1.  Get help

The value of coaches and mentors and heroes cannot be underestimated. Prideful stubborness, where you confuse doing it “your way” with a closed minded unwillingness to entertain a variety of opinions, is a mistake. Yes, you are the decider. That is your job and your responsibility. But, every great leader surrounds themselves with high level advisors, specialists in each field that is needed to succeed. The idea is not to do it alone but rather to be the singular visionary who coordinates the expert activities of amazingly talented people toward completion of the mission.

Another way to get help, if you’re not interested in including a group of real life individuals in your business, is to do your research. Sites like EvanCarmichael.com offer you profiles and interviews of some of the most successful entrepreneurs of all time. Entrepreneur focused magazines share the views of experts on how they run their businesses in this modern time, if you want a contemporary rather than historical view. Scientific business journals that study the science of networking, sales technique research studies, and more give you a greater view than you could possibly have on your own.

What it gets down to is, whether you choose physical helpers or virtual ones, you need helpers. Do not reinvent the wheel and don’t be afraid to share information with others. It will magnify your efforts tremendously if you simply widen your peripheral vision and deepen your knowledge base.

2.  Brainstorming is an art that leads to brilliant ideas

The hardest part of brainstorming is keeping the phases of idea creation and idea editing apart from each other. It’s too easy, as you are creatively throwing out wild ideas, to stop the creative flow and pick apart how it will or won’t work. Don’t do this. It kills the creative process. How to make your ideas happen is for after the creative process is done.

Once you start the brainstorming process, put your critic on hold and let the ideas flow. Crazy ideas on top of crazy ideas lead to new, brilliant ideas that are outside the box. Especially if you are brainstorming with other people (highly recommended), you will find that power plays interrupt you, critical analysis interrupts you, and “logical realism” will intrude. Have a white board ready to park those ideas so they don’t get forgotten to discuss another time, but actively insist that the practical does not intrude on the whimsical.

3.  Pen and paper are your friends

Some of your best thinking will solidify when you write your ideas down. There’s something inexplicable that happens when you put your ideas down in black and white. They become real. If you are a fan of the Law of Attraction, you already know this. If you are a list maker with a practical streak, you know this too. It’s a simple concept, and many very successful entrepreneurs do it, so I would suggest that you try it. Something magical happens when your logical brain is focused on the mechanics of writing that allows your imaginative spirit to run free. I do it and it works.

When you write down your goals or your ideas, write them down from a present tense, positive point of view. For example, instead of saying “Someday I will not be fat” (using a personal example) but rather “I am slim and healthy”. It feels a little weird at first, but it will help. Shifting your focus from being against something (I am not poor, I do not have debt, my business does not fail), move instead toward concentrating on the positive result (I am wealthy, I have a positive net cash flow, my business continues profitably and successfully).

4.  Last but not least, time is golden

Hard working entrepreneurs sometimes mistakenly interpret spending time thinking and imagining as wasting time. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. The time you spend thinking about your business, envisioning your future, and solidifying your dream is time that will magnify your success.You must schedule time to reflect and keep that appointment as religiously as you would any client appointment.

It’s very challenging to manage the detailed day to day issues and also use what I call your “big thinking”. I recommend that you spend at least one day each week- that’s right, one full day – working on your business instead of it in. Examine how you can improve your processes, examine where you are doing repetitive tasks that you could outsource, spend time thinking about the next big idea you are going to implement. Get outside your grind and think bigger, think more, and imagine sensational success.

Would your current sales process even work if you were to be wildly successful? What would happen if a million visitors came to your website today? Would it net you any profits or would it just crash your server? Spending time thinking of the mechanics of success not just hedging against disaster is a profitable endeavor. You are the visionary of your business and anything less than that is not stepping up. Every week you need to commit to and act upon that job of being the leader.

This is a subject that I feel sometimes gets overlooked and ignored. I am a strong supporter of clarity, so grab yourself a cup of coffee, find a quiet place without distractions and think bigger. Know that you are worth this time and that it is bringing you success. Be sure to have a notepad and pen with you and get it out and get it down on paper. Then, go do it.

Together, we are stronger!
Vicki Flaugher, the original SmartWoman

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Interview length: 18 minutes, mp3

Recently, I had the pleasure of interviewing Joy Chudacoff, a personal coach and sister blogger. We discussed how she’ll never forget that fateful day when, at 28 years old, her boss uttered three simple words to her that would alter the entire course of her work history. Joy’s story of the challenges and triumphs of her entrepreneur’s journey, from her early days 20 years ago to today, will fill you with hope and confidence.

As a coach, Joy has helped dozens of women custom shape an inspired life but they had to be willing to work at it to get there. Joy shared with me the most common issues she sees her female entrepreneur clients face and how they can be overcome. She mentioned the financial hurdles, the need for a support network, the power of working within your strengths, and last but certainly no least, how important it is to allow yourself the time and space to find your true passion.

To visit Joy’s website, go to SmartWomenSolutions.com

Join us in our conversation and allow it to help you transform your dream into a business that inspires you. Enjoy!

Together, we are stronger.
Vicki Flaugher, the original SmartWoman