Closing the Gap

 

 

A few months ago, NPR reported that traffic is a mess in Buenos Aires thanks to on-going protests that are clogging the streets. The cause of this civil unrest is a declining economy and various types of businesses are organizing to speak out, including nightclub owners who are unhappy about the law forcing them to shut their doors at 5:30 AM.

 

While the protests are causing a lot of commotion, they’re also inflicting a great deal of harm as shoppers are unable to get to stores due to the flood of people in the streets. Consequently, many businesses that were doing just fine are now struggling because of the protests.

 

What’s happening in Buenos Aires goes on everyday on a much smaller scale. Quite simply, actions are out of alignment with goals. 

 

Here’s a case in point. I’m not sure how I began following Peter (not his real name) on Twitter, but I thought I’d like to hear what he had to say about his specialty, building confidence. As time went on, I noticed that Peter had little to say about confidence and a great deal to report on his drinking escapades.

 

This guy sounds like he’s in trouble, I thought, so I sent him an e-mail expressing my concern. I gently pointed out that nobody was going to listen to what he had to say about building confidence if all he wrote about was how much alcohol he consumed. 

 

Peter didn’t reply and he didn’t show up on Twitter for several weeks. When he reappeared, he had a link to a new blog post. I clicked on link and was genuinely moved by his piece confessing to his readers that he’d received an e-mail from someone (that would be me) pointing out a problem he knew he had, but had failed to confront. It appears that Peter’s behavior is back in alignment with his goals.

 

When people are disappointed by the financial results in their lives, there’s often a disconnect between what they want and what they are doing. In The Little Money Book, Stuart Wilde talks about closing the gap between where you are and where you want to be. He says:

 

Certain industries are located in certain places in the world. If you’re a long way from where the action is, you may want to consider closing the gap. For example, if you want to make it big in movies, you’ve got to more or less be in New York or Los Angeles.

 

Closing the physical distance is a matter of showing up in the marketplace, becoming a face that people know, demonstrating your expertise, and getting into the loop where the movers and shakers are.

 

People who could bestow great opportunities on you aren’t scouring the distant hills for talent. They’re in the flow.

 

Closing the gap may require changing behavior, changing attitude, changing habitat. It almost never happens if we are devoted to protecting the status quo.

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Note: If you’ve never been to magical Sedona, there’s still time to join Terri Belford, Alice Barry and me for Inspired Livelihood...and even make your trip a tax deduction. Early Bird deadline closes at midnight on Monday, March 15.

Feng Shui For Beginners

After my friend Jane told me a little about feng shui, the Chinese art of placement, I made several attempts at learning more by reading about it. I found the books complicated and hard to apply.

I forgot all about it until I noticed a lecture that was being given at Border’s by two feng shui practitioners. A friend and I decided to attend.

Little did I suspect that it was going to turn me into a madwoman. The lecturers gave use some simple tips about things we could do in our environments to improve the chi (energy flow). They introduced us to the bagua, kind of a blueprint for placement.

I spent an hour or so in bed after the lecture mentally moving furniture. I decided that my office was completely backwards, feng shui-wise, so the next morning I began rearranging things.

Six hours later, my office had taken on a new airiness and was more inviting than it had ever been.

They also told us that in order to get things flowing forward in life, we should go home and move twenty-seven objects that hadn’t been moved for a year. I had no difficulty locating twenty-seven things that were overdue for relocation. I changed mirrors and hung crystals. I fretted over sharp corners and pondered ways to soften them. I had a ball seeing my old familiar surroundings with new eyes.

What’s so intriguing to me about this feng shui business is that it’s a wonderful way to become more clear about the metaphors in your life.

For instance, after I moved my computer to the other side of my office, I needed a longer cord. The one I had was quite tangled and I was going to just plug it in when I realized it would be going through my partnership area. “I don’t want tangled partnerships,” I told myself and decided to take the time to straighten out the cord.

Now when I notice it, I affirm that all my partnerships are running smoothly. It can get even more cosmic than this, but I will resist the urge to go on and on about the metaphysical insights gained from moving furniture around.

 “Care for our actual houses,” writes Thomas Moore, “is also care of the soul. No matter where we live, we can cultivate this wider piece of earth as a place that is integrally bound to the condition of our hearts.”

