Ever since the movie “The Secret” entered the market-place, an entirely new industry sprang up around it regarding the Law of Attraction.

I’m a teacher of The Law, I’ve been studying it for the better part of 11 years. I’m also glad that The Secret brought some of these spiritual principles to the mainstream. It certainly helped open more people to these concepts, and it definitely made for great conversation and great learning as more and more people discovered these teachings.

However. I’m now seeing a down side.

Along with bringing more visibility to these principals, it’s also spawned a belief system that if you only think a “certain way” or if you just focus on “these right things” that everything in your life will suddenly shift and you will attract everything you could possibly want.

There’s a big problem with trying to think just the right things, or visualize just the right dreams. The problem is - we live in a physical world. You have to interact with physical things, and people, and you’ve had past experiences that mold who you are - and all of that comes into play when creating your present circumstances. As humans, we just do not have the ability to materialize what we want out of thin air - and no amount of visualization is going to change that.

I’m seeing more and more people become frustrated with these principles because some people teaching them are leaving out the most important pieces - the pieces that teach what the right actions are to accomplish your goals, and the pieces that support us in the human journey. We can have success - but sometimes, we need to learn. We are not all-knowing beings. We are never done learning - as we strive toward our goals, there are things we need to learn to help us achieve what we want.

You may want a successful business, but if you don’t know the steps to take to achieve that, you’ll need to learn them. You may want to be a massage therapist, you’ll need to go to school to learn to safely massage your clients. You may want to play the harp - you’ll need to learn the strings, the notes and how to read music.

Mark Silver, has a really great post on his blog about why we can’t visualize our way to success. His post is what inspired my thoughs here.

If you’ve tried visualizations, mantras, and affirmations and still you’re finding yourself stuck. It’s ok - all you need is a little help, maybe some guidance, and maybe some support. You can get where you want to go - and yes - it’s important to visualize your goals and have the right mind-set around them. But, you need to take action too, and sometimes, you need someone to show you the way.

My friend Cristina is doing something really neat in her blog this month. She’s declared October Anti-procrastination month. You must check out her first few posts in this series. I’m incredibly intrigued to see how she plans out her month and what action she takes. And I think it’s pretty cool that she’s doing it for all the world to see.

She’s inspired me to do something similar in my blog. Since she’s got a handle on procrastination, I’m going to think of something else to post about… I’ll let you know what I come up with!

Now, my question is - how will you apply the techniques Cristina shares into your own business? Is there an area that you are procrastinating? If so, why?

Business paralysis occurs when we know what we have to do in our business – we can see the results we want, but we just can’t bring ourselves to take the steps toward it. Either we make up excuses, or we just procrastinate. Sometimes, the reason for feeling paralyzed is clear, and other times, it’s a subtle subconscious block causing the problem.

Business paralysis can happen because you’re lacking the confidence to complete the task, you need more information to finish the task, or you’re comparing yourself to other businesses and feeling like you just don’t measure up. Another cause of business paralysis can be unwelcome negative comments from someone else. Sometimes we have a friend or family member who tells us the exact opposite of what we need to hear. Negativity from other people can undermine your confidence and your efforts, and can keep you stuck.

Here are four ways to banish business paralysis. Sometimes, you’ll be able to banish the paralysis with just one technique. Other times, you may need to employ more than one, or all of the techniques, depending on your reason for being stuck. It’s ok if you can’t break through it right away. Don’t feel pressured to get through it quickly – it can take time.

1. Journaling is a great way to help you look at yourself, the situation, and yourself in the situation. If you’re feeling stuck journal around these questions: what am I trying to accomplish? Why do I want so badly to accomplish this? Am I making excuses, and if so, what are my reasons for not moving forward? Is my confidence feeling low, and if so, what is at the root of that feeling? Can I pin-point how and when my paralysis started? By answering these questions and then taking some time to free-write, you can gain new perspective on your situation.

2. Talking about the situation with someone is another excellent way to break through business paralysis. When you approach someone about the issue, be clear about whether you just want to vent, or if you want their opinion on a solution. It can be frustrating when someone offers solutions or opinions when you don’t necessarily need them. Sometimes, talking about your situation out loud can give you a new perspective.

3. Walking away from the activity that you’re procrastinating can help you gain fresh perspective. Sometimes, taking a walk, going shopping, or just reading for pleasure are great ways to open your mind. When you step away from the task, be sure and stay focused on the present moment – take your mind completely off the situation. Giving your mind a break will help you open up to new ideas, or, it will help you see a new way of proceeding. Also, trying to stick with the situation when you’re feeling stressed or pressured may make the feeling of stress worse. The less pressure you feel, the quicker you’ll become unstuck.

