The Success Magnets with Cara Lumen

Why You Should Start Hanging Out with People Who are Playing Bigger than You Are

I'm about to be stretched. I'm about to be asked to think bigger than I have been, to look at possibilities that I've never considered and to probably change my thinking. I'm going to start hanging out with people who are playing bigger than I am.

 

You can only take yourself so far

 

We need to surround ourselves with people who see our potential. From within our own lives our viewpoint of what is possible for us is limited by old beliefs and fears. But other people don't see that, they don't know what thoughts stop us, they only see our potential. We need to hang out with them so we can have a bigger view of what is possible for us.

 

I used to keep an acknowledgement book in which I wrote the nice things people said about me with the date it was said. When I started feeling dumpy about myself I'd read what was written. "Oh, they saw that in me? I didn't know." Now I simply save the lovely emails and the amazing testimonials that people give me. But I still have to go read them periodically to reaffirm my own value.

 

Hanging out with the bigger players shows you how it's done

 

Every time I have a conversation with someone about their services or the way they manage their business, I find some small nugget for myself that I can adapt or modify or just plain use.

 

I'm about to acquire another coaching certification and as I give thought to how I will work it into my current business I find my vision expanding. When I talked to another participant about how he structured his coaching practice I began to rethink mine. When I heard how much he charged I realized I was ready to reposition my fees and attract more clients who firmly believe that my coaching is well worth the money and are willing to spend it to grow their business.

 

And it's scary

 

I'm in a funny place. At 75 when someone asks me what my five year plan is my answer is "To still be here!" But that's a joke, because I'm building my business with all the intention of working it for another 30 years. But there is an energy about someone twenty or thirty years younger that I need to recapture.

 

That's another reason to hang out with people who are playing bigger than I am. I need to create my version of my business in a way that honors who I am, what I know how to do, and how I want to live my life. And I need to watch what other people are doing for ideas.

 

So I have to overcome the fact that only 10% of women my age went to college (I went back for my MA at 40) and that women of my generation were only expected to grow up and be housewives.

 

I have to overcome the loss of confidence I discovered when I reentered the work force after fifteen years of raising children to find what I knew how to do had no value to others in the work place.

 

And I get to celebrate my blossoming as my creative, enthusiastic self and the fact that at long last I am deeply involved in what I love to do.

 

Now that I've made it to this point I get to do more.

 

So I'm going to go hang out with people who are doing their business well and see what I can learn from them. And while I'm at it I'll keep an eye out on what I can teach them.

 

You see it's not about who is better or worse, who is more than or less than, it's a study in how beautifully different each of us are. I will engage in this training environment with a willingness to learn, an enthusiasm to share, and an expectation of both inner and outer expansion.

 

That's why it's important to periodically go hang out with people playing bigger than you are.

 

Cara Lumen, The Vision Distiller, helps entrepreneurs expand their vision, extend their reach and touch lives all over the world. Her Magnetic Marketing Method helps you create prosperity from your inside out. You can find more articles like this in The Success Magnets Emagazine at www.caralumen.com

 

Six Thoughtful Ways to Make Room for Change

My quest for a way to make room for change was prompted by the need to schedule more time to do copy writing for my clients. The first question was how much time do I schedule when I don't know how much time it will take to do the job? In order to make room for change, I had to rethink what I already had in place.

 

1.  Rethink your own rules

 

I have used an Excel spread sheet to block off times for client appointments, creating new information products, writing client copy, writing and posting articles and working my business. I have been setting Mondays aside to work on expanding my own business. But maybe I should rethink that. Maybe Mondays are not the best day, maybe I need to choose Fridays instead. Maybe I have to spread my business development time over several days. I began to let go of what I had in place and began to rethink my own system.

 

2. Make use of your fritters

 

The first thing I noticed in creating my new self-schedule was that I like to watch The View on TV every day at 10 AM. Now frankly, 10 AM is too early for me to take a break and as I looked at my schedule I thought, "That could be a whole hour out of my work day. Unless…." I very much need to put more exercise in my life so guess what…I'm going to bend and stretch and move my body while I watch the intelligent women on The View. It's a win-win solution.

