Not anymore.

As humans, we are all problem solvers, whether we like it or not.  But most, when faced with a problem tend to try to solve it using the resources they already have, like I used to do.  Locking yourself in a room to “figure it out” is probably the worst strategy for success.

It won’t work.

That won’t work, because, in the words of Albert Einstein, “You can’t solve a problem with the same brain that created it.”  But there is a solid, systemic way to solve a problem and it works every time.  Ready?  Here it is:

1.  Admit that you have a problem.  Every day, we talk to business people who are struggling with getting to the next level in their career as an entrepreneur.  And every day, we listen to people justify their problem and try to figure it out for themselves when we, as mentors and consultants, have already done what they are trying to do.  The answer is not in getting more education, creating more products or doing more “stuff”.  First, you must lay down the sword and admit it – you’re stuck.  And you need help.  Hey, I know it’s embarrassing to admit it, but it’s also the right way to move forward.

2.  Take a step back.  Often, when faced with a problem, we rush forward, taking “action in the face of fear”.  Well, that might work for some, but for most, it’s just swinging the sword and not aiming at anything.  Someone is going to get hurt!

3.  Take Inventory.  Sure, on a bad day it might seem like nothing is working, but that’s simply not true.  There are always things (maybe little things) that you can say “Yeah, it’s not perfect but it IS working.”  I had to do this myself the other day.  We are at the end of a massive effort to rework our online presence after the loss of our servers last year.  It has been a very difficult and long journey back, and some days it seems like the problems will never end.  But you know what?  I get to remember that every hour, someone logs into our new server and downloads a copy of the Accidental Millionaire.  It’s working! and I’m thrilled to be able to assist so many more struggling entrepreneurs and help them get themselves out there with their passion.

4.  Do ONE thing.   After you’ve taken inventory, you’ll have a better grasp on where your best profit path lies.  With all of the thought leaders, coaches, consultants, experts and visionaries we work with, idea creation seems to be both a part of the problem and a result of the problem.  When you’re stuck at a certain level and don’t know what to do there is only one thing to do:  GET HELP!  Getting help means admitting to another person that you don’t know the answers.  For many highly educated entrepreneurs, admitting you don’t know the answer is like failing a test – except in THIS school (the school of life) things are exactly backwards – successful people are constantly on the lookout to ask someone so they can accelerate results!   One of my favorite things to ask people is “What do I not know that I should know?”  It always gives an enlightening new approach.

5.  Take one step at a time.  Often, we try to figure out every possible scenario to a solution before we even take any kind of action.  Successful people take one step, evaluate options, take another step, evaluate options, and on and on.  This will happen hundreds of times before you reach your goal, so master this skill of taking little steps and you’ll master taking giant leaps.

Solving problems is a wonderful skill to have, but it IS a learned habit.  I can guarantee though that if you practice this habit, you will be amazed at how your life unfolds.

Leave a comment if you find this helpful and enjoy the ride!

Oh, by the way, this is part of the system I cover in my upcoming new book, “Chaos To Calm: What To Do When You Don’t Know What To Do”  I’ll let you know when it’s out.

P.S.  Need a little clarity in your life?  We can help you.  Go to http://www.MyClarityConsult.com and fill out the form.  We’ll be thrilled to connect!

Here’s the link to the survey:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/W6WB3B3

I believe in you!

Stephanie

But on to the real reason for this post today.  You see, every day I talk to people who just aren’t getting the results in life, work, relationships and money that they really truly want.  And that’s sad.

Too busy is a common complaint.  No time.  Not enough _________ (fill in the blank – money, resources, clients, fun, freedom, passion, etc).   Hey I’ve been there many, many times.   And I know one thing – if you are NOT having the results you want, it’s because of these things:

1.  You don’t have a plan.
2.  Your plan isn’t working.
3.  You don’ t know what to do next.
4.  You are trying to “figure it out” before you get a plan (my personal favorite)
5.  You are wasting time and blaming everything (and everybody) ELSE for it.

That’s it.  It’s simple.  When you are not BEING in charge of yourself, your thoughts, your actions and your words, you are not DOING the things that get you results.  Period.

The other day, I did a really fun webinar that will help you take whatever project you are currently working on, and teach you the 4 things you must DO in your life if you truly want results, and I’ve put it here for you to take a look.  It’s definately worth your time.  These are the same four things I always go back to when life seems a little messy.