 But, then, the Chinese knew that centuries ago.

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If you’d like to learn more about feng shui, a delightful introduction can be found in Karen Rauch Carter’s Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life. 

 

Making Tax Time a Pleasure

If you saw Margie Bergstrom walking down the street, you might assume she is an artist in her long skirts and funky jewelry. And if you had a conversation with her, she’d probably tell you about her latest sailing adventure or how much she adores Santorini.

But Margie’s not exactly an artist, although her clients think she makes their lives more beautiful. You see, Margie is a highly trained tax accountant who’s been making my life easier for twenty years.

When I  found her, Margie’s World Headquarters was the sun porch at her home in Minneapolis. I still remember arriving for my first appointment, being seated in the comfortable living room where I was served coffee and homemade cookies while I waited.

A couple of years later, Margie invited me to speak to a group of enrolled agents. After my talk, she told me that she was nervous to admit that she no longer would be working from home. Her business had gotten too large and she had moved into a roomy office space. 

About the same time, Margie’s husband quit his corporate job and became her first employee in the business. When I visited their new world headquarters, I was delighted to discover that she had brought along many of the comforts of home. 

There was still coffee and hot cider, although the cookies now came from a bakery. There wasn’t a financial magazine in sight, but travel and decorating magazines filled the rack providing a welcome distraction for numbers-weary visitors.

Like the Geek Squad, Margie understands that on the day you come to see her, you may not be thrilled about the purpose of your visit. She will do her best to comfort you.

One year I sat down in her office and announced that it hadn’t been a great year for me. I was feeling a little embarrassed. She broke into a big smile and said, “This is the best place to come when you’ve had a bad year.”

There was no question about whether or not I would continue using her services even after I moved to Las Vegas. Margie doesn’t just go out of her way to make her clients feel at ease, she also understands the special requirements of the self-employed. 

Deductions for Cirque du Soleil tickets or a trip to London? Of course. Margie has taken the time to figure out what I do and reminds me when I’ve overlooked a legitimate expense.

Since I spent the weekend working on my taxes, Margie has been on my mind. Taxes aren’t the new blog theme for the month, however. (Aren’t you relieved?)

We’re going to spend March thinking about habitats. Wikipedia defines habitat this way: A habitat (which is Latin for “it inhabits”) is an ecological or environmental area that is inhabited by a particular species of animal, plant or other type of organism. It is the natural environment in which an organism lives, or the physical environment that surrounds (influences and is utilized by) a species population.

Are habitats different for the joyfully jobless? Can they impact our success? Contribute to our creativity? 

Of course, the answer is a resounding “yes” so we’ll be exploring that. But first I’ve got to go mail my taxes to Margie.

How to Spend a Gift of Time

Every business has times that are less busy than others. You can use this time to fret and worry that your entrepreneurial life has come to an end—or you can view it as a gift of time to do some of those things you’ve been telling yourself you’ll do when you have time. 

It  just makes sense, it seems to me, to spend this time wisely and well. Here are a few possibilities.

 * Review and revise your support system.  Is it time to hire a virtual assistant? Find a new tax accountant? Get expert advice?

Unless you’re willing to settle for the first person that comes along (and we all have had times when we’ve done that and regretted it later), this is a perfect opportunity to clarify what you need from various service providers and make certain that you’re getting it. If  you are ready to add to your support team, start interviewing potential sources of support.

 * Simplify, simplify.  Been meaning to clean out your closets and pass things along to a charity shop? Get your office in shipshape? These are time-consuming tasks that aren’t very glamourous, but the psychic rewards are huge.

 Get out some trash bags, put on some upbeat music and have at it. Get rid of the junk in the junk drawer. Weed your library. Update your filing system. Clean out your e-mailbox. It’s as liberating as losing twenty pounds.

* Up your wellness. Use this extra time to walk or workout. Get a massage or facial. 

Read up on nutrition. Experiment with new healthier foods that take time to prepare. 

Start meditating again. Plan a stress reduction program. Work these things into your schedule now and you’re more apt to keep up with them when your busier times return.

