You are here: Home / Archives for Creativity

How to Free the Logjam of Your Ideas

December 2, 2011 By Cara Lumen Leave a Comment
padlockSometimes 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?
 
© 2011 Cara Lumen
 
You might also like

Filed Under: Creativity Tagged With: , , ,

The Ten Percent Solution

August 29, 2010 By Cara Lumen Leave a Comment

by Cara Lumen

close-lookThey say we only use 10 percent of what we own. Think how much space we would have if we gave the rest away. Think how much money we would have if we stopped buying stuff we don’t need. Think how much time we would have if we didn’t have so much stuff to take care of.

What’s important to you?

I’ve moved into a smaller place. My office is now in one corner of my living room rather than having a whole room to devote to it so I’ve had to do some really serious choosing.

  • Since it’s in my living room I care how it looks – there is no door to shut if it gets messy. So I need some tidy systems for tracking what I need to have on hand.
  • I use binders for my courses and ebooks but books are warmer looking. My binders will be on the lower shelves and my books will be on display.
  • What books do I want to keep? When I knew I was moving I threw away a lot of things but I need to give away more. I have the library so I could access some books again if I wanted to. Novels come and go that way. Even business reference books are up for release. There is a half price book store in town that will buy my books.
  • Clothes need a good reality check. I have lost some weight and really must trust that I will not go back to that larger size. I can release those clothes. And under the bed storage has to be for a change of seasons, not a storage place for clothes I’ll never wear again.
  • Kitchen stuff is huge. I don’t have as much kitchen space but I have a pantry so I’ve stuffed a lot in the pantry and as I need things I bring them out and put them in the prime locations. And I’m giving away duplicates and odd cooking tools I never use. I can’t reach half my cabinets in the kitchen and that is only storage space so why don’t I get rid of what I might put there? I have arranged my spices into plastic bins with baking spices in one and cooking spices in the other and can easily cart them out of the pantry to bake. And my favorite spices are close at hand. I do not need so many pans since I’m no longer cooking for four children. Again, I will pull out what I use and see about giving away the rest.
  • The put-abouts are the hardest. I have a ton of crystals, way too many Buddha and Quan Yin statues (they remind me to stay centered and calm) and a lot fewer spaces to put them on. This is my second downsize in a year and I have not given any of my put-abouts away. But I need to do that.

What do you really need?

Garages are lethal. Its way too easy to put things out there rather than give them away so they can stay in service. Too many closets let you keep things you don’t need. Too many bookcases let you keep things that could be passed along and big kitchens are for storing way too much stuff. Choose an area of your life and tidy it up. You have changed. Your needs have changed. What do you really need? Then get rid of the rest and you’ll have room to breathe!!!!!

© 2010 Cara Lumen

You might also enjoy:

 

Filed Under: Personal Development Tagged With: , , , , ,

How to Blog When You’re On Vacation

July 12, 2010 By Cara Lumen Leave a Comment

by Cara Lumen

take-it-easyWordPress is so cool. You can schedule your posts so you look productive even when you’re at the beach.

Automate your posting

Even though our intentions are good, let’s face it, life happens. So what better way to keep things going than to automate?

We automate our autoresponders in our shopping carts  so people get a response when then sign up regardless of what we are doing at the time.

We change our email message when we leave town to indicate we can’t answer right away.

And wonder of wonders, you can write the blog posts for the period you are unavailable and just schedule them for dates you are gone. It keeps the momentum going on your blog.

Consolidate your writing and posting time

But scheduling your posts is not only for vacations, it’s for managing your blog posts to keep a steady supply of them going out. For instance, I write posts at all sorts of times, often first thing in the morning when I want to figure something out, or when a client asks me something that the answer would make a great post, or when I read a sentence in a book or a blog and want to elaborate on it in a new post. So I write in Word and in front of that file name I write “ny-“ which means not yet posted. Then I write the name of the blog post on my Blog URL page where I keep the blog titles and URLs handy for adding an internal links in my posts. Then once a week I will post and schedule a week or ten days worth of posts.

I could also write directly into WordPress but I prefer to keep my posts in Word so they are easy for me to reuse. I can track the keywords I use, the internal and external links I use, and the promotional paragraph I want to use in my Passionately on Purpose emagazine.   Sometimes I use my posts ar part of my radio show,  in an information product or as a separate article submission. I keep track of where each article has been posted on the file where it is written. But that’s just my tracking system.

