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Live Your Ideal Life Now – and Stop Being a Servant to Your Business!

February 2009

I know there was a time in my life that I could relate to that sentiment. I was a certified slave to my businesses.
The hamster-wheel hours, the skyhigh stress levels, the “secretarial spread” across the chair – the whole, unsatisfying, self-employed enchilada. And I was bummed. Yes, I reached a level of success but then came the day when I asked
myself, what the heck am I working so hard for if this is the payoff?

It’s a sad fact , but most self-employed women get into this situation sooner or later .

According to the Center for Women’s Business Research, the main reason women start a business is to gain more freedom and independence in their lives. And the biggest complaint I hear from self-employed women is they don’t have enough freedom from their businesses. Why is that? How did we get here?

If you ask any ambitious woman about her career goals, she’ll have an answer for you. But if you ask this same, intelligent, focused woman about how she wants her life to look, she’d probably be short on details. Um…more money? More time? Thinner thighs? I don’t know. Most women just aren’t clear on the details of their ideal life. They’re too focused on business to think about it.

We create what we focus on and if you don’t take time to focus on creating a great lifestyle for yourself, it’ll never happen.

It doesn’t matter how much money you make, or how many opportunities you discover, it’s just not satisfying unless you have a well-rounded life to support it.

The great thing about being self-employed is that we are the CEO of our life – we get to call the shots! As the CEO, what
would happen if you decided that your personal priorities were number one on your strategic plan?

Savvy Steps: Hitch up your pantyhose and get moving!

1. What does “ideal ” mean to you? The first step in moving toward your ideal lifestyle is to get clear on what it looks like. So take some time to sit with a journal and start listing ideas. What would make your life even richer and more fulfilling? How many hours would you like to be working? Do you want to take Fridays off? How would you spend your time off? How often would you like to take a vacation?

2. Write up a detailed description of your ideal lifesyle . What kind of life do you most want to live? Write
as if it’s already a reality:

“I am thrilled to be taking time each day to work out. It feels exhilarating to take such good care of my body, and I feel completely energized and vibrant. I am also excited to be taking Fridays off to connect with my kids. I feel so fulfilled by “date nights” with my husband, and I love our stronger connection.”

Write a detailed description that feels inspiring and post it where you can easily see it every day. Remember, what you
focus on, you create!

3. Start living your ideal life now. This step is probably the toughest one, but also the most important. In your schedule, block in your personal priorities first. Choose two or three simple things you can do immediately to come closer to your vision. Maybe you don’t have time to get to the gym five times a week, but what about twice? You may not be able to fly off to Europe for a month, but you might be able to devote one afternoon each week to your family. Be realistic, but take steps that count. Even small steps create momentum, and you’ll feel empowered to keep moving.

4. Get support ! This is the final step in creating an ideal lifestyle. (We will be talking more about support in a future
article.) Old habits can be hard to break, so ask your spouse, family and friends to keep you on track, or invest in a more formal type of support by working with a coach, a mastermind group, or a mentor.

Your ideal lifestyle is only four steps away – decide today that your business will serve your life rather then being a servant to your business.

Master Certified Coach Teresia LaRocque is a professional speaker and a pioneer in the profession of personal and business coaching. Teresia is committed to helping self-employed professional women build successful businesses and live a life that they love!
To be a part of our complimentary community visit www.teresia.com or email your comments and questions to info@teresia.com.

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