But when the rubber meets the road, it’s a totally different story.For many, when it’s time to take action, they’re not WILLING to take the steps or do the work that creates the result. And they use excuses about time and money as the trap door, their escape route:

“I can’t do ‘x’ because I don’t have the money right now”
“I can’t do ‘y’ because I’ve already got something planned for that day”

I see it plain as day and I see it happen EVERY day. It’s the “Inner Self-Doubt” that consistently has someone question every single move they make in growing their business or their in-come.

It’s that same inner self-doubt that creates the excuse that invariably comes up, either having to do with time OR money, or something along the lines of “I’m not sure this is right for MY business.” And what I’m convinced about, because I’ve witnessed it in my own life and then in the lives of hundreds (if not thousands) of my clients, is that this inner self-doubt, questioning everything and not taking serious ACTION when the solution shows up all boil down to one thing and one thing only. And in plain English, it’s called… SELF SABOTAGE.

(By the way, The same thing happens when you decide to do something and then you decide to back out at the last minute. There are people who do this again and again. It’s what I call “waffling” and it’s another form of self-sabotage, something that you use to keep yourself from playing a bigger game in your life.)

In all the years I’ve been working with solo-preneurs, I have seen countless people beg for a change in their business, pray to make a lot more money, and yet, when the answer is delivered and it’s right there in front of them (in whatever form it shows up) they use excuses, turn away or question whether it’s right for them.

Realize that THE limitation around getting to the next level in their business is created by your own mindset. Then you can make a change in perspective, stop using excuses and “just go for it”, then the results show up. Here’s the process I’ve witnessed in myself and in my clients recently:

1. They make a firm DECISION (to succeed, buy something, attend something, or whatever)
2. They stop over thinking
3. They quiet the inner critic and the relentless self-doubt
4. They look for different ways of making it happen
5. They take action, IN SPITE OF the “fear”
6. They are then rewarded very handsomely.

Widening your perspective around success starts with a DECISION. Once you make a decision to succeed, it’s time to commit to doing whatever it takes to make it happen. Whatever it takes.

Instead of saying “I can’t afford this”, ask yourself “How *can* I afford this? ” Instead of saying “I’m already busy that day”, you’ll begin to find ways to move things around to make it happen. It’s a SMALL shift in perception, but it is absolutely life-changing when you begin to think that way. Instead of stopping the flow, you begin to search for opportunities, for solutions. You begin to act like a detective, looking for different ways to make it happen.

And that’s when it shows up.

I’ve often thought that, if I can’t get into a house from the front door, then I’ll look for the back door. And if the back door’s locked, then it’s time to look for an open window. And if all the windows are shut tight, then the storm door or basement door, etc. Too many people simply try the obvious way of doing something, often, by just looking at their bank account or their calendar. And then they stop there.

And you know what? There is ALWAYS a way. But only if you’re willing to look for a different way. Only if you don’t get stopped at the front door, thinking, “Oh well, it wasn’t meant to be!”

It’s about letting go of mediocrity and trusting that there IS a way to get what you want, or to do what you want to do for your business or in your life. You see, once you make the COMMITMENT to find a way to make it happen, the way to do that thing shows up. Always.

YOUR ASSIGNMENT:

Let me ask you this…

What is it that you are wanting to do that you’re stopping yourself with excuses or money or time?
Make a list. If you can be honest about it, really honest with yourself and you see yourself doing this very thing, I want to ask you this… How BADLY do you want this thing, whatever it is? How BADLY can you taste it?

Before you say, “But wait, Fabienne. There ISN’T enough money for this in my bank account.” or “Fabienne, I’ve already got something planned for then”, notice that it’s all a question of your perception. If it were a life-or-death thing, you WOULD find the money, you WOULD clear your schedule. And so it CAN be done. And if it can be done, then the excuse is no longer valid.

If you want something really badly, then you need to approach it as if it were a life-or-death situation. You need to have your ACTIONS match what you say you want. Otherwise, a year from now, 10 years from now, 30 years from now, you’ll be in the same place you are now. Is that what you really want?

It comes down to being WILLING to act differently. It’s not just thinking differently, it’s about taking bold and decisive action toward what you say you want in your business or your life. It’s about saying YES to what’s possible for you. Saying YES to the opportunities that are divinely given to you. And then taking action. Your business, your life, your in-come will never be the same. I promise you that.

Fabienne Fredrickson, The Client Attraction Mentor, is founder of the Client Attraction System TM , the proven step-by-step program that shows you exactly how to attract more clients, in record time…guaranteed. To get your free Audio CD by mail and receive her weekly marketing & success mindset articles on attracting more high-paying clients and dramatically increasing your income, visit www.ClientAttraction.com.

And after all, as one blog commenter remarked, “How many consultants can actually HANDLE 17 to 19 new clients a year? I certainly can’t.” Quite right. Then that’s not the plan for you.

The bigger question is “What do I really want and how can I create a plan that works for me?” And just as importantly, “How can I create goals and plans that I’ll actually implement?”

