That f-bomb dropping, Michelin-star-winning Scottish chef and TV personality who is the star of several reality TV shows, Kitchen Nightmares, Hell’s Kitchen and Ramsay’s Best Restaurants?

Well, I’d never heard of him until about a month [...]]]>

A couple of week ago, I was on a Gordon Ramsay kick. Perhaps you’ve heard of him.

That f-bomb dropping, Michelin-star-winning Scottish chef and TV personality who is the star of several reality TV shows, Kitchen Nightmares, Hell’s Kitchen and Ramsay’s Best Restaurants?

Well, I’d never heard of him until about a month ago. But now, he’s sort of become my newest obsession.

Not just because he’s quick-witted, sharp-tongued and wickedly good at what he does, but because he has a lot to teach entrepreneurs like you and me. While many of his shows don’t ring my bells (I hate Hell’s Kitchen and the American version of Kitchen Nightmares), I believe that every entrepreneur who wants to succeed in building a business should watch the original British version of Kitchen Nightmares starring Gordon Ramsay. Why? Because this show, and Gordon in particular, looks at all the different aspects of running a successful business. When Gordon goes into these restaurants, he evaluates, critiques and upgrades not just the food or the service, but everything! From the decor to the books to the cleanliness of the establishment.

Here are a few things every entrepreneur can learn by watching the original British version of Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares:

Get Over Yourself; It’s Not About You

When Gordon goes into a restaurant to evaluate what’s going on and why it isn’t working, he can be pretty tough on the people in charge. He tells them they don’t know what they’re doing, that they must be nuts if they think they can run a kitchen. People’s feelings get hurt. Their egos are crushed. But he’s not doing it to be cruel; he’s doing it to save the business!

Sometimes, as an entrepreneur, you have to take a dispassionate look at what’s best for your business.  You need to get brutally honest with yourself, or find a trusted expert who will get honest with you. You may have to swallow your pride and admit, YOU may be the problem in your business, and if so, you need to step up or step aside.

Your Greatest Offering Is Worthless

A restaurant can consistently create the most up-scale, inventive, labor-intensive food, but it’s worthless if their customers doesn’t want to buy it. One of the things I appreciate about Gordon’s approach is he is always thinking about how to please the customer! If a restaurant is producing food that is too hoity-toity for the average person within that community, he’ll help them create a menu that appeals to the people of that community.

As an entrepreneur, you have to always be thinking about your client or customer. You have to know and honor their tastes, needs and wants. It is your job to give them what they need and want. Creating and offering what you think they need or should have just won’t work. You have to meet your client where they are and satisfy their hunger by giving them the answer, solution or entertainment they are looking for.

Only the Best Will Do 

In other words, you can’t serve people crap. Whatever you offer, whether it’s hot dogs with sauerkraut or rack of lamb with new potatoes, it needs to be of the highest quality. Never try to cheat your customer with sub-par food; you won’t get away with it.

Now, I know you would never offer anything less than your best to your clients. But it never hurts to take a fresh look at what you offer and see if there is a way to increase the overall quality or value. For instance, while coaching clients on how to write their website copy or sales page, I realized they would get more value (and possibly better copy) if I created some templates and worksheets to guide them through the process.

Always be looking for ways to upgrade and improve your client’s experience. Ask them how you could make things even better. Then, listen and act on those suggestions.

Don’t Throw Money At It

When Gordon comes into a restaurant to try to save it from ruin, he doesn’t suggest improvements or upgrades the owners can’t afford. He instead helps them maximize what they already have to boost their business. Rather than suggest they hire a new chef, he tries to train the one they have or suggests a sous chef or other staff member take over that position.

As entrepreneurs, we can do the same. Sometimes, the solution is not dependent upon making an investment in another program, mentor, gadget or assistant. Sometimes, it’s simply about evaluating what you already have and making the most of it. Have you already taken advantage of the training and mentorship you’ve already received? Is there a tool, book or system you already own that could increase your productivity? Are you using your present assistant effectively and efficiently?

No Excuses

Oh, don’t try to whine, complain or beg for mercy from Gordon Ramsay. It won’t work. Talk about a “no excuses approach!” Any time a restaurateur tries to shovel up some excuse for why they aren’t doing their best work or giving it their all, Gordon usually tells him or her to “Shut the F*** Up!” There are no acceptable excuses. Only 110% dedication, commitment and investment of time, guts, passion, desire and energy will do.

