Business success

See It To Create It

~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

Working hard can create success and it does not need to be that way. I work with business owners and professionals who say they are exhausted, overwhelmed, frustrated, or that success is coming too slow or at a cost to their health and their lives.

Meditate/Reflect

My question is always the same. What is your vision for your business or your career? Their answers may vary slightly, but a common one is, “I just want to make money.” Most of them are making money.

Whatever we imagine we are creating. Often, owners are creating what they see. What they did not realize was that they were not focused on or did not have a vision of what they really wanted.

We often use the term vision when discussing businesses or careers; it applies to all our lives. Vision means to see. In this context, it refers to seeing with your mind’s eye. Imagine what success looks like. Imagine what the life you desire looks like. Can you see it?

Some people do not have the ability to imagine, called aphantasia, meaning without imagination. The other side of that coin is hyperphantasia which is having vivid imagery. While scientists struggle to explain our ability to imagine, most of us have the ability to see in our mind’s eye. It is intuitive.

What we see or imagine is being created. So in the case of the frustrated business owner, he was creating what he imagined – making money. He also believed that he had to work hard to make money, so he created that.

The other day, I met a new client with a successful business, but too much of it relies on him – his choice. He believes that no one can do it how he can, so he creates his business to depend on him.

I asked him why he imagined it that way. His belief was that having employees was hard work and, in fact, more work. I asked why he imagined that to be true. He hired a GM, and it turned out to be more work, and he said, “I knew that would happen.” I suggested he imagined it happening that way and created it that way. We worked together to help him see clearly what he really wanted, to see a different outcome in his business and his life.

What we imagine is what we are creating. Most people just work hard every day. They think that everything would be different if they did more of something like marketing or worked harder. That is never the answer.

Business owners and professionals who take the time to see clearly in their mind’s eye the business, career, and life they desire begin to experience changes that lead them to that vision. This is not logical, but it is very intuitive.

So what do you imagine? Not for the future but for what you want now. Follow these steps.

  • Find a quiet place and give yourself the time to meditate or reflect.
  • Take a deep breath and calm your body.
  • Stop thinking and instead imagine what you want in your work and your life.
  • See yourself having it.

Do this often, as it may take time to get out of your unproductive thinking and align with your vision. Change can take time but begins with knowing what you see in all aspects of your life. What you imagine is being created.

Success is not a mystery.

~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

Push pin on success text
Success is not a mystery.

What I know about success.

The clearer our vision, the greater our success.

So spend more time dreaming and not all your time doing.

Focus time on actions that create success.

Do not be distracted by time thiefs.

Create a plan and act on it diligently.

Decide how you want to be in your life, work and relationships with others then be that.

Know how you are being in each moment.

Believe in your vision. Believe in yourself.

Create success with the support of others. Never do it alone.

See your vision manifesting now, not in the future.

Allow it to be uncomfortable. Change is uncomfortable.

Have enthusiasm for your vision of success. Stay focused on that.

Don’t give up on vision, yourself or others.

How we are being, determines our success.

~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

Cloud SmileysSuccess depends on us. Not so much what we do but how we are being. If you want to know how things will turn out today, tomorrow or next year, stop and notice how you are being. Notice how you are feeling about it. Notice what you think, fear or believe. Seeing yourself, you are watching how you create or don’t create. We can change how we are being and thus change the result.

Notice how things are different when we are acting in ways that are successful. When we are being successful, we can be guaranteed a better outcome.

The energy of creating is not a complicated concept though it may not be logical. When we are excited by the possibilities, see our vision, are running our creative energy, we are creating success. The creative energy of the planet manifests around what we imagine and gives it form.

On the other hand, when we are down for some reason, our creative energy drops and, as a result, everything seems to stop or fade away. That is what happens exactly. The image we had of our success is no longer energized by us and so it, in fact, disappears.

Our thinking can get in the way as well. Say you know the success that you want. You begin to imagine your idea of being successful then you start to have doubts. Your thoughts jump to the forefront, saying you will not be successful for one reason or another. Your attention moves from your vision of success to a fear of failure. Once again the creative energy drops, the mental image picture of success starts to fade.

There are many examples of how our creative energy can lower. It happens all the time. The measure of success is how we react to these situations. Do we stay at the lower vibration and maybe go even lower, allowing our vision to fade completely? Yikes!

Some recognize the thoughts, energy or experiences that just brought them down and they turn it around. With great determination, they take their attention off the negative thoughts or energy and refocus on their vision of success. It is an exercise in self-discipline, disciplining our energy, directing it in ways that support our success.

We have control of our creative energy even what something impacts our energy in the moment. Being self-aware allows us to notice these energy changes and adjust rather than dwell in the lower energy levels.

How do you change your energy when it drops? One business owner gets in his car and goes for a drive; another spends time in meditation reconnecting to his enthusiasm for his vision, and yet another goes to the beach, to find himself. All three of these people know that solving the problem is not the answer. They know the answer is in finding themselves, their passion and enthusiasm for what they are creating. They move to get their energy back to creating and reconnect with themselves, knowing that anything is possible.

The answer lies in noticing how we are being in the moment. To create, we have to be at a creative vibration. To stop creating, simply drop your energy. We have free will. We can choose.

Success is not a mystery

~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

dreamstimefree_2565706Some of what I write in my blog is logical and strategic. I love that way of thinking. Most of what I write is from an intuitive perspective with the goal to open our awareness to so much more than what our mind can understand.

In our culture, we are programmed to be logical about all things. I joined a conversation thread with a group of logical thinkers to interject an intuitive perspective into their conversation. They would have no part of it. Everything is logical they insisted. What I learned from spending time with them is their conversation centered on things that can be understood logically and shied away from discussions that were not. So in their world of logic that is all there was.

In this conversation with you, I invite both logical and intuitive perspectives. The challenge is to shift our perspective between the two in the same conversation. That is the challenge.

Let me offer an example.

The most successful people have a clear vision of what they are creating. Having a clear vision can be understood logically as they can describe their vision to you and you understand. It is also intuitive as they see their vision clearly in their mind’s eye, but even more importantly they see it manifesting. Successful people who mastered this include Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Richard Branson and others. With great enthusiasm, they created one success after another.

After working with business owners for years, I learned there is another way a business owner may approach success that produces a different result. Their vision may not be clear. Their vision is an idea in their mind rather than something they can see in their mind’s eye. Intuitively, we know that what we imagine (in our mind’s eye) is being created. So until they can see it, it is just an idea.

A next key element for success is feeling and seeing a vision manifesting already, in smaller ways at first then growing. They can see their vision manifesting, doing this with great enthusiasm and passion for what they are creating. In this way, they add their creative energy to the mental image picture (their vision). When we add our energy to a picture, it comes to life and begins to manifest in reality.

Those who struggle with success may not have a clear vision but even if they do, may not feel that it can manifest. Their thoughts and emotions get in the way. They see their vision as something they want. Wanting is the opposite of manifesting so when we are in the energy of wanting then we are left with wanting. Not logical but very intuitive.

Successful people do not let anything get in their way. They are determined and move effortlessly through other’s pictures or energy that is not in support of their goal. They effortlessly keep moving forward, inspired by and taking actions to support their vision.

The dichotomy to this would be to become the effect of other’s pictures or energy. Perhaps someone does not share your vision and tries to talk you out of it, and this stops you. Perhaps someone has a strong reaction to the changes you are making to achieve your vision, and their energy gets stuck in your space.

Our vision of success can get stuck when we get into effort or try to control  how our vision manifests. How a vision manifests is not always logical.  On an intuitive level, when we resist or control anything, we change the course of it. Our original vision cannot move in a tightly controlled energy, so it stops and whatever we resist begins to manifest instead.

My favorite physicist, Fritjof Capra, would describe this in an elegant, scientific way. His description of how our energy impacts our world are in his book, The Tao of Physics.

So where to go from here? Logic can be understood. Intuitive perspectives cannot be understood through logic. They are understood through experience. So try the following and notice the difference this makes in your life.

