Visualizing your goals and desires is a very powerful way to attract what you want into your life more quickly. Before visualizing, the first thing you need to do is to make a decision about what you really want. You need to get crystal clear on exactly what you want to experience or have in your life six months, one year, and three years from now. You need to set some goals, write them down, and add dates for when you want to achieve them.

Once you have determined your goals, you need to really believe that you can actually have them. Belief always precedes attraction and results. You’ll want to picture yourself doing work you love, working with only your ideal clients, making your ideal income, and having enough time off for friends, family and personal interests.

Use your imagination to put yourself inside your visualization as if it were happening right now in this moment. Imagine what it feels and looks like to have achieved your goals. Picture it like a movie that’s unfolding, not just a snapshot in time. For example, if you want to attract more ideal clients, actually imagine their faces, see then interacting with you, and hear them say “Yes, I’m ready to work with you.” Feel the joy your experience in that moment.

If increased income is your goal, picture your ideal clients handing you a check made out with your name on it and the exact increased amount you want to charge for your services and programs. Or, if you take credit cards, imagine swiping their card or them giving you their number so you can process their order. Feel the sense of security and confidence you will feel as your bank balance increases.

Breathe in the positive feelings you experience as you imagine your ideal scene. Notice if you feel happier, more self-assured or confident, more peaceful or energized when you picture your goals being achieved. The feelings that come up for you are an essential piece to activate your vision and turn it into reality.

For best results, visualize daily. First thing in the morning and last thing at night are the best times. Throughout the day, you might also use a visual cue, such as a vision board, to remind you to connect with your vision and imagine the outcomes you want. Imagine as if it were happening right now, and make all your decisions from that future place.

Many people are visualizing, but get stopped in the belief part of the goal achievement process. They have some self-limiting beliefs they need to clear before the visualization will have enough power to attract what they really want.

For example, they may say “I want to earn a million dollars”, but their underlying belief says “I’d have to work too hard to make seven figures” or “People would never be willing to pay me enough for me to earn seven figures”. In coaching, we call this having conflicting intentions. The effect is that one intention cancels the other out and nothing happens.

The other factor that stops people from achieving what they really want is a lack of expecting the desired result to happen. If they have made a firm decision and clearly pictured the goals they want to achieve, and really they believe they can accomplish what they set out to do, then it’s often a lack of expectation that gets in the way.

People will say they want something, but then they don’t actually expect it will happen. They don’t take the action they need to take as if they were expecting it to happen, and consequently they don’t see the opportunity because they’re not really expecting it to show up.

So, the steps necessary to visualize your success are clarity, decision, visualization, feel the feelings, believe, expect results and take committed action. If you’re missing one of these steps, go back to the beginning and go through all the steps again to achieve the outcomes you really want.

Share your thoughts on visualizing below. What success have you had with visualizing the results you desire?

© by Jan Marie Dore of Femalepreneurs.com.
Jan Marie Dore mentors coaches, speakers, consultants and other solo-professional women to work fewer hours and make more money with online business building strategies. Get your free ‘Professional Women’s Success Kit’ and other marketing resources at Femalepreneurs.com

Each of us is unique. Each of us has gifts to share and a contribution to make.

Have you been giving yourself permission to shine with your gifts and talents, or have you been dimming your light and not sharing it with others in the way you know you could?

“As we let our light shine, we consciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence actually liberates others.” ~ Marianne Williamson

When you are out networking, do you love to hear the question, “Tell me, what do you do?” or do you dread it and stumble over your answer? If you don’t love the question, it’s a sign that you may not be embracing your inner brilliance. You may need to spend some time getting clearer on your strengths and the unique way that you can help people so that you can confidently share your power and expertise with others.

As a coach, part of my role is to challenge my clients. I want to challenge you to make the choice to release your resistance. Dare to go beyond worrying about what other people think and let your light shine brightly. Give yourself permission to draw outside the lines. Step outside your comfort zone. Perhaps you can change the world!

To your suceess,
Jan

P.S.: If you’re ready to shine your light and make a bigger difference in the world, I’d love to show you how to create a client-attractive brand and be more visible so you can help more people in 2012. My “PERSONAL BRAND BLUEPRINT” 6 week Intensive starts TODAY Dec 1st. Take a look at all that’s
included in the PERSONAL BRAND BLUEPRINT INTENSIVE

Are you ready to step up to a bigger stage in your business?