Enjoy!

P.S.  If you want to talk to me to learn exactly what next steps you should be taking, fill out our short survey and get a complimentary Clarity Consultation here:  http://www.MyClarityConsult.com

I believe in you and your success.

Janice asks: Ack! Help! What do I do with all this email?

There’s only one thing I hate worse than mopping the floors …

…and that’s dealing with the endless emails that come into your inbox.

I’m not talking about the stupid once-in-a-lifetime-do-it-right-now-or-die kinds of emails, I’m talking about the legitimate things you need to deal with.  Things like requests from vendors, employees and contractors.  Or “what do you want for your birthday” emails from Mom.

If you know anyone that sends email (and I’m sure you do), you are dealing with this too.  So here are a couple of tips I’ve developed that can help you attack and process your email with ease.

Email attack strategy #1 – Turn off Send/Receive.

Let’s get real.  You don’t really need to check your email the second it comes in.  Not even a little bit.  Turn off your automatic send/receive and check your email manually several times a day.  Not only will you feel more in control, people will stop assuming that the second you receive an email you will respond.  You finally get a chance to breathe.

Email attack strategy #2 – Maintain multiple email addresses. 

Want to instantly clean up your inbox?  Get an email address just for specific areas of your life.  For example, I have an email just for newsletters, one for internal communications with my team (that nobody else knows), one for use with clients, and one for my friends and family.  It’s a total breeze to know which emails to look at first.

Email attack strategy #3 – Auto-sort into folders.

Now that you have all those extra email addresses, why have a big fat inbox when you can auto-sort them into folders.  This is an especially useful feature of Outlook (Entourage if you have a Mac).  Just set up a rule for incoming mail and it will automatically go into the appropriate folder.  Now newsletters won’t be mixed up with really important email.

Email attack strategy #4 -  Color code it. 

Some email programs have a color coding feature that makes email fun and easy to work with.  You can color code emails from a particular person, through a specific account or with specific words in them.

Email attack strategy #5 – Sort by name or subject before you look at it. 

This is probably the biggest distraction that people have with email.  You look at the first email, and it’s about subject #1.  You start to think about that subject and then go on to the next email.  It’s about subject #2.  And on and on until you have so many thoughts filling your head, you’re exhausted.   Sorting by the person’s name or subject before you process your email will keep you thinking about the person or subject until the entire set of messages is gone.  This one is a real brain saver!

Email attack strategy #6 – The Preview Procrastination.  

 What is the biggest enemy of email programs?  If you’re using Outlook, it’s called the “reading pane”.  Yep, it’s a “pain” alright.  It allows you to preview your email before you reply.  So for most, we scan the email, put together a reply in our head but never actually get around to doing the actual reply.   Then we carry all that “have to” information in our head and procrastinate about responding to email because we think we’re doing it twice!  Turn off preview and reading pane now.

Email attack strategy #7 – Reply, Schedule, File or Delete.

Now that the reading pane is off and your email is sorted, you’re ready to go.  Get the email in front of you, and either reply, schedule a task or appointment, file it or delete it.  NEVER move on and say “I’ll get back to this one.”  You won’t.   If you don’t know what to do with it, put it in an I Don’t Know folder but don’t leave it in your inbox.

Email attack strategy #8 -  Early or Late, but NEVER before bed.

Email before bed?  Uggghhh!  Don’t do it.  Enough said.

Email attack strategy #9 – Set a timer and get it done! 

If email procrastination is running your life, then set a timer before you start.  With your sorting done and process in hand, getting through the email in chunks is better than leaving it for later.   Later never comes.   Instead, set your timer for 30 minutes.  When the timer goes off, you’re done.  Do it again later in the day if you have to.  You’ll feel a certain sense of relief.

BEST – Email attack strategy #10 – Unsubscribe

Go on a MASSIVE unsubscribe binge.  Do it now.  You don’t need all that input anyway.

Technology is supposed to be your friend – not your enemy.  Don’t let it get you – let it work FOR you!

Stephanie Frank is the goto resource for successful, smart professionals who want a smooth running lifestyle business.  She is the Best Selling author of The Accidental Millionaire, a complete blueprint for self-employed professionals to go from a one person operation to million dollar mastery. To receive a complimentary digital copy of the book and a FREE clarity consultation to discover your next best steps to get to the next level so you can make more money, take more time off, and do more of what you love, visit: http://www.MyClarityConsult.com

Maybe you’ve looked, tried to work with or even hired people to help you manage your business. But somehow, every time, things just didn’t go right, and there you were, left again with the mounds of paperwork, details and projects to manage. Alone.“No problem,” you tell yourself. “I can do it faster myself anyway.”

