If you've ever experienced anxiety, you know it's not just being a little “stressed out”.

This is what it can feel like for me.

And, it's not always all of these symptoms, but it's always a mish mash.

• My jaw clenches and it hurts.
• My throat can feel tight, like I can't swallow.
• I feel like I have an 800 lb gorilla sitting on my chest.
• My chest gets tight and my heart races – for no reason.
• I get short of breath to the point that I wonder if I'm going to pass out.
• My stomach can turn against me. (And yes, that means you think it means.)
• I have incredible fear and racing thoughts of things that are most likely never in a million years going to happen.
• I can't sleep. I lay in bed and panic. It's hard to sleep when your body is on high alert. It's just not natural to sleep when in fight or flight mode.
• Eating is difficult. I can literally go a week with only a few hundred calories of forced food.
• In extreme cases, I feel like I have fire burning under my skin.
• And as far as getting anything productive done when this is all going on? Not a chance. My brain is racing, too, and gets fuzzy and cloudy and the hope of having any clarity or focus goes out the window.

There are two types of anxiety that I face. 

Generalized anxiety. (The “What in the HELL is WRONG with me?!” kind.)

This is where nothing specific is putting me in danger that I can point to. It's just general feelings of some of the things listed above. I can wake up and feel like the gorilla is happily sitting there on my chest looking at me in amusement, even if the sun is shining and I have nothing on my calendar the entire day. There's NO reason that I can see that I should feel this way.

Specific anxiety. (The “Oh THAT'S what I'm freaking about.” kind.)

This is the kind where I know what's making me stress out. For instance, I used to be terrified of flying. I would make myself travel and do it simply because I wanted to get over my “stupid” fear and I wanted to go to fun places. But, the process involved several days of total freakout mode before every trip, usually with tears and possibly stomach issues that you don't want to know about. And then on the plane, during the entire flight, it involved me clenching my buttcheeks for 4 hours straight because apparently that holds the plane up. The one good thing about it was that it was a heck of a workout. The bad thing is … everything else.

I'm sure you know this kind of anxiety if you get nervous before webinars, if you're trying something a little new that you're stressed about, or if there's something not cool (or downright horrible) going on in your life that you have to deal with. And on a scale from 1 to 10, we all vary on different days in our own ways.

So, why am I writing about this? This is a business blog, right?

Yes it is. And yes I am for a few reasons.

First, I've noticed that a lot of my friends that I network with that have online businesses have suffered from either depression or anxiety or like me, both. So, I know there are plenty of you out there. I oftentimes wonder if this business, because it's “safe” to hide behind a computer attracts more people who have anxiety, or if it's just the people that I interact with.

Second, it's a productivity and success issue. If you're my coaching client and I say “Go do this” and you don't, I need to know why. If it's because you're having major anxiety and you can't think clearly, then we need to figure that out instead of trying to continue brainstorming or talking about other non-issues because you're too embarrassed to let me know what's really happening.

Third. My motto. My dream. My goal in life is to help as many people as I can to Awesomize their Businesses, their Lives, and the World. We can talk about getting more traffic or building your list, but the fact is that it's hard to reach goals when you're stuck in a stage of panic. And, even if you DO push through and have an awesome business, if your life is crap because you feel terrible and stressed out all the time, and you're running around like Chicken Little yelling “the sky is falling” then I question whether that is really what you dream of when you think of success.

Disclaimer

So, I'm not a doctor. I don't play one on TV. I never went to medical school. This is just some stuff that I've done that's helped me at some point in time. Some of these things have helped certain times and not others.  Some have helped me but not my friends. We are such complex machines with totally different genes. So there's no guarantees and no promises. Take what you want and leave the rest. And, yes, I'm walking this path with you, so I am in no way claiming to be THE expert in anxiety. I'm just sharing some things that've worked for me in my experience.

Here are the ways that I say “Adios” to anxiety (or at least lessen it to the point that I'm ready to tackle another day). 

1. Taking Action to Do the Scary Thing.

If at all possible, the first thing I do is to see if the thing that's stressing me out is something I'm avoiding tackling. If so, then I immediately know that the cause of the anxiety could be squelched if I just DO the scary thing that I'm avoiding.

Of course, that isn't always possible. BUT – if the source of the fear is, for instance, a webinar that I have coming up, and I'm avoiding creating the PowerPoint slides because I'm overwhelmed, then I KNOW that my anxiety will last as long as I keep putting off the THING that is causing it.

