’t change the past, but you can be more aware as you move into the second half of the year.  Make a commitment to yourself and your business to at least explore the idea of stepping out on faith more often.  Once you do, I know you’ll be inspired to make it a regular practice.

.
Something I see so often in my coaching practice is inspired, passionate business owners struggling to make a living doing work they absolutely love.  They struggle because they are operating under the assumption that one of the biggest myths about living your passion is true.

The myth that says if we just follow our passion and honor our calling, prosperity will flow forth.  This myth teaches us that success is imminent if we just hang out our shingle or launch our website.

You know the one I mean, right?  I like to call it the “if you build it, they will come” myth but, this myth only tells half the story.

The truth is, the myth forgets to mention that in addition to passion, you also need to add clear direction and a plan in order to fulfill your soul’s calling and make a successful living doing it.  Now I know for many soul-inspired entrepreneurs, the word plan can instantly trigger a fear response, but creating your plan doesn’t have to be a scary or painful process, but it is something that you absolutely must do in order to stop struggling and start thriving in your business.

I liken the process to taking a vacation or an extended road trip.  In order for you to have a rich, enjoyable trip, you first need to know where you are going.  Once you have a destination in mind, you need to map out a route to get you there.  You might even mark off some stops along the way to eat, get more gas or rest.  A minimal amount of preparation and planning will have you arriving at your destination, safe, happy and on schedule.

It’s the same with your divinely inspired business, when you take the time up front to create clear goals and a simple action plan, you not only achieve the success you’ve dreamed of, you do it with the least amount of resistance possible.  When passion and planning come together, it’s a magical partnership that allows you to share your gifts with more of the people who need them, create transformational experiences for a steady flow of ideal clients and earn a great living doing what you love.

How can I be so sure?

I am sure because I have triumphed over the “if you build it, they will come” myth by bringing a clear vision, measurable goals and a simple action plan to my own business.  In fact, it’s how I took my own business from struggling to THRIVING in just a few short months.  This simple exercise of combining planning and passion changed my life and my business forever!

When I left my corporate job to start my own business, I had lots of passion for my “soul work”, but absolutely no plan to ensure that my endeavor was successful.  It took me almost a full year, a ton of frustration and an empty bank account to realize that I needed more than just passion if I wanted to stay in business for the long haul.

I really should have known better, I had spent the better part of my 20+ year career in the corporate arena as a project manager and systems expert.  I had helped tons of people create project plans and develop systems that ensured a successful outcome.  But when it came to my own business, I threw all of that out the window and put all my stock in the myth.

Finally, faced with the reality of that empty bank account and notion that if something didn’t change and change quick, I’d be forced back into the corporate arena, I decided to put some of that project planning and systems development experience to work in my own business.  Then voila, the switch flipped and things started to really take off.  Within three months, I had seen a 70% increase of clients and income in my business and things just keep getting better and the best part is, the struggle is gone!

Are you struggling in your soul-inspired, passion-driven business?

The fact is, you don’t have to struggle, none of us do.  All you need to do is add some planning to that passion and the struggle will be gone, I promise!

Here’s my simple five step system designed to take you from struggling to thriving in no time!

1. Get clear on your mission and your BIG business vision. – This means dream big, what is your wildest passion and your greatest gift for helping others.  No playing small for you!
2. Take stock of where you are. – Knowing where you are helps you to see what steps you need to take to get you where you want to be.  Be honest with yourself and get ready to catapult forward!
3. Develop a pathway of achievable and measureable milestones – Once you know where you are and where you are going, it’s easy to start creating a pathway that takes you from one place to the other.  Check your progress against your pathway often and don’t forget to celebrate your successes or be gentle with yourself if you steer off your path.  Course correction is all part of the journey!
4. Identify areas where you need to grow, need support or need additional resources and get it! – This is one of the biggest challenges for soul-based business owners, we want to help the world, but often forget to ask for help ourselves.  The truth is, no-one can reach their full potential without the support of others, so figure out what you need and then ask for it!
5. Take action – Yes, it sounds simple, but fear of failure or more often the fear of success can keep us in a holding pattern.  Remember, the only way move ahead is to take a step forward.  Your journey begins with your first step!

If you missed the first post on BIG Business Vision, you can read it here.

Why is it essential for you as a soul-inspired, passion driven business owner to claim your BIG Business Vision?

First off, your BIG Business Vision provides the foundation or structure from which your business can grow and THRIVE.  Without any kind of expanded vision for your business, you will stay exactly where you are struggling to move your business ahead.
 

And, if you resist creating and living your BIG business vision, you not only deprive yourself of growing, thriving business, you deprive yourself of experiencing the full potential and reach of your soul’s work.  This will keep you hidden and inaccessible to many of your potential, perfect clients who need you most.  You will be denying them access to the unique wisdom and gifts you were put on earth to share, the very wisdom that could be the one catalyst they need to experience a transformational experience in their life. 

When you resist your big business vision, you not only deny your clients transformation experiences, you deny them for yourself as well.  And, when you play small, you deny yourself the abundance and prosperity that is your birthright.