In that one statement, you just fell into the biggest trap of your entrepreneurial career.

Growing and leading your business is by far the biggest challenge a business owner faces. After all, you are highly specialized in your field – which is not business management. Unfortunately for most business owners, when a new employee or contractor comes into the business, one of two things usually happens.

1. The business owner and new hire spend hours, days, weeks and sometimes months working side by side, with the business owner explaining all of the intricacies of the job. When the employee or contractor gets good at the job, the business owner begins to panic, wondering if the person will stay. When the person leaves the company, the process repeats. Frustration, fear and doubt plague the business owner.

2. The new person is hired and told briefly what is expected of him/her. The big picture is provided and the person is left up to his or her own judgment as to how the job gets done. The person does the job in a different manner than the owner and is reprimanded for doing things a new way. The employee feels disempowered, afraid, and leaves.

Frustration, fear and doubt plague the business owner once again.  It doesn’t have to be that way. You can have the freedom, focus and results you want in business. Solving this problem is simple. You probably weren’t trained in school as a business manager, so you must first understand that business operations management is a required skill for a success in business. Most people make it too hard, by hoping for a single person to show up on their doorstep, smart, focused, creative and able to take away the tasks that lay before them with hardly a second thought. I’m about to burst your bubble, because that person is probably already in business for themselves.

It’s up to you to create the environment where other people can be empowered to assist you. Here are four simple steps to get you started on the road to turn-key success.

1. Create total focus.

Get out a piece of paper and draw a line down the middle. Title the page Total Focus. On the left side, write down all of the tasks you do in a week, from answering the phone to shipping to providing service and creating new products. On the right side, write down the three things you love doing. Compare the lists.

2. Group tasks for easy delegation.

Next to each task, label it with one of the three major business areas: Administrative (office paperwork) Sales/Marketing (attracting customers or making the sale) Production (producing/shipping and delivery of products or services)

3. Start Documenting.

For each task, write down the steps to completion. You might start with “Here’s How We _____________” to prompt you. Use whatever method is simplest for you – a screenshot, written or typed steps, diagrams – just get it down on paper and put it in a binder called Procedure Manual.

4. Get Help.

Begin looking for people to work on tasks that are not in your “love to do” column. Start small. The right person works only a few hours per week on the things that take you days. There is no magic person who can do all business tasks (except you, of course!).

With your Procedure Manual in hand, you can delegate properly, relax and enjoy building your business, the simple way. What will you do in your free time?

Stephanie Frank is the Best Selling author of The Accidental Millionaire, a complete blueprint for self-employed business owners to go from a one person operation to million dollar mastery. To receive a complimentary digital copy of the book and a FREE clarity consultation to discover your next best steps to get to the next level so you can make more money, take more time off, and do more of what you love, visit: http://www.MyClarityConsult.com

Then it happened.

At 3:16 p.m., she went inside to take a quick look at her email before heading off to a music concert.  A little box was showing on the computer that was asking for an email password.  That was odd.  Typing in the password, the box popped up again.  Then came the error message:  “server not found”.

“Oh well,” she thought to herself.  “That’s happened before. I’ll just check to see if my website is up.”

She typed the URL into her browser and up popped the 404 error.  “Hmmm, 404 means not found.  I wonder if the server needs a reboot.  Let me check my other domains.”

She started typing URLs of her other domains.  One after the other, they all showed the same thing.  A sinking, scary knot began to form in the pit of her stomach.  “Don’t panic,” she thought to herself.  “It’s probably nothing.”

Carefully dialing the phone, she reached tech support quickly.  “Something is wrong with my server.  Can you help?”

“Yes of course,” came the reply.

After a few harrowing minutes of waiting, the agent came back on the phone.  “You’re getting the error message because there’s no data on the server,” he said quietly.

“Um, it was there yesterday, but I’m sure there’s a backup” she said calmly, her mind racing to learn what had happened.

After a few minutes more, the agent came back on the line “I’m sorry, but there is no backup.  Your files have been skipped.”   It took a few minutes to sink in – she had just lost ALL of her online work – many years worth – and there was no backup.