Of course, once the post is posted I take off “ny-“ in front of the file name.

It’s in publish area

Under the Publish section there is a line that says “Publish Immediately” and beside that is an “edit” link. Just go in there and set your dates.

Now you can write ahead for any occasion and keep those great posts coming.

© 2010 Cara Lumen

Filed Under: Blogs Tagged With: , , , ,

Can Anyone Be a Writer?

June 27, 2010 By Cara Lumen 2 Comments

by Cara Lumen

red-laptopQuestion: from a reader I was reading on your blog about how you teach people to write good content on their blog. Do you believe anyone can be a good writer? I write in my journal daily, but I am struggling with writing in my blog. I wonder if people are born creative writers or not. Just like some people can paint a beautiful painting where others cannot. What do you think?

My Answer: What a great question. Yes, I believe everyone can learn to express themselves through writing. It is a craft that you can develop. How to write strong headlines, subheads, lead paragraphs, and closing paragraphs can be learned. But what is most important is that you write from your heart. From your heart to another’s heart. So here’s what I think may be happening for you, you may not be clear about the purpose of your blog. Who are you writing to? What do they need from you that will make a difference in their lives? What can you offer them?

For me a blog is a place for people to get to know me before they do business with me – to see how much value I give and what I believe in and stand for. But a blog can be about supporting a cause, or educating people on a topic, or simply sharing ideas about your passion.

I’m in the process of redefining my blog a bit – and my business for that matter. And that will dictate what I write. For instance, on my blog www.magneticblogbuilders.com people what to know about building blogs and writing for blogs so I’ll write about that. On www.passionatelyonpurose.com my initial emphasis was on business building and internet marketing but I find that the philosophical posts about creating change from the inside out are being read more. So I’ll write more of those.

What is keeping your target community up at night?

For instance, I’m writing a series on allowing yourself to prosper since finances are a concern for everyone. Seth Godin’s blog www.sethgodin.com is a great example of a blog that keeps people thinking. He writes really short posts on one small piece from one of his books. People read them every day.

Find some blogs you like and start to read them. See what those people are doing. I ran across a blog recently that has given me some ideas of features to add to my blog. Sometimes I read a post that inspires me to take one point from it and expand on it. What’s happening in your life? Sometimes I find a personal challenge and write about it because others might be facing the same thing.

Your wonderful question has prompted this answer, which I will share with others on my blog because there are others like you with the same question. Thank you for opening up the dialogue. I could write a whole series of posts to help beginning writers get started. See how it works? Stay tuned to your community and answer their questions.

Develop your own writing style

I write like a talk – I just sit down and type like crazy. Some of the writing is better than others. Sometimes the ideas come out clearly and sometimes at the top of the draft I have to write things like “not clear”, “wanders” and other go-back-and-do-it-again notes to myself.

My most important writing tip was learned a long time ago when I was teaching in my church. The teacher’s manual had a section that said “Students leave with an understanding of…” and listed three or four major points. I could do whatever I wanted to in the class but everything I did had to help them leave with the understanding of those particular points. I have learned since that that is an advanced and key element of good curriculum design. Your post has a purpose. What is it? What do you want your readers to understand?

What do you want to tell people? 

What do they need that you can offer? What is your call to action? I have two choices for people to make on my blog – one to join the RSS feed to be notified of future posts and one to join my community which means they give me permission to market to them, to let them know what I am doing. I put out a bi-monthly emagazine with resources and recent posts and whatever I’m offering that month. So that harks back to why you are writing your blog. What do you want them to do? What is the purpose of your blog?

Although blogs started out as online journals, I believe they are most effective when they fulfill a purpose. They need to give great value to those who read them. I love to write and it sounds like you do to. Just focus your purpose more and see how that stimulates your ideas. And if you want some specific help give me a call.

I hope this helps.

Warmly,

Cara

Filed Under: Creativity Tagged With: , ,

Let Writing Expand Your Sales Cycle

March 7, 2010 By Cara Lumen Leave a Comment

by Cara Lumen

writer_0 Your marketing strategy should be built on your strengths.  If you are a good networker, focus on networking, if  you are a good writer you can leverage that strength into a complete sales cycle. 

