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Ever feel like your head is going to explode? That’s how I feel this morning.
I am well rested from my recent trip to Austin and hanging out with Barbara Winter and now I can’t stop thinking.
It started on the plane ride home. The flight was way too bumpy to read my Kindle.
(I get motion sickness very easily.) So, at 10,000 feet I pulled out my iPod
and closed my eyes. That’s when it started. Between resting and listening, the ideas started to pop like warm popcorn kernels. I kept jotting half formed ideas down. Ideas about everything. I started to see a glimmer of clarity for 2010, something I’ve been missing.
This morning, after a great nights sleep, I was able to pick up where I left off with one big difference…since I was no longer tired, the ideas were coming faster and more furious than I could write. Pen to paper, fingers to keyboard, whatever was handy at the moment, I was jotting ideas and full page outlines down. Some half formed, some fully formed ideas.
I haven’t had this ‘my head is going to explode’ feeling in awhile. I’ve missed it. It is such a high, when I feel all is right in the world, time seems to stand still while at the same time passing without me even noticing it, when I feel like ‘yes, I can do this!”, and when at my core I know I am one with the creative universe.
During a brain break to make a pot of mid-morning java, I realized why this feeling has been missing and how I can get it back more often. Other than my trip to Minnesota in November right after I resigned from my day job, and one breakfast, business meeting, all I do is sit in my home office and work. That’s not really cutting in, if you know what I mean. What will work, has worked, and will always work is to get out of the house, engage with people, especially people on the same wavelength, change my environment, take a trip with purpose, take a class, go to the library, attend a meeting – whatever – just get out of the house!
It’s kind of like Julia Cameron’s
Artist Dates. To be creative you have to change your environment once in a while and engage the world on a different level. I’ve known this for a long time. I don’t know how I could have forgotten it.
But, whatever I call it, I know one thing, I’m getting out of the house more often! A brain is a terrible thing to waste.
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Tomorrow I am leaving to spend two days at the Jersey Shore at a B&B in Cape May with a friend, Jane Kirsch, from http://www.lifeandworkbydesign.com/.
We are planning to have fun, play with some dreams, brainstorm ideas, and set some goals and intentions for 2010. This is the first time I have done this with another person. I am looking forward to the interaction and mutual support from someone who understands.
Since I will be preparing to meet my goals in 2010 for the next few days I thought I’d share this article that was originally published in The Dreaming Cafe newsletter on December 13, 2009.
Leave a comment when you are finished reading and share a little of your process or some of your 2010 goals. Sometimes sharing your goals adds a bit of accountability. If you do leave a comment I will be sure to follow-up with you to see how you are doing.
Happy New Year!
Five Ways to Prepare to Meet Your Goals in 2010
How do you close out the year? Is it a flurry of activity, get-togethers and parties with family and friends? Do you take time to reflect on the year that is coming to a close and plan for the New Year?
For the last few years I have spent a considerable amount of time reflecting, dreaming and planning. I keep a special journal just for this purpose.
I’d loved to schedule a whole day or a whole week just for this purpose, but real life doesn’t permit this luxury. Instead I have learned to take a few minutes or a few hours every day to review, reflect, journal, dream and plan. I find the time because it is a priority for me. It is important to me.
I review my journal notes and my goals from the previous year. I take time to write about and summarize the months that have past and I reflect on my future and what I want.
This has been a very powerful process for me. And, I am not the only one who does a year in review. I was very surprised to read the Chris Guillebeau, from the Art of Non-Conformity, has a very similar process. You can read his post about is end of the year review here: 2009 Annual Review.
Here is a brief overview of five techniques I use to prepare to meet my goals in the New Year:
1. Choose a word, or more than one to guide you in the upcoming year and to give you focus.
I chose three words for 2009: creativity, relationships and spirituality. I worked to make them a priority and asked myself each time I started something new, or each time I felt a little off track, if these words were leading me. It has been an incredible experience. It has allowed me to meet lots of new people and develop new friendships, opened myself up to exploring painting, art journaling and drawing and I experienced a new sense of peace, belonging and acceptance in my spiritual life.
