I just launched my refreshed newsletter, Sane & Satisfied! The idea behind this newsletter has been percolating in the back of my head ever since I started my first business, Buttons & Rainbows. Before I launched I did what any responsible entrepreneur would do and read gobs of books on starting a business. I read everything that came within 5 feet and was about starting, organizing and running a business. I'm sure you went through this same information overload when you started your business.

I did everything "they" told me to do. I got a business license, I designed a website, I set up a checking account at my bank and I wrote a mission statement. I'm sure I learned a lot and I'm sure it was all great advice and I know that as a small business owner I need to know all of those things. But what those mounds of books don't tell you about are, in my opinion, some of the most important issues that entrepreneurs face every day.

No one told me how to get through realizing that the business I spent almost 2 years setting up isn't what I really want to do. They didn't tell me that in realizing this it would cause me to cry for an hour and not step foot in my office for almost a month. I didn't read anywhere about how to manage and organize all my ideas or about what my soul wants. And there certainly wasn't any advice on how to feel successful today instead of having to wait until my business is making thousands of dollars.

Well, I aim to fill in those gaps for you. I have had many ideas over the years that have helped me to not only get through the realization that I was on the wrong business path but to help me find the right one. I believe that you have all the resources inside you right now to be successful and build the business and life of your dreams.

I hope Sane & Satisfied helps you rediscover your own ideas and gain clarity around your unique business path. I would be thrilled if you joined me each month for ideas, advice, exercises and inspiration to help you stay clear on your vision and help you grow your business authentically and intuitively.

If you aren't on my mailing list please sign up at Sara Ortiz Workshops.com. You can also view this month's newsletter by clicking on the link under "View Past Editions".

30 Connection Challenge Wrap-Up & Launch of Re-freshed Newsletter

Connection Challenge Wrap-up

I learned so much during my 30 Day Connection Challenge so I thought I would recap for you in case you missed any of the wonderful tidbits.

The very first connection I made was with Ada from Ada's Decorating Solutions. Ada reminded me that down-times don't have to be a bad thing. Instead of whining or complaining or beating yourself up when you don't have a whole lot of clients or customers coming in try using that time to reconnect with yourself or your family. Down-times are also great for doing something just for you.

Carrie from Get Your Bliss and I talked about how comparing and judging ourselves against other women puts a blocker on any success we might achieve.

Britt Bravo had a bunch of nuggets of wisdom. My favorite was "As women, we have a hard time valuing ourselves and our time. You are worth every penny and should not feel bad for putting a price on your services."

Kristi from Seattle Virtual Bookkeeper gave me lots of practical advice in between hilarious comments and questions from her son. The one that has stuck with me the most is "Your business will grow and you will get clients when you learn not to push things. As soon as you start pushing you will push the wrong buttons." That has been the best piece of business advice I have ever received.

I had so much fun on my 30 Day Connection Challenge that I plan on doing it again in a couple months. I'm also organizing all the things I've learned into a 30 Day Connection Challenge Workbook & Guide. So stay tuned for that.

And now on to the semi-unveiling of my brand new, re-freshed newsletter! Tada!

Sane & Satisfied

Sane & Satisfied will give resources, exercises and advice on how to balance your life as an entrepreneur so you stay Sane and also teaches you how to think of your life in terms of "How can I feel satisfied and happy today" instead of at some indeterminate time in the future. We all have our long term goals. But we don't to wait 5 or 10 years to feel the joy of the success. We can feel it right now. And every month I'll show you how.

I'm also going to feature a Woman Entrepreneur each month. She will share her personal story and give advice on being an entrepreneur. If you are a Woman Entrepreneur and would like to be featured in Sane & Satisfied please email me at sara@saraortizworkshops.com and tell me a little about yourself. I'll email you a short questionnaire and that's it! Easy as pie. It's a great promotional opportunity too!

Sign up for Sane & Satisfied Newsletter at Sara Ortiz Workshops. If you already signed up for my previous newsletter you don't have to sign up again. I'll send out the May issue of Sane & Satisfied the first week of June.

