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Is Action Your Missing Piece?

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action, results, goals, law of attractionIn my fifteen years as a business coach for the professionally creative and creative entrepreneurs, I’ve seen a lot of incredibly smart, very talented people struggle to bring their dreams to fruition.

When I first started – I believed that this was largely due to a lack of knowledge in business fundamentals and business skills. Which is why I created the Artists Marketing & Business Academy – to help you close that knowledge gap.

And while I still believe that’s part of the problem, I’ve come to the conclusion that you could have all the knowledge and skill training and still struggle.

Because there’s a piece missing – and that’s ACTION!

What is Action?

Much to my surprise – it turns out action is a pretty complex word with many different meanings. But here are the ones I think are most useful for this conversation:

action

1a: thing done, a deed
b: the accomplishment of a thing usually over a period of time, in stages, or with the possibility of repetition
c: behavior, conduct
d: initiative, enterprise

2: an act of will

Merriam-Webster.com

LIVE ENCORE PRESENTATION – MAY 4TH

So, its what you do, right? Not what you say, not what you think, not what you wish, but what you actually DO.

You may remember a movie that came out several years ago — The Secret — which showed this guy sitting on his couch dreaming about a car – and then magically that car appears. I’ve always found that to be a misleading and possibly destructive portrayal of the Law of Attraction. Which led me to begin tweeting this:

The Law of Attraction without action is just the Law of Attr! Put the Action BACK!

It seems so simple – then why do we struggle so much with getting into action, staying in action, and choosing which actions to focus on?

What Blocks Action?

And why is it that some people seem to be completely stuck and stopped by these obstacles and others appear (at least from the outside) to be unstoppable?

You might think, “Well it’s just a difference in personality.”

Or, “It’s just easier for them than it is for me – they don’t have this problem with resistance or procrastination.”

Perhaps you even think, “I’m just … broken.”

Poppycock! I say!  Utter HOGWASH!

Okay – you might notice that this is a pet peeve of mine – you’re not broken. They’re not better than you. And it’s not some character flaw that you have no choice in!

What stops us is a bit different in each person.

  • It may look like procrastination.
  • It may look like analysis paralysis.
  • It may look like perfectionism.
  • It might feel like resistance, fear or overwhelm.

And it’s a useful exercise to examine what that dynamic is for you.

How do you know its time to stop? How do you know its the right time for some procrastination? (Wonder who’s tagged me on Facebook…) Understanding what your triggers are that begin this spiral into inertia or active resistance can help you disrupt that pattern. But understanding the pattern isn’t enough – you have to then have the tools to shift out of the pattern into something more productive.

What Allows or Even Motivates Action?

I believe that the primary difference between the folks that get stopped and the ones that seem to be unstoppable in their action is in their response to that stimulus. It’s not that they don’t get overwhelmed or experience fear. It’s not that they never question their choices or play the “Yeah, but…” game.

It’s that their response to that happening is to move forward into action.

You can think of it as simply rocking backwards and putting your weight in your heels. Or rocking forward and putting your weight on your toes. Try it – stand up and rock your weight backward just enough to sink into your heels. Then rock your weight forward to just slightly come up on your toes. Can you feel the difference? Can you feel the need, the desire, the irresistible urge to step forward when you rock forward?

So, when something seems to knock you off balance. When you feel stuck or stopped or resistant. When you are overwhelmed or stuck in perfectionism. Stand up and lean in.

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The Magic of Action – Free Webinar!

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Do you struggle with procrastination?
Are you overwhelmed by the sheer amount of stuff to do – so much you are frozen by it?
Or are you really busy – but lack confidence that you’re doing the right things to create success?

Action is required to bring any goal to fruition.

Without action, inspiration and ambition are merely cool ideas.

Without action, your creativity stagnates, opportunities evaporate and despair gains fertile ground to root in.

FREE WEBINAR

The Magic of Action – How to Implement the Right Things at the Right Time!

LIVE ENCORE May 4th, 2017
7:00 PM EST

REGISTER TODAY!

It seems so simple, right? Just start moving, start doing, right? But very often, because of the power of inertia, starting can seem overwhelmingly difficult. So, we just do the things that seem easiest, but we can call them action – like going through email or doing the dishes.

And while something is certainly better than nothing – without results, we lose momentum and fall back into inertia. Because we’re not doing the RIGHT things.

If you are serious about your goals, about your career/business, about the impact you intend to make in the world – you must take action. And not just any action – but the right actions that will invigorate your desire and manifest your dreams.

