Remabulous

Onward to the Holidays!

Los Angeles is nothing if not ridiculous. This tree is the one at The Grove shopping mall near my old apartment. When they light that sucker up there is no shortage of ambiance... frequently they turn on the fake snow machine as well.

Funny things this year. My family on the east coast is leaving several feet of snow in Baltimore to come here. We always wanted a white Christmas, but now we will just have to watch it on tv. 

I am still shocked that it is almost Christmas. I've spent the last few days handing out gifts, all the while still feeling like it's April or March even. 

I do like the energy of the end of one year and the beginning of the next, though. New fresh willpower, intention to exercise, eat well, do more cultural things, and get out into the world.

I am going to celebrate this holiday by doing nearly nothing from the list. I will bring Madame Bovary and hopefully read through that, but other than that, a girl needs a week totally free of ambition and getting things done.

Family time and lying around on the floor. And watching dumb movies with my family.

I hope you have the time and space to do the same.

Have a favorite recipe or tradition? Anything you hope to accomplish in 2010? Start putting it out there!

Share what you've got below. Will post on Emma Bovary's exploits from Santa Barbara, where I'll be setting up shop and shooting some video with my brother's help.

Enjoy the last of this year! There will never be another 2009. For many of us, that is a sigh of relief, but there is still time to make the last bit wonderful.

Let's all give it the old college try.

Many hugs from LA.

Being a person in business instead of a businessperson.

This morning, while I was doing a short meditation, the phrase "person in business" came into my head. At first, it didn't feel terribly exciting, but as I thought about it, I realized that there was much more to it than just a little shift in order.

Many of us go into business as entrepreneurs because we want to be people first, that happen to have businesses that are extensions of our values and vision. However, as we get into the nitty gritty and nuts and bolts of building that business, many of us gradually become businesspeople: the business gets put before who we actually are.

I have been thinking about this concept since I talked to my teacher yesterday and wrote the post about standing yourself up. I noticed last night as I was, yet again, one the computer unto the evening, that I was standing myself up as a person in favor of business. I had planned a relaxing evening with a book, but I was choosing to keep mucking about on the computer.

"I'm standing myself up right now!" I thought.

So I went and read and it was lovely.

How do you run your life like you are a businessperson instead of a person in business? Try remembering to put yourself first this week and see if your business doesn't happen to respect you and your need for balance a bit more...

image: mrMark.

Make space for yourself! Are you pushing your own buttons?

Sometimes, things don't go according to plan. We cannot control the outside world, much as we'd love to, so our actions and choices as business owners, and simply as people, are limited to what we say and do ourselves. 

 

This is a good reminder. This past week,  I introduced my neighbors' chickens on the vlog. These might be the luckiest chickens on earth. Well cared for, loved, and living in a penthouse-quality coop in a beautiful garden. What a great life! As I contemplated how important it is to me that the eggs I eat come from happy chickens like my neighbors, I realized that we as business owners sometimes treat ourselves like factory chickens: no time outside, long hours "cooped up" without exercise- sound familiar? 

 

For all of us who interact with the world, we are bound to find issues, people and situations that push our buttons. Perhaps we dislike lateness, or messiness, badly treated chickens or unexpected changes in plans. These are just suggestions, but we all have our buttons and we know when they have been pushed. 

 

When we get set off, we usually go into a reaction right away. "This shouldn't be happening!" we think, or possibly "Why do I have to deal with this?" or "This is a disaster!" (on our more dramatic days) 

 

Once we get through that part, here's where we can benefit from the experience and make some positive change in our own lives. Stop to consider for a moment:

 

"Is the reason I am so upset about this because I push this button on myself?"

 

When I asked this question after the stand up date, I realized that yes, I do stand myself up all the time: missing exercise dates I make for myself, working later than I intend to and not giving myself the reward of a break or a film in the evening. 

 

It's every bit as hurtful when we let ourselves down as when someone else does it. Plus, realizing we are just as capable of screwing up as anyone else is, can help us have more compassion and patience for both us and them.

 

So this week, when you hit a roadblock and want to get upset with the world for doing this to you, give yourself space for that reaction and then ask:

 

"Is this perhaps a reminder that I could be treating myself a little bit better?"

 

Being kind to yourself and offering a treat or a free hug, as pictured above is a great way to lessen the impact of upsets outside your control.

 

Please share your thoughts and discoveries as you play with this idea in the comments below. Let's all learn from each other. 

image: kalandrakas

Benchmarks help you plot your way to success!

Lists are something of an addiction for many business owners. We love lists. We love to check things off, and sometimes are even guilty of writing something down after we have done it, just for that cross-off feeling. (No of course I would never do some thing so ridiculous! Well...) 

 

So how can we use these lists to the best advantage?