At that point, I usually have to take pen to paper, because sitting and staring at the PowerPoint isn't working. So I'll either take a pen and pad of paper outside and jot down the text / ideas for each slide and the flow OR I'll print out what I have done so far and draw / edit directly on the slides. Then I go back to the computer and it's just a matter of entering the info – which isn't nearly as scary.

That's just one example, but it's a recent one, so I thought I would use it. But the scary thing could also really be scary. Like recently I got called back for a mammogram because of an “area of concern”. So, I needed to call to schedule a diagnostics appointment to diagnose what they saw.

My point is that I was SCARED to make that appointment and it was obviously and rightfully causing me some serious anxiety. Like, no sleep, couldn't think, panic. So, I decided to call and make the freaking appointment and deal with it.

It ended up being nothing. I guess that happens when the techs don't squeeze the girls hard enough during the mammogram. (The diagnostics tech by the way, told me and I'm telling you so you don't end up with the same thing – if you can handle it, tell the tech to SQUEEZE THEM HARD!!! It'll help prevent you from having to go back for a false positive – as they are very common.)

ANYWAY… I digress.

The point is that sometimes doing the scary thing is better than not and dealing with the anxiety instead. (Says the girl who is supposed to go in for a colonoscopy due to family history… and is putting it off.)

So, again, guys, I am not sitting here on a pedestal. I'm next to you, dealing with this. So, yeah. DOING THE THING can be the most effective way of ending that bout of anxiety. Whether it's taxes, filing papers that you don't want to, making a phone call or having a discussion that you don't want to have, or making an appointment to find out the answer for the thing that's scaring you.

However… if that doesn't work or you aren't strong enough yet… then you can also try all of the ideas below, while coming back to the THING as you are able.

And, if there's no thing, obviously you can skip this one this time. But remember it for next time, just in case the cause of your anxiety is something that with a few hours of struggle, you can for real put behind you.

2. Have Sex.

‘Nuff said. But it works. (…Wiggles eyebrows…)

3. Music.

Music has the power to transform us. For you, it might be blasting AC/DC or Metallica that allows your spinning head to just take a break for a bit. Or it may be Opera. Or perhaps you prefer sitting down and playing an instrument and making your own music.

For me, it's Broadway showtunes. When I feel my chest tighten while I'm at my computer, I'll go fold some laundry while Mary Poppins, the Phantom, Maria, Alexander Hamilton, or Glinda is singing to me. It's not a CURE for anxiety, but it does take the edge off long enough that I can recenter sometimes.

This is another reason to have Amazon Prime if you don't yet. They have tons of show tunes you can get on the app and play on your phone. Or if you prefer some country, or christian, classic rock, or zen, they have great music in those genres, too.

4. Avoid the Thing.

So #1 was to deal with the thing that is stressing you out if at all possible. But sometimes, if the thing is a person or a situation that you can't control at the moment, then it's ok to avoid it for a period of time if you need to. Whether it's a negative, toxic person, or a negative, toxic situation – if you need to avoid it and you CAN avoid it, then do so without any guilt at all. Yes, even if that person is your sibling or a co-worker, you can limit the contact to manage the situation until you can deal with it. Give yourself grace to avoid the stress or at least limit it as much as you can. There's no reason why you should suffer.

Of course, our end goal is to be able to be around the negative and toxic people but have our own happy bubble of self-esteem and personal development around us that allows us to let it bounce right off. Some days my bubble is strong. Other days it's not. I'm working on it. And I hope you are working on yours, too. Hugs.

5. Limit Caffeine, Gluten, Sugar, Alcohol, and Dairy.

I know, BOO! Right? I don't always eat perfectly, and when I don't I can tell. The good news is that when I avoid gluten, sugar (including my beloved wine), and dairy, I also lose weight. So, less anxiety and lose a few inches. SCORE!

For instance, I love wine. But I also know that having a few glasses, while it SEEMS like it's helping for a few hours, just makes my anxiety worse, for me in the long run. And, I love having cream in my coffee. But… I don't. Because I know, for me, it adds to inflammation, which makes me feel yuck and the anxiety gets worse. So, there's that. Take it or leave it. It's just my experience. It may not be yours. Just keep an eye on it because the information is helpful and it's good to know what triggers you, in case you need to pull out all the stops.

