SoloSavvy Blog for Solo Entrepreneurs » Personal Development

Find Time to Get to Know Yourself and Journey Deeper into Your Heart!

Paula Eder — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:00:01 +0000

Finding time to explore life’s mysteries is something that always enriches us in powerful and unexpected ways. It is also, often, the first thing that we set aside when life gets busy. (And when is life NOT busy?!)

Among the fundamental mysteries of life, our own hearts and minds can frequently present us with some of the biggest puzzles. Do you find that to be true?

Are there things that you shy away from without understanding why?

Have you reacted strongly to something and then thought, “Hmmmm, I wonder where that came from?”

Would you like to tune in more deeply to the stories that you tell yourself?

Would you like to change some of those stories? The ones that keep you from being your fullest and freest self … and stepping toward your cherished dreams?

I find that the human psyche is an endless trove of treasures just waiting to be discovered by intrepid explorers who take the time to delve down and look around! The mysteries that we harbor, each of us, are there to be uncovered. What is needed is an investment of time … and of listening … to develop an authentic and supportive relationship with ourselves.

And the really good news is that the time investment doesn’t have to be daunting. Small increments is a key mantra to keep in mind whenever you think about time – and especially with a lifelong enterprise like maintaining and deepening your relationship with yourself.

Small increments! It is much more important to be authentic and steady in your connection with yourself, than it is to spend hours at it. Yes, “more time” is great … but given a choice, I would opt for steadiness and frequency every time!

Think of it as tending a garden … working the soil … keeping up with the nurturing and weeding and finding moments to do it. Sometimes you find a Saturday when you can spend several hours gardening. Sometimes you come home from work, gaze at your plants lovingly, pull a weed or two, and move on to other things.

Small increments! What’s important is maintaining the steady engagement and contact. The harvest will come!

7 Time Saving Tips to Create Space for Success in Your Closet

Laurie Mandato — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:00:15 +0000

Time and again I go into a client’s home to help create her own personal style for success, and I am amazed at what I find in the closet! Clothes and accessories that no longer fit, flatter or fulfill who she is today. One of the first steps to building a Success Wardrobe is clearing out what no longer serves you to make space for the beautiful new garments that will reflect your authentic style.

Here are some of my favorite tips for creating space for success in your closet:

Dress who YOU are TODAY — Only clothing and accessories that fit, flatter and fulfill the authentic you are allowed! Everything in your closet should be items you love, feel great in and wear all the time. If you don’t love it and it doesn’t make you feel fabulous … out it goes!

Get Organized — Once you clear your space of the things that no longer serve you, it opens the space to attract those things that do serve you. Hang your clothing on good quality hangers of the same type and at eye level so everything is easy to find.
Follow the Seasons – If you live in a climate where seasons change, only the clothes that are appropriate for the current season should be hanging in your closet. Pack the other seasons’ clothing safely away.
Formalwear/Evening Attire – If you won’t be wearing your formalwear on a regular basis, try to get it out of your primary closet space so it doesn’t take up space for your daily wear. If possible, hang your formal wear in another closet so it’s out of the way but easy to get to when you need it.
Shoes – Keep the shoes you wear most often in an easily accessible place. Keep shoes in good repair, heels in good shape and polished. Once they start to look really worn or outdated it’s time get them OUT of the closet! There are many options now to keep shoes organized and dust free. Choose the best option for your closet space to keep them organized and easy to find.
Belts/Scarves/Accessories – Hang belts on a hanger for easy access. Scarves can be hung on special hangers or folded and kept in a drawer. Keep everything neat, organized and ready to wear.
Handbags – Keep handbags that are not being used stuffed and covered in a breathable bag to keep them dust free and in good shape.

Keeping your closet clutter-free and organized will create space for your Success Wardrobe … and help save time and money too! Knowing exactly what you have and where to find it takes the stress out of getting dressed. You’ll be ready to go — easily and effortlessly — every time!

