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(I will never rent, trade, or sell your information) * = required fieldWhen you are running your own business, and it seems that the only thing standing between you and starvation is your personal productivity – your ability to “do” what needs to be done, stress can be high and even minor set-backs in efficiency can feel like the end of the world. What I have learned is that counter-intuitively, sometimes you need to give up the death-grip you have on your business and have some trust in order to really see the success you crave, along with a more relaxed state of being.
This quotation came to my attention this morning and it struck me as being very relevant to what I am getting at here. What we need to remember, as business owners, is that we are already enough, right now. The fact that we are already on the path of creating our success is evidence enough that we are capable of achieving it. Especially when just starting out, it so easy to see everything we don’t know how to do, that we often discount all the things we do know how to do.
I think this is where so many business people get stuck – seeking the “perfect” education or knowledge that will somehow reveal the answer to unlocking abundance in their business. Now, don’t get me wrong, continually educating oneself is part of the process of growth that is required for any progress in life; the difficulty is that many people continue to educate themselves in a topic beyond what is required to get a move on. No matter how much information is gathered, the only way to really gain anything from the education is to just do something with it. This is one place where “trust” comes in.
You need to have faith that taking the first step will reveal the next step clearly. You need to know that no matter how “wrong” your first attempt is, the knowledge you gain from the experience will take you much further than looking for another book, guru, website, or audio download to “perfect” your academic understanding. These are just stalling tactics that cover up the fear and discomfort that are the real issue.
The other thing the quotation reminds me of is that this continuing striving and struggle toward “improving” ourselves (increasing our knowledge, checking things off the to-do list, pushing blindly forward into the cloud of “shoulds” we have picked up along the way) is not only exhausting and unrelenting, but often less effective than pausing to check-in with our current state of “being.”
You know more than you realize, as long as you can pause and be quiet enough to listen to your soul whisper the truth.
There are many different ways to listen to what your “wiser” self knows. Prayer, mediation, journaling, drawing, creating vision boards, etc, can all be avenues into this understanding. Whatever instinctively appeals to you is where you should start. Here are some tips I have picked up (certainly not exhaustive – use what makes sense to you and what others share that resonate).
Set aside time consistently
You need to prioritize this “quiet time” so make sure you schedule it regularly. Pick a time and place you can be comfortable, alone, and undistracted. I do this every weekday, when I have my coffee or tea, before I sit down at my computer to get swept into emails and work.
Make it as formal or informal as you want
Don’t feel that you need to be bound by any specific ritual or activity unless it appeals to you. When you start, leave it a bit freeform, and follow what your heart wants to do. Settle on routines only after you have tested them out and they feel natural.
Do something that focuses you on reflection
No matter what you include, be sure at least one activity gives you space to reflect on your life in a meaningful way. I personally write a brief letter to the Universe each day – expressing gratitude and asking for guidance or help with things I am thinking about. Sometimes answers will come to me as soon as I write the request or question. In other cases, I just become receptive to seeing the answer when it appears later.
Reduce clutter
Outside of my “formal” listening time, I have found that frequently just what I need to hear comes to my attention somehow – in a conversation, via an article or e-zine I happen to read, or sometimes in multiple places, cluing me in that this is something I need to recognize and reflect upon. However, this can only happen if I’m not too busy “stuffing” myself with constant stimulation and information. I have dramatically reduced the number of things I “pay attention to” each day, having faith that what I need to know will surface for me at the right time. What a relief it is to not feel I need to “keep up” with every article, email, video, rss feed, Facebook update, tweet, etc that is created every day. Sure I stay slightly “plugged-in” so that the opportunity exists for something important to catch my attention, but I do not devote hours of time to consuming everything coming out of the information firehose.
Pay attention
If you can put into place some of the preceding tips, you will find that your intuition will get a bit louder and easier to distinguish. “Gut feelings” are worth examining. You will often “know” whether something is a good use of your time and attention, now or in the future, and more importantly, if it fits with your current focus and strategy, or if it is just going to distract you from what you know you need to do now, but are resisting and procrastinating.
If you can learn to release the mental merry-go-round you are on, not only will you achieve more real success with your business, but you will feel less harried and worried as well.