Honestly, even if you are dealing with a real life situation that's real that's causing anxiety, if it feels like you can't get on top of it no matter what you do, you might consider getting rid of the foods that make your brain have to work harder to stay calm – at least until the situation is resolved. Who knows? Maybe like me you'll find it motivating enough to avoid some of those foods forever.

A lot of people apparently have significantly less anxiety on the Whole30 which is how I lost 30 lbs last January. It really does help my mood to eat this way, too.

Resources:

• It Starts With Food: Discover the Whole30 and Change Your Life in Unexpected Ways (book)
• Whole30 for Beginners (website)

6. Be a Kid for a Bit.

I talk about in the Awesomization Nation 30 Day Challenge. Sometimes there's nothing that feels better than going to the park and hopping on a swing, and just swinging for a bit. Let the wind blow through your hair and go back in time to a day when you didn't have the worries of work, bills, appointments, and taking care of a family.

I also love nothing more than going on a bike ride. Again, the wind blowing across my skin and not a care in the world.

What could feel better when you're feeling tied down by obligations than taking time to be completely and totally FREE?

I recommend it. It's a good sanity break.

What else makes YOU feel like a kid again? 

Jumping on your trampoline? Blowing bubbles? Grabbing a hoola hoop? Doing a cannonball off the diving board into the swimming pool?

Who cares what you look like. Go do it.

7. Ladies – Track your Anxiety to See if It's Tied to Hormones. (Oh no she didn't!)

I know… “Since when is Nik talking about periods on her blog? Isn't this about business?” Yes, but I'm still going to do it. Because I  know that it affects ME. And it's my blog so I get to do what I want.

I schedule my creative work like any important writing that I want to get done to work on during certain weeks of the month, because it's easier. (OMG… I'm so tempted to say that it flows better, but I wont.)

For me, my anxiety spikes with PMS. I have it other times of the month and it can be mild to severe, but I KNOW that from day 14 through day 28, I'm usually on a downhill spiral and I need to pull out all of the stops to get through it. And that's my point. If you're not tracking it, when the bad days (and weeks) come, you may think that it'll never end. However, if you're tracking the days, then you can look at your calendar and realize that there IS a light at the end of the funnel and it's not a train heading right at you. It's a relief. At least for a few weeks.

So, yes, I pull out all of the stops during this time, covering myself in essential oils, until I'm afraid to lay on anything because I might slide right off. And side benefit: the smells make the dogs try to rub all over me like I'm a dead squirrel… THANKS BOYS.

I also try to be extra good with the eating part above during this time  – which some days I do well, and other times, I say “F” it and drink a bottle of wine (or maybe a bottle and a half), flop into bed, and cry.

There is one side benefit of tracking this. If your anxiety is truly made worse by your hormones, that's something you can work on. Chat with your doc about it, of course, since again, I'm not one. But there are also ways to work on balancing your hormones naturally. (Diet is one.)

8. You can't be stressed if you're covered with kittens, or puppies, or babies.

Snuggle an animal or borrow a baby for a bit. Like legally and stuff.

Smell the sweet heads. Close your eyes and let the Puppy Xanax (or as I call it Panax) take effect.  Continue as needed.

I do this with my three big boys. I climb into bed for a few minutes, and all 200+ lbs of them jump in with me and get as close to me as they can. Then they do that weird circle and they flop down, happy. I get my Panax fit and then am mostly ready to face life again. OR I take a nap and then tackle the world.

9. Supplemental Help.

Speaking of treating things naturally, I do take some supplements that help. Again, I'm not a doctor so talk to yours first.

• Multi-Vitamin – I like the Garden of Life brand because it's whole food based, but choose your favorite.
• Curcumin – Turmeric is a good anti-inflammatory. So I take it.  Not every day, but especially if I don't eat well to help “un-inflame” me.

Also, I read the book called The Mood Cure a few years ago, and have now bought it 4 times because my copy keeps ending up going home with friends.

Basically, according to her, there are 4 main chemicals in our brains that can get deficient. And each type of anti-depressant and anti-anxiety medication is formulated to bring up the levels in one area of the brain. But there are also ways to supplement to bring them up, too. So there's a quiz to see which ones you might be deficient in. Then the book goes through several ways you can work on healing that part of the brain.

IMPORTANT: If you're currently on any meds, she recommends not doing anything until you talk with a doc. And, of course, you always should talk with your doc, assuming you have a doc that will listen.