I am not the only one who has used this technique. You can read this Christine Kane guest post by Lisa Rough: “2009 Word-of-the-Year: INTEGRATION,” and see how choosing a word to guide her helped her re-prioritize her life and find focus.
2. Choose a ‘theme’, or a guiding statement of what you want to accomplish in the New Year.
As I have said before, 2007 was a turning point in my life and in the three years since my life has changed dramatically. Not so much on the outside, but there have been huge shifts internally. Choosing a guiding theme is similar to choosing a word or two. These were my themes for the past few years…
2007: A year of awakening and opening.
This is the year I simply and gently started to acknowledge the things I needed and wanted.
2008: A year for discovery, healing and forgiveness.
Even though I had started to acknowledge my dreams and started to move forward I realized I had a lot of internal healing to do first. This was a very difficult and emotional year.
2009: A year for exploring and having fun with my ideas; continuing my journey of self-discovery and going ‘deeper’.
I am still reflecting on this past year, but I have recognized that I took a lot of little steps and some big ones. It was all about exploring, seeing what worked and what didn’t, about not taking myself too seriously and having fun.
And, I am leaning toward “Growing into my Vision” as my 2010 theme.
This theme was inspired by reading Bill Strickland’s “Make the Impossible Possible
(Amazon affiliate link) and this blog post by Barbara Winter, “Growing Into Your Vision”.
It is really about moving forward with confidence. I have worked hard over the last three years and I know what I want. It is time to start taking bolder steps and growing into the person I was born to be.
3. Make a list of your successes and accomplishments from the last twelve months and see how closely they are related to the words and theme you chose to guide you.
4. Make a list of the things you may have failed at or the things you wanted to do, but didn’t accomplish. What did you learn? What obstacles were in your path?
The one big thing I failed at this past year was maintaining my daily meditation practice. For most of the year it is how I started my day. I would write and meditate every morning. But, it kind of fell by the wayside this past summer and I haven’t re-established it.
Part of the reason is that I was writing so much more, and while I was working, I only had so much time in the morning. I thought when I resigned it would be easy to reincorporate my meditation practice back into my life, but it hasn’t happened yet. I don’t have all the answers and I am still reflecting on this point.
5. Reflecting on the work you have done in the first four steps make a list of goals that you would to accomplish in the upcoming year. Then, ask yourself ‘why?’ Why are these goals important to you? What will their accomplishment mean to you?
My list usually includes some very specific goals with a timeline, as well as, some general statements of things I want to accomplish.
For example, one of my less than specific goals for 2009 was ‘visit Minneapolis, MN’. I didn’t list when, or how or why. But, I put it out there. When I asked why? It was because traveling and meeting people had become important to me.
A more specific goal for 2009 was to write for a minimum of twenty minutes a day, every day. I do this through a combination of writing for my blog, articles for this newsletter, journaling and morning pages.
At the end of 2008 I finally acknowledged my desire to be a writer. To accomplish that goal I knew that I had to do two things in 2009. One, write, and two, share my writing.
Bonus tip…write yourself a letter and include your list of goals, and add one or more ‘big’ goals or dreams you were afraid to list previously. Put this in an envelope and seal it. And, don’t open it until next December. You will be amazed at the power of this single action.
In December 2008 I added at the bottom of my letter, almost as an after thought: “The Big One – start my own business and resign from my job.”
That ‘big one’ came true in early November.
Pretty powerful, huh?
It’s not magic. If you align your goals and dreams with what you want, and take action every day, dreams do come true.
I am still in the process of reviewing and reflecting on 2009 and setting my intentions and goals for 2010. It is not usually something I can do in one session and I have learned not to rush the process.
I hope that you, too, will look at 2009 is a new way and approach 2010 with hope and positive expectation.
I look forward to sharing more with you over the coming months and hearing your story.