Michael Port has put out a call to his Book Yourself Solid Coaches to help him revise his cornerstone book Book Yourself Solid and of course, I answered.  In fact, I volunteered to organize the original signups for what sections people wanted to work on.  And that’s what gave me the idea for this article.  Several coaches had really focused on networking. It is their natural strength and they have developed that into their major marketing strategy.  There’s going to be a new section on Social Media and several coaches had been taking more training in that as they made that a major marketing strategy for themselves.  But me, I signed up for the Writing Strategy – my absolute favorite thing to do.

Writing is good for your soul

It’s Sunday morning as I write this and although I have 12 to15 posts in varying degrees of completion, it was important for me to bring something new to life – to explore this topic and see what I uncovered.  I use my writing to sort myself out, to expand a concept, to learn something new, and to teach.  It allows me to capture the ideas that are swirling around me in nebulous form and bring them onto the physical plane for examination and consideration.

Write to sort yourself out

Journaling has long been a cornerstone of self-understanding.  When we write it down it stops spinning around in our head and becomes concrete for us. We can make lists and compare opportunities and make choices once we bring our ideas into form. 

I wrote an article about my cat Sebastian who was busy pulling push pins off of my bulletin board.  I saw that as an opportunity to think and write about curiosity and exploration and how we might increase that in our lives.

When I moved from California to Kansas City to be near my children I wrote all sorts of articles on choices, and giving stuff away, and rethinking where you put things in the new environment. 

Emerson says  “For the instinct is sure, that prompts him to tell his brother what he thinks. He then learns that in going down into the secrets of his own mind he has descended into the secrets of all minds. He learns that he who has mastered any law in his private thoughts, is master to that extent of all men whose language he speaks, and of all into whose language his own can be translated. The poet, in utter solitude remembering his spontaneous thoughts and recording them, is found to have recorded that which men in crowded cities find true for them also.”.
 
Our thoughts have value.  Our insight will be the insights others need to hear. Writing is a great way to think outloud on paper and figure things out for you and for others.

Write to expand a concept

This article is an example of expanding a concept by writing about it.  My participation in Michael’s book revision made me very aware of how I very much prefer the writing strategy above all others and I wanted to look to see what that meant for my choices and my results and how that might also be applicable for others.

Write to learn something new

When I read a book I underline and I take notes.  Then I go type those notes into my computer.  And ultimately I try to explain some of those concepts to someone else – which helps me learn it even better.  And often there is a phrase or a word or a concept that inspires me to write about it.  What does it mean to me?  How can I apply that to myself. 

Write to teach

When you teach you learn.  I love to do this.  Several years ago I wanted to get better at writing and submitting articles so I created a teleclass Article Magnetism, How to Write Articles that Attract.    Recently I spent a lot of time creating my own marketing plan and decided to teach a teleclass on that, which I did and will again.  Ultimately I put many of the great systems I had created into an ebook How to Write a Magnetic Marketing Plan

As I coach I create new handouts for my clients.  They are part of my coaching library and many have become articles.  I’ve created so many great systems that I’m working on combining them into one book Your idea Generator. 

Writing as your sales cycle

So here’s what writing has produced for me so far. 
1.    I have lots of blog posts which are often the starting point for exploring and expressing my ideas.
2.    These turn into articles which I post in article directories like Ezine Articles where I am a Platinum Expert
3.    Posts and articles often become part of my radio show Passionately On Purpose
4.    I write articles that become my cornerstone series
5.    I turn those ideas into ebooks
6.    I turn them into teleclasses and home study courses
7.    My coaching handouts become articles and enter this cycle of possibilities

A sales cycle consists of products and services at different price points so people can join you wherever they will.  Think of it as a merry-go-round where people can choose their adventure – their entry point – the steady benches, the off-the-ground-but-steady pony or the exciting and adventursome galloping horse.  Your sales cycle must contain a product for each of those levels.  This may mean price point and it may mean beginning, intermediate and advanced levels.  Think variety, think levels of opportunity and engagement.

One idea wears many hats

I think of ideas as actors – they can put on different costumes and play different parts.  When you have an idea that appeals to you, begin immediately to see how many ways it can be presented. Chunk it up, or chunk it down.  Make it a series.  Take each point in one article and write a separate article for each point. Leverage your ideas into your sales cycles from many different directions.

