Overwhelmed? 3 Keys to Maintaining Your Focus

OVERWHELMED? 3 KEYS TO MAINTAINING YOUR FOCUS

Maintaining Your Focus

Article by Heather Jadus
Photo Credit: Mike Nguyen
Magazine: Issue #22

I've always had trouble with focus. I'm a scatterbrain, shiny object grabber, idea every minute and no time to complete it, Type A person. My brain NEVER stops thinking about my business.

Sound familiar?

If you too are an entrepreneur then you probably have this same problem from time to time or even all the time.

I recently learned that there are 3 things I can do every day to keep my focus intact so I can continue to grow my business. What are they? Unfortunately, I can't tell you. Sorry. Do you want to punch me now? I would!  Hear me out first.

Here's why I can't tell you...  my three things and your three things will probably never be the same. In fact, my three things are never the same daily.

This is what I do. I look at my "to do" lists (yes that's plural, I usually have a few going on at once) and I pick 3 things I must accomplish that day to help my business. I like to call them my "Daily MUST, BIG 3".  I'm always realistic about my task choices and these 3 things have to be something that will help build my business. It doesn't mean that these are the only things I do that day, there are many tasks in between of course but those 3 things remain my FOCUS, my top dogs, my must do's. It just seems to break things down a bit when you are trying to accomplish 100 things... just pick 3....three to FOCUS on for that day.

This tactic has really helped me to hone in on what I really need to do instead of being totally overwhelmed by all the ideas that pop into my head and things to be done.  It places urgency on certain things and leaves the rest behind... for now. If a NEW idea comes up, I write it down.... on one of my lists. I know I'll get to it eventually.

What do YOU do to focus?

Be Informed.  Be Safe.  Be Healthy.

HOLISTIC FASHIONISTA RECOMMENDED!

There has not been a federal law regulating cosmetic ingredients since 1938! Only 10% of the 12,000 or so ingredients commonly found in persoanl products have been tested for safety.

If you are a clean eater but you are slathering these toxic chemicals all over your body then you are doing it wrong! Do you have the time to do the research to see what's REALLY in your favorite makeup, skincare and personal products?

Help is here! Click here to get your Beauty Bag Makeover!

Is Your “Goal Setting” Dumbing You Down?

IS YOUR "GOAL SETTING" DUMBING YOU DOWN?

"Goal Setting" Dumbing You Down?

Article by Ling Wong
Photo Credit: Dasha & Mari
Magazine: Issue #21

How many times have you set goals and then “failed” to meet them? Does it make you feel crappy and cause you to beat yourself up? What if it’s not YOU? What if it’s the way we are taught to set goals that is constricting our creativity and possibilities?

A lot of us have heard of SMART goals, which stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-Bound.

There is absolutely merit to this way of thinking – I am sure it works for some, and if it’s rocking your world, stick with it by all means.

This article is not about arguing what the “right way” is – my intention is to point out a few things and let YOU decide what’s best for your circumstances.

I want to share a different perspective so we can discern when setting SMART goals may be causing us to negate our bigger picture. How its approach may create a point of view that blinds us from dreaming big and being gutsy.

If you are nodding your head in agreement that you are often stumped by this goal-setting thing, and find it to be constrictive, here is a different way to look at it from the “dream big, be gusty” angle.

Is Being “Specific and Measurable” Diverting Our Attention?

If you are familiar with the Desire Map, then you understand why you want to focus on how you want to feel and do things to create that feeling, instead of getting the “thing” that you think may generate the feeling.

I am all about “feeling it” because our soul and intuition communicate with us through our emotions. But getting down and dirty to our core and in touch with our deepest desires and feelings can be scary.

Hiding behind the numbers or the “tangible” (aka, “specific”) stuff can be a convenient way to divert our attention so we don’t have to face what truly matters to us on a deeper level.

When we put “numbers” down, it creates a bias toward using the “logical mind” and mutes our intuition. It puts the left brain on overdrive and asks the right brain (where big picture and creativity lie) to take a back seat.

It may help us “get things done” but it may also make us myopic and turn us into taskmasters who has lost sight of what we want to BE about.

Putting a number (or a “tangible” metric) down can make us obsess about the number, instead of staying with the “why” behind setting that number. The “obsession” may get us to do things that are not aligned with “who we are” (or who we want to BE) just so we can hit an arbitrary number.

If you “make” the numbers by doing something not aligned with who you want to be and where you want to go, are you sending yourself down a wrong route, doing busy work that actually takes you further away from your big vision and ultimate goal?

