If you want 2008 to be even better than this year then start by appreciating 2007! But I’m too busy to think about this! I beg you to find some time - even if it’s in the first week of the new year, find some time to look at the last year. Notice and appreciate where you have been. We are amazing people and we accomplish so much. We often overlook how amazing we are. Nothing will build your confidence more than to acknowledge and appreciate what you have now.

Gratitude and appreciation puts us in joy. It has us connect with peace, bliss and contentment. And this lets down our resistance and has us be in alignment with what we love and enjoy. It’s so much easier to create a fabulous new year when you are coming from a place of love and joy. Here is a MindMap from the Joyful Business Guide. It’s called the Celebrations MindMap. The Joyful Business Guide uses attraction principles in your business planning tools to help you achieve greater fulfilling success. The Celebrations MindMap is one of the tools in the system. The beauty of these tools is that it’s all about capturing your ideas, inspiration, and in this case, your Celebrations in a way that is easy, creative and inspirational. This catapults your confidence and enthusiasm and truly shifts your perspective.

The Celebrations MindMap here is one I completed this afternoon in about 30 minutes. I’ll give you some tips in a moment, first, I want to share a bit about my process. I had a very rough week this week. My 10 year had a hospital procedure - a GI probe put in for 24 hours to determine if he has acid reflux and if that is what causes him to have a raspy, hoarse voice or even lose it. Anyway, all you parents (even of the 4 legged kind) know how emotional it is when you have anything like this done to your child. Later in the week, my “previous husband” (who I know is one of my spiritual teachers and I’m a hardheaded student!) had all sorts of strained “discussions” about realigning our child care situation. Ok, so what does all this have to do with Celebrations? I think by the end of today I just went “down the tube”. you know that place where you are really hard on yourself. You think limiting thoughts like “I’ll never do this”, “It can’t happen”, “What am I thinking?”…yes, even Joyful Business owners occasionally go to this place.

Fortunately I’ve learned how to get myself out. I think by the end of the day I was so “pissed” off at “life” that I took out my Joyful Business Guide and thought, Ok, what HAPPENED in 2007? I dare you to make me feel good! LOL!!Well, I was amazed…things just started flowing. I keep writing, and writing. I started laughing at how hard I am on myself! (I can be the worst boss!) I scanned in my MindMap 3 different times because I kept adding things to it. I know I will keep adding things over time.

I can tell you that it totally shifted my mood, my attitude and got me back in alignment with my joy-flowing energy which will help me in creating an amazing 2008! Here are some suggestions for you Celebrations MindMap. And if you’d like to find our more about the useful attraction tools in the Joyful Business Guide please check it out here!

Celebration Suggestions: List the tangibles…what did you accomplish? Products, Programs, Revenue Goals, new clients, new services? Awards, Accomplishments and Certifications. Get any amazing testimonials from clients or colleagues? Personal Accomplishments - health goals, self-care, relationship shifts, For me…I changed my business model to creating more products so I could reach more business owners with business/marketing with integrity information and tools at affordable price points and it allows me to have more flexible time to be with my family and new marriage.

Many of us are learners and are constantly growing….notice what you have learned….where have you grown? Take any interesting workshops, programs? Celebrating attracting new relationships into your life? Celebrate “Who You Have Been in 2007″ - For me I have stepped into my expertise and confidence at a greater level, gained clarity for what I “really” want in my life and business, expressed courage to put my writing and creativity out into the world, …..How about you? You can create it any way you like it! Notice that my MindMap isn’t perfect. It’s a bit messy and has mistakes…it’s not about that. It’s about the inspiration I get when I look at it, the infusion of confidence I get when I dare to “claim” who I am! Dare to make it colorful, messy, add photos, quotes…..don’t add photos or quotes…keep it simple….just do it!

Claim the beautiful and amazing person you are! It’s very powerful! Plan your Retreat Time for celebrating 2007 and gaining clarity about what you want to attract and create in 2008! Take your Joyful Business Guide with you - it’s the perfect companion!Cheers!Laura

Last 5 posts by Laura Howard West

• Are You On My Sticky Note? - December 3rd, 2008
• The Power of Gratitude - November 25th, 2008
• Laura West Named Official Attraction Marketing Expert! - October 30th, 2008
• Change the World - Power, Influence, and Prosperity - October 22nd, 2008
• Is It Time to Upgrade Your Client? How to Know... - October 1st, 2008

This entry was posted on Friday, December 21st, 2007 at 9:12 am and is filed under Law of Attraction, Solo Entrepreneur Mindset, Business Planning, The SELF of Self Employment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.