You may never know what results come of your actions, but if you do nothing, there will be no results.
–Mahatma Gandhi

In this free webinar, Debra Russell, certified business coach, speaker, and master practitioner in NLP and Hypnosis, will give you three pillars of successful action. With this guidance you can create sustainable and impactful action that will move you to your goals.

This webinar is completely free – and if you can’t make the live date – a replay will be made available to all those who register. Take action!

REGISTER TODAY!

Opportunity Overwhelm

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overwhelm to doI recently had a very interesting conversation with a client who called for some in-between-session support.

He called because he was feeling completely stuck.  He was swamped with having so much to do, so many opportunities he could be taking advantage of, and he felt completely overwhelmed. He had no idea how to prioritize all the multiple options of actions he could take.

As a result he was paralyzed and unable to pick any of the multiple possible actions to take or any of the many opportunities to pursue.  And he also felt panicky because he believed he was in danger of missing out on opportunities because of being so totally stuck.

StuckDoes this sound familiar to you?

I know it did to me.  In the past, I’ve gone for weeks feeling completely powerless to take action because I couldn’t figure out which action to take first.

I suggested two solutions to this problem, a short-term right-now band-aid and a long-term more permanent fix.  Hopefully you’ll find them helpful as well.

Short-Term Band-aid

One of my teachers, Johnnie Cass, gave a brilliant bit of advice, which he shared in an off-the-cuff remark during my NLP training.  It’s stayed with me all these years, “When you’re feeling overwhelmed, narrow your focus.” I love that and have used it often — just pay attention to the thing right in front of you.

And that’s usually really helpful, but when you’re overwhelmed by opportunities, how do you pick which opportunity is the right opportunity to focus on right now?

Here are a few re-frames that might help:

Happy Problem

First, when confronted by too many opportunities, take a moment to be grateful.  Too many opportunities is a happy problem!

So much better than too few, no?  So, take a moment, to just breathe in gratitude for the abundance of the Universe!

Clarifying Questions

Great, now that you’re in an appreciative state of mind ask yourself these clarifying questions:

  1.  Which of these opportunities brings me closer to the “right-now” money?
  2. How much time do I have available, today, to take action?

The first question has to do with the low-hanging fruit, the short-term funds that will help you pay the rent immediately.  There’s no shame in pursuing the low hanging fruit, in fact it can be vital to your business’ survival.

My client, though, had a valid concern – what if I’m pursuing “good” and sacrificing “great,”  which is where the second question comes in.  If you only have time today to take one action or pursue one opportunity, because you have other obligations, appointments, etc., then pursue the “right-now” money.

Keeping yourself solvent will empower you to pursue the “great”, visionary and long term opportunities when you have a bit more time.  But in the meantime, you have to eat, right?

If you have more time today – see if you can split it in half – spend half of the time on the low hanging fruit/right-now money opportunities; and half on the longer term opportunities that are more long-term goal oriented. I’d recommend a minimum of 1 hour for each – so if you have less than 2 hours, pick the low-hanging fruit.  (If you find you never have more than an hour, try taking turns alternating between low-hanging fruit and long-term goal oriented opportunities.)

If you have 2 hours or more, pick ONE for each category to pursue within that time frame.  Just pick, flip a coin!  Whatever you choose is going to move you forward and you will learn as long as you take action with an experimental mindset.

But if you can choose with your long-term goals in mind, your choices will be so much easier to make!  And you will be much more likely to choose opportunities that will advance you toward your vision! This leads me to the more permanent fix (which you may want to choose as the long-term goal oriented action…)

The Permanent Fix: A Clear, Specific Vision and Plan to Guide You

Vision Goals Action PyramidPart of what caused the overwhelm for my client was the lack of a clear, specific long-term vision and a plan composed of milepost goals to guide his journey.

Without these strong roots in place, you are very much at the mercy of the winds.

And two things can happen.  First of all, from a Law of Attraction standpoint – you have not placed a clear specific order with the Universe and while it’s doing its level best to send you great opportunities, without clear goals, the opportunities you’re attracting can tend to be pellmell and haphazard.

It’s like going into a restaurant and ordering cow – you just don’t know what you’ll get!

But secondly, and perhaps even more importantly, without a clear vision of where you want to get to, it’s so much harder to evaluate and prioritize the opportunities coming your way.

