Momentum Monday: Go With Your Gut – How to Avoid Paralysis by Analysis
Why is it that there never seems to be enough information to make an informed decision? That no matter how much you research a topic, you never seem to get to the definitive right answer? That every decision is shrouded in the fog of war, forcing you to step into the unknown?
It’s tempting not to make a decision, to continue to research and research until you can be 100% without a doubt, absolutely, positively certain that THIS not that is the right decision. But it’s impossible to know for absolute certainty that you have all the information, that your view on the subject is perfect.
So how do you make a decision without going into paralysis by analysis?
How to Avoid Paralysis by Analysis and Learn to Trust Your Gut
#1: Find Analysis Shortcuts – Ask a crowd (or the one research fanatic who researches and researches a topic until there is nothing left to discover). Crowdsourcing your research cuts down decision-making time on the front end.
Ask our ‘sources’ to share why they choose A over B or what other factors were a consideration in their decision so you can gauge whether their approach is analogous to your situation.
#2: Develop a Visual System – Sometimes the trouble with information is that there is simply too much of it and often different pieces of information point in opposite directions which in itself often leads to paralysis.
Use a visual mapping system to translate the ‘raw data’ into tangible images. This is where those pie chart and graphing tool come in handy. Even a simple mindmap can help you decipher what appears to be a mindboggling amount data.
#3: Apply a Risk Threshold – Calculate the cost of a wrong decision and use that to determine how much research is necessary to justify the decision. Costs may include money, time or hassle of changing course on a wrong decision.
Now weigh that potential risk against the cost of not making a decision. What is it costing you to continue not making a decision? The lower the risk of making a bad decision, the less time needs to be spent on analysis.
#4: Factor in Uncertainty – Accepting that you are making a decision based in imperfect information doesn’t mean taking a wild leap off the deep end. Make a contingency plan for dealing with uncertainty.
Giving your decisions a bit of ‘wiggle room’ for uncertainty not only prepares you for those uncertainties, but it also helps overcome the temptation to over analyze and not make a decision.
#5: Decide and Adjust – Make a decision knowing that it may not be perfect, but that it’s more important to decide and act. The key is to monitor the outcome and adjust course as necessary.
That may mean a shift to the right or the left or that may mean abandoning that course of action altogether if it proves to be the wrong choice. The key is to not stop gathering information once the decision is made.
Momentum Monday: Find Your Amazing – Why It’s Critical to Focus on Your Strengths and Delegate Your Weaknesses
It only takes a few minutes of watching one of those embarrassing talent shows to realize that everyone (and I mean, EVERYONE) has something ‘special’ they can do.
Assuming your something special is a little more practical than riding a unicycle while simultaneously yodeling and juggling fire or the ability to stick foreign objects into one of your orifices without the subsequent trip to the ER, you need to find your amazing and share that talent with the world.
Why You Need to Focus on Your Strengths
The adage “Just because you can doesn’t mean you should” applies to business as much as it applies to life. Just because you can do everything in your business doesn’t mean you should.
From a purely logistics perspective, doing what you do best takes far less time and effort than dragging your heels doing something you aren’t good at or even worse, hate doing. And focusing on what you are the best at means your business benefits from that unique talent.
How to Delegate Your Weaknesses
It’s important to note that there’s a big difference between ‘delegating’ and ‘dumping’. Delegating is the systematic approach to handing off projects and responsibilities. Dumping is the blind assignment of tasks in the hope that they never return to your desk again.
Ironically, dumping usually results in exactly that – the prompt and unwanted return of the hated task. When done properly, delegation means responsibilities can be transferred between members of your team without your involvement in the process.
#1: Make the Yucky List – Create a list of all the tasks you dread doing or that take you an extraordinary amount of time to accomplish. The Yucky List can include anything that steals your time away from focusing on your strengths, like folding laundry or sorting receipts to file expense reports.
#2: Systematize Tasks – Map out a basic system for accomplishing everything on the Yucky List you wish to delegate. Even the most menial tasks need a basic system so you don’t need to waste time correcting or fixing errors down the road.
#3: Simplify or Automate – Evaluate what can first be simplified or automated before delegating it. Simplifying and automating the tasks you wish to delegate will save you both time and money because you won’t be handing off an unnecessarily complex task.