Ok, gotta go now. So much to do!

Playing Pretend

Today's Motto: My life is perfect right now. Not at some indeterminate time in the future.

Have you ever noticed how children don't wait to make their dreams come true? If they are dreaming of a living in a castle they don't work on a plan to buy a castle by the time they are 60, working long hours and sacrificing family time and personal health in the process. They bring out an old refrigerator box, some blankets, some cushions and dress up in Mom and Dad's clothes. Tada, A castle!

Why can't adults dream like this? Are we so bogged down by responsibilities, money and time that we just can't see the opportunities in front of us? Are we that jaded?

I've been thinking a lot about how I can start living my dreams today instead of sacrificing my present for the hope of seeing my dreams in the future. This focus has brought me to the concept of Playing Pretend.

Someone once said, "You gotta fake it to make it." That's exactly what living in the present means. You act like you've already accomplished your goals and dreams right now, you fake it long enough and you will eventually succeed. But the journey will be enjoyable instead of an up-hill battle.

I've started applying the concept of Playing Pretend in my life. I really want a patio in our backyard with a new grill and Dolce Daybed. But we don't have the money right now to make this dream come true. So I asked myself: Why do I want a patio with a Dolce Daybed in the first place? I realized that what I really want is a nice, comfortable place outside to relax and read. Well! I have the resources to make that happen today!

I can just put a blanket and some pillows on the ground or bring out or camping chairs. I even got an idea to make a small square platform out of scrap wood from projects my husband has been working on and lay it on the ground to act as a patio.

When you stop fixating on all the stuff and time it will take to get to your dream you begin to see all the possibilities for realizing your dreams today.

Be A Kid, Play Pretend

• First, you must believe that you have all the resources necessary right now to live your dreams today. You need to really believe it. Say it out loud to yourself right now, "I have everything I need to live my dreams today!"


• Write down all your dreams, no matter how outrageous. The more you think your dream is impossible the better it is. Then choose one dream to work with. If one jumps out at you or gives you a flutter in your chest go with that one first.


• Describe the essence of the dream you chose. Why do you want to achieve this dream? How do you hop[e to feel after achieving your dream?


• Now, brainstorm ideas about how you can acheive the essence of that dream today. It probably won't be exactly like your dream but that's ok. The point is to let go of the mechanics of getting to your goal and to just live your goal and feel the success of your goal today.

You can still work for your ultimate goal. I'm not saying you should forgo a greater acheivement in the future for smaller acheivements and immediate satisfaction now. What I'm saying is that you shouldn't have to choose.

By Playing Pretend you can have your cake and eat it too!

The Joy of Post-It Note Planning

I am an experimental type of person. When I plan something the details rarely stay put and I end up wasting many pieces of paper and bits of sanity trying to catch my thoughts, organize then in a clear manner and proceed with executing said plan.

I have always thought this character trait was a flaw. I would look at other people who seem to have it all together. Their brains work in a linear fashion. They don't have any ideas until the precise moment those ideas can be put to immediate use. My thoughts just stream out of my head whether they are needed at this point of time or not. So in an attempt to reign my wandering mind I confined it to a strict brainstorm-plan-outline-rough-rework-final system for any project I undertook. If you have ever tried to confine 100 little chicks in one small cage with no door while their mom and dad are pecking at your feet then you might have a good idea on how well this plan worked for me. In the end I was more stressed and frazzled then ever.

Jennifer Lee from Artizen Coaching and Right Brain Business Plan wrote two great articles on "How I Keep My Writing Groove On". She just finished writing her first book The Right Brain Business Plan
and during the 3 months she wrote the book she compiled some great tips, tricks and treats on how to stay focused and sustain your energy and motivation while writing a book. Her tips and tools are focused on writing but they can easily be applied to any project you might undertake.