If you don’t know where you’re going, how can you gauge the effectiveness of one path over another?  How can you decide which are the good opportunities and which is the one great opportunity that will thrust open the doors of success for you?  Even enough to take a guess?

The sooner you design your long-term vision and plan, the easier it will be to switch from overwhelm into overdrive!

The Fundamental Shift in Perspective

Both of these strategies have one thing in common – they shift you from:

Opportunity Focused Reaction —> Goal Centered Response

And you always want to choose being Response-able over being Reaction-ary.  When you can make choices from a grounded, centered and focused place, when you have cleared the noise so you can hear your inner, intuitive voice, you will be able to make powerful choices with ease.

And nothing clears the noise better than a strong vision, specific and measurable goals and a clear plan to achieve both.

Will this guarantee that the opportunity you choose to pursue will be great?  Or even good?  Will it guarantee success?

There are no guarantees – all you can do is make the best decision with the information you have – and having the courage to create your vision and goals will create a lot of clarity to inform your decisions.

Please share with me – what opportunity you will choose to pursue today?  And let me know how it works out – OK? Just leave a comment below.

Oh, and if you’ve been thinking, “Yeah, but…”  Please share your “yeah, buts” with me too!

 

 

 

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Confidence

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Artists MBA, Professional ProgramBelieving that confidence is something that you have, something you can get, something someone else can give you – that is a misunderstanding.

Confidence is defined as: a feeling or consciousness of one’s powers. If you believe in your own power and ability, you will FEEL confident.

Confidence is an emotion. It is an emotion that is inspired by beliefs. As such, it is neither right, real or true. Therefore, you can choose it.

In this class you will:

  • examine the true nature of confidence
  • explore the beliefs that block your confidence
  • learn how to build your confidence

Additional Resources for this Class:

Prerequisite Class:

Listen to the Class:

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Your Tuition ($79 per month) includes all Foundation level classes PLUS the Professional level classes PLUS the Time Management Mastery Course & App.

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Goals and Success

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We’re three weeks into the New Year. At the end of last year, I moved across country to New Jersey. Getting settled in has been slowed by massive snow storms (we got 35″ in one night!) and bitter cold. But I finally feel like I’m moving forward with my year.

How about you? Did you make resolutions? Set new goals? And how are you doing with them?

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been blogging about my end of year and beginning of New Year process. I usually do this process in the week between Christmas and New Year’s, but I am running a few weeks behind, due to the move. (…change is good… change is good… change is good – sigh)

In this article, I want to address one piece of the process that I’m going into in more depth in the blog – Goals. What are they? Why do you need them? And how do you go about setting ones that make a difference in the real world. Warning – this is a long one.

In my practice I come across a lot of artists with big dreams.  Whether it’s a Grammy Award Winning music career, winning an Oscar or getting a show at MOMA, we dream of a level of success, recognition and income for our creative efforts.  It’s human nature to dream of success, however you define it.

Where a lot of artists (and other people) go wrong in their pursuit of those dreams, they never make the transition from dream/fantasy to vision/goals.  If you think of your success with fantasy language:

Wouldn’t it be nice?  That could be awesome?  I’d love to have that!

Then you are still living in the world of dreams and fantasies.  And there’s nothing wrong with that as an exercise.  But if you intend to create the life of your dreams, you must translate those dreams into real world, measurable, specific and, most importantly, actionable goals.

I’m a big believer in the Law of Attraction – but Attraction without Action is just Attr

And it’s very hard to take action as long as you’re thinking in “Wouldn’t it be nice” terms.

What is a Goal?

In my Artists Marketing & Business Academy Toolbox Teleclass – Goals that Get Results – I teach that goals must meet the following criteria:

  • A goal is a having/being not a doing.
  • A goal is a dream with a deadline – put a date on it!
  • A goal must be visionary and inspiring
  • A goal must be specific and measurable – how will you know when you’ve accomplished it?
  • A goal must be positively focused – leave the problem out of it!
  • A goal must be achievable within the time frame you’ve set.
  • A goal is a having/being not a doing.

Let’s look at these one at a time.

A goal is a having/being not a doing

Let’s say for the purposes of this discussion that you dream of owning a red corvette.  If you state the goal: I want a red corvette, then your goal is to be wanting.  If you state the goal: I will have a red corvette, then your realization of your goal will always rest somewhere in the future.  I recommend in the setting of your goal, that you leave out the subject and verb altogether.  The goal becomes:

A red corvette

Simple, clear, powerful.