Personally, I added a few of her suggestions that I felt were safe after I researched them. I avoided some of her recommendations that had potential side affects or aversions.  I do not take all of these every day, but I do regularly.

• I upped my Omega 3s quite a bit. I DEFINITELY notice a difference when I take my fish oil verses when I don't.  In fact, I sent a bottle to college with my son with instructions to take it morning and night and he texted me “I had something happen today that would normally really stress me out, and it didn't.”
• Magnesium – Some of the vitamins include magnesium so I don't always take it but I will take it before bed if I feel a little agitated. I like Natural Vitality Calm. There are a variety of flavors. IMPORTANT SIDE NOTE: Start small if you take this. It has the side benefit of helping you to poop. So, don't drink a bunch of it before a meeting or something. I don't want you (or the people in the meeting) to hate me.
• Increased my Vitamin D (after another blood test) to get it into optimal range. (Garden of Life)
• Added Calcium (Garden of Life)
• Am taking a few relaxing aminos that she recommends.  (L-theanine and GABA and a few others – I just looked around for a few blends that had them and picked one that looked good.) I only take these later in the day.

Resources:

• The Mood Cure – There are other books along these lines on Amazon that are diets specifically for anxiety. I just really like this one.
• Natural Vitality Calm – variety of flavors and remember my warning about the side effect

10. Support isn't Just for your Boobs.

I get by with a little (LOT) of help from my friends.

I honestly don't even know where to begin with this section. I am so unbelievably blessed with the best friends on earth who love me despite my flaws, and support me and LIKE me, even when I don't like myself, when I feel broken, and when I feel unlovable.

If you don't have the support of a community of people who understand the unique struggles of the heart of an entrepreneur, I wish that very much for you.

Here are the places that I've hung out and where I recommend myself:

• Earn1kaDay – Dennis Becker's forum is a very helpful and supportive place to connect with other marketers.  This is pretty “online marketing” heavy so it's perfect for you if you identify with that group most.

Beachpreneurs (Ladies Only) – Our Beach events are all about connection. I would love for you to consider attending one of them if you are a female entrepreneur. We have three separate types of events.

• Beach Camp – This is a hotel event that's held in Daytona Beach. It's for anyone at any level. We do topic tables and have speakers, and you'll have all kinds of time to enjoy the beach with your new friends.
• Beach House – Our Mastermind Retreat is held in Pensacola Beach, Florida and it's by application because we'll all be in the same house for a few days together. (Max 15 women including me and Kelly and our facilitator.)
• Beach Cottage – This Done-with-You Retreat is held in various locations and it's me, Kelly, and one or two Virtual Assistants plus 2-4 guests. We dig into your business and tackle one area that will best impact your business for the next six months. Whether that's setting up your lists and a plan for mailing them, implementing your affiliate program, drawing out your funnels, or coming up with a content strategy, we're all yours. There's plenty of time for sushi and beach in between. (Contact Kelly if you're interested in more information here.)

On the same front, sometimes friends isn't what you need, but you still need support in other ways. If that's the case, you might consider a coach. HOWEVER, while there are tons of great coaches, there are a lot of abusive and scary coaches out there, too. So please choose carefully.

Here are some recommendations if you're in the market.

• Me. I specialize in helping infoproduct sellers to multiple their marketing. So if you have 1. a passion and an audience (but no product yet), or 2. a product that's making some sales but you don't have a big enough audience yet, or 3. both but you're not making enough sales, I might be the perfect person for you. I only work with 5 people max at any time, and you can see exactly what I do and who I work with here.
• Kelly McCausey. My dear friend, Kelly, is AMAZING at helping you to get clarity on your business, plan your content, and/or build your community.
• Paul Evans. I just adore Paul. He's got a simple, super smart, straight shooting way about him that is endearing to me. I've hired him for coaching over the years and he's been very generous with his time and knowledge. I recommend him 100% if you feel he's the right fit for you.

11. Coloring?

Yes, Coloring. Like taking your hand and coloring on paper, with a crayon, pencil or marker. That kind of coloring. It is very relaxing to a lot of adults. So it might be worth a try.

The cool thing is that it's the new trend for adults, so you're hip when you relax and chill for awhile and color. Who knew?

Resources:

• Download these free coloring pages.
• And this fun one from Leonie Dawson, too. (you'll find it on that page)
• These are the pens I use to color.

If coloring isn't your thing, I hear knitting has the same effect.  Heads up: You may spend a lot of money if you get addicted to yarn. You've been warned.

