Choice | Passionately On Purpose

How to Free the Logjam of Your Ideas

December 2, 2011 By Cara Lumen Leave a Comment

Sometimes the need to make only one decision creates a log jam that holds you firmly in place. Once that necessary decision is identified and you make your choice, it will free up all the other ideas you have blocked up behind it and you’ll be on your way.

The logjam decision for me was around pricing

I finished my latest ebook several weeks before I offered it because I had to decide on a price. It’s really hard after months of work to not see your completed project as having great value. I know the benefits they will receive from using my ideas. I know how valuable my work is, but do others? I knew the ball park figure I just had to make a choice. Then I could set up my landing page and send the book on its way. With that one decision made and I was good to go.

The log jam was slow to unfold

I had been procrastinating so long over making that one pricing decision that it took me a few days to overcome the next minor log jam, the technical steps I needed to take to put the book online. It’s not hard to put a new ebook up on my web site and blogs; it just takes time and concentration. I had already been sitting on my new book for days trying to make the pricing decision and then I was faced with the technical steps of interconnecting all the parts of the delivery and promotion of the book. Between the time I finished the book and finally faced up to taking the technical steps I took a put-it-off detour. I wrote the outline for my next book and had a great idea for a brand new book totally off my regular topic. Creating something new was so much more exciting than the mundane task of putting a completed project out the door. However, in the end the satisfaction of finally making that book available to others overcame my putting off tactics. Give your logjam time to unfold.

Make a choice, any choice

There are all sorts of variations on a decision and the “rightness” of each one depends on where you are at the moment. I picked a price. That was the major log jam. I can always change it. I can always bundle that book with others. After I broke up that log jam I was free to take my next steps. The desire to reach the end promised such great fulfillment that I set about putting the book up on my sites. Make a choice, any choice. It will free up that log jam and get you going.

Making a decision is freeing

It takes but a heartbeat to make a decision. It doesn’t take much longer than that to put it into play. What decisions are you putting off? Why are you putting them off? You can’t possibly know the long term repercussions of your decision; all you can know is what you need to do right now in order to move forward. When I write a new ebook I make the decisions surrounding it based on what I know at the moment and what my target community needs from me at the moment. Those same choices may not hold true a year from now but by then I’ll have written and published my book.

One decision will eliminate idea clutter

Every time we make a decision that idea clutter falls away and we are left with a clearer picture of what we want to create. I’m writing a series of 12 ebooks in my How to Craft series. I also am interested in creating a new telecourse. For a while I considered doing both. It would mean a lot of work. It would mean a delay in the completion of the series. I had to make a choice. I had to observe the difference between my personal priority and my business priority. Since having fun and enjoying what I do is a high priority, I chose to let the teleclass show up when I’m ready to focus on it and I will continue to work on completing the ebook series. It was a relief to let go of that second idea for awhile. I’m still going to do it I just don’t have a date. I will keep collecting ideas and resources, of course, and put them in a file so that when I am ready for that project I’ll have a great head start. But meanwhile I’ll focus on the choice at hand. Choose the project size that works for here and now and make it happen.

Where is your logjam? What decision do you need to make that will release those stuck ideas that will set you free to send those ideas off to market?

Is Your Motor Running on Idle?

October 31, 2011 By Cara Lumen Leave a Comment

I have just played hooky from my regular routine and didn’t understand my unwillingness to do most of the things I could/should be doing. Then I realized I was running my motor on idle and that was actually a good thing.

You idle before you change gears

Now that I’ve had my mental and physical break from working my business I see that backing off from your routine gives you a new perspective. Taking time to focus on another aspect of your life like entertainment or physical activity or friendship brings the value of those pursuits back into focus and gives you the space to make some more conscious choices. Idling is about preparing for change. It’s not about making decisions; it’s about backing off so you can look ahead with a new perspective.

Those darn “should’s”

If you’re like me there are a zillion things you should do to make your business bigger, better, and more lucrative. There are so many choices that even the contemplation of those choices can make you weary. As I come out of my idle time I can take a better look at what I think I should be doing in the first place. Do I really need or want to write that many blog posts – is that becoming a chore rather than a joy? How many coaching clients do I really want? Do I want my days swamped in service or do I need some balance? Look carefully at what you decided someplace along the line that you should do and see if that still holds true. Make some new choices. Release what no longer brings you pleasure and makes room for more nourishing activities.