What would happen if you took a no-excuses approach to your business? What if  you didn’t allow yourself any excuses for not following through or making positive changes or taking action?

I recently asked my accountability partner, Kathleen Watson, to ask me whenever I fail to follow through on one of my commitments for the day, “So, what’s YOUR excuse?” She is to say it in a way that implies there really is no excuse and that trying to come up with one is pointless.

So, what’s YOUR excuse? What excuses did you make this week for not following through or honoring your intentions or commitments? What projects, tasks or issues do you tend to keep avoiding because you have a really good excuse? Maybe it’s time for Gordon to stop by and tell you to “Shut the *bleep* up!”

Be Good at Everything

It’s not enough to be brilliant at what you do. You also have to also be great at what you don’t do. Here’s what I mean.

One of the greatest lessons I got from watching Kitchen Nightmares is that every aspect of running your business must be top-notch if that business is to succeed. If you have fabulous food and lousy service, it’s not going to work. Neither can you expect to make it if you have fabulous food and a dirty, unwelcoming atmosphere. A great location, well-designed menu and a charming wine steward are worthless if the food is consistently bad.

AND… even if you have great food, fabulous service, a charming atmosphere and a great location, you can end up broke and bankrupt if you’re not on top of your financials and cash flow!

So many entrepreneurs, myself included, started our businesses because we love what we do and we’re good at it. But that’s not enough to build a successful business. We have to find a way to be good at things we hate, things we stink at. For me, that’s anything to do with numbers. That is a huge weakness of mine. For you, it could be marketing or copy or public relations.

Whatever it is, you have to find a way to excel at it… even if you’re no good at it. Not that you need to be brilliant at those things you hate and loathe, but you need to take responsibility for hiring the expertise, support and/or staff you need to excel at every aspect of running a business. Hire a bookkeeper, a VA, a marketing mentor. Outsource those things you don’t do well. BUT remember, you are still responsible for making sure that whomever you hire is doing an excellent job for you.

Sometimes, We All Need An Objective Pair of Expert Eyes

If you’re having trouble, if there’s something that just isn’t going as it should and you’re struggling… get help.

Gordon Ramsay shows up at these restaurants on Kitchen Nightmares because they’re in trouble. They are in very, very dire straits, and they need to pull themselves out fast. When Gordon sweeps in to save the day, he has the best of intentions, despite his harsh, somewhat brutal approach. He sees what he sees, he knows what he knows, and when a restaurant asks him in, they often get blasted with his expletive-laden honesty.

Because he is walking in as an expert with no other agenda but to do whatever necessary to save this restaurant, he can see with objective eyes what’s not working and what has to change. And more often than not, the owners and/or chefs of these restaurants don’t agree with him. They don’t see what he’s seeing or taste what he’s tasting. And this is part of the problem. They’re blinded by being so enmeshed in (and often, attached to) the status quo of what they’ve been doing.

As entrepreneurs, especially solo entrepreneurs, we can suffer from this same myopic, near-sighted affliction. For us, our businesses are personal. Deeply personal. They are an expression of who we are in the world, and often, our identity and worth get all wrapped up in them as well. While this can drive our desire to succeed, to be of service and to expand our reach, this way-too-close-and-personal approach to our business can keep us stuck in mediocrity or stunt our growth.

This is why we need mentors and experts who’ve “been there, done that,” who can come in, observe what we are doing (or not doing) with objective, experienced eyes, and give us some much needed (and somewhat fierce) feedback. We need to be open to the expert advice of those we respect so we can build our businesses and accelerate our success.

We also need peers, mastermind partners who can also give us objective, well-intentioned suggestions and the support when we need it.

We’re not meant to do this alone! In fact, it really is impossible. We all need people who can guide us, support us and give us an objective, expert opinion when we’re not sure or struggling. We need to invest in the services of those who know how to do those things we hate but need… like bookkeeping or systems or organization or marketing.

What can you do today to implement some Gordon Ramsay-style principles? Can you reach out and get the help you need? Can you take a good look at what aspect of your business needs improvement? Can you ask your clients what they need and want?

Tell me one thing you’ll do this week to invest in the success of your own business. Just one. Leave a comment below and let me know.