That woman is me and it happened.  Two days ago.  Now, you might be thinking “oh my gosh, that’s HORRIBLE! What are you going to do?”  And “I wonder if I have MY stuff backed up? ”

What did I do?  I took a step back.  Considered not why this happened, but why NOW this happened.  And then it hit me.

We are in the middle of a huge increase in our life changing programs, and I wanted to simplify things.  Our websites had gotten messy and difficult to manage.  So we are starting over.  Of course we still have the source documents, videos and materials on another server.  Our signature Success IQ test was just reprogrammed and backed up onto yet another computer.  Our quiz, free giveaways, graphics are stored on yet another computer.

Crazy enough, it turns out we have everything we need to continue seamlessly with the new without having to untangle the old.

WHAT A GIFT!

So I have to ask you today, what “gifts” in the form of disaster and loss, are you experiencing today?  Maybe you’re mourning the loss of a loved one, a pet, a relationship, a business, a partnership – whatever it is know this:  even though you may not be able to see the reason for yourself, others can immediately see the reason and help you get clarity as to why things are happening in your life.

Then it’s time to pick yourself up and keep going – action ALWAYS trumps fear.

Hey, I’ve had my share of bad days too (yesterday wasn’t too much fun) but I promise, you’ll get through it.  You’ll keep going.  You’ll get better.  And things will always look up.

Accept the gifts as they come, without placing “good” or “bad” labels on them, and you’ll see there is always a wide variety of shades of gray.

If you want some help seeing those shades of gray within the good and bad, simply request a complimentary Clarity Consultation.  We’ll help you figure out what to do next in your business and life to make a bigger difference while collecting a bigger profit.  Just fill out the form here at http://www.MyClarityConsult.com

It’s your LIFE!  Live it!

Stephanie

Just as I thought we were finished, she looked over at me, her eyes softening and said “Let me ask you a question.  When you really want something, I mean REALLY want it, and you’ve tried everything to get it – visualization, inner work, negative beliefs, when do you know it’s just not going to happen and you give up?”

“I mean, I read your story about going to Alcatraz,” she continued.  “You were in San Francisco for a very short time for a speech and you really wanted to see Alcatraz.  You’d never been there.”

“Yes, I remember” I giggled, since she was telling me my own story, straight from the pages of The Accidental Millionaire.

“You only had one afternoon open so you decided to go to Alcatraz.  When you got to the ticket booth, they were sold out for a week.  Then, out of the blue, someone magically appeared with two tickets to Alcatraz and you got to go – that afternoon!  I really, REALLY, want to make this happen for me.”  she continued. “But every time I see a little bit of success, it just slips away.   I know what I want, but it always seems to elude me.   I’m really over the Law of Attraction – it just doesn’t work.”

“Hold on there,” I interrupted her  The Law of Attraction works REALLY well, IF you understand one fundamentally important and very crucial distinction.  Knowing what you want is only the beginning.  Nothing happens until you DECIDE to have what you want.”

“Huh?”  she said, cocking her head.

“Go back to Alcatraz.  You see, I didn’t just want to go to Alcatraz, I DECIDED to go to Alcatraz.  I did the most obvious thing to make that happen – buy tickets.  When they were sold out, I used the Law of Attraction to find a different way.  I never would have said to myself the way to get to Alcatraz is to walk into a T-shirt shop, notice a booth selling timeshares that was giving away two free tickets to Alcatraz if I viewed the presentation.  Which is exactly what I did, by the way.  Because I made the DECISION, possibilities opened up to me that I would not have noticed.”

“Waiting around for the Universe to deliver what you want is a waste of time.  Using the Law of Attraction to attract things to you requires that you stop waiting around and DECIDE to HAVE the thing you want.  Only then do you notice all of the abundance and possibility around you that will help you to reach that objective.”

“So wait a minute,” she continued, “I really want new hardwood floors.  I’ve picked them out, found someone to install them, even saved up the money.  Then something happened and I spent the money on something I probably didn’t even need.  What happened?  Why don’t I have the floors.  I really want them!”  she exclaimed loudly.

I smiled.  “Because you didn’t decide to have hardwood floors.  You had fun picking out the flooring, finding the people and saving the money.  But you still had never said to yourself  ‘I’m installing hardwood floors next year.’  Therefore, when something else came up and sounded good, you DECIDED to do that instead.”