Whenever I explain this concept to my clients, I always reference Our Deepest Fear by Marianne Williamson, from her book – Return To Love, where she states:

Are you ready to stop playing small and step into your BIG Business Vision? Really, who are you not to?

I’d love to hear how you plan to take action.  Please share one step you can take this week to bring your BIG business vision forward.

What exactly is a BIG Business Vision?

Your BIG Business Vision is simply the ultimate growth potential of your business that acknowledges your soul’s potential and encourages you to step fully into your power by being all that you can be in life and business.

There are four distinct characteristics of the BIG business vision, which are:

  You acknowledge the “calling from within” and step fully into the work that is your soul’s desire.  This work is motivated by a deep love and passion for every product and service you offer and every client you attract.

  You have a crystal clear understanding of how your “soul work” attracts and affects your perfect clients.  You step forward willingly and expand your reach through new and interactive ways of connecting with all those who need what you offer.

  You claim prosperity in your life and in your business.  You acknowledge your own wisdom and value and in doing so, you create a business model that provides an abundant, sustainable flow of cash into your life and business.

  You resist the temptation to stay small and play small, by moving through fear, continuously expanding your consciousness, your knowledge and the impact you have on the world through the work you do.

Check in tomorrow when I share why as a soul-inspired, passion-driven business owner YOU absolutely MUST have a BIG Business Vision.

Are you putting off a big project that you
know is important for your business? 

Do you feel trapped in the clutches of procrastination?

Why not try a simple ritual to get you moving forward again?

Whenever I am feeling stuck or I'm procrastinating (like this morning), I do a simple cleansing ritual to get me moving forward again. To me, there is nothing like a quick, meaningful ritual to clear away stagnant energy and make way for inspiration, creativity and of course ACTION.

Here's my recipe for a simple Inspiring Action Ritual:

• Before I start, I think about the task I've been avoiding and I set the intent to make way for inspired action.
   
• Facing the East – Lovingly ask the Element of Air to bless and cleanse your space removing stagnant energy and replacing it with the energy of gentle breezes filled with inspiration.  I often light my favorite incense and circle my office gently wafting the scent into all corners and around my desk. 
   
• Facing the South – Lovingly ask the Element of Fire to bless and cleanse your space, removing stagnant energy and replacing it with the fiery energy of passionate action.  I made a Divine Business Altar candle which I light at this time.
   
• Facing the West – Lovingly ask the Element of Water to bless and cleanse your space, removing stagnant, muddy energy and replacing it with clear, flowing energy like that of a babbling brook.  I have a bottle of sacred water that I gathered from Chalice Well in Glastonbury, England that I spritz around my office.
   
• Facing the North – Lovingly as the Element of Earth to bless and cleanse your space, removing any dead wood, stagnant energy and replacing it with the living, growing energy of a tree in Springtime.
   
• Once I have cleansed the space, I sit at my desk take a few deep breaths and focus on the task I have been avoiding.  In my mind's eye, I imagine myself completing it easily without struggle.  I fill my vision of doing this task with the energy of success and I give gratitude for the growth I will experience in my business as a result.
   
• Now it's time to get to work!  By the time I finish this mini ritual, I feel so grounded and energized, like I can achieve anything, I tap into this amazing energy and take action on that task that I've been avoiding.  The results are always magical and I often end up wondering why I had been avoiding it in the first place!

I encourage you to add simple rituals to your work day, to inspire you when you need it or to celebrate when you've achieved a milestone in your business.  The rituals should be personal and meaningful to you and can be as simple or elaborate as you wish.

I'd love to hear all about your work-day rituals and I invite you to leave them in the comments for this post.

Recently, I was clearing out my DVR and came across a holiday special from HGTV, “Behind The Magic: Disney Holidays”. As I watched it, all I could think of was, “WOW! What an amazing example of how organization and planning can help you accomplish even the most monumental tasks.”

As solo-entrepreneurs, many small business owners feel burdened by the number of ideas they’d like to implement in their business each year. They can imagine in their minds eye what they want for their business, but they get totally overwhelmed when it comes to actually making these ideas a reality. So they take no action at all, keeping them stuck and their business stagnant.

The truth is, it doesn’t have to be overwhelming at all and the main ingredients are planning, preparation and organization.

In fact, all it takes is…

• A clear understanding of your desired outcome
• A list of key milestones on the journey that take you from where you are to where you want to be
• A clear step by step action plan for each phase of your journey A solid system for organizing thoughts and action steps along the way
• And, a few foundational systems to help you take action effortlessly and easily

I am a firm believer that investing time up front to plan, organize and prepare for an important project not only guarantees successful execution, it also saves loads of time, energy and resources over the long haul. Obviously the folks at Disney agree. Imagine taking on this project!

