Archive for the ‘Mindset Reflections’ Category

Energy guides action. When you are in alignment with your energy, meaning you are free of conflict, the right actions become obvious and extremely easy.    But when your energy is out of alignment, knowing what to do becomes difficult and daunting and the results are typically pretty disappointing.

What about the energy of excuses?  Excuses contain the energy of disempowerment.  Excuses help to create the victim mentality.

Why do we make excuses?  We make excuses for a variety of reasons.  First, we make them when we are unsure.  Second, we make excuses to avoid discomfort. But the reality is making an excuse actually creates more discomfort because we know that the excuse isn’t the truth.

Here’s a little exercise you can do this week.  Notice when you are making excuses. Now, you may notice that you are making excuses every single day.  Excuse making is really pervasive in our society, so don’t be surprised if you are noticing this  a lot.  Don’t be hard on yourself; just notice when you make an excuse.

Instead of letting the excuse stand as truth I want you to stand in your power.  All you need to do is to say, “I am not a victim, I am someone who stands in my power.  And as someone who is fully standing in my power, I want _______.”

Try this out this week and you are going to find yourself taking ownership and responsibility where before you were giving your power away.  In that place of ownership and responsibility is where you are going to feel in control, in alignment and in your power. Have fun with this!

I hear it all the time…”I want to charge more for my services.” When I ask, “What’s stopping you,” I usually get a look of panic and hear words that are filled with fear and doubt. Hearing their “money words” is an important first step when I work with a client.

Why? Because, it tells me a great deal about their money habits and beliefs.

I recently spoke with a woman who was interested in joining my mastermind program. She was letting fear and cost stand in the way of her stepping up to the plate. Instead of investing in the program, she decided it was better to play it safe and small. She made statements like, “I can’t afford it,” “I don’t have the money” and even “I don’t know if it will be of benefit to me.” These are words that are rooted in fear and lack, and will have a direct impact on your ability to raise your own fees and up your prices.

So what kinds of words will let you stand in your power around money? Talking about money in ways that are rooted in abundance and power like, “I value myself enough to spend money on this program that will greatly benefit my business” or “I would love to spend that kind of money on (fill in the blank)” or even “Things that cost more have a higher value.” Do you feel the difference in these statements?

When you use words that are powerful you automatically shift your belief about YOU and what’s possible in your business and life. You’re creating a shift deep within yourself that values quality, which recognizes that good things DO cost more and are worth it.

Next time you hear yourself using language that is rooted in lack, I want you to stop and instead use your power — words that can help you make the shift from lack to abundance.

Being a small business owner has its struggles and challenges both big and small:  the insurance just went up, you run out of printer ink in the middle of a really important job, your best client leaves you, your last marketing campaign was a flop.  The list is endless, frustrating and can leave you completely deflated.

So what’s a smart and savvy women entrepreneur like yourself to do when faced with these daunting challenges?  And what differentiates the women that bust through these challenges from the entrepreneur who is left feeling hopeless, drained and overwhelmed?

The difference is in how you look at things.

Wayne Dyer states:  “Change the way you look at things, and the things you look at change.”

You can either wallow in self pity proclaiming, “woe is me”, or you can embrace the challenges and understand there is no escaping them in business.

Think of it this way…when you look at challenges from a new perspective it shifts from being a disastrous experience to a golden opportunity to do things differently. From this position you can make improvements, offer better services, and find creative ways to market your services that provide more value to your customers.  All good things!

Why do you do what you do everyday?  Reflecting you your “big why” can really give you that boost of motivation when the challenges are all too present. Keeping focused on your “big why” is another way to lift you up when feeling down.

Finally, if you are faced with challenges in your business, there’s a good chance that others have had similar experiences.  Hiring a coach and finding a great mastermind group is two of the most powerful tools you can utilize to help you grow a successful business.

Remember, challenges will come up. But, if you face them with a new perspective — as an opportunity to grow and make your business better, you will come out on the other side with a fresh perspective and a stronger business.