Top Ten Tips for Insomnia and your To-Do List

I have a bad habit of working on projects until late in the night when everyone is asleep. Then I finish the night curled up in my favorite spot on the couch watching my DVR until I drift asleep. Wake up, rewind the show I fell asleep on….wake up, rewind the show I fell asleep on…..wake up, give up and stumble into the bedroom.
I have a firm rule that when I stumble in the bedroom, my husband is not allowed to go to the bathroom or talk to me. I additionally avoid turning any lights on or doing anything that requires bright eyes or a brain cell. I just wanna fall into bed in my very drifty mindset so I can quickly fall to sleep.

It doesn’t always work this way though. Last night was one of those occasions.
I did my usual routine of fall asleep, rewind, fall asleep, rewind. It’s 2am as I arrive into bed. But this night was one of “those” nights. My brain just wouldn’t shut off. The mental light went on, and my task list was rolling through my head, hard.
I start freaking out as I have so many obligations and little details that need to be remembered and taken care of for so many different upcoming events I am running/planning. My head starts spinning around the upcoming fitness conference I’m presenting at this weekend. The meeting I’m putting together for over 1000 people in my business heading to Vegas, and trying to remember little details for the presenters, topics, events, and so on. The items I have to order for the newly created back yard pool extravaganza. And to also not forget to send thank you cards, wedding gifts, communion gifts- spinning, spinning, swirling. Eye peaks open at the clock that shines on the ceiling, 2:38am. No, no, no! Stop it. There’s nothing you can do about it now. Just close your eyes, focus on this little blue flame and clear your thoughts.

“This would be a great blog entry! I could give them some ideas on how to get past thinking of your to-do list….”

STOP IT, you are doing it again! Thinking of what you can do tomorrow.

Honestly, I can go on. This is a struggle for many and me sometimes, thankfully.

It’s challenging to just let go and give in to sleep when you feel stressed, responsible, and have so many things going on.

I just wanted to share with you that it happens to many, and here are some recommended techniques to get passed this when it does happen.

1) Establish a regular bedtime time and try to stay consistent
2) Avoid Intense Exercise less than 3 hours before bedtime
30 Avoid Caffeine in the evening
4) Avoid Alcohol in the evening
5) Wind down! Find something that calms you (reading, meditating, listen to music)
6) Keep a notepad by the bed, and exhaust your thoughts prior to closing your eyes
7) Keep a cool room
8) Avoid Taking Naps in the Daytime
9) Avoid Bright Lights
10) Re-direct your thoughts to a simple activity or point.

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Are you ADVERTISING or MARKETING your business?

For most small-business owners, typically, the selling process is anything but easy and sometimes frightful! In fact, when it comes to promoting your product or service, many entrepreneurs struggle with any number of issues, including lack of confidence in themselves or their product, fear of failure/rejection and fear of closing the deal. On average, most new business owners fall quick and deep into the habit of advertising because our brains and our outside influences are so conditioned in doing so. Oddly enough, it’s a turn off! Put the shoe on the other foot and you will clearly see how turned off or how quick you are to hit the delete key on that incoming promo email, doesn’t matter who it came from, right? We just don’t want to be sold. There is a difference between advertising and marketing. The good news is experts say these fears and processes can be overcome with the proper attitude, training and practice.

First things first lets showcase some of the typical areas that may be holding you back in your business.

1) Nervous about making a Negative First Impression? You have complete control over this! It’s been said that first impressions are 50% of the getting to know you/like you process. Depending on where you are working to build your business, do as the Roman’s do, to a degree. People are attracted to other’s who look like them, dress like them, and act like them. If your audience is young vibrant early twenties women, you may want to wear the hot color now out and well put together outfits with accessories. You do not need to “act as a twenty year old” especially if you are no where near that age range. If your audience is a group of business professionals, look the part!

2) Scared of Rejection? Rejection actually can work in your favor. You’ve heard the saying, “Go for No.” this will actually force you to practice! Practicing where you can continuing to present your services, craft, or products for your audience will only make you better. Understanding the reasons behind a rejection can help you refine your product and presentation. Sometimes, the only way to beat that fear is to confront it. The more you do it the better you become at it, and less fear will be the result. Additionally, what you have may not be suited for everyone. Work with the people it is best suited for.