Those exciting could’s

Here’s where a lot of us really get into trouble, we see a lot of exciting possibilities and want to try for most of them. Coming out of idle I realize I would like to live with less pressure. Since I’m the one making up the deadlines I choose for myself I’m also the one that can change them. There is a course I want to teach but if I decide on a specific deadline some of the joy of creation will be taken away as I have to push myself to get it ready by a certain time. My coming out of idle decision is that I want more time to focus on fitness and play so my choice is that that course will be written whenever it gets written and offered whenever it gets offered. The whole point of doing our business is to have a great time doing it. How will the could’s you are considering affect your daily life experience?

Choose your priorities

What are your priorities at this particular point in your life? How in balance or out of balance is your current schedule? I used to work my business pretty much all the time. I love to create so I was always working a new project with a deadline as well as maintaining my coaching clients. There was no time for much else. Now I want to take time to watch a sunset, or walk in the sunshine, or read a good novel. I choose more simplicity in my life and more serenity. I want to write more philosophical posts. I want time to take myself gently into this next phase of my life. I want time for me.

Slow down

My five days on idle revolved around doing jigsaw puzzles. Your mind is active but you know the outcome. I didn’t have to plan or meet a deadline or work on my next book. I just sorted our little pieces of cardboard – for days. It obviously met a need or I wouldn’t have been so reluctant to return to work. I played hooky. I changed my rhythm. I stopped the pressure. I zoned out. I backed off. I put my motor on idle while I allowed my subconscious to rearrange my priorities and help me realize the new choices I want to make. There will now be regular yoga, consistent and ever-lengthening walks. There will be much gazing out the window at the sunsets. There will be writing my “How to Craft series” but at whatever speed those books unfold that gives me pleasure in doing them. I want my life to be active but I want to eliminate as many self inflicted deadlines as possible. I want to take pleasure in what I do; I want to savor the joy of crafting an article or completing another ebook or helping a client take a giant step. I want to savor my life. That’s what I learned when my motor went on idle.

Filed Under: Personal Development Tagged With: Business Development, change, choice

What a Jigsaw Puzzle Can Teach You about Project Management

October 1, 2011 By Cara Lumen Leave a Comment

Working jigsaw puzzles is an organizer’s dream. Every step is about sorting in smaller and more connected elements while keeping the end result in mind. Just like project management.

Choose a project that appeals to you

It’s no fun to work on an ugly puzzle or even one that is too easy or too hard. You have to pick the best project for you at this point in time. If you are not enthusiastic about the end result you will achieve, if you will not be proud of your end product after you have completed it, choose a different project. You don’t want to spend a lot of time working on something that is not fun, satisfying, stimulating, rewarding and has a great end result. There are thousands of potential projects from which to choose. Choose one you can get excited about.

Handle the logistics

When I started working jigsaw puzzles in my living room I had three problems, a cat that would inevitably end up on top of it, the fact that it took up a good portion of the room for as long as I chose to work on it and I had no real way to put it away for another time. Once I started it I lived with it until it was completed. I solved the cat problem by doing the puzzle on the cardboard back of a poster whose frame broke. I work on the cardboard and put the plastic “glass” on top when I stop work to protect it from my cat. I could solve the putting away part by investing in a jigsaw carrying case. Before you begin a project solve some of the logistics. Can you fit this work into your schedule? Will you rely on others for part of the work and how booked are they? What equipment, knowledge, and reference material do you need before you begin? Beginning a project is like preparing to take a long trip; you need to take your car in for a complete check up to be sure it can make the trip. Plan ahead for all the elements and working environment you will need for your project.

Sort the pieces

My improvised jigsaw puzzle system includes 12 clear plastic plates that I sort the different colors into. I can use these plates to work on one color scheme at a time. It allows me to focus only on that particular aspect. Look at your project and divide it up into segments. Put a time line on each segment so you know how far ahead of the deadline you have to begin working on it in order to complete it in time. What is your launch date? How far ahead do you need to start marketing? Put that on your schedule along with time to write your marketing material a few weeks before that. Do you need to schedule a completion date for each module? Chunk your project up into three to five projects. For instance if you are creating a web presence you can break that down into 1) clarify what you offer and who you offer it to, 2) define your services and your content by writing your landing page, 3) make the technical decisions on your theme and back end support hire someone to set it up and 4) write your opt in offer and Cornerstone Content that helps convert readers into community members. Each one of those steps is filled with important decision making and by doing them in order and addressing each step as a separate project piece you will avoid the overwhelm that could easily appear. Allow one action step to build on the other

Work one section at a time

In my jigsaw project I began by working with the pieces that I could easily identify. In my folk art puzzle I recognized parts of horses and buggy wheels and the specific color of each building. When I began to assemble each section I had to look at the picture and see where it fit into the overall picture. Then I could place it in the right place. I had to work with the end result in mind.