Is Being “Attainable and Realistic” Limiting Our Possibilities?

Flying to the moon was not “realistic” before it became a reality, but we did it anyway.

If everything we do has to be “attainable and realistic” based on our current understanding of what is possible for our circumstances, it’s hard to stretch ourselves and create out-of-the-box breakthroughs.

Staying within the confines of what is “attainable” can become a handy excuse for our ego – which doesn’t like defeat, which fears being vulnerable and criticized – to hide behind so we don’t have to face plant when we declare our big vision.

Is “being realistic” keeping us small? Is “being attainable” drawing a line to keep us in before we start venturing out?

Staying “attainable and realistic” gives us an excuse to not push our limit – it can become a permission slip to stay safe within the boundary of the “known.”

If we want to work with the limitless resourcefulness of our higher selves and the universe, does it make sense to limit ourselves to what is “attainable and realistic” based on what we know and can perceive as available to us at this moment in time?

Is Being “Time-Bound” Limiting Our Flexibility?

With a project management background, I don’t have bones with setting timelines. In fact, I push my clients with somewhat aggressive timelines to kick their butts.

But… what are you putting a timeline on? If it’s a specific task in a project, I am very cool with that. It keeps you on your toes and actually get shit done.

However, if it’s a timeline for a bigger vision with multiple variables, it may limit your flexibility. When you fixate on the timeline, would it prevent you from exploring options that may take longer but actually be more aligned with your vision?

Having a timeline may make us feel that we are in control, but…“Control” is an illusion and we know our path unfolds not according to what our ego thinks to be “right.”

Ok, I have to make the jump here because it’s a gut thing and I can’t wrap a “logical argument” around this yet:
this illusion of control is actually disempowering us. It diverts our attention to “fixing” things rather than making the best of opportunities that arises, thereby limiting our possibilities.

Soooo… what to do?

You be the judge of when being SMART is indeed smart, and when being SMART is actually limiting your possibilities. I don’t have an answer, and I don’t think there needs to be one.

Set your eyes on who you want to BE and how you want to BE. Own it, step up to it. It should be big, and scary. It may be so big that you have no freaking idea how to go about it.

Then ask, what milestones can you come up with to direct your decisions and actions toward this vision? I think being SMART is great at the milestone level when you have already mapped out the projects that support your big vision.

When you are working toward the milestones, be sure to GUT check and make sure you are being who you want to BE, instead of chasing a number or staying safe, thereby losing sight of the big “why” that drove the creation of the milestones in the first place.

How to Make Your Business Stand Out in a Saturated Market

Stand Out in a Saturated Market

HOW TO MAKE YOUR BUSINESS STAND OUT IN A SATURATED MARKET

Article by Angel Quintana
Photo Credit: Dasha & Mari
Magazine: Issue #21

Angel, I have been a blogger since 2007. I've had some fun experiences and some financial success but a girl can't live on skin care samples alone. The market is saturated with fashion/beauty blogs now and I am struggling to make a consistent income. I'm not sure which direction to take to make a higher income. I'm not a trained personal stylist or makeup artist, I'm a busy mom who loves to look her best. What service do I offer that is useful and desired by other women? I need to get clear and get this in the works. 
Many thanks for your input! 
xx,
Tammy Gibson
Nude Member, The Club

Great question Tammy! It’s a question I think a lot of entrepreneurs and bloggers out there would love to know. So here are are some tips to hopefully set you on the right path:

Determine the Urgent Problem You Solve
1| The first thing to consider is what Urgent Problem do you know how to solve? You mentioned you are a busy mom who loves to look her best, I could probably guess there are a zillion of those women out there searching Google right now trying to find a solution to their rut. Embody their pain and figure out in their own language what is keep them up at night.

Create a Niche
2| Finding a niche is neither here nor there. How you really find your niche is to create one. The next thing to determine to find your niche is to figure out what part of the industry do you fit best in. You mentioned fashion/beauty blogs, but perhaps the real problem you solve is much different. I like to refer to this as the “root problem”. Create a niche and go deep with it.

Gateway vs Root
3| Once you know what root problem you solve, it’s time to step into the pain of your ideal client by understanding what “they think” their problem is. Many of those fashion/beauty blogs are selling “gateway problem” solutions, but you and I (and the rest of the Holistic Fashionista villa) know that the real problem is much deeper than anything you wear or put on your skin. It’s imperative you know what “gateway problem” you will lead with to bring them to your front door (aka: your website), but it’s the root problem that will take their pain away.

