Are You Being Authentic in life and business?

I have a confession to make. I'm not as authentic in life and business as I could be. I tell the truth, don't make it a habit to lie or deceive anyone...except myself.
If you run a business, you know you have to 'fudge' things from time to time to get through the day and generate moolah.

You know the scenario...Someone asks their opinion of something and while you may be honest, you don't want to be brutal so you 'soften' your answer.

Or, if you've had a business for a while and started out with passion and then the money didn't come as well as you thought, you probably changed things to suit the market and bring in the revenue. However, in the process, you may have lost your integrity to yourself.

I say this because a coach recently called it on me. I'd been running my company, Escape the Pace, like all the other ones online and was frustrated because it just wasn't working. Somehow in all the training, courses and tele-seminars I'd taken, I'd paid attention to what everyone else was saying and lost my own voice.

I forgot to use my skills for desiging, drawing, and singing and integrate them into the business. Are there skills you could bring into the business regardless of whether they generate money? Are these skills uniquely you? You should add them to your life and business - people want to feel the depth of others.

Maybe you've noticed that you've lost your 'mojo, edge, confidence, power, integrity, passion, energy...' Whatever you call it, if you feel like something is missing, it may be time to try this exercise:

Take out a pen and paper, set a timer for 10 minutes and then write as fast as you can - all the things you love and have a passion for. Also include what makes you different, fun, inspirational, creative...Have fun with this and don't edit.

Once you do this, read through your list and take one thing that you can do today to bring back your 'mojo, edge, confidence, power, integrity, passion, energy...

I hope you get one step closer to your authenticity and passion in your life and business. Let me know how you do - I'd love to hear. Happy escaping! Lisa

Can't Make a Change Unless You Slow Down - and Meditate

I'm not a big fan of meditating - I bet you're shocked with this statement. It's not the meditating, it's the sitting still. I suffer from ADD and used to get in a lot of trouble in class when I was younger.

I would learn the material and then fidget in class. So, when a coach told me to meditate I thought I would scream - it's so not me to sit still.

However, I discovered that there were various types of meditating so if you were like me and couldn't sit still, there was hope. Guided meditation (where you listen to a tape or MP3 of someone talking with music in the background) is the best way to calm down and focus if you're a distracted thinker. Another type of meditation is - 'Seeing Meditation' which I describe in the 2 Minute Tuesday Excerpt below.

Enjoy and visit the link at: Lisa's Two Minute Tuesdays Excerpt - Seeing Meditation.

Today I Will Make A Difference
by Max Lucado, author of: From on the Anvil



I found this in my email box and printed out a copy. This could be the most important little printout you have. Place it where you can see it every day. Enjoy!

Today I will make a difference. I will begin by controlling my thoughts. A person is the product of their thoughts. I want to be happy and hopeful. Therefore, I will have thoughts that are happy and hopeful. I refuse to be victimized by my circumstances. I will not let petty inconveniences such as stoplights, long lines, and traffic jams be my masters. I will avoid negativism and gossip. Optimism will be my companion, and victory will be my hallmark. Today I will make a difference.

I will be grateful for the twenty-four hours that are before me. Time is a precious commodity. I refuse to allow what little time I have to be contaminated by self-pity, anxiety, or boredom. I will face this day with the joy of a child and the courage of a giant. I will drink each minute as though it is my last. When tomorrow comes, today will be gone forever. While it is here, I will use it for loving and giving. Today I will make a difference.

I will not let past failures haunt me. Even though my life is scarred with mistakes, I refuse to rummage through my trash heap of failures. I will admit them. I will correct them. I will press on. Victoriously. No failure is fatal. It's OK to stumble - I will get up. It's OK to fail - I will rise again. Today I will make a difference.

I will spend time with those I love. My spouse, my children, my family. A man can own the world but be poor for the lack of love. A man can own nothing and yet be wealthy in relationships. Today I will spend at least five minutes with the significant people in my world. Five quality minutes of talking or hugging or thanking or listening. Five undiluted minutes with my mate, children, and friends.
Today I will make a difference.

I think this says it all - I have no more useful words to add to this.
Max Lucado
From On The Anvil

Why No News is Good News - Why a Media Fast is Beneficial

Lately, every time I turn on the news, the big "R" (recession) is mentioned. I have a theory about this - the news helps to create a big "R." People watch the news, dwell on it and then get scared. Once they're scared, the beliefs take over and then they watch their actions - cut back on their spending, run around with a fear mentality and then the economy does slow down.

The news is also frustrating because over 95% of it is about things you can't do anything about.

Finally, if you watch the news a lot, you lose a lot of time you could spend doing other things - things that might make you feel happier, not more stressed out.

A media fast is good when you're feeling overwhelmed, want more time in your day, want to ignore negativity, etc. Because so many people get caught up in the news, you'll always know what's happening whether you immerse yourself in it or not.

Here's the benefits to a media fast:

1. Time: You can claim up to two hours a day when you bypass news for a day
2. Attitude: You'll be more positive as you won't dwell on the 95% of news that's negative
3. Control: You'll have more control because you can pick and choose what you want in your life
4. Productivity: You'll be more productive and inspired because you won't have your energy scattered dwelling on the news.

While you can still watch the news, the secret is to curb the time to minimize overwhelm.

To Sit or Not to Sit - This is the Question...

Has this happened to you? You rush around all week and then make BIG plans for the weekend and the weekend arrives and you're out of steam.