Here’s a major difference between jigsaw puzzling and a project: you know what the puzzle will look like, you know that eventually all the pieces will fit and there will be no extra ones left over. That is not true of a project. You have to pick and choose the parts and pieces you will include. You have an overall picture in mind but you design and adjust as you go. How many weeks in your teleclass? What do you need to leave out in order to teach what you really want to teach in that length of time? Do you need a follow up, second level telecourse? I developed my Magnetic Content Development System to help you manage those very decisions but this article is about sorting what you have chosen.

Sort by similarity

In my puzzle I sorted by edge pieces, trees, sky, building colors and people. One way of organizing your project is to sort by similarity of the action needed – planning, crafting, editing. On your time line allow a week for outlining your table of contents, another few days for developing your stories and interactive elements. You could work on the video for a week and could set aside time to develop the handouts and bonuses. Brain work, the decision-making process requires great uninterrupted concentration. Editing a second draft or strengthening your subheads can be done in smaller time segments.

Approach your project organization from different angles

It was easy to put together the puzzle pieces that had a pattern. It was another matter to work on the pieces that were all one color like the sky or ocean. Then I had to look at the shape of each piece, I had to try to put pieces together by looking at the parts of the piece that were sticking out and the parts of the piece that were ready to have another piece fit into them. And that’s what got me excited to write this article – as I worked I saw myself use different reasoning techniques. I wanted to explore how can apply my jigsaw organizing technique to the sorting of my ideas for a project? When you move deeply into the fine points of your project you need to examine the pieces from different angles. Does that idea belong here or is it more effective if presented over there? Change your perspective. One minute you are trying to fit the protruding pieces into the puzzle and the next you are looking at the shape of the indent in each piece to find a matching piece. As you look where to place closely aligned elements into your project come at them from different angles before you decide where to put them.

Keep looking at the whole

Every time you begin a new segment look to see how that section fits in with the whole. When you examine your project as a whole you will feel a sense of accomplishment as see how much you have accomplished. You can begin to get a feeling of the overall shape and the learning steps you use to take your participant on their journey. You can identify the elements that need more work or more time. As you work on a project periodically go back to your original outline and the landing page you wrote in the beginning to clarify your objectives and see if you are still on track. Keep referring to your original who and do what statement – the purpose of that particular project.

Keep your end result in mind, sort by the major points, work in sections keeping an eye on their place in the whole and take time to look at each piece from different angles. That’s what working a jigsaw puzzle taught me about project management.

Filed Under: Product Development Tagged With: choice, Planning, Product Development

Do You Know What Your Heart Needs and How to Get It?

August 18, 2011 By Cara Lumen Leave a Comment

Sometimes there are vacancies within us that we don’t know how to fix. We can’t fix them because we don’t know what causes them. In a recent radio show on Chopra Radio I learned that there were four things your heart needs and as I listened to what they were I realized that I wanted to bring them more deeply into my life. The four things the heart needs are attention, affection, appreciation and acceptance.

Attention

It’s not that have to be a star it’s that we want to be seen. We want to know that our life counts. We want to feel that we are here for a necessary purpose and that our being who we are has value. In order to have that experience we need to be noticed by others.

Affection

We need to be touched – not necessarily physically, but a smile, a warm tone of voice, some sign that we are cared about.

Appreciation

We all want to believe we are making a contribution, that our presence and our participation makes a difference. Being appreciated allows us to stay motivated. Appreciation helps us stay in a relationship. Where there is no acknowledgement there are no feelings of satisfaction.

Acceptance

We want to be considered a part of whatever it is we are looking for. We want to be seen as a purposeful being that is needed and valued.

How did you do? Did you discover what is missing in your life? Or do you have it all? How are you giving these needs of the heart to the people around you?

With this awareness I can do two things, find out what I need and look for ways that I can give the people I care about these four things that they need for their heart.

