I've been reading the lastest issue of What is Enlightenment which is my new favorite magazine. The theme is "bright green" environmentalism which is about going beyond the guilt-Luddite dynamic that says we should all feel bad for breathing precious oxygen and go back to living in caves. That kind of environmentalism just … [Read more...]
Grow Consciously So Your Business Doesn’t Eat You Alive
We all know people who created a business which turned into a monster and ate all their time and energy. This is lame and it doesn't have to happen to you. As you become successful, you enter a potentially dangerous time. In our culture, it is easy to get caught up in the myth of More is Better. More work, more money, … [Read more...]
How to Drop Struggle and Embrace Abundance
Sometimes working so hard at a thing, you become used to struggle. Abundance is flow, it's the thing happening at the right time, better than you expected, glorious and full. And when it happens, you have to let it in. You have to let it become your new reality. Let go of the pain of the struggle. Grieve it and let it … [Read more...]
Listen to Your Business: It Will Tell You What It Needs
This morning, I nervously contemplated this question: "If I asked my business what it really needs right now, what would it say?" The answer came back: a bookkeeper a tax advisor a full time programmer Oy. Well you can guess why my business isn't getting these. All my issues! Letting people look at all my … [Read more...]
Codependency in Business
What is Codependency? Robert Subby defines codependency as “An emotional, psychological, and behavioral condition that develops as a result of an individual’s prolonged exposure to, and practice of, a set of oppressive rules.” The term comes out of treating alcoholics and their loved ones, who developed codependent … [Read more...]
When to Ignore Advice
Darren over at ProBlogger speaks about The Secret of Sustainable Blogging being making sure that your blog not just serves your readers but you as well, or else you will burn out and get bored of it. This applies to any business I think, and it's a beef I have with books like The Four Hour Work Week. Like other 'how to … [Read more...]
How to Spot and Develop Niche Markets
The last time I moved, I was looking for boxes on craigslist. I saw a guy posting an ad “$1 per box, I deliver anywhere in Portland”. I thought to myself “Yeah–but there are all these postings for free boxes, why pay $1 if I can get them for free?” So I jotted down the time and address of one of the free boxes posts. I … [Read more...]
Weaning Yourself from the Email Beast
We're all addicts. Tim's book The Four Hour Work Week has an entire section devoted to "Elimination": getting rid of distractions that keep you from being effective. The biggest offenders are "work fidgets" - things we do that we don't really need to do but they fill time. Like checking email 20 times a … [Read more...]
Outsourcing and Delegating: How to Get Started
Right now I'm reading Tim Ferris's book The Four Hour Work Week, and I'm deep in outsourcing mode. I've got an Indian company that I'm courting to redo my accounting system and I'm testing out VA (virtual assistant) companies. Here are my tips so far: 1. Don't get desperate and try to unload the store on someone. If … [Read more...]
Is doing lots of pro-bono work a sign of low self-worth?
A reader writes... Hi Emma. As an aspiring web designer, I have a dilemma, and it brings up a deeper spiritual question. Many people are asking me to design/develop their web site for free or almost-free with the possibility of future job opportunities or income. For example a professor friend of mine asked me to … [Read more...]