I have preached this sermon myself. You need rest. Your brain needs rest.  You are supposed to turn off your phone. Be present. Focus.

But then, a big project comes up. Your kids need your help with school. The fundraiser for the non-profit you are a part of is just around the corner. 

So you stay up late. You text through the soccer game. You answer one more email (make that five more emails) and are late to your appointment. You feel like your list is never ending. If you could just get that one next thing done, the crazy would ease and you could breathe. 
 
You’re waiting until you are successful to take a break and enjoy the fruit of your labor. You worry if you stop now, you will fail. Someone’s needs will go unmet. You won’t be able to pay the next bill. And so, you keep going and keep pushing, afraid to rest.
 
I sat in the pew at church. Listening. I hadn’t been in ages but this weekend, I felt that urge to go, to fill my soul with love and light and be reconnected. I was looking forward to seeing the pastor and hearing her message (we get into our routines, right?) But the pastor was on vacation.  She was fearlessly taking time off.
 
The substitute pastor read from the Old Testament, Daniel 3:19-30. The passage told of 3 young men who refused to bow down to the new government and worship the leader as their god. They were thrown into the fire. God’s angel came down and protected them leaving them unharmed.  This faithfulness was rewarded and the young men were named as leaders.  Then she went on to read from Deuteronomy 5:14-15, the fourth of 10 Commandments, "work six days but rest on the 7th."  She went on to say, if you have faith that you will be protected then why would you FEAR taking one day a week to rest?
 
What?! 
 
My mind was blown. I never thought of it that way. I didn’t realize that I was afraid to rest. I realized that not taking time to rest was a two fold issue:

1. Fear that something will or will not happen because we are not doing or going at that given time.
   
   
2. Lack of trust that all will be well anyway.

 
I needed that message. I imagine you do, too, if you are reading this today.
 
What can you do? What works for me is a short journaling process (it can be as long as you need it to be).
 
What are you afraid will happen if you take a day off? Write it all down start with the prompt, “I am afraid…” and see where it takes you. Then, respond to each of those fears with what you can control and take action on, if anything.  
 
I’ll be creating a new hashtag, #ImNotAfraidToRest. Tag me in your day off.
 
Be Well.
 
Nettie

I’m not going to share anything new here. You’ve probably already seen the recommendation to be grateful. You’ve heard that you ‘should’ write down five or ten things you are grateful for every day. It will put you in a better mood, help you focus on the positive, raise your vibration, etc. For a year I wrote down one good thing every day. I reviewed these, “one good thing” notes and actually found this to be an incomplete picture. All these good things did happen and I was grateful for them but I am a firm believer that learning happens when we overcome perceived obstacles. This year of gratitude left out the obstacles and the learning.

Now, instead of a gratitude journal, I recommend recognizing your accomplishments. I love the etymology of words and in this case I have chosen my words intentionally.  

Recognize = Know Again, Re-Learn, Learn Again, Recall to Mind
Accomplishment = To Complete, Something you have completed (to fulfill)

When you put these together you are learning again what you have completed. You are bringing back to mind the learning that lead to success. Studies have shown that we need to be exposed to a concept seven times to integrate it into our knowledge base. Recognizing your accomplishments is one more way to integrate the learning that has lead to your success. Doing so, like repeating drills on a soccer field, will create “muscle” memory for these positive activities.

Here’s an example:

Today,

• I reached out to three CEO’s of successes businesses to ask for an interview.
• I completed my weekly blog writing.
• I held an interview for a business owner for the book I am writing.
• Stayed calm in a frustrating situation.

​Not only do I feel good remembering and reliving the positive energy from these experiences but I see that I have been successful and the belief that I can do it again is created. In addition, I could go one step further to really drive the learning home and ask,

“How did I do it?”

Entrepreneurship and management can be both lonely and fast moving.  It is easy to bypass the “wins” because there is always something more to do.  But this would be a huge disservice to you and to your work. You are missing an opportunity to learn from your previous learning.  Recognizing your accomplishments allows you to see yourself as successful, even if you still have a long list of things to do.