 * Volunteer. Pass your gift of time along to someone else by helping out. If you live in a major metro area in the US and are needing ideas, go to www.volunteermatch.com which lists a wide variety of projects in search of help. 

Why not volunteer at your kids’ school or at a local foodbank or shelter? You could even instigate a project of your own and get your friends involved.

 * Learn something new. Build some brain cells with a class or seminar. Add to your computer skills, start learning a new language, take up salsa dancing. Use this time to saturate yourself in a new subject that catches your fancy.

 * Finish things. Okay, not everyone has unfinished projects gathering dust, but chances are there’s an article you started writing or a home improvement project that got bogged down and abandoned because it didn’t seem urgent.  

Imagine if all these loose ends were tied up before you plunge back into your business. It would feel great, wouldn’t it?

 * Take a mini-sabbatical. Got a stack of books you’ve been wanting to read? Been meaning to visit a historic site in a nearby state?  Need to refresh your creative spirit? Plan some purposeful time away.

Borrow a friend’s cottage. Rent a motorhome. Don’t check your messages. A change of scenery may be just what you need to recharge your batteries and come up with some fresh insights.

 * Invest sweat equity in a longterm project. Been putting something off because it will require lots of hours to get to completion? This could be the time to start putting in those hours to get it launched.

Since most of us flourish when working on new projects, getting started has the added bonus of re-energizing other more familiar things.

 * Host an Idea Night potluck. Invite four or five other positive self-bossers to share food and ideas with each other. Make sure that everyone gets equal time and that all ideas get a hearing. 

Idea Parties are more successful if you lay down the ground rule that arguing or discounting ideas is strictly forbidden. Guests go home with an inventory of potential  ideas which they can evaluate later.

* Expand your visibility. Write a press release. Have a new photo taken. Start an ezine. Get yourself interviewed on a local radio show. Revamp your Web site. 

All this seed planting takes time and is easy to overlook when you’re busy. Why not do it now and see what new doors might open?

Honesty in Everyday Life

One day a friend casually mentioned  pirating some software on her job. When I asked her if that wasn’t stealing, she shrugged and said, “Everyone does it.”

That’s not really news, of course. Years ago, Time magazine had an essay that made a huge impression on me. That piece, Larceny in Everyday Life, explored a growing trend among folks who considered themselves moral and honest. 

As the journalist discovered, these upright citizens saw nothing wrong with stealing from their employers. They weren’t embezzling money, for goodness sake. Pens, copy paper, even ground coffee from the employee lunchroom were finding their way into employee homes.

This pervasive, “it will never be missed” attitude was costing companies hundreds of millions of dollars annually.

Now I like to think that integrity goes up when we’re the ones owning the business. For the most part, the folks I deal with are unfailingly honest. That’s why I’m easily shocked when I see someone who is self-employed deviate from the honesty path.

One of the more blatant examples of that happened recently during the gigantic Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. There’s a man I follow on Twitter who describes himself as an entrepreneur and marketer who will help us grow our small businesses faster and smarter, who arrived in town in the middle of the event.

The next day, he startled me by posting a message crowing about the fact that he and a companion had crashed CES. Clever fellow or common crook? 

I commented on his message with a question which was, “And this is admirable because…?” 

His response? “Admirable, no. Fun, yes.” 

He might have saved some money, but it could have cost him far more than he saved. Is this someone whose advice I would want to take? Would I want to do business with him? Not likely.

The thing about integrity—or the lack of it—is that it’s sometimes easier to notice when it’s missing in someone else, but it may not be so obvious in ourselves. I’m thinking of a writer I know who frequently passes on eloquent quotes without attribution.

When I questioned him about such things, he said, “When I read something I like, I just think I’d like to have said that, so I do.”

“You’ll feel differently,” I suggested, “when someone takes something you’ve written and passes it off as their own.”

”Oh, I’d be flattered,” he insisted.

Apparently, he didn’t share the philosophy of another writer who had a clear policy about such matters. “I’d rather be caught holding up a bank than stealing so much as a two-word phrase from another writer,” asserts Jack Smith. Larceny is larceny and size really doesn’t matter.

Every one of these examples have something else in common: the fact that they talk about getting away with these little larcenies suggests that they see nothing wrong with them. 