For several months now, I have been feeling called to step up in a bigger way and live more of my purpose by getting out and giving more talks, presentations, and live events.

I must say, I have also been resisting being more visible in this way and sharing my message with larger audiences in several ways by:

• not clarifying what I would like to speak about


• not honing in on my unique talents, specialty or passion


• getting bogged down in too many to-dos and non-revenue-generating activities

Are you experiencing any of these things?

Do you feel a nudge to move in a new direction, or offer a new service or program, or be more visible in a bigger way? Yet, you might be resisting or holding yourself back . . . sometimes without even realizing it.

Do you feel a call to:

• put yourself out there more?


• have a bigger year?


• create more opportunities to share your experience with others?

I’d like to share with you some of the ways I have found helpful to break through my inertia and get into action.

Here are some of the things that I’ve been doing so I can feel supported in getting out there and being of service to more people. I have been:

• reaching out for more support


• connecting with more people at networking events


• belonging to a mastermind


• making time for creative silence several times a day


• walking in nature


• trusting my intuition more and acting on it right away


• raising my awareness of what I’m thinking at any given moment


• maintaining my connection to my inner knowing


• making sure I start each day by spending time on my top priorities


• asking myself throughout the day: “Why am I doing what I’m doing right now?”

If you’re not taking action on your inner knowing, asking yourself the above question will really raise your level of awareness about any limiting beliefs or ingrained habits that may be blocking you and no longer serving you.

If you feel ready to step up in a bigger way, to be of service to more people, or to spread your message to a wider audience, I invite you to try any of my ideas, and also to share below what works for you or the practices that support you in being your best.

Wishing you much success,
Jan

P.S. I hope you can join me for my free teleseminar next Tuesday and my new sales training program that starts next Wed Nov 2nd.

== > FREE Teleseminar Tues Nov 1: “Five Simple Steps to Sign Up More Clients and Add New High-Profit Income Streams to Your Service Business”
If you’re ready to break through the time-for-money income ceiling – no matter if you’re a start-up or experienced coach or service professional – you’ll leave this call with specific steps you can take right away to start shifting into the new, highly leveraged entrepreneurial model for professionals who want to make a bigger impact and serve more people. Find out more and sign up here for “5 Simple Steps to Sign Up More Clients“.

== > The Client Sales Success System – Teleseminar Training starts next Wednesday, November 2nd
For 6 Wednesdays in November and December, I’m going to teach you how to attract more clients, add new income streams, and grow a profitable business around your expertise and passion! Even if you don’t have a lot of time or cash right now, you can sign up with our payment plan and learn the steps to sign up more clients, create your signature program, and add new profit centers in this 6-part teleseminar series. Details on this exciting new “CLIENT SALES SUCCESS” Program are here.

My colleague Suzanne Evans is hosting a one-of-a-kind Online Awards Show this week. It’s the second annual “Be the Change Awards” honouring 12 Entrepreneurs and the movements they created that changed the world! The awards will feature interviews with a parade of major players who are going to reveal the secrets of how they built their six and seven-figure businesses. It’s going to showcase how each of these entrepreneurs was able to create a massive difference while they were creating massive profits.

And they are going to reveal the secrets – for free – of how you can do it too.

Sign up Here for the Free Online “Be the Change Awards”

The featured guests are big names. Market leaders. People you know. Who you always wished would reveal the secrets that took them, often from rock bottom, with just a few dollars in their pockets, to leaders of powerful, thriving, profitable businesses that continue to grow by leaps and bounds. Suzanne hand-picked each and every honoree. All are shining examples of entrepreneurs who took it on. Who didn’t just create a business. They created a movement. That changed thousands of lives.

All in one place. For one week only. Including:

• David Neagle
• Kendall Summerhawk
• Max Simon
• Adam Urbanski
• Lisa Cherney
• Larry Winget
• Margaret Lynch
• Jonathan Budd

For a limited time, you can access their wisdom, guidance and inspiration. For free. From the comfort of your own home.

Sign up Here for the Free Online “Be the Change Awards”

These talented award-winning entrepreneurs will help you, once and for all, to say YES to the money you have always wanted. And the meaning you simply can’t live without.

See you there . . Jan

I regularly lead a lot of teleclasses and group coaching programs for coaches, consultants and other professional women. One of my recent participants said:

“I’m tired of playing small. It’s not satisfying me or paying my bills. I’m not making enough money in this work which I love.”

