Open Your Life to the Abundant Flow

If aren’t receiving the abundance and prosperity you want, you may be unknowingly blocking the flow. Many people, through self-sabotage, actually push abundance and prosperity away. The question is, how do you open the flood gates to the abundance life that you deserve and know is possible for you?

Abundance is the experience of plenty. Plenty of what you truly need and want in your life; material and otherwise. Catherine Ponder, in her book, “Open Your Mind to Prosperity,” says “You are prosperous to the degree that you are experiencing peace, health and plenty in your world.

When you are experiencing true abundance, you have passion in your life, positive relationships, life experiences that you cherish and desire, personal and professional growth and development, and individual moments that you savor.

People often come to me saying, “I’m not sure what I need, but I know I need something. I’m just not happy with my life the way that it is.” When I ask them what they want, virtually all of them say they want more peace, more meaning and more fulfillment in their lives.

So, what’s the missing link? In our culture, abundance is often equated with getting more money. Yet, the pursuit of money often draws our body, mind and spirit out of balance. Having money isn’t a bad thing and you should feel free to pursue any amount of money that feels good to you. However, many people have made the pursuit of money the main source of abundance which in turn can leave them feeling drained, searching for more meaning, fulfillment and peace in their lives.

What does abundance mean for you in your life?

1) What kind of life would be ideal for you?

2) What positive priorities would support that vision?

3) Who and/or what are your most precious possessions, relationships and experiences?

4) Are you allowing yourself the time and energy to do the things that spark your most creative power?

5) How do you currently use your gift of time?

Write a summary statement of your answers. Are you currently living your life according to what is most valuable to you? Are there some things that you would like to change?

So many people postpone pursuing their dreams because we think we’ll get to them later, when we have more time, or when something happens first. As a result, too many people go through life feeling weighed down by daily responsibilities, “shoulds,” “have-to’s,” and “musts.” We become prisoners of our own self-doubts and being disconnected from our values, our purpose, and what brings us abundance in every moment.

Abundance and prosperity is about doing what matters to you in every moment, and feeling fulfilled and alive now. If you’re like most people, getting clarity on your purpose, values and your right path that brings you the true and meaningful abundance you want may seem like a nearly impossible task. For many years, I have been helping people transform their lives by unearthing their gifts, their true potential, and creating their plan to let their most rewarding path unfold and lead a life of fulfillment, success and meaning.

“Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the number of moments that take your breath away.”

Laurie Polinski

Spinning Gold

The Biggest Thing Most Entrepreneurs Do to Sabotage Success

  If you’ve been in business for a while, you realize that there are ups and downs, and peaks and valley.  When things are going well, you are doing the work you love, you’re working with your ideal clients who appreciate you and your work, you’re making money, and everything feels like it flows.  But when things aren’t going so well, you feel like everything’s a struggle and often you aren’t sure what to do to get back into that flow!

  What many entrepreneurs do is dig their heels in, put their nose to the grindstone, and worker longer and harder.  Unfortunately, that’s exactly what keeps them stuck!

  It’s important to remember that it’s not about working harder.  The most important thing you can do is step back and refocus so your energy is aligned with the results you want.

Here are 3 Keys to Jumpstart the Flow of Success in Your Business:

Key 1:  Be clear about what you want.  One of the biggest reasons most people don’t get what they want is because they don’t know what they want!  

  You must have a crystal clear vision of what you want.  I know you’ve heard this before, and you’ve undoubtedly done this exercise at least once, but I’m going to encourage you to do to it again; write out the story of your perfect life, exactly as you want it to be, and re-read it daily. 

  Make this a priority; schedule time in your calendar, just like you’d schedule any other important meeting.  Give it your full, undivided attention.  Put on relaxing music (I find that music without lyrics works best to allow creative thought to flow.).  Write out every single detail of what you want your life and your business to look like.   What will bring you the most joy and the least stress?  Include colors, smells, ideas and feelings.  In fact, put as much emotion into your story as possible! 

  After you have your story written out, just the way you want it, take time every day to re-read your story.  Be sure you actually feel yourself in the story as if it is already just that way!  You might even find that you want to add some additional visions or details in, and I encourage you to do that!  Make it as detailed as possible.  You will be activating the creative part of your subconscious mind to begin creating this life for you.