 

There are a few times a year we make big picture lists: I make big ones at New Year's and a Birthday list, as you learned above. I like to come up with a mantra for each calendar year that I follow as a theme to keep me on track and then have more specific goals for each birthday. You may have a different system: please do share yours on the blog... I love hearing how people break theirs down and, as everyone is different, your shared system may be just what someone else needs to hear about.

 

So what about the day to day goals and plans? 

 

In business, work, and in life, I find that goals are only effective when we revisit them frequently. in working with one of my coaches, I have a system in place where I make a list each week of what outcomes I want to reach that week and then each day I look at that list and see what I can do to make those goals happen. Think about it: if you only looked at your New Year's or Birthday resolutions on that day and then tossed the list in the drawer, how likely is it that you'll come to the same date the next year, be able to find the list and check each item off as complete?

 

Not very.

 

It is essential to make these list items achievable and to set them down in your calendar as benchmarks you can cross as you move through the time until you set new goals. The calendar is an excellent way to make these goals happen. Want to run a race? Then set time to run into your calendar each week. Have a big new income goal you want to hit? Break it town into intermediate goals you can reach along the way and set those in your calendar to celebrate before you get to the next level. 

 

Before long you'll have a crossed out list and a reason to be extra excited at your next birthday or New Year's party. 

 

Have goals you want to share with the public? Post them in the comments below.

image: Matito.

How setbacks can make your business stronger!

  Here are 5 Tips to Make Sure a Setback Moves You Ahead:

 

1. Look at the setback in context and start planning for other similar situations in the future: While I certainly don't want to experience food poisoning again, knowing that it is possible for any of us to get sick and not be able to work is a good motivation to get systems in place that will allow work to continue in your absence. Having an operations manual with steps to complete all the tasks you do as a business owner is essential so that ultimately another staff member can cover these duties when needed. And trust me... the day will come when it isn't just you in your office... 
2. Ask for help, and be willing to give it to others. I have to give a shout out to my graphic designer, Jessica Krewson of Design Krew this week. Not only is her work incredible, but she jumped right in and had some printing ordered for me while I was sick so that I could still meet my goal for promotional materials for an event this weekend. Keep your eyes open for our whole new Remabulous concept, coming in September! Jessica gets the points for stepping in and offering to help me- but this reminded me that it is essential that we reach out when we are stuck to those around us. By the same token, if you see a colleague in a scrape and there's a way you can help them out, take the risk. Goodwill is a great asset in business and, as Marianne pointed out above in the video, operating from integrity and service has more long term rewards than we can imagine.

Why reading totally unrelated books is one of the best things you can do for your business.

I am a library junkie. I can admit this right out in the open. One of my favorite tricks these days: browsing in a big box bookstore with my iPhone at the ready and open to the LA Public Library page. When I find something I want to take home, I just type the ISBN into the search on the library site and request it. I can pick it up at my local branch, it's free, and I still get to browse in bookstores. It's my favorite game lately.

However, I was falling prey to a deadly disease for the entrepreneur. It's one people don't talk about nearly enough in the business world. It doesn't have a name yet, so I will call it the "Reading Far Too Many Business Books Disease." This disease is deadly for a number of reasons.

Let's go through them one by one and discuss the cure...

image: eseering.

Pull the Plug! Stepping back from business burnout...

There have been many books written on the subject of inspiration, most of which focus on the arts or how to work as an artist. I am sure you have read many of these books, which are enjoyable and have helped many get out some colored pencils or other art supplies and create something new. 

 

Well, I must share a secret with you that I have learned over the past few years:

 

Business is an art form. 

 

That's right, business. Even though it isn't listed in Fine Art schools, nor is a Harvard Business Degree listed as an MFA, you still must begin to look at your business as art.

 

Why is this a necessary change?

 

Because, for an entrepreneur, inspiration is as necessary as capital, good employees, and a good idea. The entrepreneur is the driving force of the company- especially when that is a one person operation- and needs to stay in tip top shape.

 

Starting a business is hard work, and it feels a lot harder when we choose to look at it as "hard work" all the time. If we focus only on traditional business methods like spreadsheets, cash flow, and reaching our target market every single day of every single week, we can burn out.

 

I've experienced this. And then I remembered, "Business is Art!"

 

What does an artist need to do when the gas tank is low? Get inspired. Do whatever it takes to get inspired. Learn what you can do to bring inspiration back below:

image: pontman.

Get your business a bigger pair of pants! Mindful Monday on growth.

Many of us have seen happy pictures of people holding up previous pairs of pants having reached their wait loss goals, similar to the picture here, of a gentleman who made a sandwich shop famous for its weight loss options. 

 

However, when it comes to your business, you want to be smiling in this sort of picture because you're about to jump INTO the bigger pair of pants. 