 

I started tracking my "fritters" — those things I take time for that do not move me forward in my business or my work load. I began to look at why I was doing them – was I putting off something hard or did I simply need a change of tasks?

 

Not every time out is a fritter. I talk to my friend/ web designer partner every day. We talk about our lives, our families, our clients and our business decisions. Every conversation nourishes and balances me . It’s a meaningful pause in my productive day.

 

3. Get real about what's NOT working

 

Just as I found a way to add another dimension to an hour of TV that would make it contribute to my life, I began to look at what's NOT working.

 

It recently took me a long time to create an introductory email to a new client about an element of my services. I have now saved that in a New Client Start Up file and when another new client appeared I found that it was easy to adjust.

 

I have developed very strong intake forms that make starting with a new client easy and effective for both of us.. I have another intake form for gathering the information I need to write strong sales pages. And every time I have to write a lengthy explanation about something to one client, I create it as an article for my Magnetic Marketing Coaching Library so it's ready for the next time that question is asked. I keep an eye out for information I am repeating that could be automated, even if it's as simple as having a few often needed responses already written than only take a few minutes to adjust and send.

 

I need to keep myself clear from interruptions, particularly when I am writing copy. What are my choices? I could use my voice mail if a call comes in. I can look at my email at noon instead of first thing in the morning so I use my fresh, creative mind time to its best advantage. I could go to my desk earlier and get in an hour or two of uninterrupted time. I can set boundaries with my clients so we agree on a time to call rather than have them call me spontaneously.

 

I have options. I have choices. I can make changes.

 

4. Do the math – what do you need to attract

 

What does it take to create the income you need and want? How many clients? How many hours of copy writing? How many actual income-producing hours do you need to schedule into your week? Get that number in mind, hold that intention and make room for them in your weekly schedule.

 

Be clear about what is producing income. I may love writing articles and doing podcasts but I also need to be clear about how much income they are measurably generating and balance the time I spend on them accordingly.

 

If I want more copy writing assignments then I have to be certain my web site reflects that. That may mean additional keyword research, new copy, and setting up new intake systems so I can do the job efficiently and effectively.

 

Your job is to stay close to the money. Put your time into actual client/customer interaction. Farm out the administrative stuff if you need to. Stay active where you can most affect your business.

 

5. Re-think your system and be willing to change

 

Cluster your clients and pick specific session times to fill. Mine are 11, 1 and 3 PST on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. That leaves me Mondays and Tuesdays plus other times to write copy for others, prepare talks, write more information products and work my own business.

 

A fellow copy writer who does ghost writing said he knows he has to write 1,000 words a day to finish a book in four months so he blocks off his entire morning. He doesn't answer the phone, he doesn't answer email, he just writes. His afternoon is more flexible. When his children come home he does his Dad thing but he often returns to work in the evening when his family activities have slowed down. I often fit in another two hours of work in the evening.

 

Create a schedule that works for you and your family.

 

6. Make a new plan and try it out – then schedule a time to check it again

 

Your plan is just a plan; it's one way to do it. I always love it when the Universe hands me an unexpected opportunity. I lovingly rethink my whole system to accommodate the new invitation.

 

I also follow my moods. If I'm in the mood to devour a new business book I sit down and do it. If an article starts popping in I sit down and write it. If an idea shows up I stop and take time to write down enough about it so that I have captured its essence. I definitely allow for the creative muse.

 

Take one step at a time.  Get that never-ending "to-do" list out and schedule some of those things onto your calendar every week. Allow them to organically pop to the top. If they don't get done in a reasonable length of time, take them off the list, they're not going to happen..

 

My new plan feels great. It has given me new perspectives and new priorities. I'll try this one out for awhile and then reexamine, rethink and recreate and make room for more change.

 

Cara Lumen, The Vision Distiller, is an internet marketing coach, content strategist and  entrepreneur who combines innovative ideas with attraction marketing to help proactive entrepreneurs create a compelling and profitable presence on the internet. An international author, a motivational teacher, an engaging speaker, Cara love to help others bring their vision to life. Find more articles like this in The Success Magnets Emagazine at www.caralumen.com