I’ve been hearing this a lot lately. Women who love their work and want to make a bigger difference…who have a purpose and a message and want to take it bigger. . . . who are ready to get out there and connect with more people and not be so isolated in their home office.

I see many women ready to reinvent themselves and their business and get there voice out into the world in a bigger way.

These are the 3 key shifts I see many women need to make to take their message and their income to higher levels:

1. Shift into a more leveraged, specialized business model.

2. Shift away from so much 1-1 work into groups, programs, and seminars where you can teach and serve at the same time and get an income boost.

3. Shift into new ways of doing business and new ways of getting your message out more effectively by leveraging the internet and simple systems and support.

I’m on a mission to mentor more women to be financially successful and personally fulfilled. Stay tuned over the next few days and weeks for more details on exactly how I’m going to do that…..Jan

One of the most important skills for an entrepreneur is decision making. Lack of quick decision making is one of the main causes of business failure.

Successful entrepreneurs learn the skill of making definite decisions quickly, changing their decisions slowly, and then getting into action quickly.

Struggling entrepreneurs have the opposite habit. They procrastinate and make decisions very slowly, then change their mind so quickly and frequently that they don’t get into the action and momentum required to succeed. They are easily influenced to change their mind and follow a different path or a different teacher. They will listen to other people’s opinions instead of following their own inner wisdom.

Does that sound like you? If you allow yourself to be too easily influenced by others, and to procrastinate on making decisions, you will not succeed. You may need to gather some facts and information from others, but the ultimate decision lies with you.

Cultivate the habit of having a mind of your own. Trust your intuition and inner wisdom to guide you in making the right decisions for you and your business.

Here’s something you can do right now to stop procrastinating. Make a list of all the decisions you need to make, both big and small. Tap into your intuition or wise self and jot down your answer to each decision quickly. Make a definite yes or no answer, and start trusting that it’s the right answer for you. Go with it, and get into immediate action on your “yes’ decisions. Your success will be practically guaranteed!

Click the button to listen to this article read by Jan and share your comments below.

Over the past thirteen years, I have worked with hundreds of women entrepreneurs as their business coach. I’ve noticed that many women small business owners experience the same challenges in growing and running their businesses, such as feeling overwhelmed and isolated, having difficulty keeping focused, not enrolling enough support, and not planning for growth.

Here’s a summary of my best advice for any woman running a small business – my top seven tips for women entrepreneurs:

1) Focus on your strengths

There’s an old saying – ‘Do what you do best and delegate the rest.’ Know what your top strengths are. Delegate or drop anything that you’re not exceptionally skilled at, and focus at least 80% of your time using your key talents that bring you income.

2) Put yourself first

Your growing business needs a lot of time and attention. Many women in business put themselves third or fourth on their list of priorities. Put you and your business first and everything else will fall into place.

3) Learn to say ‘no’

I ask women who have started a business to drop anywhere from 25% to 50% of their time commitments when we start working together. Most women are too over-committed with non-business related activities. Be strategic about what you say yes to, especially in the first few years of your business. Guard your precious time as the valuable asset that it is.

4) Plan for success

Lack of planning causes more businesses to fail than anything else. Planning is very valuable because it causes you to think ahead to your vision and next steps to reach your goals. You can create a simple one page marketing plan that outlines your business objectives and how you will achieve them.

5) Ask for support

Don’t try to figure it all out by yourself. Notice where you are stuck and could use some help, and ask for it. Ask colleagues or others who have been in business and could mentor you, hire a business coach, or form your own mastermind support team.

6) Delegate or drop your weaknesses

Get clear on what you don’t enjoy doing or don’t do very well. Either stop trying to do it, or find someone who will do it for you. A perfect example is bookkeeping. If you dislike it, give it to someone else to do, and free up your time to earn money doing what you do well.

7) Keep an eye on the bottom line

You don’t need to have complex financial statements, but setting targets and tracking some key indicators every month will help you understand how you are doing. You’ll know sooner what’s working and what’s not working so that you can make strategic adjustments.

Implement at least three of these tips, and watch your business flourish!

© Copyright Jan Marie Dore www.janmariedore.com All rights reserved.

Jan Marie teaches women how to attract more clients and financial success, and as a result, live extraordinary lives. For free resources and programs on marketing a professional practice please visit Femalepreneurs.com .

I work with women to fulfill their purpose and potential through entrepreneurship. Yet many of these women lose sight of why they went business in the first place, and start to lose their passion and enthusiasm over time.