Let’s take another example, one that’s common for people – dropping a few pounds.  So you make a goal: To work out 3 times a week.  But that’s not a goal – there’s no having or being there – it’s a doing.  It’s a strategy for accomplishing something, not the accomplishment itself.  A goal isn’t about how you’re going to get there – it’s about defining where there is.

So, ask yourself, “If I work out 3 times a week for the next 3 months, what will I have or be?”  And that will get you to your goal.

A goal is a dream with a deadline – put a date on it!

Without a date of completion – you’re living in LA LA fantasy land.  Setting a date can be confronting, it requires you to make a commitment.  It requires you to take a leap of faith.  Because you may not KNOW how long a goal will take to achieve, right?

Look, take the leap of faith.  Set the date.  If, once you get into the middle of working on the goal you realize, this is a longer goal, then change the date.

I also recommend breaking longer goals (anything more than 6 months out) into smaller milepost goals, preferably in 3-4 month intervals.  This is not an action plan (remember goals are not the HOW, but the WHAT/WHERE).

Ask yourself, “Where do I need to be in 3 months in order to know I’m on track for this goal?”

A goal must be visionary and inspiring

Look, if you aren’t inspired by the goal, you won’t do the work.  It’s that simple.  And if the long term consequences of this short term goal will take you somewhere you don’t want to go, you also won’t do the work.

In other words – don’t pursue someone else’s idea of success, pursue your own vision of success.  And create goals that align with your vision.

And make the goals juicy, exciting, and visceral.  Ask yourself, “What will I see, hear, feel, taste and smell when this goal is realized?”

A goal must be specific and measurable – how will you know when you’ve accomplished it?

If you go into a restaurant looking for a steak dinner and order “Cow”, you may or may not get the meal you want.  But if you order prime rib, medium rare with spring potatoes and broccoli rabe sautéed in garlic, it is much more likely that you will receive the outcome you desire.

It’s not enough to say, “I want to make a lot of money.”  How much is a lot?  What a lot is to a refugee in the Sudan is a very different amount than what a lot is to Donald Trump.  What, specifically, do you want?

A goal must be positively focused – leave the problem out of it!

When you are writing your goal, you are writing your future.  You are creating what you will manifest.  If you make a goal about the solution to a problem, you are actively creating that problem in the future.  If you make a goal, “Completely clear of debt.”  Then you are still bringing debt into the future.  Trust me, that’s just the way this stuff works.

Ask yourself, “What will I have/be when this problem no longer exists?”

A goal must be achievable within the time frame you’ve set.

I don’t like the word, “realistic”.  It has too many connotations of limitedness and scarcity.  But you must believe that you can achieve the goal you’ve set within the time frame you’ve set it.  If you don’t believe you can, you won’t do what you need to do to achieve it.  Human beings don’t act against their own beliefs.

So, make a goal you believe you can achieve.  The more you do that, the more you’ll find yourself believing you can achieve.  And you will find that you can begin to set and believe in larger goals.

Start with where you are and build from here.

Debra Russell Recommends Selfgrowth.com

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The Online Self Improvement and Self Help EncyclopediaSelfGrowth.com is the most complete guide to information about Self -Improvement, Personal Growth and Self Help on the Internet. It is designed to be an organized directory, with articles and references to thousands of other Web Sites on the World Wide Web.

Check out:
http://www.selfgrowth.com

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Create Your Reality

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Every morning, I like to start the day by creating a context for the day.  Some people think of these as affirmations, but that’s not quite what I mean.  I mean that I decide what my perspective is for the day.  What’s my paradigm?  How am I going to perceive my world, my circumstances, my environment?  What reality do I choose today?  My context gives meaning to the world.  It actually creates my experience.

A few days ago my friend, Moriah Diamond, asked for my favorite affirmation on facebook.  And she took all the affirmations that her friends shared with her and created this lovely video clip.  I just had to share it with you!

You’ll see mine about half way through.  As you can see, it’s more than just an affirmation.  It’s a way of interacting with the world.  “Everything that happens to me – means – I am wildly successful.”  How often do you interpret your world that way?  How do you think you’d feel if you could look at your cat’s hairball on the carpet and say to yourself, “Well, this is just more proof of how successful I am!” and really mean it.

That’s my context – what’s yours?

