These are not new ideas. In 1937, in the midst of the Great Depression, Napoleon Hill published the book Think and Grow Rich. He was inspired by billionaire Andrew Carnegie to take on an enormous project – to interview 500 of the most successful men at the time (today we know at least half of these would be women) and to determine what they had in common that contributed to their success.

Carnegie used his influence to arrange interviews and Hill spent more than 20 years putting together the project. In the end, he discovered that all of the men had 13 principles that they all used.

I read this book years ago and applied some of the principles…and they worked! I also have an audio recording of the book which I often listen to on my Ipod while driving.

I recently started working with a new coach. The very first task he assigned me? To write out my “prosperity plan.” And I did. I continue to refine my visions, desires and beliefs as I learn more and more about who I really am and what I can achieve while living the lifestyle I love.

Here’s the first principle that Hill shares…I have used it in creating my latest prosperity plan. I invite you to test it for yourself.

Principle #1. Desire: The Starting Point of all Achievement

Every successful person has a burning desire. They don’t let anything quench it. Here are six steps to put this principle into place. It’s not hard…just do it!

1. Choose the exact amount of money you desire.
2. Determine exactly what you intend to give in return for the money you desire.
3. Choose a date when you intend to reach your money goal.
4. Create a plan to carry out your desire, start right away whether you feel ready or not – put your plan into action.
5. Write out your prosperity statement. Write the amount of money you intend to acquire, the date by which you will have reached the goal, what you will give in return for the money and a plan of how you will accumulate it.
6. Read your statement aloud once in the morning and once before bed. As you read it, feel and believe you already have the money.

Abundance and prosperity begin with a state of mind, with strong purpose, AND with little or no hard work. You don’t have to work hard but on the other hand, you can’t just sit back and wait for luck.

All who have attained success had desires and plans. Be ready to receive. Open your mind. Your thoughts create your life; you can create abundance and success or you can create hardship. Since you’re always thinking, make your thoughts good ones!

Success Tip #1. Hold a Contest: Everyone loves a contest. They’re fun, generate client interest and they can get attention from the media. You can send a press release announcing the contest, keep the media posted throughout and then let them know about the winner(s).

You can create a contest around your business birthday, when you release a new product or service, or to celebrate holidays. You can use local celebrities to serve as judges to boost visibility. Don’t forget to get contact information and email addresses for everyone who enters the contest. It’s a great way to add to your marketing list.

Success Tip #2. Use Social Media: I use Linked In, Facebook and Twitter. The key to success with these tools is to establish relationships with people online — don’t just sell to them — especially when you first meet. I have to admit, I resisted Twitter for a long time after I saw that many people would post the trivia of their life — I really didn’t care what time they got up or what they ate for breakfast.

I’m now a convert. Using social media is a great way to build your list and get noticed (you could also announce your contests here!). I have had people refer my work to their “friends” (that’s what you’re called when you join someone’s Facebook page). I am reaching people I never would have thought possible through these amazing networks.

No, I don’t fritter away my time. I spend an average of 15-20 minutes a day nurturing these networks. AND I don’t have to get dressed and drive anywhere to meet all these nice folks!

Success Tip #3. Write Press Releases: You can use press releases to announce the launch of your website or blog, to draw attention to a new service offering, your contests, industry groups you’re joining, and pro bono work. Make press releases a part of your marketing calendar. Type “how to write a press release” into Google and you’ll see plenty of samples and formatting tips.

Success Tip #1. Know What You Want to Say and Who You Want to Say It To: What is the main point you want to get across? My example is “Self employment is the best road to happiness — you absolutely can be paid to do the things you enjoy doing.” Who are you talking to? Is your ideal customer/client within your local geographic area or are they national? Get clear on who you love to serve. Individuals or businesses. Consider demographics: gender, age, income level, educational level, etc.

Success Tip #2. Define which media you want to approach – what are your customers/clients reading and listening to? Which magazines, blogs, ezines are they reading? What radio stations or podcasts do they listen to? Which social networking (Facebook, Linked In) groups are they participating in? What has their interest right now? What problems do they have?

Success Tip #3. Create your own media list. Here are great resources to get you started:

The Internet Public Library (http://www.ipl.org/div/news) lists newspapers for each state and all over the world. You can also choose subject areas and find blogs and groups you may want to get active in.

Technorati’s Top 100 Blogs (http://technorati.com/pop/blogs).

TVA Productions provides a media directory on their site with listings of major networks and cable programs. Once you identify those you’re interested in, you’ll need to Google to get current contact information.

MediaOnTwitter bwiki (http://www.mediaontwitter.com). This tool can help you find specific media contacts. And don’t be afraid to pick up the phone to call and ask for the appropriate contact person’s email address.

Bacon’s Media Directories: You can find these directories in the library: one for newspapers, one for magazines, one for TV/Cable, one for Internet — they’re pricey at about $495 each so you probably don’t want to get your own unless you’re doing a lot of research and “pitching”.

STEP ONE : Write out a vision for it.  I know…I know.  You don’t think this is important.  I’m telling you…if you’re not willing to do this step then you are not committed to creating this profit center and setting yourself up for failure.  Albert Einstein was no dummy when he said, “Your imagination is your preview of life’s coming attractions.”

You are able to relive a past experience vividly in your imagination, can’t you?  Well you can also get a preview of upcoming attractions with that same mind.  Denis Waitly, one of the great speakers on the topic of success says, “The more vivid the image, the more real the design for the future.”

You can use a beautiful journal notebook dedicated to your new profit center or you can create a Word document journal.  Take time to write out this vision.  Get a picture of where you are working in this vision, the time of day, who you are working with, activities you are engaged in, and how you feel at the end of the day.  What will having this extra income do for you?  Imagine how it will feel when you pay off debt, or have a dream trip, or buy some things you’ve been longing for.

STEP TWO: Decide how much money you want to bring in from this profit center in the first year, then second and third years.  Now double those figures.  I know from experience that most of you shot too low in your first projection.  I recently went to a conference where most of the audience were self employed men.  In a conversation with one guy, I shared that I was doing ok…I was making six figures…he didn’t miss a beat and said to me, “each month?”  Ok – money isn’t the only measure of success but I KNOW that you can bring in more than you think.