One client I’ll call Mary, came to be because she was at her wits end drowning in paperwork, emails, and to-do lists. She felt drained, overworked, and uninspired. She was in a place of not remembering why she had started her business in the first place or what she felt called to do.

Her reason for going into business was because she felt a strong call to make a contribution in the world. She didn’t know exactly how to do that in the way she imagined, so she just started with what she knew. This is where most women start, but they often get lost along the way.

By the time Mary came to me, she was exhausted, ready to give up, and had very limited financial resources remaining.

Here’s what I had her do to turn her situation around quickly – and you can to!

One: get clear on what you feel most called to do right now
It may be time to hone in on your true purpose and talents more narrowly. Get very specific on the exact value you bring to your clients and the key challenges you can help them solve.

Two: get support
Mary was running a one-woman show in trying to do everything herself. One of the first things we did was to get her some simple administrative support for a few hours a week.

Three: simplify and streamline
Look at your service and program offerings for the clients and the services you can let go of that are no longer a passion for you, for the things that take a lot of your time but don’t reward you financially, and for places where you have a long list of offerings but no clear specialty. Eliminate at least half of what you’re currently doing that no longer serves you so you can focus on the work that truly fulfills inspires you.

So what happened with my client Mary?

She immediately brought on an assistant for several hours a month which grew over time. She simplified by dropping one of her service offerings that didn’t bring a good financial reward, and completed with several clients who were draining her energy. She was then in a position to step into her greatness. Now she’s thriving and very happy and more fulfilled in her work.

Are you ready and willing to take your true place in the world and make the difference only you can make?

Most women are trying to do too much and consequently aren’t bringing their true contribution to the world. Stop playing small and start standing out for the work you feel called to do. Get clear on your true calling and core talents. Then, simplify, streamline, specialize, and get support so you can step into your fullest potential.

Wishing you much success and a great summer
Jan

PS: If it’s time for you to take your place in the world and you’d like the support of a qualified mentor to streamline, simplify, and step into your fullest potential, I’m booking a limited number of “Breakthrough Intensive VIP Consulting Days“. Click here to schedule a call with me to inquire about working together in a private day or half-day of consulting and mentoring to get on the fast track to more sales.

Marketing and sales is what business is all about. Knowing how to effectively promote yourself can give you control over your income. Even though you provide a service such as coaching, consulting, or training, if you don’t also master the skill of marketing, you’ll struggle to attract enough clients to keep you in business for a long time.

You need to do three key things:

• Get clear on the one thing you do better than virtually everyone you know.
  Take time to figure out what you are really, really good at. Know what sets you apart so you can stand out and get noticed. Get feedback to make sure your strength is something people really want and will pay for in your marketplace.
• Highlight that strength in everything you do.
  Teach it. Lead with it. Leverage it. Package it. Promote yourself as an expert or specialist in what you do best. Communicating from a place of power and certainty about your core talent will make all the difference in your sales.
• Continuously demonstrate your unique ability.
  Demonstrate to prospects and clients how you can uniquely solve their problems with your core gifts and talents. Bring your unique ability into everything you do on a consistent basis.

It takes a shift in your mindset to claim the power of your brilliance and really own it. By doing this, people will naturally be attracted to working with you and you won’t have to work so hard at selling yourself.

It’s a power shift inside yourself that will make all the difference in your marketing being either highly effective are not effective at all. You can make this shift in your mind – even if you are currently struggling – and watch the lid come off your income.

Come from a place of helping others and knowing that you have the strength and talent to really help them solve their current challenges. Believe that you’re the best person to help them. Step into your power and claim expert positioning, and watch your income and sales soar!

I welcome your comments below!
Jan

P.S. If it’s time for you to step into your power and claim expert positioning and you want the support of a qualified mentor to get there, I’m booking a limited number of “Breakthrough VIP Intensive Consulting Days“. Watch for an announcement next week, or contact me to schedule a call to find out more.

I was at the Journey 2 Success conference last week put on by Anne Day and Company of Women. Dianne Buckner was the luncheon keynote speaker. Dianne has been a business journalist for 20 years and has watched closely as some people have struck it rich, while others have struggled and ultimately failed.

Dianne counted down her Top Ten Tips of Successful People, based on her observations of hundreds of business people, both big and small. Here they are summarized for you:

1. They are tuned into trends.
   Diane’s suggestion was to follow people on Twitter on your keywords. You don’t even have to be posting on Twitter yourself to be tuned into what’s going on.



