Hopefully you have had a killer, “Rock Star” kind of year.  If you did, that’s just awesome.

But if you are like many of the folks I’m talking to these days, the year has been a challenging one to say the least.

I know entrepreneurs who have lost their confidence, gotten jobs to supplement their business earnings, and are having a hard time seeing past this moment in time.

Watch  this video as I share my ideas about some mindset tips to help you stay focused and keep going.  And I’d love you to put your ideas on how you stay inspired in the comment section.  We are all in it together, so let’s share and help each other.

And if you can’t see the video – click on this link:    http://bit.ly/6KMPmb

One of my favorite shows is The Biggest Loser. Why? Because it’s one of the most inspiring things you can see on the tube. In this article I’m going to parallel the contestants and what they go through with you – my entrepreneur tribe. As you watch their journey, I’ll show you how you can be reenergized in business.

Let’s start at the beginning. The Biggest Loser contestants have it tough. So much tougher than we “normal sized” folks do. Why? Because they can’t hide. If you look at them with 100 extra pounds on their frames, you could assume that there is something not working in their lives.

That’s the good and the bad news for them. The good is that it doesn’t allow for slipping into denial because their pain or dysfunction is publicly visible. And maybe that makes them just a bit luckier in some ways.

Luckier? You are probably well aware that if you pull the curtain on some of the success teachers, actors or athletes, they are hiding many, many things. Maybe they are hiding the fact that they aren’t really making the money they claim. Or perhaps it’s that they are having personal or relationship issues themselves.

I think that when we are in the public eye – and as an entrepreneur you are in the public eye – the tendency is to want to put just a bit of ‘spin’ on the less-than-great elements in your life. It’s hard to step up and be authentic about the challenges you have gone through or the things that haven’t worked when you have the ability to put the nice suit on, crank out a few more happy tweets, and just go about the business of not dealing with what’s real.

But not my Biggest Losers…nope. They bare it all, and on national TV. As the saying goes, “The only way around is through.” These folks work through their issues to get to the healthier, happier, and beautiful person underneath. Week after week they face their fears, get pushed past their limits, and find strength in themselves that they never dreamed existed.

Isn’t that what the entrepreneurial journey is about? That’s how I have experienced it this last year, and I want to share my formula with you, so you too may have the business that brings you joy.

It’s about having D.A.T.E.S with your destiny –

D – Decide to change – The contestants first have to come to a place where they decide that they can no longer continue to keep living in this way. What do you need to decide? How about that you will have more fun in your business? Maybe it’s that you will finally give yourself permission to put yourself more fully into the work you do. Or perhaps that 2010 will finally be the year that you bite the bullet and get the team support you need so that you can devote yourself more to doing the work you love. Whatever it is for you…DECIDE! Repeat that to yourself over and over and over…”I am deciding to ______________, or I have decided ________________.” There’s power in that!

A – Assess what’s true – within the first week on the ranch where the Biggest Losers stay for the duration, they are giving a full battery of tests to determine their level of health and fitness. This is where many of the final shreds of denial fall away for these courageous souls. Last season a woman who was 49 years old tested out at about 61 which shocked the heck out of her. Some times we want to run from the parts of our business (and life) that are a bit messy. We don’t want to see that maybe our books aren’t in order, or that we haven’t been charging what we should, but by not looking at that, it still has power over you. How about this….”You can’t grow what you don’t know.”

Here are a few things you should be assessing for the health of your business –

Your marketing: how frequent and how effective is it?
Your follow up: is it automated?
Your billing: is it done on time?
Your books: are you getting up to date P & L’s and reviewing them regularly.
Your wealth plan: is it growing?
Your networking: are you making new connections and building powerful relationships?
Your offerings: does your market want something new for this year?

Have the courage to make a list of all the things you want to assess and have courage to tell yourself the truth.