Develop Stellar Products/Programs
4| Now that you know what urgent problem you solve, you’ve created your niche, and know the gateway problem to bring them to you, and your holistic solution (or your root problem), you’re now ready to put together your products/programs to support your ideal customer. Putting together your products/programs can be tricky, because you’ve got a lot of skills, expertise, and qualifications— it can be tough determining how to cohesively communicate and organize your skill set into a system that solves the problem. Take your time with developing your products/program— it’s paramount to your success.

The bottom line is to forget about your competition and start focusing on what makes you different. Get your audience to trust you by delivering them rich content each week on your blog that gives solutions to the gateway problem, but always encourage them to take the next step to solve that problem for good! That’s where the money is.

GRAB THE TRAINING

Do the 5 Reiki Principles Apply to Your Business?

DO THE 5 REIKI PRINCIPLES APPLY TO YOUR BUSINESS?

Do the 5 Reiki Principles Apply to Your Business?

Article by John Scardina
Photo Credit: Angel Quintana
Magazine: Issue #21

A sacred method of inviting blessings and the spiritual medicine to many illnesses, situations, and business practice. The practice of Reiki once attuned (taught), has limitless benefits in life and can do no harm. Each principle starts with “Just for Today”, no long term goals just a non-stress reminder to follow every day. 

We can get caught up in day to day routines in business and forget many basic principles in life in general. Forgetting these basic principles can be a detriment to any business owner. Taking time to meditate briefly with these principles daily can bring forth the positive energy needed to succeed as a business owner.

The five principles are as follows:

1| Just for today, do not anger
2| Just for today, do not worry
3| Just for today, be grateful for everything
4| Just for today, do your work honestly
5| Just for today, be kind to others

Anger can be considered to be a negative energy. If we don’t use this energy in an appropriate way, dealing openly with situations and problems it can become contaminated with frustration and resentment and become destructive anger.

The thoughts of worry outweigh the benefits of concern and we should never confuse worry with concern, worrying keeps us focused on the problem while healthy concern helps us think about solutions.

Being grateful reflects quality not quantity and it’s our own values that are sent back at us that creates this sense of lack or abundance in our lives.  Lack or abundance is relative and how we view these events can affect the quality of our lives.

Taking personal responsibility for your life, everything in it, and the attainment of your own goals, there is nothing worse than waiting for others including spirit/universe to act on your behalf and there is nothing more exciting than realizing that no one is going to do it for you.

It’s easy to be kind to people you like and who like you. The test comes when we are asked to be kind to those people we don’t like and who make us feel angry and insecure. Maybe one of the biggest challenges of these principles, but certainly obtainable.

Can you apply these five principles to your business, “Just for Today”?

Wildfire vs Foxfire: Which One Will You Use to Grow Your Business?

Which One Will You Use to Grow Your Business?

WILDFIRE VS FOXFIRE: WHICH ONE WILL YOU USE TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS?

Article by Kimberly Manning
Photo Credit: Angel Quintana
Magazine: Issue #21

There are two types of fire that appear in the woods. One is big and brash and can burn your house down, while the other is cold to the touch and glows. Lots of people talk about wildfire, and surely it can move your business to new heights fast. But it’s foxfire that will build your business for the long term. 

Managing the burn

Many business owners pine for wildfire to engulf some part of their enterprise – a product featured in Oprah magazine, a PR initiative gone viral or an offering whose demand blows the doors off your PayPal account. Sure, this is awesome and amazing, but it’s not sustainable. Not only is it difficult to manage your business during a wildfire, once the fire burns out, you may be, too. To be truly successful, you need to build your business for the long term. 

A different kind of fire

Foxfire is a form of bioluminescence, light emitted from a living organism, which in this case comes from fungi that live on the forest floor. Also called “fairy fire,” foxfire can be dim or bright enough to read by. In folklore, Fairy Fire is magical and its location marks a treasure buried below. 

So how do you make foxfire in your business? 

Find your magic. What is it that you are, do or sell that is unique? When you have real clarity around your unique brilliance, intersect that with your prospective client community. There lies your buried treasure.

Scour the forest floor of your business to see what’s not working. Yup, take a good look at where things aren’t jiving, where sales are slack and where you’re not congruent with what you’re doing. There is gold in the solutions to these problems and will light up your business. 