2. They feel comfortable talking about their strengths.


3. They know that tough times are not necessarily bad times.
   They have a positive attitude and use the slow times to improve their processes and make things better. They’re always looking for the opportunity in whatever’s happening.


4. They never miss an opportunity to promote themselves or their business.
   Diane commented that women are not good at this, and I’d have to agree with her. We need to get better at self-promotion.


5. They know when to be brief. Whenever possible, it’s best to be brief.


6. They are aware of their weaknesses.
   They know what they’re not good at and they get support. They capitalize on their strengths and minimize their weaknesses.


7. They get other people to say yes to them and their ideas.


8. They are strategic in their thinking.
   They can be unemotional and objective when things aren’t going well. They take a step back to see if they’re doing the right thing.


9. Successful people work hard, but not too hard.


10. There are persistent. They keep at it no matter what.

How do you stack up against these traits? Pick one to focus on this week, and take action to follow the traits of highly succesful business people.

What are your thoughts?

Click the arrow to listen to Jan Marie Dore reading this article

In these times when business may be slow and people don’t seem to be spending as much, it’s easy to hide out and lay low thinking you’ll just wait till it all ends. You may think that’s a good strategy. I know I considered it.

But, if you have a purpose in life and a passion for helping people, then what is called for in these times is just the opposite of what you might be doing.

Are you hearing the call to step into your brilliance, or are you standing on the sidelines hoping this will all go away?

The businesses that will survive this economic shift are the ones who make over their business model, keep in touch with their market, and come up with new product and service offerings.

I notice many women are hiding out from their life purpose and bigger vision of what’s possible them and for the world. They’re shrinking back instead of being the voice of encouragement and change.

If you find you’ve been hiding out, feeling disconnected from your prospects and clients, and going to overwhelm and confusion about what to do next, here are five things you can do right now. These five things will call on you to step out of your comfort zone and be at your best.

• Have an opinion
  This is not the time to be sitting on the fence. Be opinionated. Be contrarian. Be controversial. Let your personality shine through as a people get to know the real you.
• Be visible
  This is not the time to be hiding out. You need to step out of your comfort zone and be seen and heard. Your ‘small mind’ may be telling you to play it safe, but your big mind knows it’s your time to shine. The world desperately needs more teachers, healers and leaders with a strong message of hope and change.
• Share your thoughts in various media
  There are so many ways to get your message out now that there’s no excuse not to. Speaking to a group of people is one of the more powerful ways to share your message. Publishing a blog or articles is another great way. Bring your message forward to heal the planet.
• Redefine your market
  You may have noticed that the marketplace is shifting. What you may not know is that this means it’s the perfect time to redefine who it is you’re meant to serve and what your product and service offerings are. We can no more treat our business like a hobby and expect a continual stream of ideal clients unless we have a tightly defined target audience, specialty and niche.
• Start or join a mastermind group and work with the coach
  No one can make it through challenging times on their own and come out ahead. The ones who reach out for support will be the ones who not only make it through, but come through stronger, more purposeful and more profitable than ever. You need someone to challenge and inspire you. You need someone who will hold the possibility of your big dream even when you lose sight of it. To grow and change, you need to be around people who have ambition and are playing a bigger game. People who will motivate you to do your best and be your best and will call you on your stuff so you don’t get away with hiding out.

Service providers who are complacent or have mediocre services that no longer meet a pressing need are the ones who may not survive the shift unless they are ready to make changes.

This is the perfect time to make a lot of money doing what you love. There’s really no lack of money out there. It’s time to dream bigger and stop hiding out. Be around people who have ambition and will inspire and support you, and you’ll come out ahead.

……………………………………………………….

Copyright © Jan Marie Dore ~ www.femalepreneurs.com ~ All rights reserved.

Jan Marie Dore, ‘The Professional Women’s Success Coach’, Master Certified Coach, Speaker, and Author, publishes valuable ideas to grow a professional service business and increase profitability in her newsletter ‘Success Secrets for Solo-Professional Women’.Jan Marie teaches self-employed female professionals to attract more clients and financial success, and as a result, live extraordinary lives. For free resources and programs on marketing a professional practice please visit Femalepreneurs.com and read the Blog Prosperous Professional Women

Your time is now to create financial freedom while still getting a peaceful sleep at night!