Key 2:  Be clear about your “receiver” and what “frequency” they are set at.  In other words, you are in business to provide a service; you are the “generator.”  Your target market is the people who need or want your service; they are the “receiver.” 

  If business has slowed, one of the things you need to ask yourself is, “Am I delivering exactly what my ideal clients want, and is my marketing message clearly reaching them?”  In other words, “Am I still tuned in to them?”  Just like a radio frequency, you as the generator must be precisely tuned to what your receiver wants and be sure you are generating a high-quality message, or they won’t receive it!  By taking the time to be crystal clear, you can reach your target audience and easily attract them with far less effort.

Key 3:  Take “right” action.

We’ve all experienced it, when our business isn’t working the way we want it to, we begin to feel frustration.  The worst thing about frustration is often entrepreneurs start doing anything and everything they know to just try to get business moving again.  This is not the time to work harder, it’s the time to step back, clear the clutter and stop doing what’s not working!  Just working harder, longer hours is nothing but an energy drain if what you are doing isn’t directly related to getting the exact results you want (see Keys #1 and #2.). 

  This is like the definition of insanity; continually doing the same thing and expecting different results.  This is a very common way that entrepreneurs fail to move their business quickly and easily forward.

  Imagine that you are stranded in the middle of nowhere.  You call someone, on your cell phone, for help.  The person who answers is not the person you expected; in fact they don’t even speak the same language as you!  You hang up the phone, and dial the same number again – and again you get the same person. 

  This happens several times, you are becoming more and more frustrated.  You’ve read that you can get what you want if you think positive thoughts, so you think positive thoughts and you even visualize (Key #1) that the exact person you want will answer your call.  You repeat your affirmations, and you dial the same number.  You get the same person.

  Now your cell phone battery is almost dead and you can only make one more call.  Do you repeat your affirmations harder and louder this time?  Or do you stop, reconsider what’s not working, and try a new strategy?

  This sounds absurd, but it’s exactly what many people do with their lives and business.  They continue taking the same actions, getting more and more frustrated and exhausted, and they can’t figure out why they’re not getting ahead.

The fact is, when you have these 3 keys working together;

1. have a crystal clear vision of what you want;
2. know what your ideal clients want so you can generate a clear service and message that reaches them; and
3. eliminate what’s not working and start doing only those things that will bring you the results you desire

 you will quickly and easily get the results you really want for yourself and your business!

    If you are feeling stuck, frustrated and want to jumpstart your business success, call me for a fr^ee 30 minute Business Breakthrough Consultation.  In less than 30 minutes, I will show you exactly what is keeping you stuck, and what you most need to do right now to quickly move forward.  I do only 2 fr^ee Business Breakthrough Consultations each week, so call now to schedule yours and do what it takes to get the results you know you want and deserve! To contact me, call: 1-630-515-1722

Spinning Gold

The Power Of Archetypes

  I promised you more about Archetypes.  Some of you told me that, before you received my newsletter, you really didn’t know what archetypes were, or what it means to you.  So, here is what I know….

  Archetypes is a tool we can use to draw us closer to personal awareness and discern where our unique personal power comes from at any given time in our own life’s journey.  When we identify with a certain archetype, we are effectively peering into our own set of unconscious traits. 

  While some may not have heard the term “archetypes” before, or may not completely understand what the potentiality in understanding them is, I assure you that you do know what the idea of archetypes is.  Remember Walt Disney’s Beauty and the Beast?  Belle was the Hero (Heroine), while Beast is the Outcast.  Cogsworth is the Responsible.  Mrs. Potts, the Nurturer, and so on. 

  The different archetypes (I gave you 12 primary archetypal characters in my 9/13/10 newsletter) are really labels for a particular set of traits, characteristics and expected behaviors.  So, when you think of the archetype (or label) “Teacher,” you get an image of what characteristics and traits that person might embody.  When you think of the archetype (or label) “Hero,” your mind automatically conjures up a set of ideas of what you could expect from that person.  In fact, think of all of the Disney movies you’ve seen, and you’ll understand how each story is written to include certain archetypal personalities and how they interact together.

  These inner guides – archetypes – have been with us since the dawn of time.  We see them reflected throughout the ages in art, literature, mythical stories and even religions.  Look around and see that archetypes are found everywhere, in everything.