If you are a writer, there are many wonderful ways to add value to your business.  Go exploring and see where it takes you.

©2010 Cara Lumen

Filed Under: Business Development, Marketing Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Are You a Natural Entrepreneur?

March 5, 2010 By Cara Lumen Leave a Comment

by Cara Lumen

natural-entrepreneurIt’s possible we are all born with the entrepreneurial spirit of curiosity and independence and a desire to learn, but not all of us keep it going for one reason or another.  If you’ve kept your free spirit going, you may know yourself as a bit different, a lot curious, and having a great time in life.

An entrepreneur naturally looks for new connections, different ways to do things, and is always walking to the beat of their own personal drummer.  Some entrepreneurs go into business for themselves.   And others don’t.

There is more to being in business for yourself than the idea.  YOU are the major factor in creating your own online business.  Here are some of the qualities I think are helpful for entrepreneurs.

1. Entrepreneurs are Passionate

The whole point of being in business for yourself is to be able to follow your passion, wherever it leads you – to take your dreams and bring them into reality.  So don’t choose an idea because it might make you money, choose it because you HAVE to do it, you NEED to do it, and you WANT to make a difference the lives of the people you will serve.

2. Entrepreneurs are Flexible

Entrepreneur Magazine says 2010 will be the year of the entrepreneur   because unlike a large company we are fluid and flexible and can respond quickly.  Are you flexible?  Can you change directions easily?  I sometimes get going so thoroughly in one direction that to turn me in another direction is like stopping a freight train.  I could handle that if I would periodically stop and question my direction along the way to see how things are working.  If I still want to go in that direction – great.  If it needs tweaking – tweak.  If it needs to be abandoned have the courage to drop it.

Do I dare bring up control issues?  I have recognized that I have a need to figure out at least one way a project could be done so I can see that it can be accomplished.  Then I’m open to the suggestions of others and am willing to go whichever way seems best. It’s a bit tricky to be controlling and flexible at the same time. Going with the flow, being fluid in your expectations is a helpful trait for an entrepreneur to have.

So flexibility is a necessary quality – the ability to change direction, to toss out something that isn’t working and expand on something that is.  To respond quickly, to know your own mind, to make decisions quickly and surely, and be prepared to change direction if your choice proved to be wrong.

3. Entrepreneurs are Creative

In this instance, creative is not about drawing and painting, but it is about an art. It is about the ability to look for new ways to do something, new applications, new insights, and new approaches.  There is a constant questioning quality here, of choosing everything with fresh eyes.  The natural entrepreneur sees connections that others don’t and sees possibilities where none seem to be.  He/she is flooded with ideas and has to work at choosing the best ones. Managing ideas and shaping them into form is very creative, whether they turn out to be organized ideas on a page or a gizmo that makes something work better.  Ideas are the gift of possibility.

4. Entrepreneurs are Independent

The natural entrepreneur has a willingness to be different, to stand apart from others, to stand alone if necessary.  The entrepreneur is seldom part of a herd – unless maybe it’s a herd of other entrepreneurs and then that’s like trying to herd cats.  There is a bit of bravery involved here, to be willing to go it alone, or do it your way when no one else seems to be going in that direction.  It can be a bit lonely, but with every step you stay true to yourself and follow your own passion, your own dreams and your own intuition.

The natural entrepreneur can manage criticism – if it is good they will absorb it and implement it.  If it is not they will ignore it.  They stay true to their vision while being open to change.

5. Entrepreneurs are Visionary

A visionary sees potential, explores possibilities, and always presses against their own boundaries.  Seth Godin in Lynchpin suggested that working “outside the box” is not what we want to do because we are all alone out there.  He thinks we should always work along the edges of the box – pushing those boundaries further and further out to expand the entire contents of the box – which includes everyone. 

However, when we let our vision stay too close to what we know on the physical plane, we naturally accept the limitations of the physical plane.  When we actually sit down to vision, we must allow ourselves to wander in the field of infinite possibilities and allow the connection to the earth-plane limitations to break so we can really go exploring into new territory.

If you’ve ever been around a visionary who is sharing a great idea, the worker bees are all sitting there saying “how do we get that done”  And the point is, the visionary does not stop her vision based on how it can happen. If you think it can happen, it can.