12. Hire out your stress.

If you've been following me for more than a day you probably know that I've been called the Queen of Outsourcing as one of my nicknames. The Queen of Passive Income, too, but we'll save that for another post.

So what do I outsource? Anything and everything that I can that makes sense to do so.

I write my own blog posts and emails. I do my own networking.  I parent my kids. I snuggle my own sexy husband.

However, I outsource pretty much everything else that I can.

Housekeeping? Yes.

Customer support? Yes.

It's funny. I was spending literally hours every day on my own customer support back in 2006. I outsourced it and my bill the first month was $30. Yes, that's THIRTY dollars, not a typo. It became very obvious very quickly that I am one to chase rabbit trails apparently. So, I spent $1/day to get hours back. Worth it? YEAH.

If you don't have the funds right not to outsource the big stuff, then outsource the small stuff without guilt.

Buy a rotisserie chicken for dinner and a bagged salad instead of cooking from scratch if it makes your life easier. WITHOUT guilt. If it eases your anxiety levels a bit and feeds your family decent food, then it's a win-win for sure. SCORE one for you!

I'll be writing a big post about how to outsource on the cheap soon. It's in the works. But for right now, embrace shortcuts. Shortcuts are your friends. I sure do.

13. Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)

EFT is also known as Tapping. I don't know a whole lot about it other than it's worked for me a few times in the past and I want more of that. What it looks like (and please forgive me as I am not an expert) is a bit odd to see. But you talk out loud about whatever issue you have while tapping with your fingers on the side of your hand, the top of your head, various places on your face, your collarbone, and under your arm. It is like counseling meets acupressure.

I don't know all of the things it can work with, but I'm personally working on anxiety and fears, self-worth, and letting go of old hurts so far. And I'm looking forward to seeing what other YUCKY stuff I can drop off my back, too.

Resources:

• Ingrid Dinter – Free EFT Manual (click on the cover on that page). She's amazing. While you can do EFT on your own, after Ingrid and I did a session a few years ago, I hired her to do some private sessions with me during a particularly hard time and it really helped a lot.  It helps to have someone listen and work directly with your exact issue. I can't wait until our next session. I immediately noticed a physical difference in my jaw, where I normally clench and hold tension most of the time. It's not perfect yet, but it's a lot better than it was.
• Background and Science Behind EFT – That'll give you an idea of what it is and why it works.
• Basics of EFT – Some more basic info if you have no idea what I'm talking about.

14. Essential Oils: They Don't Just Smell Good.

Essential oils help me to relax and focus while I’m working. They also help me unwind at night so I can fall sleep. I'm also using them to help me to balance my hormones. And yes, they smell good, too.

I use them in two main ways. (And, no I'm not a licensed Aromatherapist, either, so do your own research.)

Topically. 

I love applying oils on me. In fact, it's the way that I get the most noticeable results. Of course, you should always dilute your essential oils in some sort of plain oil. (It's called a carrier oil, like a carrier pigeon. It's mean to carry the oils into your body safely.)

I will also put a few drops into some epsom salts and then put it into my bathwater. The salts help so that the oil doesn't just float on top, plus they also help you to relax. Major benefit is that you can then breathe it in the entire bath.

A few items of caution:

• Some oils are “hot” oils. If you put them on without a carrier oil, they will sting. Don't do that.
• Certain oils are photosensitive which means that, if you put them on your skin, and then go into the sun, you can get some weird brown spots. Don't do that.

Other than that, have fun!

Air-ily.

(What's that called when you diffuse oils? Someone will let me know, I'm sure. OH Aromatherapy!!!)

I also diffuse oils on occasion, but I don't love it as much. I usually reserve that for when I'm sick and I want to do peppermint and lemon to help me breathe.

But we're talking about mood. And so I do sometimes load up the diffuser with water and an oil or a few of them that I know are relaxing ones and let ‘er rip.

I like it. It makes me feel like I'm doing something nice for myself and it does make me relax some. Perhaps I'm just not the patient type and I prefer to just slather some on.

I also make a spray that I can use before I go into the shower. I have a small amber bottle with a sprayer, and I put a bit of vodka in the bottom (to disperse the oils once the water is added), 10-20 drops of whatever oils I want, then  I add distilled water to it. I spray the air before I get into the shower and it makes for a nice spa experience.