  Why is this important to you?  Well, archetypes can serve as our inner guides to help us on our journey through life.  When you understand more about yourself, and how others perceive you, you become more self-empowered, and true to your soul.  You can make a conscious choice to find and express your unique gifts more fully in the world.  Each has its own gifts, strengths and ways of being.  Each presents its own set of lessons and challenges  

  Archetypes are also described as an energetic pattern that resides within our unconscious at different stages of our lives.  Each archetype that comes into our lives brings with it a task, a lesson, and ultimately a gift.  And the best part is that all of the archetypes reside within each of us.  Which means that we all have this full human potential within ourselves, and it is up to us to draw upon each one as is appropriate.

  When you identify your particular set of archetypes you can really begin to understand the patterns you experience in your life, both positive and challenging.  You can see how certain situations, people and experiences continue to show up in your life that either benefit you or tend to throw you off balance.  When you recognize these as energetic patterns in your life, you can understand how you really are drawing these experiences into your life!  You can also better understand how to work with each as it comes.

  Here are just a few of the benefits of identifying which set of archetypes are prevalent at various times in your life:  You can more clearly see

  In my work with clients, I give them a brief assessment that helps them identify which archetype is the primary and which is the supporting influence in their life.  We use this, along with other highly effective tools, to get a deeply insightful perspective on what the client needs in her life to bring her the greatest amount of joy, purpose, meaning and satisfaction in her life.  When clients get this kind of insight, they always tell me that I have given them a perspective on life that they’ve never had before, and have “finally given them permission to be themselves.” 

What’s my primary archetype?  The Alchemist – A visionary, making dreams come true, transforming what is into its highest potential.

Spinning Gold

  Let’s face it, without marketing, your business has little chance of succeeding. You may start getting clients to work with, but eventually, you will find yourself struggling to find clients who want to buy what you have, and burn yourself out.

  Actually, many entrepreneurs dip a toe in the water with their marketing by giving their business a name, coming up with a catchy tagline and getting an icon or clip art to put on their business card and website. Yes, done right, this is a piece of your marketing. So, what else is there, and how can you make marketing the piece that ensures your business success?

  Recently, I was at a local networking event and one of the people in the group was allowed 5 minutes to get up and speak about her business. As she was speaking, I realized that I was having a hard time understanding what it was that she wanted to get across, and why I might want what she had to offer. And, I was not at all compelled to want to find out more about her or her product. That’s not to say that there was anything wrong with her or what she said…… in fact it was more in what she didn’t say.

  I learned her name and her business name right away. That’s always a good thing ~ however, believe it or not, neither really told me what she does.

So, here’s tip #1: Having a business name or tagline that tells people what you want them to know and remember about you.

  This is the beginning of getting your branding across. Putting all of your pieces together in a concise, clearly understood message so people remember what you want them to remember about you. Yes, you want them to like, trust and respect you, but more than that, you want them to know and remember what you can do for them.

  If your name, business name or tag line doesn’t clearly tell people who you are, what you do, how you uniquely help, and why they should choose you to spend their time and money with, then this needs your attention now! Typically, we have only 30 seconds to capture someone’s attention. In those 30 seconds we want to be sure they walk away with what we want them to remember about us. Basically, what’s in it for them?

Here’s what you need to know to craft an effective tagline.

  An effective tagline helps you clarify what makes you or your service special and enables you to sum up your “competitive advantage” in just a few words.

  Next, this speaker handed out her brochure which was professionally printed, on nice cardstock. That’s always a good thing ~ however, believe it or not, the picture on the cover was of a forest of fern plants. Is she a gardener? A botanist? A landscaper designer? No, she is a financial investment manager. I guess money is green and so are ferns and that’s where that connection comes in???

So, here’s tip #2: Your Brand Isn’t Just a Logo, or the Colors You Use, or Your Business Name

  …… it is all of these things, and more, together. Everything must consistently give the one singular message you want people to remember about you. Money management / ferns; I still don’t get the connection.

  A company’s logo, colors and the images it uses all serve to support and reinforce the brand identity. The more you reinforce the features of your brand identity, the more familiar people will become with it and the more likely they will be to do business with you repeatedly.

To strengthen your brand identity, be sure it is:

  Your brand identity can be extremely valuable if done and used effectively. Do everything in your power to build a strong, well-regarded brand image and just about every aspect of building your business – especially the marketing piece – will be much easier.