T – Train with the Best. If you have seen the show, there are two very different strength trainers who work out the contestants. One is a very open-hearted guy named Bob, who clearly loves the contestants and shows that. The other is a kick-butt gal named Jillian, who is also very much there for them, but does it in a ‘boot camp’ way that calls them out when they are giving up on themselves. She screams and doesn’t let them off the hook, and while I’d probably be a mess of tears, her “in your face” style does the trick of helping the contestants to remember why they are there.

So let’s replicate their success. Who do you train with? Who calls out your brilliance, even when you can’t see it for yourself or are too tired to go on? Who loves you, supports you, designs exercises for your growth, and is there cheering you on? Every great athlete has multiple coaches. You just cannot expect to grow your business without training with the best, so in 2010, make it your #1 priority to find the best coach or mentor out there and let them get their hands on your business the way Bob and Jillian do for the contestants. You’ll love the results!

E – Enhance Your Environment – The contestants live on “The Ranch” which provides an environment for success. Thomas Leonard, the Father of Coaching used to say, “Environment is stronger than will” which means that a well constructed environment can pull you forward, while will is something you have to push and work at. An example of a powerful environment could be a mastermind group. You just show up, plug in and get new inspiration. Another one would be to design your office so that you feel energized just being there versus dragged down by clutter. There are environments in what sort of things you are reading and taking in. Are you surrounded by thoughts and ideas that enliven you and bring out your best? If not, change it.

S – Step up and Play Big – The final contestants of the Biggest Loser all get a makeover and then their families (who have not seen them in months) get to see the new person that has emerged. The metamorphosis is unbelievable. That’s what I want for you. To step up. Do the thing you have been afraid to do. What part of your business could you make over? Maybe that website that has been languishing could use a revamp. How about adding some teleclasses to your offerings to showcase your brilliance. Or let’s get crazy here….why not write that book you have been talking about for years?

It doesn’t have to be a complete business overhaul, but you have to start somewhere. Ask yourself these questions…

What are three things I could do that would energize my business and my spirit?
What help/support would I need to pull that off?
What results would I like to see as a result?
When will I get started?

There you go. My thoughts on how you can be The Biggest Winner!

Be sure to leave a comment on what you are going to do on the blog, and know I’m here to support you. (Not like Jillian, but I’ll for sure hold your greatness ’til you can see it.)

Marketing, sales, Twitter, networking, VA’s, accounting, advertising…oh my!

It seems like there are endless things that need to be in place in order to get that business of yours to move from being like the middle school kid who has loads of potential (but a little disorganized and wacky at times) to the Ivy League graduate who is self sufficient and bringing home the dough.

What does it take? I’m asked all the time where to start. Is the key in putting more time, energy or money into marketing? Or will getting a great virtual assistant (VA) finally unlock all the pieces? There are so many possibilities.

But here’s the deal – you need a formula. Actually, you need my formula. Thanks to some great coaching from my friend and mastermind partner, Shawn Driscoll, I now have a formula that encompasses the work I do, and makes tons of sense. I call it the B.O.L.D formula for getting you and your business out there in a much bigger way.

The first place we start in the formula is in the area of beliefs, blocks and barriers.

What I know is that this is the secret sauce to make any coaching or marketing program get results. So many people have limiting beliefs that completely derail them, yet have no idea that this is why they see only marginal success. When you blast those limiting beliefs away, and then do the work to install ones that support your vision, you can begin to create the foundation that becomes a really strong container for you to put your dreams and goals in.

How do we do this? I have loads of techniques, but part of it starts with muscle testing. If you are interested, I’d be happy to send you the “how to use muscle testing” video I did as part of the Inner Guru Experience where we teach this in much more detail. Just shoot me an email by clicking here and you can start working with one of the most powerful tools I know. This can be eye opening for you to learn which beliefs you resonate with or not. (Be warned…it might surprise you!)

Next we have you own it!