STEP THREE: What will you need to do to make this happen? Danielle Steele, the prolific fiction author, wrote many of her books during the night hours – she and her husband have eight children between them and she vowed to give the kids quality time during the day.  If she can do it, you can too.  If you are working full-time and want to grow a profit center on the side…you might just have to stop watching some television or playing computer games or checking email 20 times a day…you know what your time wasters are.  Find one you can live without or cut back on and use that time each day, five days a week to grow your profit center.

What will it take to bring in the level of income from your new profit center in the first year?  Get specific and concrete.  In my new profit center, if a certain type of writing project typically brings in $5,000 and I want to bring in $50,000 in the first year, I know that I’ll need approximately 10 projects in the first year.  Then break it down further – I’d need 1 project a month. Then what will it take to get the projects?  Do some research; find out how to reach the clients/customers you’re looking for.  Then create a plan to find them and get the projects/clients etc.

Ask yourself, what do I need to do this month toward my goal?  What do I need to do this week?  And what can I do TODAY to move this goal forward? Create YOUR plan!

STEP FOUR: Who will support you in this profit center?  Remember…dreams die in isolation.  So share your plan with at least one supportive person.  And, get help if you need it.  Don’t let the lack of a piece of information stop you – use the internet or pick up the phone and call someone to ask for help.

Research your idea on the internet; find professional associations dealing with it, read articles about it.  I found an information product through a trusted source that was created by someone who is already successful in the area – so I purchased it – it will save me incredible time in research and will save me from making some mistakes.  I am in coaching groups where I can get support, ideas and be held accountable.  I know I’ll succeed and have fun in creating this new profit center.  As Dolly Parton said, “When I’m inspired, I get excited because I can’t wait to see what I’ll come up with next.”  I’m excited for you and look forward to hearing about what you come up with next!

You cannot not create. I know…many of you just don’t feel creative. Maybe your definition of “creative” has been too narrow. Creativity isn’t a gift given only to artists, sculptors, musicians, or dancers. It’s something you do naturally. Question is…what are YOU creating? You are always creating with your thoughts. Every product, every service in the world started first in someone’s mind. So “mind your mind” and direct your thoughts to things you really want to create…like abundance and good service and joy.

You are absolutely unique. There is no one quite like you. So the way you look at the world, through your eyes, your mind is different than any one else’s. Successful entrepreneurs embrace this uniqueness.

Even though there are many people who cut and style hair, each does it in their own way – haven’t you had a favorite hairdresser or barber who just always got it “right”?

So don’t waste time worrying that you have nothing new to offer. You do. Yourself. Discover what it is that you enjoy about yourself and incorporate those qualities into your business. When you do, you’ll love your work and your customers and clients will love you.

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a psychologist has written extensively on the topic of creative flow. He says when we are engaged in an almost effortless yet highly focused activity we experience “flow.” Here are the characteristics of being in “flow”:

1. Completely involved in what we are doing – focused, concentrated.
2. A sense of ecstasy – of being outside everyday reality.
3. Great inner clarity – knowing what needs to be done, and how well we are doing.
4. Knowing that the activity is ‘doable ‘– that skills are adequate to the task.
5. A sense of serenity – no worries about oneself, and a feeling of growing beyond the boundaries of the ego.
6. Timelessness – thoroughly focused on the present, time seems to pass by in minutes.
7. Intrinsic motivation – whatever produces flow becomes its own reward.

When have you felt that? Whatever you were doing at the time, do more of that! I celebrate and honor your creativity. Don’t hide it from the world…let it shine.

I love Ralph Waldo Emerson’s writings. He lived in the 1800’s and was a philosopher and essayist from Boston. In his essay, Self-Reliance, he says “There is a time in every (wo)man’s education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide; that he must take himself for better for worse as his portion; that though the wide universe is full of good, no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed on that plot of ground which is given to him to till.” I believe he was not speaking literally here about farming…but rather telling us to “till” the life and gifts given us in order to tap into that endless good.

He also says, “Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string. Accept the place the divine providence has found for you…nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of our own mind.”

A coach once gave me some great advice that I embraced. She said, “flaunt your quirks.” The quirkier the better. What this means is that all the qualities and characteristics that make you unique are part of your essential, true self. And when you are being true to yourself you are attractive to others. You will attract just the right people into your personal and business world. Think of someone who you consider successful. Can you name some of their “quirks?” Chances are you can.

Being authentic doesn’t happen in one fell swoop. It happens daily in the choices you make – if a decision is based on what you imagine society thinks you “should do” or when you make a choice based on what you think will impress someone else…that’s probably not authentic.

When you have defined what’s important to you –where it is important to expend your time and energy on this planet –and you make your choices guided by that…you’re being authentic.

Learn from others. Sure. Take what you like from them and integrate it into who you are. Don’t imitate…that makes your soul wither…let your unique spirit shine in the world!

It breaks my heart when I work with women who hold back and don’t fully share their gifts with the world – even when I can see that they are shining stars.  And I can relate!  I’ve been there.  I had very little self confidence in my younger days (middle age has its blessings). Here are five tips to build your entrepreneurial confidence.

1.  Act now. Procrastination feeds fear.  With each success you have, you lay another brick in your confidence foundation.  Choose an action that you feel you can accomplish — even if it’s a little scary — and get it done.

2.  Keep an accomplishment log.  Women often discount what they’ve accomplished, attributing their success to luck or other people.  Keep a log of your accomplishments  and read them when you start to feel self doubt.  This is also a great tool to keep your resume or portfolio updated.

3.  Save testimonials. I have a “testimonial” folder in my outlook email box.  When someone sends me a thank you or a compliment of any kind, I save it in that folder.  This serves two purposes: firstly testimonials are a powerful marketing tool — people love to buy from someone who shows them testimonials that talk about specific outcomes, and secondly, reading them reminds me of why I get out of bed every day and do what I do.