Maybe I’m naive, but I tend to side with the philosopher who said, “The person who can’t be trusted in small matters, can’t be trusted at all.”

Truly, Madly, Deeply

When Karyn Ruth White was a little girl she discovered that she could diffuse her father’s anger—and subsequent punishment—if she could make him laugh. Her father gave her plenty of opportunities to practice and she honed her comedic skills early in life. Somewhere along the way she decided that she wanted to spend her life making as many people laugh as she possibly could.

Karyn left her New England home after college and headed to Los Angeles to build a career as a stand-up comedian. After seven years of performing in nightclubs, she realized she wasn’t happy and it terrified her. She says, “I was afraid to stop because it was my dream and I thought if my dream isn’t making me happy, what’s going to become of me?”

Finally, she did walk away and gave herself time out. She worked at a number of mundane jobs while trying to figure out the next step. 

And figure it out, she did.

Today she continues to keep people laughing, but she’s reinvented herself as a speaker. Some of her stand-up material still finds its way into corporate presentations. 

Karyn hardly took a straight path—even in her current incarnation. Five years into building her speaking business, she felt burned out. Again, she gave herself permission to walk away, but then had an insight that changed everything.

 “I realized that it’s not the dream that’s the problem. It was the way I was doing the dream,” she says. “I was doing everything myself and I just couldn’t keep up.”

She let the dream get bigger and gathered a team that included a personal assistant, an accountant and a Web designer. She says she learned to set boundaries and reminds herself that the essence, not the form of her business, is what matters. 

Karyn describes the essence as, “To follow my soul and use my gifts for the greater good.” If the form that takes changes, she’s fine with it as long as the essence remains intact.

Making a commitment to the essence of your business is quite different than getting stuck in the form.

In their book Creating Money, Sanaya Roman and Duane Packer explain, “The essence of something is the function you want this item to perform, the purposes you will use it for, or what you think it will give you. Many things other than what you picture might give you the essence of what you want, so be open to letting what you want come in whatever way, size, shape or form is most appropriate.” 

Clarifying the essence of what you want in your life is also a way of gaining overall clarity and peace. It takes both time and practice to create while focusing on the essence of what you’re doing or what you want to have. 

Commitment  is a lot like love. It grows and strengthens over time when we’re truly committed to something that we care deeply about. 

We don’t always know at the outset what  will become commitment-worthy. What may begin as a simple flirtation, becomes more compelling as we learn more, increase our exposure and devote our energy to it. 

For many of us, we’ve tried to make commitments to things and people and ideas that we really weren’t that crazy about. As the poet  David Whyte warns, “Anyone or anything that does not bring you alive is too small for you.”

No wonder the word commitment elicits feelings of dread and drudgery. And if we’re only willing to commit where the outcome fits our preconceived notions, we’re doomed to a life of commitment avoidance.

Perhaps commitment needs a new press agent to remind us that building commitment happens one day at a time.

And it’s built on innumerable days of recommitting ourselves for as long as it brings us joy, peace, growth and the essence of our best possible life.

Memories & Manifestos

When I moved into my house in Las Vegas, I decided to use the master bedroom as my office since it’s not only larger, it’s also brighter, than the smaller bedroom. I especially liked the roomy walk-in closet which has been accumulating all manner of things for the past four years.

With the new year, the time had come for a makeover of World Headquarters. I decided to begin in the closet. There was a large, mysterious box that I hadn’t opened since the mover brought it. I had no idea what it contained, but decided today was the day to take a look.

It turned into a surprisingly nostalgic trip. The box mostly contained keepsakes and memorabilia. There was a collection of interviews I’d given, including one with a paper in Dublin, Ireland that I’d quite forgotten about.

Farther down I uncovered an extra set of CDs from the Making Dreams Happen event I did with Barbara Sher and Valerie Young. I’d been meaning to listen to that lively event again, so put  them in my car.

There was the oversized (faux) check I’d received the year I won $5000 in the Powerball lottery and a funny souvenir from a trip to London. I’d quite forgotten about two gorgeous portfolios I’d gotten at Liberty of London. (Not sure what to do with portfolios, however.)