  • Spend time reflecting on your vision. See it clearly in your mind’s eye. Not thinking but imagining your vision. Do this often.
  • Feel your vision manifesting now. Be clear about that. Avoid the tendency to imagine it in the future. Challenge yourself to see your vision beginning to happen now.
  • Find your enthusiasm for your vision. Release any thoughts or feelings that say it cannot happen.
  • Change your routine and begin to act in a new way that aligns with your vision.
  • Do not control how your vision manifests. Become aware of the inevitable changes that will occur for your vision to manifest. Do not control them. Go with the changes, as not everything is logical.

Best wishes, Kay

Intuition

Stop Being Overwhelmed

~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

hOverwhelm is a common experience and one that we can easily manage when we understand the experience. From an intuitive perspective overwhelm occurs when we are experiencing something new, our attention is on many things at one time and out of time.

Overwhelm is an energy problem.  Some experience feeling overwhelmed all the time, meaning they do not know how to handle the energy in their space.  Others experience feeling overwhelmed when they experience something new or more energy than usual.

Frank

Frank had some business opportunities present all at once. It seems to happen that way for him and when it does he experiences overwhelm, feels like he cannot handle it all and feels immobilized. Now his reaction may seem more dramatic than what you experience but the concepts are the same.

Discomfort

Frank’s immediate reaction was a desire to stop his success because he was feeling enormous discomfort. When we move to a new level of success, it will be uncomfortable because it is something we have not experienced before. That does not mean that we are not capable enough. We are just uncomfortable. I suggested that Frank accept the discomfort as a temporary reaction to having more success.

Present Time

The feeling of being overwhelmed causes us to get out of present time, to go into the past when we had a similar experience though not the same. We might go into the future worrying about what might happen. In any case, not being in present time creates stress in the body. Staying present, at the moment, helps relieve discomfort.

Focus

Frank had five urgent projects to manage, and the thought of it was so overwhelming that he could not take action. Frank was holding the work of all five projects in his space, in his mind and his body at one time, making it impossible to manage them effectively. His thinking was clouded and his energy confused. For Frank to get out of being overwhelmed, he needed to focus 100% on one project at a time, find the next step, complete it then on to the next.

New Level of Havingness

Not resisting the discomfort of something new, staying in present time and focusing on one task at a time, helped Frank reach a new level. Rather than thinking he could not handle more success, he created a way to have more.

So often I see people destroy opportunities simply because they get into overwhelm and do not know how to get out.

Sarah

Sarah is a young mom, with three kids and a fast growing online retail-clothing store. Sarah was thrilled by her success then realized her good idea had quickly become a successful online business! Not knowing how to create a business was overwhelming for her. I recommended the same steps for Sarah as I did for Frank. Sarah needed to allow the discomfort of her success, stay in present time and not multitask. She needed to focus on the most important task to achieve her goal and get a coach to help her create her business development plan.

More Success Not Less

Overwhelm occurs when we are not managing the energy we are experiencing. Rather than give up or fail, we can stop and take charge of our space so that we can have more. The fear of being overwhelmed gets in the way of taking steps toward being more successful. It does not have to be that way. Decide that energy is real and that you can manage the energy you encounter as you grow your success.

Best wishes on your success, Kay

Do You Have A Plan?

Self-Worth & Business Success

~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

Sometimes we cannot see the possibilities because of fear and uncertainty. Sarah is starting a training company for workforce development. She has worked in HR and volunteered in her community around workforce development for decades. Six years ago Sarah realized that she had a unique perspective on how to support challenged workers to become and stay employed. While she started her business at that time, she made little progress. Sarah had a unique perspective, a service to offer and was an expert in her field, but she did not know how to start and run a business.

When Sarah decided to commit to her idea, we began working to build a business around her vision. We worked on her vision, brand, product and service design, target market and more. With the foundational work completed, it was time for Sarah to begin to talk about her business with the world of workforce development. While Sarah is passionate and confident about her training model, she is not confident that others will see the value. This is not the case, but it is how she feels.

How we feel about our business and the value we offer impacts our ability to create clients. Sarah feels uncertain because selling is new to her. She thinks others will not see the value of her services but intuitively I see that Sarah is feeling uncertainty about her self-worth and value. This is not uncommon for new business owners.

When we own a business, it is not just about our products and services, our business is a reflection of who we are at our core and the concepts we hold in our space. In many ways, owning a business is a journey of self-discovery. When we are aware of our thoughts and feelings, then we make better decisions. When we are not self-aware, then we look at our business as a problem.

Sarah has worked as an employee up to this point. She is familiar with working hard, doing a good job and producing results. As a business owner, she is still working hard developing this business and is now ready to sell. Feeling uncertain about her value almost stopped her from continuing. Her business is new. It does not have results. She is relying on her passion for the work, her trademarked approach to workforce development and how she can work with an underserved group. Her success begins with how effectively she presents herself. From my perspective, Sarah is very impressive but my perspective does not matter. What matters is how others perceive her.

Everyone is intuitive. Our prospective clients pick up on us. Sarah needs to find the certainty and confidence she wants others to perceive in her. She has it in her though because selling is a new experience she feels uncertain. Every time she speaks on the phone, goes to an event or meets with someone about workforce development she becomes more comfortable though may not be where she wants to just yet.  She is getting there as she grows in her confidence in herself.

Sarah will succeed because she is determined. Her business is her passion, and it aligns with who she is at her core. Sarah now realizes that her business is more than the services she provides. With this insight, she is in a great place to be successful as a business and grow in her feelings of self-worth.

Anger and Success

~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

hIt happened several times this week that clients got angry. My clients getting angry is not unfamiliar to me and not my intention though it is part of being an intuitive business coach.

Their stories are similar. We are working on their business. They have ambitious goals to achieve.  We assess progress and how strategies need to change. The success of a business is always so clear to me, but that is because I am not working in the business. My perspective is neutral and clear. The owner, however, holds all the energy; pictures and emotions of their lives and their business in their space and from here try to create success. Creating success with these energies in their space is challenging. The perspective of a coach helps the owner to get out of the energy, the pictures, and the emotions to see more clearly and to re-gain perspective.

Change sounds simple, but it is not easy. In each situation this week I either stimulated a painful picture in the space of the owner or pushed them a bit too far out of their comfort zone. Being a successful business owner is always a journey in self-awareness.

There are many ways to be a successful. Some barrel through the energy in their space and override self-awareness to create what they want. Barreling through is one way but when that success is achieved, they often find they are not where they want to be. They created success by ignoring and overriding what was going on within them.  Their success was external with no change within them.

These three business owners got angry for different reasons. They are men and women focused on their successful businesses and are self-aware.  When these owners got angry, it was an opportunity to stop and find what was in them that is painful, that they resist or puts them into fear. These energies, pictures, emotions or programming are not only in them; they are in their business or more accurately, in the way of their business.

One owner who got angry has a strong ego and feels the need to know everything about being a business owner. I asked to see his financials. He has been in business nine years, has gross sales of $6 mil. It was embarrassing to him that he does not know his business financials as well as he should. His lending partners expect better financials from him so now he has to admit what he does not know. We are working together to get his financials to the level his funders need and that he expects.

Another is a new business owner who got angry when we were creating strategies for her sales process. She preferred using strategies she felt comfortable doing. When I showed her how new strategies would create better results, she got angry.   These ideas were too far outside her comfort zone. She knows these steps are needed to succeed so we are creating a new sales process with new a new approach.  She is ready to step outside her comfort zone.

The third client has owned her successful business for years.  Currently, she does a great deal of the work of the business herself though she has a staff of eight. When I challenged her to become a better manager and leader in her business, learning how to mentor staff to do the work, she became angry. It is easier for her to do the work herself than to develop staff. We are now working to develop systems for staff development and to change her relationship to her business.