4.  Faith it till you make it. I know…you’ve heard “fake it till you make it”…but at the Authentic Life Institute … we say “faith.”  I have said “yes” to requests that are in alignment with my business and values even though, at the time, I wasn’t confident I could meet the request.  I knew I’d figure out the “how” if I made a commitment.  An example was the first time I was asked to give a radio interview…my first internal reaction was a big gulp and a “I’ve never done that and don’t have a clue what to expect” fear.   My external reaction was a confident, “Yes, thank you for the opportunity and what date are you looking at?”  In this case, the interviewer was experienced and sent me questions ahead of time…yes, I was nervous and no, I don’t think listeners knew it.  With experience, I’ve learned to have a few “talking points” I want to be sure to work into the interview, regardless of what questions the interviewer asks…I didn’t do this the very first time and it was just fine.

5.  Don’t Dwell on Mistakes. Do you ruminate over your mistakes…playing the scenario out in your mind over and over again?  That’s a habit to drop.  Instead, learn to become a gentle, reflective, observer of yourself.  For example, after I give a workshop or presentation, I reflect on the experience.  I consider what I might do differently next time and then I spend more time reflecting on all the things that went well.  Most of all, I congratulate myself, for “getting out of the way” and remembering that the purpose of the presentation was to inspire others.  Yes, learn from your experiences, but keep the big picture perspective.

Walk tall today.  Know you have unique gifts to share with the world.  Confidence is attractive…let yours shine!

This article focuses on one important aspect of your business – who you serve.  Here’s an exercise I did when I first got started and if I find myself attracting people who are not ideal for me to serve. I revisit my vision  very often to keep my ideals clear.

I encourage you to do this process (or call it a game if you like!) in a chair where you would typically work.  If possible, have a second chair next to yours. Now think back to a client you’ve had in the past who was ideal for you or at least as close to ideal as possible.  Consider all the interactions you had with this person.  What was it you enjoyed about serving this person?  What are the positive qualities, attributes, and characteristics of this person?

Take out a piece of paper or computer document and write a list of all these qualities, attributes and characteristics of your ideal client.

For example, my ideal client: has a sense of humor; is interested in his/her spiritual development; takes action; values my time as well as their time; possesses and demonstrates mental well being; is intelligent and has common sense; understand and demonstrate that he/she deserves to be successful; has a financial cushion allowing them to buy my products and services; wants me to be successful and make a profit; subscribes to my weekly ezine; enjoys referring my services to others; has realistic expectations about what can be achieved and when; has clarity and focus; are open-minded; is heart-centered; is a learner; is true to himself/herself.

Now, if you can, switch chairs – put yourself in your client’s chair.  Ask your ideal client these questions: What are they struggling with that brought them to you? What is the biggest change they experienced as a result of the wonderful work they did with you?  What are the results they have now as a result of their work with you?

Next, make a list of at least 10 problems your ideal clients/customers want to solve.  What change/breakthrough do they want to experience and are they willing to pay you to help them get there?  List 10 results they could get from working with you.

Once you are clear on their challenges and results you deliver, you will not only be setting into motion the attraction factor – you now also have plenty of authentic words to use in your marketing materials!

When I say “article” many of my clients freak out.  Here’s what I mean – 500-800 words (that’s a page to a page and a half) on a topic related to your products or services.  Once you do a few, you can crank one out in an hour or less.  Here are four tips to help you become a successful article marketer.

Tip #1: How to get started.  The most difficult thing for most newbies to article writing is sitting their butt in the chair and writing.  The dreaded blank page in front of them.  The fear that they aren’t smart enough.  Any of these limiting ideas floating around in your head?  Want to know my best tip on how to get past them?  Set a deadline and tell someone else about it.  I know that Pat is waiting to receive this ezine every Monday-she then gets it out to each of you every Wednesday. I’m not going to let her (or you) down!

Tip #2: Don’t worry about how great your writing skills might be!  My training in academic writing was an obstacle to overcome when it came to article writing – not a benefit!  I had to toss out the dry, impersonal style that had been drilled into me through writing many academic papers.  The tip is to write the way you speak – like you’re having a conversation with your reader.

Tip #3: How to structure your articles to make writing simple.  Remember, it shouldn’t take more than an hour to an hour and a half tops to get your article written. It’s a good idea to let it sit for a day and then reread it – you’ll be looking at it with fresh eyes.  Here are some of my favorite types of articles:

a.  Lists.  Everyone loves lists.  Think of David Letterman’s top 10.  How about these: Top 10 Misconceptions About Cancer.  Top 10 Books that Changed the World.  Top 10 Tips for Getting a Job in a Challenging Job Market.  My very first non-academic article was Top 10 Ways to Live Authentically. Go ahead and google it –you’ll find it all over the web!

I wrote out ten tips without thinking too hard about it.  Then I added two to three sentences to elaborate a bit on each tip.  This was the first article I submitted online.  I then offered it as a free giveaway on my website.  A few months later, I expanded each of the ten tips into about ½ page each.  I called it an e-course.  That became my free giveaway.  Each person signing up to receive this gift, received one tip in their email box each week for ten weeks.  Next, I could expand each tip into 10 -15 pages each and have a book! You don’t have to have 10 tips – I’ve been doing a lot of 3-4 tips – I just write and see how many I end up with!

Another angle is to share top “mistakes” – Top Five Job Interview Mistakes or Top 7 Mistakes Women Business Owners Make – these get your attention because YOU don’t want to make those same mistakes.

b.  How to. How to articles with bullet points are also well liked.  This article is an example of how to write an article.  The ideas are endless:  How to Make Your Lipstick Last Longer; How to Take the Best Pet Photos; How to Clean Your Home in 19 Minutes etc ….go ahead, think of a title for your next how to article!

c.  Review articles. You can review books, products, movies, anything you’re interested in that ties into your products or services.  Tell about the promise they made and whether it lived up to that promise.  You can talk about value or the experience you had.  You can compare products and make recommendations.