“It’s like this,” I continued, her mouth now hanging open “If you’ve decided to lose weight and are presented with a plate of doughnuts, you’d probably choose something different.  But if you hadn’t made the decision to lose weight, you might not give eating the doughnut a second thought.”

“WOW!”  she exclaimed, jumping up from her seat, “I GET IT!  THIS IS HUGE!”

“Yes, it is” I said quietly, allowing the moment to fully unfold.

“I didn’t make the decision to have the floors.  I didn’t make the decision to be successful in my business.  I was just waiting around for opportunities to present themselves, waiting for IT to happen and never defining IT!”  she was on a roll.  “From now on, I will make DECISIONS to have what I want.  Thank you!.”

She hugged me tightly and it dawned on me that maybe I could revisit some decisions of my own (or maybe some non-decisions).  Always learning and growing, I’ve made some new decisions recently and almost magically, quickly and effortlessly, the object of my decision has shown up in my face.

So what decisions do you need to make to have the things you want?

More money?  DECIDE NOW to be a good money manager, salesperson, whatever.

More time?  DECIDE NOW to spend your time wisely and evaluate every action before you jump in.

Better relationships?  DECIDE NOW to have what you want in your relationship.  Get real if it’s not working.

I think you get the idea.  Leave a comment and let us know what you will DECIDE to have now.

Isn’t this fun?

P.S.  Ready to get clear, focused and intentional working ON your business and life?  Click here to receive your complimentary Clarity Consultation to discover EXACTLY what you should do next to make a bigger difference, double your income and triple your time off.  Just fill out the short form and we’ll call you right away.  To Your Success! 

This week, Nancy asks:

Q: Nancy asks, “How do I prioritize what’s important, when it all seems so urgent?”

A: You know I’ve got a list right now of 234 tasks that I absolutely want to get done. The question is: how many of those things do you think are A priorities? Realistically, maybe two.

Everybody has different criteria for managing priorities. The first thing to do is prioritize those criteria into the have-to’s, the want-to’s and the should-do’s.

Number One: There are have-to‘s that you set with a certain criteria.  Maybe you’re in your business and you’ve got to make some money.  There’s a have-to priority there. That priority is to do whatever it is that’s going to make you more money.  That’s criteria number one.

Number Two: Do the things that are most properly aligned with your own personal style and your own values. (If you are not sure what your style or governing values are, go to http://www.successiqu.com/consultation.html to schedule a complimentary consultation to learn more)  So there are some have to’s that you need to turn into want-to’s.  You must determine what the criteria are by which you’re measuring.

Number Three: How many of those things that you have on your list are actually should-do’s?  Things that other people say you should do or things that you feel that you should do.

From there, now you’re ready to go deeper.

Start with your have-to’s. These are the things you schedule into your calendar right away.

The want-to’s are the things that you’re going to schedule into your calendar a little less frequently, but because they’re fun or they’re things that you really want to get to, give yourself a break and get yourself some time to do that.

Now the should-do’s, these are the things that you get someone else to do. Why are you spending that time swishing around in the toilet, doing the laundry, doing all those household chores when you could literally be out making more money.

Now before you say, “I don’t have the money to spend on doing that,” let me tell you this.  It’s very easy to barter.  It’s also very easy to hire somebody to come in and do something in your house for $10 while you sit down and spend that same time making money in your business.  And that’s exactly how I started out! Somebody came in to clean my toilets for $10 – for two hours a week, and my focus on that time was to literally sit down and figure out how to make $20 so I could pay her.  So it starts out small and that’s the way you’ve got to look at your have-to’s, your want-to’s, and your should-do’s.

And from there you can create a better plan to prioritize based on your criteria and not someone else’s.

Stephanie Frank is the best selling author of The Accidental Millionaire:Leaping From Chance to Mastery in the Game of Life.  She ha been in business for herself for decades and is expert at helping passion powered entrepreneurs get clear direction on their next best and most high payoff steps in business, relationships  and in life. For a FREE audio program entitled “The 13 Vital Traits of Super Effective People,” visit www.StephanieFrank.com

They’re everywhere…in the city, in the suburbs, in the skies and underground.

And they have something to say to you…can you hear them?