Giving and Getting Attention

How to give attention to yourself: Are you really paying attention to yourself? Are you noticing your conscious choices, your unconscious choices, your words, your feelings? By paying attention to your life experience and giving thought to your emotions and intuition, you can make choices that make a difference in your life experience.

How to give attention to others: When you walk into a room do you take time to acknowledge those present? Sometimes we are self conscious and don’t take time to make eye contact or greet everyone we should. We could make certain we pay attention to those who are shy, or silent in the group. In order to give more generously of your attention take time to simply be with the people you talk with.

Giving and Getting Affection

How to give affection to yourself: If you are living alone you probably don’t get hugged very often. But you could give yourself a big hug along with some kind words on a regular basis. Write down the supportive things people have said to you during the day. If you are looking for them you will hear them. Treat yourself with kindness because you are worth it.

How to give affection to others: You can show affection to others by making steady eye contact and taking time to give them a genuine smile. You can make certain your voice is warm and affectionate when you speak with them. If it is natural for you to pat an arm or a shoulder do it. And when you are moved to hug, go for it. Look for ways you can show your genuine affection for those around you.

Giving and Getting Appreciation

How to give appreciation to yourself: Appreciating yourself is not about noticing your skills and talents, although you can certainly do that, appreciation is about noticing where you make a difference. How did you make a difference today? It may be something you did or something you said or even something you plan to do. If you look for those moments of contribution you will see them.

How to give appreciation to others: Showing your appreciation for others is probably the easiest step you can take. I have thanked surgeons for their skills, something they possibly are not specifically thanked for. I have thanked managers for their kind and loving care of a senior community. I have acknowledged a job well done, or a thoughtful gesture given or just appreciation for having a particular person in my life. Just look for the many gifts others give and acknowledge them.

Giving and Getting Acceptance

How to give acceptance to yourself: This is huge. Do you accept yourself just as you are? Do you see yourself as a meaningful human being? Acceptance is not about not changing, it is about being patient with yourself and loving yourself throughout your journey, however rocky and off course it seems to get.

How to give acceptance to others: Acceptance is about honoring our differences without judgment. That’s a certain road to world peace. The acceptance the heart needs is to feel included, to feel a part of what we value. We all want to feel like we are recognized as a purposeful being. Who can you include in your next group activity? Who do you need to recognize for their unique contribution that makes them a necessary part of the team? How can you make someone feel they belong?

These are huge values to consider: attention, affection, appreciation and acceptance. Be conscious of the four things the heart needs and address them all. Actively give those experiences to yourself and pro-actively give them to others. Then see how much better the world seems to be.

Filed Under: Personal Development Tagged With: choice, Personal Development, self-awareness

Are You Reading the Signs?

August 1, 2011 By Cara Lumen Leave a Comment

The Universe has an interesting way to offer us guidance. It sends signs. Sometimes those signs are about bumping into someone on the street that creates an opportunity you hadn’t considered before. Sometimes it is a phone call or an email suggesting collaboration. It may be a surge of interest in a particular product or service you offer. And it may be an idea that simple floats in out of nowhere. These signs indicate an interest from somewhere directed at you and what you offer. They are worth considering.

Signs that say change direction

I’ve been moving steadily in one direction for about eight years. Before that I was going in another direction. What’s currently showing up are people interested in that original niche – those initial products and services that I still offer on my website. And I’m wondering and watching. Part of me feels that if I moved back to that old niche it would be about going backwards. Another part says maybe I’ve learned all I can from the niche I am in and have something more to contribute to my original niche. Since learning new things is more important to me than just about anything in the world I need to find the place where I can keep learning and be in service while I do. So the question becomes how can I approach this former niche and make a new type of product and service around it.

Signs that inspire new work

I began my online presence as a spiritual counselor. Then I decided to take that metaphysical approach out into the world as I helped people develop their online business. I became a business coach, curriculum developer and an educator. The spiritual part has always been in my work. But the current signs are about increasing the spiritual work. And I’m observing and thinking and considering.

I feel that a lot of my earlier work was about teaching what I had learned from others in my own unique interpretation – which is pretty much what we all do. But I have now developed what feels like a relatively original idea and would love to find more of those. However my unique viewpoint has changed because I am more knowledgeable and experienced so if I went “back” to offering more spiritually oriented products they would be different than what I produced ten years ago. That’s a good thing.

I learn when I teach and since I’m going through an introspective period in my own life I plan to write a new teleclass that will give people tools for self-exploration. That’s quite different from the practical courses I’ve been teaching. My target community is certainly going to be surprised!

