Even Barbara Striesand isn't always confident.

I once read that Barbara Stresiand hated singing in public. It made her so nervous to stand in front of a crowd of people and perform. Imagine.

We tend to believe that people who we percieve as so successful are somehow immune to having doubts about themselves. The truth is, having doubts is part of what makes us human. Now when the doubts and worries tend to consume us it can and will affect our business.

If you are just starting a new business or you are trying to grow your business, doubt can really get in the way. It is important to be confident so that you keep moving forward toward your goal. Doubt can stop even the best of us dead in our tracks.

You see doubt and procrastination go hand in hand. When we are not confident we look for reasons to stop moving forward. We tend to over anlyze the situation until we end up in analysis- paralysis where we are literally paralyzed and end up doing nothing for fear it may be the wrong thing to do.

Jack Canfield said in his book Success Principles; instead of Ready, Aim, Fire you should say ready, fire, aim. he said too many people get stuck on the aim part and never take the first shot. They try to make sure everything is perfect before doing anything.

The difference between successful people and those who are not so successful is that successful people are not afraid of missing the target. They just begin firing off one idea and plan after another knowing that the more they fire, the more times they put themselves out there the more chance they will have to create the success they desire.

Are you ready to fire?

Get your right brain involved in your business

Have you ever gone to sleep at night with a problem weighing heavy on your mind? Then when you woke up the solution seemed so simple you wondered why you hadn't thought of it before.

That is because when you go to sleep your brain rhythms slow down allowing you to easily process the information from the day. You are not bombarded with outside stimuli as you are during the day so the brain has an easier time of sorting everything out.

Try this for a few days and see what happens:

Before you go to bed write down your goals for the next day, what you want to accomplish and achieve and also imagine everything going smoothly.

What will happen:

You will start the day ready to go. Your brain will have already figured out what needs to be done first and how you should go about it. You will be leaps ahead of others who spend the first hour of their day figuring everything out.
:-)

Involve both sides of your brain for a balanced approach.

Do you ever ruminate over something that has happened?

Your productivity goes right out the window as you muddle it over and over in your head thinking about how unfair the situation is or what you should have said, etc., etc.

I recently had a family situation that really upset me and seemed to consume my thoughts. The work I had intended to do got put on the back burner while I replayed the conversation over and over again in my mind. No very productive huh?

I am a huge fan of meditation however when my monkey mind has hijacked my brain with looping thoughts a traditional sitting meditation will not work for me.

What does work:

1. Any kind of physical activity. Running, swimming, walking or anything else that keeps my focus elsewhere. I love walking while repeating a mantra or affirmation. This too shall pass is one of my favorites.

2.Journaling- Writing out my thoughts.

3.Confiding in a friend who will listen sympathetically but who will not get caught up in the drama with me.:-)

4. Breathing exercises.

5. Getting back to the work I am passionate about as quickly as I can.

Ah, I feel better already. :-) Thanks for listening.

The Law of Attraction Doesn't Work

"I tried using The Law of Attraction to grow my business but it just doesn't work" I have heard this several times lately.People seem to be somewhat confused about how if works. There are several reasons why the law of attraction may seem like it isn't working.

1. I often find with clients that they are not really clear about their goals and the direction their business is headed. It is typical of entrepreneurs to bounce around from one idea to another. Trust me I have been there. :-) In order to be attractive you must be able to focus and you must have a clear vision.

I suggest spending some time really working on this. Take an hour or so each day and spend time meditating, taking walks in nature, or simply writing down everything you want to achieve in your business and your personal life.
Until you are really clear about what you want you are right, The Law of Attraction will not work for you.

2. Does it feel good? When you think about your goal to you get all excited with the anticipation of the achievement. If not something is missing. Make sure the goal is your goal, not your spouse's or your mother's or your father's goal. Make sure you are not being swayed by peer pressure and all of the should's in life. Your desire can only be yours. You'll know your goal is authentic when you feel giddy and excited and cannot stop talking or thinking about your goal.

3. Deep down do you really believe that you can achieve this goal? Now this is where I think most people get shut down. Maybe you were all excited in the beginning but then someone said something and you began to second guess yourself. Or maybe you just get scared. It happens.

We are exposed to so much information on the internet these days and for many it can be overwhelming. Do you ever compare your business to someone else's? Maybe there is a business that is much like yours but they appear to be doing much better than you are. Before you know it you are believing that you can't succeed in this business so you look for another way.