What we focus on we create more of. Instead of focusing on that list of all that is yet to be done, focus on your success and create more of it.
​
Every Friday I make a post of #FridayWins where you can share what you have accomplished. Add what you have accomplished in the comments below and create more success. 

Here are my thoughts on my recently delivered the MasterClass, “9 Principles That Energize Your Business for Sustainable Success.”   

While I was delivering the class, I was simultaneously gaining clarity on the truth of these principles and how to implement them. I’ll share the principles here just so that you have them.
​

1. Vision
2. Mission
3. Core Values & Culture
4. Time & Task Management
5. Systems
6. Strengths
7. Organization
8. Focus
9. Connection​

These 9 could further be subdivided into the following:

WHERE, WHAT, WHO

1. Vision
2. Mission
3. Core Values & Culture

TOOLS:

1. Time & Task Management
2. Systems
3. Organization

HOW:

1. Strengths
2. Focus
3. Connection​

These 9 principles came out of the development of my business and what I have observed, read, and experienced in working with other businesses. In two recent interviews I conducted for my forthcoming book, Creating Momentum, I explained these principles to two different entrepreneurs who confirmed, in their own words, the significance of these 9 principles. The 9 were especially linked to business growth.

The first three are Vision, Mission and Core Values/Culture. These define WHERE you are going, WHAT you are doing and WHO you are. If I am 100% honest, the TOOLS are not going you to success and HOW doesn’t matter. Without the first three, you are dead in the water. 

 Get started on each one by answering the following questions.

Vision - Where do you see yourself going?  Think about this for the next year, five years and your lifetime. Imagine as if it has already happened. Your vision shouldn’t change even if what you deliver and how you deliver it varies over time.

Mission - What do you do? Who do you serve? How do you help? Can you whittle this down to complete this statement? 

We provide [PRODUCT/SERVICE] to [YOUR IDEAL CUSTOMER] so that [LIFE IMPROVEMENT]

Core Values/Culture - Who are you? Who is your company at it’s core? These things should not change based on how you deliver your product/service. Can you name 5-7 characteristics of you or your company that are true no matter what?

If you need more, be sure to catch the replay of the masterclass by joining the FB Group: Create Momentum. I make an offer to go even deeper through the program 90 Days to Success. You can find out more and take advantage of founding member pricing ($47) by joining by September 11, 2018. If you miss that you can still jump in and participate.

Share your WHERE, WHAT, WHY in the comments below!

Today's blog post is brought to you by Wendy Wright, owner of The Wright Fit. Enjoy!

Be really honest here. Do you ever think about how your daily presentation to the world affects you? And do you think your personal appearance matters when it comes to your productivity? I've noticed when people are immersed in a more casual work environment, or when they work from home, they sometimes think their appearance doesn't matter as much. I beg to differ, and here's why.

First impressions matter, as do impressions after the first one! Let's say you're looking fab when you meet a prospective customer on Monday, but then you show up looking like you just fell out of bed for Thursday's follow-up meeting. That, my friends, sends a message of inconsistency, fair or not.

Now let's say you work from home and you typically throw on a ball-cap, yoga pants and oversized T-shirt for your work day. What would you do, or how would you feel, if an unscheduled meeting popped up? Hopefully, you'd scramble to look a bit more presentable, but think of the possibilities if you'd started the day in a great outfit. Let's call this authentic, appropriate and comfortable ensemble one of your personal uniforms. It could be a casual dress with tights, booties and a jean jacket. It could be dark-wash skinnies with a beautiful, chunky sweater and flats. 

In Nettie's case, it was a cute wrap dress and low-heeled nude pumps. I actually ran into her at TJMaxx and took this picture.

I asked her if she had just met with a client or had an important meeting. She said no, it was just what she was wearing that day.

Needless to say, she looked amazing and I was a proud friend/stylist.