If there is something on your mind, a problem you’re trying to solve, a situation that needs a resolution or an unanswered question in your head, chances are the answer is right in front of you.  Animals are a symbol, a secret society that has a vast and amazing collection of communication, strategy and survival techniques that are as important in our everyday lives as they are in the wild.

Animals use their natural abilities to get what they want.  After all, you’ll never see a skunk trying to reach the tall tree leaves so easily accessible to a giraffe!  Yet, we humans spend so much time looking elsewhere and making things harder than they need to be.

Here are 3 things you can learn from animals in the wild:

1.   Find new ways to get what you want.

I used to live in a 3-acre ranch in the desert foothills in Arizona.  It was surrounded by a block fence and a gate, and features a large pond filled with fish on the front acre of the land.  Our home was a sanctuary  and also represents comfort and safety to a variety of wild animals.  Outside the fence, every night, were a group of coyotes.  In the middle of the summer, they got thirsty.

Very thirsty.

They wanted the water that’s in the pond.  And a fish might taste good too.

Now, when the gate was open, sometimes the coyotes just helped themselves, coming right in through the front, going directly to the pond and enjoying themselves.  They might have gone for the easy prey.  But mostly the gate was closed.   They still want the water.

We had one very enterprising (and fearless) coyote who has figured out how to get to the water with very little effort, even when the gate was closed.  You see, coyotes can jump quite a few feet in the air, even with a lame leg (which this one had).  So Mr. Coyote found the point on the fence lowest to the ground, and simply jumped up and over the block wall at that exact point to get to the water.

How many times have you jumped over, gone through, around, under or just plain broken through an obstacle to get what you want?  Animals do it all the time and never think twice about stopping because of the obstacle.   What’s stopping you?  How can you be like Mr. Coyote and get to what you want using another method?

2. A simple, repeatable strategy always gets you closer to your goal.

Sitting poolside at a hotel recently, I had the pleasure of interacting with a wild squirrel.  I’d love to say that the squirrel was hanging around because of my wonderful, magnetic and charming way with animals, but I’d be lying.

He wanted my bag of pretzels.

I watched carefully as the squirrel calculated different ways to get at the bag of  pretzels, laying wide open on a low table between two pool chaise lounges.  First, he sat up on the fence far away.  Then he moved in a little closer…and closer…and closer to get a good look.   Then he scampered away to reevaluate his strategies and options.

If he could talk, he probably would have said “Let’s see.  I could run up and grab the pretzels, but the human would probably try to catch me.  I could try sneaking in when she isn’t looking, but that’s too risky.  Wait a minute – I know!  I’ll use the patience strategy – works every time”.

And sure enough, the little guy sat down, just out of my reach, and waited.

He didn’t wait long.  I threw him a piece of pretzel within 5 minutes.

The little squirrel grabbed the pretzel, held it with both hands and ate it right there, on the spot.  I swear he was grinning.

Next, I held a piece of pretzel in my hand, just to see if he’d come closer.  Again, he played the patience game and won.  And again, and again and again.  Finally, with his full stomach, he left to take a nap.

How many times have you found something that works, only to change the strategy to something that seems “better” or “faster” or “different”?  Changing strategies constantly will only serve to cause false starts, delays and frustration.  Use a strategy to grow your business that works for you, not against you.  Who cares if it’s not the most recent, most popular or most unique?  Do what works and you’ll never go wrong.

3. Act in spite of fear

Rabbits are notoriously fearful.  They run away at the slightest movement, sometimes even afraid of the wind.  But have you ever seen rabbits work together to accomplish a goal?  They do, and it’s pretty amazing.

On our ranch, we had bunches of rabbits.  Spring was always a time for new, little furry bundles to show up with their brother and sister bunnies and begin to explore the world.

In their world, there are juicy, tasty hibiscus and desert flowers available, but they were hidden behind a retaining wall.  It’s a “no rabbit” zone.  Or so I thought.

One day, I went out to my rabbit free zone to find – yes – a rabbit!  A very small one at that, casually grazing on my off-limits flowers.  A quick check outside the area and I saw 4 more full grown rabbits waiting patiently on the other side of the wall, presumably for the little one to come back with its report.

Well, report he did, because the next day I had full grown rabbits eating the hibiscus in my no rabbit zone.  Overcoming their fear, they had figured out a way to get in (I’m still not sure how they did it) to get at the really good stuff.