My friend and colleague Pat Mussieux, is hosting a very special Tele-summit with some ‘handpicked,’ incredible Wealth Experts who have helped entrepreneurs, just like you, to make money and make a difference.

She’s brought together an exciting positive filled Telesummit called “Fighting Financial Fatigue – Create Cash With Confidence”!

It’s all happening the week of May 16 to 20. These five days are packed with ten wealth experts, educators, and leaders who have made money doing the work they love.

Theses wealth experts will share with you their secrets to success on how to:

• Earn more each month without running yourself ragged.


• Grow your business but still live a life you love and do things you’ve always dreamed of.


• Run a successful business without living month-to-month.


• . . . And plenty more!

And it’s F*R*E*E. Incredible, right?

Visit this page to reserve your complimentary seat NOW!

Here’s your chance to hear what works, and what doesn’t work. It’s your turn to get help in bringing your business past the 6-figure milestone and to receive all that you need to actually MAKE IT HAPPEN.

I promise, you are going to love this series. After this event, you will be able to put all of these powerful strategies into practice in your business.

You can start enjoying Financial INDEPENDENCE today!

Go here to register and get all the details

Here’s to your financial freedom!
Jan

P.S. There is no charge to register for these calls, and there is no obligation to buy ever, but if you ever do, know that I’m an affiliate of Pat (which means if you buy something I do get a commission). Sign Up Free Now

This year is shaping up to be a very good one for many people I know. Something that can help make it a good year for you is to decide what you want more of or less of in your life, or to look at any habits that stand in the way of achieving your goals.

For example, you may want less stress, or more time with family, or to let go of the habit of staying unfocused, or of not asking for support. Consider what new habits or actions would allow new ways of being to come into your life.

For example,
• To experience less stress – set aside time every day for meditation or creative silence

• To experience more time with family, make a decision to stop work at 5pm and take weekends off, as well as plan fun things to do with your family.

• For the habit of staying unfocused, make a decision to bring more focus and discipline in.

One practice I have at the beginning of every year is to create a theme for the year to guide my daily actions and intentions. My theme for this year is PRESENCE. The way I will achieve the kind of presence I want to experience is to meditate, visualize, and practice gratitude and affirmations daily. I am also doing energy work with my mentor to clear away the old so I can step into my power and bigger mission. I have created a morning ritual I will do every day – and so far, it’s been working very well.

Have you created a theme for your year in 2011?

A good theme to choose would be the opposite of what you’re experiencing now that you don’t want. Your theme might be “My Year of Focus” . . .  or “This is the Year for Family Fun” . . .  or “Abundance and Gratitude Will Fill My Days in 2011″,  . . . or “This is my Year to Experience Flow Every Day”, . . . or “I’m Stepping Up”.

Decide on a daily habit that will support your theme, such as planning your goals daily, or meditating, or doing something fun every day, or posting to your blog 3 times a week, or practicing gratitude regularly, then commit to that action. Bring in a support partner or a coach or group to help you stay on track.

I’d love to hear what your theme is for 2011!

Jan

January is the time of the year we typically set goals and plan ahead for what we want to be, do or have for the coming year. This is the perfect time to set aside a few hours of quiet time to reflect on what you want more or less of . . . what you need to stop doing or start doing . . . what you want to bring in to your life or let go of.

Pull out your journal and answer the following questions:

• what I want more is ….


• what I want less of is ….


• what I need to stop doing is ….


• what I need to start doing is ….


• what I want to bring in to my life is ….


• what I need to let go of is …

This will give you a starting place for the changes you want to make in your life or business. Once you have clarity on the changes you want to make, it’s not enough to just wish and hope the changes will happen. That’s the attitude many people take and they wonder why nothing changes.

What you must do is commit, intend, and take consistent action in the direction you want to go. This is where most people give up too soon.

Make a firm commitment to yourself and at least one other person to take action on the things you have identified you want to do. This is where the power of coaching, mentoring, or a mastermind group can really help you get what you want much more quickly as you move into the strong power of intention instead of the weak power of wishing and hoping and hold yourself firmly accountable to the changes you intend to make.

Do you have a secret dream that you’ve never given a voice to? A real deep down, bottom of the heart desire that you think and daydream about often?

We all have things we dream for years of doing, but never take steps to achieve. Often we think our dreams are unachievable or too big, and we push them aside and out of our awareness. We carry on with our routine existence, all the while feeling a little incomplete, or like a piece of us is missing, isn’t being expressed.