These are three great examples of how the limits inside us can get in the way of our success. All three of these clients, released their anger to see where they were in their own way then decided steps they could take. Making these changes was not and is not easy for them. It will take work to create the personal changes that support their success, but they are not afraid to be self-aware and to create change.

Our challenge every day is to be aware of how we are in our own way. What do we resist? What do we not know? What steps are we afraid to take? Often we cannot see this because we are so IN it. Ask someone. Ask a neutral observer to help you see where you are stuck. It will make all the difference.

The Three Most Important Steps

~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

Cherry flowers and dollarLike most of us you probably get up in the morning, follow your routine and head off to work. You get there and take on whatever is on your desk or demanding your attention. This is the recipe for working hard. It is the same routine every day. This is not a recipe for success.

Don’t feel bad most people work this way. Successful people work another way. They have a clear vision of the success they want. They have a clear vision and they have a plan to get there. Each day successful people find the most important steps they can take that day to achieve that vision. Success people are not distracted by other demands and don’t waste time on work that does not move them forward in achieving their vision. They are focused.

Anyone can do this but old habits are hard to break, so it takes a plan. With those I coach I suggest meditation. Begin each day with a few quiet moments in which you stop, close your eyes, stop thinking, get quiet and visualize.

When we start our day with a vision of success in mind, everything changes. We become clear and focused. Rather than decide what you have to do today, visualize (imagine) the success you desire. Have this in mind to start. See it clearly. If you cannot then spend more time each day until you are clear. Without that vision, you have nothing to achieve. You are just working hard.

Next notice where you are now and the distance between where you are and where you want to be. Meditate and know the steps you can take to move closer to your vision of success. Finally in meditation become aware of three high-value tasks you can do this day to move you forward.

If three steps are taken each day toward your vision, it begins to manifest. It is surprising and exciting. It is important that the three steps are high-value steps. High-value steps make a difference. They are not the easy to do steps that you would do anyway but rather ones that take you out of your routine, are a bit uncomfortable and will make a significant difference.

When we approach our work in this way, our perspective and our energy change significantly. We feel different and see differently. We are focused on success, and it is manifesting.

Best wishes on your success, Kay

Forget Goals!

~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

dreamstime_12068670Forget your to-do list. Forget goals. Focus on results. Working with hundreds of business owners and professionals for all these years has raised my understanding of success, what works and what does not.

The biggest time waster is the To Do List, at least as a starting point. The To-Do List is the last thing to be created. Goals can be just as ineffective, at least as a starting point. The most effective approach is: to know the vision you have for your life, see it clearly in your mind’s eye then everything you do, actions you take and decisions you make help to achieve your vision. Everything else is a distraction and moves you away from your vision.

Another approach may be more effective. Decide the results that you want at the end of the day, the week, the month, the year. The timeframe you set does not matter but should be sufficient to direct the results that you want.

Most importantly is to write this down in terms that show results. For example, use terms like:
I have ……….
I am ……
I do …….

Never use the word want. That creates wanting. Only write in future terms if you want the result to be in the future because you do not want it now. When you write a result in the future, is it because you do not believe it can happen now? If that is the case, then it will never happen, it will always be in the future.

Focusing on results means declaring that you are creating. You are creating something new, creating a change or a new experience in your life personally or professionally. You are stating the result of that change. You are stating it in present time terms. This is the most powerful way to create change now.

Finally, be conscious of your thoughts, focus on the results you desire and be determined regardless of where you are now. If you cannot imagine these results then explore the thoughts, emotions, memories and concepts that you hold. Are they in conflict with the result you desire? Clear your thinking. Strengthen your vision. It is a process, and it works. The thoughts you hold create your reality. Notice your reality, it is showing you what you believe to be true. You can change this. Change your thinking; focus your attention on the results you desire.

Give it a try.  Write the vision you have for yourself personally and professionally. Write the results you have for this week for any aspect of your vision.  Meditate on both so that you can see your vision manifesting in present time.  Be self-aware.  Clear energy, thoughts, emotions that interfere with your vision manifesting now.  Spend   30 minutes each day being clear about the results you desire and believing it whole heartedly.   Believing it wholeheartedly means there is nothing in you in your way.

Best wishes, Kay

Frustrated? Take Ownership.

~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

dreamstime_man-meditating_5645730I need more sales. I don’t have enough time. I need better marketing. Can’t find good people. Business owners stare at these frustrations at one time or another. Most often they go for the band-aid instead of creating a strong bridge. What if the problem was not sales, time, marketing or people? What if something more foundational was at the core of each of these with the result being poor sales, lack of time, not enough leads, staff is not performing, etc.?

Business owners are the heart and soul of the business so when something is not working looking outward will not show the answer. We have to look within. Our business is a physical manifestation of what is going on with us. This is true not just for a business owner but also for anyone. Look at what is happening in your life as a reflection of what is going on within you. This is not logical, but it is very intuitive.

When we accept that what we experience is a reflection of us then consider the following and take ownership of what you want to change.

  • It is NEVER someone else’s fault. Instead, we can ask why are we engaged with someone in a way that creates what we do not want?
  • There is never anyone to blame. Instead, we can ask, “What was I not owning or doing that created space for this mishap or situation?”
  • Need more sales. Take a new look at what you are selling. You are not selling just your product or service but more. What are you showing your prospect about you and your business? That is what they are buying.  The product or service you sell, for most industries, could be purchased from someone else so why should they buy from you?
  • Not enough time? Why is that? Honestly, where do you spend your time? What is important to you and what do you value? An honest self-assessment of your personal discipline is the first step. Then a time management plan is created from that honest reflection and focused on achieving goals not being busy.
  • Need more marketing? Stop before you throw money at websites, SEO, inbound marketing, etc. Before you do all those great things, decide who you are, what you value, your vision and what you promise to your customers.  Market from that awareness.
  • Finding staff. Qualifications are not enough. When we hire people who match our values, our vision and inspired to promote the promise we make to our customers that is a good fit.
  • Staff not performing.  Take time to assess yourself as a manager. Do you bring out the best in people? Do you create a culture of excellence?

So you get the point and the list could go on and on.  The problem is never outside of us. What you see outside is the result of what is going on within us. This is true for business owners and everyone else. To have inspired success means a journey in self-awareness and the application of strategic actions to achieve your vision of success.

Best wishes on your success, Kay

Business Coaching

Your Power to Create

~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

iStock_000040644216MediumIntuition is widely discussed these days though few know how to use this ability. Most references to intuition relate to our ability to pick up on things, to know, to read and to trust our gut. These describe the receiving side of intuition. Few know about or understand the other side, our power to create.

Creative intuition is not a logical discussion so you will have to open to your intuition. Our thoughts create. A short and simple statement that cannot be understood by the mind. Quantum Physics has provided the science behind this long known ability to have to create, manifest and change our reality simply by placing our attention on it. Quantum physics states that the observer has a direct impact on whatever they have their attention on.

A simpler way of saying this is, “Our thoughts are creative.” As a coach and consultant, this is in my awareness all the time. I pay attention to the words my clients use, the thoughts they express, the attitude they have. Those who are successful are optimistic, positive, have a strong vision, are problem solvers and are determined. You never hear a negative word or thought come from them.

Joyce is a new client and a business owner. At first she presents a friendly, positive perspective but my sense was behind that persona is a lot of negative energies. Joyce started coaching because her eight-year business is barely breaking even. She wants success. I know that success and failure are not coincidental. I could feel intuitively how tightly she held things, anger deep inside her. Her energy did not flow. That showed up in her business by money not flowing; relationships were not flowing, and difficulty getting clients to reorder.

After a couple of pleasant coaching sessions, Joyce let down her guard showing how negative she is, seeing everything as a problem, not keeping clients, not having money, etc. My efforts to encourage her to look at things from a different perspective fell on deaf ears. She was set in her ways, so our coaching ended.

Knowing that thoughts are creative I felt awful that Joyce was creating her business failure but could not see it. She felt her struggles were due to circumstances outside herself, the competition, the Internet, and so on.