The perfect day to talk about Love and Business. Particularly, Love and YOUR business.

If you’re an entrepreneur, chances are good that you are in love. Cupid’s arrow pierced your heart and you fell madly in love with the work you do now. Whether it’s website design, life coaching, [...]]]>

It’s Valentine’s Day.

The perfect day to talk about Love and Business. Particularly, Love and YOUR business.

If you’re an entrepreneur, chances are good that you are in love. Cupid’s arrow pierced your heart and you fell madly in love with the work you do now. Whether it’s website design, life coaching, making music, teaching… somewhere along the line, you fell and you fell hard.

Or, maybe you’re still waiting for that arrow to strike. Maybe you can feel your true-love work making its way to you. And you long for its arrival.

Either way, for an entrepreneur, love and business are eternally intertwined.

So, let me ask you, what do you love about your work or business? What lights your fire and fuels your passion? Today, on Valentine’s Day, I want you to connect with that Love and fire up that Passion. Remember why you do what you do.

Then, pour that Love and Passion into your work this week. Find a way to feel it and express it. Do you love working with your clients? Well, let yourself really feel that love. And express it. Do you love the creative process? Well, dig in and let ‘er rip. Whether you’re writing a blog post or your web copy, let yourself create with lots of Love.

And remember, put a lot of Love into your marketing and communications. I always say that at the end of every Tough Love Tuesday. And I mean it. Love, your Love, whether it’s for your work or your clients or both needs to infuse all your marketing. Your marketing is an expression of that love. Or, at least, it should be.

So, connect up with that Love that led you to this work you do, that Love that made you crazy enough to start this business you have. Let it drive you crazy-in-love again this week. Express it. Have it. And share it here, on this page, by leaving a comment below.

And remember.. put a lot of Love into your marketing! Put a lot of Love into your communications.

What yardstick are you using to measure yourself and your achievements?

Are you measuring your progress by other’s achievements? Are you comparing yourself to others in your field who seem to be doing more, having more, getting more? Do you look at those top gurus and multimillion dollar business owners (who always [...]]]>

What yardstick are you using to measure yourself and your achievements?

Are you measuring your progress by other’s achievements? Are you comparing yourself to others in your field who seem to be doing more, having more, getting more? Do you look at those top gurus and multimillion dollar business owners (who always seem to have it together) and feel like a silly amateur?

Well, I have a secret for you. All of those got-it-together, hot-stuff gurus, experts and super stars all have their bad-hair days. They have days when they are up against their own inner stuff, where they don’t know if they’re doing the right thing. They have flops and failures galore! They just don’t share those with you. They only tell you about their success and glory, because they want you to get on their bandwagon and come along.

And it’s not fair. Because you need to know that even the best of the best, the richest of the richest, have dark, doubt-filled moments where they’re unsure, shaky and afraid.

Don’t compare where you are to what you see others doing or achieving. Because the truth is, you don’t really know what others are experiencing behind the scenes. You don’t really know what’s going on inside their lives or their businesses. And, it has nothing to do with you. You are on your own path, doing it your way.

Be your own yardstick. Compare yourself to yourself and just keep moving forward toward your goals. Focus on what’s important to you, and take the next step, and then the next and then the next. Let the success of others inspire you, but don’t let it get you down!

Once upon a time, there was a young, over-worked and stressed-out business man named… Jim. Or at least that’s what we’ll call him [...]]]>

What I’m about to share with you is a true story, though the names and locations have been changed to protect the innocent… and because I’ve forgotten them.

Once upon a time, there was a young, over-worked and stressed-out business man named… Jim. Or at least that’s what we’ll call him for the sake of telling this story. Jim was having a small, informal party at his apartment in Cold Spring, New York, so he went to a small, local grocery store to buy supplies. He stocked up on chips, dips and the other food items he needed to make some low-key but tasty hors d’oeuvres. He bought bottled water, beer and different kinds of soda, including a 12-pack of root beer.

But once Jim got home with his provisions, he realized he’d left the12-pack of root beer at the store. Did he leave it at the checkout counter? Or maybe it was on the lower rack of his shopping cart? He wasn’t sure, so he called the store and told them that he’d left the 12-pack somewhere.

“No problem, sir, we have it right here,” said Whoever answered the phone at the store. “Would you like us to deliver it for you?” Deliver it? This store doesn’t deliver, thought Jim. “Well, yeah, sure. That would be great! Thank you so much!” Jim answered. He gave his address and then got busy preparing for his party.