These days, I’m reading a lot of Napoleon Hill. I read a chapter each day of “Think and Grow Rich” and have also dipped into his magnum opus: “The Law of Success.”

Hill, who is the father of every success and motivation book or program since the 1920′s, with few exceptions, comes back to the idea of goals and plans over and over in his writing. These ideas are mentioned in virtually every chapter and are at the very core of his teachings.

Beyond the Formula

Most of us think we know how to set goals. My observation is that virtually nobody knows how. Perhaps you’re familiar with the S.M.A.R.T. goal-setting formula. Goals should be:

Specific – Measurable – Achievable – Realistic and Time Specific

This formula is useful, but not much. Yes, you need all of these elements but you need more, a lot more, and that’s what few understand. This formula doesn’t propel you towards your goals.

Making Your Goals Real

For a goal to be real, it needs to become a deep desire, a passion, almost an obsession. It needs to be something you think about all the time, work on a little bit every day, and something that is in total alignment with your larger purpose and values.

So when people say they’d like to double their income, the goals may fit the S.M.A.R.T. formula, but they’re as about exciting as a dead fish. The question is, how to you magnify your desire and passion for a goal?

There’s no such thing as a perfect formula for achieving big goals, but I will share some of the things I’ve done that really make a difference.

1. First of all, your goals must be authentic. You must have a genuine reason behind every goal. If you want to make more money what do you want to do with it? You need to be in touch with your values, your passions, what is essential at your very core. What do you want to accomplish before you die and why? If there is little emotion to your goals they will never catch fire.

2. I notice the only goals that really motivate me are big, almost impossible goals. Several years ago I had the goal to make $25K per month. And at the time, in the mid 90′s, I think I was making less than $5K/mo. These day’s I’m surprised when I don’t make $25K each month.

The goal was big, scary, impossible. But I really wanted it. Now that doesn’t mean I didn’t have interim goals and benchmarks. And it took me quite some time to figure out how to do it, but I never lost sight of that goal.

3. I think about the goal from every side, from every angle. And I write a lot. I’ve filled notebooks with ideas related to my goals. And the more I write, the clearer the goal becomes and the plans to achieve that goal start to pop into my head. You’re going to have more inspirations if you are actively engaged in the goal.

4. Of course, the biggest impediment to goals are the thoughts that say we can’t achieve them. Before I’d think of a big goal and then shoot it down immediately. Once I started using Byron Katie’s work several years ago and applied her process to my limiting thoughts and beliefs, big goals came more naturally. Now I think about a goal and get excited about the possibilities much faster with less struggle and resistance.

5. I talk to others who are most likely to support me achieve my goals. It’s a big mistake sharing your big goals with people who will poke holes in them or react indifferently. Goals need to be cultivated and nurtured. Another big idea of Hill’s is to work with a mastermind group who can give you support, encouragement, ideas and resources to achieve your goals. I’ve been in many mastermind groups and they make a huge difference.

6. I read and absorb the ideas of others who have achieved similar goals. I read a lot of books and articles, attend workshops and sometimes get professional support. There is a vast library of success literature but nothing better, in my opinion, than Hill’s body of work. I find these ideas get me thinking in new and exciting directions.

Setting goals is much more than a mechanical process. That’s the barest of foundations. If you want to achieve big goals, you need to get your mind vibrating at the level necessary to actively and enthusiastically take the actions towards those goals.

The More Clients Bottom Line: For the most part, big things get done by people with a big purpose, big vision and big goals. And these all need to be constantly nurtured. You need to create the conditions, the atmosphere, the support structures, and the mindset where big goals are embraced fully. Only then do you have a chance of making these goals real.

By Robert Middleton of Action Plan Marketing. Please visit Robert’s web site at www.actionplan.com for additional marketing articles and resources on marketing for professional service businesses.

But you might say the whole purpose of Focused You is to pave the way for “Action You.” Action You is one of your most powerful personalities or selves. He or she is the one that gets out there and makes it happen.

Action You is all about results, not about excuses. Action You loves to work, implement a plan and toil long into the night if necessary to achieve an aim.

But how do you activate Action You?

After all, we’re all subject to the law of inertia. If we get stuck, even just a little, we tend to stay stuck. And we might be stuck in overwhelm, fear, perfectionism, or discouragement.

Even more insidious is to be stuck in “Neutral You.”

This is where you’re just bored and apathetic. When you’re in Neutral You, you tend to procrastinate, waste time, do busy work, or dream about what you’ll get around to sooner or later (it’s usually later).

It’s a bit like having your car in neutral, just sitting there with your engine idling. You’re using gas but not making any headway. The engine is being stressed but there is no release of energy that will take you somewhere.

We spend a lot of time in Neutral You. Watching TV, browsing the net, and of course, avoiding marketing activities.

You get the picture, but how do you move out of Neutral You and into Action You? After all, just the thought of taking some marketing actions makes you want to bury your head in the sand.