One other interesting use. You can purchase jewelry that is made for oils to be applied. For instance, I have a necklace with a piece of fabric inside to put oils on. I wear it sometimes when I speak, so before I go on, I can do a deep breathe through my nose to relax and get ready to rock and roll.

Relaxing Oils: 

• Clary Sage (This is one that I also use to help balance my hormones, when necessary.)
• Lavender
• Vetiver
• Ylang Ylang
• Rose
• Valerian
• Bergamot (It's weird, but I literally can not smell this one. But it's supposed to smell good.)
• Frankincense
• Chamomile
• Geranium
• Cedarwood
• Jasmine

And pretty much any blend that has any of those in it.

Resources:

• I use these oils. I have for several years and am a distributor. But you can use your favorite brand.   Just do your research and make sure they're safe. I wouldn't get them at Walmart, but there are lots of awesome places to get safe and effective oils.

15. Grab a Glass of Water or Tea.

From my research, most people are chronically dehydrated, and that can contribute to anxiety.

So why risk it? If you're feeling anxiety building, take a moment and make yourself a nice decaf cuppa herbal tea. Chamomile, anyone?

Resource:

• Tazo Herbal Teas on Amazon Prime (Target also has this brand.)

16. Slow it Down.

This is one of my favorite quotes and I hope I've got it attributed correctly:

“In an age of speed, I began to think, nothing could be more invigorating than going slow.

In an age of distraction, nothing can feel more luxurious than paying attention.

And in an age of constant movement, nothing is more urgent than sitting still.

You can go on vacation to Hawaii or New Orleans three months from now, and you’ll have a tremendous time, I’m sure.

But if you want to come back feeling new – alive and full of fresh hope and in love with the world – I think the place to visit may be Nowhere.”

~ Pico Iyer, The Art of Stillness

Along those lines, two of my new favorite things are yoga and meditation. Actually, yoga isn't really new to me. I've just recently decided to really make it a part of my life again. By next April, I will actually be a yoga teacher. I'm going through the training now.

However, if you're not into yoga and meditation, then replace this section with prayer or whatever makes you happy. I'm easy.

Resources:

• If you're interested in trying meditation, I like this free 30 day meditation series.
• If you're interested in trying yoga, they also have a 30 day program for beginners, too.

17. Sweat it out.

As I mentioned, I've been doing a lot of yoga lately and am in training to become a yoga instructor. What you may not know is that there are a lot of different types of yoga. There's more of a mellow (zen) yoga and there's “OMG I'M COVERED IN SWEAT AND EVERYTHING HURTS” yoga.

To me, both help alleviate anxiety in different ways.

For the mellow yoga, there's a lot of  soft music, stretching, and sometimes a nice head massage at the end (YAY!). I leave there feeling relaxed and ready to face my day.

But sometimes, I need to sweat out the stress. I go to hot yoga class and prepare to pour sweat out of my body for an hour. When I leave, I have no energy to be stressed. I literally left it all on the mat. All I can do from there is drink water, take a soapy shower, and then I'm too tired to be stressed, so I can actually get some things done that I need to focus on.

So, if you're feeling a lot of anxiety, hit the sauna or hit the gym or go on a run. You might come back and feel like you have some clarity and calm that you've been seeking.

18. Laugh it Out.

Give yourself a bit to just laugh. It truly is good medicine.

Either grab a funny book on Audible, turn on Amazon Instant Music to the Comedy section, or watch a favorite movie.

Here are some of the movies I turn to when I need a good laugh. I like slapstick, so yours may be very different:

• RV with Robin Williams
• Airplane
• Groundhog's Day
• Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
• Shrek
• Happy Gilmore
• City Slickers
• The Jerk
• Napoleon Dynamite (You'll either love this or hate it.)
• Young Frankenstein
• National Lampoon's Vacation
• National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
• Most Monty Python Movies

I'm sure I'm missing some of my favorites, and, like I said, yours may be totally different. That's awesome, too. I would love to know, though, in the comments.

If you still don't feel better, invite some friends over and play a ridiculous card game, try on old prom dresses,  have one of those passion parties (where you get to pretend to look confused and say “THAT'S supposed to go WHERE?”), or have them bring over a movie that you can watch together. If that doesn't work, pull out your old high school yearbooks. Those are always good for a laugh.

19. Focus Outwards.

With depression, this works really well, but most people don't think of it for anxiety, too. It works for both, in my experience.