You first own your vision. Is it yours, or is it someone else’s for you? Have you checked that this vision fits with your values and priorities? If not, there will be a part of you that will sabotage it, so make sure you do that work.

After you own your vision, you own your expertise. Yes, you MUST be positioning yourself as an expert. Some people balk at that word, but look at it this way. Who makes more, a pediatric cardiologist, or a family doc? Who is perceived as more knowledgeable – the generalist, or the specialist? Too many people undervalue themselves, and that’s one of the main things that I love to hammer away on with my clients.

And finally, you own your unique style. This is where marketing gets fun. If you are trying to do it like everyone else, you risk being invisible. If you are trying to ‘be professional’ your audience won’t resonate with you. I can’t say it enough…put your personality into everything you do with your marketing and your business. This way, the perfect clients will be really drawn to you.

The first two steps are the Inner Game work, and now we move to the Outer Game pieces.

After you understand what you want to do and put your unique spin on it, we look at ways you leverage your time, energy and money. This is where we make the assessment of what tasks you should be doing, and what things you should outsource. Remember – just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should! If you are a chiropractor and you are sitting around on the weekend putting up web pages or trying to do your own bookkeeping, you are missing the boat. Let someone who loves to do that stuff take it, and apply your time to what you can uniquely do that either no one else can, or is a revenue generator.

Here’s my coaching challenge to you…look at your business to try to find where you could gain 5 hours a week for yourself. What tasks would you have to peel off in order for that to happen? Outsource those, and in that extra 5 hours, do something that is either marketing related, or is bringing in more money for you. That could mean you spend more time writing, or possibly networking. Answer this question for yourself – “If I had more hours in the week, what three things would I work on to grow my business?”

And finally, we work on designing a business that you will love. This is where we also factor in your values, mission, goals, and dreams. This is where your legacy comes in, and where you put your stamp in the world. What kind of business model would you like? Is it a service biz, or an info-marketing biz, or perhaps a brick and mortar biz?

Designing a business that serves YOU is the most rewarding thing…but it takes courage! First, you have to know what you want, and next you have to be fiercely committed to seeing that through. This is where the dreaming happens. The crazy, out-of-the-box “what could I have if anything were possible” types of questions. Doesn’t that get you excited? I hope so! Because the world needs what you have to offer.

I don’t know when it hits you, but most of my inspirations come about just as I’m waking up in the morning.  All the good stuff gets downloaded, and suddenly I have clarity, creativity, and just know that it’s Divine Inspiration.

That’s what happened this morning.

You see, I’m making some changes in the way I have been working and will be clearing some space for the next BIG thing to come in.  So there is an element of letting go that is necessary, without fully knowing what’s next.  This calls for loads of faith.  And mostly I roll with it really well.  But there are those days where my mind wants to get in and control….or at least pretend that it has control.

Because our minds feel safe when they have little jobs…like figuring out what to do in any given situation.  But when LIFE moves you, there is nothing your mind can do but sit and wait.

But I have one of those trickier-than-most minds.  It can get a hold of something and it’s like a dog with a new chew toy.  So the ‘battle’ between faith and will kicks in.  And since my very bright mind LOVES to figure out things, sometimes it wins.

This morning however, the Divine answer was shown to me.  Since I’m working on creating my new program for November, there are loads and loads of details and “what if’s” that spin through my head.  “What if this happens, what if this doesn’t happen, what should I do about xyz?”  But this morning, the message was clear:

Relax, and give thanks that it’s already done.

“What, my mind said?  How can it be done, I haven’t even put the webpage up or gotten any clients in the program yet?”  Then I heard this:

Just relax, and feel what it will feel like when the program is filled.  Be grateful and feel peaceful.  It’s already done.