Tip #4: What do I do with it now? Ok –so you’ve decided to get your butt in the chair and write your first article.  What do you do with it after you’ve written it?  Submit it to your database. I recommend using aweber.com. Submit it online – http://www.ezinearticles.com and http://hubpages.com are good places to start.  Think about any local newspapers or newsletters whose readers might benefit from your article and submit it to them.  Use it as a handout when you do speaking engagements (in return for the participant’s email address).  Take a piece of what you’ve written and talk about it on your blog.  Record several articles onto a cd as a free giveaway…you see, all this marketing leverage from an hour of your time.

I’d love for you to drop a line and tell me you’ve written your first article!

About the Author:

Ann Ronan, Ph.D. is an author, speaker, certified career coach and self employment expert, and vision generator.

Ann delivers smart, simple ways for people to acknowledge what they love to do and do more of it.  Her articles, products, and books have motivated and inspired readers in numerous print and online publications.  She regularly leads coaching programs, tele-seminars and live retreats, bringing the message to audiences internationally that living a passion-based life will bring prosperity and success.

She was recently selected from a nationwide search to be featured in Discover Your Inner Strength. The book features best-selling authors Stephen R. Covey (Seven Habits of Highly Effective People), Brian Tracy (Million Dollar Habits), and Ken Blanchard (One Minute Manager).

Now, let’s clarify what I mean by “love.”  That little four letter word has tons of different meanings in the English language.  For the purpose of today’s article, let’s go with “affectionate concern for the well-being of others” and “strong predilection, enthusiasm, or liking for anything.”

If you want to be successful, you have to genuinely care about others.

When I was a teen, I read the famous 1936 book by Dale Carnegie - How to Win Friends and Influence People. When you’re a teen, you REALLY want to win friends.  It resonated with me and I immediately began to implement the principles he outlined.

Six Ways to Get People to Like You As Recommended By Dale Carnegie:
1.    Become genuinely interested in other people.
2.    Smile.
3.    Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.
4.    Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.
5.    Talk in terms of the other person’s interests.
6.    Make the other person feel important – and do it sincerely.

Sound simplistic?  Believe me it’s not.  Watch how people talk to each other today and see if you can find people who do this well.  Better yet, start practicing yourself.  The practice of being curious about others (not nosy…. in a way to dig up their “dirt”) but rather a genuine curiosity about what makes them tick, what they long for, what are they proud of….combined with a love and enthusiasm for the service or product you provide –  to me, this is the most powerful business “secret” there is.

Start practicing this with the very next person you meet.  If it’s a brief encounter, perhaps at the market with a clerk –you can at least make eye contact, smile and say thank you.  If you have more time, try asking a question that gets a person talking about one of their interests and then… LISTEN.  This item four of Carnegie’s list, “be a good listener,” is an area in which most people need practice and reflection.

Through all the training I’ve invested in and received in coaching and ministry, I’ve had the gift of being listened to deeply and to in turn, given the gift of listening deeply to others.  What do I mean by listening deeply?  I mean giving them your FULL attention – when you’re in person with them – looking at them, staying focused on their words AND the tone beneath the words.  Keeping your mouth closed – both figuratively and literally – so many people are just chomping at the bit to respond with advice or a “that happened to me too story” or to finish the sentence with words that they think the talker is going to say.  Allowing them to completely finish what they were telling you and then to acknowledge what they’ve said – that’s honoring them and that’s a rare gift.

You can accomplish the same things on the phone – the difference is – you’re not looking at them. I often close my eyes when listening to a client on the phone – it helps me stay focused and allows me to really hear what’s going on beneath the words – whether there is genuine excitement in what they are saying, or some trepidation that needs to be addressed and supported…or perhaps resignation – it just might be time to let go of a direction that just isn’t right.

So, what’s love got to do with it?  Everything.  Start loving your clients/customers today and see what happens!

Ann Ronan, Ph.D. is an author, speaker, certified career coach and self employment expert, and vision generator.

Ann delivers smart, simple ways for people to acknowledge what they love to do and do more of it.  Her articles, products, and books have motivated and inspired readers in numerous print and online publications.  She regularly leads coaching programs, tele-seminars and live retreats, bringing the message to audiences internationally that living a passion-based life will bring prosperity and success.

She was recently selected from a nationwide search to be featured in Discover Your Inner Strength. The book features best-selling authors Stephen R. Covey (Seven Habits of Highly Effective People), Brian Tracy (Million Dollar Habits), and Ken Blanchard (One Minute Manager).

http://www.authenticlifeinstitute.com/selfemployment.htm

Tip #1:

Offer a class related to your business at your local community college and/or adult education center. There are two great advantages to this tip. One is that teaching a class can feel less scary than being a “presenter.”  Chances are that you are passionate about the services or products you offer.  When that’s true, it’s easy to create a class/workshop to share what you know with others.  For an hour to an hour and a half class, decide on 3 main points you want the audience to know about.  Think of some stories or examples related to each of the 3 points and write those down.  Finally, create some kind of interaction that can be done around each point (for example, share their experience with the person next to them for 5-10 minutes, or ask for examples from the audience that are shared with everyone, or have them do a written exercise).

A 2nd advantage of this tip is that these organizations print the catalog and have large lists of folks who receive them.  Check out other presenter’s listings, particularly those who have several classes listed, or who are regularly brought back to teach.  Follow the format they use to describe your class.  It’s typically about 3 sentences followed by 3 learning objectives (what you will get when you take this class) and a short 2-3 line bio.  You’ll need to remember that these folks need to hear from you early.  If you want to present in the fall, you need to contact them in the spring.  They have a several month lead time in order to publish their catalogs.

Tip #2:

Contact local networking and service groups to let them know you are available for speaking. Get online and research the groups in your area.  Create a list of 2-3 topics with learning objectives, along with your bio, and send it to all the groups you can find within the distance you’re willing to drive to speak.