Here are two ways to move into Action You.

1. Make a promise and have consequences.

Tell your husband or wife: “Today I’m going to put together a talk and within a week, I’m going to contact ten organizations for speaking engagements.”

And then you train your spouse to say: “OK that’s great, I can support that. And if you don’t don’t this, what’s the consequence?”

You say lamely: “Well, I’ll feel badly about myself.”

And they’ll say, “You won’t get off that easily, baby. If you don’t do that project, you’ll make out a check out to (name appropriate despicable organization).

And then you answer: “OK, I wouldn’t want to do that. I’m on it!”

Now in order for this to work, you have to keep changing the consequences and make sure your spouse is a full partner in this. If not, the consequences will turn into dinners out at expensive restaurants and he or she will WANT you to fail!”

2. Find a Project Buddy.

This is where you team up with a friend of yours, also in business, and get together for a day or a weekend to do brainstorming and work on projects.

My friend Patrick Summar and I do this every quarter. Last year, knowing I needed some support, I told Patrick, “I’ll come to LA twice a year and you can come to Boulder Creek twice a year and we’ll work on moving our businesses forward.

In fact we just met this weekend at my place and we went into overdrive. There’s something about the presence of someone else who is supportive to catapult me into “Action Me.”

On Saturday I designed Patrick’s web site and then he started to work on the content. Then I worked on a marketing checklist for the Action Plan Club. We then watched a movie and I was so into Action Me that I stayed up until 3:00 a.m. completing it.

The next day Patrick continued to work on his web site content and I designed a survey for the Action Plan Club. We also spent time brainstorming, going out to lunch and having a great time together.

Results and fun! What’s not to like?

Your Action You needs to be challenged with goals, and there needs to be a game with consequences in order to get out of neutral. Also creating dynamic conditions of support keeps Action You in gear and on track.

Ask yourself, what conditions work best to get your Action You out of neutral and into motion? The great thing is that once you’re moving, momentum kicks in and it’s amazing how much productive work you can do in a short period of time.

Neutral You or Action You; who will you be today?

The More Clients Bottom Line: No matter how much work you do on your mindset, if you don’t move into action, your business and marketing isn’t going to move forward. Realize however that Action You is a mindset. It’s a fully formed personality waiting to be unleashed. Create the proper conditions and it’s unstoppable.

By Robert Middleton of Action Plan Marketing. Please visit Robert’s web site at www.actionplan.com for additional marketing articles and resources on marketing for professional service businesses.

And it seems that information is being generated in even larger volumes than ever before. Keeping up is impossible. Just try to link to a fraction of the blogs, resources, news items, articles and videos linked in the average Twitter feed over an hour or two.

That information alone could swamp you for days.

So we have this sense that we’re getting behind. If we don’t know the latest trend, marketing technique, inside scoop or insight from the latest guru, we feel inadequate.

So here’s some news for you:

You don’t need more information or knowledge. What you need is a way to apply what you already know. After all, once you’ve read those 19,583 links from Twitter are you really smarter, more capable, or more successful?

I doubt it.

We need to think about and filter information differently. And this starts with what we really need to both know and master in order to become more capable and successful.

We need to distinguish between collecting information and applying that information. Let me give you an example.

You can spend several hours consuming online information very randomly as it comes to you through email, Facebook, Twitter and Linked in. But this isn’t much better than watching television.

The impact is minimal.

Or you can spend that same number of hours studying information on that subject, making a plan, and actually putting something into action. Now you’ve developed a useful skill that you can use for years to come.

For instance, you can decide you want to learn how to get more speaking engagements and leverage those speaking engagements to attract more clients.

Or you might take cooking lessons (instead of the food channel) or go on a vacation to a place you’ve always wanted to visit (instead of watching the travel channel).

Everyone complains that they don’t have enough time for their marketing or quality activities. But they rarely see how much time they’re frittering away collecting useless information.

Not only that, processing too much information not only triggers overwhelm but stress and exhaustion. And the more we think we can’t live without it, the more we’re addicted to it.

My suggestion:

Go on a very restricted media diet for a month. Spend no more than half an hour every day on social media sites and the Internet. Don’t watch more than an hour of TV. Don’t read most magazines and even most books for a whole month.

You’ll discover that you have a whole lot of time on your hands to invest in more productive activities. Spend that time only reading or studying information that you can take action on.

Or spend that time on activities that engage, enliven and uplift you: Exercise, quality time with friends, gardening.

By the end of the month you’ll have built skills that you can profitably apply for the rest of your career. And you’ll have spent some of your spare time building memories that last a lifetime.

Good luck. I promise it will pay off!

The More Clients Bottom Line: Start to realize that gathering more information is getting you nowhere. At best, it’s entertaining you. Instead, you want to put your focus on applying information to build skills you can use for a lifetime. Substitute one for the other and you’ll find you have all the time you need to become a more successful and fulfilled person.

