If life is a journey, here are trip details for Planet Andrea at the moment

As a creative person, do you wonder what to do when you're ready to move on from one set of ideas and go to the next?How will you take care of what you've created before? When will you decide to definitively leave something behind?

Will you lovingly tend to all your old ideas, patiently talking about them afresh, every time you're asked? Or will you be like the renowned author and psychologist Daniel Goleman who, at a Q&A session soon after the launch of his new book, Social Intelligence, said "I'm not answering any questions about Emotional Intelligence. Ask me something else."

If marketing gurus are people you listen to, they are the ones that say "The moment you are bored of the message you present is the very moment your market is starting to listen. Persist in milking the cow." Ugh.

In my opinion, these are the moments creative entrepreneurs like you and I feel most put upon. Would Alexander Graham Bell succumb to always (only) pontificate about the phone? If we are to create what really matters, we must find ways to clean the slate, secure a good retirement for our previous works, and continue to create and evolve.

It's always fun when the answers aren't clear. I mean, you can read one book and decide to sell an old business. You could read another and be admonished to just drop what you created last year and move on. What do you think is the answer, for you? Coaches have been around for long enough now to really need to talk about this...

Without much fanfare, here are details from Planet Andrea for your curiosity. Continue reading for more.

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Do you remember ABC's Wide World of Sports, (WWOS) that long-running sports anthology show on American TV?

Running from 1961 to 1997, it had an iconic montage of sports clips that ran with brassy music and the narration:

“Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sport… the thrill of victory… and the agony of defeat… the human drama of athletic competition… this is ABC's Wide World of Sports!"

While a lot of you may remember the show, do you remember one of the scenes from the intro, of a guy on a surfboard? I daresay this is one of those images, like the unfortunate ski jumper who wiped out week after week, that's burned into our collective subconscious.

Well, the surfer in that clip is one 'legend-in-his-own-time' Mike Turkington, pictured with me last week on my trip to Maui.

I hadn't met Mike before this, but I was seated across from him at a supper of screenwriters from the Maui Writers Retreat. Mike T and I were among the 'spouses' of those in the retreat. A really unassuming and quiet kinda guy, he and I were among the wallflowers - the smiling and indulgent foil to the very happy and slightly punch-drunk screenwriters. (A week of 12 hour days will do that to you.)

There were many cool conversations around the table that night - Luanne has a neat screenplay about what happens when a princess kisses a frog and...turns into a frog. Graham has another cool one about how Hurricane Katrina hides the evidence of a crime, and a second hurricane reveals it again...lots of creative people.

But cutting to the chase (just a little) there was something about the gent across from me, some hidden spark (something that ultimately is in everyone, you just have to look) that compelled me to ask:

"So Mike, what do you do? We spouses have to stick together you know."

"I'm a Captain...I take people out on the water." Very relaxed, he smiled when I leapt in with "A Captain? Ahoy!" and "Port...starboard, which will it be Cap'n?" And then, like a splash of cool water in the face, it came out that Mike was the guy - The Guy - in the WWOS clip.

"What's cool about that clip is that I start out goofy foot on it." This is surfer lingo for left, or 'other' foot, forward. "Then I disappear inside the wave and when I'm there, I switch-stance, and when I come out my other foot is in front - that's what they liked so much about that shot."

Okay...not only is he perched on a small piece of wood in the middle of 15 foot high waves, he is messing about with the position of his feet, changing things around part way through...

"Gosh...well, I have to ask Mike...what are some of your craziest wave stories - I'm sure you have tons! What is it like? I'll probably never surf in my life, I find high heels a little wobblesome - so is it completely crazy inside the wave?"

That's when, if you were watching, you could see the spark hit oxygen and quiet Mike T's energy come on full.

"When you're in there, and you catch a wave, all of a sudden you feel yourself tumbling and your stomach is above your head and you're in this fifteen foot fall...and then there's a second when it all smoothes out and you can start to control the board again, move around, do some zigging zagging...and all you can see is all this water in front of you..." Pause. Big smile. And a giddy sounding giggle.