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As I continue to clarify my business goals it becomes more evident every day that this is not just about making money, it is about personal and spiritual growth, making a positive impact and helping others and building a life based on my own terms. It is about living my life on a day-to-day basis according my own personal values and beliefs.
There is a lot of talk in the media and online about ‘The Secret’, ‘Internet Millions’ and ‘Get-Rich Quick With Social Media Marketing.” I don’t like it. It all turns my stomach.
Do I want to make good money and be financially independent? Yes.
Do I want to get there by taking advantage of people and sacrificing my personal values and beliefs? NO!
There are lots of legitimate, honest and enlightened entrepreneurs out there. A lot of times you don’t see or hear about them right away because they are quietly and gently marching to their own drummer. They invite people to learn and follow along, but they are not evangelist. They don’t make outrageous promises, they won’t tell you how easy it is and they won’t tell you that you don’t have to work hard. They are going to tell you the truth based on their own experiences.
These are the kind of people I listen to, learn from and turn to as mentors and guides.
Do I know them personally? For almost all of them the answer is no. But, that doesn’t stop me from reading about them, reading their work, following them online and occasionally reaching out to them to ask a question or two.
Most of us aren’t going to find these mentors living and working in our neighborhoods, so we need to seek out them out elsewhere. We can find them in bookstores and online.
Why do I admire these entrepreneurs?
They are independent. They built their business(s) and run their business(s) according to their own rules, not any pre-established, accepted standard or textbook guide.
Personal growth and lifelong learning are built directly into their business(s) and it is as important to them, or more, as earning a living / making money.
They all possess a strong spiritual nature and approach their life and their work as a vocation.
They strive to use their gifts and their talents to help others in a variety of ways both personally and professionally.
They accept both the mundane and drudgery that accompanies every day living and the excitement, challenge and joy of living life on their own terms.
Who they are…
Barbara J. Winter
Barbara is an entrepreneur, writer and self-employment advocate. She is the author of Making a Living Without a Job.
She is a genuine leader and cheerleader for self-bossers everywhere. Her sincere desire to inspire others shines through in all that she does.
Her popular seminars on creative self-employment are held throughout the US, Canada and UK. She also publishes Winning Ways newsletter which has been helping people turn their passions into profits for twenty-three years. You can visit her website at http://joyfullyjobless.com.
Derek Sivers
Derek is an entrepreneur, programmer and musician. He combines his passion for music, helping musicians and programming in an authentic and heartfelt way. He is sincere and follows his own path with dignity and gratitude.
He is also the founder of CDBaby, a company he sold in 2008. He is in the process of developing two new companies, Muckwork and Now Now Now, both aimed at helping musicians. You can visit his website at http://sivers.org/
Tama Kieves
Tama is a former Harvard educated lawyer, turned author, coach and entrepreneur. She is the founder of Awakening Artistry, an organization dedicated to creating a global family of visionary minds, creative souls, and empowered leaders. She is also the author of This Time I Dance!: Creating the Work You Love.
The question that changed her life (and mine), “If you’re this successful doing work you don’t love, what could you do with work you do love?” You can visit her website at http://www.awakeningartistry.com/.
Marsha Sinetar
Marsha is an educator, author and entrepreneur. Her books revolve around the topics of vocation, personal and spiritual growth & development, and spiritual wholeness. Her body of work is wide reaching and is grounded in years of personal research. You can check out her books on Amazon: Marsha Sinetar books on Amazon
and visit her website at http://www.marshasinetar.com/.
Who do you admire and why?
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Last night I was reviewing my notes from the Compelling Storytelling workshop I attended in June 2008 in Las Vegas with Barbara Winter and Alice Barry.
As part of our ‘homework‘ we had to attend a Cirque du Soleil show and identify three things we learned from the show about using compelling storytelling in our business and our marketing.
I remembered the show easily. I also remember not wanting to go, but was then both surprised and delighted by the performance.