For example, this fall I will be speaking at a chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), at a Volunteer Center and at a Rotary Club meeting.  I don’t charge for any of these, but I do ALWAYS collect the contact information, including email as well as postal addresses, of almost everyone in the room.  You can do this by offering to email them a special report you’ve written in exchange for their information or you can hold a drawing for a book or one of the products you sell to those who give you their contact information.  Don’t forget to get testimonials!  Again, spring is a good time to contact these folks.  Their program officers are usually setting up a calendar of speakers for the following September through August.

Tip #3:

Offer to give a seminar at your spiritual home or local library. These organizations have plenty of experience in promoting activities to their members.  In the case of spiritual communities, it is common to share the workshop proceeds if there is a fee; however, you can also sell your books/products “back of the room” and make as much, if not more, from these sales as from the workshop fees.

Tip #4:

Get some free publicity. Most newspapers and radio stations have a “calendar” or “weekly section” that will list your workshop at no charge.  Craigslist is another great place to post your workshop at no cost. Appearing on radio talk shows to discuss your program builds great interest in your topic. Start to develop a network of contacts within your business and media communities.  Write and submit press releases about your workshops (that’s the topic for another article!).

About the Author:

Ann Ronan, Ph.D. is an author, speaker, certified career coach and self employment expert, and vision generator.

Ann delivers smart, simple ways for people to acknowledge what they love to do and do more of it.  Her articles, products, and books have motivated and inspired readers in numerous print and online publications.  She regularly leads coaching programs, tele-seminars and live retreats, bringing the message to audiences internationally that living a passion-based life will bring prosperity and success.

She was recently selected from a nationwide search to be featured in Discover Your Inner Strength. The book features best-selling authors Stephen R. Covey (Seven Habits of Highly Effective People), Brian Tracy (Million Dollar Habits), and Ken Blanchard (One Minute Manager).

It was at that time that the industrial revolution took us from farms and craft work to “jobs” in the factory. It completely changed our daily lives. It made traditional crafts obsolete and undermined the time-honored ways of interweaving home and work life.

We are now facing another shift — just as transforming. With so much change in our economy and technology, old job descriptions are blurred and organizations must be able to adapt and change on a dime. Old style jobs get in the way of this new world of work in which temporary and contract jobs often make the most economic sense.

What’s happening as a result is that many people feel betrayed. No longer can you count on a job for life or a paternalistic relationship with your employers. Your sense of security has been shaken. So how can you best deal with this? Let’s just take a look at some of the possibilities of how your work may look in the future:

- you can start a business of your own
- you can become a consultant
- you can become an artist
- you can work part-time
- you can create a “portfolio” career performing two or more types of work
- you can work with organizations on a full-time basis under very fluid arrangements with your tasks and working hours and location changing with each project

There are plenty of opportunities that come with this societal change. There are many more career choices open to you. Many of you have shifted your priorities so that you now want more family time or flexibility in your time, the ability to make a difference in your community, the chance to be your authentic self in your work. These options are more available now.

To effectively manage your career you must:

(1) Embrace the concept that everyone is a contingent worker – your employment is contingent on the results the organization can achieve from your work.

(2) Develop a mindset, and way of managing your career, that is more like an external vendor than that of a traditional employee.

(3) Expect to move from organization to organization more frequently than in the past.

Have you experienced this in your own work life? Do you feel prepared for this change in our society and work? Is there any goal you’d like to set to be more prepared?

Know that you are truly in charge of your destiny – why not create a work life you can love?

What do I mean by reinvent? To remake or to bring back. You can change your entire life, one tiny bit at a time, you know. Is there one area of your life that you’d like to reinvent? Career or work, physical fitness or maybe friendships and relationships perhaps?

Something might have popped in your head when I asked that question — and there’s a good chance it was immediately followed by a “yeah but….” Well I’m here to tell you that most of us have pretty ‘big buts’ (and I don’t mean the one you’re sitting on!)

Let’s talk about some of the obstacles that keep you from doing things you love and how to work around them.

Obstacle #1: Age.

I don’t care how old you are. If you are 60 and say you are too old to change, how do you think you’ll feel when you look back at 80 years of age, and remember how old you thought you were at 60. There are many stories of folks who reinvented themselves at all ages.

Artist, Grandma Moses began painting in her seventies after abandoning a career in embroidery because of arthritis. An art collector discovered her paintings in a Hoosick Falls, New York drugstore window in 1938. In 1939, an art dealer exhibited some of her work in New York. This brought her to the attention of collectors all over the world, and her paintings became highly sought after. She went on to exhibit her art throughout Europe and in Japan, where her work was particularly well received. In 1956 she was paid $1000 for a painting for President Eisenhower.

Yes, your body is going to age, but your mindset towards aging has a tremendous influence on how well you will age. Studies on longevity show that genetics have only a 30% influence on the length of our lives; the remaining 70% depends on one’s lifestyle.

In the 1800’s, 65 was established as the marker of “old” when the life expectancy was only 47. Life expectancy is pushing 80 today; 65 is just beginning a new chapter.

More people are living to be 100 and older. When these centenarians are asked about how they’ve achieved such longevity, they generally mention four key ingredients: being optimistic and having a positive attitude; engagement….doing the things in life one loves and feels strongly about; being active and mobile; and, adaptability to loss and resilience.

Obstacle #2: Physical Ability.

My father was a great admirer of Helen Keller, the famous deaf-blind author and renowned speaker. He had an opportunity to “hear” her speak as her speech was translated into sign language for the mostly deaf audience. My father who is deaf himself, spoke to Ms. Keller through finger spelling letters into each other’s hands.

She was the first deaf-blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. A prolific author, Keller was well travelled and very outspoken in her support for women’s suffrage, workers’ rights, and socialism. She met every US President from Grover Cleveland to Lyndon B. Johnson and was friends with many famous figures, including Alexander Graham Bell, Charlie Chaplin, and Mark Twain.

Her words: “I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.” I remember these words when I start to feel like what I’m doing is insignificant. Do what you love to do. Start now!

Obstacle #3: Time.

Think for a minute. What would you do with five completely free hours a day – every day? Or how about three completely open days a week — every week. How about having a few weeks or months here and there, throughout every year that are yours to do as you like? You probably can’t even imagine it!

