New Year for a New You | Day 4 - Marketing Creativity : Marketing Creativity

Happy 2014!

It’s January 1, and I’m thrilled you’re here! Welcome back to day 4 of this 7-day series of review, reflection and resolutions. If you’re just joining me, it’s easy to catch up! Simply gather the prompts from days 1, 2 and 3, and go at your own pace.

I’ll be working through yesterday’s prompts, and then I’ll offer you something to work on today.

The Big Asks

:: What are some things I could be doing that I’ve been afraid to do? How can I stretch my comfort zone?

I could be producing more, and I’m simply not. I’m such a sucker for procrastination! I’ve been preaching that we all move on to the next project as soon as the first is finished, but unfortunately, I didn’t execute that system in December.

I let myself get burned out instead. It wasn’t the worst burn-out I’ve ever had, but I’m trying to eliminate aimless work hours. I call it “tinkering” – it’s productive, but not efficient time spent.

The major benefit of building this career for myself is that I can and do work around my family’s schedule. My typical working months are January through May and then September through December (up until the holiday break).

I took six months off for a big move in 2013. The months I did work this year needed to count, and for the most part, they did. I started off strong, but I could have finished with a bang … and I didn’t. And that’s okay, but I need to stretch my comfort zone and push through procrastination and burn-out once and for all.

It’s 2014 today! I have a new plan for the year, and this will be important as I set my goals and schedule for the coming months. This may seem paradoxical to the issue, but I’m going to reduce my working hours.

I’m super excited about this idea and dying to share. I have a potential seven working hours every weekday (while my children are at school and the house is quiet). That’s thirty-five hours a week to myself. Up until now, I’ve tried to fill those hours with laser-focused production and an occasional day off here and there. That’s produced epic failure, major burn-out and unhappiness.

I’ve been thinking about it lately: I don’t know anybody who works a laser-focused eight-hour day without losing their marbles. And when I say laser-focused, that’s what I mean: set the timer, the only task in front of you is the task at hand. No phone calls, no chit chat, no email-checks, no Facebook status updates … just work that allows you to cross important things off your professional to-do list.

Most people go to work and take plenty of breaks, interact with their co-workers, and get up for a stretch and a stroll.

Meanwhile, I’m locked up alone in my house with the work that needs to be done. I don’t even allow myself to stop and use the bathroom while I’m on the clock! It can wait until the timer goes off (I do 50 minute work sessions with 10 minute breaks in between). That uber-strict regimen isn’t working; it results in two weeks of production, four weeks of burn-out.

Therefore, I’m only going to work four hours per week, Monday through Friday, with two personal days and one family day scheduled each month. Additionally, I’ll be taking off June, July, most of August and most of December.

Of course there will be tinkering outside of work hours. That’s why I read business books on Christmas day. As I said before, I love this shit. But, the hard stuff, the stuff that I don’t want to do because it’s not fun and easy, that gets done every weekday during my four-hour, laser-focused work session.

I’m excited to share my results.

:: What would you do next year if you knew you could not fail?

I would travel the USA to do book-signings and one-day workshops.

:: What do you want from 2014? Consider your answer in all of the five pillars, as taught in Harmonic Wealth: The Secret of Attracting the Life You Want: financial, spiritual, mental, relational and physical.

Financial: At the very least, I want to double what I brought in for 2013. I have a number, but I’m keeping private this year. Spiritual: I want to be a clear channel for new insight and possibilities. I want to settle back into myself after a year of transition, change and adjustment. Mental: I want to declutter my mind of the unfinished business I’ve been carrying around for a few years now. I want to learn both new jewelry and new marketing techniques. Relational: I want to date my husband regularly. I love date days with him. I want to help my children explore some of their interests so that I can cheer them on from the sidelines. Outside of my family, I will remove any and all interactions that weigh me down with sadness, guilt, worry or fear. Physical: I want to eat cleaner, exercise more and radiate good health in 2014.

:: What major goals do you want to accomplish?

I have a series of four new projects in the works for this blog. I want to add a new line of jewelry to the Energy Shop. I would also like to run a few new group coaching sessions.

:: How will you reward your small wins toward those goals? How will you celebrate their total achievement?

I’ve been promising myself spa days for a year! I have to start making it happen in 2014. I’m also going to keep a supply of fiction books at the ready for the many evenings when the Housewives aren’t on, and I’d like to do more shopping.

Last of the Question Sessions

This is the last time I’ll be prompting our reviews with a list of questions. The last of the exercises will be more definitive with next action steps for the New Year. Here are a few prompts to run with today:

What word or phrase represents what you would like to build upon in 2014?
What are your intentions for the New Year? What do you intend to do, honor, and be?
How will you begin and follow through on those intentions?
What are you going to stop doing?
How will you begin to stop doing it once and for all?