On the other hand, I have clients who understand that they create. They guard what they say. When they have a crisis, they see it as something they can fix so that they can continue to focus on their vision of success. They are kind to those around them, seeing the best in them. My successful clients have a positive outlook and setbacks are just seen as part of life and move on. They keep their vision in mind all the time and work from their passion to get there. Failure is not in their mind.

Thoughts are creative. Notice what you think. Keep your highest vision in mind and see yourself there. Stay away from negative people, stories, conversations, thoughts, statements, and experiences. Take control of your space meaning keep your energy high so that energy is moving. Take control of your thinking so that every thought you entertain is one that builds your vision of success.

Notice how things are different for you when you see yourself creating your vision of success.  Knowing that your thoughts create, what are you creating now?

Notice how things are different for you when you see yourself creating your vision of success. Knowing that your thoughts create, what are you creating now?

Be Bigger. Be Successful Today.

~ Kay Robinson ~ 2 Comments

iStock_000039816438SmallHaving a clear vision of success is essential for that success to manifest. This concept is well-known and accepted. It is logical, practical and intuitive, but there is more. Having a clear vision of itself does not cause it to manifest. It takes action, using your life force energy to make space for your vision.

Does that sound a bit obscure? Another way of saying this is to take actions every day to manifest that vision. More importantly be bigger in your life. Completely fill your space. Feel bigger, take bigger actions, more impactful actions. Make every day a successful day.

When we want something we do not now have then, we have to change. The change does not start outside of us. It starts within us.

I am working with a new company owned by a husband and wife. Their business started nine years ago, and they did well. The business has been a struggle for the past 3-4 years, so they started coaching. They are great people and passionate about their business. Their challenge is they see the problem outside themselves. It is their competition, customers price shopping, not finding good staff, not having working capital and so on. From a coaching perspective, the change needs to start with them. They do not agree on the vision of the company, do not spend their time on the highest value tasks, are unwilling to change and have a failure perspective.

When we want something other than what we have, then we have to change. The change begins within us. Simple and powerful steps beginning with having a clear vision then every action you take and decision you make based on achieving that vision. Finally, spend each day being successful, seeing yourself as successful and be successful in taking steps toward your vision.

So often, we spend our day being busy, doing what is at hand or what is easy as if being busy was productive. Being productive is not the goal. The goal is to achieve our vision of success. That means to start each day being bigger. If we stay as we are then nothing changes. Being bigger means changing your space to the energy level of your success. Feel successful. Act in successful ways even if uncomfortable. Each day determine the high-value steps you can take that will make that day successful in moving toward your vision. Those steps might be challenging, or they may be easy, but they are important for achieving your vision of success. Have your vision in mind as you take steps.

Start today. Fill the space with being bigger, feeling successful. Fill your space more fully. The energy you are being is the result you will experience. Be successful today, tomorrow and onward until this current vision manifests then you can create again.

Best wishes on your success, Kay

Forget To Do Lists. Be Successful!

~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

Success Now!
Success Now!

As a society, we are obsessed with To Do Lists. There is a sense that getting things done and being busy are important. Getting things done and being busy does not achieve goals or move us any closer to our vision of success. It is just a way to fill our time.

Some of us are so fixated on To Do Lists that they feel lost without them. I gave a seminar to a group of business owners on their vision of success, the importance of creating goals to support that vision and strategies to achieve those goals. I never once mentioned To Do Lists. I had moved everyone’s thinking to a new level of creating success. They were inspired, aware and ready to approach their businesses in a new way.

At the Q&A session, the first comment was from a woman who said she totally understands what I am saying, and she creates a to-do list every day. Ugh! I watched most of the room move from the energy of success down to the energy of effort, working hard, being busy and getting things done.  Her comment reminded them of their attachment to a To Do List. Old habits, even unproductive ones, are hard to break.

Just being busy feels validating. We are programmed in this way. We are not programmed to be successful which requires a different approach.

Knowing that we cannot give up the To-Do List, as it is engrained in us, let me suggest another approach. Have a clear vision of the life you desire, a very clear vision. Write it down. Establish goals for the year to move you in the direction of that vision. Write your plans to achieve those goals. Your vision and the goals to achieve your vision are the foundation of your success.  The other option is to make a To Do List, stay busy in a routine that maintains what you have now without moving forward.

If a To Do List is essential for your comfort, create one but don’t start there. Start your day deciding the goals you want to achieve or steps you want to take to achieve your vision of success. Completing one to three goals a day is possible. Write the steps you will take that day.

Now go back to your To Do List. If there is something on the list that is urgent, though not important to achieving your vision, then decide that will be done today as well. Focus first on the steps you defined to achieve your goals. If there is time remaining at the end of the day then going back to the To Do List is an option.

Success comes from focusing on the outcome you desire and taking steps in present time to manifest that vision.

Best wishes on your success,  Kay

The energy level of success. Are you there?

~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

ThumbsUp
Recognize Your Success

Success comes from a high creative vibration matched with a high creative energy within us. Working hard for success is fine. The energy level you are being when you are creating determines your success.   If your energy is low, depressed or if you are in anger, effort or resistance, all your efforts will not create success. You are just working hard. Success needs a high creative energy.

Success starts within you.   How are you doing? What is on your mind? What energy level are you being at this moment? When we feel inspired, enthusiastic and working with passion we are creating success with these high vibrations.

On those days when you are feeling down, your energy is low and you are out of sorts, take a break, do something to heal yourself, to raise your energy or have fun. When you are back on track, your energy is high and you feel ready go back and take on the challenges with certainty and enthusiasm.

Start with taking a deep breath and placing your attention on yourself. How are you doing? Are you inspired to create success or it is time to stop and renew?

Best wishes on your success,  Kay

Forget Competition

~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

Abstract with heartSome things are set up naturally for competition, i.e. sports and games. Would you be surprised if I said that, from an intuitive perspective, competition does not belong in places of creativity, i.e. your business or your career?

Competition in business expresses a fear of lack. Whatever we fear we create. Thoughts create. If we fear our competition and believe they are better or will harm us then that is what we create. Clear your thinking on this and your reality will change.

A business or profession is a creative endeavor, a form of self-expression. It is a journey of knowing what is within us that we can manifest in our world. It is the purpose of life.  When we get stuck in competition, our attention moves from who we are and what we are expressing and creating onto what someone else is doing. We lose awareness of ourselves.

When we are in competition, we are no longer creating. Our focus is on what has already been created by someone else. We lose awareness of what is within us, our business or profession begins to show the lack of our creative expression.

Success does not depend on someone else’s failure.  That is  competition and fear.   Our success does not depend on being better than someone else.  That too is competition and fear of lack. Our success comes from creating the best that we are capable of and creating wealth for that effort.

Connecting to the creative urge within us, focusing on expressing that will bring the wealth and success we are capable of creating. As you go through your day notice any way that you express that fear of lack. Stop, release that fear and refocus on expressing your passion and creativity from within out into your business or your work.

Best wishes on your success,  Kay

As always, your views on this are welcomed.

Failure Is Easy

~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

????????????????????????????????????????When we have a great idea or something we are good at, it is easy to start a business but then what. So many business owners have a great service or a product, or are an expert at something. Running a business and being a business owner is a different skill set. That does not mean they cannot run a business though doing so takes self-awareness. What are my strengths, weaknesses, what don’t I know and what support do I need to make my good idea a successful business?

Over the years, I have seen many businesses succeed, and many businesses fail. I have learned from both. I am most impressed by those who fail unnecessarily.

Rosa

Rosa owned a restaurant in Detroit. She is a great cook, a smart women and good to her staff, but she was not making money. Rosa did not know how to run a business. She never determined the cost of meals she served so was unsure if she was charging enough. Marketing was a mystery, so she relied on word of mouth and returning customers. She wanted families from the town to frequent her business. In reality, it was the construction workers and laborers that came daily. Speaking with Rosa, she said she was going to figure it out herself. In the end, she could not and closed her business in 2014.