#4: Hire or Outsource – Create a job description and qualifications based on what you need to delegate. In some instances, you may need to outsource to multiple people in order to benefit from specialized knowledge. Because you invested the time in documenting and systematizing what you are outsourcing, the transition will be much easier.
#5: Evaluate and Readjust – One of the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make is handing off tasks and never checking in. Develop core metrics to determine if a system is successful. An example of a useful metric is how much time it takes your team member to complete a particular task. If it’s taking too long, that’s a sign you need to readjust.
The One Exception to the Weakness Rule: If one of your weaknesses falls into the category of core entrepreneurial skills, like marketing or finance, you cannot simply delegate and forget. It is essential that you get to a minimum level of competence so you can work with the experts in those areas. For example, you need a base level of marketing knowledge in order to evaluate the campaign suggestions from your marketing team.
Momentum Monday: Putting Off a Yucky Task? It’s Time to Rip Off That Bandaid (and Other Tricks to Just Get It Done)
It happens – maybe it’s something you never liked doing, maybe it’s a project that has dragged on and has become uninspiring or maybe it is something you don’t feel all that confident at. Whatever the reason behind the dread, sometimes the hardest part of tackling a yucky task is just getting started.
Isn’t it amazing the lengths we go to avoid doing a yucky task instead of just ripping off the bandaid and being done with it? All that fretting, stalling and the I-don’t-wanna’s not only wastes time, but it drains your mental energy worrying and anticipating. And isn’t it always the same old story? You finish it and think to yourself, “Gosh, that really wasn’t all that bad.”
How to Rip Off the Bandaid and Get It Done Already!
Bright and Early – Instead of spending the day dreading it, get it over with first thing in the morning when your energy and motivation is at its highest. It’s the best way to handle those daunting tasks plus starting your day with a big win sets an important tone for the rest of the day!
1-2-3 GO! – Stop thinking about it and just count to three, take a deep breath and GO! Plunging straight into what you dread doing headfirst eliminates all the fussing and fretting and before you know it, it’s done!
Just Start – Start somewhere, anywhere! Pick a tiny corner of the yucky task and start nibbling away at it. Maybe that tiny corner is organizing your notes, maybe it’s outlining your strategy for tackling the task by breaking it down into manageable chunks. It doesn’t matter what you do – just start!
Promise – Create a false deadline by promising a deliverable by a specific date. Nothing motivates you to get a task done more than missing a deadline (real or otherwise) so create them by promising others and attaching a timeline.
Schedule – Block it off in your calendar, turn off the distractions and chain your bum to the chair until it’s done. If you don’t allocate time for the tasks you dread doing, somehow they never seem to get off your to-do list and onto your desk!
Double Shot Plunge – Coffee, chocolate or rock and roll – whatever gets you in the groove take TWO and go! It’s critical when tackling projects on your “Do not love to do and in fact kind of hate” list that you power up for peak performance!
Bribery – When all else fails, resort to bribery. That’s right – the same tactic that gets your three-year-old to eat her vegetables, works wonders on grown-up you! Put your favorite treat on your desk, book a mani/pedi or promise yourself whatever reward will get you to the finish line!
How do you motivate yourself to do what needs to be done? Share your top tips in the comments below!
Momentum Monday: Life Lessons from a 2-Year-Old – Not Taking No for an Answer
Almost every success story starts the same way. The intrepid entrepreneur finally gets a “Yes” after rejection after rejection. “No, not right now”, “No, we just don’t think it will work”, “No, that’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard”.
The reason for their success is they didn’t take “No” for an answer.
Lessons from a 2-Year-Old on Not Taking No for an Answer
The proudest moment in my daughter’s babyhood was the day I realized that “This kid has serious moxy!” Watching how she interacted with her environment, I realized that compared to her peers, she didn’t take “No” for an answer.
And not an asking multiple times kind of not taking “No”, but a deeply stubborn, single-minded determination kind of not taking no. More of a “No @#$% damn it” kind of no, but without the four-letter words.