Find Time to Flow as You Move Through Seasonal (or Daily) Transitions

Paula Eder — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 13:00:20 +0000

Finding time to move skillfully through transitions requires that we use a variety of time management tools. And happily, moving through transitions is something that often gets easier and easier with mindful practice.

If you step back and think about it, we humans are really in a constant state of transition, as is our environment. Right now the moon is waxing toward fullness, and spring is moving toward summer in the northern hemisphere … while the opposite is occurring in the south. Here in New Hampshire, our gardens are being planted, birds are nesting, and students are graduating into new life stages.

This morning, as thousands of people on the East Coast of the United States get themselves ready to make the daily transition from breakfast tables to work or school, births and deaths are also occurring in lives all around the world. Time holds all of this – the most profound and the most mundane moments – in its flow. I find this so fascinating!

While some transitions are mundane, others are joyful, and some evoke grief. Here are 3 things you can keep in mind for all of them:

All transitions involve a letting go, and an acceptance of the new. Fighting the flow simply won’t work!

For transitions that are predictable (like seasonal changes), developing and using templates can be very helpful. You can build on your templates year after year, enhancing your efficiency as well as your ability to appreciate and flow with the transitions you can expect.

Marking transitions mindfully helps you to feel their importance and deepen your experience of them. When you think about it, every transition is important and worthy of respectful attention. When you honor your transitions you honor yourself and your life.

How To Take Your Business To The Next Level With Ease

Bria Simpson — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 16:00:19 +0000

We talk a lot about taking your business to the next level. For you, does that mean the next level of income, the next level of business growth, the next level of freedom or a combination of all three?

Whatever your version of “the next level” is, the BEST way to get there is to let go of the smaller stuff.

Recently, we have spent a great deal of time, energy and money trying to implement the best possible team. Why? Because we’ve learned the hard way that we can’t do it all ourselves. We spent years trying to do too much in several of our businesses, including our coaching business- and it has always slowed us WAY down.

Save yourself some agony.

What can you let go of in your business that will help free you up for “the big stuff?” Think of what you love to do, what you do well, and what you know you MUST do to move your business forward. Put YOUR focus there and delegate the rest.

If you can’t do it all now, that is okay. Do it in baby steps. Begin to shift your awareness and your actions to focus on the big stuff and let go of the items that others can do for you at minimal costs (such as running errands, paying bills, scheduling clients, doing paperwork, answering phones etc).

If you are already running a 6 or multi-6-figure business, the next step is to let go of some things that “you know you can do yourself well” because…again… you can’t “do it all” AND enjoy your business. And life is too short not to enjoy what you do every day.

The very acts of prioritizing, sharpening your focus, and delegating is what helps you get to your “next level” with ease. So, ask yourself, “What can you let go of today, to sharpen your focus on “the big stuff” and help you move forward?”

Success? Or Not?

Marty Marsh — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 03:59:50 +0000

Success is a loaded word for many people. For some it puts a smile on their face, for others who don’t feel so successful, it doesn’t always sound so good.

If you haven’t reached the level of success you want yet, perhaps you’re looking at success from someone else’s point of view.

Success means different things to different people and you have your own definition of success and THAT is what you should be striving for. (Not the first time you’ve heard that either, is it?)

And if you’re beating yourself up because you haven’t “made it” there yet, please be a little more gentle with yourself. I’m the champion when it comes to beating myself up for all the many things I haven’t accomplished yet. Funny how I can never seem to remember all the many things that I HAVE accomplished. Sheesh!

So, how about you? Are you being gentle with yourself? Are you happy with where you are at this stage of your life? Still wanting to grow? Been there, done that, now ready to move on? Share! Share! (Please comment below.)

Be sure to get the latest issue of Marketing Ink (the downloadable pdf version) for a few different perspectives on things relating to success.

2 More Timely Tips to Tame the Difficult Personalities that Want to Steal Your Time!

Paula Eder — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 22:00:23 +0000

Finding time to increase your productivity by creating and maintaining time boundaries is a foundational tool for attaining your goals. But how do you handle those difficult personalities who slow you down? Last week we shared a tip from The Finding Time E-zine that addresses this challenge.