Sara

Sara owns a promotional products company. Sara realized she did not know how to make her business successful. She is smart, capable, and an expert in the creative and technical aspects of her industry. We started coaching with the basics: values, vision and brand. This work inspired Sara and grounded the work she was doing. It gave her a clear perspective to talk to market to potential customers. Her revenue doubled each month for three months then Sara decided she knew what she was doing and took off on her own thinking that the foundation was clearly all she needed. There is so much more to business. I spoke with Sara almost a year from our last coaching session. Her business is failing.  She found she did not know as much as she thought about running a business and was ready to learn more.

Frank

Frank has a wonderful new product that he is creating a business around. Everyone, who has tried his product, give it rave reviews. His market research and his passion for this new business are his strengths. He was on a roll, putting in place one aspect of the business then another until he hits a wall. Finances. Frank hates finances. He goes into fear and melts into a puddle of uncertainty. His business is ready to start production once he creates a real budget and determines how he is going to fund this start-up. Fear of finances is a major hurdle for many business owners. Frank’s business is on hold until he takes that step.

Dennis

Dennis owns a company that sells blinds and curtains. He has done this for ten years. Dennis has a great reputation, and his customers love him. He is not making money. Dennis has run his business without a budget, financial reports, and determination of cost of goods sold and more. Dennis is acting as an installer not a business owner though his gross revenue was $1 mil. in 2014. His profit margin is small and has been for years. Dennis fears finances, so he just does what he enjoys which is working with customers and avoids the finances of his business, and it is hurting him.

Each of these owners has created a business around their strengths, are smart and passionate, all of which are essential to being a business owner but a successful business needs all the aspects managed correctly. Business owners that struggle to succeed do the work of the business that they enjoy and are good at doing. They avoid or resist aspects of the business that does not fit their skill set, which they fear or feel uncertain about doing. These fears kill a business. Self-awareness is essential to owning a successful business. What am I good at doing? What do I resist? Admit that I don’t know what I don’t know. We all see through a small lens and can’t see anything that stimulates energy, a picture, a memory or emotion that make us uncomfortable. We put our head in the sand while our business suffers.

I tell these stories as we start the New Year to inspire business owners to take a deep breath, do a self and business assessment. Why do we persist running our business in a way that is not producing the results we want? What do you need to make your business successful this year?

Take the time to stop and meditate. Clear your thinking especially if it has not worked.
Quiet your body so that what you resist or fear does not cloud your awareness. From a space of quiet, go within and meditate on your business. What is working? What is not? What do you resist or fear?

Success is not a mystery. When we open our awareness of how we are getting in the way then we can make the changes needed to grow a successful business. If what you did last year did not produce the results, you want then find out what needs to change within you and in your business so that 2015 is different.

Best wishes on your success, Kay

What Do You Avoid?

~ Kay Robinson ~ 2 Comments

dreamstimefree_214026Procrastination is a term often used and not taken very seriously. Sure, we all procrastinate. If we look deeper and ask, “What am I avoiding?” that stimulates a different level of energy and avoidance.

What we avoid gets in our way.   We can work hard to be successful, experiencing little progress. We can do all the right things and still not meet our goals. The answer may lie in what we avoid.

Before you start the New Year take a moment to get quiet, go within, meditate and reflect on what you avoid?

  • What decisions do I avoid?
  • What communications am I avoiding?
  • What changes am I putting off?
  • What actions am I avoiding taking?

There may be other questions that will help you uncover what you are avoiding and resisting.   Without thinking, trust your intuition and ask why. Why am I avoiding this? Then take a deep breath and release all the energy you have generated in your space in avoidance and resistance. Continue to let go of the energy you feel in your space until the resistance is gone.

 

Try this simple exercise.  It can change everything.

 

Best wishes on your success in the New Year, Kay

2015 Different Than 2014

~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

happy new year 2015 on the beach with sunrise2014 is drawing to a close. Don’t turn your back on it until you pause, write your achievements in 2014 (brag), write what didn’t work and, most importantly, why. Success is not a mystery.

When we take the time to honestly assess both what we are good at and how we get in our own way then, we can change. Recognizing why we did not take steps, is important to know.  We can decide how we will be different in 2015. Otherwise, nothing will change.

This past week I conducted two webinars on determination.  I did this webinar because I find when we do not achieve our vision or a goal it is often because we are not determined enough.

From an intuitive perspective, determination is an energy level we have available to us that is so strong and such a high vibration that it pushes through the stuck places in us. If you go into effort when I say this then you are not using the energy of determination. Determination and effort are different.

We start with an idea of what we want in our lives but that is not enough. The next step is to see, in our mind’s eye, our life being this way. This is the vision we have of our life. When we can see it in our mind’s eye, we are a step further than wanting. But visualizing not enough.

Granted you must be able to see your vision manifesting for that to happen but there is another step. That step is determination. Determination means to experience the energy of your certainty and your power to create this vision and make it real.

From here we start to write goals, take steps, push through fears and perceived limits. We are determined!

Try these steps:

  • Know what you want to create.
  • See your life in this way, clearly in your mind’s eye.
  • Feel determined, the energy in the body that says you can and will do this.
  • Write the goals and steps you can take to manifest that vision.
  • Finally, feel more determined because change is about to happen.

I would love to hear your comments, stories and perspectives.

Best wishes in the New Year, Kay

Missing Opportunities We Cannot See

~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

Moments of a lifeI cannot tell you the number of times I have seen people miss enormous opportunities. They just cannot see it. As a coach for business owners and professionals focused on success, this is frustrating.

Elaine

Elaine is a communications expert who has held many impressive positions, knows persons of influence. She has connections so why can she not achieve her one dream to have a TV show in which she features and interviews incredibly interesting people. Elaine loves people. She has an amazing ability to bring them out which why she knows so many.

My work with Elaine is to work with her to create her interview show. She seems so close to realizing this dream. At present, she is working as a consultant so she has ability to decide how to spend her time. Recently the owner of a small communications firm asked her to take over his company for three months while he took a break. Was she interested? Elaine agreed though running a business was not her skill set, so she wondered how this opportunity came her way. Elaine is a firm believer in creating a vision knowing that vision is always manifesting so how did this fit?

After she agreed Fred told her that, by the way, he also had a weekly TV show in which he interviews people so would she do that as well. Elaine became very uncertain, afraid, did not feel competent and wondered how she could bow out of this piece of the company.

Suddenly Elaine was unaware of her dream to do interviews on TV. It was as if part of her mind went blank!

Lori

Lori runs a growing company opening her third office this year. We have been working on growing her business so that it can run without her. Not that she intends to step out at this time, but strong systems are important for any growing company. The company relies too much on her and with the growth of staff things are getting a bit out of control. Lori was determined to fix this. One of her strategies was to create a practice management system that everyone could use to manage their time, their work, improve billing and more. Lori and her COO spend hours researching the options, bought one that turned out not to work for them so then purchased another system at signification cost. She and her staff invested hundreds of hours in setting, customizing and training. When they launched the system the expected period of transition from the old way of doing things to the new created some set backs.

I observed Lori placing her attention elsewhere as did her COO. It was as if the PMS did not exist. It was as if that part of her mind forgot about her vision, the investment and value to her business. She went back to her old ways.

Why Do We Miss Opportunities?

I could give many other examples of situations when we created a vision of what we want to happen; it begins to manifest, and we don’t see it. Why is that? From an intuitive perspective, there are many aspects. For one, we don’t have enough space to see clearly. When we have a lot of energies, people and concepts in our space demanding one thing or another we cannot see more than six inches in front of ourselves.

Secondly, when we create a vision we are creating something new, and it will require a change. Change is most often uncomfortable. It is in our nature to seek comfort so we back away. As we back away from discomfort in the process, we are also backing away from our vision. We cannot see that happening because we do not have enough space. We have lost our awareness.

What Can We Do?