It started at babyhood. You see, compared to other brand new crawlers, my daughter didn’t give up. Her crawling peers would stop at the slightest barrier, choosing to go around the pile of laundry to explore what was on the other side.
Not my little one. Faced with an obstacle, she hunkered down for a fight, bowing down her head to push through to the other side. Even if there was a much easier way around!
My inner voice said those prophetic words: Oh boy, I am in for it!
In an instant, my future as a parent flashed in front of me. I saw myself as the baffled, apologetic mother whose toddler ends up on the 6 o’clock news after narrowly escaping serious injury from climbing on top of a perilous height.
For the record, the polite term is “busy” (and thank goodness the 6 o’clock news never happened)…
The “No @#$% damn it” continued as my daughter started walking (an all determination, no skill or style endeavor on her part) and joined the ranks of the playground set.
By the age of two, her fearlessness was apparent. Seeing a kid twice her age attempt to climb to the top of the play structure, she just had to do it too! No fear, no excuses, just a quiet “No @#$% damn it” resolution that it will be done.
Often we let our fear, our inhabitations, our wishy-washy resolution get in the way of our success instead of taking a “No @#$% damn it” view of it. The minute we start to dream big, that little voice starts to question what we are doing and we slow down, we sabotage, we take “No” for an answer instead of pushing through to the final “Yes”.
Momentum Monday Challenge: Say “NO @#$% damn it” to whatever fear is holding you back and step up and do something big and bold this week!
Momentum Monday – What’s Your GIRL POWER Theme Song? How to ROCK your Momentum Mojo
A girl needs three things in life: a sexy Little Black Dress to wear for a night out on the town with Mr. Right, a pair of BIG B-with-an-Itch black boots when she needs to kick a little ass, and a groovy girl power theme song to get her mojo rockin’!
Think of it as Mary Poppins “A Spoon Full of Sugar” meets the latest rage hit from miscellaneous angry girl band. A girl just needs a merry little tune to move the task along (and by merry, I mean groovy and rockin’).
Note to readers: Full disclosure – I am from the 80’s so I take no responsibility for the coolness of the musical suggestions! Your results may vary. Reader discretion IS advised.
Rockin’ your Momentum Mojo
Rockin’ your Momentum Mojo is all about creating ‘the mood’ – that unstoppable feeling that put you in your creative groove baby!
Momentum Music – Think of it as rolling along the open highway music. It gives you that feeling of movement with an undertone of calm. Perfect for getting in the creative groove.
Current Favorite Momentum song: Soul Meets Body by Death Cab for Cutie
Get your Mojo Going Music – Get in your groove with your favorite mojo music (hint: pick something that takes you to your happy place). It’s perfect for tackling tasks with speed and efficiency (and a little fun)!
Current Favorite Mojo song: Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Astley
Girl Power Music – Step it into high gear with your girl power song! Definitely not recommended for creative work because energy levels tend to overwhelm concentration. Save girl power for pumping yourself up for speaking, recording video or that BIG meeting!
Current Favorite Girl Power song: Hot N Cold by Katy Perry
Got a favorite momentum mojo song? Add yours to the comments below! We’d love to add to our list of favorite rockin’ music!
Momentum Monday: 29 Creative Ways to AVOID Work – Productivity Suckers That Are Draining Your Time!
Isn’t it funny how creative we get when we REALLY don’t want to do something? Usually it’s something that will let us take a huge step forward and it scares the shit out of us. Cue the fake work list.
#1: Tidying your office
#2: Sorting files (bonus points if you start renaming files to fit the ‘new’ naming convention you invented last week while avoiding work)
#3: Inventing new naming conventions
#4: Lining up ANYTHING in neat rows
#5: Sharpening pencils (because really…who the heck uses pencils anymore?)
#6: Chit-chatting
#7: Smelling your 5YO’s sniffy markers
#8: Sorting receipts (trust me…bookkeepers LOVE the jumble method – it keeps them young)
#9: Dusting stuff (dust bunnies amuse bored children who wander aimlessly into your office)
#10: Redoing work that has already been done (move on!)