About 15 minutes later, there was a knock on his door. When Jim opened the door, there was a young kid, about 17 or 18 years of age, with Jim’s 12-pack of root beer and a plastic shopping bag. “Hi, I’m here to deliver your root beer,” said the kid as he handed Jim the 12-pack. “Oh, and the store manager thought you might want this as well.” The kid held out the plastic shopping bag. Jim took the bag, looked inside and saw a gallon of vanilla ice cream. Confused, he glanced up at the kid with a questioning look on his face. “Just in case you want to make root beer floats,” said the kid as he turned, trotted down the front stairs, waved goodbye and left.

Yep. True story.

So, where do you think Jim is going to shop from now on? Where do you think he’ll tell his friends to shop as well?

What I love about this story is that it redefines customer service. When Jim called about his lost root beer, not only was he offered a solution to his problem, he got free delivery and a gallon of free ice cream! Now, that’s customer service… a la mode. And a great example of how to over-deliver to your own clients and customers.

Someone, probably the store manager, used his customer’s problem as a way to get creative and give him more than he’d ever expect. He found a way to be one step ahead of Jim, to think of what Jim might want or need before Jim could think of it. He did what no other store manager would do; he over-delivered. He demonstrated extra care, thought and creativity in order to delight his customer.

So…. what’s your ice cream?

How can you over-deliver to your clients? What can you do for them that no one else is willing to do? How can you show your clients that you value them, that you are thinking about them… even thinking ahead of them?

When we think of customer service, we often think of that department in any business that handles problems, questions, complaints, returns and other manifestations of dissatisfaction. When something is wrong, we call customer service. When our paper doesn’t get delivered. When our cable goes out.

BUT… what if we shift that paradigm and make customer service all about being in front of our clients needs and wants? What if we redefine customer service as over-delivering on thoughtful, creative service and pleasant surprises that improve, enhance or expand our clients’ experience… without them ever requesting such?

This is Customer Service a la Mode!

Many years ago, I was shopping for a digital recorder to use for recording rehearsals and live music performances, among other things. I went to the Sweetwater website because a friend of mine had told me that it was a great place to buy any kind of musical or audio equipment. I found a digital recorder that looked pretty good, and I bought it. Online.

10 minutes later, I got a phone call from a Sweetwater sales rep. At first I thought maybe there was something wrong with my order, that they were out of stock or something. But no. This sales rep, whose name was Forrest Powell, was just calling to see if there was anything else he could help me with and if I was sure I’d found what I was looking for.

I told Forrest what I was looking for and why I’d bought what I had. Forrest asked me some questions, like, how would I be using this recorder? What did I need it to do? After I told him about how I needed it for both live music, speaking engagements, rehearsals and interviews, Forrest suggested a different recorder that would better suit my needs.

At first I thought, “Right. He’s trying to upsell me to a fancier machine.” But the recorder he suggested was almost exactly the same price. Then, Forrest told me his own experience using this recorder himself to record live music and the various features it offered.

So, right then and there, I changed my order. Rather, Forrest changed it for me. I ended up buying a Zoom H4 Handy Recorder, and I’ve been extraordinarily happy with it. I don’t think I’ll ever outgrow this recorder which means Forrest helped me make a purchase to last a lifetime.

Because of this one phone call and Forrest’s thoughtfulness, friendliness and desire to make sure I got a the right product for me, I always, always buy any musical or audio equipment from Sweetwater and I always do so through Forrest Powell.

(By the way, when a package is delivered from Sweetwater, there’s always candy in the box. Nothing fancy. Just an unexpected sweet surprise.)

So, again… what is your ice cream?

How can you stand out and be “the one” to your clients? What can you do or give that shows you are giving them more thought and consideration than they are to themselves? What can you do that no one else is willing to do… or has thought to do?

• Can you introduce them to someone who may prove to be helpful to their business or their life in general?
• Can you surprise them with a bonus gift that may be useful, inspiring or amusing to them? Or just show that you’re thinking of them?
• Can you call instead of email when someone contacts you through your website or places an order? OR cancels an order! (This happened to me. I canceled an order for a teleclass. The man giving the class called me immediately. NOT to change my mind but to simply tell me that my credit card had been reimbursed and I should see that within 2-3 days. Because he picked up the phone and called as a courtesy, I changed my mind again and decided to take his teleseminar. I figured, this guy has something to teach me.)