Relish a slow, cool burn. It’s easy to get bamboozled by an entrepreneurial and general culture that practically worships wildfire. Resist the temptation. Slower and steadier will build your biz for the long run. You’ll find it easier to focus and plan, aspects of life and business will be more manageable and you will still enjoy the benefits of fire. When you create foxfire in your business you won’t get burned.

Foxfire isn’t as audacious as wildfire, but it will grow your business. And probably not burn you out. If wildfire engulfs your business it will be a wild ride. Foxfire is different. It will illuminate your business from the inside and that’s a longer term strategy.

5 Steps to Turn Your Facebook Fans Into Buyers

Turn Your Facebook Fans Into Buyers

5 STEPS TO TURN YOUR FACEBOOK FANS INTO BUYERS

Article by Agustina Palacio
Philosophy of People
Magazine: Issue #21

Would you like to know my 5 easy steps that will convert your Facebook fans into paying customers for your fashion business?

I used to wonder what the secret was…I was working so hard to create new followers on Facebook and for what? None of those new likes were buying my swimwear. I was spending time and effort for nothing! I thought that there should to be an easy step by step system to converting those likes to sales, and luckily I found it, and the results are well worth it.

So let’s dive deep into my 5 Steps:

Step 1: Create a Contest. 

You must be thinking, how a contest, which entails giving away something for free, will help you attract paying customers. Well I used to think just like you! However, I started realizing the POWER of Email Marketing and what a huge part it is in this step by step system. So stay with me.

Step 2: Create a Landing Page with your Contest.

A landing Page is a page where you’ll redirect the people who are interested in participating in your contest. Here you need to add all the information regarding your contest such as when is the contest finishing, what is the price and when you’ll be choosing the winner. Make sure that you require entrants to provide their names and an email addresses. You can also use an app like Heyo that will make this step super easy!

Step 3: Create an ad to promote your contest. 

Your ad should have a link to the landing page you’ve created in the previous step. You can promote the contest targeting your fans which is less expensive and also promote your contest to your competitor’s fans. Your goal here is to get as many Dream Customers as possible to sign up for your contest.

Step 4: Set-up your follow-up sequence. 

You need to create an auto-responder in your email service provider. You should set it up to deliver at least five emails. The goal of these emails is to build TRUST, to paint you as an EXPERT in your field, and to develop a RELATIONSHIP with your new prospective buyers.

Your Email Sequence Should be as Follows

• EMAIL #1) Thank you for signing up for my contest! (Send immediately after contest sign-up.)
• EMAIL #2) Explain why you do what you do. (Send three days after Email #1)
• EMAIL #3) Give value. For example “How To Mix Colors This Summer” (Send one week after Email #2)
• EMAIL #4) Give more value. “Five Ways To Rock Your Bikini This Summer” (Send one week after Email #3)
• EMAIL #5) Promote your product and give them an incentive to buy. (Send one week after Email #4)

Once you send them an incentive and they become familiar with seeing you in their mailbox over a few weeks, magic begins to happen!

Step 5: Choose the winner and start all over again

Of course at the end of the contest you name the winner and keep your fans’ interested by announcing your next contest right away.

See how easy it is? I can’t wait to hear your results (or if you have any question) in the comments below!

---

Spread Your Genius Like Wildfire is a compilation of self-improvement articles written by entrepreneurs seeking to bring holistic solutions to everyday problems. Read more articles from this feature.

---

Agustina Palacio is a swimwear designer and founder of Marketing for Fashionistas, a blog where business meets fashion. She is a Fashion Business Coach and she helps Fashion Designers succeed in the business that they love - Fashion. You can learn more about her programs at Marketing For Fashionistas.

3 Steps to Create Abundance Through the Akashic Records

3 STEPS TO CREATE ABUNDANCE THROUGH
THE AKASHIC RECORDS

Create Abundance Through the Akashic Records

Article by Patricia Missakian
Philosophy of People
Magazine: Issue #21

Abundance is one of my favorite subjects, here are 3 steps to Create Abundance through the Akashic Records, that you can take today to start making changes and change your financial status for the better!

Over the last few years I got certified in 2 money coaching certifications and I also created the Prosperity Transformations™ System. I teach this system to my students who are going through my Akashic Records certification program.

What I learned is that no matter where you come from, what you studied, or even what you know or what you don't know, none of that has anything to do with how much money you can or can not make. It all comes down to the beliefs you have, the actions you take and clearing away anything from your past that could hinder your progress.

So let's look at the 3 steps together and if you want more information be sure to register for my free webinar training.