6. Entrepreneurs Believe in Themselves

Natural entrepreneurs have a strong belief in their own value, what they have to offer and their ability to deliver it.  They are tuned into their inner calling and simply go make it happen.  They maintain a positive attitude and know that they can figure out how to do or get done by others, anything they want to accomplish.  There are driven by their belief that they can!  http://caralumen.com/wordpress/philosophy/do-you-believe-you-can-and-why-not/

7. Entrepreneurs are Constant Learners

There is a constant curiosity about a natural entrepreneur, they are always learning new things, taking classes, reading books and blogs on their topic, networking with others in their field.  They try new ways to accomplish tasks; they look for and see new connections between the things they learn, and they rush out to share what they have discovered with others. 

8. Entrepreneurs are Commited

Whether racing across the finish line in the lead, or consistently moving forward one step at a time, a natural entrepreneur maintains a steady and persistent forward motion toward their goals.  They are not discouraged by small steps; in fact they break their work down into small projects so they can see a completed step and a steady progress.  They keep their eye on the top of the mountain and move steadily and persistently up the path leading to the summit.

0. Entrepreneurs are Resourceful

There is always another way to do something that might be easier, faster, or more lucrative.  The natural entrepreneur finds the way around the barrier, or a short path to the top of the hill.  They are the scout that leads the pioneers across the mountains.  They explore, they examine, they consider, and they choose.  And if one way is blocked they find another way.

Are you a Natural Entrepreneur?

It’s OK if you’re not, but if you want to be you can always develop the qualities that will help you reach your goals.  Look at your strengths.  Build on them.  Forgive yourself your weak areas.  They aren’t really weak; they are for someone else to enjoy doing.  Follow your passion, be flexible, know that bringing your ideas to life is an art form, keep looking for a new path, be resourceful and always believe you can!!!!

©2010 Cara Lumen

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

The Creativity of Conserving – How to Spend Less Money and Get More Value

February 20, 2010 By Cara Lumen Leave a Comment

There is something very creative about trying to figure out how to get what you want without investing any money.  You look at a situation and think “Here’s the problem, how I can solve it in an unusual way.”  I’m not saying you have to do something cheaply, just cleverly, with innovation, and out of the box thinking. Here are some ways to spend less and get more

One of the things I do every quarter is examine my business and see what I can leave behind.  Like lightening the load so you can go faster.  I look at my services, information products, clients, and partners and the more I toss out the more I have room for something new to come in.

There are a lot of things we put in place when we started our business that we need to periodically question.  I recently adjusted the level of my shopping cart to reflect the reality of what my business was doing and saved some money. I had subscribed to a “what if” level more than a “what is” level.  I look at the statistics on sales and decide what courses should be given live this year and what can stay as home study courses.  I had a demand for my early metaphysical books  so I made them available again.  I decided to turn a course I gave into the extremely useful Magnetic Marketing Plan workbook rather than a home study and give it live once a year.

If I see something I want to add, I first look to see if I have some version of it already that I just need to bring out and spruce up.  I found a half started marketing book when preparing for that class.  And another book on masterminds that is inches away from completion.  At the top of my list will be “Go finish some of the great ideas you have started.” Does this sound familiar?

How can I do more marketing without spending more money?  My radio show  is free to do.  I just have time invested. My article campaign  is free to do, again it’s a time investment but those articles often end up as radio shows, and blog posts and even courses.  And then there is my blog which allow me the flexibility to write about a variety of things, cast my thoughts on broader waters, so to speak, and see what ripples back in the form of interest.  The blog continues to attract new people and writing for it is one of my favorite things to do.

Yes, I invested in a blog course. Yes, I invested in a course about building your platform which can be translated into building your market share.  But the rest of my investment is my time.  Time to get better at some software that will open up some new opportunities for me.  Time to create some videos.  Time to read some business books. (Do check out Seth Godin’s Lynchpin)  Time to think up new ways to be in service.

How can I take an idea and turn it into something of value to my target audience?  And better still, how can I make that so affordable by my clever version of it, that everyone can easily afford it.  It’s fun and challenging to be creative about conserving my resources and those of my clients.  

