By: Jacqueline Gates – Confluence Daily is your daily news source for women in the know.
If you happen to ask me to share the ONE THING that I’ve done over the past year or so, that led to the weight-loss + life-upgrading + 300%-pay-raise that I’ve been relishing recently, (and somebody did, btw), I would say it’s this:
Every Monday morning, without fail, I take myself + my journals + my laptop + my magic pen (the silver one with the green ink) to my local coffee-shop and I have a meeting with my inner CEO and a whole squad of metaphorical mentors.
This is a scheduled meeting, y’all. Even my menfolk know that it’s set-in-stone immovable.
I dress up a little … because … well, truthfully, I kinda want everyone else to wonder who I am and what I do, because I’m so mysterious and wealthy-looking.
The agenda is always the same:
- Order luscious coffee(duh… that’s why I go there). Actually, I usually don’t have order because the baristas know my name, (Goddess) and what I drink, and start making it before I’ve even chose a table. Actually, I always sit at the same table.You remember ‘Cheers’? Yea, it’s like that. Without the beer.
- Check on intentions set from last week
Once you’ve read all 5 steps, you’ll see where these come from, but the generally fall into three categories : Self, Family + Nest, and Empire-Building. - What went right?
It’s ohsoveryimportant to celebrate your wins, glorious one.
As entrepreneurs, we can get horribly focused on what we’re struggling with … or what’s not selling/converting. And generally, we get woefully stuck on stories that don’t serve us. The squeaky wheel gets the grease, ya’ know?
But you’re smart enough (and LOA savvy enough) to know that whatever you focus on, you get more of, so it’s hugely impactful to start your week off with a whoo-hoo moment or three.Make a note of what worked in your biz + life-in-general. What new practice did you devote yourself to?
What money came in? More opt-ins? Great conversations on Facebook or Twitter? Did you shed a pound or two?This is no time to be modest, glorious one. Find the fabulous in each category. Write ’em out. With LOTS of exclamation marks.And feel free to smirk smugly to yourself. It makes people wonder all the more. - What went sideways? (Ahem, there is no ‘wrong’.)
Now I have absolutely no doubt you be able to list off these in a flash, but please be gentle with yourself, ok? I’ve found (through years of self-flagellation that it’s waaaay more helpful to simply list what didn’t go as hoped with a kind of emotion-less curiosity. Like you’d examine a dead houseplant.
Look at the facts + what you did or didn’t do + what actually happened as a result.
No going down the rabbit-hole-of-doom-and-recrimination, ok? - Call In Your Metaphorical Mentoring Squad (known from hereon as MMS)
Besides my Inner CEO (who knows exactly what my next empire-building step should be), my MMS has an endless roster of cast-members, all expert in their particular field and all immediately on call whenever required.
(By the way, inspiration for this practice comes directly from the uber-awesome-and-magical Fabeku Fatumise … one of a bazillionty life-altering nuggets I’ve gleaned from him.)Depending on the question/situation/state-of-the-empire-and-headspace, I could have Oscar Wilde and Yoda and Bill (the other) Gates at my table.I’ve had Coco Chanel remind me that being different is the only way to be irreplaceable, and Betsy Johnson insist that eccentricity and uber-creativity MUST go hand in hand.Marilyn Monroe is a regular, as is Vesta (goddess of the home) for obvious reasons and recently, Julie Andrews and Gershwin have been pushing me to sing again. (I’m like, really???)The point is … we all have the answers already.
Psst. The Metaphorical Mentoring Squad is actually all your Inner Knowing,
sneakily disguised as people-you-admire.Ask your question and relax into letting the answer come.
Tap into your knowing.
You’ll be ah-mazed at its depth. - Intention-setting for the following week.
Once you’ve analyzed and unfolded and discussed the last week, decide what you would like to see happen before your next meeting.First set your intentions around Who You Want To BE and Show Up As (for example, this week I am Lifestyle Editor/Author In Progress), because you have to BE, before you can do and have, yes?Decide on the two or three most important accomplishments that would have you grinning with smug self-satisfaction at the end of the week, and then whittle those down to specific targets + action steps. - Move said targets/steps into diary-pages,fitting it round daily life.
This is the pivotal part.
It’s important that your planning dances WITH your Life, rather than against it.
Forcing your goals into your life seldom works. - Finish with a noting of What I’m Taking With Me (new knowledge/income/practices etc)
and What I’m Leaving Behind (non-serving-crappy stuff).This is a relatively new addition to my meeting and I’m finding it a powerful way to tie-a-bow on the previous week and move clean-slated into the next.
Now, obviously you’ll amend + tweak + drape this agenda to perfectly-fit your business + life + dreams, but this gives you a general idea of how to get the most out of your meeting.
The only thing I would say is non-negotiable is – GET OUT OF THE HOUSE!
There’s a disconnection from day-do-day energy that seems to boost focus, clarify intentions and amp up the big-visioneering. Pretend you’re one of those coffee-shop-millionaires. I always do.
Hope that helps y’all. It’s been transformational for me.
Jacqueline Gates has mastered the art of applying theatrical skills to anchor and amplify the manifesting technique known as acting-as-if. Because when you begin LIVING-as-if you already are who you secretly dream of becoming, it won’t stay a secret very long.
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