Change your thinking, solve a problem!

I've been guilty of trying to solve a problem using the same kind of thinking that created it. I'm guessing we all have tried to do that.  Let me share an example although it may be one I used before.

I have a one year old computer and an external mouse.  I was having trouble scrolling down the screen and noticed that the cursor jumped around unexpectedly. I blamed the laptop and kept trying to figure out what the problem was.  Then I looked at the situation a new way.  What if it was the mouse that was causing the problem?  It was wireless and I'm guessing a few years old. Could that be the problem.

Now I hate to spend money on things when what I have does the job but this wasn't going to be a big expense so it was worth the try.  Two days later my beautiful new purple mouse showed up and everything was as quick and smooth as could be!!  Yippee...such a simple solution and all I had to do was think of things another way.

Bonus - the USB part of it was now so tiny it could live in the laptop as I travled from coffee shop to coffee shop on my quest for company as a solopreneur working from home.  Join me sometimes?

Have a wonderful day and remember to keep shining!
Marianne

What part of your business is not working well?

I belong to three Facebook groups for entrepreneurial women from all over the world.  I'm overwhelmed at times by what they've taken on.  But I'm mostly inspired by their fierce dedication and drive.

The best part of the journey is that they feel many of the same emotions I feel - the lack of direction at times, the challenge of handling big open blocks of time, the solitude in doing this on my own. That's why I started this blog, why I reach out to other like minded women and why I'm planning in early May to start a local Meet Up so we can support and learn from each other.

A young woman on one of the posts today talked about having an idea for a web TV series a month ago and already getting contacted by American Idol and other shows.  I'm not sure of the details but she is the classic case of having and believing in a vision and making it happen. She writes, "This was just an idea four weeks ago and now it's full blown and filling up the lineup with more inspiring entrepreneurs and artists that have a story that will spark the greatness within us!"  Yes!

She closes with a message that I think is important for all of us.  "Make sure your business energizes you and not drains you.  If it's felt more like the latter lately, it's time for a shift.  Declutter the things you dread about your business and find a way to start doing more of what you love."

This week is all about that for me.  Focusing on what I love most about my business and deleting those things that are not working as well.  For me, I love to work with other entrpreneurial women. That I know for sure!

Til next time, keep shining!
Marianne

Let's go positive!

What’s the point in being positive with the world we live in?  That’s something I hear often.  My usual response to that is to ask what their view of the world is.  I then hear a litany of stories that can be found any given day in the news – terrorists, plane crashes, murders and so on.  The fact that all the news shows have to fill up huge blocks of time every day means that they have to seek out as much mayhem as possible.  Add that to the fact that we humans are wired to be curious especially about the odd and the awful leads many to believe we live in a predominantly negative world.

I don’t watch the news.  I don’t have much negativity in my Facebook feed.  I look for and pay attention to the miraculous (spring buds coming out from under piles of snow) and the things that bring a smile to my face.  I revel in the new inventions, the feel of my sheets when I slip into bed, the friends that make me think and make me feel loved. 

Just that simple shift from focusing on negativity in the news to noticing things that make me happy changes my world view dramatically.  Does that mean terrible things aren’t happening somewhere?  Absolutely not.  But there are so many more wondrous things.  I figure I’ll hear about the important ‘news’ stories eventually and then I can choose to find out more if I care to.  But other than that, I don’t even want to randomly let them drift into my sphere. 

As a soloentrepreneur woman working primarily at home it’s up to me to create the best mindset.  I work better when I’m in a good frame of mind rather than mired down with the woes and worries.  I begin my day with a positive ritual and off I go!

As we head into a holiday weekend for many religions, I think it’s a good time to make a decision to pay attention to what’s good around us – in our family members (yes, I know they can be challenging but they probably think the same thing about us), in our fellow citizens and yes, in our world.

Until next time, keep shining!