If a rabbit can overcome its fear to get good food, what can you do?  Is that fear of failure really so bad?  What’s the worst that can happen?  What’s the best that can happen?  Is it worth it to you to really truly face your fear head-on in exchange for success?  I hope so.

I recently faced my fear of heights for the final time.  For years, I was unable to even go into a glass building for fear that I would fall out.  To overcome it, I began riding roller coasters all around the country.  A few months ago, I faced the biggest one – the one that goes off the edge of the Stratosphere in Las Vegas – 100 stories in the sky – and lived to tell about it.

So next time you’re outside, look around.  The animals have something to say to you.  Are you listening?

Stephanie Frank is the best selling author of The Accidental Millionaire and
President of the Success IQ University. She has over 20 years of systemic
problem solving experience, 15 computer engineering certifications She is a
member of the Positive Psychology Association and International Assn. of Applied Psychology.

Give Stephanie 48 hours and she’ll give you a turaround plan aligned with you are
and your greatest strengths.  She’ll make your life simple, productive, profitable and fun!

http://www.StephanieFrank.com

2-Day Turnaround:  http://successiqu.com/programs/coaching/2-day-turnaround/

She didn’t have a marketing problem, a sales system problem, a follow-up problem or a technology problem. Nope, none of those.  It also wasn’t that she wasn’t qualified, smart, knowledgeable and could solve a problem quickly and expertly for her clients.  She was all of those things in spades.

So what was the problem?  She was doing work that she didn’t like to do, telling herself that she liked it.  In short, she was lying to herself.

“Get mad,”  I told her. “You’ve been doing all this work, having no fun and even though you’re making money, you’re not happy. .  You have EVERY RIGHT TO BE MAD!”  I said, my voice level matching hers.

“ARRRRGH!”, she said.  “I HATE THIS!”

“BRING IT ON!” I replied, excited that a breakthrough was about to happen.

“I GIVE UP!”  she said, followed by a huge sigh.  And then silence. And then tears.

A breakdown, followed by an amazing release.  She was about to have an epiphany.  The struggle was ending.

In less than 15 minutes, after finally letting go of years of “trying”, she discovered that all of the pieces of her “puzzle” were there and had been for some time.  We redefined who she really was, what she really wanted to do, and within 5 minutes she had a brand new business plan and clarity for the first time.  It had taken us 6 months to get to this point, and I was thrilled for her.

It is very human to struggle and release, struggle and release.  The thing is, the world we live in is moving much faster than ever before, so we must move faster than ever before.  We must cut away what isn’t working, people that aren’t serving, relationships that are difficult with love and kindness to be able to serve our mission here on this planet.   Now.

Here are 5 steps to start to let go so you can leap forward.

1. Admit it.  It’s not working. Simple in its definition, now it’s time to execute it.  Consider what’s not working in your life.  Now.

2. Decide whether to change, restructure or eliminate things.  Evaluate relationships with your customers or clients, family, friends, significant others, environment – in short, everything.

3. Make a plan. Do NOT try to tackle every area of your life simultaneously.  Most of the alpha men and women I work with dive right into transformation like it was a project to somehow be completed in a 6 month time frame.  Transformation is a way of life, a lifestyle and a lifelong journey.   One thing at a time is good.

4.  Act Quickly and Swiftly. You’ve been frustrated long enough. Take massive, fast precise action.  Make a list and make it happen, like a surgeon.

5. Get help. You won’t like this, but you’re not superman/woman.  Though you may wear a cape and take charge of everyone and everything around you, when it comes to you I can almost guarantee that you’re not doing it for yourself.  (Hey, it takes one to know one).  I surround myself with many mentors, advisors, behaviorists, coaches and friends who all offer the support and guidance I need, even though I’ve been on this journey with eyes wide open for a very long time.

You can do it.  All is going to be well.  I promise.  Jump in without ego.  Forget about what you think you “should” do or what other people will think.  Tackle it head on and you will soar. Ignore it and you will struggle.

This is a process I’ve personally used in my life for over 25 years now, and I can tell you it absolutely, positively works – IF you are being honest with yourself.  That’s really all it takes is respect for the most important person in your life – YOU!

I believe in you,

Stephanie

P.S.  I’m going to be doing a special 6-session private series with people who are ready to make the leap into clarity.   If you’ve had it, you know things are not working and you are ready to get real, schedule a consultation with me here:  http://sfw.clickbook.net Let’s get that handled and get you on the road to wealth and success!