#11: Instant chatting for more than 3 minutes (then it’s a conversation people and pick up the dang telephone)
#12: Learning new functions on your Blackberry or iPhone (take a course or save it for pub night with your techie girlfriend)
#13: Transforming paper into nautical or aviation devices
#14: Forwarding jokes (seriously people…that died in the 90’s)
#15: Scrupulously auditing your desk pens for remaining ink quantity
#16: Throwing ANYTHING at anything (paper or otherwise)
#17: Untangling cords (um…they like being that way – leave them alone)
#18: Checking email, checking email, checking email (it doesn’t need your help – it downloads all by itself)
#19: Playing with stickers (step away from the sparkly princess)
#20: Checking in THE DRAWER (you know the one I mean…leave its secrets a mystery)
#21: Fiddling with the gummed up roller ball on your mouse
#22: Searching for recipes (plan that ahead of time)
#23: Putting the paper clips back into their magnetic house (just let ‘em hang all over the outside)
#24: Launching a search and rescue mission for that must-have thing you haven’t seen or thought of in 2 months (like keys in a river of molten lava…they’re gone – let them go)
#25: Navel gazing (save your exploration of the meaning of life for the weekends)
#26: Researching anything using Google maps, earth, universe explorer (plain old Google works just fine)
All joking aside – what we do on a daily basis is what will pave our path to success. ‘Fake work’ activities in and of themselves seem quite innocent – a file sorting here, a quick tidy up there – and that is exactly why they are the most dangerous form of self-sabotage.
Pay attention to your work habits and notice when the ‘fake work’ starts popping up. Chances are you are avoiding something. Time to put your big girl panties on and get it done and save the paperclip castle for playtime!
Want help getting it done? Check out our MOMeo e-Learning Campus for quick home-study courses on everything from SEO to being a mom CEO!
Momentum Monday: Got a Case of the La-Dee-Dah’s?
Okay – it happens…to EVERYONE! I don’t care who you are. IT happens. You get to your office and you feel BLAH!
You look at your task list and you don’t want to do anything. You look at your email – still nothing (and geez, why are all these people bugging me?). You pick up the telephone and the dial tone speaks your language – Blaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!
You have a serious case of the La-DEE-Dah’s, my friend!
Go with it!
What? Really? But what about momentum and forward movement? What about productivity and getting things done? Seriously? But my task list is 8 (HUNDRED MILLION) miles long!
What La-dee-dah is telling you…
Firstly, give yourself a break. Grab a latte and park it in a cozy spot and just be. Then when you feel a little more chill, look at what’s behind the blah’s.
Look behind the feelings and ask yourself what’s going on? Is there a task or project that you are avoiding? Is there a step forward that you are resisting? What are you feeling? Overwhelm? Fear? Guilt?
Digging to the root cause
Ask more questions. The ‘feeling’ is the symptom – you need to discover the root cause.
For example, if it’s fear that’s, ask what kind of fear. Is it self-preservation or self-sabotage? Meaning is your fear protecting you from saber-toothed tigers or stopping you from stepping up so let’s stay mediocre.
In the case of overwhelm, take a serious look at your task list and reprioritize. Sometimes overwhelm is a sneaky way to hide from your fear – by overloading yourself you have the perfect excuse not to take that big step forward.
Whatever the source – acknowledge it. Then decide: either ditch it, delegate it or bite the bullet and do it!
Momentum Monday Challenge: Tell us how you handle a case of the La-dee-dah’s!
Tuning in To Your Brilliant Self: MOMeo’s 30 Day Challenge continues with Carolyn Ellis
In the fast-paced hectic life of a MOMeo, with family and business on the go, most days feel like juggling a zillion balls at once.
The life we live is unique and ever-changing, expanding to balance the needs of so many competing priorities. In the clamor of our busy lives, it can be hard to build or sustain a sense of momentum when so many issues, questions and distractions surround us in every moment.
Women are wired with some amazing talents that can be both a blessing and a curse. We are highly empathetic and intuitive. We can tune into our tribe and sense clearly when something feels “off.” Our energetic radar sweeps our environment 24/7 without us even thinking about it. Just think about how you feel when your house is full of kids, spouse, pets and ringing phones versus how you feel alone in your home.
Did your shoulders drop a few inches just reading that last sentence?
See? It’s just evidence that our hereditary ability to tune into others is still in full operation.