What ideas are coming to you that seem a little off the beaten path that you would be interested in exploring?

Signs that a change is in the air

My Passionately on Purpose blog has always been a mix of practical and philosophical – like me. In the past year I have written more personal development posts than practical ones. That was a conscious decision as well as an organic one. So the Universe has been laying the groundwork for this possible change. Look at what you’ve been doing the past six months. What has changed? Is there a new direction being suggested?

Signs that suggest new relationships

Some of the signs are coming to me in the form of the people that are showing up to be coached and the products that they are buying – the older spiritual ones. As I examine the world around me I see major, major changes and as I look carefully at what people want it seems like hope would be at the top of their list. Hope, spiritual awareness and a way to get control of their lives at least internally since the physical plane seem skewed at the moment. I could do that.

New people are also showing up who would like to collaborate. People are showing up for coaching who not only want practical guidance but help in defining their values and their passion and their deepest place of service. The people who are seeking me out are coming because they feel a spiritual connection. That’s always been that way it works but these people are expressing it in those terms. Who is showing up in your life that you are immediately drawn to, or who seek you out with collaboration in mind?

Signs that you should take the leap

I haven’t made this leap yet. I’m just reading signs. And I also realize it doesn’t have to be a complete leap, it doesn’t have to be an abandonment of what I do now. It can just be an addition to what already exists. I have to look at what I want right now. What do I want to learn? What do I want to write about? What do I want to teach? Who do I want to coach? And what do I want to help them to accomplish? I can offer a personal development class alongside a business class. It would be a stronger position if I stuck with one or the other but I’m just going to let it unfold. It may also mean that this is the beginning of a gradual transition. Are you being nudged to change directions? How does that feel?

Are you noticing the signs?

What signs are showing up for you? What are people asking you to do for them? What new need do you see out in the world that you would like to meet? How does your present focus need to expand or change in order to continue to be relevant and necessary? Read the signs and see if it’s time for change.

Filed Under: Personal Development Tagged With: change, choice, Personal Development, self-awareness

Pick an Idea – Any Idea

July 29, 2011 By Cara Lumen Leave a Comment

The ideas are coming in like a whirlwind, each one is fascinating, each one would be fun to do, and many of them would be profitable. The fact is you can’t do them all so how do you choose the best idea?

What do you need right now?

The first thing to look at when choosing an idea is where you are at this point in time. What skills do you have? What skills do you lack? What is your passion? If you don’t know how to write articles then you are not ready to write a complete book. If you have not taken steps to build a target community following then it’s not the time to launch a high end coaching program. Do a reality check about the skills, talent and resources you have to make happen. What does your business need? What does your community need? Do you have what it takes to make this idea happen?

What do you want to accomplish?

What will this great idea accomplish? Do you need to make more money? Do you need to attract more people? Do you need to create passive income through information products? Do you need to identify the unique system you can teach? Identify what your business needs at this moment in time. Choose ideas that further that objective.

What is needed?

Ideally you start looking for ideas by addressing a specific need or a burning desire. But ideas don’t always show up like that. So look at what your idea will accomplish and go see if it is needed in your target audience. See what is out there that is similar and look at how you can make your offering unique.

How long would it take to get that idea out there?

Let’s say you have identified three ideas that fit in with your objective. How do you choose just one? What does your community need first? If you don’t have a strong online presence and a way to attract and capture the names and emails of people that are interested in your work then that needs to come before you write a teleclass or make a video. But if the three ideas are similar in purpose, choose the one you can get to market first. That way you have a product, it can produce income and interest while you work on the next project. It will also give you a sense of completion and forward movement that will propel you to the next project.

What to do when ideas come to you from others

I am busy enough trying to sort through my own ideas so when someone approaches me with a new opportunity that is very appealing, I have to have some way to evaluate that opportunity. People connect to you for various reasons but the one I like best is when they are intuitively drawn to my energy – to what I have written or what I have taught. If they feel a core connection I want to listen to them. I had this happen to me recently and I have had to look carefully at what is right for me to do at this point in time. Is it an opportunity I should consider or does it pull me off my current path? Is my current path still leading me to the results I want and need? Paths are meant to be changed, new routes are meant to be explored, but when an unexpected opportunity comes up take time to go within and see if it really resonates to you, your work, your passion and the people you serve. Listen to what’s beneath the offer and see if there are other reasons you should connect with a new person.