STEP 1 - Discover what beliefs are keeping you from manifesting abundance

Everything from what you observe from your parents relationship with money, the financial environment you grew up, and the financial opportunities you had/ or not before, create the beliefs and money that you have now.

Write a list of the negative beliefs you have or heard growing up about money, with the Understanding that those negative beliefs represent the past, and that in order for you to move forward into attracting more abundance into your life, you need to let go of them and create new empowering beliefs that are going to help you move into an abundant future.

STEP 2 - What is holding yourself back?

In order to manifest more abundance into our lives, we have to take empowered action towards our goals. So understand that anytime we are expanding our energy into a new area that in turn will generate abundance, it's natural that your ego will scream, and try to hold yourself back, the ego is a self protecting mechanism and uses excuses to try to keep everything in your life safe and at the current status quo. But in order to move forward and manifest more abundance in your life, you will have to take constant courageous acts towards your dreams.

So identify the excuses the ego is trying to give you so you can stop them before they stop you.

STEP 3- Watch out for triggers!

The memories you have from experiences from your past are entangled with a mixup of feelings and emotions. When these things are not addressed, you keep reacting to present situations from that perspective from the past. For example, lets say you try to offer a session in the past and no one took you up on it. Then anytime you think about promoting your services, you get that memory triggered, along with all the frustration that you felt, and then you are already autosabotaging you from succeeding in this promotion.

To learn more about how to make prosperous changes in your life and business, join me on free upcoming webinar: Blow through self Limitations though the Akashic Records.

I'd love to learn from you in the comments below how you get on with using these 3 steps to Create Abundance through the Akashic Records.

---

Spread Your Genius Like Wildfire is a compilation of self-improvement articles written by entrepreneurs seeking to bring holistic solutions to everyday problems. Read more articles from this feature.

---

Patricia Missakian is the founder of the Akashic Records Institute, a school for spiritual development, specializes in uncovering and releasing the old beliefs that block your success…financially, relationships and health. Accessing the Akashic Records, Patricia guides clients to align themselves, pinpoint money blocks and discover how to break through these blocks to achieve full potential. Register for her Blow through self Limitations though the Akashic Records webinar.

Proper Dining at a Job Interview

Proper Dining at a Job Interview

PROPER DINING AT A JOB INTERVIEW

Article by Jules Hirst
Philosophy of People
Magazine: Issue #21

You applied for a job, made it through a couple of interviews and now they want to take you and maybe the final candidates to lunch. Are your table manners up to par? If the position you are applying for requires you to wine and dine with clients chances are they are taking you to lunch to check out your table etiquette.

Your typical interview may include:

1| Listening to the interviewer
2| Answering his/her questions
3| Asking intelligent questions
4| Appearing relaxed

Now, throw in a two or three course meal, well this can get messy. Although meal interviews may seem less formal they are just as important. During a meal interview you are being evaluated on your social and table etiquette among other things.

In order to surpass at a meal interview not only do you need to remember your basic table manners (which fork to use, napkin goes on your lap, which is your bread plate, etc.) remember the following as well:

• Try to avoid food that is messy such as spaghetti or ribs
• Avoid food that is heavy on garlic or onions…you don’t bad breath
• Avoid alcohol
• Although your meal is more than likely free, you should not order the most expensive meal. The general guideline is to follow the interviewers lead and order the same as the interviewer, if that is not an option then stay close to the price of the meal the interviewer ordered
• Follow your host do not begin eating or drinking anything not even water until your host does
• The interviewer should never eat alone, if they order coffee or dessert, then so should you
• Never offer to pay for the meal
• Remember to thank the interviewer for the meal and you may mention a positive comment on the meal
• Never ask for a doggy bag• Don’t forget to express how much you enjoyed talking to the interviewer and ask what the next step is
• Send a thank you note within 24 hours

If you are up against others with equal qualifications, table manners can be the deciding factor if you are hired or not.

---

Spread Your Genius Like Wildfire is a compilation of self-improvement articles written by entrepreneurs seeking to bring holistic solutions to everyday problems. Read more articles from this feature.

---

Jules Hirst is a sought after speaker and a rec­og­nized eti­quette coach. She con­ducts lec­tures, work­shops, sem­i­nars and webi­na­rs in busi­ness and social eti­quette. Jules co-author Power of Civil­ity where she shares strate­gies and tools for build­ing an excep­tional pro­fes­sional image. Jules can be reached at Jules Hirst.