When you’re on the path of the MOMeo, that empathic gift can turn into a curse if you don’t master who you are tuning into. You’ve probably already discovered that everyone has an opinion about everything.
How you should run your business.
Whether you need to hire a team to help you.
How to be a good mom and good wife.
How to “do it all” and still find time to nurture your soul.
We need to be conscious and selective about whom we choose to listen to, or else we wind up in trouble. Gathering information is one thing, but getting stuck in analysis paralysis or trying to measure up to everyone else’s expectations can be real momentum killers.
One of the biggest momentum deflators is getting caught in tuning in to your Inner Critic. Researchers estimate the average person has over 50,000 thoughts per day. A huge majority of these thoughts are negative self-talk, and they are conversations you’ve had many times before. Your Inner Critic may borrow the voice of other people you know (think skeptical mother-in-law or an uptight boss you once had).
So how can you turn down the negative Inner Critic and turn up the volume on your Brilliant Self, the source of your deep wisdom and intuition?
Here’s my personal “cheat sheet” I use to tell the difference between my Inner Critic and my Brilliant Self.
Volume – My Inner Critic speaks loudly and in a demanding tone. “Hey, who the heck do you think you are now?” – is a favorite refrain. My Brilliant Self speaks in a still, calm voice. “You know you are here for a reason, and you make a difference,” my Brilliant Self tells me.
Operating Principle – My Inner Critic operates from fear and wants to keep me safe at all costs. So, it will often recycle thoughts. “What will people think of you?” or “Nobody wants what you have to offer,” are great examples. My Brilliant Self operates from love and trusts that everything follows Divine order. “Just live in your joy, and you will be supported,” my Brilliant Self assures me.
Time Orientation – My Inner Critic reacts because it filters information based on past experiences or anticipating the future. “What if?” and “I shoulda-woulda-coulda done x,y,z differently!” scenarios are big clues my Inner Critic has grabbed the microphone. My Brilliant Self responds to the present moment and offers me guidance based on where I am right now.
Underlying Tone – My Inner Critic speaks to me like I’m a child that doesn’t know what she’s doing. My Brilliant Self is always loving and respectful, treating me as the spiritual adult that I am.
So, if you’re interested in momentum, progress and joy, who are you going to listen to?
Here’s my invitation for you to step into your Brilliant Self this week:
To tune be able to truly hear the voice of your Brilliant Self, it’s important to learn to quiet your brain chatter. This week, spend at least five minutes each day in quiet contemplation.
Close your eyes and breathe deeply. If your Inner Critic wants to butt in and offer a few thoughts, just tell it “Thank you, but I’m taking a few quiet moments right now.”
Gently bring into your awareness any area where you feel you’re losing steam and want to rev up your mojo. Ask your Brilliant Self to support you in this area. Then just be still and be open to receiving guidance from within.
Sign-Up for the 30 Day MOMentum Challenge: 30 Days to Build Unstoppable Momentum
Success Strategist, coach and award-winning author, Carolyn B. Ellis, is the founder of BrillianceMastery.com. Her Brilliance Mastery program supports women entrepreneurs to own their brilliance so the mission of their business can be communicated clearly, powerfully and profitably. She is the creator of the Unleash Your Brilliance Summit and a certified Money, Marketing & Soul Coach.
Carolyn publishes “Bits of Brilliance,” a weekly e-newsletter that offers inspiration, wisdom and support for the woman entrepreneur or business owner who is committed to living her brilliance. She offers workshops, teleseminars and specialized coaching programs for the woman entrepreneur who believes in putting her purpose and passion into her business in a profitable way so she can make a difference in the world. Carolyn has a graduate degree from Harvard University, and is a Master Integrative Coach and Advanced PSYCH-K Facilitator. She lives in Toronto, Ontario with her three children.
To learn more about Carolyn and her services, and to receive a copy of her special report “The 7 Secrets to Unlocking Your Brilliance as a Woman Entrepreneur,” please visit www.BrillianceMastery.com
Got Social Equity? The quality of your network impacts your net worth: MOMeo’s 30 Day Challenge continues with Gina Bell
When I started to think about the topic of momentum, I kept coming back to social equity, the strength of my network, and the quality of relationships within it.
