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 1 Comment Innovation Challenge 9: 12 Ways To Be More Innovative In Your Effort To Be Effortlessly Successful 01/10/2012
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?  It's now the second week of the new year. I don't know about you but I have certainly had some big personal challenges that have really tested me and bought up some of the 'stuff' that has the potential to get in the way of me being my best self. I had thought that 2012 would be a big year and one that asked me to stretch and grow in a whole new way but I didn't expect that it'd start immediately and have a less than fantastic affect on me
Why does this 'stuff' affect me? Well quite simply because I let it. You see I am exactly like you. When I am tired, overwhelmed, feeling frustrated, challenged physically or emotionally or intellectually then the first thing that happens is that those old things called fears pop up and fear is not helpful, other than to alert me to the fact that I need to take better care of myself and get back on track. Fear is a sign that I am not empowered with my usual resilience. It is a sign that I am shifting, changing, growing. It alerts me to the need to ask for support, and allow myself to receive it and much much more. Most of all though I see fear as a gift because it gives me an opportunity to reconnect with the potential in being me! Yes, fear is a gift....
“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 "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? "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" 
When was the last time that you thought about why you do what you do? Whether you are a woman in business, have a job working for someone else or are a woman exploring and playing with her creative side you have a WHY behind everything you do  If I were to ask you now why you do what it is you do what would your answer be? Do you know why you strive to achieve the goals you set? Why you focus on and take action to move yourself toward greater happiness, more personal freedom, abundant prosperity? There is a reason and that reason, the big WHY is an important one for you to be really clear on if you are going to reach the outcomes you seek for your life (and business)
Innovation Challenge 1: Defining Your Vision 01/01/2012
 Do you have a clear description of what your vision for your life is? If so when did you last review it and check in to see it is still aligned to your current 'vision'? If not then why not? To kick start the month long Innovation Challenge I invite you to get creative by defining your vision. Now you can go ahead and create a vision board or vision book if you like. I personally love them and am so behind the power of images but I also believe that you need to add words to those images to give them a powerful boost So I'd like you to either get out your written or picture version of your vision for your future and see what's relevant and then bring it up to date. Make it more exciting, more inviting, more energising any way you like. Remember we are all about innovation this month and a big part of being innovative is seeing things differently, opening your mind and your eyes wider and letting the magic of Creative Possibility flow to you freely and easily Go on, get defining! Here's an awesome reflection question a friend shared with me recently that might just help the process... "It is now the day of your 85th birthday and you are about to celebrate with a great big party with people coming from all over the place to honour and celebrate your life. Who would be there and what would they have to share about you? your accomplishments, what sort of person you are, how you have inspired them?" Define, using as much detail as possible what that looks, feels and sounds like. Then you will have a clearly defined vision. Dare to be amazing! I'd love you to share what you create so please let us know more about your vision by adding a comment below Wishing you succulent, effortless success, Shannon | CategoriesAll ArchivesFebruary 2012 |
Creative Possibility | Empowering Visions, Transforming Lives
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