"Whooaaaa." I say. For the first time in my life, I understand why this word is so drenched with emotion whenever it's said. "Whoa."

More giggles from the formerly austere, unassuming Captain Mike.

Cindy, his partner of the last 6 years, pipes in...Mike used to run one of the original surf shops on the North Shore of Maui - one of his surf boards just sold on ebay for thousands of dollars.

"You are totally aLight, Mike" I say..."Your eyes have this LOOK in them..." I'm laughing, I can't help it.

"And it's the giggle, you made him do the giggle," Cindy says...and it's true, he's giggling away, transformed.

Mike T's been in movies as himself and has a modest page up at IMDB. He's part of the fabric of early surfing history especially on the North Shore of Maui and when people (especially surfers) find out who he is - Cindy tells us - the eyes go round and it's electrifying.

For me, it's the highlight of the night, and the unexpected gift of the entire two-week trip. I'm energized just recalling the look in his eyes as he described it - I'll carry that around with me forever.

Click on the photo above to enlarge it and see for yourself - it's a keeper of a look.

I don't know about you but that look of pure bliss, that state of being that's calm AND excited, serene yet massively charged, is a goal unto itself and any one of us could be forgiven for pursuing that the rest of our lives.

I don't write poetry, and this is not poetry, but listening to Mike was like catching a piece of powerfully moving poetry for just a moment. He might never know it but for that moment it was as if all his years of surfing (he still does it on the island of Oahu) and all the waves he ever caught, were transmitted to me.

No wonder surfers will pursue waves relentlessly for decades with a passion most people don't understand.

Thanks Mike, to say the least. I'll be adding your words to my treasure chest of touchstones along with the tune from 'We are the Champions' and the smell of fresh-squeezed lemons...

"Andrea, I always know we're onto something big when you say something and I hate your guts."

LOL, love that honesty, C! Your courage and growth are inspiring and it is a true a privilege to be your coach.

Side note to anyone considering hiring a coach, maybe even for the first time: Laughing happens often in great coaching sessions because the truth (especially our own) is usually pretty funny.

[More coaching quotes like at right, here.]

Family is one of those words that I think has lost its oomph. Everyone thinks they know what it means and it seems to me it's hard to use the word without inducing sleepiness.

Funny, because clearly the concept has dozens of possible uses. The family of people you choose to surround yourself with. Your spiritual family. Family of origin. Blended family. And then of course there's always La Familia.

Here's a little quote that makes me think differently again about family - in a meta sense of the word. Does this usage make you sleepy?

From Finding Oprah's Roots:

"Knowing your family history is knowing your worth - your whole worth. And I don't mean monetary value.

It's about everything that everybody gave up for you. It allows you to know what your mama went through, your grandmama went through, your great-grandmama went through, your grandfathers.

It lets you know that you've been paid for - that there are lots of people who came before you who would have liked to have had what you have. I think about this all the time - you know, my ancestors could not have imagined the life that I now lead but for the work that they did that prepared the way."

Coaching questions that may be of interest:

I know my ancestors didn't live their lives for me, but in what way did what they did with their time lead to something (a place, a time, a context or opportunity) that allows me to do something unique with my turn at bat?

Am I putting my life to good use, from the eyes of the family members that have come before me?

Will my life the way I'm living it be of use to the family that is to come next?

Forget everyone else, am I living too much for everyone else? What about me?

A trip to an independent bookstore is like a trip inside a person's mind, that person being the store owner more often than not. That's where the pure delight of it resides.

Big chain bookstores are basically homogenous - you expect to see the top ten bestselling authors in all categories prominently displayed, and I can pretty much tell you what will be featured on the table in front of the business section at any given time.

Every shelf on an independent bookstore on the other hand, is a surprise. A tickle for the mind that can set thoughts and actions into motion such that you would never have expected. Like visiting the bookshelf of a good friend, or trading in some paperbacks at a spa resort - the randomness of the selection there is in itself, a gift.

I talk a lot about the value of individualism. Of being a 'Google' for your clients.

In a business climate where everyone seems to ask 'What keywords are people searching on today?' there is immense value in asking instead 'What keywords would I like to create an interest in tomorrow?'

