Posts Tagged ‘lean in to your dreams’

Freelancer vs. Self-Employed vs. Independent Contractor…what’s the difference? Are you really an entrepreneur or just avoiding getting a “real job?” Battle-tested ‘treps share their stories in this insightful documentary…

Watch Shine: The Entrepreneur’s Journey

“Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French Fries without making them give you any of theirs.”
Chrissy – age 6

“Many of us play small  because we do not allow ourselves to dream. We trap ourselves in reality and  never dare to go beyond what we can see with our eyes. Imagination lifts us  beyond average by giving us a vision of life that surpasses what we are  experiencing currently. Dreams infuse our spirit with energy and spur us on to  greatness.”

— John C. Maxwell

“You can change your self-image and beliefs whenever you choose. We had no choice about the beliefs that were instilled in us by teachers, parents and so on — they just gave us their best — but now that we’re adults, we can choose the beliefs that will move us in the direction of our dreams.”

— John Assaraf, Having It All

How true this sentiment by John Assaraf, one of the featured speakers in the popular film, the Secret, is. The moment I read it, I had to jot it down in my notebook of ‘things to remember’ because it resonated so strongly with me. I think it is because sometimes we look for reasons to nurse our perceived shortcomings. Perhaps because it’s comforting to harbor them, perhaps because it is easier to coddle the familiar rather than risk the unknown territory of a new direction. Whatever the reason, John’s statement holds so much truth in that once we are adults, the choice is ours and ours alone. We have everything within us to be whatever we choose, and whatever we don’t have will be brought into our awareness at the appointed time as long as we continue to move forward in the direction of our desires.

So what are you moving towards?

“You think you have to figure it all out before you take a step. Instead, lean in. Send that email. Pick up the phone. Sign up for that class. Commit and do it. What matters is that you push through your feelings and start moving. Take action and lean toward what you want without regard for how it will look or turn out.”

— Mel Robbins, Success Magazine | March 2011

Truth be told, I’ve been procrastinating. And in my 30+ years of living I’ve come to learn something about myself…I tend to procrastinate when I’m nervous about the outcome. I procrastinate when I’m nervous about my abilities and whether or not I can rise to the challenge. What has usually been my compensating attribute is tenacity. Usually my persistence will outlive and outwit any bouts with procrastination and I somehow move forward to complete the task at hand, no matter how daunting it may momentarily appear to be. Luckily, I came across this quote today while reading my very first issue of Success magazine (so glad I subscribed) which reminded me that it’s not necessary to see the full path ahead before leaning in to the start of the experience. I am grateful for the reminder.

All of us have goals, dreams and aspirations that collect dust on the shelves of our lives because we fail to take the first step. We mistakenly reason that we need to have everything “all figured out” before we admit out loud that we want to achieve something great. When the truth is, we don’t have to see or know how everything will work out, we just need to trust that it will and take action with that belief in mind.

So what are you waiting for? Scratch that…it’s the wrong question really. The question is…what will you lean in to?

I was inspired to finally sit down and draft the copy for the back cover of my forthcoming book, Rat Race Revolution. (Click on the The Book tab above to get a sneak peek and tell me what you think) Not sure how this story will unfold (pun intended) but I’m excited to be on the journey.

By the way, in case you were wondering, here is the full quote that was referenced by this blog post’s title:

“Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”

— Martin Luther King, Jr.

The trend of Independent Business Professionals continues to rise during what has come to be known as The Great Recession. Many industrious Americans are choosing to opt out of the recession by taking control of their financial freedom with creative entrepreneurial business ventures. Everything from tupperware-style pleasure parties for women to mobile dog-walking services, the list has no end.

The Coop :: Chicago-based Co-working Community

One of the growing trends that Indies are using to maximize their resources as they start their new businesses is  joining co-working communities. Co-working communities are sprouting up all across the country and take advantage of shared resources that a traditional office space provides for the fraction of the cost of leasing an office space. The communal space is often shared by individuals who do not work for the same company, instead they work for themselves. This concept is attractive to both work-at-home and traveling professionals because it offers a much needed relief from the isolation of the home office or local Starbucks.

