Stuck in a Rut? Feeling Uninspired? 8 Quick Tips to Get Your Juices Flowing

Wednesday, October 1, 2008 –
We all experience a drought of ideas once in awhile, even those of us who consider ourselves highly creative.  For myself, I used to think something drastic or out of the ordinary had to happen for me to get back on track.  Lately I have realized that seemingly small things in everyday life can help give me a jump start. Here are some of the simple ideas which have worked for me. 1. Take a different route. This is one of my favorites.  Sometimes just altering the way you get to a frequently visited destination can seem to rearrange things in your brain.  If you work in an office, try it on your way to or from work.  If not, switch up your route to the gym or the grocery store and see what happens.  We do so many things on autopilot every day--it can pay to shake up the routine. 2. ...

Posted in Creativity and Inspiration | 4 Comments »

Twitter Me This: What’s So Cool About Micro-blogging? (Small Business Edition)

Thursday, September 11, 2008 –
If you aren't on Twitter yet your first question might actually be "What the heck is micro-blogging?" According to the all-knowing Wikipedia, "Micro-blogging is a form of blogging that allows users to write brief text updates (usually 140 characters) and publish them, either to be viewed by anyone or by a restricted group which can be chosen by the user. These messages can be submitted by a variety of means, including text messaging, instant messaging, email, MP3 or the web." That's really it in a nutshell.  The best way to understand what the fuss is about is to actually use it for yourself. Platforms available include Twitter, Pownce and Jaiku among others.  Twitter is one of the most popular services and the one I personally use. I have been "twittering" daily for about six months now and have to say, it's pretty darn addicting.  At first I wondered, as I suspect others do ...

Posted in Social Media Marketing | 4 Comments »

Make Your First Dollar Online: Learn How for Free

Wednesday, August 27, 2008 –
I've been very light on the posting here during the month, but I have a pretty good excuse. I have been following the Thirty Day Challenge online which began August 1st.  It's been held every year in the summer since 2005 and is totally free.  You are taught internet marketing and the challenge is to make your first dollar online within the 30 days.  It doesn't sound like a lot, but the idea is that once you learn the basics, you can then replicate the process over and over. The challenge is in its final week and I am finding it fascinating.  It's not so much about making a buck as it is about gaining the skills.  The guys who run it, Ed Dale and Dan Raine, are top-notch internet marketers and I think they're very cool guys to give their knowledge like this. The challenge has its own forum on the ...

Posted in Internet Marketing | No Comments »

Gratitude and Visualization: When Where You Are Isn’t Where You Want to Be

Thursday, July 31, 2008 –
What do we do when the gap between where we are and what we want isn’t closing fast enough?  If you find yourself in this situation currently you may feel anxious, impatient, stuck or hopeless—or a combination of all of them.  In the worst case scenario the gap may appear so wide that it feels impossible to bridge.  This is where your doubts become so overwhelming that giving up seems like the easiest thing to do. An example of this might be your dream to be a world-renowned pastry chef with their own show on the Food Network.  From your vantage point as an accountant behind a desk this can seem like pure fantasy.  And it is—for the time being. To even think of making a change of this magnitude is enough to shut anyone down.  Do I take classes? Practice all night at home? Start a blog? Try to sell ...

Posted in Success Mindset | 3 Comments »

Desire for Success: That’s Where it All Begins

Saturday, July 19, 2008 –
Desire creates the power. -Raymond Holliwell Is your life currently filled with things that you desire or merely tolerate? I have been participating in a teleclass series this month with Alexandria Brown and David Neagle about success and manifesting, and one of the first things discussed was the significance of desire in the attainment of true success.  Desire is the starting point of any major life change.  It sounds so simple, so obvious, doesn't it?  The truth is, there are many varying degrees of desire.  If your desire is weak, usually it will not be enough of a catalyst to spark any real growth in your life.  If you have an area of your life that you are unhappy in then it is likely that you have a desire to improve or change it.  However, if the action you must take to facilitate that change causes you too much discomfort then chances ...

Posted in Success Mindset | 3 Comments »

Cool Blog Contest: Check it Out

Monday, July 14, 2008 –
Over at one of my favorite blogs, inspiredmoneymaker.com, Paul Piotrowski is running a new contest.  The first place prize is an awesome Flip Mino video camera (which I COVET currently) and a 2GB USB pen.  2nd place prize is a $50 Market Leverage rewards card and third place is the 2GB USB pen by itself.  Basically, you spread the love about Paul's contest around the blogosphere and earn tickets.  The contest started today and runs through August 14th. Besides earning tickets, I wanted to give Paul's blog a shout here because I find it so dang useful.  He's got an abundance of juicy articles regarding some of my most favorite topics.  The blog itself is all about helping people find out what they love to do in life and make money at it.  Definitely up my alley. Check it out!

Posted in Blog Love | No Comments »

Career Decisions: Are You Choosing by Default?

Friday, July 4, 2008 –
With the benefit of a few years hindsight I now see how utterly young eighteen years old is.  Yet that is the age when most of us go off to college and must begin to pick a major and therefore a career for ourselves.  It actually starts a little earlier than that--once in high school we are asked by guidance counselors and the adults in our lives what we are thinking about "being."  By junior year many of us are told to start narrowing down colleges to visit--decisions which are of course are influenced by what programs and degrees they offer.  It's a heady and exciting time, but also a confusing one.  Outside influences often play a role in the form of thoughts such as "Dad thinks I'd be good at this...."  "Mom always wanted me to be this..." "My teachers always said I was better at that than this..."  ...

Posted in Career Decisions | 1 Comment »

When You Don’t Know What You Want to Be When You Grow Up (Pssst—Even if you are 30.)

Monday, June 23, 2008 –
I don’t know what I want but I know it’s not this. I saw a book with that title while browsing the career/entrepreneurship section at Barnes and Noble a few months back.  It got me thinking about how many times we hear about people who toil away at day jobs while working on their passions outside the workplace on nights or weekends.  Maybe they play in a band, or paint, or are starting a small business.  They know exactly what they love and work to find a way to do it for a living.  Or at the very least, keep it as a very high priority hobby or part-time side gig. But what about those who are sure they can’t stand their current job or career but don’t know what they’d rather be doing?  It’s actually a pretty painful place to be.  Having something outside of your miserable job gives you hope ...

Posted in Career Decisions | 5 Comments »

Hating Your Job: Can’t We Just Sit Home & Eat Bon Bons All Day?

Thursday, June 12, 2008 –
Nine to five, what a way to make a livin'  -Dolly Parton Naomi Dunford who runs IttyBiz suggested the title of this blog after we had an email convo about what it is we really want out of life. Let's cut to the chase-it's all about glamour, fame, writing instant bestsellers-and if we so desire-sitting home on our duffs eating bon bons all day. Actually, if nothing else the popping-chocolates-at-home-in-our-sweats part would be just fine, thanks. In other words, we crave the freedom to design our days as we wish. Naomi's doing fantastic with her small biz marketing company she runs from home on her laptop. She's able to hang out with her little son Jack and hubby Jamie while doing work she loves. Is life perfect? Is it all rainbows and sunshine? Is it a veritable bon bon feeding frenzy 24/7? Not quite. But you see, my friends-I can't imagine we were meant ...

Posted in Career Decisions | 2 Comments »