Tag Archives: Focus

Breaking your addiction to stress

By Amira Alvarez Every day we pre-pave the road to our outcomes, to what we experience.We do that by consciously or unconsciously thinking about how things are going to go.Is it going to be easy and flow smoothly? Or hard and a struggle?And we start telling ourselves a story about how things are…
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Every day we pre-pave the road to our outcomes, to what we experience.

We do that by consciously or unconsciously thinking about how things are going to go.

Is it going to be easy and flow smoothly? Or hard and a struggle?

And we start telling ourselves a story about how things are going to work.

Tons of choices come in, especially when we’re doing something new, important, or under a time constraint.

Take a gander at your thinking the next time you’re about to go to do something…

  • What are you imagining is going to happen before it happens?
  • Are you pre-paving what you want or what you don’t want?
  • Are you using this to prep and adjust (i.e. problem-solve) or are you using this to affirm your worries, doubt, and anxiety?

I suggest you start this inquiry with small things as they’re often less loaded than when you’re doing something new, important, or time urgent.

Those added stressors are not conducive initially as stress narrows your focus, not allowing you to have the necessary open-focus for an enquiry like this.

 Eventually though you’ll use this process for all experiences.

In fact, it’s really important to write the story you want even when something is a stressor – new, important, or under a time constraint. These are the most important times to do so. BUT, if you’re just starting this process, these are the times that will be the most difficult, so let’s get our story-writing chops dialed in first with scenarios that are less challenging.

Want an example of how to do this? 

I thought so. :) Here’s one from my own life.

I’m getting ready to go on a trip this afternoon. Last night I reviewed my calendar and realized that the time I had allocated (in my mind) for writing this newsletter was actually filled with the standing branding meeting from the afternoon that got moved up.

I think: When am I going to write this? It’s due tomorrow.

I go to bed and think: It’s all going to work out. It’s going to come to me easily.

Important: This 👆is the story I’m telling myself.

I’m not telling the story that goes like this: F&#k! What am I going to do? I don’t have time. I should have done this earlier. Etc.

I wake up this morning a half hour before I had planned to… with an idea. 

Yay! I can write about that. Yet as I go about my morning, it’s not feeling “right” or easy… but I don’t sweat it.

I continue my puttering… making tea, letting the dog out, etc. Then I settled down to write. 

Right before I pick up pen and paper to write, I read something with the word “story” in it and all at once the topic for THIS newsletter comes to me. In one fell swoop. EASY. QUICK. SEAMLESS.

Totally in the flow of things, just in the moment I needed it.

Zero stress.

I could have made it stressful. I certainly have many times in the past.

But I’ve trained myself to refuse to write the story of stress.

I pre-pave how I want things to go… easy, in the flow, just working out.

When I do this, I always get… easy, in the flow, with things working out.

It feels like magic, but it’s not.

It’s giving a directive to your subconscious mind to search for this. Our brains are wired for this.

But most people are stuck telling themselves stories of what they don’t want inside. Hello, worry, doubt, and fear.

When you get good at this process of pre-paving the road to your outcomes with the story of what you want, not what you don’t want… life unfolds exquisitely.

Problem is… most people are addicted to the story of stress.

In fact, the story they’re unconsciously telling themselves is that in order to be worthy of that which they desire whether in their personal or professional lives, they have to struggle.

Of course effort is required. But stress? Not necessary.

In fact, the places where you’re stressed and struggling and not getting what you want or not living the way you want are your growth edges.

There’s always a place where this is happening but you may not be aware of it. 

It may be normalized to you as “just what’s required,” but if you’re not experiencing ease and flow WHILE achieving your next goals, then this is where you need to do the work.

I would love to help you with that. (Just email me with a quick note.)

In the meantime, ask yourself: Where am I stressed or struggling? What is the story I’m writing about that? Is that serving me?

Chances are you think in some way that it is – but if you’re not truly getting you what you want in all areas of your personal and professional life, it’s not. Don’t let the short-term “rewards” fool you.

It’s time to rewrite the story.

———

Want to experience more as an Unstoppable Woman?

Be sure to check out the Unstoppable Woman podcast. If you’re ready to step into an exquisite life, schedule a call to discuss how we can help.

From laser-focus to search light and back

By Amira Alvarez If energy flows where attention goes…And the more energy you put towards something the more power there is behind it and thus the faster you will create it…It would make sense then that we’d want to put our attention on what we want to create in our lives.But if you’re…
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If energy flows where attention goes…

And the more energy you put towards something the more power there is behind it and thus the faster you will create it…

It would make sense then that we’d want to put our attention on what we want to create in our lives.

