Break the Rules

“Break the rules.”

But I didn’t understand what that meant. Well, not in business, anyway. I’d broken the rules plenty in my personal life over the years.

But in business, I thought I was breaking the rules, by having boundaries and following my intuition and creating a calendar that worked for me, among other things that other entrepreneurs raised their eyebrows at.

It’s been a few years since I’d asked for clarification on what was next in my business when this particular piece of advice came through (quite literally from my guides ;-)).

I’ve only just understood it now.

It’s not just about having boundaries. It’s about tightening up who and what they even apply to. It’s not just about following my intuition, but trusting that my deepest desires ARE my intuition. And it’s not just about creating a calendar that works for me, but also about creating a calendar that allows me to have a much greater impact much sooner.

Breaking the rules means not worrying about what others think about what I’m doing – or not doing. It means standing stronger in my resolution to serve myself first so I can serve others better. It means doing it my way, no matter what, and trusting that as long as my intentions are good, all will be well.

How that plays out going forward is exciting, liberating, joyful and life-altering for me – and I can hear clearly and distinctly, “It’s about time!” in my head and my heart. 🙂

Personally, my priorities are always to take care of my family first, then my inner community, then my outer community. That includes several initiatives that aren’t served by sharing publicly (and frankly would only be self-serving if I did). It’s included stepping back from being online earlier this spring to have the time and energy to dedicate to those initiatives. As they continue on, this is my best and most powerful way to contribute – and it feels right too.

Business-wise, it means letting go of some things that no longer align with who I’m becoming and where I’m going and how I can best contribute. It means being on purpose with my purpose. It means more of what I love to do and unapologetically cutting out the things I don’t love to do – no matter how popular they are or what other people consider ‘musts’. Nope, no more. It’s time for my brain to step aside so my heart can lead.

For me, this is doing it my way.

Want some help with doing it your way?

I’m putting together a practical step-by-step guide on the how (because I am the how-to gal ;-)) for my Lively Biz Business Club members. If you’re interested, go here to find out more when it’s ready.

Cheers,
~ A

 

How Much Money Do You Really Need?

I’ve personally invested over $100k in my own business education
(not including my MBA) and I’ve leveraged that investment into
over $1 million dollars in sales.

I’ve always said that I will make my million – in my time and on my terms. And I’ve done just that. Did I make it in 12 months? Nope. In 3 years? Nope. It took 8 years. But I did it on my terms (keeping my family first) and in my time (less than 15 hours a week on average).

And because I’m sensing this strong undercurrent of desperation in many business owners about making 6 or 7 figures, I wanted to invite you to take a different tact:

Ask yourself, what’s the least income you can make right now and still live a happy life?

Not ‘I want to make a million dollars by the time I’m 40′ and you’re 39 now and the most you’ve ever made is $50k. Not ‘I want to make 6 figures by the end of this year′ and your current monthly revenue is $2k.

What’s the least you can make that will take you to that very next step in your vision – not the BIG vision – but just the next bump up?

What’s the least amount of money you can bring in that will give your current lifestyle the boost that will make you smile, that will make you feel and know you’re moving forward, and that will continue to motivate you onward?

Here’s how you can figure it out for your own business:

Step 1: Get cash clear

Get crystal clear on how much money you really need to live the lifestyle that you’re happy with, not the one you’re striving for (I guarantee when you give up this grip, money will flow more abundantly to you).

This may mean having a conversation with a spouse or partner. Do it. Especially if you are in a financial partnership with someone else, you’re likely not the only one feeling the push and the pressure for more. Do yourselves both a favor and figure out what’s the minimum level for you. You may be able to give up or put aside one or more of your current income streams so you can have more of the time freedom you crave, knowing you still have enough to enjoy your life.

Step 2: Be sure all your eggs aren’t in one basket

If you’re relying on high-end pricing and programs to carry your business, you may be setting yourself up for a financial fall. Your clients and customers are being more and more discriminating about where they’re spending their money.

Be sure to have different ways in which you can serve your market, not just one-on-one. Offer lower priced programs and products to help more people as well as to diversify your cash flow.

Step 3: Build your business around your life

This is a mindset shift for many people. But if you’re in business for yourself, isn’t it so you can design the life you want to live? Not so you can work more, but so you can work less, and still enjoy a great life with the income to support it?

In order to do that, you have to schedule your life first, then your business-building activities around that. This is how I’ve been able to take off 3 months every summer for the last 15 years. My business doesn’t suffer; in fact, it grows because of my commitment to this principle.

Figure out how to make the money you want for the next level of your business (again, not the BIG vision, just the next bump up) in the time that is left after you’ve planned the life you want to live first. Then ask for the support or hire the team you need to help you make this happen.

When you put your life first, the time towards what makes you happy, the focus on just the next bump while you tend to LIVING, all the ‘more’ you want (which we all want, by the way – we are all here to grow and to be, do, and have more) will come. This I know for sure.