2017: From Defunct to De-Funked

Turns out this dog I bought, wait, no adopted since he was FREE as air, is a high energy brand of mutt.  Much like a child just when you think something will wear them out, it really doesn't faze.  I was in no way ready for anything high energy at the end of 2017, as I was defunct in many ways for sure.  

What is "defunct"?

-Did not want to be around high energy people, or have a high energy schedule or be physically high energy or mentally high energy.  

-Did not want to be in anything too high emotion either.
-Nothing affected me, music, movies, people.  I was not the same walking well of love/ fire/ conviction I used to love to be. I observed, more than experienced life. 

For someone whose main "function" is experiencing life at its highest, at its edges, in its heart...this was quite a change.

Ever been this kind of "defunct"?

I like to say the year of 2017 was the year of the cave.  I didn't leave the house much and I was kind of trying it on for size.  After years and years of striving (nod to you, Chris Stallings) I found myself wanting to see what it was like not to strive so hard.  

Maybe you've been there.  After a season of increase and where things were going great and greater, something in you just decides to retreat.

Turns out there is no such thing as winning all the time.  Turns out that even when things are AWESOME on so many levels, there is not a way to never experience the valley.  No matter who you are, how hard you work to be right, efficient, work for the right reasons and people and with them.  There will always be peaks and valleys.

Maybe you relate?

I know for me I came into life as a mom, wife, friend and business owner with a set of values and beliefs and a heart so full of love I literally was inside-out with love and a desire to serve.  It was an overflowing. My desire to help and serve and inspire POURED out of me.

But when it pours out of you onto the floor.

Or maybe you pour it to someone who didn't ask for it.

Or asked and decided it wasn't for them.

You begin to measure your pour.

Overtime  you run out of things to pour and can't seem to give anything, even when you want to.  something feels off.  

The well is dry.

And ya girl was lost.

And that was a tough pill to swallow and a tough place to be standing. 

Thankfully, it didn't last forever, and I learned the the valley was not a signal that something was wrong.  The valley is where the water is.  You just have to be patient and stay long enough to refill.

So what am I doing now?

Well I can feel the old fearlessness coming back.  I am feeling (and filling) the well again and now, with the lessons of knowing more about who I am and who people are, I can begin to pour again.

This time with my daughter in the front of the line, not the back.  This time with more wisdom.  This time, knowing more about why I love people and who I want to help and what I can do, should do, and want to do.

What does this have to do with Zeke?  Well Zeke initially charmed, and distracted me from my funk. I went from Defunct to DE-FUNKED if you know what I mean and in this season I am talking to that person who relates.  

Im aware that most people go through these seasons and don't feel the need to write about such mundane-osity on their blog that is all about, ahem, themselves.  But its about that person who resonates.  Well now its about me, that person who resonates...... and Zeke;)

But really this blog is about you.  And the encouragement I find in the story of life and wanting to share that with others so that they see what they need to see in their own life.  

I learned in that season of defunct, that I lived.  I learned that it was necessary and it was good.  It was truly good.  And I had some dear friends who saw me in this state and chose to love me through it and some that needed the invincible Anna and were more scarce.  

In my line of work, helping others be their best, its a tough spot when you are not at yours.  Its just part of the art of what I love to do.  And for over 15 years I felt in a place to truly change lives and love every second.  In that time, some of the scars received slowed me to a stop and made me look back and question doing what I did, given the cost.

So the break was perfect.  It was time to think of those things, decide what I am going to do and how I will do it smarter and with more longevity (15 years is a long time but retirement to me looks like a coffin so I needed a better plan).

It was time for me to experience a valley after such a long time feeling on top of the mountain.  I am better in all my roles, wife, Mom, daughter, family member, friend, leader, and now - Dog Mom.  

With love,

Anna (whose energy is getting higher daily) and Zeke (the high energy poster child).

How to be a "Closer"

Entrepreneurs are so different and yet so similar.  We all share one objective.  To help as many people as possible and build a reputation that draws referrals and gives us not only the satisfaction that causes but hey - passive income.  We are ALL interested in that.  But also - without fail - I've learned we are interested in building something great.  Kind of in an artist-y way.  Just because its in us to built/create, etc.

So we can be an artsy fartsy bunch.

However being a numbers type is where the rubber meets the road.  Add to that enthusiasm, a servants heart, a killer work ethic and you've got some magic.  But ----We must know our numbers and the number-focused people excel for this reason.  So - to increase results, FOR ALL OF US, our equation looks like this:

Results = (# of people reached) X (how effectively we can "Close").

