Mindset

2017: Successful? Yes. Peaceful? Not so much.

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Walking along the beach on New Year’s Day, I reflected on how I felt exactly one year earlier: filled to overflowing with a sense of wonder and possibility.

Feeling inspired last January, I picked up pebbles on the beach, wrote a blog about them, then mailed them out across the country.

My intention was to remind us all to keep that sense of wonder and possibility with us throughout 2017.

How would you rate your success with that intention?

I give myself a B minus.

I took plenty of time off for friends, family, roller coaster and otters. And grew the company by about 25%.

But a consistent sense of wonder and possibility? Not so much.

In between the fun time off and the accomplishments was a lot of fretting. “Am I going to get this done? When can I take a breath? Am I doing the right things? What if I never get another client?”

I can track all of this fretting to a serious lack of space for thinking. For exploring. For analyzing and creating. For wonder and possibility.

This year, I want to get an A+.

So for 2018, I budgeted and protected time for wonder and possibility. I shared my calendaring process for the year in this recent blog, because I do not want to repeat the intermittent crazy of 2017.

I want to know… how’d you do?

For the Days You Consider Working at Starbucks

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“Timing, perseverance, and ten years of trying will eventually make you look like an overnight success.” – Biz Stone, co-founder of Twitter

Wow. The co-founder of Twitter?

From him, those “ten years of trying,” sound almost romantic and heroic, don’t they?

He fought the good fight and came out a champion, even when everyone thought he was crazy.

But what about those ten crazy years? Can you imagine quotes from that time?

  • “I have just enough money in my checking account to cover the month, with no idea what to do next.”
  • “In one day, I got a new client and a deal fell through. It feels like I’m just spinning my wheels.”
  • “My spouse asked me for the third time this month why I’m crying over my business when I could just go get a job.”
  • “I work and work to make a positive impact in the lives of others and I just got called sleazy. On Facebook.”

I made these up. Because who would be crazy enough to write about the grueling days of entrepreneurship?

This girl.

All through my toughest years of entrepreneurship, I wrote: I laid bare every struggle, every strategy, every mindset shift I had to make in order to persevere long enough to become an “overnight success.” I put everything down on paper that helped me build a business, to stretch my comfort zone, and to laugh at the absurdity of entrepreneurship.

You’ve heard the quote, “Entrepreneurs are the only people who will work 80 hours a week for themselves to avoid working 40 hours a week for someone else.”

Absurd, right?

But also incomplete.

Entrepreneurs work those crazy hours and endure the struggle because we are committed to making a difference. We improve the lives of others. We educate. We inspire. We transform.

Entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart, and to succeed, being smart and strategic isn’t enough. To help you laugh, be inspired, and focus your efforts, I’m sharing a free chapter from my book, Smile When They Call You Sleazy! I hope it lets you know that you are not alone on the crazy journey.

And who knows? Maybe it could even help you shave a few years off of your journey to “overnight success.”

Sign up to receive your free chapter now: http://marycravets.com/bookchapter/

I believe in you!

When Your Business Choices are Challenged

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Recently, I forwarded a resource out to my email list, because it offered me some helpful insights, and I believed it would do the same for others. Within 24 hours of sending, I received two emails in response.

The first email said, “This is brilliant! I really found value in it.” Well, great! I thought. Mission accomplished- I’m glad I could help!

I opened the second email expecting a similar message. Instead, it said, “This is pretty offensive! Why would anyone want this?” Wait… what?! This is the exact opposite of the first response! How could two opinions differ so drastically about the same subject?

I had a moment of debate with myself: Had I missed the point? Was I actually unhelpful? Should I refrain from sending similar resources in the future?

After a quick assessment, the answer was clear: Nope! I have a clear vision about my business and my clients, and I know what path I’m on to see success in both. The resource I sent was important to me, and others had found it valuable—even if there had been a difference of opinion.

The problem with hearing conflicting opinions is that they can lead you down a wrong path if you aren’t clear about your path. Being uncertain when confronted with differing opinions can leave you terrified to try a new approach, doubtful of your strategy, or paralyzed in the pursuit of your goals.

In order to stay moving forward with purpose down the right path—the one you’ve mapped out for yourself and your business— it’s important to always be clear about your vision and your ideal clients. That way, when conflicting opinions cross your path, you can decide quickly whether you need to adjust or stay the course!

A Lesson From a Rock Wall

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You probably don’t know this, but my sister loves rock climbing and I’ve gone to her climbing gym several times. I always enjoyed the experience, but didn’t actively look for more rocks to climb.

Then, I was invited to go rock climbing in Alaska.

I was tired. I didn’t want to hurt myself. And I could have very easily just gone and relaxed somewhere much more comfortable (and safe!).

But… I couldn’t go all that way without at least trying, right?

I decided to go for it, and gave myself permission to only go as far as I wanted to, and to stop when I felt like it. I didn’t have to make it all the way to the top that day, I just had to try it.

I started the climb. What happened completely defied my expectations. At the climbing gym, the climbs are color coded and pre-set to be accomplished.  There on a natural wall in Alaska I had to figure out how to get to the top on my own (with a little guidance from the climbing instructor).

The rock wall was like a puzzle, and all I could do to solve it was focus on my next move. Right hand first. Then left hand. Right foot, left foot. Moving upward became a challenge in advancing, assessing, and correcting.

Can I get a handhold here? Nope, try over here!

Left foot is slipping, try a better grip!

Advance, assess, correct.

Before I knew it, I was advancing up with careful moves — and with focus, focus, focus.  Instead of thinking about how tired I was or how I might not reach the top, my goal shifted to pure enjoyment of the process.

Sure enough, I made it to the top. But it was the experience of trying that was the real win.

Are you standing at the bottom of a new challenge? Focus on the experience.  Advance, assess, and correct. Hire an instructor or coach if needed. And above all, start the climb!

Why Your Work-Life Balance Isn’t Working

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Welcome to the half-way point of your year!

This is a great moment to step back and evaluate how things are going. One of the most common complaints I hear is, “I feel totally out of balance!”

In this short, funny and insightful video, the speaker gives one of the best perspectives on why your work-life balance isn’t working. Take the time to watch it, and see if you catch the same insight I did!

The Question That Completely Changes the Conversation

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I bet you send dozens of emails a day, and the majority of them are unimportant. Not unnecessary, just not earth-shatteringly important.

Getting business done. Asking questions. Answering questions.

Communicating, but not connecting.

And you may wonder, “Is it even possible to truly connect in a meaningful way via email?”

There is. And I’m going to give you the one simple question that makes it possible.

Now understand, this question helps you connect in a more meaningful way so that a separate, deeper conversation can be had, usually on the phone or in person. But this question gets the ball rolling in the right direction of true connection, rather than just being one more email in someone’s inbox.

The question is, “Is there anything I can do to support you?”

I regularly ask this to close out email conversations. And in the responses to that question, I find the tone has shifted dramatically.

As if they are so accustomed to having everyone want to take from them, that being asked if there is anything you can give them is a profoundly astonishing concept.

The responses of gratitude just warm my heart, and true connections are born.

And beyond just responses of heartfelt gratitude, I’ve also gotten the opportunity to lend support to someone in need, and (surprisingly) this question has also lead to business opportunities.

Have fun with this. Ask the question and share what happens!