Later in the day I listened to an audio a friend sent me that also suggested that so many of us spend our mental energy in what’s not working, that there is where we get stuck.  But what if we just spoke of the delight that we will feel when we accomplish what we want.  I could speak about how excited I am that 10 perfect clients were inspired to take the program and have had amazing results.  I can feel how blessed it would be to make such a difference in their lives, and how I was able to also contribute more to the economy by helping them earn more money.  And it would feel crazy good to celebrate with my team and give them each a bonus for pulling off such a seamless launch.

Doesn’t that energy feel loads better than the more traditional, “OMG, I have to fill this program…what if they don’t buy….is the price to high…” crap that goes on in most of our heads.

The secret here?  Pretty basic Law of Attraction stuff, but it was so powerfully clear this morning when that Voice said to me:

Relax, and give thanks that it’s already done.

Now what about you?  Can you relax and give thanks?  It’s a heck of a lot easier than doing it any other way.

And I’d love to hear your story.  What are you working on creating, and how are you relaxing into that?

Blessings!

Do you realize the cost of having financial scarcity in your business?  Beyond the obvious, what I see is that it costs you so much more than you even realize.

It happened to a recent client of mine .

He had contacted me after being referred for coaching by my friend Jen Blackert.  He knew that he needed to have a mindset breakthrough, because he was stuck.  This man previously had two professional careers, but had left those to pursue his dreams of being an Internet marketer.  But after six  months, he was broke.  He had done all the Law of Attraction work, visualizations, affirmations, and everything he needed but still was struggling with not having enough money to pay his bills.

He came asking for some coaching, but when I asked “What is it that you want to accomplish if we work together for six months”….he couldn’t answer.  All he could do was wallow around in what hadn’t worked, where he was stuck, and didn’t have any idea of what to do next.

See, the problem was that all he could focus his energy on was what what he wasn’t getting. He could not get any clarity around his goals, or what would have to happen if he were able to have the breakthrough that he was seeking.  I work with lots of people here when they first get started with me.  They tend to spin around in the same possibilities that they know right now… as opposed to being able to break free and create something that they would really love.

In his frustration the man said, “Maybe I should just get a part time job to get some of these bills paid.”  Now as a die-hard entrepreneur, the thought of a job is not the first thing I ever think of.  In my mind there is always some way of creating a solution.  But in his case, after I had asked him what he wanted to create/accomplish/achieve, and he was completely focused on the lack, I decided to explore what this would be like for him.

We put it as an option on the table.  I said, “OK, imagine you get a part time job that brings in say…$1000 a month, what is different now?”  This is where my mind-blowing surprise came in - suddenly he knew what he wanted to work on! He “remembered” that he had really wanted to start a membership site, “knew” what his goals were and exactly where he wanted to be in six months.  Instead of being unfocused and having flat and draggy energy, he now became animated and could see a million new possibilities he didn’t have access to just 5 minutes before.

It was in that moment that I saw that his cash flow challenges were the thing that blocked his movement forward.  His constant focus on his problems interfered with his ability to create.  And I learned a huge lesson.  I think there is an “entrepreneurial arrogance” about never having to resort to getting the dreaded J-O-B.  But his commitment to the entrepreneurial dream was also the very thing that was preventing him from getting it!  When we opened the door to just taking a short job for 90 days to plug some of the cash flow leaks, he then was able to move into a place of creating his dream.

Lesson learned!  Do whatever it takes to get out of wallowing in what you don’t have and shift your energy into moving forward.

Here’s to your success……

Part two – Finding the Tools to Prevent the Freak Out!

I’ll tell you the business application in tomorrow’s post, but I want you to hear the story of how this all came to be, because it’s pretty funny. Pathetic perhaps, but funny.

A friend and I decided to take our kids to the water park.  To tell you the truth, I was really cranky because it was about a hundred million degrees and I’d rather be anywhere but outside. But I said yes because the boys were super excited to go.