Stop jumping from one idea to another

This is fairly typical of entrepreneurs – we are new idea people, not maintenance people so the fun and challenge and creativity comes from thinking up new ideas. But if none of those ideas get to other people what good are they? I can’t tell you the number of times I have had an idea pop to the top and when I think about it and look through my computer I often find I have some version of that idea partially started or nearly completed already or at the very least research and ideas gathered for it. Completion is a very, very good thing. Learn to deliver one idea before moving off to the next one.

Pick an idea, any idea and make it happen.

Once you weigh your choices and chose the best idea for you to develop right now in this time and place – do it!!!! Completing a simple project teaches you the steps involved with everything from time management to content development so the next time you do a similar project it will be easier and faster to complete. We are meant to share our ideas. Pick one idea and make it happen. Only then do you choose another idea to complete.

Filed Under: Content Development Tagged With: choice, content development, idea development

The 5 Second Difference

July 5, 2011 By Cara Lumen Leave a Comment

I’m not overly technical but I figured I could handle my new Bluetooth headset. The people at the store set it up so I didn’t have to do that part and the first time I used it it worked wonderfully. Then it didn’t work. And I had no idea why. Because I have a tendency to put off technical things I poked the three buttons on the headset, recharged it and when it still didn’t work I went back to my headsets. I’m not certain what I thought would happen – perhaps that it would suddenly work by itself? So after five days of it not working I read the instructions. I thought I understood them. I poked the three available places to poke one more time. I went online to get instructions and gave up immediately in an overwhelm of choices – I just wanted a person to fix it for me. You know the feeling. So I gathered up the headset and the instructions and the phone and went back to AT&T where a really nice guy showed me that all I needed to do was press one button and hold it for 5 seconds!!! 5 seconds had kept me from making it work.

And it made me think.

What have I been putting off that another 5 seconds of persistence would fix or make happen or resolve?

I’ve been putting off making videos because I need to relearn Camtasia – that’s not even about starting from scratch, that’s about re-learning. And I haven’t even opened the program to see how fast I can remember it.

I’ve been putting off putting my latest books on Kindle and Nook not because I don’t know how, but because I have to decide on a price. One decision, one commitment, one answer and I’ll be unstuck.

What would happen if you stuck with it just a little big longer?

Will one more read through of your blog post make it ready to go up? Will five minutes choosing the three things you will accomplish this day take the pressure off the rest of your day? Will spending 20 minutes exploring new software help you see how it could help you? Will writing another chapter of your ebook move it along? Will making one phone call open up new opportunities?

The decision to be more persistent is a bit like doing one more push up or walking another half a block – or whatever it is that asks you to push a bit more, to go a bit further, to learn a bit more.

5 seconds is no time at all but it can make the difference between something working or not.

Filed Under: Business Development Tagged With: choice, Personal Development, positve change

The Amazing Impact of One Small Change

June 21, 2011 By Cara Lumen Leave a Comment

The idea I had affected three words in the title of an ebook I am writing but those three words created both a lot of work and a long-lasting impact. So the good news is that the product got better, the bad news was the amount of work involved in connecting all the pieces. Do you embrace change, or do you measure it by the trouble it takes to implement it

It would be great if we could get it right the first time

I’m writing 15 ebooks in the “How to Craft Series” and from the beginning I got most of the titles right. Each title contained a result that will be achieved by the creation of a particular type of information product. But one title didn’t follow that guideline. The original title was “How to Craft a Magnetic Opt in Offer in One Hour.” I had written the first three books of the series when I realized that a more compelling title was “How to Craft a Magnetic Opt in Offer that Captivates and Converts.” These three words aligned this book with the rest of the titles like “How to Craft a Mini-Ecourse that Builds Trust” and “How to Craft Magnetic Interactive Elements that Help People Own What You Teach” I felt it was an important change to make so I dove in.

One change is like a pebble in a lake

It affected the cover of the book, the listing of the “How to Craft Series” in the back of all three books I had already written, references in the three books to the Opt in Book, the three landing pages where I offered the Opt in Book as part of a Start Up Bundle, the Marketplace pages on two blogs, the links to the opt in landing page and the delivery pages. Every time I made one change I thought of someplace else that needed to be changed. It took me a whole day chasing those changes.

What impact with the change make for the better?