The big attention-getter for me, however, was the manifesto I’d written about 25 years ago. A manifesto is a public declaration of principles and intentions, but for years, I only associated it with political statements, such as the Communist Manifesto.

But it has a broader meaning. Manifesto is derived from the Italian word manifesto, itself derived from the Latin manifestum, meaning clear or conspicuous. Writing one helps us see more clearly what we’re about.

 Although mine was a bit lofty, I couldn’t find anything  that I disagree with. Here’s my declaration:

All change and progress begins with an individual.

 The potential contribution of each individual is enhanced when working in a loving, supportive, positive environment.

The free enterprise system remains the best vehicle for full creative development of every person.

 The freedom to pursue greatness should be accorded a place of high value.

 A creative enterprise provides abundant opportunity to crystalize ideas and ideals.

 The creation of a new age of abundance for all is totally possible now.

The abundant expression of our vision begins where we are, with us.

I’m thinking it’s time to write a new manifesto and I urge you to do the same if you haven’t done so. Clarify your values and let others know what matters to you.

Not only will it help you attract people who are in alignment with your principles, it will also serve as a guide when you stray from your path.

 I know. That sounds lofty, too. Important stuff does.

Willing To Invest Your Time?

Yesterday I met Dorinda Mangan who had come to Las Vegas with a group of Denver folks to attend a Super Bowl event. We connected at my favorite hotel, Bellagio, for a chatty brunch. 

Then I suggested that we walk to the sculpture gallery where Richard MacDonald’s stunning work is displayed.  MacDonald is a figurative artist who has worked with Cirque du Soleil performers to create some intriguing works of art. 

What I love most of all about the exhibit is the video showing MacDonald at work. Each piece begins with an exploratory session as the acrobats and dancers pose and perform while he studies their movements. 

When they strike a pose that MacDonald likes, he stops them. Then they have to hold the pose while he makes a clay model. Eventually, the sculpture may be cast in bronze. It’s fascinating to watch the artists at work and see what goes into this collaborative process.

It seems to me that we’d all be a great deal more patient if we could watch others going through the building/creating process. We’d quickly discover that the things we admire the most demanded a hefty investment of time. 

Maybe we’d stop asking ourselves, “Why is it taking so long?” when our own plans seem to be advancing at a snail’s pace. The truth is that it’s very difficult to estimate how long it will take to do something we’ve never done before. Yet we do just that over and over again.

It’s been about a year since my sister Margaret started her delightful business, Over the Top Fascinators. Last week I got an e-mail from her giving me an update—and insight. 

She wrote, “Gretchen (her daughter and web master) said yesterday that she feels the business is just now really being launched, and I agree. The whole last year was about learning how to make things properly, sourcing the materials and building up enough designs to make it look like more than a hobby. 

“We’re looking for a partner to share a booth at the spring Art Walk downtown (there’s a local maker of purses from vintage fabric we like a lot) and I’m thinking I want to advertise on the website Offbeat Bride. I will still work with the bridal shop, but their style is a little traditional and flashy for me. I want the brides getting married on the beach to find me.”

While deadlines are useful for outsmarting procrastination, it’s equally useful to realize that laying a foundation can take an investment of time. Predicting what that will be, is the tricky part. As Seth Godin points out, “Figure out how long your idea will take to spread, and multiply by 4.”

Honestly, if you aren’t willing to invest your time, you’ll be better off punching someone else’s time clock.

Do Your Dreams Know You Mean Business?

According to Wikipedia, singer Josh Groban has sold nearly 20 million albums in his short career. The other evening he told his Twitter followers that he’d just finished a two hour voice lesson and  “think it’s time to turn pro.”

So why would a rich and famous performer keep taking lessons? More to the point, why would a would-be entrerpreneur or freelancer or traveler not be investing in their dreams?

It’s that second question that keeps me awake nights.

Brazen Careerist Penelope Trunk had a particularly interesting piece this week called Frugality is a Career Tool. She wrote “I have earned a lot of money in my life. But I have never had an extravagant life. I don’t own a house. I’ve never bought a new car. I’ve never bought a new piece of living room furniture, and I do not own a single piece of real jewelry. What I have spent money on was always intended to help me with my career. That was so I know that I can always earn money doing something I love.” 

