Dreams and Plans

This week I learned so much.  I am really enjoying my class.  I didn’t think that I would learn so much in this class.  

I read about Randy Haykin in an article called “The Making of an Entrepreneur”.  It was really interesting to see how he has become successful, and the thought process he went through to get there.  The process he went through reminded me about the book The Start-up of You.  He really did his research and discovered what skills he needed to learn and each step in his career was a conscious decision.  

What really was interesting is that three different times this week I was told or read to “start with the end in mind”.  My son told me that in his leadership class they had a CEO come in from a local company and he told them “You always start with the end in mind.” I am reading another business book and that is what the author said and in the Acton Guide it stated that Stephen Covey says “start with the end in mind.”  There must be something to that statement.

The Acton guide “Stars and Steppingstones” and the talk called “What is Your Calling in Life” by Jeffery Thompson were very inspiring to me.  First the Acton Guide talked about starting to think about what your life will be at seventy, fifty, thirty and dream about it.  Make steppingstones that will help you stay focused on your vision and your values.  I have heard about envisioning where you want to be but I had never heard about the steppingstones.  It makes complete sense to reevaluate and change things as needed so you can still keep focus on the ultimate vision.

The talk given by Bro. Thompson inspired me as well.  It made me so excited to have chosen to be able to help others with their family history.  I want to serve others and this is a way to serve others that is meaningful to me.  I know I have been called to this and it has taken me a long time to realize it.  I am grateful that he talked about how the world is leaving out the spiritual side of having a “calling”. 

The Randy Pauch lecture was also inspiring. I recorded a few of the things he said.  He said “If you lead your life the right way, the dreams will come to you.”  This really goes along with what Brother Thompson talked about.  If we are paying attention to the gift our Heavenly Father has given us and are true to those gifts, then we will be living the kind of life that we desire and we will be happy.  That doesn’t mean things will be easy but we will be happy.

The next thing that Randy Pauch said that stood out to me was, “The brick walls are there for a reason: they let us prove how badly we want something.”  Boy do I believe this.  I think the Lord has set it up this way.  I think he blesses those who endure as well as those who are thankful for it all.  Which leads me to the last thing Randy Pauch stated, “Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted.”  We can’t be afraid to fail.  Failing can be a very good thing because it gives us experience and it helps us to grow.

As I look back at my life and see where I have been and the failures and successes I have had, I am grateful for them.  Each one has brought me the knowledge, understanding and confidence that I would have never had without those experiences!  I am so grateful the Lord has blessed me with this.  Even today, I look around and see how extremely busy I am and I recognize that the Lord is testing me to see if I am willing to really work for the life I want.  He is teaching me management skills that I would not have received if I wasn’t running two business, going to school full-time, raising five children and watching an extra (I watch a 2 year old during the day).  Sometimes I want to lay in my bed all day long and cover my head with a pillow but I don’t.  I still get up and workout in the morning.  I still do my client work.  I still make lunch and teach my daughter that is homeschooled.  I know this time will pass and I will have more time to share with my family but in the next few months I am learning habits and getting over the brick walls I would have never had if the Lord had not placed all these things in my life.  Just as the Lord stated to Joseph Smith in the Doctrine and Covenants while he was in the Liberty Jail “…peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;” I think this will be my new mantra! 

The Start-Up of Me

I am so thankful to be starting this blog!  I love journaling and I am so often reflecting on what I have learned but I end up recording it in five different places.  This will really help me to be able to come back and find what I have learned and what I am yet to learn!

This week I really enjoyed reading Elder Bednar’s talks, especially A Disciple Preparation Center.  It is one I have read before but I was reminded of the responsibility I have as a member of the church and being out in the world creating a business.  I need to be a representative of my Savior and Heavenly Father.  I need not be afraid of where I know my blessings and successes come from! 

I also enjoyed the video from Stanford.  As Guy Kawaski states, you need to follow your passion.  After ten years of trying to find a business I want to do I have finally come back to being a Genealogist and internet marketing.  I love Genealogy and I want to help others. So what would be the best way to help as many people as possible?  Create small reports for them to buy, have a blog that will give these people tons of information for free and offer coaching or guiding them into what they need to do next.  The more I think about this the more I get excited to get going at it!  I want to help people find out where they came from and who they are!  That is my passion!!

Learning to Give

This week I finally figured out that I have to give to be able to be a success in business.  I guess it comes down to Karma.  I like to think of it as Heavenly Father blessing me because I have been grateful for what I have, enough to share it!

So I want to take you through the thought process that got me to this point.  I have been listening to Nicole Dean's podcasts from the blog Nicole on the Net.  She is someone I love to listen to.  She was interviewed by Vera Reposo about Lifestyle by Design.  In other words creating a life you want to live.  One of the things she talked about was that she does things in her business that align with her beliefs.  If it feels right to her she does it.  She follows her gut.

This week I listened to Melissa Ingold's first podcast that she did.  She interviewed Nicole Dean.  They were talking about getting your business "mojo" back after taking time off.  Nicole mentions giving.  She said that if you want to be held accountable find a charity and set up a direct deposit to that charity.  Then you are responsible for making the money you need and $50 more (or amount you give to the charity).  This keeps you accountable.

The same day I heard that podcast I was listening to Kelly McCausey from SoloSmarts.com.  She has a product called Power of a Focused Business.  She mentioned how to not start out in business.  She said she started out in a place of need or lack.

So here is my "aha" moment.  I realized that the people that I like to take advice from are those that give you so much information for free you wouldn't ever need to buy there products, yet I do becuase  I know it is going to be really good.  They also give away free products and not only are they giving in business but elsewhere.  Nicole Dean fosters older children from European countries. There are so many others that do similar things.

I got to thinking about the law of attraction.  I believe that what we focus on will come to us eventually.  These are things that we think about a lot and even pray about.  That day I texted my husband and asked all my kids "If you had a million dollars what would you spend it on, if you couldn't spend it on family or yourself?"  They came up with a lot of answers.  The answers didn't really matter what happened was amazing. Everyone including my four year old started thinking about others and what we could do for them.  It made us happy and excited.

I believe if we have an intention to give and share with others the Lord (some people say the universe) will bless us to have our needs and often times our wants all met!  In this process I realized I have a hard time thinking of ways to give and I need to change that.  I can spend all day thinking of what I want but if I can give even when I am lacking, I believe I will prosper!

So what can I give now when I have so little money and so financially strapped?  I can give my knowledge.  I can share what I know on my blog and help others get further in there genealogy.  I can give more than is expected.  So I am going to blog and blog.  I am going to build the trust of my market so that they will trust that I will over deliver when I do come out with a service or information products.  I will also start to visualize what it would be like to provide a Christmas to multiple families who can't do on there own, or I will imagine what it would be like to find the most run down car at a mechanics shop and pay their bill.  I could also imagine going to a McDonalds buying five or six meals and taking it to the homeless on the street corner.  I can not only imagine those things but also feel how it will feel to make a difference in one persons life!

This gets me excited to be in business. Excited to be able to make a difference.  Excited to just give!