I'm excited to let you know that registrations are now open for the 2012 Creative Women Can Summit with the theme this year Creative Women Can Rocket In Business!

Here's a short message I've just recorded to tell you about the Summit.  We've got some amazing and inspirational speakers coming on board and I can't wait to share them with you.  Please share this video with your network of wonderful Creative Women who Can!
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_"Imagination is more important
than knowledge. For while knowledge defines all we currently know and understand, imagination points to all we might yet discover and create” Albert Einstein

As I mentioned in yesterday's post I spent an brilliant day at a workshop all day and have so many things to share that I (almost) don't know where to start.  This morning I had the absolute pleasure and honour of facilitating an inspiring morning of what I call 'Creative Visioning' as a team building exercise for a group of relatively innovative people who work in an environment that traditionally lacks innovation and creativity.  The reason I mention this is that yesterday one of things I was reminded of strongly was that without clarity our visions aren't necessarily going to get us where we want to go and without imagination we are destined to limit ourselves in a bit way

The Italian Master Michelangelo said that "The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low we reach it.”  That's a really powerful statement and considering it was shared in the 1500's that's a really innovative, insightful insight into human potential, something I like to think of as 'Creative Possibility'

How often have you spent time writing goals, creating a vision board or adding to your vision book, only to review it at some stage down the track and see that you 'sort of' met your goals?  I know I've done it.  I know friends who've done it and I see clients do it all the time.  In fact I often have people say to me something like "I don't believe in goal setting / vision boards / vision books / setting intentions / creating visions because they never come true!"

That is a pretty powerful claim to make.  What I tend to see and understand as I delve deeper into this statement and put some probing, curiosity driven questions out there is that the goal, etc did in fact become true.  Sometimes right down to the finest detail

What's the problem then?  The problem is that the goal (or whatever we are referring to) wasn't clear.  It wasn't clear and consice and detailed enough to really capture what the person setting the goal was wanting and it was also, often, limited in imagination.  What was 'captured' and what was dreamed were poles apart.  There is incongruency all over the place.  If you want something to become a reality then you need to be really, really clear on what it is that you want.  Actively engage your imagination and then write it out with as much detail as you can and ensure that you engage all your senses as you go.  Tap into what it will look like, sound like, feel like, be like when the goal has come true.  Capture where you will be, who will be with you, and anything else you feel captures the moment that your goal transforms from a dream into reality.  Simple huh?  It can be.  Choosing the path of ease as you travel through life can start with allowing yourself to get really clear, to imagine, to stretch your dreams and to express your dreams, your visions as boldly and clearly as possible

Your innovation challenge for today is to consider one dream you have, one goal, one vision, and to create a clarity filled goal to express it as though it is already a reality.  Let your imagination run wild with vision and clarity

Wishing you succulent, effortless success

Shannon
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_Just so you know, this is not another article promising a magic way to success!

I'm sure you've read a load of articles by now about how this year will be your best yet.  Maybe you're even tired of seeing them land in your inbox, so much so that you've taken to deleting them without even reading them.  If that's the case then first up a big, big thank you for reading this far.  I'll do my best from this point forward to not, I repeat not, make this another one of those articles
_ Instead what I hope to do is to help you get clear on why you have held back in pursuing your dreams till now, or why you've thought more about giving up than breaking through.  I hope to highlight, loud and clear, why this is the best time for you to empower your visions, transform your life and create the masterpiece the world is waiting for - you!

Let's just dive in......

Back in December I hosted  free training Webinar called Seal Your Success in 2012.  It was so popular that there was a repeat performance last week and hundreds of people signed up to hear me share key strategies that will, if you implement them, set you up to make 2012 your best year yet (if you missed it you can view the replay here)

Now during Seal Your Success I revealed a really powerful reflection that I want to ask you now.  After i've asked the question I'd love you to start writing your answer right away, without pausing, without hesitation, trusting in what is flowing forth from you, knowing that your inner leader is guiding you here

Ok here it is......

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I've just been chatting to a great friend of mine and during the conversation we covered all sorts of things.  It was a bit of a general catch-up to see how we both were and, in usual form, we got talking about some relatively deep topics and then we got to the topic of balance

We both, as do many of our friends, and in fact a large majority of people I know, talk of searching for balance and suggest, through what we say that is an elusive, out there, thing

This got me thinking, what is balance?  really, what is it?  what do we say when we use the word balance?  what do I mean when I say I want balance in my life?
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I've had a few days away and now it's time to get back on track and back to daily articles for the month long Ultimate Blog Challenge.  During my time away I had the space to really consider how effective I am in all areas of my life and business.  I believe it is essential to take time out to "smell the roses" so to speak, on a very regular basis.  Without this space away from your regular life and demands of the day to day it can be hard to evaluate just how effective you are being and whether you are truly aligned with your goals, your dreams, your values, your visions. 
Today's Innovation Challenge, in line with taking time out to reassess your effectiveness and to rest, rejuvenate and reconnect is relatively short and sweet.  I'd like for you to schedule at least a half day, sometime in the next 5 days, to smell the roses and contemplate just how effective you are in your life and business.  If you don't like the outcome of your contemplation then define a strategy to make the necessary changes and take action to get a different result!