By Robert Middleton of Action Plan Marketing. Please visit Robert’s web site at www.actionplan.com for additional marketing articles and resources on marketing for professional service businesses.

But then, if this weren’t enough, there’s yet another thing that is likely to stop a lot of people right in their tracks. And that’s trying to figure out the “how”.

“How will I ever get from here to THERE?”
“But I don’t HAVE the resources (the funds, time, help) to make that big dream happen.”
“I’m not qualified right now to take on this big dream. I just don’t have what it takes yet.”
“Once I know HOW I’m supposed to do this, I’ll do it. Until then, I’ll just wait to be ready.”

Problem is, this is EXACTLY the point at which most people give up, probably even YOU. Right there. You see, most people wait for the HOW before they make a commitment to accomplish their big goal. Being the good planner that you probably are, there’s a part of you that feels this is too risky of a project or a goal to take on without having a plan, a solid plan, without knowing exactly how it’s going to unfold.

You may have a dream of being on Oprah, for example, to share the message only YOU can share, and to give exposure to your book or business. You love the idea of it, you imagine yourself on her yellow leather sofa, talking to her and her live studio audience. You may even be able to feel the warmth of the studio lamps and the nervous feeling you would have in the pit of your stomach. Perhaps what you’ll be wearing and what she’ll say to you. Your imagination is strong about what it would actually BE like once you’re there. And it feels great.

But then it all stops. Your imagination shuts down once you try to think about HOW you’ll ever get to the Oprah show, or whatever else your big dreams are. Here are things I’ve heard:

“I don’t have enough media training. They’ll never pick me.”
“Everyone and their MOTHER wants to be on Oprah. There’s too much competition.”
“Explain to me how it would ever happen and THEN I’ll think about going for it.”
“Is there a guarantee this will even work? Probably not worth trying if I don’t have a plan”

Now, if you’ve seen my Mind Movie on my Facebook page, you know that I have BIG dreams. Writing best-selling books, doing workshops to thousands of people, affecting millions, and having a global effect on helping women and children around the world, and yes, one day, even taking my message to Oprah’s stage and sharing it with 10 million people.

I’m hearing it now… “Stop dreaming and GET REAL!”

And admittedly, some of these things ARE “lofty”. In fact, I would categorize them as downright “scary big”. Especially since I don’t have a clue yet as to how I will write ONE best-selling book, let alone many, how to get thousands of people to come hear me speak, how I’ll help on a global level (where, whom, what will I be helping them with???). And I certainly don’t have a clue about how to get on Oprah’s couch.

But I’ve decided to go for it anyway, because here’s “what I know for sure”. If you’ve got the commitment to do something, the intention is strong and you’re willing to do anything it takes to get there, in a good way/not bad, then things WILL unfold before you, like a red carpet being unrolled in Hollywood. You just need to take the first step, accomplish the task that’s right in front of you, and then the next task will show up for you to work on. Once you’ve done that one, just the right opportunity will land on your lap, followed by the right resource to take full advantage of that opportunity or to accomplish the task at hand.

But because we’re bred to be planners (or in my case, sometimes a bit of a control freak – have you ever seen me in the kitchen right before a dinner party??), we want to have the WHOLE thing planned out first, in every descriptive detail. It’s got to be all laid out and orchestrated ahead of time, in perfect order. Otherwise, we don’t make the commitment.

Thing is, that’s not how the Universe or life works. Your next step or the next opportunity will NOT show up until you’ve made the commitment. But once you DO, it shows up, and the more you do this, the faster things start showing up for you: the right operations manager, the perfect branding development coach, the spiritual guide with just the right message (even the bottle cap with just the confirmation you’ve been asking for) or simply, just the right book to get you to that next level.

That’s what is happening to me right NOW. It’s fascinating to be in the eye of the storm, calm (most of the time) and witnessing everything around me show up as it’s supposed to, having everything around me rearrange itself to make that big dream come true. In fact, it’s pretty humbling. It’s almost as though my intention and commitment to getting this big dream accomplished has taken a life of its own, in a really good way. And now, it’s just about taking the next step that presents itself, without thinking of the next HOW. In fact, it’s a very reassuring process, once you begin to see the pattern.

Your Assignment:

Notice your mindset as it relates to your big dreams and goals for your business or your life.Is there a way that you might be stopping yourself or putting a hold on your big dreams because you haven’t yet figured out HOW it’s going to happen? Is the planner in you squashing the dreamer in you?

Instead, I’d recommend you gather your strength, deny your “smallness” and grab hold of the truth of yourself: that you CAN accomplish that big dream, that it’s not a silly notion. Just the mere fact that you’ve thought of it means it can be done. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have gotten the idea. Forgot the how! Just go for it. Each “how” and the resource needed at that time will show up exactly when you need it.

Fabienne Fredrickson, The Client Attraction Mentor, is founder of the Client Attraction System TM , the proven step-by-step program that shows you exactly how to attract more clients, in record time…guaranteed. To get your free Audio CD by mail and receive her weekly marketing & success mindset articles on attracting more high-paying clients and dramatically increasing your income, visit www.ClientAttraction.com.