4. If your stuck because your confidence is wavering, or because you’re comparing yourself to someone else, take some time to write down all of the wonderful things you’ve already created in your life. Or, take some time to think about the wonderful things that you’ve already accomplished. You can simply write a list of the great things in your life and your accomplishments, or pick 2 or 3 of them and take some time to relive the memories of those events. If someone close to you is talking to you in a negative way, it’s time to put a stop to it. Tell them that you will no longer engage in negative conversations with them. Remember, they are being negative because they feel they don’t measure up somehow – it actually has nothing to do with you.

Business paralysis happens to all of us from time to time, and it’s not always easy to work through. If you need extra help breaking through business paralysis, check out my Intuitive Business Readings.

On being organized, my friend Tracey Lawton is a whiz. Tracey says that “I think the single, most important, reason to be organized, is so that you can keep track of your business. After all, if you don’t know where you are in your business how can you grow it? There are several other equally important reasons for being organized though. You need efficient office systems: To quickly and easily find important contact information; To be able to respond to client’s requests straightaway; So that you can immediately submit a proposal; To be able to follow-up with clients and contacts; So that you can stay on track with your projects; To monitor your latest marketing campaign.”

Those are definitely excellent reasons to get yourself organized. Getting organized and clearing clutter also helps improve your energy, lift your mood, and it helps to make room in your life for bigger and better things to enter.

If you’re forcing yourself to look at piles of “stuff” think about the energy you’re expending worrying about what you’re going to do with all that stuff, and when you’re going to do something about it. Also, you have to keep shifting everything from one place to another just to be able to work around it.

Having clutter around can drag down your mood as well. Your space feels heavy, and crowded when the things you need are competing with piles of who-knows-what. If you have to dig for what you need, or you can’t put your hands on important things right away, it can cause stress and frustration.

When you clear out, or get organized, you really do make room for great things to come into your life. For example, when you get rid of the clothes that no longer fit, or are out of style, you free up space in your closet – and you feel great buying replacements.

If you’re looking at and stressing over clutter, where do you begin? Here are three steps to get you started:

1. All of the items causing clutter can either be acted on, put away, or gotten rid of. Take each item and decide what category it fits into. Remember, “gotten rid of” doesn’t mean you have to toss it. You can donate things to churches, daycares, charitable organizations, or your neighbors.

2. Don’t try to tackle it all at once. Start in one corner and work your way around the room piece by piece. Looking at a whole room of stuff can be overwhelming. Break the task into pieces and decide what you’ll tackle first. Once you’ve conquered one small area, take a short break, get refreshed and then come back in and dive into the next area.

3. You don’t have to finish in one day. You can break the job down into several days. Pressuring yourself to get the job done too quickly will cause frustration.

Once you clear the clutter in your space, you will notice a big difference in how the energy moves in your space. Everything will feel so open.

What are your tips for clearing clutter.

I’ve seen discussions in quite a few areas about building a business with a small budget. I’d love to talk about that here - because I know what it was like to start out and need to spend almost nothing. I also
talk to many entrepreneurs in this situation.

One option is bartering - now - there are some things with a barter that I think must be taken into account.

First and foremost - make sure you REALLY know the person you’re bartering with. It helps if you already have a relationship of some sort with someone before you enter into the barter.

Also - it’s a good idea to have a written agreement and really go over the details. If you’re going to be exchanging services, you want to make sure that both parties are receiving equal value.

Another good thing to do when approaching bartering is to have a deadline to review the agreement. Maybe barter for 30 days to start and then re-visit the agreement.

I’ve seen a lot of successful bartering - but I’ve also seen it go very wrong and end up hurting both people. So make sure that when you set up an arrangement like that, you have all your ducks in a row and everyone knows the deal.

I would love to hear creative ideas for using money wisely in your business, and also obtaining services on a budget.

One of my favorite marketing activities is networking online. Many of my clients engage in this activity as well. But, soon after starting online networking, many people find themselves in a state of overwhelm – so many groups – so little time! This week, I’ll address two questions I get from clients often. First, how do you know which groups are ideal for your business, and second, how do I effectively manage my online networking and avoid becoming overwhelmed with it all?

First, let’s talk about some of the ways that you can networking online. You can participate in online networking groups such as the type you might find at Yahoo, Ryze, or Zaadz. You can also participate in special online events through organizations like WECAI, or Verbal Networking.

It’s important to find networking groups where your niche is hanging out. These are the people that you will be able to help build your business. When you visit sites like Yahoo, do a search on keywords for your niche and see what kinds of groups are out there. For example, if I’m looking for networking groups, I might search on “women entrepreneurs.” Hanging out with your niche will help you gain clients, and it will help you discover what your niche’s needs are as they relate to your business.

You can also join networking groups where your peers congregate. These are great to discuss industry trends, get business questions answered and share ideas. For example, I’m a member of a few groups that are geared toward coaching.