I can highly recommend it.  Wishing you succulent, effortless success

Shannon

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_Yesterday I read my daily Thought For Today message and felt so inspired to write something about this topic because it's such a great reminder on our journey to success, particularly if we want that journey to be exciting, eventful, full of achievement, but also very effortless

The message said;

"The Value of Flexibility - It is easy to fall into habits of ways of doing something. Sometimes these routines are helpful. But at other times they stop us seeing that there may be a better way of doing things. To achieve constant success we need to become flexible"

So you guessed it, your Innovation Challenge for today is going to ask you to take that stretching you did last week a step further to embrace your flexible self!

The Innovation Challenge question is;

What are you not currently happy with (in your life, business, career) and what are you doing that is restricting you, holding you back or preventing you from the creating happiness (or anything else) you seek?
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_How would you like to know how your 2012 will end?  To know that it will really be your best year yet?  What will it take to seal your success?

Successful people know that it takes planning to achieve sustained success.  Did you get to the end of last year and feel tired and overwhelmed with all that you did during the year and unhappy with the results?

Did that unhappiness stop you from planning for the year ahead?   This is a fundamental mistake made time and time again by people claiming they want success in their lives, business or career.  You can't get success and certainly not effortless success without planning

You feel happy to the level of how much control you have in all areas of your life, and you feel unhappy when you are not in control of all areas of your life.  How do you gain control?  You plan

Planning means that you map out exactly what you want to achieve for the year ahead and that means that you essentially finish the year before it starts

When you plan you get to:

1. Feel greater confidence, knowing you're clear on what you need to do to achieve your goals
Register Here & Join This Week's Seal Your Success Bonus Training with Shannon
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“Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving.
They make mistakes, but they don't quit” Conrad Hilton

There is an interesting phenomenon, if you like, that exists amongst people.  When it comes to getting what we want we take one of two approaches.  We either move away from or towards things in our lives - our goals, visions, dreams, relationships, feelings, opportunities.... and the list goes on

Can you think right now of one thing you move away from - it might be something you move away from all the time.  Now, think of something you move towards.  How do you feel when you're in the move towards place?

Moving towards is what I like to call an expansive action.  It's something that makes you feel open, alive, encouraged, very enthusiastic, motivated, excited, free.  It's uplifting and inspiring

In contrast moving away from is more of a contracting action.  It can make you feel challenged, feaarful, uncomfortable, disconnected, reactionary, slow, depleated.  It zaps your energy and can leave you feeling far from your best self

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"All too often people fail to focus their choices upon results and therefore their choices are ineffective. If you limit your choices only to what seems possible or reasonable, you disconnect yourself from what you truly want, and all that is left is a compromise" ~ Robert Fritz
Do you get the feeling that it is time for you to soar?  I do!  I know it is for me and it feels like this year it is for all of us with great inspiring exciting visions for sharing our gifts with the world in whatever way we are called to do so

How though, do you soar?  What does it take to 'take off' and fly with uplifting, sustained momentum?

It takes you to make new choices.  Bolder choices.  Daring choices.  It takes you to get outside of your comfort zone.  It requires you to stretch.  To bend yourself in a new way

I want to remind you that if you are not happy with your present situation then you need to do something different to change the outcome.  Remember Einstein said the definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over and expect a different outcome.  How true that is

The start of your Innovation Challenge for today is to take some time to reflect on and answer these questions:

When did you last
1. Stretch yourself? 
2. Take a bend to shift to a new viewpoint or thought?
3. Step outside your comfort zone to see what's 'lurking' out there in the big wide world beyond the limits you have placed on your possibility and potential?

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"All that is necessary to break the spell of inertia and frustration is this: Act as if it were impossible to fail. That is the talisman, the formula, the command of right-about-face which turns us from failure towards success" ~ Dorothea Brande

I've had an intersting few weeks with lots of changes happening in my world which have led to a big challenge when it comes to focusing and belief.  The blessing in all this was that I found the quote above and it really inspired me and delivered a big dose of nurturing hope for this new year and beyond.  I was also reminded of the little bit of wisdom I love from Audrey Hepburn who said "Nothing is Impossible, the word itself says, I'm Possible"
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