Do you think: “Wow, this is incredible! I can’t wait to get working on that immediately!”

No, I’ll bet you think something more like: “Hmmm, sounds interesting but it probably won’t work and even if it did, there’s no way I’m going to find time to fit it in.”

Look, I want admit something that may surprise you.

This is EXACTLY what I think. Not just sometimes – every time! Frankly, I already have so much on my plate that I don’t want to even think of taking on something else. It just overwhelms me.

The thing is, if I’m to continue to grow my business successfully and keep moving forward (just like you), I need to discover ways to work smarter, not harder.

In the Marketing Club and the Marketing Mastery Program I recently introduced a powerful new system for planning and implementing one’s marketing so you can get more done, feel less overwhelmed and start to take on new projects.

I’ve been using it for a few months with great success and I’ve decided to share it with you today. And yes, I’m getting great results from this; I’m getting more done and working less.

I often feel a little embarrassed that I often knock off work at 3:00 p.m. having completed everything for the day, including progress on multiple marketing projects. I’m more on top of things and feel a lot less stressed.

So how does this planning system work?

First of all, planning is one of the simplest and most powerful things you can do in your business and in your marketing. And because it’s really so simple, I don’t think it gets the respect it deserves.

For every hour you plan, you’ll ultimately save several hours. So, yes, you’ll need to put a little time into this, but because you’ll *always* see a net gain in time saved (and stress reduced), this is something that you can’t afford to NOT do.

Here’s the basics of this system.

1. Get a regular 3-ring binder for your planning forms. You may be able to adapt this to a computer or online system, but for many, paper systems actually work better; they do for me.

2. Develop various plans and strategies with action items. Write these up by doing a marketing action plan or project sheet. Essentially, as with any plan, you create a list of action items that need to be completed along with a timeline.

3. Also keep a master list of every other important thing that needs to get done in your marketing. You can add to this list at any time and you can put large or small items on this list.

4. Schedule the most important of the above items on what I call an 8-week “Marketing Calendar.” This is a form on a regular 8.5 X 11 sheet with space for 8 weeks, top to bottom. For each week there are spaces for up to 6 high-priority action items.

Example:

Week of Write eZine, Plan TeleClass, Follow-up TC leads,
11/29 Find one new ideal affiliate, Network at Chamber

Week of Write article for website, More TC follow-up,
12/6 Re-write web services page, Book workshop space

This is the key to the system. Instead of big lists that have no relation to time, you’ve taken your main action items and mapped them out for eight weeks. Your lists have now evolved into a plan.

5. Each week do a planning session and plan your week. Move the items from your Marketing Calendar onto your “Weekly List” that you are committed to doing that week. If you don’t intend to do it that week, forward to another week. Also look at your schedule and see what days you’ll be able to realistically complete each of the items on your weekly list.

This weekly planning session may be the most valuable time you ever spend on your business. The more you work on this, the better you get at it. You start to see the subtleties of planning and managing many items and large projects step-by-step.

6. Each day look at your weekly plan and forward items onto your “Daily List.” Again, only list those to-dos for that day that you actually WILL DO that day (no hoping here).

Now instead of being overwhelmed by huge lists and random project plans you’ve funneled it down like this:

Master List(s) > Marketing Calendar > Weekly List > Daily List

7. The game of planning is to do the things that need to be done, when they need to be done. Your goal is to complete all the items on your daily list and also all the things on your weekly list.

A Few Tips and Pitfalls

1. Don’t put too many things on your weekly list or daily list. You need to really think about what is included in each action item, how long it will take, what else this item will impact, etc.

2. Make it a game and have fun with it. This is not a desperate race to the finish line where the person with the most things done wins. You win when you get the things done that need doing with grace and ease.

3. Have a place to put ideas, projects etc, that cannot be done now but that you can plan to do later. This may be your master list or a quick project page you create. You might even add to your weekly list: “Work on initial plan for ABC idea.”

4. Watch that you don’t get caught up in “idea seizures.” This is when you get a good idea and start working on it right away with little or no planning. Inevitably these are the things that don’t get completed or, upon reflection, were low priorities.

They can waste enormous amounts of time and push higher priority items further down the line until they become urgent emergencies. Instead, capture those ideas to work on later.

5. Schedule big hunks of time to work on some marketing activities such as your eZine or developing a talk or teleclass. If you plan further ahead for these things and carve out the time, you’ll get out of “fire-fighting” mode.

6. Urgency almost never creates better work. It usually creates work that feels rushed and shoddy. As you get better and better at planning, you’ll learn how to fit in a lot of things without overwhelm or pressure.

7. You need to commit to planning and using this system every day for at least a month. By that time it will start to become habitual, and the results will be so obvious that it will be hard to go back to your old ways.