'Purple Cow' meant nothing until someone made it worth searching on. There's a fine, nuanced, valuable difference there.

Here's what I'm reading after a delightful visit to Abraxas Bookstore and Art Supplies (link not available) on Denman Island, a day trip from Vancouver Island.

Ann Lovejoy's Organic Garden Design School, A Guide to Creating Your Own Beautiful, Easy-Care Garden has a chapter dedicated to 'Making Beautiful Dirt.'

That, and Ann's propensity for mixing the language of art and storytelling into the craft of building a garden had me at first scan.

With our move to Vancouver Island imminent, this will be a useful indulgence.

Carry Tiger to Mountain: The Tao of Activism and Leadership by Stephen Legault is one of those books I know I won't read right away. But owning it is a way of keeping my heart and mind propped open to the topic. I'll grow as a person because the book is on my shelf.

Like Schnarch's Passionate Marriage, it's a book that teaches by existing. And, I'm sure the words will be significant too, but I'm okay with not knowing for sure how just yet.

That said, it does contains a chapter called 'Reatreat to Ride Tiger' a topic very close to the one I wrote on 'Riding the Tiger' in Money, Meaning and Beyond...it's a different treatment, but similar. I just love the power behind the riding tiger analogy and couldn't resist, so I didn't.

Easy Curry Cookery (reprinted by popular demand) leaves no curry recipe unphotographed. Page 56 - Creamy Chicken and Basil Curry is first on the agenda, followed closely by homemade naan.

In college it used to be that macaroni and cheese brought comfort, these days it's curry, and with my surgery in just one week - this will feel great to come home to.

Last but definitely not least, I'm reading Zen Guitar, by Philip Toshio Sudo, which turns out to be very close to a book I've been writing in my head and in various journals. Finding it releases me of this task, the better to finish other manuscripts!

This is a treasure of a gem of a find of a book that I already love - though nominally it is about music, and how to play guitar from a spiritual perspective, it's actually just a spiritual perspective that translates to everything - business building, coaching, etc.

Here are a few slivers of goodness:

"When you fall, fall like a cat."

"Prepare to meet your death. When the moment comes, there is no time for thinking."

"Measure a compliment the same as you measure a critique."

"Add two and two to make one."

"See the glass as half full. Understand that as you try to fill it, the glass gets bigger."

"Speak directly from your heart to the heart of your listener, as if passing the flame of a candle."

My dear reader, if your business and life has been feeling a bit too familiar, here's a suggested exercise for mixing things up a bit at a root level...something I seem to do on a monthly basis.

Like the soundtrack of your life, there's also your life's reading list. So take a look at what you're reading right now. Are you only reading books that everyone else seems to be reading? It's kinda neat to share a common new language that way.

And...instead of considering only what's on the bestseller list, why not walk the road less travelled a bit?

Try browsing randomly in a bookstore - chain or independent, online or in person. Visit a neighbourhood library for that matter.

In person, spend a full 10 minutes reading back covers in a section of the store you usually don't visit. Perhaps it 's a section of the store you don't 'believe in' or even get upset about.

Online, browse other people's lists of favorite books. Or the recommended booklists of fellow bloggers. Take a tangent by peeking at bibliographies using Amazon's Search Inside tool.

And then, once you've selected a packet of new books, don't forget to mix and stir.

Ask "If Ann Lovejoy (of the organic gardening book, above) and the Easy Curry Cookbook authors were to get together for a bottle of wine and supper, what would that conversation lead to? (Someone say Organic Curry Garden Design!) Or? (Fill in your own interesting spastic iteration here.)

What if your mind, with all its attendant thoughts and shades of meaning were to mix, kaleidoscope-like, with __________________ (Again fill in your own interesting random author, book, school of thought here.)?

This exercise is the best cure for being in a rut I know of and with time, will make you a more original, meaningful, interesting thinker and leader in your industry.

May I ask you a question? Might you be guilty of being too smart for your own good? Let me tell you a secret - you're not alone. Smart people tend to get in their own way a lot. And for some reason, a disproportionate number of business owners are smart, at least in my opinion.