You must free up time to go after your dreams or to even do nothing at all. The most authentic and creative side of you can re-emerge only when you have open time.

You probably spent much of the first 40 years of your life meeting other people’s needs. Now is YOUR time. Move your desires to the top and let other people’s needs drop down your priority list.

I know….I know….I hear your protests. This does take courage and I can speak from experience, But, it gets easier. You learn to teach people what to expect from you by your words and actions. You don’t have to do lots of explaining. If I have an afternoon blocked out for “me” time, I can honestly tell people, “No, I can’t schedule you in that slot because I am booked.” Ralph Waldo Emerson said “The greater part of courage is having done it before.” So give it a try. Block out a space of time just for you. And let me know what ideas pop up for YOUR latest reinvention.

When I left behind that “academic identity” 10 years ago, I knew it would be important for me to get out and meet people to share information about my career coaching services and to establish myself as an expert in this field that was new to me. I was quite nervous about this activity but recognized the value enough to talk myself into attending 3 different networking meetings each month. This week, I want to share what I learned with you about what works in networking.

Strategy #1: Know Your Intention.

Before you attend a meeting, get clear in your own mind, what you would like to have happen. Play the scenario out in your mind like a movie. My intention is usually to meet at least 2 people who can help me by referring clients to me and whom I can help in some way that will be important to them.

Try out a networking event before you join. Each has a different flavor – find the ones that are comfortable for you. I recommend joining three. I currently belong to my local Chamber of Commerce, my local chapter of National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO.com) and a mastermind group. I usually attend one breakfast meeting, one lunch meeting, one dinner meeting and one 5:00-7:00 pm “mixer” each month.

Strategy #2: Be Curious About Others

Be curious about people. Here’s a simple formula that works every time. Set a goal to have this conversation with at least 3 people each time you attend a networking event. Approach the person and say, “What is your business or what is your work?” Once they tell you, say “What kind of person is your ideal client? I’d like to know so I may be able to refer people to you.” Ask them for 2 or 3 cards that you can share with others. When they hand you their card, look at it for a moment, comment on it if you like something about it and jot down a note on it to remind you of how you might help them.

When you get back to your office, put them in your database. If you have an ezine or newsletter, send them your most recent issue with a note saying, “This may be of interest to you or may benefit someone you know. If you’d like to subscribe, click here (to your subscriber link) or if you don’t yet have an electronic database set up, say, “If you’d like to subscribe, shoot me a message back and I’ll add you to my list. If you know of someone who would benefit by this information, I’d appreciate it if you’d forward it along. If you have a newsletter or ezine, I’d also like to see yours.”

During the following weeks, if you see an article that contains information that pertains to that person, forward it to them with a note. If they are helpful to you in anyway, send a thank you card. The fact that you are thinking of them and wanting to help them will help establish a relationship.

Strategy #3: Practice answering the question – “What is your business?”

You need to have a quick, specific answer that you can say with ease and confidence. This takes practice and fine tuning and that’s ok. As I mentioned early in this ezine, I just attended a conference this past weekend. I was struck by how many people could not answer this question easily when I asked it of them. Many people said to me, “Wow, you are so clear.”

Here’s what I said when someone asked me what my work was: “I work with women over 40 who want to be self employed. They either can’t decide what business to start, or they have started a business and need help growing it so they can make plenty of money.”

Strategy #4: Use Both Sides of Your Business Card.

Don’t agonize over your first business cards and don’t spend a ton of money on them. No doubt, you will change your mind about the design/content over time. I recommend Vistaprint.com. Don’t forget to use the valuable space on the back of the card. You can use this space to list your key services or speaking topics or include a great testimonial here.

Ann Ronan, Ph.D. is an author, speaker, certified career coach and self employment expert, and vision generator.
Ann delivers smart, simple ways for people to acknowledge what they love to do and do more of it. Her articles, products, and books have motivated and inspired readers in numerous print and online publications. She regularly leads coaching programs, tele-seminars and live retreats, bringing the message to audiences internationally that living a passion-based life will bring prosperity and success.
She was recently selected from a nationwide search to be featured in Discover Your Inner Strength. The book features best-selling authors Stephen R. Covey (Seven Habits of Highly Effective People), Brian Tracy (Million Dollar Habits), and Ken Blanchard (One Minute Manager).

What is it about speaking that makes it such a powerful marketing tool? Listed below are 3 benefits of public speaking.

Benefit #1: You build your Leads’ List quickly. People get an experience of YOU. They get to feel your essence – who you really are as an individual. That is how you earn their trust. When building your list of prospects (the MOST important part of creating your business!) people typically move through four stages:

1) From Suspect – they don’t know you and think you just want to take advantage of them.
2) To Prospect – they say “yes” to a free offer you’ve made and are interested in learning more about you.
3) To Client – they’ve spent money with you, even one dollar is a good beginning.
4) To Raving Fan - they buy just about everything you offer AND tell others that they must get to know you too.

When you go out and speak to a group, you will want to collect their email addresses and postal addresses. Offer to give them your free ezine or a special tip sheet or a CD of an interview that you’ve done, in exchange for their email address. My experience is that 95% -100% of folks will do this – after hearing you speak, they will want to get more from you. You’ve created a relationship and these folks aren’t Suspects, they are already Prospects! If they have purchased one of your information products, they are Clients and many will already be Raving Fans!

Benefit #2: Sales in the “back of the room.” I don’t know about you, but I always love browsing the information products (books, workbooks, CDs, home study courses) that are provided at seminars. I always buy at least one thing (usually more) because I am interested in the topic the speaker is talking about and hungry for more information.

A speaker is truly performing a disservice to her audience if she doesn’t give them more of what they want. AND, you can make a boatload of money selling these information products! You spend time to create them once, and then continue to make money with them for years to come.

Benefit #3: You are Living Your Life Purpose and Serving Others. You have good information to share (yes you really do!) and it would be a shame not to share that information with others. When you speak on a topic you are passionate about, you can literally change lives. One piece of information can encourage someone to take a baby step that leads to another and another – resulting in a positive life change.