                 Close = Solve their problem, not "convince" or "be a good convincer".

As an entrepreneur that is step one in solving this equation and increasing the results to the left - learned that if you don't take time to learn the problem then you can't close people and that number is ZERO.  Zero times anything (meaning it doesn't matter how many people you talk to) is ZERO.

So, you can do 2 things.
1) Increase the number of people you talk to
2) Increase your closing skills AKA Problem solving skills

I can't really help you with increasing number you talk to.  Truth is, if you want to talk to more people you will.  If you want to find warm market prompts, or ideas for getting leads you will google it and discern the best course and take action.  Nobody can make you.  Lets be honest, you can just take action with that list of people you've yet to talk to or those ideas you've yet to act on.

But lets talk about increasing the chances that those you are talking to will come along with you.  For one, stop selling benefits and features of your product.  Be real.  In my world we are in referral marketing.  Meaning we find a product we love and refer people to it because we love it and then the company compensates us for the referral and for being an advocate and helping them as much as possible.

So for us, its about telling the raw, unedited TRUTH about what we love the products and why we are using them.  And people tend to want to stay shiny.  But in reality, people are attracted more to your grit than your shine.  So if you are reading this and its the New Year and like us you are running a new year promotion... remember, don't promise the moon, or over inflate the 2018 they'll get...just be real.  First are YOU doing what you are promoting?  If so, then all you do is share why.  What would happen if you don't?  What are you looking to get?  Why do you want to bring others with you?

People can read and feel conviction and real talk.  They can trust that.  So be sure your heart is in it.  And then share your heart.  Be fearless in sharing your reality.

Especially if you are using social media.  Flyers are great but honestly its all just noise anymore.

Share whats going on with you.  Share why you are looking to make a change in 2018 and what not making that change will cost you.  Share why now.  And share the REAL reason why you want people with you.  If its the double prong purpose of you have a deep desire to lead people to be in a community and create something together and you also want to .... maybe pay off student loans?  Finance a trip, wedding, car, etc??  Share it ALL.  Your transparency, again your GRIT, is way more attractive than your shine.

And my last tip is to make no excuses to get reading.  Read what speaks to you in the areas of business, time management, purpose, spiritual and personal growth.  Never let a week go by without it.  If you are not, yet are frustrated with your business and looking for answers here or from family, friends, other mentors, colleagues, etc..  You are looking to be fed and misled.

Im here to share the truth with you.  The saying I love is "Chew whats in your cheek".  So before you get back on social media, or go distract yourself from the actionable items in this -  i challenge you to chew whats in your cheek.

-Refine and add to your list and organize it all in one place
-Call and connect and share as I suggested
-Pick your personal development book and read at least 1 chapter today.

Now is the time.  Do this TODAY.  The truth is you have the time.  Now you have the tools.

Go get em,
Anna :)

Worth

SO turns out the best 2 places, wait 3, for me are in the shower, during yoga (when my mind is supposed to be clear, but I also like to assess the toe hair situation and predicted time to the next pedicure so safe to say I have a lot of work to do in the clear your mind department) and then in the middle of the night when Im trying to go back to sleep after letting Zeke, our puppy, out.

When is your best time to think?  Or to have ideas?  Its worth knowing.  Maybe its an idea for your next family vacation.  Your solution to your laundry room clutter.  Or for what you're going to wear to that job interview.  If you believe people have specific purpose then you have to believe that we are given inklings...gut feelings.  And I think we all ignore them too much.

And with good reason.  Life does a pretty great job of discouraging you from making investments in the unknown and we are all so time strapped, there is an effort to conserve time.  So, its easier to not go through the trouble.  

I think this ties in with my post on "The Cost of Tired" 4 posts down ~  we are just to tired to try!!!

But I find that if you will value yourself enough to create the space, to deal with the mental, to care for the physical, and fix your perspective on learning.  That you are worth learning what your inklings are trying to tell you (or teach you through possible failure).