If you want the Law of Attraction to work you have to be clear and confident about what you want. You have to believe you deserve what you want.

What are you thinking about?

Studies have shown that the average person has over 40,000 thoughts per day. 40,000??? That's a lot of thinking. So just what are you thinking about?

The disappointing thing is most of what we are thinking is a repeat of what we were thinking yesterday and the day before. And most of it is insignificant.

Just as you feed your body healthy food for optimum performance so to must you feed your mind for optimum mental performance.

Choosing to think powerful and uplifting thoughts by listening to motivational speakers, saying positive affirmations and hanging around positive and successful people will strengthen your mind and your spirit.

As the Nike commercial once said " Just do it!"

Can multi-tasking hinder your business?

Studies have shown that you are about 40% less productive when you are multi-tasking that when you stay focused on one project at a time.

Have you ever been talking to someone on the phone and you could hear the tap, tap, tap of their keyboard as they continued on another project? How did that feel? It probably felt like you weren't getting heard.

Clients can tell when you are distracted and are not giving your undivided attention to them. Everyone wants to be heard.

Next time the phone rings turn your back on your computer to answer the phone. If you are in the middle of a big project and don't want to get distracted either let your voice mail answer or simply tell the person on the phone that you are in the middle of something and would like to call them back when you can give them your undivided attention. Now would'nt that make you feel special?

The one thing you absolutely must do to insure success.

Relax. That's right relax. People can smell fear and uncertainty a mile away and they will stay away from you and your business. Nothing exudes confidence like a relaxed demeanor.

Now the word relax may conjure up visions of doing nothing but sitting around all day and eating bon-bons while you watch television. This is clearly not what I am talking about.

I am talking about the relaxed demeanor that a confident person has when they ask you to purchase their service. The attitude that they know their product is exactly what you need but if you don't buy it today it will not be the end of the world. The relaxed attitude that says I will be and I am successful and my success is not hinged on weather or not you buy from me today.

How can you be successful if you are not relaxed.

Can stress affect your business?

The answer is of course YES!

Earlier today, someone who I have a business relationship with began pushing my buttons. Does that ever happen to you? It could be a boss, a client or maybe a business partner.

Push, push, push.... Snippy little emails kept coming in questioning everything I was doing. Now at first I read the emails and guess what happened?

That's right, my monkey mind began to take over. Soon instead of the productive day I had planned I found myself upset and stressed over the situation. Productive? I was anything but!

Finally I made a decision. Actually it was one I made early this morning when I set my intentions. I decided to move into what I wanted to happen today. I intended to be happy and productive. To make my calls and attract more clients. It wasn't going to happen when I was upset and stressed. I simply decided to let go of the situation that was affecting my work for now.

So I took a walk, ate some chocolate :-) and did some relaxed breathing. Oh and I told my monkey mind to go take a hike. :-)

What is the Persitance Effect?

When I started my first business as a massage therapist I began to notice something quite interesting. The more I put myself out there, going to networking events, speaking, and just telling people about my new business the more people began to show up.

Now the funny thing is that they didn't always come from the networking groups I attended but they filled my calendar none the less. Sometimes I had know idea how they found me.

The truth was if I was persistant in getting my message out there and I spent little time worrying about where my next meal was coming from (LOL)and more time living in the moment having fun sharing what I knew with others, the business arrived on my doorstep. It seemed effortless.

Later I learned about the Law of Attraction. It could also be called The Persistance Effect. The basic principle is that when you begin to send your energy out it will naturally bring back to you more of what you sent out.

It is so easy to get caught up in the worry and fear that somehow you might not succeed. Loving what you do and having faith that if you continue to do it and continue to put yourself out there you will be rewarded.

No hype marketing

We are all looking for ways of getting more clients. We are searching for the newest and latest ways to attract our target clients.

I don't know about you but I have been a bit overwhelmed lately. There are so many people out there offering so many different programs. Tele-classes and webinars on everything from social media, to creating brochures, writing newsletters to how to make millions speaking for free.

I have to admit I find a lot of it doesn't feel very authentic. I mean really do you know anyone who would pay $5000 to 10,000 for a coaching session with someone, especially if that someone was not well known?