Transforming the Walt Disney World Parks and Resorts is a yearlong project, and eleven of the twelve months of the year are spent, organizing, preparing and planning the execution of this MASSIVE undertaking. They have one month, a staff of about 100 and the restriction of only being able to work 3rd shift after the parks are closed to transform Disney’s four major theme parks and all its resorts and vacation properties into a magical holiday scene by installing:

• 1,300 trees ranging in size from 8 ft. to 65 ft.
• 15 miles of decorated garland
• 300,000 yards of ribbon
• 1,300 wreaths
• 8.5 million lights

Oh and did I mention that each morning the park has to be “Guest Ready” by 7 or 8am?

Well the folks at Disney have it down to a science.

• They begin by planning the theme for each area of every park and resort

• Then they take each theme and create an inventory of everything that’s involved in accomplishing their desired outcome from supplies to placement to equipment

• Once this is done, they formulate a step by step plan of execution for each theme
• Finally, they overlay all the plans in one massive calendar of events to identify any conflicting priorities or projects
• By the time the actual execution part comes around, they are so well prepared that it all goes off without a hitch.

So next time you feel overwhelmed by all the ideas you have for your business, stop, take a breath and remember the story of how Disney magically transforms their properties each holiday season.

And know that you can transform your own business by:

1. Having a clear vision of your desired outcome (Always begin with the end in mind)
2. Creating a map of key milestones you will need to accomplish along the way
3. Identifying the information, resources, and equipment you will need to move forward on your path
4. Breaking each milestone down into easy, manageable and executable action steps
5. Integrating these action steps into the larger plan/calendar for your business
6. Stepping forward and taking action to make your vision a reality!

You CAN have the business of your dreams and the magic is all in the plan!

If you’ve struggled with creating a simple, organized and achievable plan for your business, I’d love to help! 

Please feel free to post the part of the planning process that keeps you from moving forward.

It is so easy to get caught up in our ToDo lists and the day to day operation of our business that we forget why we became our own boss in the first place and we begin to lose our passion for what we do.  We let the clutter of daily tasks detract from our ability to be the creative souls we are and our business suffers for it.

Why does business suffer?

Your business suffers because when you focus solely on the should’s, the gotta do’s and continuously checking things off your list, you get tired, irritable and uninspired really fast. Before you know it, you stop creating and that thwarts the growth of your business.  Instead of growing, you become the hamster on the wheel or the person in the pool, treading water.  Any forward movement is quickly halted.

So how can you re-ignite your passion and creativity to catapult your business to new levels?

The answer is simple, but not always easy.  Just unplug! 

HINT:  If you are reading this and thinking, “hmmm, that sounds good, but there is no way I can take time away now.”  Then YOU are more than likely already past the point of needing to unplug. 

The reality is, you need to be in balance in order to truly thrive in life and in business.  

Taking action is great and an absolute necessity to grow personally and in your business, but the rest and relaxation that come from unplugging are equally important. 

So, even if it’s just for a day, have the courage to turn off your computer, step away from your ToDo list and just BE! 

Do something you love or do nothing at all.  Nap, take a walk, laugh – and before you know it, you’ll be re-energized, re-inspired and your creative juices will be flowing.  And it just might happen that the idea for the new product or service you’ve been struggling to bring forward will flow into your consciousness like magic. 

Creativity, Inspiration and Growth – That’s the magic that happens when you step away from the busy-ness of your business and have the courage to unplug!

My challenge to you is to schedule a few hours this week or a full day in the next month to completely unplug.  And, I’d love to hear the magic that happens for you when you do! 

Please share your stories by leaving a comment.

Over the last couple of weeks, things have really begun to take off here at Launch Your Divine Business and I am so grateful for all the wonderful women I am blessed to be working with. 

But, as many of you know, a growth spurt can leave you feeling a little dizzy and somewhat out of control.  Kinda like that feeling you get when you are speeding down the giant hill of your favorite roller coaster.  Things are going so fast and you are absolutely exhilerated, but if you keep riding without a break, you can and probably will get sick.

This post is a gentle reminder to all of you small business owners and entrepreneurs to remember the importance of stillness and self care.

As you are speeding through your days, it is important to remember to pause, jump off the rollercoaster and take some time to rebalance, time to center yourself, refocus and check in to be sure that the actions you are taking  are keeping you on track to where you want to be going.  It is easy to speed along and get pulled out of alignment with the core mission and principles of who you are and what your business is all about.

And, it is even easier to give more of yourself than is healthy for you or your business.  As a small business owner, you are your business.  In other words, without your passion, ingenuity and creativity, the business wouldn’t exist.  So when you forget to pause and take care of you, when you allow yourself to speed along without taking a break, you risk not only your own health, but the health of your business.

If you are a woman who has trouble taking care of yourself, because you’ve been “trained” by your role models to be all things to all people and to always put yourself last.  Perhaps this message will hit home. 

If you love what you do and you want your business to grow and thrive into a healthy, abundant business, then YOU absolutely need to be healthy and thriving yourself.  It is not selfish, it is not silly, it is absolutely necessary not only for your own health and prosperity, but the health and prosperity of your business.

How will you care for yourself today?