One of my favorite tools she talks about is using Post-it Notes to help her plan her writing schedule and deadlines and also plan the flow of the book. After reading this I developed a new-found love for Post-It Notes. I had stayed away from them for a long time because I thought they just encouraged my misbehaving ideas to misbehave more. What I've found, however, is that Post-It Notes allow me to experiment and play with my ideas until I find a "right" fit. I no longer have to be intimidated by the feeling that if I write something on a sheet of paper then it's concrete. If I don't like an idea or I don't like where the idea falls linearly then I just pick up the note and move it or throw it away.

Last night I used the Post-It Note method to plan a speech I'm giving at a Toastmasters meeting next week. (The picture of that plan is at the top of this post.) Usually I stress and struggle when writing an outline but the Post-It Notes created a calm, experimental environment where a mind-changer such as my self can thrive. It was the smoothest planning session I ever had.

Using Post-It Notes to create your Ideal Day

For the last week, I've been very focused on what my Ideal Day looks like. I've used this vision of how I want to ultimately spend my time each day to help me determine if a decision will hinder my Ideal Day. I've written down my Ideal Day a few times on notebook paper but then a couple days later I feel the need to change it again because my feelings changed. My Ideal Day would generally include things like yoga, taking a 2 hour lunch, coaching session in the morning etc. But my feelings would change on when I wanted those activities to occur.

By using Post-It Notes I can lay out my Ideal Day while having the ability to change, add to or take away any activity.


Using this method of planning has become a sanity-saver in the very short time I've been using it. As an entrepreneur I have so many projects and so many ideas that it's hard to sift through them all, organize them and the act on them to complete the project. Writing a plan on paper gave me cold sweats because I would always think, "What if this is wrong?" or "What if I work on this project according to this plan and it turns out I should have done it differently?". Post-It Notes were made to remove. They are made to stick long enough until you are ready to move on (or change your mind).

I'm writing an article that I'll post next week about using Post-it Notes to create an Authentic Compass.

You can also read Jenn Lee's articles I mentioned here and here.

30 Day Connection Challenge: Day 14 - Kristi Bennitt

I had a wonderful chat yesterday with Kristi Bennitt. It seems like we laughed most of the time at the contributions of her 4 year old son but we did get a lot accomplished.

Kristi started a Virtual Assistant business in Washington State, called Seattle Virtual Bookkeeper, after realizing she didn't want to work in the "real world" anymore. She also needed to figure out how to make money while staying at home and taking care of her new-born son. She feel in love with being a Virtual Bookkeeper when she realized she got to choose what projects she worked on instead of just having them handed to her.

Having worked in the "real world" for 15 years, Kristi brings a different perspective to owning a business. She talked about the shift of women working in a corporate office to starting their own business. Kristi decided quickly that she wanted to be a part of that shift instead of just watching it happen.

She has become a part of that shift but stresses that owning your own busines isn't easy. When you work for a company you have your specific responsibilities and you aren't bothered by the rest of the activities that take place to keep the business going. Kristi describes this as "wearing rose-colored glasses". You have a regular paycheck, you do your work, you leave at 5, you go home and then you repeat. But when you own a business those rose-colored glasses get knocked off your face.

"Owning your own business is great", Kristi says. "But you are also forced to look at the depressing parts too."

What I learned from Kristi

Even though Kristi paints a somewhat bleak but honest picture of what it means to own a business, she has many practical bits of advice to help women succeed.

• Love what you're doing. If you don't love it you will struggle each and every day.
• You need to educate yourself before you leave your full-time job. Understand what you are getting yourself into.
• You will probably not make a million dollars overnight. Don't listen to people who try and charge for showing you how to make a million. The only person who will make a million in this scenario is the person taking your money.
• If you have children you work will come second, especially if you work from home.
• You must sustain your business yourself. You can't launch a website and sit back expecting customers to break down your door. Your business needs constant supervision (like a child) in order to grow and become successful.
• You will find the most joy and success if you go after your passions instead of an idea or your business.
• Owning your business is all you. You are the one who must make things happen. But it's also about choice. Every day you have the choice on where to focus your energy or what products or services to offer (or get rid of). You also have the choice to just take a break.

What struck a cord...