That's what I mean by the hype. I have listened to several speakers make similar claims lately with the "buy my products today and you too can charge outrageous prices" sales line attached.

Now you have to admitt it is very intriguing and seductive and it is easy to get caught up in the excitement of the moment and purchase something that later you wonder why you spent so much for it.

I am a very positive person but I also believe that in order to successfully grow your business you have to grow you client base and you need to grow along with your client base. You learn, you change things around, you hone your craft and you become a better person.

Online people can make outrageous claims and sell get rich quick schemes easily. There are thousands of hungry people out there hoping to make a quick and easy buck. If that's what you are looking for- go for it.

I however prefer to be authentic. I am the turtle. Slow and steady I grow my business to become what I want it to be. Slow and steady I grow along with my business into the person I want to be. :-)

What kind of clients do you want to attract?

The best way to attract perfect clients is to treat others the way you want to be treated. My mom gave me this advice and it is perfect for business.

Treat people the way you want to be treated both in your business and your personal dealings. Pretty simple, right. But are you really?

1.If you want people to return your calls in a reasonable time- notice if you do the same with people who call you.

2. If you want people to show you kindness- Are you showing kindness everywhere you go out in the world.

3. If you want people to honor their committments- Take a good look at how you are honoring yours!

4. If you want people to be on time for appointments with you- Make sure that you are on time for appointments with others.Don't find yourself becoming too important not to be on time.

Pretty basic kindergarten stuff.:-) Do onto others as you would have them do onto you.

Now this attraction principle works when you treat everybody with kindness and respect. Yep, that means even the difficult people in your life. You will find that as you follow these few simple life rules you will begin to attract clients that treat you the way you want to be treated.

What is really holding you back?

One of my clients was complaining the other day that her job was taking her out of town so much that it was hard to have a relationship with anyone. She told me she really wants to be married and have children and time is ticking.

She has been unhappy in her job for a while now but has not really done anything to move forward to find something else.
I asked her if keeping this job could possibly be giving her an excuse for not having a husband or even a serious relationship. Bingo!

If you are not happy with your job or your business take a look at why you could be staying. What are you not doing because of the job? Are you using the job as an excuse for something else in your life?

If you are not living the live you want, what's your excuse?

Three things you must do to be successful

It you plan to be successful there are three things you must do.

1.You must be clear about what you want and why.

I can't tell you how many clients I have talked to that don't have a clear vision of what they want and why they want it. Just saying that you want to make a million dollars is not enough. There has to be emotion around wanting that million dollars. There has to be something that is really pushing you forward and driving you to do whatever it takes to make the million dollars.

2. You must have a strategy.

This is why business plans and marketing plans are so important. The Get Clients Now!(tm) program that I lead is a marketing strategy that has helped over 70,000 clients succeed in their business. Having a plan will help you to define your goals and march forward to your success.

3.You must have on-going support.

Whether you hire a coach, find a mentor or join a group dedicated to helping you stay on course; one thing is clear, those who succeed never do it alone. Don't plan on family or friends to fill this need. They are too close to you and do not want to see you fail. Without trying to or meaning to they will hold you back. You need people who have no vested interest in your outcome.

Being in sales or owning your own business can get very lonely sometimes. Having a group that is going through the same challenges can help you create the business you want.

Never Give up- This could be the time

I have been on a mailing list for at least three years maybe more. I really wanted to attend the classes this lady offered but the timing was just never quite right.

Then finally after years of sending me information- I bought! The time was right and I finally made the committment.

What does this tell you about your business?

When should you stop your sales calls?

When should you take someone off your newsletter list?

It's a good thing I fed my brain on Monday!

I was traveling monday morning so spent the 4 hours listening to inspirational and motivational speakers like Jack Canfield. In one of the audios I listened to Jack describes how someone who was helping him was making calls for his upcoming seminar.

The lady had committed to making 3 sales calls a night after coming home from work. Night after night she called and night afternight she heard rejection. ( Does this ever happen to you) But she had committed to making 90 sales calls and so she continued. The last 9 people all said YES! A 10 % closing ration which for seminar sales is great!

So when I started calling this week and I began to hit the wall of rejection, I think about those last 9 people. What if they never had the chance to attend Jack Canfield's amazing seminar because she gave up, or was too tired or felt too rejected or just plain stopped calling.