Think about your clients and potential clients. Think ahead of them, meaning, think about what they might need or want before they even know they need or want it! And, as one of my favorite marketing mentors, Fabienne Fredrickson, always says, under promise and over deliver. Give more than you promised. Give more than they’re expecting. And you will not only have a client for life, you will have a raving fan, a member of your unpaid sales force who wants to tell the world why they should work with you, buy from you and do business with you.

Have you ever had an experience of customer service “a la mode” that made you a loyal customer and fan for life? If so, share it here by writing a comment below this blog post. I’d love to hear about them. And learn from them.

Numbers and I don’t get along. We just don’t jive. We coexist but on a completely different wave length.

I have a kind of number dyslexia where sometimes numbers get transposed either in my head or when I go to write them down. So, the number 384 becomes 348. Sometimes I unconsciously [...]]]>

Numbers and I don’t get along. We just don’t jive. We coexist but on a completely different wave length.

I have a kind of number dyslexia where sometimes numbers get transposed either in my head or when I go to write them down. So, the number 384 becomes 348. Sometimes I unconsciously add or subtract zeros. I’ll be thinking a number in my head, like 5,000, but if I have to speak it, I will say something different, like 500.

This number aversion is nothing new. In school, I hated math. In fact, in third grade, I tried to bribe my teacher to get out of doing my math homework. It didn’t work.

But as a business owner, I’ve had to buck up and face the numbers. And yesterday, as I was preparing all my numbers for my 2011 taxes (so I could send out 1099 forms before the end of the month), I found myself grateful for those friggin’ numbers. Because they told me the truth about where I am in my business. They dispassionately just sat there and said, this is where you are, sweetcakes!

So, let me ask you, do you know where YOU are financially? Do you know right now the relationship between your income and your expenses? Do you know how much you need to have coming in to meet your goals? And do you know how that’s going to happen?

If you do, good for you! If not, why not?

If you are like me, and you tend to bury your head in the sand just a bit when it comes to your financial fitness, I invite you to join me in this commitment to get over number lackadaisicalness, and do the numbers! Or… if you have a great system for staying aware of your own financial fitness, share it here by writing a comment below this post.

The tip for the day is… get the heck out of your office and go meet people face to face!

I just got back from the Chamber of Commerce breakfast, which meets at 7:30 am, and it reminded me of how great it is to meet real live human beings face to [...]]]>

The tip for the day is… get the heck out of your office and go meet people face to face!

I just got back from the Chamber of Commerce breakfast, which meets at 7:30 am, and it reminded me of how great it is to meet real live human beings face to face. I don’t know about you, but I tend to do a lot of my “networking” online via social media. Twitter. Facebook. These are my virtual networking communities.

But face-to-face networking is equally important… and sometimes, a lot more rewarding. Today’s Tough Love Tuesday is about the benefits of getting out of your office and into your community to meet people face to face!

When you’re writing website copy, or an email, or anything online, you stand a better chance of engaging your reader by keeping it short and snappy. Here is a tip on how to do that.

Hey, have you heard the news?

It’s 2012! We’ve started a brand new year.

Don’t you love new beginnings? They’re inspiring, aren’t they? Anything is possible, and the heaviness of “what was” is behind us. This is the time to spring into action, take charge, follow our dreams and accomplish our goals! [...]]]>

Hey, have you heard the news?

It’s 2012! We’ve started a brand new year.

Don’t you love new beginnings? They’re inspiring, aren’t they? Anything is possible, and the heaviness of “what was” is behind us. This is the time to spring into action, take charge, follow our dreams and accomplish our goals! No more “what if’s” and “if only’s.” We’re making it happen this year! Right?

Well, as much as I love taking action and going full tilt for one’s dreams and desires, I’ve found there is something even better than taking action, and that’s taking Aligned Action!

This week’s Tough Love Tuesday video says it all! Find out how you can super-charge the power of any action you take this year by giving yourself the time and space to get clear, line up your energy and go with the creative flow!

Let yourself play with taking Aligned Action this week, rather than getting caught up in all the do-do-doing. How did it work for you? Let me know by making a comment below!