Too often than not, fledgling entrepreneurs get caught up in the fancy trappings of starting their business. Things like sleek, flat screen plasma televisions for presentations, fancy office furniture and the top of the line ergonomic chairs. But what business really boils down to is the ability to foster growth from consistent sales and by staying true to that goal, business debt is less likely to occur. At least not for such superficial reasons. This is critical to a start-up since lack of cash flow is the primary reason why they go under. To be able to keep the cash flow going means being able to keep the doors open one more day, which is crucial in those critical first stages.

Collaborative workspaces allow for a debt-free opportunity to bootstrap one’s way to business success while meeting the needs of a business start-up. In a time when debt is all too common, being smart with limited resources is almost as good as cash in the bank. Golden.

I had the opportunity to interview Terry Dean recently, who is living the ultimate in lifestyle freedom as a successful internet marketer and entrepreneur. Wanting to uncover some of the thinking behind “success” and how various people connect their educational choices with careers and ultimately success, I had a few question for him. To no surprise, his insightful answers gave me pause and no doubt you will too. Listen in…

1. If you could go back to when you were 18 again, bright-eyed and hopeful of what life held in store for you, would you do anything differently?

Really I would not do anything differently. The reason is your experiences create the person you are today.

For example, I’m a college dropout, but the reason I dropped out was because it was a ministry school and I got married to one of the teachers who taught the high school at the same organization.  They got upset with us, and we decided to leave them entirely.

So I could say I wish I would have skipped college, but I came out of there with my wife who supported me all the way to the success of my business.  We’ve been married 16 years.

I also wish I had never gotten myself into the deep debt I did, but that is what gave me such a committment to never being in debt again.  This led me to coming up with business ways of buying cars with cash and even recently paying for my home with cash (you can bet the home builder was quite happy to get a cashier’s check in today’s financing environment).

So the answer is I wish I would have skipped college and skipped the pain of those debts, but they’ve led to the life I have today.  So the answer is no I would not change anything…even the painful parts.

2. Would you go straight to college, attend a trade school or backpack through Europe for awhile?

If I was advising someone starting out, I would tell them to do what it takes to accomplish whatever dreams they have for their life.  If that requires you to go to college, then do so. You’re not going to move toward your dream of being a surgeon by backpacking through Europe for example.

Take the next step toward what you want to do and finish with your life.  I could mention all those exercises here everybody talks about like writing your obituary and what you want to accomplish, but I’m sure you’ve heard them before.

What if someone doesn’t have a clue, which is pretty common when someone graduates from high school?  In that case, backpacking through Europe or anything else that will get you EXPERIENCES on a low budget would be what I’d advise.  Get out there and meet people.  Become a listener and ask questions.  The more variety of people and cultures you do this in, the better it will be to helping you figure out what YOU WANT.

Because it’s not about what your parents want or what the media tells you that you should want.  It’s about what you want.  And I’m also very big on finding your purpose and providing value to others.

What kind of work would you enjoy and love to provide values to others?  If you know what that is, go for it.  If you don’t then do the experiences and listening above until you get a good idea about it.

3. What are your thoughts on the old adage “go to a good school so you can get a good job?”

It’s a stupid statement.  Who just wants a good job?  A good entrepreneur makes more than almost any job.  But if you do want a job (which some people do), then get the RIGHT job…not just a good job.

The right job would be one that fulfills what I said in the above question.  It fulfills you while providing value to others.

And should someone go to college just to pass the time until they figure out what’s right for them?  NO WAY.  Talk about getting into debt…and wasting money.  They’d be stuck in one way of thinking (whatever school they attend) so they’d miss other experiences and they’d come out with a mountain of debt still possibly not knowing what they want.  In my opinion, that’s just stupid.

I am a hardcore entrepreneur.  I can’t work for anyone else.  I hated it…and I was never a very good employee.  Yet my wife now works as a nurse.  That is what she WANTED for quite a while.

