SMART. That’s what you are.

Yet here’s the truth… you’re not universally smart. You’re not smart in all situations, in all ways, under all circumstances.

There are times when you have blindspots or weaknesses. Recognizing and embracing this is important

For instance…

Yesterday I was working with a smart entrepreneur…

She had ideas galore. Great ideas. BIG ideas. COMPLICATED ideas. (Idea generation is one kind of smarts most entrepreneurs have and it’s a beautiful thing.)

She brought her ideas to the table.

She also brought 50 gazillion steps worth of complication.

This was where she was not being smart. That was her blind spot–not seeing the complication.

Our discussion brought clarity and simplicity. We pare down and honed in.

The end result?

A seriously brilliant, sell-able, money-making concept that she can make happen much more easily.

Do you know where your blinds spots are? (We all have them.)

Do you know how they’re holding you back and making things more difficult for you? Can you see them? Name them? Do you have a game plan for offsetting this “liability” so to speak?

The “thing” with blind spots is we’re blind to them, so answering these types of questions for ourselves is quite difficult.

One place to start with this is to look at problems that you’re facing right now. Have you faced this problem before? Is this a pattern? Do you hit up against this same thing at every level of growth?

Once you identify that pattern, ask yourself… how could I do it differently?

If your problem is that you’re always DIYing everything… get help.

If your problem is constantly over-efforting… do less.

If your problem is never feeling supported… recognize the support that’s already here.

These are just a handful of examples. If they’ve sparked something for you, don’t discount the messages you get.

Be open to the answers you get and act on them even if you feel that resistance come up.

That’s just your blindspot pattern speaking to you, trying to keep you in your comfort zone.

Choose a different way.

No pain, no gain. It can be a soul-sapping myth that keeps you stuck. Or you can make it work for you. 

Here’s the thing…

There’s struggle. There are times when things are hard.

Sometimes more. Sometimes less.

Not all the time. Not always to the same degree.

But it comes up.

It’s there.

It’s the stuff that fuels anxiety, frustration, and exhaustion.

It’s the stuff that has you banging your head against the wall, and silently thinking “dear gawd, there’s got to be a better way.”

It’s the stuff that has you wanting to throw in the towel or scream.

You’re probably wondering if you can possibly do THIS (your business, your project, your life) in a way that’s easier and doesn’t cause you so much frustration and pain?

The answer is yes. Absolutely.

Let’s start by debunking the cultural myth that says work, if it’s accomplished without pain, is not valuable, not worth anything, not even considered work.

THIS. IS. NOT. TRUE.

This myth also says that work is a grind and that’s just how it is. Accept it.

This world view saps your soul. Don’t buy into it.

Let me be clear…

I’m NOT saying to not put energy into your business–you do!

Or that when you’re up against your mental blocks and that you perserve–you do!

Effort, attention, commitment, acting, making, doing are all required. Absolutely.

You have to do to create and live fully.

But it’s NOT about making yourself miserable along the way.

It’s also NOT about pretending everything is peachy-keen.

If there’s a struggle, there’s a solution. This is the Law.

Don’t ignore it. You don’t have to suffer. Find a solution. (There are always solutions.)

Do this again and again, until fewer and fewer things are struggles.

Here’s where to start…

Over the next few days, weeks, months…

1. Absolutely stop when you feel any struggle and reassess.
2. Look for viable solutions.
3. Choose one AND implement it.
4. Repeat as necessary until that particular issue is solved.

To make this work…

• It takes being honest about what’s not working.
• It takes acting on your solutions.
• It takes asking for help when you need it.
• It takes believing that work can be energizing and fun.
• It takes allowing yourself to grow and your life and business to change.

Start off with one thing today. Notice anything that’s a bit off for you in your business. What could you do to shift this? Just this one thing.

Brainstorm solutions. Pick one. Do it.

To get where you want to go, you’ve got to know what you want.

Simple. Or so it sounds.

Yet sometimes you don’t know. Or you’re vague.

You’re in a place of kind of, sort of, maybe…with an inkling of a desire, an idea, but no real, clear vision.

That’s a start. For sure.

YET, if you stay there, in the vagueness, you’ll get vague results.

You get approximations and compromises.

You certainly won’t get the juicy, yumminess of what you really want.

For that, you need a full-on vision.

But for today? If you’re in that kind of vague place? Simply name the inklings.

Name the wants that are in the background of your consciousness.

These can be basic wants or grandiose ones, of a personal nature or work related, for your Self or for humanity.

You’ll know them because they feel as if they’ve been following you around, begging for your attention.

Naming them could mean… 

You just think, “Yes, I kind of, sort of, want {fill-in the blank}.” That’s a good first step.

Or naming them could mean… You write it down, seal it with a kiss, and tuck the piece of paper in a draw. A lovely option for sure.

Or you could amp up the speed of your clarity by… declaring it out loud. In conversation, to people, who hear it and take it in.

Feel free to do that in the Facebook group I run for women in business. It’s a bold step of declaration.

This last option has POWER. The power of putting it out there for the world to witness, of stepping out of your comfort zone, of owning your wants in a bigger way.