Here are 2 more tips to help you transform dead-end dynamics by creatively rethinking your own time choices when stressed.

1. Locate your power point in “stuck” interactions.

In every problematic interchange, there exists a special power point. Generally, this is the place where you are so stuck you don’t even know you’re stuck! Take space, relax, and invite insights to surface. Keep the focus on your end of the struggle.

Your challenge is to create choices you can implement to improve your situation, regardless of what the other person does. This strengthens your negotiating position immensely.

Notice how the more you focus on empowering yourself, the less resentful you feel about your inability to control the other party!

2. Thanks – a lot!

What do ceaseless tug of wars give you? Certainly, tunnel vision! Paradoxically, appreciating your “partner in challenge” can provide you with fresh insights that might lead to genuine progress.

Consider taking a few minutes to list anything and everything you appreciate about the person you lock horns with. You might even draft a brief letter of gratitude, to help restore perspective. Cultivating a thankful attitude lowers blood pressure and enables you to relate to the entire person, including whatever strengths they possess.

So let go. You are far more likely to identify potentials for mutual benefit when you are relaxed and cooperative.

You nourish and actually create a stronger self, every time you clarify your priorities and assertively protect them. What a wonderful way to develop and celebrate your power throughout your life!

First I Was Sad. . .and then I Got Mad

Sandra Martini — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 18:00:01 +0000

If you’ve been following me for at least a few weeks, you probably know that I’m hosting a new Create Your Best Fall Ever program starting next week — one where you’re guaranteed to walk away with a mapped out revenue plan, after Day 1.
While speaking with someone about the program this week, she asked about the value, sharing that she’s enrolled in several programs which cost multiple times the amount of this one despite offering a lot less.

And that’s when I got sad. . .

In a totally separate conversation, a new client shared that she got more value from an hour with me than in the high end programs she’s participated in to date.

. . .and that’s when I got mad. . .

Of all the trends, hype and BS we see in the online world, there’s one which saddens me more than most.

It’s the perception that it’s not just acceptable, but necessary to charge obscene prices (my opinion) so that clients step up, do the work and become engaged in THEIR own businesses.

Seriously? “We’re” saying that unless you shell out tens of thousands of dollars, you won’t show up for your business?

It makes no sense to me.

Why would you own your own business — with all the rewards and sacrifices it entails — if you’re not ready and willing to do the work?

This isn’t about learning a new skill, hiring a consultant to help optimize your business, or partnering with a strategist to ensure you’re getting the most out of the time, energy and money you’re spending.

It’s about being told/believing you need to pay thousands of dollars to be accountable to someone other than yourself — trust me, no one cares more about your business, your success (as you define it) and your impact more than YOU.

Of course, there’s also the latest, and perfected by many, trend of limiting access so that it’s easier to reach some heads of state than it is a coach — all based on the perception that the higher the prices and the lower the access, the better the info.

Bullshit!

I’m calling for a return to sanity.

Are you with me?

Do You Want to Be a Mermaid or a Whale?

Laurie Mandato — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 03:40:53 +0000

I just read a wonderful little article that came in Arielle Ford’s The Soulmate Secret ezine this week. It really hit home for me. As I work with my clients, we often have to overcome some common stumbling blocks that hold them back from their true greatness — things like “I need to lose 10 more pounds” or “I wish my (fill in the blank) were different.” We spend so much time in our society trying to be the model on the magazine cover, or a carbon copy of the latest, greatest speaker … when in reality, just being ourselves and loving who we are right now is the only way to attract the success, prosperity and joy we desire.

Here is the article … let me know what YOU think.

Recently, in a large city in France, a poster featuring a young, thin and tan woman appeared in the window of a gym. It said, “This summer, do you want to be a mermaid or a whale?” A middle-aged woman, whose physical characteristics did not match those of the woman on the poster, responded publicly to the question posted by the gym.