When I'm having a hard time with anxiety, it's usually me focusing on ME. So, if I can turn my focus on helping others, then I'm less able to ruminate and obsess about my own stuff because I'm busy helping someone else.

This is a great time to go volunteer or reach out to someone who you know is lonely or could use your help. Try it. What's the worst that can happen? You make someone's day?

20. Fill your Brain with So Much Positivity that The Negative Can't Get In.

Have you ever had someone pull the old “Don't think about a White Elephant” trick on you? There's a special place in hell for those people. Oh crap. I just did it. Never mind…

Anyway, once someone tells you not to think of something, you can't help but think of it and you really start to think you're going to have a white elephant in your head for the rest of your life. UNLESS…

You simply choose to replace that thought with another one.

So if you tell yourself “Self, I'm tired of White Elephants. I would really like to think about a pink bunny instead…”

VOILA! Like magic. You pulled a pink bunny out of your hat.

The same works with “ear worms”. Songs that get stuck into your head, like, for instance, “Karma Chameleon”.  Oh crap. I did it again.

So how do you get it out of your head? You don't. Ever.

I'm a man without conviction
I'm a man who doesn't know
How to sell a contradiction
You come and go
You come and go

Take a sec and think of a different song, if you must. Then continue.

So how does this apply to anxiety?

I believe that the same effect is in place.

If our brains are filled with negative stuff and we have that negative pattern stuck on replay, we have to actively and intentionally do two things to stay happy and calm.

1. Filter some of the bad from going in.
2. Replace it with good stuff.

Whatever that is for you. I choose to fill my brain with good stuff.

For me? I've customized my Facebook feed so that I don't see most of the yucky stuff that was coming through. It's completely cleaned – and I like it that way. If I do see a friend post something that I don't like, I click “I don't want to see this” and then I don't have to. I don't watch the news or CSI or horror movies or Dateline. I don't go to sites that make my anxiety worse. I protect myself from the things that add to my anxiety. That's not to say I'm totally sheltered. I read news stories. I just don't watch them on TV.

Then I add in awesome stuff. I read and listen to a lot of personal development and I enjoy surrounding myself with positive stories and people.

What makes your heart happy?

Inspirational stories, podcasts about successful and happy things, the bible, affirmations.

You do YOU. Whatever lifts and grounds you…  Read or listen to that. Flood your brain with so much postive that there's no room for negative to sneak in.

Or as T Harv Eker explained in Secrets of the Millionaire Mind and I'm going to paraphrase this.

We will all face problems that are big in life. All of us. That's part of life. We can't control that. What we CAN control, however, is how big WE are when facing them. How STRONG we are. How many TOOLS we have to deal with them.

If we grow bigger than any problem that we might face, it will seem small in comparison. That should be our goal.

Pretty cool, right?

21. Get outside. Anxiety hates fresh air.

We already talked about going to the park and swinging or going on a bike ride and feeling like a kid again. One part of why that works so well, is because it brings us back to a simpler time in our lives.

The other reason it works is that fresh air is magic pixie dust and anxiety fears it.

So go outside and head to your favorite place.

Love the water? Then go! If you have a lake, pond, creek, or beach near you. Sit and chill for a while. Don't take your work with you. Just sit. Or walk or run or skip or salsa or do a hand-stand against a tree or bring a SUP or kayak and paddle around.

I don't care. Just get fresh air. (Ok. Now, I'm challenging my inner Dr. Seuss.)

Or heck, find a fountain downtown and just sit and stare at it. No agenda other than to escape safely for a bit.

If water isn't your thing, start a fire in your fireplace, a little campfire in your backyard, or light a candle and just look at the flame awhile.

Or head into the mountains if that's what relaxes you.

Don't like to sit still? Then go to a beautiful place and go on a walk. Don't just “go on a walk” around your neighborhood. Take the extra 10 minutes to drive somewhere you LOVE and go on a walk there. Take deep breaths, listen to the birds, or whatever makes you happy. Just enjoy the experience, rejuvenate and come back, hopefully less anxious.

Really go. YOUR health is more important than anything on your to do list. Trust me.

Sound silly? This is a much healthier choice and has less calories than eating to escape or drinking to escape, so just do it.

22. Get help.

Of course, I would be totally irresponsible if I didn't say that sometimes we need to get help from someone who is qualified to help. A mental health professional, a doctor to get some meds, etc. Whether it's short term or long term help, get it without a moment's hesitation. If you feel unsafe, then obviously call 911. Because we can undo a lot of stuff, but some things we can't and you matter too much to continue to suffer and not be able to be your awesomest self.