If you want good things to happen, you’ve got to take the first step, ask for the date, risk being turned down. Otherwise you’re just practising wishful thinking, which is neither active nor useful. 

How do you notify your dreams that you mean business? Here are a few of my favorite ways.

Get equipped. In Making a Living Without a Job, I tell the story about how things changed for me when I splurged (or so it seemed at the time) on a passport. After years of failing to find a way to bring my travel dreams to life, I got serious and started getting ready for a trip. I bought guidebooks, I thought about my itinerary and wardrobe.

In less than a year, I was headed for the UK. Ever since, my passport has been called into service at least twice a year.

Get dressed. When my granddaugther  showed up at breakfast wearing a fancy dress and rainboots  before heading out to kiindergarten, her father took one look and said “Lose the boots.” 

Zoe was having none of it. “Dad,” she explained, “I’m an artist. I can wear what I want.” 

Costumes are essential to theater and they’re equally essential to building a dream. As they say in some circles, bring the outer into alignment with the inner.

Make space. In Eric Maisel’s The Creativity Book, he advises, “By designating a room as your writing study or rearranging your garage so your band can practice in it, you are setting up a sacred space and honoring your commitment to realize your creative potential.”  

A successful writer observed, “I don’t know where inspiration comes from, but I know that it shows up at my desk every morning when I sit down to write.”

Get connected. Transplant yourself into a dreambuilding environment as often as possible. Gather with others who are motivated and proactive. Make idea gathering your favorite hobby. Listen to inspiring speakers and read eloquent authors who have taken a higher path.

Refuse to believe that you aren’t a good investment because, quite simply, if you want your dreams to show up, you’ve got to show up first. So show ’em you mean business.

Should You Invest?

Every day we are inundated with advertising that urges us to buy things that may or may not improve the quality of our lives. Seldom are we encouraged to invest in experiences that will enlarge our inner selves.

If you’ve read Making a Living Without a Job you may recall my story about the call I received from a stockbroker who asked, “How would you like to get a higher yield on your investments?” When I told him that my primary investments were my businesses, he said, “Oh, isn’t that scary?”

“Not at all,” I said. “Giving my money to a stranger over the phone is scary.”

Like many things, investing is viewed differently by the Joyfully Jobless than it is by folks who think more conventionally. This month, we’re going to explore Good Investments that enhance our entrepreneurial journey.

Investment vs. Expense

Many new (and not-so-new) entrepreneurs do not understand the difference between expense and investment. While both may involve money (or other things), their purposes are not the same. An expense is money that is outlaid for running our businesses. It includes all those mundane supplies and equipment that we need in order to set up shop.

On the other hand, an investment is a way to spend money or time or effort on something that will bring a profit at a later date. To invest implies that you must first put something in in order to get something greater out.

When most people think about investing, it generally involves putting money into something rather cold or impersonal, then waiting in the hope that the investment will grow.

The Joyfully Jobless see investing as a necessary aspect of growing their business —and themselves.

What Investing Could Be About

Unlike conventional investing in stocks or bonds, there’s a far lower risk to be had when we invest our money, time and effort in ourselves and our dreams. Although it can be a far better investment to do so, many people have a hard time understanding its importance.

Writer Sondra Ray confronts this attitude. She writes, “Let’s take a look at the priorities on which people spend their money. What comes first? The rent; and this is the worst investment on the list. Compare rent with self-improvement. The fact is that self-improvement is the most valuable item on the list and most people don’t even have a category for it. Fear of running out causes you to spend only on things people told you to spend money on. When it comes to buying things that are really good for you and that make you happy, guilt comes. When you say, ‘I don’t have enough money to go to that self-improvement seminar or buy that self-improvement book,’ it is almost like saying, ‘I am not a good investment.’ The best way to make money is to invest in yourself and that is what self-improvement is all about.”

When you invest in yourself and your dreams you are making the most important financial decision of your life. You have also invested in the one thing that lasts a lifetime and cannot be taken away from you. The ups and downs of the economy have no effect on your investment in yourself.

In fact, if you do it wholeheartedly, you’ll acquire skills and tools for circumventing difficult economies. Can you think of a better return on investment?