So this was the thought in yoga yesterday and I got in the car and scribbled this into my notes on my phone because I went for awhile without moving enough.  It began with some body pain and weight gain and spiraled into a bit of a depression (not the kind where you are sad, just not motivated, curious, and productive) which led to more pain and so I was reminded of what I discovered the first time I got strong and fit 15 years ago ... movement is a strong anti-depressant.  its worth whatever you need to do to make it happen everyday.  And then if you are not joyful you are less inclined to go through the trouble to identify needs and give.  And if you are not joyful, you do less and you live with an unsettled, itchiness in your mind and heart that comes from that. Much like a dog.  Dogs need work and purpose and movement to be happy and healthy.  So do we.  And then the last line, well it just came and it makes sense.  

There is no joy without movement

There is no peace without giving

There is no rest without Work

There is no life without love. 

So give your self, your inklings and gut feelings all your attention.  And take the actions you need to find the desire to work enthusiastically and empty your mind and body doing something that matters.  

You’re worth it. 

The Sleeping Giant

I believe time is the key.  Like a sleeping giant, it's often overlooked and underestimated.  It started in college when I read Steven Coveys 7 Habits.  There began a fascination with the game of TIME.

It's not really a talent I've noticed but a learned skill. Like handwriting. Nobody just writes, we all have to learn it. And without it, we are wildly handicapped to achieve that thing gnawing at us.

I think it's goal suicide to say "oh, I'm just not good at that" or "oh, I need to work on that...someday"

Because time...it's the neutralizer.   It's our greatest asset and our greatest prize. Every goal we have either centers around saving time, or the freedom to choose how we experience or spend our time our time.  And it requires specific use of present time to have any hope of influencing future time. Treating time like a wave you can just ride and expect it to end somewhere ahead of where we are now is like throwing a penny in the ocean and expecting it not to tend up lost at the bottom of the sea.

I've noticed that whatever the goal, the most success and progress goes to the person that wakes up keenly aware of the goals and how today's time will be spent to inch closer to that goal.  Focusing on mastering time management allowed me to more than quadruple my paycheck in the last 3 years and spend more time with family, at church and on fun. It's allowed me to have time to volunteer, increase my time reading exercising and parenting.  Time freedom for me is the sweetest nectar of life.   Life is short and I don't want to float through precious days and end up "somewhere" I did not plan. That's a recipe for sad in my book.

I'm 100% convinced the the most important skill worth acquiring is time management.  And having a goal for that time.

I'm committed to getting better and to controlling where my time goes so I can continue to chose how my free time is spent and how much time freedom I have. I hope this encouragement helps others as we get the fun, fresh, clean  slate of the new year. It's exciting and fun for me and my mind is rolling with thoughts like this and I'm excited to see what lies ahead...

The Upside to Overeating Yesterday

Hello!
Most likely you are reading this because you liked my post and you were interested in figuring out what on earth you can do today to offset yesterday's less-than-stellar eating.

GOOD NEWS!

I have some tips I came across years ago when I literally ate, read, slept and lived fitness literature 24/7.  Being a student of nutrition and fitness led to my career path in fitness and birthed a love for helping educate others!  Its al about demystifying!  So I wanted to share that here.

First, sorry for the delay - I have a daughter who was --oh-so-unfortunately awoken with a virus that would have required a trashcan (read:vomit, sorry!) if we had known at 3am and has had a fever every since so after getting her settled and 2 loads of laundry I fell asleep around 6am and meant to have this out sooner!

Thats ok tho because #life right???

SO here are the tips -

#1) Lucky you!  You overate!  But there is something that you can do to leverage that if overeating has you feeling derailed, guilty, depressed, remorseful or all of the above.  The good news is your metabolism is literally flying!  You added coals to the fire, so to speak.  So lets utilize your wicked fast metabolism in your favor by doing something easy.  Lets eat when we are hungry and lets eat the foods that offer these 4 golden points for your metabolism:
-the highest nutrition
-the highest keep you full factor AKA "satiety"
-stoke your metabolism and keep your body in fat burning mode.
-reverse cravings

These two foods are protein and fiber.  Protein is found in lean meats and fish as well as some fat free dairy such as fat free cheese and low sugar greek yogurt.  Clean protein supplements are also a super easy solution to this.

This may be implied but I will say it... if you want to leverage that metabolism, go ahead and throw out leftover cookies and treats, and don't eat the proteins and fibers that are coupled with sugar as in greek yogurt with sugar or a high fiber but also high sugar muffin, etc.  Sugar has the opposite of the 4 points above and will work against you!!