 

Think about it: during this market cycle, a time when many use the "e-word" (starts with "e" and ends with "onomy") as an excuse not to move to the next level in business, we still need to be thinking about what it would take to jump UP to the next pants size.

 

It is important to keep your eye on growth and expansion. When we make a "plan B" for tough times, or start to scale back our hopes and constrict, we often prevent ourselves from seeing and taking advantages of opportunity that is out there right now. 

 

If you saw your business as in an expanding cycle, what choices and opportunities would you seize? Would things as they are feel a little limited, with room for improvement?

 

Are your business pants feeling a little tight around the waist? Need some help to get all the tasks done that you've had on your own plate since the day you launched? Now is the time to take the leap.

 

Those business owners who are stepping up and buying bigger pants are the ones who are seeing results, even right now. I know this because many of these brave business owners are my very own clients. 

 

What would you need to unbutton your too-tight start-up pants and grow to be the lean mean fighting machine your company is ready to be? Do you need more staff? An intern? New equipment? More space?A new organization system? Software? Funding?

 

Start looking around this week with an eye on where you can get bigger. And look especially at the places where you feel pinched and your progress is getting limited by the tight pants you're wearing now. 

 

Skinny jeans are fun for fashion, but business is all about having the most room for more!

 

Break out of any bottlenecks you've made for yourself and make some space for success. It is often the risk that needs to come first, in order for opportunity to follow. 

 

What do you need to do to be smiling next to a big pair of business pants like the gentleman above?

 

Share it with us! Please let us know how you are going to jump into bigger pants, or how you'd like to in the comments below.

 

Dream big! Let's all go up a size this month. The world is ready for big dreams and big results. And if one of the things you need to move ahead is coaching, we'd love to support you. Contact us today for a complimentary 30 minute consultation. 

Monday Mindfulness: Who are you doing business as?

  Who are you doing business as?

I first asked this question when I was setting up my business license and Tax ID for Los Angeles several years ago and had to fill out a DBA for Remabulous. 

 

When we start a company, we really are starting a new identity and are then working under it, no matter what our entity is. When you think about your business, it's important to get clear about what your vision and goals are for that business, so you can move ahead and reach your goals in the most effective way. 

 

So what do I mean by this?

 

It's essential that the way you do business and who you are when you do business lines up with the identity you create for your company. 

 

Here are 5 questions you need to answer to ensure you are doing business as your best:

Monday Mindfulness: Letting a crazy schedule help you.

 Each week, we lay out some kind of agenda for what we hope to accomplish and have the greatest intentions of how that will go, how easy it will be and how great we'll feel when we get to the other side. And some weeks, this happens and it's magic, isn't it? 

 

But what about those weeks when the washing machine explodes, we lose all that data just before we planned to back the computer up, we get sick, our car suddenly needs work or any other of countless last minute annoyances pop up?

 

A good schedule, just like a good budget, knows that life is not always smooth and simple. Here are three tips to employ to keep the productivity just as high as the unexpected interruptions. 

 

1. Don't jump to the conclusion that your week/day/month is wrecked. Often the only thing that has to be adjusted is your time table. Just because you might need to shuffle some things around doesn't mean you failed to accomplish your goal. There are worse things in the world than running a little behind, so don't add stress to the mix by being hard on yourself. Get out your calendar, look at how much time the interruption created, and reassess the priority level of your tasks for the week. Shift the time around to get the top priorities finished and then get to the less necessary items as you can and fit them in the next week.
2. Look for opportunities in the interruption. Yes, everything can be an opportunity if you allow it to be. Stuck in a waiting room somewhere? What about all those people you haven't had time to call back- find a place that doesn't disturb others and check those off your list. Need to get some reading done? Bring a book or articles you've been saving to that unexpected doctor's appointment. Surprise expense? Use that as the motivation to start the emergency savings fund you keep putting off taking care of. When I had to wait at the Apple store to get my phone screen replaced, I got to play around with a new computer, and if there had been a longer wait, I would have written this newsletter from a fancy iMac. Viva web-based technology!
3. Pay attention to how long your tasks actually take. Often when we are under a bit of pressure, we can accomplish amazing things in a short period of time. Have you been scheduling more time than is necessary for some things you need to do? Does laundry really take all afternoon? Could you write that blog in 30 minutes instead of an hour? Look at these surprise times as a way to test your theories about your time requirements and make it a game to see if you might actually be able to get the outcome you require more efficiently. Don't use this as a way to stress yourself with unrealistic expectations, but rather as a way to fit in a treat because you got all your tasks done in record time on a week that doesn't have nasty curve balls in it.

How do you save time and deal with unexpected schedule busters? Share this article with anyone who you think could benefit and please share your own tips with us below.