Social equity is one of my favorite topics to teach, and has a great deal to do with why I’m able to move forward quickly and with such confidence.
Social equity is simply the standards and mutual value of your personal and social relationships. The key to positive social equity is the element of mutual benefit.
When your social equity is high, the people within your network truly care about you and your success – as you care about theirs.
There’s a great deal of mutual benefit. As a result, transitions (in life and business) are much easier to manage, because it’s effortless to garner support in many areas.
They are relevant in that they are interested in your area of expertise.
They are responsive in that they read and comment on your communications.
They are loyal in that they stay around as you and your company(s) grow and evolve.
And, they care – what you do and who you are really do make a difference for them; they notice and it matters.
Does this describe YOUR network?
When you have a relevant, responsive, loyal and caring network it’s almost impossible to fail. I often refer to positive social equity as an insurance policy for your success. The diversity of your network is just as important.
There are specific relationships that are essential to long-term, high level success. For example, if your network only includes customers and prospective customers, there are critical gaps you must consider.
Here are six specific types of relationships, in addition to your network of prospects and customers, that you should spend time developing high social equity with (and why):
- Family and Friends who “get” what you do. These are friends who support, not sabotage, success. When you share your plans and ideas, they fuel your excitement rather than burst your bubble. They don’t look at you like you’re crazy.
- Mentor(s) to inspire and lift you to new heights of success.
- Coach(es) to teach and motivate you to keep growing and moving forward.
- Masterminds/Associations of like-minded and motivated people moving in the same direction as you, to connect, collaborate, commiserate and celebrate with.
- Complimentary Experts/Service Providers. These are business owners who share your target audience but serve them in a way that is complementary, as opposed to competitive. These individuals or companies are perfect for co-promotion, collaboration, joint ventures, referrals and more!
- Industry Experts to stay informed, remain innovative, and strengthen your expertise.
So as you build your own networks and strive to develop high social equity, remember the seven types of equitable relationships and the essential ingredient of mutual benefit.
I’d love to hear how your relationships are supporting your success. Please feel free to comment!
Sign-Up for the 30 Day MOMentum Challenge: 30 Days to Build Unstoppable Momentum
Gina Bell is a multi-passionate entrepreneur, successful coach and author, President and CEO of Gina Bell, Inc. a company devoted to teaching success-driven women entrepreneurs how to build “equity-rich” internet-based businesses so they can enjoy all the fun, freedom and good fortune they desire.
Gina is also Founder and President of the International Association of Women in Business Online {IAWBO} as well as the Networking Masters International to name a few of her companies and projects.
Gina is host of Women in Business Online Radio Show, author to the forthcoming book Equity-Rich Women Online: How to Love, Leverage and Leap Your Way to Wild Success; and co-author to the AWE, Association of Web Entrepreneurs Emerging Trends Guide 2009 and the Power of Mentorship for the Home-Based Business alongside prominent transformational teachers like Bob Proctor and Dr. John Demartini from “The Secret”.
Gina is known as a Catalyst for Growth and consults with multi-passionate and creative entrepreneurs from all over the world teaching them how to build equity rich online businesses and how to leverage “catalyst” strategies that enable them to up-level their success quickly and with (a lot) less struggle.
You can learn more about Gina, her companies and programs at GinaBellinc.com
Surrender to Momentum – or Shrink to Regular Size: MOMeo’s 30 Day Challenge continues with Elizabeth Potts Weinstein
I’m sitting down here to write this blog post on momentum, and I only have one thought…
You can’t make momentum.
Momentum is not something you can think your way into. It’s not a goal, or a strategy, or something that happens because of a 7-step process, or a tool you can buy off a website.
Momentum is not something you make. Momentum is what happens to you.
It’s what happens when you’ve found your nexus. When you’re finally on that path, creating that project or program or business that’s the fulfillment of your purpose – that brings together everything you know and your skills, passion and community into a synergy greater that yourself.
And in that moment, you go from moving one step at a time, to exploding, at a pace that is scary and non-stop. The only thing you can do at that point…is decide.
Are you going to let it happen?
Or, are you going to stop. And go backwards.