Do you remember how fashionable they once were? Every year, people across the Universe would declare their resolution on or around New Year’s Eve… and they’d feel so much better for doing so.

Until a few weeks later. Because after that initial shot [...]]]>

When did New Year’s Resolutions go out of style?

Do you remember how fashionable they once were? Every year, people across the Universe would declare their resolution on or around New Year’s Eve… and they’d feel so much better for doing so.

Until a few weeks later. Because after that initial shot of self-satisfaction and impassioned determination, as we marched off to the gym, organized our sock drawer or refused to smoke a cigarette, we simply went back to our familiar, lethargic and hedonistic ways.

This is why no one makes New Year’s Resolutions any more: we simply don’t have the resolve to keep them.

So, rather than admit that we’re all a bunch of weak-willed wimps, we declared resolutions to be useless, worthless, senseless, and self-sabotaging. We blamed the resolutions, rather than admit we’re too spineless to keep one!

Now, we make New Year’s Intentions – the kinder, gentler, less-demanding substitute for resolutions. “I intend to eat more healthy.” “I intend to cut back on my smoking.” “I intend to save 10% of my income.”

Intentions are great, aren’t they? They allow us to feel decisive without asking us to commit to changing our behavior in any significant way. In fact, they are really more like emphatic wishes or enthusiastic prayers. They don’t require us to do anything differently; they merely declare our desire for something to be different.

Well, I’ve had enough!

I’m bringing New Year’s Resolutions back… AND in a “new and improved” way!

Because the truth is, there is nothing, NOTHING, wrong with New Year’s Resolutions, per se. True, the number of people who keep them all year is something like .00012 percent. But that’s because we’ve been making the wrong kind of resolutions!

One of the main reasons New Year’s Resolutions haven’t worked is that most people resolve to do something they really don’t want to do. They resolve to do something they know would be good for them, like lose weight or quit smoking or save money, but they don’t really want to DO the things that would make these resolutions possible.

They don’t want to get up an hour earlier to work out. They don’t want to stop eating sugar or drinking double mochachino lattes. And they’d much rather have a new gadget, toy or pair of shoes than save $200 a month. It’s really that simple.

The solution?

Resolve to do something you really want to do.

Did you get that? Something you WANT to do! Not something you think you need to do or should do.

• What is it that you want to do that you haven’t let yourself do yet?
• What dream or goal do you have that excites you, inspires you or calls to you?
• What are you NOT doing that you know would feed your soul, your creativity or your wildest dreams if you just said, “Yes, I’m doing it now!”

We all have something. Shoot, I have a list of things! Two books I want to write (that have nothing to do with marketing or business). A cabaret show I’ve been thinking about for over 3 years now. And that CD I want to record.

What is it for you? What is that “thing” you’ve not allowed yourself to do? What is it that you keep putting off until the kids are grown or you retire or the time is right or you can find some spare time? What keeps getting pushed aside because you’re too busy with the daily stuff of life?

Whatever it is, resolve to do it this year.

Resolve to devote a specific amount of time every day to doing that thing.

Will you start and stop? Probably. Will this resolution require you to change your schedule or let go of something else? Maybe.

So what? Whose life is this anyway?

Do this:

• Pick one thing, that one thing that would give you the greatest feeling if you took one step closer to doing it or completing it. ONE THING. Not two, not seven, not twelve. One.
• Decide to commit a specific amount of time to that one thing every day. Or every other day. Or every week day. Whatever feels right to you.
• Resolve to follow through on this commitment for just 30 days. That’s it. Don’t commit to the whole year. Just 30 days. By making a 30-day commitment rather than a 365-day commitment, you won’t talk yourself out of it so quickly. Because, hey, it’s only for 30 days!

What I’ve found is that once you’ve experienced 30-days of doing that thing you want to do, you’ll re-up for another 30 days… because the experience of those first 30 days was so delicious, so rewarding, you won’t be able to give it up.

Here’s another tip.

Don’t do it alone. For many months now, since last March, I’ve been working with a small but mighty group of people who make a 30-day commitment and then help each other keep that commitment. And they’re still fired up about it because they have the encouragement, accountability and community provided by the Just An Hour program.

Just An Hour is a 30-day program (it starts again on January 1, 2012) that gives you the inspiration, loving accountability and community support you need to not only keep your commitment (or New Year’s Resolution) but discover that anything is possible; you can have and do the things you want in your life.

