Once you’re on this amazing path to tapping into your passion + serving others + creating a business and lifestyle you love, you simply can’t turn back. Even if you haven’t figured out the nuts and bolts of how to make it all work, you’re already two feet in and stuck in the mud (it’s a good kind of mud, though, the kind that you feel a little uncomfortable in, but ready to squish through.)

One of the biggest mistakes newbie holistic-preneurs make, and even experienced ones, is that you keep blocking yourself from what you say you really want. I see it time and time again. For example, you say you want more clients. But you don’t take the actions needed to generate more clients. Or you keep doing the same things over and over again, hoping they’ll work even when they’re not.

Sometimes fear is holding you back, or old habits or not wanting to get it WRONG. That’s where my friend Kris Ward comes in to really help you design the lifestyle you want and the business of your dreams. Check out what’s she up to right now, click here to learn about her very juicy offer for holistic-preneurs.

Whether it’s fear or just not having a clue about what next step to take, it’s time to get out of your own way.

Today I’m sharing the #1 thing you must do to get out of your own way and get ready to rock!

Drumroll, please…..

Know Thyself.

Yep, knowing yourself is all you have to really do. Once you truly know yourself, everything else comes naturally with a flow that is unmistakable. You’ll know it when you’re in it and you’ll know when you’re not. If you aren’t in this flow right now, it’s showing up in ways like overwhelm, lack of confidence, procrastination and inaction or lots of action that leads nowhere. Sound familiar?

See, I believe that your life is meant to touch others. It’s one of the reasons you’re here and doing the work you’re doing. Nothing happens by accident. Every choice and every decision you’ve made is meant to teach you something that you can also teach others. When you start tapping into that, magic happens.

There’s three steps to “Know Thyself” that you can start digging into now to better understand yourself and how you can serve others through your work.

Step 1 – Birds’ Eye View of Your Life -

Take a step back from and get a new view of your journey. If you weren’t you, how would “you” describe your life journey so far. What stands out from this birds’ eye view of your life? What are the highlights, pitfalls, and shining moments? They all count. Next, how do these moments make you unique and what is there to learn from them. Keep this in mind:

Your unique life experience = your unique gift to share

Once you know thyself, you can tap into that unique gift and bring it out for others to learn from. Start by sharing your story and experiences and what you’ve learned. Whether you teach yoga, are a coach or offer reiki, bringing your unique self to your message is what will draw people to you. It’s what will differentiate you and make you so crystal clear about what you’re supposed to do and how to do it. If you’ve ever struggled with identifying a niche, this will create immediate clarity. So do this now. Then….

Step 2 – Tap into your Flow Zone

Have you noticed that being in business for yourself sometimes makes you feel like you have to do everything…and do it right? But what if you’re not a natural at writing articles or blogging? Or what if getting in front of a video camera is your worst nightmare? You’re not meant to be a “jane” or “jack” of all trades. And when it comes to sharing your message, the best way to do that is by doing what you do best.

Sure, there’s always times to grow and try new things. But why not build upon your strengths? If you’re not sure what your strengths are, consider where you could spend 5 hours without realizing time has gone by and stop and suddenly say “Wow, what just happened! What time is it, anyway?” It’s that feeling of being in a flow, I call it your “flow zone”. In your flow zone, you’re doing what you do best naturally and time escapes you.

When it comes to connecting with your tribe, the people you’re meant to serve, you want to be in your genius and operating from your “flow zone” as often as possible. That’s where you’ll shine and be able to really serve.

Step 3 – Custom Design your Biz

It’s easy to get caught up in what you “should” be doing to have a fabulous business. Group programs, VIP programs, Masterminds, Webinars, Teleseminars, Retreats….. Oh my! But what if you put it all to rest and designed your business with YOU in mind. Once you Know Thyself and tap into your Flow Zone, it becomes really obvious what you’re meant to focus on next. And if you create your business from this foundation, you’re going to be really happy. If you don’t, you might struggle to follow your passion, hit more obstacles and find yourself resenting your business. That’s definitely not why you decided to start your own gig, right? So instead of trying to do it all, do one thing really well – The thing that you do best.

Here’s a great example…..

One of my private coaching clients got crystal clear on her business after completing the above three steps. “Samantha” is a Wellness Coach who was struggling with where to find clients and what her niche was. After taking a Birds’ Eye View of her life, she realized she had some very unique experiences that she wasn’t sharing through her work. In fact, she was hiding them. She had suffered through years of eating disorders and challenges with her body image. She thought that if she shared this with her clients, they wouldn’t understand or wouldn’t be able to relate or may think she wasn’t the perfect wellness coach for them. Samantha was offering Wellness Coaching but not specifically to women with body images/eating disorder concerns. Then, she tapped into her flow zone. Up until now, she had been working with one-on-one clients, but what she really loved what teaching classes and working with groups. Working with individual clients drained her and she preferred facilitating workshop-style groups. Custom Designing her biz became very clear: Offering small group workshops designed for women suffering from body image/eating disorders. Now she could say no to all of the things that didn’t fit into her new business model.

I’m curious to hear what comes up for you when you try out the 3 steps to Know Thyself. Share your comments below about how you’re getting out of your own way and getting your business rockin’!