© 2010 Cara Lumen

 

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

5 Ways to Help Your Home Office Keep the Ideas Flowing

February 13, 2010 By Cara Lumen Leave a Comment

by Cara Lumen

I love working at home. I get to set my own rhythm.  I take a break when I need one, go for a walk or read a bit whenever I need a change.  It’s my call.  And it’s also my call about how well I arrange for my office space to support my creativity, my concentration, and my effectiveness.  

1 – Organize your clutter

It is way too easy to put off putting something away.  I even have a basket that I put things in that I want for reference as I write.  It would probably be a good idea for me to put that in some order and maybe next time I go searching for something in it I will, but it is in one place – a basket.  Order is good.  I have a great shelf to put things on at my desk but my cats Sebastian and Sabrina like to lie there, so I’ve made another plan.  Their company is supportive and nurturing and they are an integral part of my home office.  I have labeled folders within reach to place the paid bills.  I bank on line and set up my bill payments the minute I receive a bill.  I have the papers I use during the day handy – all my passwords, a calendar, phone numbers I use a lot.  They are in a pretty napkin holder on my desk and don’t take up much space while staying within easy reach.

 But here’s a trick I learned a long time ago when I worked in a regular business office.  Each day before you leave spend the last five minutes organizing yourself for the next day, putting things away, making a short list of what you need to do next. That way when you come in you know exactly where to start and you have a tidy space to get started right away.

2 – Acknowledge your successes

I created an acknowledgement/tracking system for myself in which I write the things I feel good about accomplishing.  I don’t necessarily do it every day but I like to do it at the end of the week and if something really great gets done I’ll write in it at the time.  This Magnetic Momentum Builder is my version of the 5:15 report  also lets me track and acknowledge my forward progress

3 – Bless your work

I used to do temp work so I’d go into a company where I knew no one.  And I would bless the pieces of paper I was preparing. It was fun to wonder how many people would handle that piece of paper and unknowingly receive the positive energy I sent along.  

When I am waiting for my radio show Passionately On Purpose to begin, I look out my window and the great nature view I have and bless the words I am about to speak and the intention behind what I am about to present.  I fill my thoughts with loving energy to go with what I offer.

I hadn’t thought to do that with these posts, but I will starting right now.  As you post an article or a blog post or begin to give a telecourse, center yourself and align your thoughts with the people you hope are touched by what you offer.  And they will be.

4 – Listen to your inner wisdom

The beautiful thing about working at home is that when a creative idea shows up you can simply make it happen.  I was thinking up ideas for my radio show when I realized that particular topic would make a good post so I started writing and here it is in post format.  And elements of it will be a future radio show.  Now that I’ve begun to do interviews on my show all sorts of related ideas are showing up and I’m hard pressed to keep track of them all. But the trick is to put your ideas all in one place. I now have a folder called “Idea Bank” in which I keep all those things I think up to do or create. Those ideas you get – they may or may not be  yours to do but if you choose to act on them then you definitely are the chosen one for that idea.  

Watch for signs.  Whether it’s an email from a friend with something in that sparks an idea, or you read a phrase in a book that would be translated into what you do, or you’re just sitting there and the idea comes in – those are yours to at least capture and think about doing.  

5 – Create meaningful scenarios

Can you look up from your computer and see something you like?  I can look up and see a plant I love doing it’s thing in a corner or a lithograph of an old typewriter I’ve had in my office for years as a symbol of my being a writer, a Treasure Map I made of my intentions years ago that still holds true, and my cats curled up in a nearby chair. Surround yourself with things you like to look at and be with. That’s another reason to keep your working space organized so you have space for your treasures.  Stop and admire the small scenarios of meaningful items you have created.  

They don’t call it “home” office for nothing – you spend a lot of time there.  Honor yourself by making it visually pleasing and organized in support of what you do.  Periodically schedule a put-away morning and tidy up every corner of your space.  Love your office.  It reflects who you are and what you are thinking.  It should be nourishing and welcoming.  Fill your home office with inspiration and it will support your creativity, your concentration, and your effectiveness

© 2010 Cara Lumen

Filed Under: Creativity Tagged With: , , ,

Ya Gotta Do What Ya Gotta Do

February 3, 2010 By Cara Lumen Leave a Comment

by Cara Lumen

Don’t you love your intuition – that inner knowing that helps you make decisions?  When I decided to move from California to be around my family in Kansas I decided in a nano-second.  There was a knowing, a certainty that it was the perfect step to take.  And within two hours I had given notice to my landlord, called my daughter to say I was coming and got on line to check out places to live.  That kind of certainty makes decision making easy.

