Growing up you were told to look both ways when crossing streets, do your homework, come in when the street lights come on, and don’t eat yellow snow.
Following rules kept you safe, got you praise, kept you in favour and helped you stay healthy.
Rules are generally constructed for the greater good resulting in many of us going through our entire life simply doing what we’re told without questioning why we’re doing it.
If you want to create a life of your dreams, sometimes the thing most holding you back is the lack of awareness that you’re blindly following the status quo.
**Note: I’m not advising you to break any laws nor am I giving you permission to do so.**
I’m simply asking you to begin questioning why you do what you do and in the particular way you do it.
In your business – right now – is there anything you’re doing simply because you were told it’s T-H-E way – how it should, always has been and must be done?
Maybe you’re following someone else’s “make 6 figures in 90 days” formula even though what you’re doing feels kinda yucky.
Perhaps what you do for a living is because someone else thought you’d be well-suited for it and since you didn’t know what else to do you gave it a try and are still doing it (but are very unhappy).
Maybe you used to like your work but you’ve grown and your business didn’t grow with you. What you’re doing is no longer aligned with who you are today.
Rules are great for some things. But when we follow them blindly, they can steer us wrong.
You wouldn’t drive your car with a blindfold on. Why are you wearing one when you drive your business?
If you want a business you love, that fits who you are and will take you where you want to go, then you need to start looking at what’s driving your business (and life).
3 Keys To Getting Exactly What You Want (And Deserve) In Your Business And Life
Key # 1: Passion a.k.a. Follow Your Joy
What makes you happy?
Are you doing it on a regular basis?
Can you do more of it, or shift how you do things in order to bring more passion and joy into your life and business?
The more you let joy be your compass, the more joy you’ll experience.
It sounds easy enough but most people keep going about their business in the way they “think” they should rather than making decisions based on how they feel.
Joy is an emotion.
You can’t think your way to joy.
How do you shift toward a more joyful life and business?
Begin to question why you’re doing something.
Is it because you think you have to?
Because everyone else does it that way?
Because it’s expected?
Because that’s how you started and you haven’t really put much thought into it since?
When you let joy be your compass, you bring more of your true self into your life.
You attract clients you’d rather work with because they’re attracted to your energy and the good stuff you’re offering.
Ask yourself:
One way I can bring more joy into my business (and life) is…
Another way I can bring more joy into my business (and life) is…
Another way I can bring more joy into my business (and life) is…
Ask a few more times.
Ask frequently. Daily is great.
Which brings us to key #2…
Key #2: Possibilities
Once you’ve thought about how you can bring more passion and joy to your work and life, begin to make a Joy-Implementation Plan.
If you have a big picture in mind of how you would love your life to look including the work you’d really like to be doing, excellent! You’re ready to start planning.
If you’re unsure, take a few minutes, close your eyes and envision your idea of your perfect life as if you’re already living it.
Where are you?
What are you doing?
What does a typical day look like?
Who’s there with you?
Get into all the sensory details so it really feels like it’s come true already.
Once you’re ready to start adding more joy into your life and moving toward your vision, begin taking baby steps.
Even without the big vision, if you let joy guide your baby steps, the big vision will begin to take shape.
It’s okay if your vision changes over time. What you want out of life is always being refined. Allow your vision to refine too.
Don’t fret and worry about how you’re going to get to the final destination.
While you get into the juicy details of the end-vision, let go of the details of how you’re actually going to make it come true.
Be open to the multitude of possibilities that could get you there – without having to figure them all out.
This is about allowing, not plotting.
Start by picking one of your answers from #1 and ask:
What’s one thing I can do right now to begin to make that happen?
For instance, if above you answered, “Make more time for myself,” then why not take a break (once you’ve finished reading this), make a nice cup of tea or coffee and enjoy it while watching the birds flit from branch to branch. When’s the last time you did that? Or put your coat on and go for a walk around the block. Neither would take very long and you’d feel reenergized. Make this a daily ritual.
Maybe you answered, “Let someone else do abc which I hate doing so I can do more of xyz which I LOVE doing.” One thing you could do now is to ask your network if they know of a reliable virtual assistant then send an email asking to set up a chat. How much more joyful would your life and business be if you could pass off some work freeing up time for you to focus on your brilliance and client attraction?
Give it a try without the attachment of thinking this is the one and only way to make this step work. Because it might not work. And that’s okay.
Ask again: What’s another thing I can do right now to begin to make that happen?
Give it a shot. Then ask again and do that too.
You never have to know how to get to the end result from where you are now.
Trying to figure that out is what stops most of us before we even start.
We get overwhelmed, feel like we’ll never get there, and tell ourselves it’s too expensive, too scary, we don’t know enough, etc., etc….so we don’t bother trying.
Plus, if you try to micro-manage all the details to get to the end with no leeway, you don’t allow for delicious serendipities that could actually speed up the course.
Simply begin taking small teeny tiny actions and you’ll be surprised how pieces begin to fall into place.
Consistent positive action (no matter how small) toward a positive end goal will reap positive results every step of the way. (Even if you “fail”, it’s a positive result if you find and grow from the lesson that’s hidden there.)
You never know which small step will have the most traction so try many things without pinning all your hopes on any one of them.
Be open to the abundance of possibilities.
What’s one tiny thing you can do today to bring more joy into your life and business?
Key #3: Perseverance
Don’t give up. Never. E-v-e-r.
Even when things look sucky. Even when your dream seems a million miles away. Even if you worry you’ll never get there.
Keep trying.
Look for the lessons in the hardships.
These stuck, stinky, dream-stalling times are the catalyst for even more joy if you can find the silver lining. You’re in the muck because there is more to learn right now.
Life happens FOR us, not To us.
In the meantime, do what you have to do to pay the bills. Make wise choices. Don’t put yourself in financial hardship.
A-N-D continue to take whatever small steps you can, trusting that each one is moving you closer to the big picture.
Let joy lead the way.
Have patience.
Keep your eye on the prize.
Keep moving forward.
Know that it’s impossible to stay “up” all the time so don’t get frustrated when you’re frustrated.
Rest.
Refocus.
When you’re ready, ask joy to show you what you’re missing.
Take a deep breath.
Take the next baby step.
Repeat as needed.
It’s called “your life” because it’s your journey.
It’s your dream. Your rainbow. Your yellow-brick road. Your scary flying monkeys. Your ruby slippers.
You have it in you to succeed.
Passion. Possibilities. Perseverance.
Follow these 3 keys and watch your life get more and more joyful.