But the desire is in our hearts for a reason. And many times, our dreams can be brought into our lives gradually over time in small incremental steps.

Have you had a dream to do something like sing in a choir, move to a new house or a different city, make a bigger impact in the lives of more people, get up on stage to speak and inspire people, write a book, take a trip to an exotic locale, or spend more time with your children?

The first step toward your dream is to identify your desire, then write about it or visualize it to make it seem real and possible. Draw all your senses into this vision, and imagine it is happening in the present moment. How do you feel? What do you hear? Connect with a scent or a color or a feeling as a way to anchor yourself to this image. Try making a mind map or a collage of what the realization of this dream would look and feel like.

Once you start believing your dream is possible and make the commitment to yourself to begin to take steps in the direction of your desire, I’m sure you will notice that all manner of support and guidance will begin to appear to carry you to the achievement of your dreams.

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed from the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” ~ Mark Twain

Could you:

• make a phone call


• buy a book


• tell a few friends


• buy some supplies


• reach out for support


• enroll in a course or a coaching program


• write a chapter of your book


• pick up some travel magazines and brochures

My challenge to you is to first believe that you can achieve your dreams. Then, identify the first three actions you could take to start making this dream more real. Enroll the support of a colleague, friend or family member in this project to keep you on track.

Start moving in the direction of your dreams so that you won’t be disappointed twenty years from now by the things you didn’t make the time or effort to do in your life.

I’d love to know what your secrets dreams are! I invite your comments below.

Managing Your Mindset and Your Energy: The Secrets to your Business Success and Personal Happiness – Free Teleseminar

Can you imagine who you could be and what you could accomplish if you could master your mind and boost your energy significantly?

Join seasoned coaches, Jan Marie Dore and Nina Cherry for a free teleclass on transforming your mindset, environment, and energy to support you in manifesting the highest vision for your life and your work.

On this call, Jan and Nina will give you practical tools and specific practices to make the needed shift in your mindset and your energy levels to step into your personal power and create the business and lifestyle you dream about.

What you will take away from the call:

• 3 great ways to develop your personal power


• the 1 secret you need to know to stop your energy from leaking


• how to optimize your environment so you can manifest your highest goals


• the 2 most powerful methods to remove the inner barriers to success


• how to build your energy to overflowing aliveness so doors will open for you!


• how to banish fears and become grounded in your own Being


• the secrets to feeling great every day —and ecstatic about your work

Join Jan and Nina on Wed Dec 8th at 4pm Eastern (1pm Pacific) and discover how the work you do on yourself will directly affect your business and financial success. Learn the value of taking time out for exquisite self-care and power building practices. When your body feels great, you have the energy needed to fund changes in your life and build your business with passion!

Sign Up Here to Attend this special call Dec 8th on
How to Manage Your Energy and Mindset

Your contact information will be kept confidential and will not be shared or sold. You’ll also receive a complimentary copy of our marketing action guide ‘Eight Marketing Secrets of Wealthy Women Entrepreneurs’ and a subscription to Jan Marie’s marketing tips ezine “Success Secrets for Women Entrepreneurs”. (You can unsubscribe any time).

Do you have a big vision for your business? It’s a good idea at least once a year to set aside time to connect with your vision for your business and your life.

An activity I do with friends and colleagues at the beginning of every year is to make a collage of my new vision for the year. It helps me tap into my intuition and get in touch with what’s most important to me. I keep this visual collage of those things that are most important to me where I can see it all year to keep me focused on my goals.

Here’s how you can do the same:

Set aside a day to dream big
As a business coach, the main mistake I see women entrepreneurs make is thinking too small. In fact, most people think much smaller than they could about what they can achieve. Take a day to do nothing but focus on your bigger vision of what’s possible for your business and your life. Connect with your big dream of what you’re really up to. This is the time to think big and stop ‘doing small’.

Write a vision statement
Capture the essence of your vision in one or two sentences. Keep it simple so that you could read it every day to inspire you. Write down phrases or statements about what you see as possible for the world, and what your role would be in that to make a real difference in other people’s lives.

Collage your vision
Buy a piece of colored poster paper. Take several magazines or travel brochures, and cut out any pictures, images, words or colors that appeal to you. Trust your intuition and don’t question why you’re choosing a certain item. Use a glue stick to attach the images to the poster board – and this becomes your ‘vision board’.