But what if you are not so sure?

Cultivate your inner knowing
You need to learn to trust your inner wisdom. So check it out.  Listen to those silent words you hear, or the sudden feeling that gives you a clue, and test it out.  Keep testing until you are comfortable with how you are interpreting those signs.  

Ask for signs
I love this one because it’s rather like going on an adventure.  Ask the Universe for a sign that the step you are considering is the right one and watch what happens.  Periodically I have to say, “OK Universe, what am I to do now?” And I read something that gives me a great idea, or I talk to someone on the phone and explain something to them and there is my answer, or someone is explaining their thoughts and I get the one that’s applicable to me.  

Know what you really want
If you keep looking deep enough you’ll find what is at the core of your passion.  I have gotten as far as learning and teaching as my passion but beneath that is a need to organize – thoughts, ideas, learning procedures.  And one of the signs I keep getting is people asking me to create exercises for their books. I create great systems for myself and I share them with others in my courses and in my coaching.  My latest thought is to make a collection of worksheets that simplify and clarify any project.  Keep defining your passion and see what others recognize in you. You have to know what you are good at but you have to be willing to experiment and keep trying things until  you find a way to make it work.  

Do your research
Sometimes we can’t take a step because we don’t have enough information.  Gathering information doesn’t mean you have to do it, it simply means you can make an informed decision.  Go exploring.  Get more information.  Find out what others are doing.  See what you can offer that other’s are not.  See if what you find appeals to you.  What do you want to do?  What do you want to offer? What are you not willing to do?  Listen to your intuition and inner knowing and follow your passion. Then make your choice.

Take action
Nothing’s going to happen if you don’t start.  Make an outline, devise some steps.  Start.  Take one step at a time.  Remember that business is a series of projects so divide your idea into measurable steps and congratulate yourself when you get one completed.  

Do what ya gotta do
Life is a series of choices.  The more aware we are of our passion, our desires, and our strengths, the more on-target our choices will be.  Look, listen and choose and go do what ya gotta do.

© 2010 Cara Lumen

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

The Push Pin Tale by Sebastian

January 28, 2010 By Cara Lumen Leave a Comment

by Cara Lumen

This is a story about how to leverage an idea.

I looked up to see my 11 month old Tabby cat Sebastian, diligently pulling the push pins out of my bulletin board.  He had to work at it a bit but he persisted and of course when he finally pulled it out, the papers it was holding up fell in a fascinating flurry behind a chest that will make them hard for me to get to.  But he loved that push pin and proudly carried it away as if he had just made a major jungle kill and was bringing it home to feed his family.  What a sense of satisfaction he seemed to have over a job well done.  But it also turned into a skill building exercise as he turned it into a toy – to push around and pounce on and chase under and around things as he batted it around. He even shared it with his sister Sabrina to have even more fun with it. What a lot of mileage he got from his one push pin.

So here’s what I learned from watching Sebastian and his push pin.

Be Curious
You can find ideas everywhere.  You just have to notice what is around you.  Be aware. Look beyond the obvious into the possibilities.  Do something simply because it is there to do. Examine everything for possibilities. Get creative about how you go about gaining access to what interests you.  

Be Persistent
If you want something, keep at it.  Approach it one way and then another.  Use a soft touch. Use a hard touch. Come at it from several angles.  Just stick with it.

See infinite possibilities in every situation
You may think you have figured out how to put something to use, but stay open to the other possibilities that show up.  Can it be tweaked to go another direction?  Can it be combined with something else to become have an entirely new purpose?  Do you need to share it with someone to make it really interesting?

Know there is something excitingly glorious in everything
Everything has potential.  Everything has a message, an opportunity, and an insight.  Look at what seems ordinary and look beyond how you already know to use it.  Look for new ways to put it to work, new ways to share it, unusual ways to approach it.  

As Sebastian settles down for his morning nap there is a message there to. A tail by any other name is another tale all together. And that’s what Sebastian taught me today.

© 2010 Cara Lumen

Filed Under: Creativity, Personal Development, Philosophy, Product Development Tagged With: , , , ,