To Whom It May Concern:

Whales are always surrounded by friends…dolphins, sea lions, curious humans. They have an active sex life, get pregnant and have adorable baby whales. They have a wonderful time with dolphins stuffing themselves with shrimp. They play and swim in the seas, seeing wonderful places like Patagonia, the Bering Sea and the coral reefs of Polynesia. Whales are wonderful singers and have even recorded CDs. They are incredible creatures and virtually have no predators other than humans. They are loved, protected and admired by almost everyone in the world. Mermaids don’t exist. If they did exist, they would be lining up outside the offices of psychoanalysts due to an identity crisis. Fish or human? They don’t have a sex life because they kill men who get close to them, not to mention how could they have sex? Just look at them … where is IT? Therefore, they don’t have kids either. Not to mention, who wants to get close to a girl who smells like a fish store? The choice is perfectly clear to me: I want to be a whale.

Arielle’s ezine is one of my favorites. You can sign up for your own subscription here.

Don’t Worry

Kendall Summerhawk — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 01:40:11 +0000

Did you know that when you worry that you may not be able to “handle” growing your business, or that if you doubt you’re “good enough” to raise your fees, that you’re actually swimming upstream, against the current of a universal principle, which is the principle of 1ncrease?

Many of us have been taught that it’s wrong to want more: more money, a bigger house, more clothes or more time off. Yet, to want more is as authentic and natural to us as breathing.

Expanding, growing or increasing is a natural state of all living things: plants, animals and people. The thing that’s important is to recognize the difference between wanting more as a way of self-medicating, or as a way of trying to fill a hole within us of not feeling good enough, versus wanting more simply because we want to enjoy the abundance, the gifts and the beauty that life has to offer.

As long as you are clear on the difference, you have no need to ever worry about being greedy, shallow or fixated on keeping up with the Jones’. It is your natural, authentic state to want — and to have — more. I recommend releasing the internal chatter that you “shouldn’t” want more, and instead, give yourself permission to feel the effortless abundance of simply allowing more into your life.

Find a Business Coach: 3 Steps to Choosing the Right One for You

Suzanne Evans — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 02:00:55 +0000

People ask me all the time, “How do I know if you’re the right coach for me, and if you’re not, how would I go about finding someone?” I have no difficulty answering this question honestly because I feel very strongly that there truly is no competition.

There are three important pieces when finding the right business coach, teacher, or mentor for you:

1.) You have to be in alignment with the person’s message. Does the way they market, the way they present themselves, and the way they speak feel right for you and feel right to you?

2.) Make sure they seem like they have a systematic approach. For instance, I have the Help More People system. They should have some kind of step-by-step process or series of criteria used to help their clients get from where they are to where they want to go.

3.) The third piece is – and this is the piece that makes some people a little squeamish, but I just want to be honest about it – you need to make sure that the person has made a significant amount of money beyond what your money goal is.

If your goal this year is to make six figures, you want to make sure that person has proven themselves to make at least $400,000, for example.

The numbers may be different in your situation, but my point is that there are a lot of wonderful people out there who have the best of intentions, who are calling themselves marketing and business coaches, but frankly they haven’t even filled their own practices.

So again, here are the three important elements to look for when choosing a business coach:

- Be sure that they’re in alignment with your heart and with your message.

- They should have a systematic approach to marketing and business.

- That they monetarily have gone past where you want to be.

If you’re wondering how to get this information before hiring someone… ask them! It sounds a little bit scary but it’s true.

You should also keep these three elements in mind when you’re considering whose advice to follow, even if you’re not working with them directly.

I always choose about three people to follow at any given time, and I let everything else go into a filter that when I have a chance or I have time then I will then catch up on it.

So instead of being subscribed to 20-30 different ezines (which can make your life very difficult), only subscribe to people who fit the three criteria I outline and unsubscribe or filter out everything else.

If you are a business or marketing coach, remember to evaluate your own approach from the perspective of your clients through these criteria as well. The people who need you most (your clients) should be able to see that you are a good fit for them based on these same three important pieces as well.