Tom Antion is the man I go to for public speaking advice and tips. Check out his resource center, click here: http://tinyurl.com/lhusza

About the Author: Ann Ronan, Ph.D. is an author, speaker, certified career coach and self employment expert, and vision generator.

Ann delivers smart, simple ways for people to acknowledge what they love to do and do more of it. Her articles, products, and books have motivated and inspired readers in numerous print and online publications. She regularly leads coaching programs, tele-seminars and live retreats, bringing the message to audiences internationally that living a passion-based life will bring prosperity and success.

She was recently selected from a nationwide search to be featured in Discover Your Inner Strength. The book features best-selling authors Stephen R. Covey (Seven Habits of Highly Effective People), Brian Tracy (Million Dollar Habits), and Ken Blanchard (One Minute Manager).

Here are my best secrets for setting great WOW goals and achieving them.

Secret #1:

Create a vision for your ideal life first. Most people skip this step – don’t be one of them. Write it out in detail, including everything you would love to be, do, or have. Then create a vision board or two or three. You can have one for your business, one for your health goals and one for things you would like to have. You can have one for things you’ve already achieved to remind you of how far you’ve come.

Vision boards are not a “whoo whoo” deal. Ready for some science? Your brain processes over four hundred billion bits of information every second – you are aware of only about two thousand. What determines the information you pay attention to and what you skip over is that part of your brain called the reticular activating system (RAS).

It’s like a sentry at the doorway of your mind, sorting through all those bits of information bombarding you, deciding which best match patterns already established in your brain. It is the most intelligent and sophisticated alarm system known to mankind.

When you create that vision, with a clear, focused picture of what you want, this part of your brain kicks into high gear, and won’t stop till it finds what you’re looking for. All kinds of “miracles” and coincidences begin to occur to help you reach your ideal life.

Secret #2:

Set your first goal as something that makes you happy NOW and also leads to a future fulfillment. Chances are there is a big gap between your life now and your ideal life and that’s okay. Think about which elements of your ideal day which you must have; those elements that are desirable and those that are icing on the cake. Then ask yourself “What is the most important thing that is missing from my life right now?” If you can come up with a single, solid answer – that’s your first WOW goal.

Secret #3:

Brainstorm (ideally with 2 or more supportive people) and list EVERY step that needs to be taken to reach your Wow Goal.

Be very specific in listing each and every step, even if you don’t know how to do it. Knowing how is NOT necessary to reach your goal. For now, stay focused on your “what” not the “how.”

Next to each step, write the estimated completion date. When you have each step and date written down in detail, pull out your calendar and schedule each step. You may have to change your success dates, get extra help, or make a step simpler. Putting each step on your calendar is a great reality check that ensures you’ll reach your Wow Goal.

There is no “right” way to do this scheduling. I start out in January with a one year plan of where I would like to be in key areas of my life in December. I then break it down into monthly targets and then weekly. I end my Fridays at about noon by creating my schedule for the following week. I make adjustments – it’s not set in stone – I allow for the unexpected opportunities or challenges that pop up!

Secret #4:

The Biggest Secret: creating time for your action steps. Do you procrastinate? You’re not alone. Or maybe you’re the opposite and find yourself always “doing” but it’s mostly doing for others.

If you are serious about getting to your ideal life, you’ll have to take a frank look at how you are spending time now. For one week, record what you actually do with your time.

If you find a lot of time is “wasted” don’t beat yourself up. We all need time to unwind and to be self indulgent. The way to manage these “down” times, so they don’t derail your path to your ideal life, is to schedule them just like everything else.

It can be a block of time each day or a few times every week, but be consistent in the time/days you choose for yourself. Then take half of your designated “me” time to take actions towards your goals and use the remaining half for whatever you love doing….playing solitaire, reading a novel, staring into space, surfing the net mindlessly. You’ve earned it!

Bonus Tip: Each day take time to read, see, and feel your ideal life. And as you make decisions about how to spend your time….ask yourself “is this getting me closer to the life I was meant to live?”

Now, you’ve probably heard that you’ll have to “fake it till you make it.” That all successful people have had fears and doubts but persevered with apparent confidence even if they weren’t feeling it. Well, I don’t care for the phrase “fake it” so much (my business name is AUTHENTIC Life Institute!) So I say, “Faith it Till You Make It.”

I do believe you have to take steps that scare the pants off you- those are the ones that really move you toward your goal AND even more importantly, these scary steps are the ones that stretch you more fully into who you truly are as a human being (not just a human doing). Have faith that these are the steps that bring you closer to your essential self and not the self you’ve created to get the world’s approval.

To help you past this fear, I am going to share 3 things I did as I grew from my “feeling trapped but secure university professor self” into an entrepreneur who feels freedom, ease and grace while providing products and services to the world that ideally fit my life’s purpose and lifestyle choices.

Problem #1. Fear stops you when you are doing something for the first time and don’t know how. I will never forget the first time I attended a networking meeting –I went in with much trepidation and absolutely no clear intention of what I wanted to get from the session. I hadn’t thought about how I would introduce myself and did it badly. What could you do in this situation?

Solution: You could ask a friend who attends many networking meetings to tell you what to expect when you go to your first meeting. You could also ask him/her to give you details about introductions to get an idea of what’s expected.

You can look up “elevator speeches” on the internet to get tips you can use. You can write up your first draft and practice it aloud, editing it and practicing until you can at least get it out without totally tripping on your tongue.

Problem #2. Fear about lack of experience. For the many of you who have been reading my ezines, taking tele-classes with me and participating in our Success Circle, you’ve witnessed my many “fall flat on the face” efforts. And I can say confidently that it doesn’t bother me a bit to make mistakes, learn from them and move on now. I was not always so resilient though!

Solution: You must be willing to tell people if you are brand new to something.
It is fine to admit it is the first time you’ve done something AND don’t forget you are bringing tons of valuable experience and skills to this first time situation.