So here's my encouragement for you today: Stop making things complicated for yourself. It all starts with picking the ripe apples.

Imagine yourself in an apple orchard for a moment. Picture yourself reaching your arm out, fingers curving around the bottom of an apple.

You pull.

But instead of the apple falling into your hand, the entire branch comes with it.

When an apple isn’t quite ripe, it sticks to its branch.

On the other hand, when it’s ripe, it quietly breaks away from its branch with a snick.

There’s something to learn from the way a ripe apple effortlessly leaves its tree when it’s time.

As business owners, one of the valuable things to learn is that there is a season for everything. And sometimes, in our single-minded focus to get ‘something’ done, we force that ‘something’ before it’s time.

The result? Not much to show for a lot of effort!

If you’ve been trying to get something done…

Or you’ve been trying to convince someone of something…

Or if you think you simply must persist towards a certain goal or target or result…

Ask yourself…is this an apple that’s not quite ripe, and must I pick this particular apple now?

The answer is usually no, there are other apples – or even other fruit - that are ripe right now that would be less difficult to pick.

Often, bright people can think their way into a decision that’s based on logic alone. Their intellect ‘informs’ them that their choice is the smart one.

But recognizing there is a natural cycle to everything – including business – will help you put your effort where it’s warranted…where the ripe apples are.

Wisdom Nugget:

Struggle – of all kinds, in business and life – is highly overrated. Are you someone who thinks you have to struggle or work hard in order to achieve something? Where did you learn this message?

Consider the possibility that you could achieve just as much if not more, in your life, not by struggling, but with ease. What feelings come up for you when you explore this concept?

Freely brainstorm and list what you are struggling with right now, using the comment section below, or a piece of paper on your own.

Now that you've done that, what are three things you could let go of, and stop struggling? Put a line through each of those. Take just a moment longer here and become aware of your energy and emotions. How do you feel as a result of shedding just a little of your habit of struggling?

This article is an edited version of Chapter 13 from the book 'Money, Meaning and Beyond.' More details available at
http://www.MoneyMeaningandBeyond.com

TeleSeminar Title: Doing Less & Making More: How to 'Unwork'
Led by Andrea J. Lee and Suzanne Falter-Barns

From: Thursday, May 24th

In this ***30-minute*** burst of a call, you'll learn:

- How to lose the sense of 'drudgery' you can get from your heart-based work
- The idea behind how to earn twice the money in half the time
- How to assess your To Do list from an 'unwork' perspective
- Why 'unwork' is more than just delegating tasks to helpers
- How to maximize your energy to you surf through your day happily

Use the player below to listen to the audio now or use the MP3 link below the player to download the audio to your favorite player or computer:

With apologies to Byron Katie's important 'Work,' I've been using the phrase Unwork quite a bit lately to help foster the premise that working hard is NOT the way to riches or happiness.

For some people working hard is a license to feel justified about complaining. Or feeling self-important.

For others it's a way to pull the wool over their eyes about the fact they aren't succeeding - they're doing everything they can, aren't they? Exhaustion is the proof of this statement. It can't be their fault because they're trying so very hard.

Still others are subconsciously using hard work as a way to avoid something. Could it be fear of success? or almost any other fear/feeling?

I've been exposed to enough variations on the theme of hard work that I feel I can say with confidence:

The message "Work hard and you'll be rewarded" is MOST useful to people in authority (teachers, parents, church leaders, politicians, etc.) Tired people (adults and children) are less likely to act up.

What I know for sure is that it takes a certain amount of guts to think about Unworking. Hard work is a potent anesthetic that like any addiction numbs us to life. Time to wake up.

Let me be clear that Unwork isn't about being lazy. And it isn't some fancy way of talking about delegation or time management either. I hate to say it's a kind of 'consciousness' as that's just too floofy for many people to care about, but it is in fact what it is. And...there are specifics that can help you start 'doing' unwork in a concrete way so this isn't all just ethereal stuff.