Health, Love and Success,

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

P.S. In this post I mentioned that my friend and fellow conscious-preneur Kris Ward over at Abundant Yogi has an amazing program I want to make sure you know about. There’s a big sale she’s offering but it’s ending very soon. It’s all about getting out of your own way and creating a lifestyle business you love. So Hurry and check this out.

You can get $300 off the lifestyle design training program that so many yoga teachers, coaches, wellness professionals, and heart-centered entrepreneurs are raving about… Plus, if you act fast, there’s over $3,000 worth of bonuses to be had PER PERSON, including a live yoga + beach retreat this Summer!

Here’s where you can grab your seat in this usually invite-only course and secure your bonuses:

Want to use this article in your ezine, newsletter or website?

You’re welcome to share this article as long as you include the following, complete blurb with it:

Are you a wellness professional, holistic health practitioner, coach or other health-minded, heart-centered entrepreneur who wants to learn the business and marketing tools to create lasting success? Get your FREE Wellness Professional’s Success Starter Kit at http://www.iawp-connect.com and jumpstart your wellness practice today. Suzanne Monroe is a Holistic Business Coach and the Founder & CEO of the International Association of Wellness Professionals, where passionate practices become thriving businesses.

Do you ever feel like you’re doing everything right, but nothing seems to be working out for you? Or maybe you’re moving to the next level, but certain things still seem off or continue to be a constant struggle?

It can be sooo frustrating to give something your all and not get the results you want.

I know how you feel. There was a time in my business when no matter what I did, there seemed to be this invisible force standing in my way. When I finally stopped running from it and decided to look in straight in the eye, things started to shift in a big way.

If this sounds familiar, then it might be time to meet your Business Shadow.

Meet your Business Shadow

Your shadow can show up in many ways. It’s different for everyone. A few common shadow themes you might recognize within yourself are:

*I’m not worthy
*I’m not good enough
*I’ll never be happy/successful/rich/thin/etc. enough
*I’m not confident enough
*I can’t do _____

Even though I’ve done a lot of inner work along my journey, I’ve found that as I continue to grow and evolve, there’s even bigger things to understand about myself. That’s one truth about being in business that I know for sure….the more you grow, the more challenges come you’re way.

The bigger things you want to do, the deeper you’re going to have to go. There’s no other way around, my friend.

But here’s the good thing – If you’re willing to look at it from a conscious place and do the inner work, it’s nothing to fear. It’s actually exciting.

Recently I’ve been getting excited about this work (yep, I’m geeking out on this stuff) and delving into my shadow on an even deeper level with the support of a coach. It’s powerful and I wanted to share with you what I’m learning:

*Each one of us has a shadow side, whether we know it or not.

*Most people tend to run from their shadow and hide this part of themselves

*All parts of you are amazing, the “good”, the “bad” and the “ugly”, they’re all a part of what makes you who you are and loving all parts of you is essential if you want to do greater and greater things in life and serve on a bigger level.

*Acknowledging your shadow can free you from many of the struggles you currently face (and those struggles keep showing up in hopes that you’ll take a closer look at your whole self)

So you might be wondering what your shadow has to do with your business. The answer: Everything. If you’re a heart-centered, conscious entrepreneur, that is. Because your work is a reflection of YOU. That means that whatever you’re experiencing in your work is a mirror for your life lessons.

And the sooner you look in the mirror, the sooner you can understand and work with the pain or fear you’re facing so you can get on with doing all you’re meant to do. (Instead of playing small or hiding out.)

Simple Steps to Stop Running from Your Shadow

What can you do to start bringing some light to your Business Shadow? Start with these four steps:

1. Spend some time getting really quiet and noticing the challenges and struggles you tend to face over and over again in areas of your life.

2. Look for a common thread to any challenges or struggles you’re facing right now. For example, if you’re finding that your team isn’t supporting you with your business in the way you want (or you don’t have any team), are you also not allowing for support in your personal relationships? Or if you’re lacking confidence in sharing your message and marketing your programs, where are you also not speaking up in other areas of your life?

3. Next, make a list of how these core themes are getting in the way of what you desire in each area of your life.

4. Determine if you need to get support to better understand your shadow and how to work with it. Read a book on the Shadow Process (by the amazing, late Debbie Ford) or work with a coach who can support you (email me for suggestions if you’re ready to dive deeper).

If you want to grow in your business, you have to face your shadow and take a look at all the parts of you that are talking to you. And when you do, amazing things will start to happen. Once you recognize your shadow you’ll wonder how you never noticed it was there before. Oh!, and you’re probably wondering if I’m going to reveal my shadow to you! I promise, I’m coming out with it very soon…it’s pretty juicy stuff. It’ll be worth the wait. Until then, share your comments below. Have you met your shadow yet? What’s standing in your way?

Thriving Together,

Want to use this article in your ezine, newsletter or website?

You’re welcome to share this article as long as you include the following, complete blurb with it:

Are you a wellness professional, holistic health practitioner, coach or other health-minded, heart-centered entrepreneur who wants to learn the business and marketing tools to create lasting success? Get your FREE Wellness Professional’s Success Starter Kit at http://www.iawp-connect.com and jumpstart your wellness practice today. Suzanne Monroe is a Holistic Business Coach and the Founder & CEO of the International Association of Wellness Professionals, where passionate practices become thriving businesses.