There was no question I would make the change. The title was more in line with the whole series and offered a stronger benefit. I would have done it even if all 15 books were written. And I’m not at all a perfectionist.

When you contemplate making a change, take some time to look at three aspects: 1) what difference it is going to make to the bottom line, 2) how labor intensive is it to make that change and 3) how far reaching is the change – how will it affect others in their bottom line and their labor?

What difference is it going to make to the bottom line?

In my case I believe that the stronger title will attract more purchasers. And because it is more in alignment with the rest of the series it may help prospects connect to the other books in the series. Combine that will my willingness to spend a day making the changes and it was the thing to do. However, often an idea will have a greater ripple effect that includes an additional cost of outside labor. You have to consider both your time and paid time.

How labor intensive is it to make that change?

I have a friend who is a graphic designer and after the first three changes a client makes she has to charge them for additional changes. And she has to put a limit on the number of changes that can be made at all. So the more you know what you want before you begin a project, the more research you have done and the clearer the decisions you make about the focus, the fewer changes you will have to make. Do your core homework first. Add the cost of the change into the profitability equation.

How far reaching is the change – how will it affect others?

My daughter is a Vice President in a large insurance company. When she makes a change she has to consider not only how that will impact her own team but how it will affect other areas as well. How much impact will the change make? How long will it take to implement it? What tools need to be in place? What will the change cost in the time it takes people to get up to speed? The larger the group the more far reaching the impact of one change to their productivity and their bottom line.

Our work is always evolving

Change is inevitable. We learn to do a job and find a better, faster, more efficient way to do it so we make a change. We develop an idea and the deeper we get into its development the more ideas we have and the more we understand what we need to do in order to convey our message. So we make changes.

If I had a teleclass to give in 20 minutes and could make a change on the Power Point slides by a few minutes of typing I’d do it. If I wanted to change the title of the teleclass at the last minute I would not do it because of the advertising that had gone on before it. It’s too late to change that part of the message.

The bottom line is to think your work through as thoroughly as you can. Tweak it for the better if you have time and the change would have an impact. Otherwise, learn the lesson and put it to use the next time around.

Filed Under: Business Development Tagged With: Business Development, choice, positve change

Hovering Above Change

June 6, 2011 By Cara Lumen Leave a Comment

I am organically repositioning myself in my life and my business and I haven’t landed yet. I feel suspended between here and there – wherever "there" turns out to be.

Like a butterfly emerging, I don’t know what color I’ll be, so I simply let myself evolve.

And like the butterfly it all has to come from within – an internal change that ultimately appears on the physical plane.

Listen from within

As new ideas emerge test them out. See how they feel to you. See what additional ideas they stimulate. When I decided to focus much of my coaching work on helping people develop information products it stimulated a great many ideas. I taught my Magnetic Content Development System in a six week course that made me organize those ideas into a teachable format. I founded the free Magnetic Signature Products Guild which is an entirely new niche for me. I started writing the “How to Craft” Series of ebooks. With that one shift to a narrower niche it was like fireworks, the ideas and projects came rapidly. What idea are you exploring that feels like it’s going to pop?

Look for the signs

My signs appeared as full blown ideas that fell into place so easily there was no hesitation on my part to put them into action. Names like the “Guild” set the tone. I realized my system of teaching content development was unique. I was excited about teaching it. It was a direction I HAD to take it was that compelling. What signs continue to show up in your life that point you in a new direction?

Have patience

I get inklings of what is possible. I go exploring to see what catches my eye. And I wait – never pushing or prodding. I simply stay open to the infinite possibilities. I listen intuitively and suddenly find treasures that steadily lead me forward on this new adventure. Start journaling about what you are feeling and thinking. Capture your ideas on paper. See what shows up and consider it.

Goals can stop change

If I decide a particular idea needs to be a book, I might miss the opportunity to consider it should begin as a teleclass or a video or even an article. Stay flexible. Stay open. Have a broad goal like “I want to change lives with what I teach.” Then let the way you do that unfold organically.

You can’t hurry change

Opening up this new niche is like starting my business over. I have a new web site, a new blog which people have to find. I am still learning how to manage the membership software. I have fourteen ebooks I know I am going to write and I’m on number three. And each product needs a landing page, a shopping cart set up, a cover and promotion. There is so much to do to let people know these great resources exist. It can’t be rushed. It just needs to be done one step at a time.