When we got there, we first went to more of the ‘kid-friendly’ area where there were a few teenagers, but mostly people under four feet tall. It was here that I finally decided to just go for it, so I think I did one 20 feet high open slide.  That open piece is the key because being in an enclosed tube in the black was more than my little psyche could handle. Me and the toddlers were content to stay on the baby-ish slides, but my boys wanted to head over to where the real action was.

Now that my kids were on the big slides, my only choice was to stand at the bottom, realizing what I was missing, mad at myself for having these stupid fears, and feeling pretty ridiculous that at age 50, I have this huge limiting thing. That’s where I began to make the decision that I was not leaving until I conquered my fear and did one of the slides, because I just knew that if I could do it, it would lead to a breakthrough somehow.

I found my boys and told them that I needed their help in getting over this fear. Having done most of the slides by now, they decided that I’d do the tubes that were only half way enclosed, but not pitch black. Let the journey begin!  Once decided on the slide, we began to scale what felt like five stories, and the closer I got, the more anxious I became. So anxious in fact, that I was almost hyperventilating! (But thankfully having done the Inner Guru Experience with Molly Luffy, I learned how to use EFT for just those situations!) It actually worked, and I was able to calm myself down enough to get up the stairs.

My ten year old was the one really leading the charge to get me to do this, and his famous coaching command to me (as I was doing EFT tapping like a fool and praying) was to say, “Come on mom, sack up!” Guess that’s boy love or something. Between that, the prayers, the tapping, and mostly my decision that I would not turn back, I did it!

One slide down! I did it and it was absolutely exhilarating. I had been able to conquer all my thoughts and calm myself down.

Now the boys decided to throw me into the black tube of death. (OK, it wasn’t really called that, but felt like it at the time!)

This slide was completely enclosed and totally black except for the last third. There was about a ten foot open space, and then it was enclosed again.

Being in this tube was where it all came clear to me. As I popped onto the inner tube and pushed myself into the water, it was pitch black. And the water was in control. Not me. Then and there I had the ‘a ha’ that this is the very place that business owners fear. Very often we hit places in our businesses where it almost exactly mirrors my experience here.

Tomorrow’s article will share with you the connection with the water slide, business breakthrough’s, and how to set yourself up to have one in any environment.

Okay it wasn’t a miracle as much as a breakthrough, but the results of the work are the stuff of miracles.

For me, it was magical confirmation of the power of doing of my Work with clients – allowing them to step into their greatness.  It’s kind of like turning a light on not only in their business, but inside themselves.  That was the case with Kim.

During a recently group coaching call for my Extraordinary Results Coaching Community, Kim called in for some laser coaching.

When I asked what she wanted, she was clear – “I want more belief in myself.”

You see, Kim has had tons of coaching and mentoring, and is truly brilliant.  Except that sometimes she can’t see it for herself, much like most of us.  I think it’s the curse of talented entrepreneurs.  We focus on growing our businesses, but sometimes don’t see just how amazing of results we get.  Or if we see it, we don’t OWN it.

I asked her where she was on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being fully owning her gifts and believing in what she had to offer.  She was a 7.

Here’s where it gets cool!  I asked her to find a spot on the floor in front of her where the “10″ lived.  No, not Bo Derek, but the Kim that is in the future and solidly embracing who she is and has the business that she loves.  She was instructed to slowly walk into the 8, the 9, and finally stand on the spot where the 10 of her belief in herself resided.

She stood there on the phone in her home, as I ‘called in’ for her that level of belief.  I asked her to open her arms wide and just say YES to life, YES to more money, YES to new clients, YES to abundance, and YES to belief.  In fact, everyone on the call was saying YES with her.  She totally got the integration and realized that she does have all she needs, and now had the tools to affirm that for herself.

I asked Kim to write about this experience and two days later, I got this email:

In a group coaching call, I said I wanted to walk away with 100% confidence. During that 15 minutes, not only did Therese boost my belief that I can accomplish my goals, she helped me identify that a missing piece was a willingness to receive what I was asking for.