So instead of writing a post about how to make momentum happen, here are some thoughts about how to not screw it up when it does.
1 – Wake up and realize that it already happened.
The funny thing about coming out of a plateau is that you don’t know it’s happening until it already starts. And since so much will need to change when you are growing exponentially, you need to realize – as fast as possible – that you’ve hit the tipping point
The only way to know is to stop. Take a deep breath. Give yourself space to feel what’s happening.
This may be a weekly meeting with you staff, a regular mastermind call or Skype with a trusted friend, a regular appointment with yourself for reflection or mediation.
Whatever works for you, build in times every week to step above your business, your life, so you can see what’s really happening to your business, from the 10,000 feet view.
2 – Live in the moment.
You can’t control momentum. It’s larger than yourself. You’ve given yourself over to the powers of the universe and must surrender for seemingly magical serendipity to happen.
The only way to let it happen is to live in the now, to just deal with what is in front of you.
I’m not saying don’t plan, or don’t set goals, or don’t strategize.
But whatever plans or systems you have in place, what’s happening is greater than anything you could think your way into. The only way to capitalize on this moment is to surrender to it.
3 – Get okay with being uncomfortable.
This is going to be scary. Scary-awesome, yes. But scary. So get used to it.
Re-frame those feelings of uncomfortable-ness, those feelings of barely being contained in your skin, as something good. A state of being to seek.
A state of being that means you’re on the right path. That what you are about to embark upon is the most right thing you could ever do, in this moment.
And all you can do is get okay with this feeling in your stomach. Because this is it.
4 – Think big.
Sometimes it’s easier to go from small to big than from small to medium. There are efficiencies in scale.
Big events (500+ people) have efficiencies with funding and sponsors and ease in getting big speakers, than medium-size events. Starting a company and getting venture capital funding when you plan to launch big, can be easier than getting a few hundred thousand dollars of pure angel funding for a smaller vision.
Growing 10% each time you launch a program can feel more forced than doubling each size, since you will be marketing a big launch in completely different ways than one done in-house.
If you can’t think of how to monetize your momentum, think bigger.
5 – Uplevel everything.
You will stall until you uplevel the backend. You may need to hire employees, a business manager or COO, an event planner or a personal assistant. You may need to jump from $10/month hosting to a $500/month managed server. You may need to go from bootstrapping with minimal overhead to thousands of dollars a month in staff and systems.
I’m not saying start out with these expenses in the beginning. And I’m not saying throw money around or not be strategic about what new expenses you take on in your business.
But when you break out of the plateau, whether that’s barely profitable or six figures, the uplevel choices will become painful. You’ll be frustrated with scalability problems, with customer service issues, with never having enough hours in the day to even get done the work needed for your clients & marketing, much less the back end of your business.
And then you’ll have to decide, for those particular strategic areas, are you willing to jump a few levels up? Or, are you okay with being left behind?
Here’s the Bottom Line.
When you hit your tipping point, when you hit momentum, you’ll have to decide:
Are you willing to be uncomfortable? Are you willing to think bigger than you’ve ever thought before? Are you willing to take the big risk?
Or…are you okay with shrinking back down to regular size?
This is your moment.
Who do you want to be?
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Elizabeth Potts Weinstein empowers solo-entrepreneurs to make a greater difference in the world and become more successful & fulfilled, by doing what is a natural extension of who they really are. She’s also a mom, attorney, author, speaker, coach, radio show host, twitter chat host, video blogging addict, tweetup connoisseur, people loving introvert, and truth evangelist.
Elizabeth inspires & empowers entrepreneurs to Live Their Truth in her blog at ElizabethPW.com, on twitter chats, via the 4 Weeks to Video tutorial program, and in the 6 Weeks to Live Your Truth group coaching program. If you want to follow her on her adventures and learn how to find other like-minded people who are speaking & living their truth, find her at http://twitter.com/ElizabethPW or at http://ElizabethPW.com.
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- I love that @AlyPain tells it like it is --> STOP Blaming Your Children - Why YOUR Failure Isn't THEIR Fault - http://t.co/LPo51mgI
- Pretend that every single person you meet has a sign around his or her neck that says, "Make me feel important." ~Mary Kay Ash