  Then, this speaker went on to tell the facts about her company and what she does. Actually at that point, I was disinterested because I already know someone who does what she does. In fact, there were 3 others in the room who do the same thing; one of them sitting right next to me! So, what would compel me to learn more about how she can help me, or to recommend her to someone else who may need her services? What does she do brilliantly well that the others don’t? What makes her unique? What differentiates her from the rest? Perhaps it is that she grows ferns in her yard? I don’t know, she never said that, but it’s a guess on my part based on her brochure.

So, here’s tip #3: Your Brand Identity is, or Should be, Unique to You.

  That’s why people choose you to work with over someone else in the same field. You must unearth your own brilliance and unique qualities so that you can make them part of your brand identity.

To create a strong brand identity, you must be clear on:

Make a list of the values you want your company to reflect and be associated with.

Develop the core message for your company:

  Your core message, including your set of values, is what defines your brand. It’s what you want customers to remember about you. When you have a strong, clear message, you’re much better able to develop a strong connection with your customer base.

  These are three key drivers which help to create a strong, memorable image and message for your business. You need to keep your core message in mind when you’re developing your advertising, website, packaging and marketing materials (such as brochures, business card, catalog, etc). It must permeate every aspect of what you do and be the foundation of all your marketing activities.

  The message that clients or potential clients get from you about your business is the key to success. It’s imperative that you create the core message you want to send for your business or service. Without articulating your core message and consistent brand identity, it’s impossible to develop an effective, meaningful marketing program.

  Remember, if you don’t create the message that you want people to “get” and remember about you, they will create their own.

Laurie Polinski
Spinning Gold Marketing

If your business feels more like the wallflower right now, and you’d like to have more of what the rock star has, ask yourself these 3 three key questions:

1) Have I articulated and written down my brand promise?

2) What do I want my clients to remember about me and/or my business?

Your core message should be based on:

It’s important that you understand and clearly articulate the core message you want to send for your business. You need to keep your core message in mind when developing all of your advertising materials such as your website, brochures, business card, etc. Your core message is what you want your clients to remember about you. This is how you create a deeply meaningful connection with your clients and prospective clients.

3) Does my company name and/or tagline explain the nature of my business or what I do?

My tagline tells 3 things:
  1) Who I work with – “Entrepreneurs”
 2) What I do – “Business Growth Coach”
  3) What I promise – “Focused, Fast Results.”

Laurie Polinski
Spinning Gold Marketing

Be sure to take the time to build that solid foundation under your business.

Here are the:

7 Key Steps to Taking Control of Your Business This Year

Laurie Polinski
Spinning Gold Marketing

 An Organized Office Means Freedom For You

  When it comes to productivity, creativity and inspiration, having an organized workspace to complete your daily tasks efficiently and without distractions is crucial to your success. Unbury yourself today by following these easy yet effective organizational tips.

Keep Office Supplies Nearby

Keeping the supplies that you use most frequently—such as pens, staplers and your stress management tools(stress balls)—close-at-hand and storing the ones that you don’t in designate spaces will play a big role in keeping your desk and your office clutter-free, and will make finding items all the easier which will save you precious time.

Create a Comprehensive Filing System

Make documents easy to find by creating a well-organized filing system. A great way to do this is by creating categories for your paperwork, and storing them appropriately. It will also be helpful for you to review your filing cabinet regularly so that you may discard of papers no longer needed. Keeping paperwork scattered on your desk. his is a distraction as well as a thief in that it robs you of your time, energy and creativity.

Organize and Prioritize Your Snail Mail

Just like your e-mail service, equip your office with an inbox for hard-copy mail that you have yet to read. As you immediately open your mail each day, prioritize and discard! Separate your bills, payments on invoices and letters that need responses and shred the rest.  This little tool will keep your workspace clear of mountains of unopened envelopes, and will make it much more difficult to lose important mail pieces.

Start Tomorrow off With a Clean Slate

We all know how important it is to start each day off right and in order to build the needed momentum first thing in the morning, you have to be without distraction. It will be helpful for you to clear your office of its clutter at the end of each work day. Filing the papers that you will need, throwing away the ones that you will not and storing supplies in their designated areas will allow you to begin the next day dynamically; instead of spending your morning sorting through the mess you made yesterday. Don’t procrastinate on organizing; you’ll thank yourself in the morning.

 Organization Leads to a Happy Life

  As you can see, these four steps are very simple for anyone to accomplish and can make a huge impact on the productivity of your day. It amazes me how many offices I walk into that are in total chaos and surprisingly the people who own these offices can’t understand why they cannot complete their tasks in a timely manner.