So how do we not miss opportunities? It begins with being conscious, aware and clear. Taking the time each day to meditate, clear our space and refocus on what we intend to create is foremost. Without clarity, we lose our way, our direction and just work hard.

Next, notice how determined you are to achieve your vision. Some aspects of our vision require more determination (energy commitment) than others. How determined are you?

Finally, be in present time. Being present is the only way you can see in the moment what is before you. When we are not present, we are on automatic pilot doing what we always do.

Our vision and its opportunities are always right in front of us. Always. The goal is to be able to see them and take the opportunities.

Best wishes on your success, Kay

How badly do you want success?

~ Kay Robinson ~ 1 Comment

KayakDo you desire success? How much?

What is success for you?  You can stop now and take the time to write that out, and I do mean to write it out. Working with business owners and professionals for 20+ years, I learned that those who write their vision down and share that vision are more successful. Is there magic to writing it down? I believe writing it down is a way of being determined in body, mind and spirit.

Are those who write it down more determined, more focused thus more successful? That statement has value as well, but the real question is “How determined are you?” Before you answer that let’s step back and ask a question that has to be answered first.

Do you enjoy what you do? Are you enthusiastic about what you do? Are you passionate?

If the answer to these questions is not a resounding YES then, you are working hard for something that you want but not something you are determined to achieve. Wanting something means you do not expect it to happen or that you do not have a plan to make it happen. Wanting is passive.

If however, you can feel enthusiasm flowing from within into what you do, stirring your passion and inspiring your creativity then YES, you are creating success.  Each day that you wake up enthused for the possibility in the day is a step in success.

You can’t lose your passion or enthusiasm.  It is there within you. En Theos. Enthusiasm.   Energy can get in our space and in the way of our enthusiasm. Responsibility replaces enthusiasm. Effort replaces joy.   There is a way back to the vibration of passion that you started this journey. Take the time to meditate, clear your space and thinking. Come back to your core. Reconnect with who you are at your core. Remember what stirs your passion.

When we create from enthusiasm it is such a high vibration that it brings us to the creative energy in the world.  That creative energy then supports our success. So step back. Notice where you are. How badly do you want success? Write down your vision. Share it. Reignite your passion and enthusiasm for success.

Best wishes, Kay

Have a bad client? Fire Yourself!

~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

BusinessmanA bad client needs to go.  Why don’t we make the call?  Having a bad client is not worth it. We know this so why is it so hard to let go and why did we take them on in the first place? Scarcity or lack? Can we fix or work with anyone?

What is a bad client? You have your own experiences and how you would define this. A bad client could be someone who does not pay or pays when they decide to. A bad client is someone who treats your staff with no respect. A bad client is someone who is never happy no matter how well you serve them or give them your best product. A bad client so someone who you cringe when you have to speak with them, and you avoid talking to. The list can go on, and you know what a bad client is to you.

Besides the experience of the working with them, a bad client changes the energy of your staff, a department or even your business. They change the energy, and people begin to feel tense, irritable and express energies like a bad client. That happens when the energy of the bad client gets into everyone’s space. They start to act and react at the same energy level as the bad client.

It never pays to keep this kind of client unless you can isolate their impact on you and your business. That makes me ask why keep a bad client? They may place the energy in your space that you need them or that they will ruin you. This is not true – unless you believe that it is. When you start to believe this threat, they are controlling you. Fire yourself before they control you further!

You may feel like you need them, or you need the business even if it is from them. This is the energy of scarcity. Whether this fear of lack is yours or your bad clients, or both, it is an energy to let go of so that it does not become your reality. Whatever we believe we create. Do not create scarcity. You do not need them and, in fact, will see more business come in when you let them go. They are controlling your attention and havingness for success. This can have an impact on your business.

There are so many good reasons to fire yourself from working with a tough client but more interesting is why you took them as a client in the first place. When I explore this with my clients without exception, they say that it did not feel right from the first conversation. If it does not feel right, something is wrong. Stop! This is a core intuitive concept that we can all follow to get things right. If it does not feel right that is a red flag. Here is where you can trust your intuition.

We can save ourselves, our staff and our business from the experience of working with a bad client if we had the courage to allow ourselves and our staff to say WAIT, trust your intuition when that first or second conversation with a potential client does not feel right. If you feel yourself resisting them, backing away, feeling irritable, trying to solve the anger in their space, feeling attacked or whatever unpleasant experience then stop!

Sometimes it is possible to reset the communication with your potential client right off so that they match the energy to best work with you and your business. If you or your staff find, there is no way to change the energy of your communication then consider letting that prospect go. Open your door to clients that better fit your brand.

Working with clients who are drawn to and appreciate your brand contributes to your success. Know who you are and how you are with your customers then call in those clients. There is no scarcity. Let the others go.

Best wishes on your success, Kay

http://www.insightintuitiveconsulting.com

Do You Have 60 Seconds for Success?

~ Kay Robinson ~ 1 Comment

dreamstimefree_1105021Working hard to create success is one way. Manifesting success can require much effort or it can be simpler. Either way is fine, and we do it the way that each of us prefers. Did it ever occur to you are creating success or not based on what you think and believe which is not necessary true?

Regardless how much effort we decide is needed the core is the same for each person who is successful. It begins with a strong and clear vision of what we want. Clearing our thinking is next, making sure we do not entertain any thoughts that give reasons why our plan will not succeed. Finally, feeling successful is an essential part.

Try something very simple. Spend time each day, maybe only 60 seconds, to quiet your body, clear your thinking and imagine yourself being successful and feeling it. For some, it will be clear right off. For others, it will take some time but only 60 seconds a day until we are clear, inspired and certain.

Try this every day for at least 60 seconds.

Sit in a comfortable and quiet place.
Close your eyes. Take a deep breath and relax.
Bring to mind your idea for success.
Imagine it clearly. What does success look like?
Clear your thinking and release any doubts.
Feel successful starting now.
Come out of meditation and have a great day.

Repeat this every day for 60 seconds until you see and feel it manifesting precisely as you imagined. Don’t analyze this just try it. Let me know what your questions are and what you discover.

Best wishes on your success, Kay

www.insightintuitiveconsulting.com

Is Your Potential Client With You in the Moment?

~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

WorkgroupWhen meeting with a potential client having their full attention makes all the difference. If they are distracted or have their attention else where you are losing your opportunity to pitch your capabilities. If they are not fully focused on the moment with you, they will not hear you.  To pitch your capabilities your audience has to be present and focused.

I attended a meeting with my client, Fred, and his potential client. Fred is a producer and works to develop relationships with national ad agencies. One of those agencies asked Fred and his creative partners to meet and discuss one of their projects. They wanted to know how the technologies Fred used on other projects might help their ad campaign to go viral.

Fred met with his creative partners for a half-hour before the meeting to set the energy for the meeting, to be grounded in their agreement, define roles in the presentation and to have a clear vision of the outcome they wanted.

The agency producer, Paul, came to the meeting along with an art director, Sam. I noticed right off that the Paul was not present. His attention was elsewhere. We had to find a way to bring his attention fully in this meeting. Introductions did not do the trick, so I asked Paul about his role at the agency and the clients they work with. That did not do the trick either. Paul answered my question, but his attention was still distracted. His gaze was not on us but out there somewhere.

It was important that Fred and his team have a grounded and clear communication with the ad team if they wanted any chance of securing this contract. Fred turned his attention to Sam, the art director, and noticed that Sam was completely present and enthusiastic.

The creative discussion went well. I noticed that Paul’s attention slowly came into the room. He clearly had a lot of energy in his space that made it hard for him to be focused in the moment. By the end of the discussion with Sam, Paul’s attention was more with us but part of his attention was still distracted.

We knew it was important for Paul to be present and aware of what was going on, and so the challenge was how to make that happen. I suggested that we move out to the creative floor and see examples of the technologies Fred’s team had developed. Getting Paul moving and focusing his attention in this way did the trick. We got his attention. He is clearly a guy who was at his best doing the creative work rather talking about it, so he was intrigued.