Register for the no-fee Open House TeleSeminar on Unwork (post coming soon) if you'd prefer a more interactive version of this. But here are my notes in response to those of you who don't want to wait. ;) Remember - Suzanne Falter-Barns is spearheading the call so I'm sure she'll have much to contribute on her end too.

Or, check out the radio show Pam Slim did with me on 'Taking the Struggle out of building your business' over at VoiceAmericaBusiness. You can download the program here.

Now here are my notes on just what Unwork is and how you can start integrating some...

(1) What does Unwork mean?

The first step to understanding the concept of Unwork is noticing that for everything you do, there is a hard way and an easy way. Whether it's picking a photograph at IstockPhoto to illustrate your blog post; putting together your new TV stand or making ends meet this month, there IS a hard way to reach your goal. Perhaps it's the road you're most used to taking.

So the best way to help connect you with the concept of Unwork is to ask you to assume with me there IS an easier way to what you are doing. So pick a challenge you're working on this week. Or a long-standing obstacle in your life. My assumption is going to be that there is an easier way. If you were to play along, what comes up?

This is about practice because letting go of the habit of thinking life has to be hard isn't going to be an overnight thing. So practice challenging yourself. Gradually your way of 'being' in your business will become less onerous.

Just start with one thing. Go ahead, you can think of one thing that you're annoyed at that feels terribly hard...what is it?

Unwork = noun. Definition = a contrarian idea that for everything human beings seek to do or achieve in life there is a hard way and an easy way or unwork way. Especially applicable in entrepreneurial settings.

(2) What might be a useful metaphor that conveys the sensibility of Unwork?

Unwork can feel like a foreign concept the first time you hear it so I like to use metaphors to help us get intuitive about it. Here are two:

Metaphor #1: If you were hanging a calendar on your wall, you wouldn't go to the basement to get your power tool, right? Yet so many of us in our daily 'to dos' are doing just that - using a power tool to put in a tack.

We might be spending way too much time to complete something...or doing a menial task at the time of day when our brains are most creative...whatever it is, there is an ineffective use of energy to accomplish the task in front of us...using a power tool on a tack when just your thumb would do the trick.

How are you burning out a power tool doing something little in your business?

Is it possible you're giving a long lecture to your teenager when a small curfew reminder would do the trick?

Metaphor #2: The Sun and the Wind fable, excerpted from the book 'Money, Meaning & Beyond' and previously posted here.

Okay, I lied. There is another very colourful and slightly PG-13 metaphor that illustrates Unwork to a 'T'. I think it's the MOST effective metaphor there is for some people but I'm not going to post it here. I'm being a little coy here alright? Okay maybe a little chicken too. :-) So if you'd like me to post it I will, but encourage me a little would you? I'm not a prude (especially in 1-on-1 coaching sessions) but I'm still not sure how colourful to be here...

(3) What are some recent examples of how you apply Unwork in your life?

Example #1: After being self-employed nearly 10 years, I know there are two major activities that consistently generate income. For me, these are speaking and writing; they may be different for you. But speaking takes a proportionately HUGE amount of my time, effort, patience from husband and family, etc. in order to do. Not to mention health and other environmental costs.

By contrast, writing takes up much fewer resources and - important - does almost as good a job generating business as speaking does.

Unwork decision I made? Speak even less frequently than I do now, and make every speaking engagement really count. Net result: I have much more energy and time to spend writing. Ultimately this gives me better results (more money) for less work over the course of the year - exactly what was proven when I visited my accountant last week - gross income increased only 10-20% last year, but we had about the same amount of expenses and both partners worked about 40% less. That's a great raise as a result of unwork.

Example #2: Here's a smaller example.

When searching for a great photo to illustrate a blog post, I discovered a friend who was looking and looking on IstockPhoto. We all do the equivalent of something like this - go through all the bids on Elance for example, or researching an additional hour when you've already found a good link.

What if you were to stop? Meaning, stop when you find the first useable photo? When you find a decent bid on Elance that meets all your criteria?

We spend a lot of time looking for what could possibly might be a slightly better answer. But all the while we already have a serviceable solution.