  Get yourself in a routine of keeping your office space clean and organized and you’ll surprise yourself at how much you can accomplish in a day with increased creativity and still have time for yourself.

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Back To Business Basics

With the beginning of a new year only weeks away, now is the perfect time to start laying a solid foundation for a successful 2010 in your business. As this year is coming to a close, this is a perfect time to take a step back and take a close look at where you can make adjustments to make 2010 your most profitable year yet! Here are 3 ways to put your business on the right track for the coming year.

 Research Your Niche

 Take some time to examine your niche market and area of expertise. Observing how other professionals in your field do business may be an inspiration to try a new approach to your own business that may open some profitable doors for you. Also, research potential clients for ideas on how to win over new business opportunities and how you can continue to serve the needs of your current clients. 

Invest In  Business Education

When applied properly, the axiom “you have to invest money to make money” really pays off. For you, the entrepreneur, investing time and money to further your education in your business niche through college courses, training and certification and coaching will expand your knowledge and skills and strengthen your position as an authority in your field, helping you to better recognize and respond to the needs of your clients while pulling you ahead of the competition.

 Create a Clear Business Plan

 Having a comprehensible business plan is vital to the success of your business. Begin constructing your 2010 business plan now by determining and recording your goals and strategies for the year. In other words: where would you like your business to be by the end of 2010, and what is the best course for you to get it there? One of the biggest mistakes many entrepreneurs make is not mapping out a clear and precise plan. If you don’t have a clear vision of where you want to be, how do you expect to get there?  By creating a clear business plan now, you’ll be able to bring in the New Year hitting the ground running.  

Researching your niche, investing in continuing business education and creating a business plan are some key ways to ensure that 2010 will be the best for your business, and for you, so far. Here’s to a profitable New Year—here’s to your success.

Laurie Gracie Polinski

Spinning Gold

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I took SO much away from the info-packed content-rich 4-day seminar that I used up an entire notepad and had to start writing on the back sides of my pages!   There is obviously way too much to share in one post, but one thing that I came home and implimented immediately was / okay 2 things / (1) from James: Get Things Done Fast! (2) from Mari
Smith – The importance of having your Twitter background custom-created to match your branding!  Mari says this is the most valuable REAL ESTATE on the web!

So what I did, was take James’ advice, and quickly called my VP of Visibility, Christy Taylor, and my Twitter background is being created as I write this!

Can’t wait to debut it!

~LaurieP.
The Entrepreneurs’ Marketing & Business Growth Coach who gets Results!
Spinning Gold

Meet me on Twitter: LauriePolinski

Chat with me on Facebook: LaurieGraciePolinski

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The Importance Of Keeping a Schedule

Tips for better focus and clarity: staying on task by creating and keeping a schedule

  If you’re an entrepreneur and especially if you’re working from a home office, it may sometimes be difficult to create and keep a schedule that helps you stay focused and productive. After all, many of us have wandered from the rigid course of the corporate world to explore our own path that allows us to be free and, lets be honest, to make us more money. And while that sounds wonderful on the surface, the challenge is that we no longer have someone standing above us, demanding we punch-in at 9 a.m., keep this meeting at 10 a.m. and have that on someone’s desk by 3 p.m. No, now we are responsible for making and keeping our own schedules and holding ourselves accountable.

  Scheduling is not a dirty word and when done properly, allows any business to operate smoothly and more efficiently. Creating and keeping a schedule is one of the best–if not the best–ways to keep yourself on track, and one of the best ways to create a useful schedule is to use a daily planner. So, pull yours out of the drawer, dust it off and open it up. After each work day, grab your planner and write down on the page designated for the following day what you need to get accomplished, listing tasks in order of most to least important. This way, when you walk into your office each morning, you’ll be able to hit the ground running. If there are tasks on your planner that you were unable to finish during the day, make sure to write it down on the next page to be certain that you stick with it. There is something powerful about physically writing anything, down, pen to paper, that makes it easier to remember rather than just entering it into your Blackberry.

  As an entrepreneur, your daily planner should always be nearby, lovingly watching you as you complete task after task, and meet deadline after deadline. I have an erasable marker board hanging in front of my desk where I can always see and know the tasks that need to be completed.

Spinning Gold

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