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Debra Recommends The Success Principles

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Debra Russell recommends, Jack Canfield, success, law of attraction, chicken soup for the soul,

How to Get From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be

by Jack Canfield and Janet Switzer

From Jack’s Website:

Jack Canfield, co-creator of the phenomenal bestselling Chicken Soup for the Soul® series, turns to the principles he’s studied, taught and lived for more than 30 years in this practical and inspiring guide that will help you get from where you are to where you want to be.

The Success Principles will teach you how to increase your confidence, tackle daily challenges, live with passion and purpose, and realize all your ambitions. Not merely a collection of good ideas, this book spells out the 64 timeless principles used by successful men and women throughout history. And the fundamentals are the same no matter what your profession or circumstances—even if you’re a student, stay-at-home mom or currently unemployed.

It doesn’t matter if your goals are to be the top salesperson in your company, become a leading architect, score straight A’s in school, lose weight, buy your dream home or make millions of dollars—the principles and strategies are the same.

After learning the basics of success, you’ll move on to tackling the important inner work needed to transform yourself. Next, get ready to build your “success team” and expand all your most important relationships. Finally, because success always includes financial prosperity, you’ll learn to develop a positive money consciousness along with habits that can ensure you’ll be able to live the lifestyle you want—while keeping the importance of tithing and service central to your financial life.

Taken together and practiced every day, these principles will transform your life beyond your wildest dreams!

Filled with memorable and inspiring stories of CEO’s, world-class athletes, celebrities, and everyday people. The Success Principles will give you the courage and the heart to start living the principles of success today!

You’ll learn:

  • How to change the outcome of any event, simply by changing your response to it
  • How to access powerful mentors and friends who’ll open doors for you
  • How to complete past projects, heal past relationships and process old hurts, so you can embrace the future
  • How to prepare and be instantly ready when opportunity comes knocking
  • How to implement the unique time management system that insures you’ll have time to focus on success
  • How to say “no” to the good, so you’ll have room in your life to say “yes” to the great
  • How to ask for and get everything you want…from people who can give it to you
  • Why you should drop out of the “Ain’t It Awful” Club and instead surround yourself with successful, positive and nurturing people
  • How to maximize your success with money, your finances, your future…and so much more! 

The Jack Canfield Success Store Buy The Success Principles now

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Debra Recommends Secrets of the Millionaire Mind

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“You can have all the knowledge and skills in the world, but if your “blueprint” isn’t set for success, you’re financially doomed.”
–T. Harv Eker

Debra Russell recommends, finances, money management, coaching, law of attraction

I want to take this opportunity to introduce you to T. Harv Eker. He is a bestselling author and one of the world’s top trainers. His newest book, Secrets of the Millionaire Mind™, is a publishing phenomenon, reaching #1 on the NY Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller lists in its first week out!

In the book, Harv reveals 17 specific ways that RICH people think and act differently from POOR and MIDDLE-CLASS people.

The book is a brilliant yet quick read. I have been given access to a recording of a Teleseminar he hosted where he describes his foolproof methods for financial success. I’m sending you the link because the seminar really worked for me and I’d like to see you benefit too…

Simply put, Harv teaches people how to master the “inner game” of wealth in order to create outward success.

Harv seems to have a personal mission to help people realize their full potential by applying the principles he struggled to learn the hard way. These principles got him from debt to millionaire in only two and-a-half years, so I figure if he can do it, so can I. If you can grasp even a few of the principles of success he outlines, you, too, can achieve financial freedom.

One of the things I learned  was that the most powerful truths are simple and indestructible; you can use them to create a foundation upon which to build your own “rich life,” no matter how much or how little success you have experienced up until now. And a “rich life” is about more than just money…

You can transform your life from the inside out…

Buy This Book Now

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Debra Recommends The Magic of Thinking Big

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Debra Russell recommends, law of attraction, success skills, belief, goalsby David J. Schwartz

I recommend this book with one caveat. I’ve seen clients mistake fantasy for goals. Setting goals to make $10,000/month from their music in 3 months when they’re currently barely pulling in $50 a week from their music. Yes – it is key to think big. And it’s also important to make a plan with incremental steps to reach the big picture.

On the other hand, if you decide that you could never reach your dreams because their too big to be realistic – well, you will indeed be proved right. Not because you couldn’t reach them but because you were unable to take the risk of thinking big. And that’s why this book is a critical piece of your entrepreneurial mindset.

Amazon says:

One of the world’s foremost authorities on motivation, Schwartz shows how thinking big can bring big results. Learn how to set high goals and exceed them in a big way with this easy, step-by-step approach.

Buy The Magic of Thinking Big now