Does this apply to you? If you haven't been able to think of a place to concretely apply Unwork, this should help. Make a list of things you work unnecessarily hard at now and practice letting your work go.

Insert a food-related Andrea-ism here: Like trimming the fat off the steak before you barbeque, you can trim wasted energy off many of your daily tasks, if only you start thinking the Unwork Way.

Remember...Hope is not a strategy. Neither is hard work.

In conclusion...do you know the saying 'work smart, not hard?' I don't know who said it originally but I have a huge dislike for it. Why? I just don't think it's a useful phrase when it comes to implementation.

The phrase 'work SMART' has the exact opposite effect...in fact already-smart people are the ones who are most guilty of working too hard in their businesses. Their try to 'smart' their way out of problems when simplicity would be better. Since smartness already gets them in trouble, more smart thinking isn't going to make things better.

So I say dare to be different. Embrace unwork instead by picking a few clear action steps that lesson what you do in order to get a result, today. Now that you understand just what Unwork is about...you have no excuses!

Now off to choose a photo for this post, or not. ;-)

Are you sick of trying so hard? May I ask, "Are You Being the Sun or the Wind?"

Question: "Andrea, when you’re trying to sell something to someone, I know it’s important to communicate with people more than once. I’ve already emailed my newsletter readers with four different offers this month, but they still aren’t buying. What should I write in my next email that will work? I’m tired of pounding them so many times."

Answer: There are many ways to answer this question, but with thanks to Aesop, I'd like to paraphrase a little story. It may give you a new perspective on this as well as other situations where you feel like you’re trying awfully hard. Play along for just a moment and see if you can find the energy of this little tale:

The Sun and the Wind decided to have a little game. They agreed to prove which one of them was more powerful.

When a man came traveling down the road, they seized their opportunity – they decided to see who could make the man remove his coat, thus proving whether the Sun or the Wind was the more powerful.

The Wind took the challenge and began to blow. He blew as hard as he could at the man, trying to get him to remove his coat.

But the more the wind blew, the more the man clung to his coat and hat, and the wind had to give up.

Next the sun gave it a try and turned up his rays so it began to warm up. As the day grew brighter and the man grew warmer, he naturally found it too hot to keep his coat on and was happy to take it off.

Coming up on a small stream, he even took his shoes and socks off and took a wade before he continued on his journey.

Now with this story as a backdrop, let’s get back to the questions that make this 'real.'

"How do I stop chasing after customers and get them to try (or buy) my stuff?"

"How do I stop trying so hard to get results?"

As your e-coach for the moment, may I ask:

Between the wind and the sun, which would you rather be, as you pursue the natural, effortless, stress-free growth of your business?

In what way might you be stepping on the gas in your business, only to spin your wheels?

What seems to take an awfully LONG time to do in your business?

How often do you feel as if "I should" or "I must" in your business? When, exactly?

If you could make your own rules, what would you stop doing?

Hint: Whether you feel as though you 'get' the idea behind the Sun and the Wind, take your time with it. We're taking about a shift in the order of a sea change here and it doesn't usually happen overnight...

Remember: You can't get anything wrong and you'll never be completely finished with your work. Post your comments and questions on this topic at this link:

Brad Swift of The Life on Purpose Institute recently interviewed me as part of the 'Building Your Business on Purpose' Teleseries.

In it, I quoted from Lynne Twist's The Soul of Money, a must read for insight into how and where meaning and money intersect:

"Money is like an iron ring we put through our nose. It is now leading us around wherever it wants. We just forgot that we are the ones who designed it." -- Mark Kinney

Paraphrasing:

"It is in the act of resseing ourselves in relation to our money, and expressing our soul's integrity through the medium of money, that we experience joyful reward." [page 40, paragraph 2]

"There is an immense healing power of even the smallest amount of money when we use it to express our humanity..." [page xx, paragraph 1]

To which I suggest superimposing another layer could be useful, for the entrepreneurs in us:

There is an immense healing power in even the smallest amount of money EARNED when we do so by expressing our humanity and adding value to others...