Learn your purpose
Your purpose tells you why you do what you do. Getting clear on your purpose is key to achieving your vision. Look for an underlying theme to your vision. Consider it in the context of all your life experiences, your strengths and your talents. Look for clues in what you are passionate about and what regularly attracts your interest.

Get clear on your purpose and your big dream
Once you are clear on your purpose in your big dream — your vision — practice experiencing it regularly. Connecting with your vision every day will keep you focused and on track to achieve the results you really want.

Keep inspired and motivated
Connect with your vision on a daily basis. Look at your vision board and imagine everything on it actually taking place. Imagine what that would actually look, feel, and be like. Set your intention and take action every day to reach your biggest goals.

By taking these steps of both writing and visualizing your vision, you will set yourself up for success that most other’s won’t achieve because they haven’t taken the time to dream and to plan.

Copyright © Jan Marie Dore ~ www.janmariedore.com ~ All rights reserved.

Jan Marie teaches self-employed female professionals to attract more clients and financial success, and as a result, live extraordinary lives. For free resources and programs on marketing a professional practice please visit Femalepreneurs.com and read the Blog Success Secrets.

There is a creative spirit within all of us. We just need to nurture it. Tapping in to your creative mind involves making a shift from your left brain to your right brain, from your linear mind to your more intuitive mind. Only by disengaging your thinking mind do you gain full access to your creative mind.

To access your full creative potential, you need to find ways to reduce the turbulence in your mind and the constant stream of never-ending thinking that goes on for most of us most of the time. Try practicing some form of creative silence or meditation. In silence, you receive creative thoughts and ideas. Inspiration will come to you from an infinite field of creativity that is beyond the inner dialogue of your thinking mind.

Time in nature, or in a beautiful natural setting, can also give you a window through which to access your creative inspiration and imaginative ideas.

Another way to access your creative potential includes practicing non-judgment. When you are judging things, your mind is always evaluating whether something is good or bad, right or wrong. In your unobserved thoughts, you are constantly labeling and classifying things. This constant evaluative process distracts your mind from really connecting in the moment and being present with the people and events in your life. In A Course in Miracles there is a prayer that says “Today I shall judge nothing that occurs.” When you still your judgments, you still your mind.

Don Miguel Ruiz in his book “The Four Agreements” says that we create stories with our self-judgments – stories about ourselves that are not true. His first agreement is to “be impeccable with your word”, meaning not to use your words against yourself. Letting go of resistance, self-judgment or critical self-thoughts will allow your creativity to flourish and give you access to your full creative potential.

I’d love to hear how you access your creative potential. Let me know by commenting below.

To your creative success!
Jan

Are your most important projects getting the attention they deserve?

I want you to bring attention to . . .

• all the decisions you haven’t been making


• all the things you have been procrastinating on


• ways you haven’t been voicing your real opinion


• ways you’ve been blocking your inspiration and creative ideas or self-expression


• how you might not be taking great care of yourself

• tolerations


• incompletions


• energy drains

If you haven’t been taking action on your top priorities and completing your most important projects, shine a light on them now.

Make a list right now of your top three income-producing activities.

Block out time this week to take massive action and complete those projects.

Become aware of any habits that don’t support you in being at your best and any thoughts that are no longer serving who you’re becoming.

The world is waiting for your wisdom and your unique way of delivering your service.

I was out walking today along a beautiful river we have in the town where I live.  It’s fall here, and the leaves are changing to beautiful shades of red and gold and orange. The sun was shining, and I was very grateful for the beauty all around me.

I slowed down my pace to really connect with my surroundings. I was reminded of a time several years ago when I attended a ten day retreat in central France at Plum Village with the Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh.

One of the things Thich teaches is a walking meditation.  As a group, we went walking through the fields, down country roads and through apple orchards at an extremely slow pace, in silence, lead by Thich. The idea was to slow down enough so that we were totally present and aware in the moment. We were to experience the feeling of our feet touching the ground, our breath moving in and out of our body, and touch of the wind on our skin.  That kind of presence is rare in our day-to-day lives.

So, I took the time today to really slow down my pace, to connect with the Earth, to be grateful for so many things in my life, and for the abundance all around me.

If the pace of your life has become very hectic, I highly recommend a walking meditation. Try slowing down to a snail’s pace, and becoming fully present to your life.  Slow down to the speed of life. You can’t help but be joyful and grateful from that place.  

Here’s a video of Thich teaching the walking meditation. He’s been such an inspiration for me in modelling presence and attention.