3) Are you Coming Across as Too Pushy? Focus more on having a conversation with someone than simply selling. Not every conversation has to move into you selling them what you have. But if the conversation does lead this way, learn the prospect’s needs and ask yourself if what you’re offering is of real value to that person. When you care about your prospective customer and develop a sense of trust, you’re more likely to make the sale. Business is about relationships, not who you can sell something to.

What’s the difference between advertising and marketing then? Easy, think about advertising. Shouldn’t be too hard, you are getting slammed with it everyday!
Advertising is the direct promotion of products and services to you. Sometimes in can be screamed in a mass promotion over and over again and on the most common level new business owners take, they personally send off “form” letters and canned conversations without finding out what the other person may need.
This of course allows people to move you into the white noise category and easily into the deleted email folder.

The best way to build your business is by marketing. You are a business, so own it! You provide service, products, and an opportunity for people. Just because you offer something that requires an exchange of money or commitment, doesn’t mean you are a slimy bad guy. You just need to find the right people that are looking for what you need. Again, you are a business. This is the way of the world, business is all around us. Services are being bought. Products are being purchased. How do you fall into being a success then? The biggest difference will be your interest in who you are speaking with. It’s not what’s in it for you, but what’s in it for them. Discover their needs and how you may be able to help support that need for a solution. Specifically creating a bigger social network allows you to speak more and more to people without intention. Once you have learned this skill, it really opens the door for attraction marketing; that’s a whole other story!

DON’T FREAK OUT! Consistency for Small Business Growth

Why is consistency important in small business growth? Especially a small home business? It’s not only the important but the cornerstone! It also translates into all areas of your life!

Being in the health and wellness industry, I am guilty of the exact same feelings of discouragement and wanting to throw the towel in when I don’t see immediate results!  All that focused planning of my food, intake, and exercise, why can’t I be at a lean ripped up machine in just a matter of a couple days?  Honestly, I always notice that my body doesn’t change much, weigh different, or really “see” the efforts of my labor until the 14th day!  Weird, I wake up on the 14th day, and boom, I can see it!

Or how about the time where I started washing dishes in a my hometown restaurant when I REALLY wanted to be a “bus girl.” Even though I didn’t get tips being a bus girl, it just allowed me to have that feeling of success and not being the one trapped in a hot kitchen scraping uneaten food off of plates and throwing them in the wash. My time did finally come to graduate into the main dining where I could finally dress in a black skirt and white shirt, and the white shirt would actually stay white!  But I had to put a ton of effort, prove my skills, prove my work ethic, prove my determination for growth, prove I am the girl to move!

Why is your home business any different than any other venture of growth in your life?

There is no difference! Why would you decide to make a big change in your life, one that will improve the quality of your life, invest time, money, and stress in the efforts of getting started then do nothing or drop off because the growth of your business isn’t happening when you want it to?  Only you can answer that question for yourself, yet so many people do just this.

No business should be treated like a hobby and especially your own business you must take it seriously and be consistent on a daily basis.  Don’t think that things will happen overnight it takes time and committing yourself.

I hear many times from people working on developing their business say, “I tried that it didn’t work” or “I don’t have upline support.” Most often time it’s easier to put the blame on someone else or even put the blame on the business model itself.

But what it really boils down to is consistency. Doing the right activity over and over.  Now we have to be realistic!  You can’t expect to see life changing results in a matter of a couple months.  There is no possible way but you must be persistent and consistent. Because just like riding a bike, it’s tough to get the bike rolling as you start to pedal, but once you are rolling it’s rolling with less effort! But as soon as you hit the breaks and stop, to get rolling again is tough! Sometimes you may even be caught in the middle of a steep hill!