The most important nugget to come from this call was the invitation to 'be obscenely obsessed by money' for awhile (say 30-90 days). It seemed to me in this setting of business owners that the terms purpose and meaning, etc., weren't yet being grounded enough into the conversation about money.

Because without the money piece we weren't going to be talking about businesses. And Brad asked me to address BUSINESSES with purpose, not purposes which once in a blue moon, had something to deposit in the bank. So I went to the other extreme to try and bring the energy in the other very important direction.

Here are two questions that came from participants afterwards, along with 6 Suggested Action Steps.

Question #1:

Hi Andrea,

Thanks for the information on the call today. You really got me thinking about Money vs Meaning in order to have a Business on Purpose. My question is this: What do you mean by focusing on the money? Could you give me some examples or methods?

Thanks,

Mariano

Answer:

Hi Mariano, sure. Here are just a few suggestions for you:

(1) Play the Money Game, a easy interesting little game I invented to help you start to pick up the money mindset.

If you don't already have a copy of Multiple Streams of Coaching Income or Money, Meaning and Beyond, you can begin the process by listening to the audio clip here.

Just the one exercise I outline there can give you lots to work with. Try to be thorough with it and play the game multiple times with different financial goals.

(2) Ask yourself this series of great money-focussed questions:

What money have I already earned, that I have not yet invoiced for or collected?

What's the fastest path to money for me right now? What money could I earn right now, if I MUST earn something? If I only pick up the phone or ask for the business today? (What's the Fastest Path to Money? Chapter 4, MMB.)

(3) Begin harnessing your business metrics.

Even if you're just starting out, understanding the measurements that your business generates is a great habit to cultivate. Business metrics are like an EKG for your business. From a money perspective, is your business heart beating?

There is a spreadsheet template and deeper coaching questions available here for your use in getting started.

Remember, you are the boss of money, not the other way around. By focussing, perhaps obscenely, on money for even just 30-90 days, you will increase your ability to make a difference in the world far more than if you focus on purpose, and assume the money will follow.

Here is just one more article that may get you thinking about money in a different way. It concerns knights in shining armour. ;-)

----

Question #2:

Hi Andrea

Thank you for today, as I said on the call, you have really bedded down an idea that I was totally resisting (and suddenly I see total sense in it!). My question is around bridging that gap between what I do with my clients and the ‘real world’ that they live in – how do I start to do that?

My coaching is really about starting to see yourself as the magnificent being you are (I now see how ‘out there’ that can look!) so how do I start meeting my clients where they currently are rather than where we will (most likely) get to?

Thanks a million. Love,

Donna.x

Answer:

Hi Donna, I'm smiling at your question because I sense you've already begun the shift you're seeking. So here are a few suggestions to help keep you going in this wonderful direction - just you wait until it gets affirmed by new clients, more income and more wonderful work for you!

(1) Meeting clients where they are at is at heart, a mindset shift. The bottom-line is customers don't give a hoot what WE think they need. They want what THEY want. If we persist in trying to sell what WE think they need - oof, we become guilty of forcefeeding. Not a pretty sight.

So at the most basic, I suggest you really start to do some processing - verbally or in writing - about why it is you've been so 'attached' to the idea of what you think is best for them. Make sense?

(2) Read a little about Desire Lines [Chapter 2] and especially 'Where Are You Coming From' [Chapter 20] in Money, Meaning and Beyond. If you are a reader.

I'll let you in on a little secret. One of the biggest reasons we wrote this little paperback is to address the mindset shift you are right in the middle of! :-)

(3) If you're not interested in the book for now, try this article on the 8 Steps to Building A Multiple Streams Product Funnel and pay special attention to step #2: Elicit the Problems. It's short and sweet but goes straight to the heart of your question Donna.

Does that help? I hope so. Feel free to post additional questions and I will do my best to answer here in a future post. That goes for everyone.

Let me leave you with one final quote, about profit, another lovely one.

“Profit is like oxygen, food and water for the body- These things are not the points of life, but without them, there is no life. In the same way, visionary companies see profit as a residual of doing things well, not the point of being in business”.

~ James Collins and Jerry Porras (Build to Last) ~