You want to be sure the groups you’re interested in are fairly active. An active group usually has a couple hundred members, and will have at least 15 to 20 messages in a week – some have a lot more than that, but that’s a good number to look for.

When you join a group, spend a few days getting to know what the rules and expectations are. For example, some groups do not allow e-mail signatures, some groups have special days for ads. Also, spend some time reading the discussions and learning about the members.

When you’re ready, post your introduction, and jump into any conversations you feel you’d like to join.

If a group is busy and it seems like the conversations move fast and there are new threads constantly being added, you don’t have to respond to everything. When you visit the online groups, usually there is a message archive that you can browse. All of the threads are usually grouped by topic, so you can choose which discussions you’re interested in following and responding to. It is completely fine to only respond to the threads that you are most interested in. Don’t forget to offer your expertise in discussions where it is warranted. This will help members get to know what you can offer them, and it is a great way to establish yourself as an expert.

Another rule of thumb is to not work a sales pitch into every post you make. That can seem insincere. Save your sales pitch for ad days and for your e-mail signature. The goal of networking in any situation is to build relationships. You may not make sales or get e-zine subscribers the first time you post – and that’s ok. You want the members of the group to get to know you, and you want to get to know them.

Consistency is the key to make online networking work for you. Decide how much time you’re going to devote to this marketing activity and then be consistent. For example, you may decide to visit your online groups three times per week and spend 2 hours responding to posts. Or, you may decide to only visit once per week and spend 3 hours networking. Be organized with your efforts and stick to a schedule. This will make it easier to manage, and it will ensure that you don’t get stuck socializing when you really should be working

In addition to making really great business connections, online networking is a way to make amazing friends and meet fantastic people. Remember, not every single person you meet through networking will become a customer, but they will be a great connection – and you never know where that might lead!

We have many roles in life. Not only are we business owners, but we’re moms, dads, siblings, friends, sons and daughters. All of our roles share space with the limited amount of time in our day. Add on to that the unlimited possibilities of how to grow your business and you’ve got the perfect situation for overwhelm.

Here are three common causes of overwhelm and how to fix them:

1. Trouble saying no. Do you often find you’re saying yes to every request for your time? Why do you think that is? Sometimes we don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings by saying no. Other times we might fear the other person’s reaction if we tell them we can’t do what they are asking of us. 

You are not selfish if you say no to requests for help. It is important not to give so much of yourself away that you completely deplete yourself and are unable to do the important things. Also, it’s important to realize that saying no doesn’t have to be confrontational. You can let the person know that you want to help out, but that you can’t schedule anything else at the moment. Help them find a solution; perhaps another friend can help out.

2. There are just too many options. As the head honcho of our business, you can take your business in any direction you choose. The choices are endless. Do you ever get overwhelmed just from the number of ideas you get in a day? That is completely normal! Your purpose is to serve your niche as best as you can. It’s only natural that you can think of thousands of ways to do that. The trick is, to realize that you don’t have to do all of them. 

Having endless choices, is enough to paralyze you into inaction. Which way DO you go? The answer is that it’s truly up to you. All you need to do is decide what you want to do, and then move in that direction. Get a very clear picture of the mission and vision for your business – write it down, and keep it handy. Review it every few days and tweak it when necessary. When something new presents itself, determine whether or not it will help to support the ultimate vision you’ve decided on. If not, don’t take it on.

3. 24 hours seems like an impossibly small amount of time for everything that needs to be done. We try to jam so many things into our schedules. Between the business, family and social obligations, before we know it, the day is gone. Become a control freak about your schedule. What are you doing with your 24 hours? They’re yours - be incredibly possessive of them. Create your day in blocks of time. For example, from 8 to 9, check e-mail. From 9 to 11 work with clients. 11 to Noon, check e-mail again. Noon to 1 Lunch – you get the idea. Be diligent about your schedule. When you commit that much focus to your day, you’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish!

Overwhelm gets the better of all of us once in a while. When you start feeling that familiar sensation, stop what you’re doing and think about why you might be feeling that way. Take a deep breath and get back on track.

Let’s talk about Hard Work, shall we?

I wanted to post about this last week, but I hadn’t finished formulating my thoughts around it quite yet - until this morning… when I received a blog post from Cristina and she just added fuel to my fire Cristina and I are definitely on the same wave-length and I ADORE her post. She talks about an info product that she purchased for $97, and it had typo’s… and some other issues.

Anyway - the person she bought the product from is a 6 figure entrepreneur (way cool), but Cristina’s point is - if you are someone of that caliber - shouldn’t you produce QUALITY?? Um - yes, IMO, you should.

This is probably going to be a long post - so settle in… got your coffee? Good!

I am having issue lately with some pretty heavy-hitting Internet Marketing Gurus. I’m not going to name names, but I’m sure you’ll know the type… you know - the people out there who constantly talk about how much money they make and how little they work.