But if you’re anything like me, you have A LOT of things you want to create in your life. You’re always going for more, expanding, and challenging yourself.

It’s a buffet of desires.

So, do you focus on one thing at a time or do you focus on all the things?

Like a laser beam, if you concentrate your focus, your power intensifies.

It would appear then that laser-like focus is the answer. I would hazard that this is what most (all?) of us did to build our companies and careers.

Focus, focus, focus to almost the exclusion of everything else.

We called it our passion. (Which it was.)
We called it discipline. (Which we built.)
We called it a short-term trade off. (Which it may have been.)

And then when we got to “success” and we found that we didn’t know another way.

We had conditioned ourselves to focus predominantly on this one aspect of our life in the name of financial success and mastering the game of business. 

Nothing wrong with that until we ask ourselves, what about the other aspects of our lives? This is where we start searching and asking ourselves…

What happens after “the success”?

What do we focus on now?

And do we even go about it with the same type of laser-like focus?

The answer is yes and no. 

Giving your energy to what you want matters. 

Giving your energy with a high level of intensity matters.

But giving it WHILE GIVING UP on your buffet of other desires does not work.

Your search light beam has already shown you that you have a plethora of desires. 

And at some point, single focus is a game of diminishing returns. It becomes pushing hard and not getting anywhere. The traction (or the fun) is not there like it used to be.

This is the time to broaden your skills and learn new tools.

I’m going to call this the toolkit for an exquisite life. 

Master these and you master the creation of whatever you want.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing more about these tools that allow you (the already successful, driven, ambitious women) to use your focus in a different way… 

A way that allows you to create exactly what you desire so much more easily.

It will feel like magic but it’s not.  ;-)

———

Want to experience more as an Unstoppable Woman?

Be sure to check out the Unstoppable Woman podcast. If you’re ready to grow a life and business you love, schedule a call to discuss how we can help you step into your next level of growth.  

Here’s what I did (and do!) to move past fear

By Amira Alvarez Fear has a sneaky way of stopping you. Sometimes it’s obvious and looks like plain old fear. You know the kind… The pit in your stomach. The sweaty hands. The shaking voice.But sometimes it shows up casually sabotaging your progress in subtle ways.For me that often looked like that voice…
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Fear has a sneaky way of stopping you. Sometimes it’s obvious and looks like plain old fear. You know the kind… The pit in your stomach. The sweaty hands. The shaking voice.

But sometimes it shows up casually sabotaging your progress in subtle ways.

For me that often looked like that voice in my head… 

This is too much to do now.” 
“I don’t have time.”
“I’ll be completely splayed out.
“I just have to do this first.”
“I need to take care of my new client first.”
“I need to onboard my team members first.”

Basically, some version of “I can’t do this” cleverly wrapped up in a reasonable rationale.

Don’t these thoughts seem totally normal? Even reasonable?

But really? They are your subconscious program running the show and keeping you from doing the SCARY thing that you consciously want to do but unconsciously want to avoid. 

Yep, it’s an avoidance technique, plain and simple. And it happens at every level, though it may look slightly different once you get past the 7-figure mark.

It’s productive procrastination. (Side note: Have you listened to the podcast I did on productive procrastination? It’s a fan favorite, so many women nodding their heads to this!)

We’re all super good at it. Myself included.

But in order to get different results, like crossing the 7-figure mark… Or taking your revenue beyond that figure… Or getting your dream house within the year… Or going on a long vacation and leaving your business completely in the hands of your team…

You must move past this pattern that’s running the show and reprogram your subconscious.

Everything you want is on the other side of your automatic programmed responses. You’ve got to do life and do business differently. 

This is exactly what we teach in our Spirit of Wealth Mastermind and Masterclass. We go deep – especially at our in-person retreats. 

Want to be at the next one?

Apply to become part of this community here now.  

No hard sell. We only want the right women in the program. So it’s got to be right for you and you’ve got to be right for us. This is the first step.

When You Can’t Seem To Make It Work

By Amira Alvarez “Arrrrgh, why can’t I make this work?!” This is what I exclaimed to myself in frustration back when I was still in the ‘grind it out’ mode of growing my business. I had grown my income significantly, but how I was working my business wasn’t sustainable. This is an important…
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“Arrrrgh, why can’t I make this work?!”

This is what I exclaimed to myself in frustration back when I was still in the ‘grind it out’ mode of growing my business. I had grown my income significantly, but how I was working my business wasn’t sustainable.