I run with the motto, “Things always work out in the end”. I’d be honest in saying I don’t stress out about meeting deadlines, meeting challenges, and even meeting the personal quota and goals I set each month. Even when the month starts to near it’s end, my stress level starts to rise and I start working even more on activity to produce the results I’d like.  But what I find happens, is that because I was consistent, never putting the breaks on for the months leading up to the end of this month, the breadcrumbs and efforts I was laying down the whole time turns around and pays off.

Here are some suggestions to ensuring your activity is productive and not just a matter of busy work that you keep fooling yourself with.

1) Set a 90 day activity journal.  Record your activity for 3 months, as well as the productivity.  If you are failing to see the fruition of the efforts you laid down in the beginning of the 90 days come around at the end of the 90 days, time to re-evaluate your activity.

2) Re-Evaluate your Daily/Weekly/Monthly Schedule – It’s easy to be busy. But being busy with activity that fills your time producing no results will only frustrate you.  Use a calendar to schedule out your appointments of work and activity on each day and follow it! Be sure to move on to the next scheduled task that is on your schedule.

3) Don’t be Scared to Ask for an Honest Opinion! – After being diligent in your efforts of work and activity, find your mentor, sponsor, or direct manager and ask for some constructive feedback.  As hard as that pill is to take, someone that you have in this position above you should be able to deliver just the news you need to hear while giving you that drive and determination to make those changes for a better result.

As more is learned about your efforts, schedule, and areas needed for improvement, more of the inefficiency is removed, exposing that still more can be learned — and so on — creating an ever increasing spiral of productivity and results. But that can’t happen without consistency.

5 Successful People Who Failed Horribly in Their Journey

“I have not failed. I have just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” – Thomas Edison

Having success will take you time and effort. And SURE, many times you will fail before you are even successful. Ask just about anybody who has become successful if they have ever failed in their journey towards acheiving their goals or dreams. Chances are you will get quite a few great stores and laughs at many of their failed attempts.

The difference between long-term success and failure is your reaction to it. People who lead, are determined for success, accept it and learn from it. Simple fact:

Failure happens. Live with it. Learn from it. Move on from it.

Your view of failure doesn’t need to change or be avoided. Think of it this way, it’s a chance to learn something that does not work!

If you’re struggling in your online business, don’t be afraid to try things that are “new” “different” or even go against the traditional approach of an online business. The worst thing that can happen is failure… which is just a chance to learn and grow.

Proof in the point! Here are a list of 5 hugely successful people, in which, all of them failed. Of course everyone will fail in a small degree, but they all failed in a public and massive degree. Yet, they are viewed as hugely successful people because of their success and their ability to bounce back.

Bill Gates: Dropped out of Harvard and started a failed first business with Microsoft and co-founder Paul Allen called Traf-O-Data. While their initial idea wasn’t successful, Gates’ later work did, creating the global empire that is Microsoft.

Walt Disney: HUGE success today as it brings in billions from merchandise, movies and their theme parks around the world, but it wasn’t an easy start. Disney got fired by a newspaper editor because the editor felt he lacked imagination and didn’t have any good ideas. Later, he started a number of businesses that didn’t work or last and most ended with bankruptcy and failure. He never gave up, and the rest is history!

Elvis Presley: One of the best-selling artists of all time, Elvis has become a household name even years after his death. But back in 1954, He was still a nobody and even got fired from the Grand Ole Opry after just one performance. He was told: “You ain’t goin’ nowhere, son. You ought to go back to drivin’ a truck.”

Oprah Winfrey: Most people wouldn’t even know she had success a history of struggle because of her grand success these days in TV and other sources of media. She’s even one of the richest and most successful women in the world. She endured a rough road and often abusive childhood as well as numerous career setbacks including being fired from her job as a television reporter because she was “unfit for tv.”

Babe Ruth: Can’t even imagine someone not knowing his name or his success because of his home run record (714 during his career). But of course, along with all those home runs came a long list of strikeouts as well (1,330 in all). Actually, for decades he held the record for strikeouts. When asked about this he simply said, “Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.”

It’s just impossible for someone who has a fear of failure to achieve anything, because they have never tried. Never gave themselves the opportunity to succeed.

It is in doing, trying, and experiencing things you never did before that you grow and develop into success. Through practice you get better and better at the things you do.