I once facilitated a group on preparing yourself to attract a relationship. I have no training in relationships and I wanted a group to work with me as I was preparing myself for a relationship! I was honest. Right at the start of the group I revealed that “I’m not a relationship expert, I am looking to be in a relationship myself…and I have facilitated hundreds of tele-classes on many subjects and I have a natural gift for this…so I know together we can learn a great deal about ourselves and how to attract the right relationship while having a great time!” And we did. (And I met a man exactly 12 months later who became my husband).

Problem #3. Lack of support

When you’re stuck in your rut and not doing anything new to stretch yourself more into who you REALLY are, everyone around you is probably comfortable with you just the way you are. Then, when you decide to step over a threshold and begin to make changes, everyone around you is going to be shaken up.

When I announced I was leaving my “secure” job, I got all kinds of responses, none of which was supportive.

“You’ll lose your health benefits and retirement.”

“Do you REALLY think you can succeed in something so different from what you’ve done?”

“You’ll be lonely working from home.”

Get the picture?

Just when you need support the most, those who have given it to you in the past may not be there for you. They are afraid for you. Some are even envious because they have a buried dream and are not courageous enough yet to move towards it.

Every successful person has at least one supportive person (and most have more!) to provide a strong foundation on which they can lay their dreams and ideas and not have them get squashed. You need people who will say, “Yes you can!” and help brainstorm ideas with you when you’re stuck. So early on in any change you are making, get some support!

If you spend your time avoiding obstacles – you get frustration and “what ifs” and regrets.

If you are looking to live without a job, you may not even RECOGNIZE your obstacles!

Here are the top 3 obstacles my clients work through with me:

Obstacle #1:  You don’t know how.

Every new endeavor will require learning new things.  And that to me is exciting!  Don’t let the “how” derail you.

Here’s a secret.  Change the “how” to “what.”  What is it you want?  What do you need to do next?   It may take time to percolate…but you will get your answers.  Keep moving in the direction you want.

Here’s an example.  In 2003 I decided I wanted to go to Italy in 2004.  I didn’t know “how.”  I didn’t know how I would justify and pay for a vacation. I didn’t know which cities I’d visit.  I didn’t know how I’d travel solo with no Italian language skills.

AND I didn’t let those perceived obstacles stop me. I wrote it down on my goals list.  Then I told 3 people within 2 days, “I am going to Italy in 2004.”  It was a done deal.

I bought a guidebook on Italy.  I took out my passport and left it in plain view.  I put up a photo of Venice as the background setting on my computer so I could see it often.

And then…a brochure came in the mail from a professional career development organization I belonged to.

Their 2004 annual meeting was to be held in… Venice!

So now it was starting to come together.  I could write off most of the travel costs to a business trip.

I’d have a starting place with colleagues so I could get comfortable before venturing out on my own.

I had a beginning destination.  I booked the trip…went…had a fabulous time!

Obstacle #2.  Your ego and identity around work.

One of the biggest obstacles I faced when leaving my last job was my mighty ego.

I had worked a long time to get the title…the nice office…in a beautiful marble filled building…a prestigious organization…and yet I was miserable…

Not at first.…I loved the work for more than 15 years…but when it was time to go out on my own…I was worried about losing the prestige…who would I be if I was just Ann Ronan, on my own…working from home?

Well it didn’t take me long to figure out that who I was …was happy.  Now I really get that doing work that makes me happy is the greatest reward of all.

Obstacle 3.  Listening to the wrong people

Those who secretly long to be their own boss are often full of bad advice for people who are on the verge of taking the leap.

How many of you were encouraged to be self-employed when you were a kid?  Probably not too many!  It just wasn’t understood or valued by most of our parents and teachers.

Protect your dream early on…nurture it like a seed and be careful who you expose it to.

Those who love you most may not be able to support you at first…they are concerned and fearful for you.

Keep learning about self employment…keep taking your steps with the encouragement of those who CAN support you…and when your loved ones see your success…they will share in your joy.

Don’t know and can’t wait to find out? Well let me give you 3 ways to figure it out NOW. Before I give them to you, I want to give you a framework.

First of all, do not get stopped by the “I can’t make money doing that” mantra. Save it for later.

2nd, I’ll let you in on a secret…I still haven’t decided what I am going to be when I grow up and I never will. What I do know is that I plan to do as many things that I can!

3rd, when you think that living in the status quo, in a job you despise, is good to do because you can’t afford to take a risk –think again. What are your risking if you don’t go for the quantum leap of what you truly want? The risk is that you won’t get what you really want out of life.

Here’s step #1:

Get out a piece of paper, journal or computer sheet and make a list of everything you love to do. Be as specific as possible….a not so good example is I love the way the sun feels on my face is not as good as I’d like to spend parts of my day working in the outdoors in a sunny climate.

Step #2

Picutre this. You’ve got 5 lives to live – you get to do it over 5 times and each time explore a different passion to the fullest. (You may need only 3 or you may need 10 – choose what works for you).

What would you do with each one? (Secret – you may be able to do these all in one lifetime.
That information will come later in a teleconference!)

My example: In one, I’d be a famous writer and speaker. In another I’d lead tours of spiritual sites in Europe. In another, I’d be a sex therapist. In one I’d be a hermit and live on an island and read and write.

The best part is, you get to include all your interests in just one of your lives – they are all key parts of your essential self. And even better is, you can change your mind. Your lifeplan five or ten years from now may be quite different as new interests appear and old ones fade.

Step #3:

Look for the themes that keep popping up – highlight them. Brainstorm work you can do that use these things you love to do. You may start with a spin-off of your current occupation – I did that with a grant writing consultant business. You may have found a shortcoming in the products or services of others that you can improve. You may have asked “Why isn’t there…?”  You may have seen an observed need. You may be able to teach, write and speak about your interests. The possibilities are endless!

–

Ann Ronan, Ph.D. is an author, speaker, and self employment expert. She regularly leads coaching programs, tele-seminars and live retreats, bringing the message to audiences internationally that living a passion-based life will bring prosperity and success. Visit her website http://www.authenticlifeinstitute.com.