This is an important first step acknowledging when what we’re doing isn’t sustainable.

Have you felt this frustration?

Maybe it’s around the number of hours you have to work (for entrepreneurs this tends to be more than a full-time job)… 

Maybe it’s that you don’t have time for the people and things you love… 

Maybe it’s that you’re grinding it out, but still don’t have the income you desire and you know you can’t just 10x your work hours to get there. What gives!?

Whatever it is, you’re ready to learn some new rules to business and figure out how to make it work… specifically, how to hit six or seven figures in your business, WITHOUT overwhelm or burnout.

The first step?  Focus.

What is ONE THING—one big, important thing—that will move the needle in your business?

Do you know? If not, start by reverse engineering from your goal.

Want to make more money? You need to focus on mastering sales and outreach.

Want to grow without hitting up against those same upper limits or limiting beliefs? You need to focus on your mindset and releasing the ‘double binds’ that keep you stuck.

Want to move a specific project forward? You need a strategic plan.

What’s your one thing? And how will you focus on that one thing going forward?

Amira

 

What Focus IS And Is NOT…

By Amira Alvarez Do ever feel like you have to harden, disconnect, or get rigid and tense in order to “make sh*t happen”? Is this what focus means to you? Is it like cutting off a part of you that wants to play? That’s sensual, open, and expansive? Now focus is essential. No…
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Do ever feel like you have to harden, disconnect, or get rigid and tense in order to “make sh*t happen”?

Is this what focus means to you? Is it like cutting off a part of you that wants to play? That’s sensual, open, and expansive?

Now focus is essential. No way around that if you want to achieve your big goals and dreams.

However, there’s a way to integrate a state of open-hearted delight and enjoyment while you do your work.

Focus is simply staying on task without distraction.

  • You can do this while you enjoy yourself.
  • You can do this while you have a full sense of your body and the environment around you.
  • You can do this ease.

Being able to focus is a skill you need to move the needle in your business… but that doesn’t mean you have to harden or become rigid.

I focus like crazy, yet I’m almost always in joy and delight.

I use my will to make things happen, but I stay soft and as aligned with ease as possible.

I show up as a powerhouse in my work, while I stay connected to the truth of who I am.

I command an amazing team, but I regularly do so from a place of fun and play.

I’m focused, yes. I’m using my will, yes.

But I’m not hardened, rigid, or tense.  It’s not only about a ‘put your head down and just grind it out’.

It’s about behind directed, focused, and goal oriented, without losing the feminine. The fluid, creative, soft energy that makes us who we are as women.

The next time you find yourself avoiding focus because it feels too tense and hard for you, flip the script.

CHOOSE a different thought pattern around what it means to focus. Ask yourself what would make it more playful, easy, and filled with delight? How can you soften and still focus?

Focus is a must to move the needle, but it doesn’t have to be hardened, rigid, or tense. ;-)

Amira

 

Where To Focus Your Marketing Efforts

By Amira Alvarez One of the biggest places entrepreneurs get spun out is getting lost in the details of... what should I focus on?! Should I do videos or write posts? Should I do Facebook lives or pre-record them? Do I need to be on all the social media profiles or just a…
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One of the biggest places entrepreneurs get spun out is getting lost in the details of… what should I focus on?! Should I do videos or write posts? Should I do Facebook lives or pre-record them? Do I need to be on all the social media profiles or just a few?

I get it, there are a lot of places we can put our time and attention that may give us more impact, engagement, and reach… but it doesn’t really matter if you’re wasting your time worrying about where to start rather than just getting started.

Here’s how to simplify it…

  • First, write down the things that you ENJOY doing and that are EASY for you.
  • Second, look at your RESULTS for what you’re already doing (or have done in the past). Really dig in. What do the numbers tell you? What of those things is WORKING? What’s not?
  • Lastly, DO MORE of the things you enjoy, and find easy, that also have a proven track record.

Do you like doing Facebook lives and see engagement and response from them?

Awesome! Make a list of topics and schedule time to do them each week.

Do you enjoy creating instagram graphics with written content?

Great! What needs to happen for you to do them more frequently?

Do you prefer to talk and create audios on topics your audience needs?

Perfect! Start a podcast, but keep it simple so you don’t get hung up on the tech.

It really doesn’t matter what anyone else is doing,  or how many options you have at your literal fingertips.

It matters what’s EASY and ALIGNED for YOU, and… MOST IMPORTANTLY… what WORKS.

Just DECIDE what it is that you’re doing and COMMIT to doing it.

Then be sure to track your numbers so you know what works and what doesn’t.

Amira