Reviewing my notes from the workshop, and this exercise in particular, reminded me that there is so much to be learned just by observing the experts…
Three Things I Learned From Cirque du Soleil…
1. Maintain continuity. Keep your message, your story, clear and focused throughout your business in all your marketing, promotions, products, services, etc.
2. Keep it fun. No matter what your business is, it should be a fun and enjoyable experience for you and your customer.
3. Play your aces. Surprise your customer with the unexpected and make them feel special.
Hi Everyone.
First, thank you to all my wonderful subscribers who forwarded a copy of The Dreaming Cafe’s newsletter over the last few weeks to be entered to win a copy of “Making a Living Without a Job, revised edition: Winning Ways for Creating Work That You Love” by Barbara J. Winter.
(For more information visit this post: Making a Living Without a Job)
Second, I want to announce the winners!!!! WooHoo!!
1. Andrea Paul
2. Barbara Kraus
3. Brenda Hobgood
4. Connie Hozvicka
5. Heather Bedell
6. Alexia Petrakos
7. Penny Peterson
8. Lynne Rask
9. Sara Thiibault
10. Z. Sierra
Another surprise, in addition to each book, there will be a secret prize hidden inside each eco-friendly package shipped. You can read more about why I am doing this at “Another Idea”
And, finally, I have one more copy to give away. One random subscriber, new or old, will be randomly selected Saturday, August 29, 2009.
Are you a subscriber? If not, sign up NOW!
The Dreaming Cafe’s newsletter is emailed every Sunday and is designed to be a companion on your creative journey to self-discovery. It is created to inspire, motivate and educate.
I hope you will join me. Subscribe today.
Five must have books for the aspiring entrepreneur –
1. Making a Living Without a Job: Winning Ways For Creating Work That You Love
By Barbara J. Winter
This wonderful book is one of the first books I ever read about working for yourself. It left such an impression on me that several years later when I was making my ‘100+ things to do before I die’ list, meet Barbara Winter was listed at #69. There are so many ideas and suggestions to get you started in this book I recommend that you read it with a highlighter, pen and notebook near by. It is filled with interesting and inspiring stories with hundreds of ideas, as well as, action steps you can immediately take to begin your entrepreneurial journey. This is resource book you will come back to again and again, year after year. Keep it in a special place. (By the way, I crossed #69 off my list in 2008.)
2. This Time I Dance!: Creating the Work You Love By Tama J. Kieves
This Time I Dance! is a story of personal growth and discovery. When a friend asked her “If you’re this successful doing work you DON”T love, what could you do with work you DO love?”, it changed her life and it changed mine. This book is not just for the want-to-be writer or artist, it is for anyone seeking deeper meaning in their life and work.
3. Career Renegade: How to Make a Great Living Doing What You Love
By Jonathan Fields
Career Renegade is filled with ideas and information to help you create your own life doing the things you love to do. Each chapter has numerous resources you can instantly access via the web and read more about. This book is more than just stories, ideas and resources. It is a spark that ignites your own creative thought process and begins to build a raging fire of ideas built from your own passions, and desires. I recommend that you have a pen and paper handy while you read. Career Renegade is a resource you cannot do without.
4. Refuse to Choose!: Use All of Your Interests, Passions, and Hobbies to Create the Life and Career of Your Dreams
By Barbara Sher
Do you have so many ideas, interests and passions that you don’t know where to start? Are you paralyzed by indecision, feeling like you have to choose one idea, one passion over another? If you do, you may be a ’scanner’. Barbara Sher shows you how to handle both of these issues. She gives you the tools to build your life incorporating ALL that you love. This is a must have for every entrepreneur who feels like they have more ideas than lifetimes.
5. Do What You Love, The Money Will Follow: Discovering Your Right Livelihood
By Marsha Sinetar
Although the title of this book is similar to others in this category, Marsha Sinetar takes a more cerebral approach. This books is not only about doing what you love, but also discovering who you are, what you want and how to build a life from that self-knowledge. As with any good book, this books has numerous stories to inspire.
Add all 5 books to your library NOW.
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