#2) As for fiber - don't over complicate - just eat fruits and vegetables with your lean protein today!  And don't worry about the "sugar in fruit"...  just eat fruits and vegetables... trust me.  Nobody ever got fat eating lean protein fruits and vegetables...thats my mantra! :)  And again - if you have fiber supplements on hand - hey hit those 4 golden points above so that works too.

#3) Enough water is not enough.  So there is this thing about what is "a lot" of water or "enough" water.  Well, here is the thing about your body.  It just adapts to whatever you give it.  So whatever YOU personally drink, make a game to try and increase that by at least 1/2 today!  trust me!  The 4 golden points above will rewards you!!!

#4)  SO you have amazing fuel for movement with yesterdays eating.  So hey - put it to use!  get up and get out!  Whatever you usually do... add to it!  Add a walk!  Already walking?  Add a lap!  Going shopping?  Awesome-thats a killer calorie burner!  Working out?  Add reps, time, or both - just a little!  And then add something else.  Maybe play in the back yard a minute.  Maybe stand at your computer.  In an office?  Take the stairs and use the bathroom 2 floors away.


The result is a sense of AMAZING pride.  The realization that you really didn't do irreversible damage and a big dose of understanding that a few small do-ABLE things added up can make a huge difference.

Thanks for reading!

Anna
PS ~ Doing this today along with my personal location in my fitness journey added to the launch of a transformation program through AdvoCare has inspired me to ask:  if I journaled -slash - coached our 180 Tribe here - would that be helpful?  I've always loved to educate and coach in writing and in person - and here I could do videos ... it offers the interaction of the comments for conversation...

or we could do this on FB.

Or maybe its not needed at all!

Im open to ideas, needs and thoughts.

And IM READY to transform.  I've done if before and taken dear friends with me and Im ready to do it again and take an army.

COMMENT your thoughts in the message that you received this because comments are disabled here for now.

oxoxox, A

The Cost of Tired

Up at 6am on a Sunday and a house that is pretty quickly empty and quiet.  A whole day (and week ahead) to do whatever I want.  Thats been a new normal.

Actually we all have a lot of time.  Ellen has taken up professional slime making (and sometime videoing) and Mike is always doing a project and resting and getting his daily Zeke and exercise fix.

Doesn't it sound wonderful?  You’d think so but check this out.  It has me noticing the guilt/struggle/tension we are associating with this time.  We are always asking and wondering .. is it ok if I sit here?  Should we make Ellen do something else? Should I get up and do something productive?  How much rest and recreation is too much?

How we view ourselves is powerful I think.  And how we view others.  I tend to criticize myself so much that it flows into my view of everyone.  But tis true what they say.  What we see in others is how we see ourselves.  That is a nasty jagged little pill to swallow but I humbly swallow the whole thing with belief and guilt.

So I realize now that its always lack of time and money that make us say "well if I had the time or money to do XYZ,  I would/it would/this would...insert some form of solve all the worlds problems here"  But when you actually have the things you coveted in the past, you can struggle with it.  Because .... Now how to do you measure yourself?  We measure our worth with busyness, achievement (including our kids achievement), and martyrdom.  That is a mouthful so read that again.  What if when we are less busy, or have achieved something, or no longer have to throw ourselves on our swords for some calling, or have great kids, we get space.  Now the question is what to do with the new space.  The super deep question that I realize took my breath when I wrote it is then what do we measure ourselves with?

That is more than a mouthful.  I don't think I can touch that question with a 10 foot pole.  NO wonder we subconsciously stay wrapped in the warm security of lack, no choice, and invisible to the radar of that question.

See, busyness, achievement, and martyrdom are very addictive. And they give an enormous security because they prevent chaos.  The chaos that is coming if I fail to show up, reach the goal, or save the person. These 3 things bring with them a sense of purpose, and lots of racing thoughts, which occupy our brains and clarify for us what is next.  In many ways they take the pressure off of us.  And they eliminate the judgement and guilt that come from having the things we are pursuing. So I think deep down we can avoid the solutions, because we (maybe?) know that they bring with them the clarity/self worth measurement problem.

So here is what I will say, I want to give people this problem.  If you think I was deep before, put on your diving gear....

If you and I are as uniquely gifted as I think we are, and we have special, one of a kind talents and are meant to live a life of sharing those talents and doing our thing on this earth....  have you noticed what happens to you when you're in the chaos prevention space?  Those things are in the backseat because your purpose is not driven by discovering and sharing them with people, its in our ability to sacrifice and achieve.