All those HUGE ideas for getting things done are replaced by fatigue and the temptation to sit on the couch all day and watch every stupid reality T.V. show and movie that happens to be on the tube.

All of a sudden, you're filled with 'guilt' because you should be doing something worthwhile even though there's gale force winds outside and trees are bending over backward.

This happened to me the other day. I didn't want to call anyone, just barely got out of my PJs (put on sweats) and didn't put on makeup. Whee whoo!

It was pouring rain outside and it was Remembrance Day (Veterans Day in the U.S.) and it felt great to 'do nothing an ignore the world.'

Do you have days like this? If you don't, you should. Because I feel absolutely revitalized after this weekend of not traveling, not visiting people and not looking at email more than once a day. Yes, I felt a little 'funny' but I shouldn't feel guilty as I wrote a book about slowing down. If I can't relax without feeling bad, no one stands a chance.

So your assignment this week is to pick a day or a couple of hours during the week to do absolutely nothing. That's right - no T.V., no exercise, no errands. Just take a nap, doodle in a sketchbook, learn an instrument, go for a long walk, visit a friend or start a new hobby.

Let me know how you do - drop me a line and tell me how you 'escaped.'

Lisa

To Delegate or Not?

If you're a small business owner or entrepreneur then you've probably struggled with this age-old question: 'Do I delegate or do it myself?'

In the beginning of a business, we may delegate but we often feel we have to do everything. There are many reasons for this way of thinking and they are as follows:

1. We don't have the money. (this is a valid reason)
2. We don't have the time to teach someone else.
3. We don't really know what we should delegate to someone else.
4. We're too busy to even realize we need to hand off some of our work.
5. We feel independent and want to 'go it alone.'
6. We don't want to give up control (this is a huge one that people fear)

There are other reasons we hold off on delegating but these are the most common reasons.

Relinquishing control is the most challenging habit because we often feel that 'no one can do the task as well as us.' We're afraid that if we hand the job to someone else, they will lose the clients, waste the resources, make us look bad, make the company look bad, etc.

Nothing could be farther from the truth (if you hire right from the start)

All the most successful companies in the world only experience success when they stop doing everything themselves and they delegate the things they hate, don't enjoy, don't have abilities for and so forth.

Ever notice how some companies bypass others? It's got to do with the team they hire. They look for talented, intelligent people who have the same philosophies and a passion and desire to build the company. These people have skills and abilities that their employer doesn't have.

That's right, never hire someone exactly like you or you will miss out on new skills.

Another reason small biz owners hate to delegate and hand jobs to others is because they feel they don't have money to do so.

I have felt this way at times because honestly, I hardly had the money to pay myself. This is where you sometimes have to be creative.

If you're a coach, you might barter and trade your coaching with someone who does website design, etc. See how you can offer your products and services in exchange for other things you need.

I caution against just a straight barter. It's better to pay for something and have the other person do so as well so there is an exchange of money. This way, you will feel abundant and will attract more money.

Being too busy to delegate can be like a double-edged sword. You need to have someone take on the work and yet you're too busy to give them things to do. It's kind of like driving your car and the gas gauge light comes on to tell you that there's only one sixteenth of a tank of gas left but instead of driving to a gas station, you decide you're too busy to slow down and refuel. Instead, you keep on driving and eventually run out of gas and are overly late for that meeting.

Sometimes pride gets in the way and we feel independent and think we should do everythng ourselves. That might be okay for a short spell; it's good to know how all areas of your company work, but after a while, playing a Lone Ranger will make you irritable, sick and you'll lose the passion for your business. You need to delegate so you can do what you do best and bring in revenue.

Finally, sometimes we don't even know what we should delegate. If you know you need to give work to someone else (signs are: frustration, losing revenue, not doing what you're gifted at, etc.) but don't know what work to hand over, you must have a plan.

Start by writing down every single thing you do in your business.

For example, you might read and answer email, send faxes phone clients, follow up with new clients, handle marketing, do book-keeping, etc.

Study your list, think about the talents you have that bring you money and then eliminate things that frustrate you, take you away from making money, take too long to do, you don't really know how to do them and so forth.

Try to only focus on things that are creative and bring you revenue, credibility, clients, etc.

If money is a huge issue, contract out. Get a virtual assistant or an employee to come in to your company and work a set amount of hours per week or month. This is a very viable way to run a company.

For example, you may only need a book-keeper for a few hours per month. Why hire someone full time if you don't need them?

When deciding to delegate or not, ask yourself what your time is worth. If you're charging $100 an hour for a service and your books are draining your time, it may be worth your while to hire that book-keeper for a few hours a month so you can take on more clients and make more money.

Take this week and think about where you might bring an expert into your company. I wish you well and feel free to email me your ideas at: info@escapethepace.com


Lisa "Small Biz Stress Buster"

Lisa Rickwood, "Small Biz Stress Buster," is a small business coach, visual artist and author of Escape The Pace: 100 Fun And Easy Ways To Slow Down And Enjoy Your Life and co-author of Power & Soul: 42 Successful Entrepreneurs Share their Secrets for Creating the Business and Life of Their Dreams. She helps small business owners ‘master stress for professional and personal success.’ Get your FREE e-book, 5 Critical Actions That Hurt Your Business and Add Stress to Your Life…and How to Escape Them by visiting: http://www.escapethepace.com/