In the end, Paul and Sam got a clear understanding of what was possible from Fred’s team and invited a proposal to bid on the project.

Every business owner knows the importance of making a good first impression. That impression depends not only on what the business owner or staff present but also on the space of the potential client and their ability to hear and receive the presentation.

Taking the time to make sure that you and your team are grounded and have a clear vision before the presentation is the first step. Being aware of your potential client and the space they are in is also important. Finding a way to bring their attention fully with you in the moment will determine their ability to hear what you present.

By the way, Fred was awarded the contract.

Best wishes on your success,

Kay

This Moment Creates

~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

Abstract with heartDon’t blame anyone or anything else. If we step back, pay attention and become conscious of how we are being there is an answer. This has been said many times by many thought leaders.

Working with business owners and professionals focused on success for more than two decades I watch them create what they in front of them. My quick and simple observation, we create our reality. It is not rocket science. Listen to anyone talk about their day, before it begins, and you will hear and see what they have decided to create. They would probably not see themselves as responsible for what is going to happen, but they are. We all are.

Our thoughts about things create. The energy level we bring to our day creates. It is time to be mindful, to be in present time, observe and change it if we do not like where we are at the moment.

Most of us are programmed to create goals, have a vision, create a plan and all of that is fine but more important is how we are being in this moment because it is creative. We can have a vision of the future we desire for our business, our career or ourselves, and that is essential so that you are focused on what you are creating.

That vision stays a vision until we begin to change where we are. Where we are now creates what we have now so if we want something different then we have to change, a lot! When we begin to be conscious and aware of ourselves at the moment and create change starting here, we will experience an impact on everything.

Start each day by asking yourself these questions. The answer is not logical so do not think. Instead tune into yourself and notice how you feel, your thoughts about things and where you are focused.

• What energy level am I right now?
• Is this where I want to be? (If not, change your energy level to enthusiasm or above)
• What do I have my attention on?
• Is this where I want to have my attention? (If not, change your attention to something that serves your vision for yourself today)
• What do I expect from today? (Don’t think just notice where you are. You can change what you expect to align more with who you are and what you value.)
• What is on your mind or in your space? (Other’s stuff probably. Let it go. Clear your mind and clear your space.)

Decide to spend this day being mindful, conscious and aware, deciding in each moment of awareness to adjust and change to how you truly want to be.

Knowing how we truly want to be at the moment is not easy because we are so used to being another way, by habit or routine. This means creating change from within then watching that change manifest in your world.

Have a great day!

Busy or Successful

~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

0399 Adobe ID 317ASP844-43339430Staying busy is easy. There is always something to do. Busy gets in the way of our success. One of our greatest challenges is to be strategic about our work.  What can be done today to will help achieve your vision of success?  Notice I did not say meet your goals.

Goals

Writing goals is easy. Writing goals that will move you dramatically toward your vision is more difficult. Goals that make a difference are thoughtfully designed to achieve our 3-5 year vision. In reality, we tend to write goals that are somewhat comfortable and feel doable. We unconsciously (or consciously) avoid writing goals that make us too uncomfortable.

Uncomfortable

In the end, we have a list of goals that may or may not move our vision forward, or certainly not move it significantly forward, because anything that would do that is VERY uncomfortable. How do I know that? If it were comfortable, you would have done it already.

 Hard Steps

The lesson here is, write your vision of success. Next write goals to achieve that vision. Now go back and write goals you did not put on the list in the first place. The hard steps. The high value tasks. Now plan to accomplish those goals first. Absolutely first. Do not  get distracted otherwise you will just keep busy doing what you enjoy or what is easy to do.

Meditation at the start of your day is a sure way to get clear and focused.  Here is a one-minute meditation that may help get you started or a five-minute meditation to be more grounded or use whatever meditation suits you.  Meditation is a way to focus on our vision.

To Do List

Each day decide on the three (no more than three and maybe two) most impactful steps you can take that day to move significantly toward your vision. I say two or three because we will spend time arguing with ourselves, delay getting started, etc., and it will be uncomfortable – but only at first.

Focus

The key is to be grounded in present time to focus on the task. This is the only way to override the pictures and energy that make you uncomfortable. You may be uncomfortable because the task restimulates an unpleasant past time experience, and others may have their energy and expectations in our space.   Maybe it is just hard to focus, or we simply don’t know how to do the task. It is a new experience, so we are uncertain, and we hate to be uncertain.  There are any number of reasons for being uncomfortable.

Once we are grounded, centered and focused on the task in present time we find it moves more easily than expected.

 Time Manifests

When we start our day doing random tasks, we never have time for the hard ones. But when we do tasks that are challenging, but will have the greatest impact then time manifests because we get out of resistance. As for all those random tasks that may be pressing, you will still have time for them after you finish the two or three most impactful tasks. Try it. It is a miracle.

Change Will Happen – Gracefully or Not So Gracefully

~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

????????????????????????????????????????David started his business ten years ago. Today his gross revenue is close to half-million. David and his wife, Carmen, run this plumbing company with no staff. David does the work – plumbing. Carmen manages the office. David is exhausted, does not charge enough and works on jobs on an average of one-hour from their very rural home. Last year David injured himself, and he can not continue to do all the work himself.

David wants a change. His wife, Carmen, wants change, but they have very different and opposing ideas of how to move forward. Carmen wants out of the business. David wants to stop doing the work of the business, hire staff and grow the business so that it serves his life. In EMyth terms, he wants to stop being the technician and become an entrepreneur.

David started coaching because he was unsure how to make such a big leap. He started with great enthusiasm. David was determined to proceed to define the changes needed to grow this business with him as a leader.

We started with finances and soon found that while they were keeping books the information was not entered correctly and was not available to guide them in their business. First change was to contract with a great bookkeeper. Seemed like a simple solution though David found he could not change his involvement in managing the books.

Next step was to create a budget for the changes planned. David was used to keeping his “budget” in his head and resisted writing it down and planning on paper.

David needed to hire a plumber to take his place as the only technician. He worried that no one could do the work the way he did, as good as he did it and with the care he showed his clients. David found it hard to give up being the plumber.

It became clear that as much as David wanted things to be different he was unable to change. He thought the changes would be in his business but discovered that the changes needed were within him, and he just couldn’t do it.

David’s story is a great example of wanting and desiring something different, but not being able to make the needed changes. David was getting in his way. When we want something to change it always starts within us. Getting out of our routines, being willing to be uncomfortable, letting go of what is familiar and, in David’s case, letting go of the need to control.

From an intuitive perspective when we decide we want change, the change will happen one way or another. We can be the leader of change, and it will happen more gracefully or if we resist it will still happen but in a less comfortable and forced way. I imagine David’s desired changes will happen by his knee giving out. There are easier ways to create change.

Notice the changes you desire then find what has to happen within you so that it can.

Best wishes on your success, Kay

Work Hard or Ground

~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

dreamstime_5775817If you are not grounded then chaos reigns. Worse yet success is outside your reach. I was reminded of this working with two new clients this week. When we are grounded we are clear, focused and can think straight. When we are ungrounded we tend to be busy, doing what comes our way, that is simple to do, needs to be done but may not move us any closer to our success.

Two new clients this week are in different industries but in the same place with their businesses. They have been in business for a while, are working hard and making slow progress in their gross revenue. They wanted help, feeling overwhelmed, unfocused and without a plan.

As an intuitive, I look first at their energy. Are they grounded? From which chakra do they work? These two questions tell me a great deal about their business because our businesses are always a reflection of us. Scary but true so the solution begins within us.

Neither of them was grounded. They both operated from their third chakra (a powerful energy center) to work hard, react and respond to whatever comes at them. This is the opposite of being grounded, focused with a plan that determines where we place our energy. Sound familiar?

Both of them are smart, know their business very well but cannot get out of their third chakras (below sternum) and move into the crown (at the top of the centerh). The crown chakra is leadership. Because they work from their third, they do much of the work of their business. For a business to grow the owner has to be able to lead the business (crown chakra) and see the bigger picture, their vision (6th chakra) then communicate that to their staff (5th chakra) for agreement (4th chakra).

