Recalibrating Success™ – Summer and much more
Welcome to Odds n’ Ends, a monthly newsletter by me, Michelle Spalding, focusing on business, empowerment, and occasionally something to make you laugh. I’m glad you’re here.
It’s only May and here in Central Texas, it’s hot as Hades. We’re in an 11-day stretch of temps in the mid to upper 90s. Heck, it’s not even summer officially! Daily we’re paying homage and saying our thanks to the inventor of the air conditioner and the people generations ago who planted the huge pecan trees that help shade our house.
As the temps rise, it means we’ve got to do outdoor activities pretty early in the day or late in the evening. The weather is one of those things in life, like many, that I have zero control over.
Like in business, there are many things beyond our control. We have two choices, we can fuss about it, insisting that it must be a certain way, or we can adjust and roll with it. When I was in real estate and the market shifted back in 2008, my company also had to. It was hard, but the more my team and I looked for reasons to stick it out, the more successes we had.
While things may not be ideal in our businesses or lives, there can still be so much to appreciate if we just take the time to look for it.
If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you know I have a passion for helping others create businesses that align with the life they want to live, so one of the first exercises I often have clients do is help them get clear about what they want for their life and business. I’m not talking about margaritas on the beach all day long or Netflix and bonbons, but realistically, what is important to you.
Several years ago, I was working with a client, and she shared with me that she’d started her business to be home when her little ones got off the school bus. Those boys meant the world to her, and it was vital to her to show them that mothers could have successful businesses and be there for their children.
As we continued through the exercise, I asked her to tell me more about what she envisioned as success in five years. Excited, she shared that “my business will be out of my home, I’ll have a large office, a team of people on-site, and we’ll generate X in sales…”
I let her go for a while and then asked her, “what about the little ones and showing them how working mothers can have a successful business and be there when they get off the bus”? Through tears, she said, “I can’t believe I almost went after a dream that wasn’t mine, just because that was what I thought success looked like.”
Her story has stuck with me, and recently, I checked in with her – she told me the boys are now in middle school and she’s still happily working from home. Her business has grown, she’s now employing several other mamas who work from home, and she has no plans to move into an office space. This is what I call Soul Crafted Success®.
If you’d like to dive deeper into clarifying your version of success, download my Recalibrating Success™ worksheet and audio.
We’re reading Badass Habits by Jen Sincero in the Sparks of Wisdom book club. More details and how to sign up are here.
Just a few openings left for summer enrollment in my coaching programs. If you’re interested, please visit my site for more information.
Need a speaker for your event, workshop, or podcast? Check out my speaker page to view topics for your audience, and let’s talk about creating something magical together exclusively for your group.
Are you letting in what you want?
It’s funny how many people I’ve met who say they want to start a business or work at home, citing freedom and flexibility as their number one priority – only never to give themselves permission to do things outside of work during certain hours.
Over the last few weeks, this one has been coming up – either from clients or colleagues – heck, even myself, and I get it – we’re conditioned to believe that work has to fit into a box of a certain number of hours a day over the course of a certain number of days a week. But what if that isn’t true? What if the way we think about our work is actually causing us to resist the freedom and flexibility we want?
What if taking a break and doing something that isn’t work-related actually improves your productivity and creativity? I’m not talking about breaks to do laundry, but real breaks to go outside and soak in the sunshine and fresh air (without your phone). You are having lunch with a friend, spending time on a hobby, or even taking a little nap. Doing whatever you envisioned when you set out on this path.
How do you get back to that? Start thinking back to what you wanted for freedom and flexibility, and reconnect with it — asking yourself if what you’re doing daily brings you closer to that? If not, where can you make adjustments to put you on that path? This kind of reflecting isn’t about beating yourself up – it’s just about adjusting or recalibrating and moving forward.
National Rescue Dog Day – May 20, 2022
The Best Teas For Stress Relief – Lemon Balm and Oat Straw are my favorites!
Artist-made greeting cards custom created and mailed for you
Simple tool to transcribe audio or video – with easy editing capabilities ~ YES!
Badass Habits and Making Them Stick with Jen Sincero – an interview on CreativeLive
While going outside is my preferred – this site lets you escape into nature from your desk
“Oh, My Gosh – I’ve never gotten so much done in such a short period of time,” declared one of my clients who recently used my favorite app to help her focus.
Reforesting and restoration – that’s just a fraction of what TreeSisters is all about and why monthly we donate a portion of our profits to this organization
Thanks for spending another month with me digitally here – it’s an honor.
Remember, you can always change lanes. If things aren’t what you want, or you’ve started something that no longer fulfills you, don’t be afraid to try something different.
Cheers,
Michelle Spalding
Business Alchemist | Mentor | Author