This may sound grandiose to you right now, but this is exactly what other people in Just An Hour have realized for themselves by going through this 30-day experience.

Come on along. We’ll do this together. We start in January. You can give it 30 days. See what happens.

Let’s bring New Year’s Resolutions back in a new and much improved way

P.S. Do you really want to go another week, month or year NOT doing that thing you know you want to do? Really? Come on. It feels so good to finally get it done! Find out more about Just An Hour.

2012 will be here in 5 days. And as 2011 comes to a close, and this brand New Year looms ahead like a long adventure of unlimited possibilities, you have the opportunity to stop and get clear about what you want for yourself in this upcoming year.

What do you want to [...]]]>

2012 will be here in 5 days. And as 2011 comes to a close, and this brand New Year looms ahead like a long adventure of unlimited possibilities, you have the opportunity to stop and get clear about what you want for yourself in this upcoming year.

What do you want to experience in 2012? What do you want do, have or be? How do you want to feel and what do you want your life to look like this time next year, when 2012 is ending and you are getting ready for 2013?

While none of us can predict the future, we can create a Vision for what we want in the New Year. And the process of creating your Vision for 2012 can reveal ideas, aspirations and personal truths you may not have recognized before.

See, a Vision isn’t a long list of goals, declarations or intentions for your New Year. The kind of Vision I’m talking about is the story of your year, written by you. It describes the wonderful details of what you experienced in 2012. Here’s how you do it.

1. Set aside a good chunk of time… at least 2 hours. You can do this in segments, an hour here, a half hour there, but it’s best if you have the time and space to really sink down into this process without interruption.
2. With paper and pen, or with keyboard and screen, start by imagining that the last week of 2012 is here. A whole year has passed. And you are about to write a long letter to a dear friend, your closest friend, and share with  him or her all the wonderful things that happened during 2012.
3. Then, start with the phrase, “Dear (Name of Friend), As I sit here writing to you in the last week of 2012, I am overwhelmed with appreciation, gratitude and joy for all that has happened in this past year.” Then, write the story of your year in 2012, exactly as you want it to unfold, AND as if it has already happened.

Include every aspect of your life. Your work, your business, your financial well-being. Your family life, your relationships with friends, the vacations you took, the adventures you experienced. Talk about your love life, your sex life… let yourself have it the way you want it! Same with your health, your mindset, your spiritual life. Write about it all, and describe exactly what you want to have and what you want to experience in all those aspects of your life.

Don’t hold back! Don’t try to control it! Let yourself have it all, and write what comes to you. You may surprise yourself. Dormant desires and new revelations may find their way to your page. Let ‘em come!

One tip: If you start to write something and some part of you starts to contract inside, if a voice in your head says, “Oh, man, that’s never going to happen!”, then rewrite that section into something you can believe. It’s important that every part of this Vision feel yummy and inspiring to you. If you write something that feels way beyond your concept of what’s possible, you’ll shut down around it rather than feel inspired by it. You don’t have to throw out the idea or the desire;  you just need to write it in a way that feels good and believable to you.

I just started creating my own Vision for 2012, and I was surprised by the insight and ideas that came to me as I wrote it. It helped me get clear on what I want to create in all areas of my life. And it allowed me to see not only what I want to create, but how. It also helped me remember who I want to be in my business as well as what I want to achieve.

One more tip: Once you have your Vision written for 2012, and it should be a Vision that excites you, inspires you and feels so damned good to you, decide to take action towards bringing that Vision to life in 2012. Read it over and ask yourself, what can I do daily, consistently, that is aligned with this Vision I’ve created? See what comes to you.

I know it can be challenging to make changes in the New Year… or any time, actually. We all can use some support, encouragement and accountability. So, if you’re ready to make some changes and take action towards realizing your Vision for 2012, I invite you to join Just An Hour – a 30-day program that is dedicated to giving you the support, inspiration and community you need to realize your New Year’s Vision. And have fun doing it!

Just An Hour has attracted a small but mighty group of creative geniuses who are supporting each other as we commit one hour, every day, for 30 days to doing that project or practice that feeds our soul. You can find out more about it here. I hope you’ll join us.

Happy, Happy New Year to You!

May you fully realize your Vision in this New Year… and more!