The More Clients Bottom Line: Planning is the highest return activity in both your business and your marketing. The rewards are great: More time to get to the important things, less overwhelm, more free time, less stress. Yes, planning rules!

By Robert Middleton of Action Plan Marketing. Please visit Robert’s web site at www.actionplan.com for additional marketing articles and resources on marketing for professional service businesses.

I had a big breakthrough several years ago.

I was sitting in my office under a dark cloud of procrastination and delay. I just couldn’t seem to take action on anything. I was unmotivated, uninspired and just drifting aimlessly.

A huge pile of uncompleted things sat on my desk, hissing like snakes. I was afraid to even go near them.

“When will this end?” I thought. “What can I do?”

Well why not try Byron Katie’s process that I had been reading about in her book, “Loving What Is? If there ever was a test for this process that she called The Work, this was it.

First step: Identify the stressful or limiting belief behind my procrastination behavior. This took awhile. I tried many and they just didn’t ring true. But after a few attempts I came up with this one:

“I’m just not able to handle everything I have to do.”

That’s exactly what I’d been telling myself, but hadn’t been aware of it. I’d been acting as if procrastination was the flu and I just had to wait until it had run its course. But no, here was a big fat limiting belief staring me in the face.

OK, next step. Is that belief true; can I absolutely know it’s true?

Well, it certainly felt true. I didn’t feel able to handle all the things I had on my plate. I felt overwhelmed and discouraged. But is it absolutely true? No, I guess not. There have been many times I’ve handled a lot more than what I was facing now.

Next question: How am I reacting and behaving when I believe that thought?

That was obvious. I was staring at the pile of stuff and the list of things on my desk not doing anything. It was as if the belief was a command that told be I couldn’t handle it and I had to act consistently with that command. Hmmm, interesting.

Next question: Who would I be and how would I behave if it was impossible to attach to that belief? If I could no longer think that belief, how would things be different?

This question put my mind on tilt for a few minutes. It was asking me to unthink the thinkable. I was thinking I wasn’t able to handle everything and I was asked to project into a future where that thought didn’t exist, couldn’t exist.

My mind started to become quiet as I grasped the ramifications of this simple, yet profound thought experiment. Well, if I couldn’t think that thought anymore, I’d stop procrastinating, I’d just take the next step that was in front of me.

Now the turnaround: Turn the belief around to its opposite. Okay, “I’m able to handle everything I have to do.”

Now is that new belief just as true or truer than the original belief? Reflecting for a just a few moments it was clear that it was truer. After all, haven’t I handled a thousand things in my life? Haven’t I accomplished big things, certainly bigger than the things on my desk right now?

I sat at my desk in kind of a stunned silence. Wow, it was as if I’d hypnotized myself with that belief. I was believing something that was nonsense but that had such a powerful impact on my behavior.

And now I was waking up from that hypnotic trance.

“What to do now?” I said to myself as a feeling of calm, joy and quiet confidence spread throughout the whole of my being.

I looked down at the pile of paper and projects and they didn’t look like hissing snakes anymore; they were just a list of things to do.

I dove in, one item at a time, and by the end of the day everything I’d been procrastinating on for several weeks was done. Complete.

And if that is all that had happened, it would have been a breakthrough, but that was the only start. For the next several months I literally could not find procrastination. It was nowhere to be found.

Instead, I had my goals, intentions, projects and list… and me getting them done! A huge period of productivity ensued. And it’s rare since they that I get caught up in procrastination for more than an hour at a time. If I do, I quickly identify the underlying thought and it evaporates with little effort or struggle.

Is this work the only way to get unstuck? My guess is that there are many ways to free ourselves from limiting, stressful, fearful beliefs that are holding us back from taking action now.

But this is now the way I poke myself whenever an unconscious belief is telling me to get started later, to think about it more, to wait until I get more agreement from others.

The More Clients Bottom Line: We don’t start things now because we are constrained by hidden, unconscious beliefs that are interested in our safety and survival. These beliefs are more concerned with us looking good, not getting rejected and maintaining the status quo than they are interested in us being successful, making a difference or changing the world.

By Robert Middleton of Action Plan Marketing. Please visit Robert’s web site at www.actionplan.com for additional marketing articles and resources on marketing for professional service businesses.

After sharing my personal “Video Vision Board” with my more than 10,000 readers last year, I received a lot of comments and questions. One of the ones that stood out the most for me was this one:

“Hey Fabienne, just watched the You Tube video. It’s awesome. I’m not sure what it is that keeps me from living in the music of possibility. I keep holding myself to something small like “Hoping for another client this month.” And here you are on Oprah and making videos with Bono. So cool!! What do I need to drop in order to step in to ‘YES’ and let go of ‘HUH?’.”

An amazing question, especially since not everyone is brave enough to “go there”. What I’ve witnessed is that many people have massive doubt about their ability to do something BIG in this world, including myself up until a couple of years ago.