In a practical sense, I believe in the parenting of the kids we are currently raising to restore and strengthen the family and the power of entrepreneurship to bolster and strengthen our nation are at stake.  Lack of time and money are an epidemic that are robbing us.  And they come with them an addictive feeling of worth as we strive to eliminate them both.  I believe you and I have very important things to do.  And I can't do the important thing you need to do and vice versa.  But until we have space to discover those things, because we are secure and comfortable as long as we are time and money strapped and our energy is used just preventing chaos, then our energy is not used contributing.  Its like having a foot you want to walk on, but its always casted from injury.  Its there just not able to be used for what its meant to be used for just yet.

So, guess Im wondering what the cost of tired is for us?  I wonder does waking up exhausted and distracted by chaos prevention cause us as parents to miss those strengths, interests, gifts, and needs in their kids and so they can't cultivate them?  Do we miss those things in ourselves so they never know themselves which means are we passing over tremendous gifting they could be to their kids because they are just so darn tired?  What about the local community leader?  The next inventor?  Or great educator?  Are the really good ones out there but Is their distraction and lack of time and energy preventing them from doing that great thing that only they can do?

This has me thinking lately about "The Cost of Tired" and I wanted to share it.  Maybe we are not preventing chaos with busyness, achievement and martyrdom, maybe we are preventing greatness?

Happy Sunday,

Anna

10/9 ~ No idea

Per usual, no idea if I will share this or not.  Just time to start.

Which leads me to the topic of starting.  Imperfectly.  "Before you are ready."  Might be a cheesy meme I saw on Instagram, might be something deeper.  But it does seem to serve us well when if we want something to just start.

We've been talking to Ellen lately about celebrating failure. I can tell she is still not quite getting it.  Like, she is thinking...  "so if I fail this test they will be so proud????"  So we have to explain more about failing by giving 100% to something is what we cheer about.  Not failing to try.  So if you fail while you are trying...you are paying the price of entry for reaching something great.

Writing sometimes helps me start.  Its part of a wind up ritual.  For nothing in particular, just life.  Just to type what is in my head helps me start the day.  Naturally, Im wired to avoid the day on one side of my brain.  The other side has no off.  So writing helps me transition from procrastination central to the Autobahn.

Not that its all that interesting, but as I get get older and learn about things, it turns out that I've got all kinds of coping mechanisms to compensate for a slew of not-so-desirable traits I have naturally.  I've developed lots of skills that it turns out are coping mechanisms out of a strong desire to chart my own path.  And determination that anybody can do what they set out to do.  Its a sense o fairness I have to believe in.  If you get to have a better life than I do, and do the cool things I want to do just because of the luck of the draw, I just can't live with that.  I have to believe that decisions determine destinations.  We ultimately have a free will and we can end up in different places according to the wisdom of the choices we make and the wisdom in the way we make choices after the consequences.

But I digress.  My traits writing helps me transition from (and planning, and reading, and exercising, the list goes on)...most of my day is sometimes spent "preparing" which in such a strength I've developed.  Until it becomes a weakness.  But I digress again.

The traits?  That stubbornness as a kid, that rebelliousness, combined with flippant righteousness and mis-channelled energy is actually what serves me now because it forced me to find ways to organize and compensate for a multitasking addicted mind, my slanted view of the status quo (read: not wanting to fit in to what looked like a zombie like existence) and a little bit of a bipolar energy flow.  

The great news is that people really love to learn what I taught myself out of a strong stubborn desire to do it on my own.   So when folks think wow, what you do comes easily to you, that is why you do it, that is INCORRECT.  What comes easily to me is the exact opposite of what I do.  Its just a grain of sand of courage.  I think we underestimate how much it would take and avoid giving just one grain of sand's amount of courage.  It takes so much less than we think to just start.  With all of our undesirable traits.  We are so able to do so much.  None of us is more equipped than another to just start.

 And I wouldn't contribute much to anyone .... But if it weren't for that stubborn streak ;)

So what is this post about?

I have no idea.

Start, imperfectly.
Embrace failure when you've given 100%.
Leverage/ Channel strong traits towards your heart's desire.
Honor your heart's desire (AKA "Do you, boo").
People criticize Mother Theresa, they are GOING to criticize you.  Be sure you know that and chart your own path.

I try not to write so self-help-y serious stuff, but to point 4 above, its just where Im lead, and seems not to change.

So that's all I got!
~Anna