So she went to a trade school to get an associate’s degree to be an RN.  And she works a job as an RN.  And you know what, she is very good at it.  And she enjoys it.

We don’t need to the money, but she didn’t feel fulfilled just working in business.  In fact we often forget to even update the checkbook with her direct deposit checks.  She had to find what fit her, and that took a while.  Once you she KNEW what she wanted, she went to a trade school to get it done.

4. What is your opinion on how one’s success in life relates to their education? What would you say success IS related to?

Success does relate to education, but education doesn’t just mean college.

I continually educate myself every year.  Amazon.com and I are very good friends. I buy a couple of books or ebooks every week so I’m always learning both in my subject of internet business and other subjects I enjoy.

I’m glad you left the question a little open by asking about success, not just money.

You can earn money doing a lot of things.  But success in my opinion only comes when you’re doing something you love.  That means that success is going to be related to finding what you love to do and going after it with all your heart.

And that means intense passionate work.  I recently wrote an article on my blog that talked about a key of every successful entrepreneur.

Success is directly related to the speed of implementation.

This means how quickly you test new ideas and put them in place.  Let’s say you have a coach and they suggest you test a new form of advertising.  Some people sit around and think about it.  Others want to study it for two months before they do it.

The successful people test it by the next day.  They play it a LITTLE SAFE and keep their investment very low in the beginning, but they put the test in place immediately.

It’s not thinking about business that makes you successful.  It’s DOING business.  Successful entrepreneurs test small, but do so quickly.  And they learn as they go.  Unsuccessful dreamers learn everything before they go…and then get distracted by something else along the way.

5. With regards to achieving the illusive “lifestyle freedom,” what would be your advice to those who are struggling with making the transition (i.e. those who still trade time for dollars)?

Lifestyle freedom means you have enough coming in from passive sources that you don’t have to go to work today if you don’t want to.  It’s now fully your choice what you do…not the mortgage company’s choice because of what you owe them.

My advice is to start putting information products together – items like books, ebooks, audios, videos, etc. on subjects which solve people’s problems.  The job of an entrepreneur is to SOLVE other people’s problems.  And the easiest way to do this passively is to through products that sell for you even when you’re not working.

Let’s say for example you know how to kill the weeds in your lawn.  Do you think others want to learn this?  You bet they do.  Maybe you did backpack in Europe.  Do you think others would like to know what you learned to have a better experience?  Yep.  Every problem is an opportunity to profit by helping others overcome it.

Create your product.  If I was just starting out today I would use a system like Clickbank.com for my first product.  They pay the affiliates for you, giving you the opportunity to concentrate on what matters…getting a good conversion on your website and finding good affiliates to promote for you.

You will work hard at first to get everything in the system flowing, but once it’s up and moving it requires only a small amount of effort to keep it going.

And here’s one more element to mention.  When you’re putting together that product you can put a few affiliate links throughout it.  These links could be to other information products, physical products, or even continuity programs like membership sites.  These all then pay you the affiliate share of the profits totally passively while you’re promoting your new item.

6. Lastly, what book(s) are you reading now?

The one I just finished was Facebook Marketing for Dummies by Paul Dunay and Richard Krueger.  The next book will be Methaphorically Selling: How to Use the Magic of Metaphos to Sell, Persuade, and Explain Anything to Anyone by Anne Miller.  I read through one book at a time and I take action at least one principle from the book immediately.  So I just put up my Facebook fan page for example because this was so important throughout the Facebook Marketing book.

Terry Dean is an internet marketing coach who has been helping home based entrepreneurs and small business owners for over 14 years.  Grab a free copy of his Internet Lifestyle Manifesto which shares how to find your passion and profit from it online at his web site today: http://www.mymarketingcoach.com.

“If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much.”

Jim Rohn was a famous author and motivational speaker who passed late last year. A google search will yield a bounty of inspirational quotes he was most noted for. This one is my favorite. Living life on purpose is hard work indeed but considering the alternative, it’s well worth the extra effort. Be Well.