Some people will want what you have to offer, some won't but as Jack says So what? Next please. :-)

What are you feeding your brain?

People do business with people.......

They know like and trust! One of the first steps towards developing that trust is familiarity. Whether off-line or online the process is the same.

1. Show up regularly- If you belong to a networking group show up on time every time. This is your business. This is important. If you are developing online business the process is the same. Show up at the same places regularly. If you have a blog make sure you post weekly or daily whatever you choose. If you belong to a group make sure that you contribute on a regular basis. Consistency is the key! People will begin to connect with you and your message and eventually they will want more!

2. Make it all about the other person. This is not about self promotion. Comment on others posts online. Make sure your comments are always positive. Offer tips and suggestions that will compliment the writer. If you network right and you regularly give back you will not have to promote yourself at all. Others will gladly do that for you.

3. Showcase your business. Offer advice, helpful tips and anything that might shine a light on who you are and what you do. This will draw people to your website for more information about what you do.

Is your mind playing havok with your business?

Do you ever have that voice inside that tells you you can't or it won't happen or maybe even "Are you kidding? They will never buy what you are offering. " It keeps us from making the sales calls we need to make and from doing other activities that will enhance our business.

I call this my monkey mind, my friend Pamela calls it her Inner Critic. Well today my monkey mind was very active. Let me tell you what happened!

I just called a lady who my monkey mind said " This is a waste of time she won't be interested"

I called anyway.:-) Her response " I would LOVE more information. I am busy this week but if you call me on Monday we can schedule an appointment.

The moral of this story; Tell your monkey mind to take a hike!

Today I will

**Today I will tame my over active mind that puts limits on my ability to grow my business.

**Today I will simply put myself out there. I will talk and tweet and link and simply connect with as many people as I can.

**Today I will tell the world what I have to offer and will wait in excited expectation.

**Today I will believe that I can do and be anything.

**Today I will move forward in action to be and do all that I can.

Today really is the first day of the rest of my life!

**Today I will create new opportunities.

**Today I will uncover new possibilities.

**Today I will move forward in action.

**What will you do today?

Who are you listening to?

My friend Linda always lifts me up. She is so positive and always urges me on with my ideas. Now I don't mean to say that she supports any lame brain idea I might come up with. LOL

She listens. I mean she really listens and she wants to see me succeed. She offers encouragement and continually tells me that I can.

Do you have people in your life who tell you "Yes! You can" If not I suggest finding some.

Often the people closest to us are afraid to see us fail. They are so afraid that they actually set us up for failure by constantly telling us that this idea or that idea probably won't work. They don't intentionally set us up for failure it's just that they are too close. Maybe they have seen us unhappy when a plan we had didn't work and they don't want us to experience that again. They want us to be safe. There is nothing wrong with that. :-)

However, when you are trying to get your sales up or your business going you need someone who will be there pushing and pulling you up the ladder of success.You need someone who will notice the holes in your plan and help you see how you can fill those holes while always believing in you and your ability to succeed.This is often why people hire a coach to help them achieve their goals. A coach has no agenda other than helping you to succeed.:-)

So find a coach or cheerleader today and hang around them often. You will soon find your dreams becoming a reality!

What do you believe?

Areodynamically a bumble bee should be able to fly. Luckily he doesn't know that and he believes that he can. :-)

The Saints and their fans for years did not really believe that they could go to the Super Bowl much less win!! But something changed after Katrina hit New Orleans. The Saints almost left N.O. because they did not think the city could support them. When they choose to stay in N.O. the fans rallied around and they realized that the fans needed them to win. Suddenly winning became something much bigger than their own needs.

The game Sunday night was really about the energy of a nation of people who had tremendous desire to see the underdog (the team that had tried and failed for 42 years) to rise and succeed this time.

I was in Louisiana and everywhere I went young and old alike were dressed in black and gold and all your heard was how good it was going to be when the Saints won the Super Bowl. Everyone was on a high.

I believe it was the power of this energy that won the game Sunday Night. I think it was the belief the team had that they could win ,that won the game Sunday night.

If the team that used to be called "the Aints" can win what can you do in your life? I personally believe I can do anything! If a bumble bee can fly how about you! Where do you want to fly in your life? What do you want to achieve?

Find a way to get the passion and desire behind you and believe that you can and you will!

Have a Wildly Wonderful Wednesday!

Live with Passion