Kristi said something that struck a cord with me. She said, "Your business will grow and you will get clients when you learn not to push things. As soon as you start pushing you will push the wrong buttons." This really hit home for me because I tend to over-analyze my actions and plan way too much. I have definitely pushed many wrong buttons. And my energy and business and joy have suffered for it. It's very difficult to trust yourself and your path. Which is the reason why I tend to push so much. It feels like if I'm pushing then I'm doing something. If I just sit back and stay in the moment or follow my intuition I get anxious and feel I'm not moving forward. Isn't it funny how it works in the opposite?

It seems like in order to find the happy place for you and your business you must find that middle ground between pushing and sitting back. It's almost like playing and letting go. It's almost like playing a Labyrinth game. In order to maneuver the ball around the pits to get to the end you must turn the dials just enough to get the ball started but know when to let momentum take over.

Thank you, Kristi, for chatting with me and imparting your wisdom and laughs.

Kristi's Links:
Seattle Virtual Bookkeeper
Facebook

Motivation Monday: You are not alone

Don't let Monday get you down. Join me every Monday, right here, where you'll find a picture, quote, insight, or mini exercise to remind you why the heck you started your business in the first place.


Today's Motivation: You are not alone

I read somewhere when I was first starting my business that most businesses don't last because the owner feels she is alone. I would think this is especially true for women business owners. The main reason we go into business is to make a difference, or help someone, or to have the ability to do what we want and to make choices with how we spend our time. I think we also start our own businesses because of the connections we forge with our clients, customers and other women entrepreneurs.

If you spend most of your time cooped up in your office you are missing out on the chance to meet someone who could boost your business to the next level or introduce you to someone who could answer your question about Search Engine Optimization or that new start up company owner who needs the printer that you are getting rid of. Connections like these are made every day. But most importantly you will make connections with women who are in the same boat as you or who were in the same boat you are in now.

When we feel alone our work, life and passions suffer. As women, we need to share our passions and our work. We aren't content to just let them sit in the corner or on a blog or website no one visits.

One of the biggest hurdles for me to overcome when trying to connect with women is the high school mindset that other women aren't going to like me. I didn't have very good friendships with girls in school so whenever I think of introducing myself or asking a woman out for coffee I think back to the cattiness and drama of high school. It also doesn't help that most of the women I know have children who take up a lot of their free time.

It's hard, as an adult, to make new friends. We are so immersed in our own lives that it's hard to branch out. But as they always say: Start with what you know. When looking to connect with other women look in every area of your current life and ask yourself these questions:

1. What are your hobbies or interests?
2. What would you like to get out and do? Invite someone along.
3. Are you trying to organize your thoughts about a product or service? Ask a woman if you can bounce ideas off of her.
4. If a woman has kids can you think of a place to hang out where the kids can be occupied enough for you to have a nice chat?
5. Are you reading a book that another woman might find interesting? Tell her about it (in-person or over the phone if possible.)

As little girls we were into every activity or sport that our parents could get us in. That's why we made so many friends back then. But when you narrow your activities or don't participate fully in the organizations you are a part of then your opportunities for friendship dwindle.

Your motivation challenge

Answer at least one of the above questions and use the answer to connect with a woman today. I don't want to hear any excuses! You are an interesting, wonderful woman and should not have to feel alone any longer. Make a connection, make a friend and possibly even find a new customer.

Funkland

A friend told me that it was a full moon a couple nights ago. Well, maybe that explains why I've been in such a Funk lately. That and the fact that it's that time of the month. Man, women have so much to deal with! No wonder it's so hard for us to loose weight, build a business and generally take care of ourselves. We go through excruciating pain every month, can't fit into our jeans, have to carry around another being in our bellies for 9 months, deal with mood swings and stress and all the while men get a runny nose and act as if they are dying. But, that's OK. Women are superior cause Mythbusters prooved that women have a higher threshold for pain.

But, I digress.

Like I said, I've been in a Funk for about a week. I've had my share of Funks but they've never lasted this long. This extended Funk has given me the opportunity to really revel in the feeling of The Funk. My emotions have run the gamut from anger, self-pity, denial and most recently the general feeling of giving up.