And because we’re doubtful about our ABILITY to accomplish something BIG, we don’t allow ourselves the chance to think big, for fear of failing miserably and confirming our own original thoughts. The self-doubt gets hold of us even BEFORE we begin to craft our vision. So we keep playing a mediocre game and living a mediocre life as a result (mediocre, in the sense that your life is probably ‘good enough’ now, but it could be SO much sweeter and richer, if you allowed yourself to play bigger.)

The solution? It’s time to drop is the self-doubt and live in FAITH. (In the word “Faith”, I mean, self-assuredness, not religion.) Most people continue to play small because of feelings of unworthiness. We’ve all been put down in our lives, especially in our childhood, and sometimes by the people we thought we were the safest with. And we’ve pushed down our big thinking and play a “beige” existence.

Enough of the beige existence. Enough mediocrity. You ARE enough. You are NOT inadequate. In fact, you are powerful beyond measure. There is nothing you cannot accomplish if you believe in yourself. There is nothing you cannot accomplish if you move past the fear of failure or the fear of really being “seen” in a big way. This is your time to shine.

You, me, Bono, Oprah… we’re all just people. They still brush their teeth and have indigestion sometimes, like we do. But the difference is that they simply made the DECISION to play big one day. And then they BELIEVED. They were scared too, and they did it anyway. They too didn’t know HOW they were going to fulfill their big dreams (I certainly don’t have a thoroughly mapped out plan for how I will reach mine, but I believe they’ll happen) but they went for it anyway. That’s all.

Your Client Attraction Assignment:

I recommend you work on your OWN big vision, starting tonight. Make a list of people you admire greatly and what they’ve accomplished in the world. Then, get inspired by that and create your own list of what YOU would accomplish if you could do anything. (HINT: you can.) And whenever you start thinking, “What? ME… do THIS?” then it means it’s EXACTLY what you should be shooting for. All you need to do is look for the opportunities and get support to manifest your vision. That is when your life will become even sweeter and richer.

There’s a saying I love: “If you’re not living on the edge, you’re taking up too much room.” I don’t know who first coined this phrase, but it’s recently become one of my favorites, a mantra I’ve adopted. Have it become yours too. I assure you that you CAN do this. Go for it! I’m here to support you.

Fabienne Fredrickson, The Client Attraction Mentor, is founder of the Client Attraction System TM , the proven step-by-step program that shows you exactly how to attract more clients, in record time…guaranteed. To get your free Audio CD by mail and receive her weekly marketing & success mindset articles on attracting more high-paying clients and dramatically increasing your income, visit www.ClientAttraction.com.

No, the virus that’s going around these days is overwhelm (the American strain is Overwhelmus Americanus). If you’re not sure you have it, here are the most common symptoms:

Feeling buried or drowned by a huge mass of information, ideas and to-dos. The huge mass includes email, articles, Twitter, the media in general, the recession, and probably my Marketing Club.

The general response is: I have too much to do! There’s too much to read! I don’t know where to start! What if I miss something? I can’t handle all of this stuff! Get me outta here!

Look, I understand; I know.

Not only am I infected with overwhelm, I’m one of the carriers. I know that my eZine, and emails from me inviting you to a teleclass, or the aforementioned Marketing Club updates, can send susceptible people into an out-of-control spiral of overwhelm.

But I’m recovering from overwhelmitis, and you can, too.

So, first of all, put down everything else, take a deep breath and take just two short minutes to read my Overwhelm Prescription.

First of all, I’m not going to give you a long list of things to do. I started with that and then thought, “What am I doing? that will only overwhelm people more!”

No, the solution to dealing with overwhelm has little to do with doing, but a whole lot to do with who you are being.

A ton of email, information and projects triggers overwhelm, but they’re not the cause. You are the cause. That is, part of who you are might be called “Overwhelmed Janet” or “Overwhelmed Bill.”

When those triggers happen, “Overwhlemed You” goes into full overwhelm mode. You feel stressed, confused, panicked. Your heart rate goes up and blood supply goes to your limbs for the “fight or flight” reaction. You’re not thinking too clearly. You want to run away, or better, go to sleep.

Overwhelm is simply a reaction that is protecting you from a perceived danger triggered by all that stuff on your desk, in your email box and on your to do list. All that stuff’s not out to get you, but it seems like it!

These days, it’s possible to live in an almost a constant state of overwhelm. And if this is the case, productivity plummets, creativity ceases and your business stops being fun.

The best response we usually have to overwhelm is to get organized. And there’s nothing wrong with that. But all you are doing is temporarily removing the triggers. But triggers have the habit of popping up again. You face 100 emails one morning and overwhelm is looming large again, bigger than life.

So, is there an ultimate solution to overwhelm?

Yes, don’t focus primarily on the triggers, but on connecting with another You. Let’s call this “Focused You.” Focused You is more resourceful, more calm, more present, more balanced.

Focused You, is a part of you that is already developed. You have the skills and the ability to act from Focused You whenever you want. It’s just that you forgot. Overwhelmed You took over and reigns supreme much of the time.

