by Cara Lumen
It wasn’t until I recently purchased a full length mirror that I was able to get real about how I look. It allowed me to admire the weight loss and objectively toss the now too big clothes. It lets me look at what needs toning and what still needs to go. The same goes for your business. Periodically, you have to take a long hard look in the mirror to see how you are progressing and how you need or want to change.
Keep a Clear Reflection
I’m in a bit of an identity crisis because I am changing both my physical look and my business look. As I toss the physical look I no longer choose to have, I am simultaneously re-writing my web content to reposition my business. – my look and feel even the way I "package" myself. I have rebundled my services. I have changed my pricing, not so much by how much but the package it comes in that encourages my clients to make longer commitments – to expect more from themselves and from me. I am taking a new training that is encouraging many of these changes.
Just as I clear out my closet of garments that no longer fit, I also discard the clients that no longer fit – the ones who are too needy, or too scared to move forward, or who don’t do their homework so they can make progress.
As I was going through this personal identity crisis and prepare to move into a larger arena, my daughter Cathy, have me this advice: "Don’t dress for the job you have, dress for the job you want."
What do I want? Who do I want to attract? What do I need to change? And most of all, what does that look like?
Shed 10% Every Quarter
Clayton Makepeace the well-known copy writer in a recent blog post suggested we, "Shed the worst 10% of everything you’ve got: employees, vendors, clients or customers, pseudo-friends, b.s. stuff you do, even crap accumulated around you."
What is weighing you down? What and who can you release that will set you free? How are you limiting yourself by your beliefs in what is possible?
Measure Your Results
My life is constantly changing. My current metamorphosis includes body, mind and business. It is an identity crisis. I have to make new choices about everything – the size clothes I buy, the look I decide upon, the expanding of my business, the enlargement of my dream. Of course things much change. Of course I need to reexamine every choice. It’s fun and it’s a bit scary.
Fortunately I’ve been consistently measuring aspects of my business so I let Goggle Analytics tell me what sales pages are drawing people and where they are coming from. I let Google Alert tell me when a certain article is picked up for someone else’s blog. I changed my opt in offer to increase my conversion rate. As I learn more and explore more I change my offers. And I continue to listen to my clients to see what they need next.
I’m planning my 10% Shedding Days around the Solstice and Equinox because they are good reminders of a perfect time to change. I’m going to check my measurements, expand my vision and look in the full length mirror to see how I’ve changed and what I can now let go.
And I’m going to keep an eye on my full length mirror to be sure I’m showing up the way I want to.
© 2009 Cara Lumen
