I’m not the person clients, friends or family call if they only want to hear “there, there!” Sure, I listen and empathize with whatever’s going on, but people call me when they want me to listen for where they’re holding themselves back from being who they are called to be in the world. They call me when they want help to “step up” and into their greatness.

I don’t believe any of us are called to be complainers and whiners or to be encouraged to wallow in our misery. Don’t get me wrong, I do believe in fully feeling our emotions and looking at what we can learn from every situation. And then I believe in “stepping up!”

Sometimes that means letting go of toxic people or jobs. Sometimes it means letting go of judgment, fear and playing “small.”

I believe that I get opportunities EVERY DAY to step up. The great lesson I learned this year is that “stepping up” doesn’t always require action on my part. I’ve accomplished so much in my life by powering through challenges – to the point where I’ve exhausted myself – body and soul! Now I know that sometimes “stepping up” into who I’m called to be requires that I “allow” more and “power through” less. “Stepping up” sometimes means saying no to projects, opportunities and people who drain me more than they feed me.

What would it mean for you to “step up” and into your greatness? What would you have to let go and what would you have to embrace?

I believe in you.

He was asked about the secret to his success…he told the interviewer that if there was a secret to success, it was still that…a secret. He knew only one way to achieve success – and that was hard work and good choices.

That, in fact, it had taken him 20 years to become an overnight success!

I think too many entrepreneurs and self employed people expect too much, too soon, with too little effort. I’m all for finding the easy way to do things. I believe in leverage, virtual assistants, joint ventures and building a dream team to help you achieve YOUR dream!

And I believe in doing the right work at the right time. The most successful self employed people I know have a clear understanding of what work to do when. They do ONLY the work they love and delegate the rest. They take vacations. They enjoy their personal relationships. They are very focused on their highest payoff activities and know what’s important to them. They work hard at the things they do best.

And none of them learned how to do this overnight. Each of them had a dream that was so big, that they were committed to finding a way to make it work.

And none of them gave up at the first rejection or first obstacle.

If you’re beginning or growing a business…keep this in mind. What are the best choices you can make today to grow your business? Minute, by minute… ask yourself, what choice will move me forward?

Before you know it…you too will become an overnight success! (and it doesn’t have to take 20 years!!)

Need some help moving forward? Check out our Biz School and Dream Launch Groups!

http://www.launchmydreams.com

I believe in you!

Linda

When it seemed like all you had to do was send an email and sell an information product or put a sign in a yard and sell a house, many people forgot that there’s more to selling than that! In fact some business owners started their business during a boom time where they never had to learn anything about sales! These people were really just “order takers” and now that the New Economy requires some skills in sales, they realize they’ve never developed them!

Times have changed and unfortunately, many self employed people have not kept pace with what’s different now. Over and over again, entrepreneurs come to me saying “Believe it or not, I’m doing everything I did last year (when I made a lot of money!) and I’m just not getting the same result…what’s wrong?”

What’s wrong?? You’re kidding, right?? I’m all for not watching or listening to the news…but you must have been living under a rock for the past year if you haven’t heard one expert after another (including me) tell you that you MUST do things differently if you want to make as much money as last year. Last year’s strategies will not bring you last year’s income this year or next.

Not where you want to be this year? First take a look at where you are right now compared to where you wanted to be at this time. Be honest. Are you 50% down? 80%? Just be honest here. Now take a look at your work habits. Do you have the work habits of someone who’s making 100% or 150% of their goal?

Do a time study on yourself. From the time you get up to the time you go to bed, write down everything you do. Personal care, family time, “me” time, business. In the business category, record the amount of time you spend prospecting – actually asking for new business, taking care of current business, following up with past clients (and asking for new business or referrals), networking, strategizing, and whatever other category you think is meaningful in your particular business.

Do this for one week. Look at the number of waking hours you had for the week and calculate what percentage you spent in each category. I’ve had so many under-producing business owners complain to me about their 16 hour work days…until they do this time study! There’s hidden gold in this time study – just do it and you’ll see where your work habits aren’t what they need to be. It’s different for everyone – but it always comes down to one thing. Not asking enough of the right people enough different ways for their business…and offering them a solution to some pain or discomfort they feel.

After you’ve done the time study, plan out a 40 hour work week and, if you don’t have enough business, spend about 80% of your time prospecting. Then see what new work habits emerge after you try that for one week!

I believe in you. Whether you consider yourself an entrepreneur, an independent contractor or a small business owner, own a home based business or go to a brick and mortar business every day…if you don’t have enough business, you must do this time study to find out what to do next!

Linda