She gave me the tools to solve that challenge and within 48 hours I received messages from a woman who wants me to teach a class for her online academy (which is filled with members of my target market), a business owner who wants to promote my upcoming teleclass to her entire network, and a multi-millionaire business woman who wants to set up a meeting to learn more about me and what I do.

Coincidence? C’mon! I think it’s simply amazing.

See what happens when we say YES to the Universe?

As a coaching question for yourself, ask what level of belief you have and how much you are allowing yourself to receive.  Bump it up!  See what happens when you do.

And if you want to see what Kim is up to – check this out cuz it’s gonna be good.

“Tweeting for Dollars (For Clueless Entrepreneurs Only)”.

http://readytoevolve.com/trainings/tweeting4dollars.html

OK, here’s the deal…

You are going to spend at least one third to one half of YOUR LIFE working. So why not make it something that gives you joy?

Today’s article is about looking at your business not just as a ‘cash machine’ or a form of revenue generation, but more of something that becomes an extension of you…and your life’s mission. Deep stuff I know, but since we are gonna be putting in all those hours, at the end of the day, let’s find a way to make it matter.

Since this article is not your basic Marketing 101 type of article, I want to set up in the beginning who I’m writing to.

If you are the kind of business owner who understands that in some ways your business is like your ministry, I’m talking to you. If you feel called to fully express your gifts through your business, I’m talking to you. If it’s important to you to serve as many people as you can, I’m talking to you. And if you are passionate about leaving a legacy – then you are my people…So let’s get going…

Business as Your Ministry –

I’m not referencing here the traditional or religious sense of the word ministry. To me it means that you know that your soul’s purpose is being expressed through your business and the services that you provide. One of the definitions of ministry is “the act of serving.” You may be a coach or speaker or own a store. Your work can be done consciously or unconsciously. You can look for ways where you can show up more fully and be of greater service, or it can just be a way to collect a paycheck. You get to decide.

That’s the absolute first step. If you have the sense that your business is like your personal ministry, you stand in the knowing that you are here to serve and are committed to that. From that level of commitment and decision, everything else falls into place.

Fully Expressing Your Gifts –

We are here to make a difference in people’s lives. (OK, that may be my belief, but I like it and am keeping it!) Your business becomes effortless when you express your gifts in the world, instead of trying to be what other people want you to be. This is where fulfillment lives, where passion lives, and its cute little down the street neighbor, Fun, lives!

First you have to know what your gifts are. And a big hint…what you think is easy and comes naturally and likely gets overlooked as “Doesn’t everyone have that?” – That’s YOUR gift. Take an inventory of what you do easily that your clients are really blown away by. Notice your passion-meter. What gets you juiced to talk about or do? Show up more fully in your business and you’ll not only enjoy it more, but you’ll also attract the RIGHT kind of clients who will resonate with your unique energy, AND you’ll also make more money doing it.

Stuck on what your gifts are? Ask! Survey your clients or close friends/mastermind partners and ask what they see that you are gifted at. You will probably be surprised at what they see that you have overlooked. Next – assign a value to what they say that your gifts are. You have to really own how much impact you have, so discovering what your gifts are worth is a huge step in gaining entrepreneurial confidence! When you really get clear about how much value you bring, raising your rates and being paid what you are worth will be easy.

Leaving a Legacy –

What will your footprint be? When you are gone, how will you be remembered? By the lives you touched? For the contributions you made? From the children you so tenderly raised?

Is legacy something that you strive for, or a thing that just happens when you show up and do your work in the world?

It’s my belief that sometimes we get so bogged down with the daily ‘to-do’ list that it’s easy to forget that we are here to make a difference. What would change in your business if you regularly tapped into that place in you that could hold the longer vision of what’s possible.