Do you find that their story is in some way familiar to you? To be focused, we have to be grounded. Try this today. It only takes a couple of minutes though you can spend longer.

  • Sit in a quiet and comfortable place (once you learn how to do this you can do it anytime and any place, eyes open or closed)
  • Close your eyes and relax into your chair.
  • Take a deep breath, exhale and relax.
  • Bring your attention onto yourself.
  • In your mind’s eye imagine where the base of your spine is (1st chakra)
  • Imagine where the center of the planet is.
  • Now imagine connecting those two points. You can imagine a tree trunk, a beam of light, a rope, etc. Any imagines that work for you to connect the base of your spine to the center of the planet. This is your grounding.
  • Take a deep breath and relax into your grounding. Feel grounded. Let go and allow yourself to be grounded.
  • Let go of whatever you are controlling.
  • Relax and feel connected to the center of the planet.
  • Continue to feel yourself grounding for as long as you want but at least a minute until you feel grounded.
  • Notice your awareness changes.

You can start your day this way. It helps to create focus. Then you can do this several times throughout your day, creating time to stop, ground and get clear again.

Stop and ground when you:

  • Find you cannot think straight or are having a tough time focusing stop and ground.
  • Find you are doing random things and not implementing a plan that moves you toward your goals, stop and ground.
  • Find yourself unsettled by something or someone and want to get your space back.
  • Have a problem to solve and want to get it right.
  • Want to regain perspective.
  • Are feeling stressed or tense.

There are a many reasons to be grounded. Make this part of your routine, and it will change everything.

Best wishes on your success, Kay

Meditation

Back Off and Back Up

~ Kay Robinson ~ 1 Comment

hWhen we push too long and too hard, we can get off track. It is so easy to lose perspective and move forward in ways that do not serve us. That is not logical, and many of you know it is true.

From an intuitive perspective, we are influenced and affected by the energies we encounter every day. Some of them we slough off easily and others stick with us and we feel ourselves react. These energies most often come from others, their opinions, thinking and reactions to the success we are trying to create. As we experience the energy of each person, it moves us in subtle and sometimes not so subtle ways. We don’t even notice or don’t pay attention how it alters our thinking and changes our energy. Now we are moving forward in a slightly different way. We are starting to get off track slowly over time. We become more controlling and our work starts to feel more difficult.

Meditation is a way to stop before we get too far off track. I see companies and individuals go from a great place of creating success to feeling like nothing is going right, or it is becoming too hard. This is not a coincidence. When things do not feel right that is the time to stop, back up and back off what we are doing to regain our perspective, but more than that to set our energy and vision right again.

Taking the time to meditate each day is a way to stay on track, maintain perspective,  to reset your space and energy. During meditation, you can clear, release and let go of whatever stuck with you from the day before otherwise it stays with us and begins to affect your decisions and actions. We get slowly off course.

Make time each day to back off of what you are doing, to stop and meditate. It will make all the difference. In this way, you do not have to control or be in effort. Your vision can continue to manifest and in surprising ways.

Best wishes on your success, Kay

Meditation

How I Spend My Day

~ Kay Robinson ~ 1 Comment

Cloud SmileysRealizing that I have two ways I can spend my day, I decided to pay attention to the result of each. How did I feel? What was my mood? What did I accomplish? What did I gain?

One day goes something like this. I get up early. Jump out of bed and begin my morning routine, get dressed without much thought, have my usual bowl of cereal while reading only the headlines on my iPad then I have a cup of coffee as I walk to my home office. I check my email and spend a lot of time responding to what I find there. Organizing my desk and taking care of the obvious To Dos on the top of my desk takes a bit of time as well.

Now I think about the most pressing, urgent, etc. issues. By the way, something being urgent or pressing does not mean that it was important. Typically it is urgent and important to someone else or something I must get done by the due date.

By now, my head is swimming with information from everything I already placed a moment of my attention. I look at my very long to do list that adds more thoughts to my mind. Then other things come to mind. I start doing things I don’t mind doing one after another.

The phone rings and my attention shifts again to that request and so my day goes. I am very busy, doing a lot of work, feeling tired, growing less and less focused. At the end of this day, I can say I was busy, did a lot and accomplished nothing!  I can say that I do not feel good about the results of my day.

Another Kind of Day

Another way that I spend my day, I wake up and lay in bed for a moment to gain my focus and perspective. How am I doing? What must I do today? What would I like to do?  What would help me to take a step to accomplish my vision of success? How would I like to feel today? With that intention, I get up and make sure that I am approaching each step mindfully. My cereal, headlines and coffee are still in the routine but I am more conscious about each step.

Look around my home, I put things away, clean up so that my living space is clear. Now is my time to meditate in a quiet, comfortable space. When I feel calm in my body, have cleared my thinking from the day before and set my space to enthusiasm then I am ready to create my plan for the day. I meditate on my vision and my goals. Where am I now and what can I do today that will have the greatest impact on achieving them? What am I resisting? What steps am I not taking? Who is on my side and can I engage in helping with my goals? With this clarity and feeling grounded I move into my office.

Clearing and organizing my workspace does not take much of my time. I do a quick and cursory scan of my emails, addressing only those that support my goals for this day. The others I will look at later. Now is the time to take on what I call high value tasks and make some magic. I know from experience that focusing on a single high value task to completion moves the dial that much closer to the result I want to achieve. The challenge is not to avoid the task just because it is difficult, pushes my limits or makes me feel uncertain. I take a deep breath, ground, center, focus and begin. It is amazing to me how a very difficult task taken one step at a time unfolds, opens up so that I can see the next step, then the next. None of the steps is as daunting as I expect.

At the end of this day, I am smiling, inspired, assured and energized. I can see the distance I have come. Now I am ready to close the door for the day. Collect up my energy from the days work.  It is time to play.

The first day I described I am justing going through a routine with barely a second thought, doing a lot and accomplishing nothing. The second day describes my way to taking ownership of what I intend to create and making it happen.

If you have ways that you spend your day that support, your vision of success, please share your thoughts.

Best wishes on your success, Kay

Help Me Focus

~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

0012photonicaMaking sure that we get an important project done can be a challenge. A group of business owners were seeking peer support for issues that challenge us. Christie’s concern is quite common. When she has a project, she finds it difficult to create a time to get it done.

The group offered several great suggestions including creating a workspace conducive to working on the project; start your day working on the project; break it down into smaller projects, etc.

As I watched and listened to Christie intuitively I saw that she is easily distracted, reacts to anything and everything that comes her way.   Her energy and her focus are constantly changing in response to whoever or whatever grabs her attention.   Her attention and her energy changes each time she changes her focus. What I saw is this affected more than this project. It affected all of her efforts to complete something that required focus.

When we want to create something new that requires some planning, thoughtfulness and mindfulness then distractions sabotage that effort. Our ability to create a space of quiet and to harness our attention and energy in one way is critical to completing something new, something we have not done before. An intuitive description would be to create an energy “bubble” around our workspace, not move out of that bubble and not let anything to distract you.

My suggestion to Christie was to start her day meditating because I saw that she had so much going on in her space that it was hard to be grounded and focused. Christie is a healer, an empathic and a problem solver so if anyone places their attention on her needing something she was immediately distracted. By starting her day with meditation, she could clear her space, let go of everyone else’s needs, be clear about what she wanted to do that day and visualize how that would go. In this way, she could start her day with a clear space and the ability to focus on what was most important to her.

I wrote recently about multi-tasking. That is very different from being distracted and responding to everything and everyone who grabs our attention. The ability to focus is the single most important ability to success. Learning to meditate helps a great deal to be grounded, center, own your space (bubble) and to be clear in present time.

If you find you have trouble getting to something or completing a project start you day with meditation and see how that changes things for you.

Best wishes on your success, Kay

Meditation