Learn as you go

The beautiful thing about writing so many information products is that I get to test my own system over and over again. Sometimes in my process I create a new worksheet that I add to the system. As I write I keep discovering new phrases that convey my message even better than the ones I have already used. As I coach new people I see that I can apply my unique decision making process to those who are starting up a new business or beginning any project. Wherever there is a decision-making process I can help.

Watch for leveraging

One idea can be presented in many ways. A new client showed up that allowed me to apply my decision-making process to the establishment of her new business. As I worked with her I created new processes to guide her. I will include what I discovered and created in future information products. I’ve already taught full blown teleclasses in crafting articles, teleclasses and how to books. Does that material become another ebook series that cover each step? Do they become special interest coaching groups? Can I do a VIP day? As your ideas emerge see how they can be put to use in different formats.

Trust

I have an idea where I am headed but with every step I take I look and listen and feel to be certain it is aligned with my passion and that it excites me as I make it happen. I know I’m growing, I’m expanding my vision, and my expectations are changing. I’m simply allowing a newer version of me to emerging knowing that whatever it looks and feels like will be absolutely perfect for my here and now.

Don’t you just love hovering above change?

Filed Under: Personal Development Tagged With: change, choice, Personal Development, Planning

Are You Still Trying to Do it All Yourself?

April 15, 2011 By Cara Lumen 1 Comment

I have a new client who is extremely talented, multi-versatile and filled with great ideas. My job as her coach is to help her make decisions which stay true to her passion, develop a really big vision, and guide her along the journey. With as big a vision as she has in mind I realized she needs to learn to delegate right from the beginning. And here’s why.

Know your job

As the owner and founder of your business you are the idea person, the decision maker, the reason it exists. Your job is to keep on the lookout for new opportunities, create new collaborations, develop new products and expand your services. It is not your job to get caught up in administrative details.

Who can you get to help and what do you want them to do?

For at least one week track your time. How much time do you spend on emails, phone calls, making travel arrangements, writing articles, posting to blogs – whatever you do? How much time do you spend on exploring the potential of new ideas, talking with possible joint venture partners, creating new products and services, developing your own skill set and expanding your own knowledge base? How much time are you spending in your business and how much time on your business?

At the end of the week divide your tasks into the following categories and put the time spent or time you’d like to spend on each task

Things only I can do
Things someone else could do but I enjoy doing
Things I don’t like to do
Things I don’t do well or that are hard for me to do but need to be done
Things that need doing that I don’t have time to do

Go back and put an X in front of what you are willing to give away. These are the tasks you can hire out.

Create job descriptions for the people you would like to hire

Then take some time developing a list of tasks you would hire a person to do. Include:

Job Title
Job Description
Hours Needed
Cost
Type of person who would fit this position

Areas you may hire people to help you with are:

Coach
Virtual assistant – you may need several who specialize in different tasks – blog management, travel arrangements, research for speaking engagements, article and blog posting, web management, video production, social media management, etc.
Financial guidance from a tax preparer or accountant.
Technical support for your web presence
Copy Editor
Proofreader
Graphic artist

What are you willing to release?

In a PTA meeting a long time ago I realized that just because I could do every job on the agenda didn’t mean I had to volunteer for it. I get to choose where I wanted to serve. Your choices need to keep you in your passion. You need to do the work that excites your imagination, that leads to new innovative choices, and that allows you to do your best work – full out – joyously giving your all. To do that you have to give some tasks away so you can do what only you are meant to do. What are you willing to release? What are you willing to trust someone else to do? Who do you know who can do that?

You write the blog post but let a VA post it on your blog and in article submission sites. If you have lots of ideas of places to speak, have a VA research it for you, find the contact person and their information and hand it to you when you are ready to make the call. Let a VA format your emagazine or update information on your web site or manage your Tweet schedule. Let someone else set up your membership site or run the back end of your webinar software. Sometimes using collaborative software helps the process. And no, it’s not easier to do these things yourself when it adds up to time you cannot spend working on your business expansion.

Take the step

Look around at people you know who can provide the services you need, network for recommendations, go online and find resources. As you explore add to the list of responsibilities you might be ready to outsource. Then do the math. If you pay someone to do six hours of work a week what money-making ideas can you put into action in that same six hours? What new products can you produce? What new collaborative partnerships can you form? You are the idea person. Keep yourself free to explore, examine, choose and create your next steps.

Filed Under: Business Development Tagged With: Business Development, choice, Planning

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