This legacy stuff on one hand feels a bit big and scary. But on the other hand, it can be energizing when you tap into the knowledge that your ideas and contributions will outlive you. I remember years ago meeting a copywriter and her big dream was “to be an influence.” It hadn’t occurred to me at the time that my scope was any broader that the local folks I was working with, but her soul knew that her purpose here was to influence how people thought and to help them open up to new possibilities.

What will it be for you? It’s not something I want you to ‘work’ at or stress over, but do give it some thought. If you create that new product, can you see the ripple effect? Imagine that 100 people work with you, and that work effects 10 of their friends, and five more down the road, in their networks. Can you see the endless possibilities?

So my wish for you, my dear reader, is to really do some thinking about the meaning of your business and the difference you make in the world because of it. Own your vision in a big way! We need that from you.

The top Business Fears that are slowing you down and sapping your profits!

Fears? Yeah…we all have them, but most of us just sail blindly into our business and never stop to analyze where we are getting stuck and how much that’s costing us. This special report will introduce you to this concept, show you if you have any of these ‘dream-stealers,’ and give practical strategies to help you finally break free!

Business fear #1 –“The Impostor Syndrome,” or  “Can I really do it? What if they find out I Suck!”

Raise your hand if you’ve ever felt like you weren’t quite as good as you needed to be in your craft? You know the thoughts….the ones that point out all those around you who are surely smarter, better, more financially secure, and probably happier than you. I remember my first job, right after college. I had gotten a master’s degree in counseling, and was sitting in my office after being given the position. I froze! I remember so clearly the feeling of, “Oh no….now I have to DO the work.” Real people would be coming in, expecting me to be their therapist. I just thought I interviewed really well and “b.s’ed” my way through. This feeling gripped me for quite some time until those first few clients came in, I didn’t kill them, and they actually felt better! It was then and there that I stumbled up the dreaded impostor syndrome.  Even though that was 23 years ago, I remember it and have seem my clients experience some version of this every time they take another huge step in their business.

So, if you feel this, know that you aren’t alone. Almost everyone starting out feels this way, and for some, the feeling continues on long into the life of their business.

If you have been around awhile and still have these nagging thoughts, ask yourself this question….”What would have to happen for me to believe I’m masterful at my craft?” When I re-careered in 2001 and added coaching, I asked the question….”What would it take for me to feel as good about my coaching as I do with my therapy practice?” Was it when I got 10 paying clients? No. I went deeper with the questions. Would I finally feel confident and secure when I made X amount of money? No, not it either. Maybe it was the amount of time in the new industry. Nope. The ‘winner’ for me was, when I felt as masterful coaching as I did doing therapy. Ah ha! Now I had something tangible I could work towards. I had to create a strategy for what I needed to feel masterful. That for me involved learning the components of sales and marketing so I could really serve the small business market.

If you resonate with the challenge, ask yourself the question, what would it take for you to feel masterful? A great example of ‘how-not-to-do-this’ is Ted Turner. Even though Ted is a gazillionaire, he never felt like he was good enough to please his dad. He had this unmet need, so after making millions and even billions, he finally realized that no matter what he did, he was doing it for the wrong reasons. Trying to get dad’s approval by making money is a no-win proposition. If your answer to the question is something like Ted’s, the insatiable nature of that will keep you running like a hamster on a wheel….going and going and going, but never finishing or feeling fulfilled.

Strategy #1 – Ask the question…”What needs to happen for me to feel masterful?” Come up with a plan. Create measures for yourself to track your progress, and mostly BE GENTLE with what you tell yourself.

John Childers, who is a real estate mogul, speaker trainer, and wealth builder once said this, “If you read five books on a subject, you are more of an expert on the topic than most people are.” There ya go. You are more of an expert than you are giving yourself credit for.

Strategy #2 – Ask your clients/friends what you do that provides value. Most of us are not able to see our brilliance to the degree we should. Ask for testimonials, get a sense of how you excel, write it down, and remind yourself of that daily.

But mostly – DECIDE that you are enough!

I’d love to hear from you……..comments?