I simply MUST take issue with this… because my clients come to me after reading all of the “stuff” from these gurus, and they are completely frustrated because they are STILL working non-stop - which seems incongruent, because these gurus keep saying that they only work 2 hours per day and they make $50,000 per month…

So let’s delve into it and de-mystify it a bit, shall we?

I have two problems with this type of promotion.

1. If I am a customer - I am paying to have exposure to the expert. I do not want to spend my money with someone who is telling me how LITTLE they work. If I’m giving you my money, and you’re telling me that you never work - how on Earth are you going to help me if I have a question with your information?

By telling me how little you work, are you saying to just expect you to not ever get back to me if I need a brief moment of your time? And have you seen the cost of some of these products?? You want me to spend WHAT? to not have access to you?

2. I believe that these “gurus” are just causing way more frustration. Entrepreneurs are definitely delighted by the idea of barely working and making tremendous money. But I don’t think the entire picture is presented… it can’t be - because I have many clients come to me at the end of their rope. They’ve purchased $1,000’s of dollars worth of these types of products, followed the steps and STILL they are working 40+ hours per week to make their business happen.

Or - they come to me not understanding why they have to work so damn hard and all of these other people seem to just coast by.

Ok - let’s shed some light on this…

First off - to build a business - it takes work. You are not going to start your business today, and be making 6 figures in 6 months - UNLESS - you already have a pretty big audience.

Your business is where your passion, your purpose and your ability to connect with your niche combine.

And that last piece is the money piece - your ability to connect with your niche.

What that means is - you must be in front of 1,000’s and 1,000’s of people in order to be making 6 figures.

It’s a numbers game. The statistic on the street is, a 1% response rate for your marketing efforts is a good response rate.

Sobering - isn’t it.

Think about that - if you only have 300 people on your list right now, 1% is THREE people. And that’s considered a good response rate.

So - the bigger you build your list - or - the more exposure you have - the better your 1% looks.

So, yes, some of these guru’s only have to work a few hours a day to make a killing - but how big is their list, and how long have they been in the game??

The longer you’re in business, the bigger your list, right? So, sure, you too can be making a boatload of money and not breaking your neck, but it takes building that list first. And that is going to come with consistent action, time, and the right mind-set.

Yes, I have seen all the success stories and testimonials on these sites. But, I always question - how far along were these people in business BEFORE they took this class? How big was their list at the outset?

Yes - I know - I’ve seen the testimonials where they say “oh - I JUST started my business and I took this program - I went from 0 to 10,000 on my list in 6 months.”

Ok - but how many people did that person know already? How aggressively did they market themselves to get to that point?

What I don’t like is that there is an impression here that hardly any work was done from day one… and I just refuse to believe that is possible.

After working with many, many entrepreneurs, hearing their stories, listening to what REALLY goes on in our home offices - what I have found is that it takes work.

No if’s and’s or but’s about it - you MUST work your business. You must consistently do 2 to 3 hours of marketing PER DAY to get your name out there. And you must get yourself in front of larger and larger groups of people.

You’ve got to do the work. There is no other way to go about it. You have to take action - and it does not happen over night.

Can you have a money-making business within a year? Absolutely. I believe that, no question. Will it be 6 figures in that amount of time? That depends on your exposure. It takes a well thought-out plan, and consistent, massive action in your business.

I want to say that I work hard in my business and I’m proud of it. Why has “hard work” gotten such a bad wrap lately?? I just don’t get it. Yes, when I was in a corporate job, I worked hard and it sucked. I worked long hours away from my family - and it was stressful.

In my business now, I do not work 2 hours per day. I work about 30 hours per week - give or take. And I LOVE it. I adore what I do. I love my clients, I love the contacts I’ve made through my business, I love what I create - I love it all!

The difference in my mind is, I don’t stress, I don’t strain, and I don’t agonize. My schedule is flexible. I can come and go as I want - I can take days off to be with my daughter, I don’t have to ask permission to stay home when she’s sick…

Now - I have to make up that time in my business - but again - I LOVE what I do and WANT to spend the time doing it.

As an entrepreneur - it is not my goal to NOT work. It is my goal to do what I love and be prosperous in ALL areas of my life.

So, anyone that’s ever been frustrated by these claims of not working and making a boatload of money - you are not alone.

If you are interested in a program like that, really take the time to see what bang you get for your buck. Really take the time to read between the lines. If you have questions, please, feel free to contact me. I’ve spent time with lots of entrepreneurs who have tried just about all of them.

WHEW! Now that I’m done my rant - what are your opinions on this? Have you tried any of these programs? Have they worked? Also - if you seriously built your business from nothing to mega-bucks in a short amount of time, I want to hear about it. And, I want the REAL stories. If you’re going to share a story like that, I want numbers and proof to back it up. I’m willing to be schooled on this subject, but you have to have proof.