If the purpose of Overwhelmed You is to keep you safe from harm, then the purpose of Focused You is act with clarity and intelligence. Focused you is interested in getting the job done, making a contribution, even doing marketing activities.

When you step into Focused You, even in a chaotic situation with a lot of overwhelm triggers, you can still be calm and centered. Then you can calmly make your priority list, handle your email, and get on with your work.

Overwhelmed You or Focused you, who will you be today?

The More Clients Bottom Line: Once you’re coming from Focused You, you can take the steps to get organized, create systems, do planning and other things that will mitigate some of the triggers. But you’ll know that it is Focused You that is in charge and that no matter what happens, you never need to let Overwhelmed You take over again.

By Robert Middleton of Action Plan Marketing. Please visit Robert’s web site at www.actionplan.com for additional marketing articles and resources on marketing for professional service businesses.

What I realize from coaching people over the years is that I have indeed figured out a few things about getting it all done, or at least, a lot of it done, while still having sanity and a lot of fun in my life. It’s all about BOUNDARIES around time, with others, but mostly with me.

I’m realizing you have to be RUTHLESS with your boundaries around time management, because no one else will.

One of my favorite books on this subject is Dan Kennedy’s “No B.S. Time Management for Entrepreneurs.” I can’t tell you how amazing this book is. It’s actually become required reading for all my private clients looking to get more clients and make more money than they are making now.

Although I’m pretty good at getting things done, the “Time Management Techniques Really Worth Using” has changed everything for me. What Dan came up with should be universal materials for every one of us entrepreneurs and sole practitioners who wonder how to get it all done. I’m certainly even more RUTHLESS with my time than before using the following, direct from Dan’s book:

(A caveat: you may not agree with some of these, and that’s OK. Some of them are a little harsh. But just think about what your time would look like if you applied even 2 or 3 of these…)

1. Tame the phone: You don’t need to literally jump every time the phone rings. Take few, if any, incoming calls; return calls at your convenience, instead of on-the-spot. (Most every call, even from a prospective client, can wait a half a day to be answered.)
2. Minimize meetings: I implemented this technique several years ago and it’s worked wonders on my schedule. People (especially prospective clients) often want to meet me in person to talk about something. Problem is, it takes 15 minutes for me to get somewhere (minimum), an hour to “meet” and then 15 minutes to get back from the meeting. That’s an hour and a half! Instead, I now speak to people on the phone for 15 minutes and get just as much done. Amazing, you should try it.
3. Practice Absolute Punctuality: The bottom line about this is, when you are absolutely punctual, it shows the other person you expect and demand they respect your time with the utmost respect. You can’t expect that others will treat your time with respect when you don’t show respect for theirs. (Most of us can afford to get better at this.) And beware of prospective clients who are late to initial consultations with you. It may be that they’re not trustworthy about other stuff.
4. Make and Use Lists: You can’t get anything done when it’s all swimming around in your head, like a jumbled mess. Write it down and find systems to help you prioritize and get things done. There’s a lot out there on making and using lists effectively; find the way that will work best for you.
5. Fight to Link Everything to Your Goals: Ask yourself “Is what I am doing, this minute, moving me measurably closer to my goal?” (I have this on an index card next to my computer, to remind me often.) Just the simple act of asking yourself this question several times a day will dramatically increase your productivity. You have no business doing stuff that’s not directly related to your goals. If it’s not moving you forward toward your goal, making you money or attracting clients, drop it or delegate it now.
6. Block Your Time: It’s been said that one of the hidden secrets of people who consistently achieve peak productivity is that they make sacred appointments with themselves, appointments they aren’t allowed to cancel. You’ve heard me say this before, especially if you’re a private client of mine. In nearly every coaching call I have with someone, we create BLOCKS of uninterrupted time to get things done.

We’re talking blocks of time each day and each week for Client Attraction work, but also for certain projects that need to get done. If there’s a major task on my plate to get done, I’ll actually estimate how long it will take, and then put it in my calendar as I would a client appointment. I don’t allow myself to break this commitment. Try it. It works like magic and allows you to get so much more done than if you tried to squeeze it in somewhere between clients.

Your Assignment:

Go to Amazon.com and get yourself a copy of Dan Kennedy’s book “No B.S. Time Management for Entrepreneurs”, today. It’s that good. (He’s a little abrasive, but it’s all well worth it.) For $10.00, you can’t beat it. Start applying some of the steps listed above. I guarantee that the number of PRODUCTIVE hours you spend making money and attracting clients will increase dramatically. It did for me, BIG TIME. Ca-ching!

Fabienne Fredrickson, The Client Attraction Mentor, is founder of the Client Attraction System TM , the proven step-by-step program that shows you exactly how to attract more clients, in record time…guaranteed. To get your free Audio CD by mail and receive her weekly marketing & success mindset articles on attracting more high-paying clients and dramatically increasing your income, visit www.ClientAttraction.com.