The other night I felt so bad that I was convinced I would never feel happy again. I woke up yesterday morning feeling numb and thinking about how I'll have to resign myself to working at Walmart the rest of my life.

Then I noticed something start to happen. I started trying to talk myself out of my Funk. For the past few days I tore myself down but gradually I became my own cheerleader. And it got me thinking, Why do these Funks happen in the first place? If it's pleasurable to succeed why would my brain say bad things about me and try to make me feel bad?

Then it hit me: The process of the The Funk is a lot like the cycle of a Pheonix. I might get torn down but every time I pull myself back out I become stronger and more resilient.

What causes your Funks?

I also realized, during this Funk, that it's very helpful to understand what puts you in a Funk. For me, my Funks are triggered by self-doubt or lack of trust in my path. Which then triggers a frenzy of organizing and planning and crawling up into my head where I brood and brood. This brooding does nothing to bring me closer to my dreams so that leads to feeling like a failure.

It really is a vicious cycle!

Since self-doubt and lack of action are a one-way trip to Funkland I have started to think in terms of action-oriented steps and to act without analyzing the action. I've recently refocused my business plan adn had a task on my to-do list to "Rewrite my business plan". But after all these breakthroughs I've decided to throw my business plan away all together.

I know, GASP!!!

But a business plan is just that: Planning. And I don't need any more planning in my business or in my life for that matter. I need action!

So what action can I take that will keep me on track but is in no way planning?

How to stay out of Funkland

Un-funking yourself is not easily done but I've attempted to piece together these random thoughts into a tool or guide to help you learn from and deal with your own personal brand of Funk. The reasons you get into a Funk are probably different from my reasons but I think generally self-doubt and confusion are most prevalent. Whatever actions, behaviors or feelings trigger your Funk it's important to acknowledge The Funk for what it is, take action to turn The Funk around, and get back on your path.

1. Say "I've in Funkland. Now what? You know the minute you feel The Funk creeping in. As soon as you realize this feeling coming acknowledge it but don't judge. Remind yourself that everyone travels through Funkland and it's ok. You aren't staying!

2. Be in the moment. This step is really important to figure out what triggers your Funk. Try to identify certain feelings as they happen. It might help to do a mundane task like taking a walk, playing Solitaire or doing the dishes. These activities keep your logic brain parts busy so they dot' get in the way of your subconscious as its figuring out what's going on.

3. Make a decisive action. After you figure out what triggers your Funk and what's going on during a Funk you can make a decision to change your thoughts and behavior to minimize the frequency of these negative feelings. Take that action right now if you can. If you cant' take action now then schedule a time to times to take action. Your action can also be a reminder in which case you can write your reminder down and keep it where you can see it all the time.

Thank your Funk

When you're in Funkland it's hard to imagine ever getting out. It's also hard to not feel like crap and loath the situation. But honestly The Funk is your friend. Through this recent trip into Funkland I've realized that my brain was trying to tell me something. It had been trying to tell me something for a long time. I was just not listening.

So to get my attention it made me feel like crap, told me to stay put and took my dreams away from me. Harsh, I know. But what the brain is talking you better listen.

What my Funk helped me realize is that I need to just trust myself and the path I have chosen. I need to stop planning all the time. It's shriveling me up. Instead of rewriting my business plan (for the 5th time) I have decided to use this blog as my business plan. It kills two Funks with one stone. I'm able to organize my thoughts and I'm able to connect with you and hopefully help you with your business venture which keeps me in action and out of my head.

Start thinking about Funks as Pauses. Not only does it sound better but a Pause connotes breathing or rest. Our brain is a magical organ. It knows when something isn't right and immediately begins to fix it with or without our permission. Maybe your Funk is trying to tell you that what you are currently doing is boring and you need a challenge. Maybe your Funk is trying to force you to face your fears or tell you you are going down the wrong path. Don't fight it. Ride to Funkland and I guarantee you will find bliss once again.