Sunday, October 17, 2010

S-st-tt-stuttering and Sputtering Out



There I go again! It has been a very long time since my last blog post, and I have to ask myself, “What’s that about?” As motivated and intentional as I may start out, I find that many times I lose focus and simply Sputter out for a while. And guess what – I see other entrepreneurs doing the same thing. Why can’t we just set the goal, develop a strategy, and get moving with focus and consistency?

Here are some reasons AND some ways to change this unproductive pattern.

Reason #1: life happens. People get interrupted, something breaks and needs attention and investment to repair, allergy season saps your energy, company from afar needs attention, other stresses take our attention. Falling off the plan is like stuttering – it’s uncomfortable and it impacts our self-esteem. The good news is that we can overcome the impact of life’s interruptions to our plan.
Solution: Plan for #1 to happen. Know that progress happens in steps and plateaus – you just have to keep on doing the daily small steps that move you forward. It’s normal. It can be briefer if you don’t get stuck in the “stutter”.

Reason #2: it’s not a habit. We all know that it takes 21 days (or more) to install a new habit. If you go 15 days and then forget, the habit doesn’t stick. It takes consistency of commitment for 21 days.
Solution: Get a buddy! Knowing that you are accountable to someone else is a success strategy that will bridge any commitment gaps you may have. This works even better if your buddy is asking you to give the same support for a habit he/she is developing.

Reason #3: you don’t really, really want it badly enough. You think you do, you tell yourself you do, but deep down, it just doesn’t match your sense of what is possible for you.
Solution: tell the truth. What is the purpose, the bigger “why”, for you to achieve the goal? When your actions are aligned with your purpose, the stuttering and sputtering won’t be an option.

So here is my commitment to myself – I am putting these 3 solutions into action starting today for my Send Out Cards biz.
Let me know if you see me starting to stutter on that commitment. I'm going to Take Charge - Get Moving!

Love and light,
Diane