23. Sometimes you just need to hide from it all for a bit. And that's ok.

On the occasion that you've tried the things above and you still feel like you can't shake it, then it's time to put on something comfy, grab a pillow and the snuggliest blanket you can find and go flop somewhere and hide from life for a bit.

• Read a good book.
• Watch something on Netflix (but don't go binging days away… I know us)
• Take a nap.
• Cuddle a puppy.

With big hugs.

Warmly,
Nicole Dean

PS. I would love to hear your favorite stress and anxiety reducing tricks. And please share this post if you loved it. <3 Thank you!

I was in the second hangout and there was a lot of great info discussed so I wanted to share it with you.

You can join us in Toronto next month through this link: Exposure and Profit

The smart people featured in the video are all attending Exposure and Profit and are Advisors and Speakers.

They include:

• Alice Seba
• David Perdew
• Justin Popovic
• Ronnie Nijmeh
• Dan Morris
• Derrall Eves

The only speaker who wasn't able to make it on this call was Connie Ragen Green. She was on the call the day before, though, so she wasn't slacking or anything.

I hope you enjoy the discussion. I did!

Warmly,
Nicole Dean

PS. If you enjoyed that and want to learn lots more about content marketing and also get a big hug from me, be at  Exposure & Profit, Toronto, Canada – Click here for Details.

This week I asked our panel of experts…

“How do you get your mojo back when it's flown the coop?”

I think you'll find the responses interesting.

Terry Dean of My Marketing Coach says:

I’ve lost my mojo multiple times over the years.

Here are 3 ways I’ve attacked it head on… and got my mojo back when it all feels lost.

#1 – Take a Break

Often it’s the day-to-day activities and the overwhelm that sucks the life out of you.

You’re so dug into the projects you’re working on that you don’t feel you can come up for air.

The best thing to do when you’re in that situation is to take a break. Stop staring at the problem. Get out and do something fun.

It could be as short as a few hours out of the office to watch a movie or go to lunch. Or it could be a weekend trip… or even an entire month break from your business.

Step out of the stress and the day-to-day activities. Look at the problem from a different situation and remind yourself what it is you love about what you do.

That leads us to the second part…

#2 – Focus on your Vision

During your break, take time out to look at your plan. What is your long-term vision?

Too many internet marketers are running their business by the seat of their pants. You’re overwhelmed because you’re taking on a whole bunch of activities that aren’t essential to your vision.

Eliminate all the unnecessary activities you added simply because they sounded like good ideas at the time.

Automate as many day-to-day activities as possible.

Delegate everything that’s outside your expertise or below your ‘pay grade.’

Where do you want to be in your business 12 months from today? Once you’ve written that down in detail, work backwards from there to what you want to accomplish in the next 90 days.

Then create a weekly and daily growth plan to take another baby step toward your vision every day.

#3 – Join a Passionate Mastermind Group or Find a Mentor

Enthusiasm is contagious.

And online marketing can be a lonely business if you allow yourself to be isolated.

Find others who are passionate about what they do. Share ideas. Grow together.

Hold each other accountable.

Avoid the complainers! Don’t keep participating in any forum, group, or club where it quickly becomes a pity party of how hard it is out there.

Some people have a ‘recession mindset’ while business is booming all around them.

Either find a mastermind group or connect with a mentor proven to help others move forward.

Lou Bortone of Video in a Day says:

How do you get your mojo back when it's flown the coop?

I ‘recharge my batteries' by attending (or speaking at) industry events and conferences. Despite being an introvert, I love the camaraderie that comes from events like NAMS, where we get to reconnect with old friends and make new ones. Of course, the shenanigans that often happen after the sessions are the most fun and really help to restore my mojo when I've been running on empty!

Lain Ehmann of Crafting Your Business, Step-by-Step says:

For some reason, people think they have to “feel it” to be productive. I think the difference between a professional and a hobbyist is that the professional shows up whether their mojo is in the house or not. Just think of Celine Dion – do you think she tells her sold-out crowds in Vegas, “Nope, sorry. Just not feeling it tonight.” Emotions are a transitory thing. Some days I feel like sitting down to work, and some days I feel like curling up under my covers and reading junky novels. If I give in to the latter too often, I'll be in big trouble!

That being said, I can get burnt out at times. After a big event, I need to give myself time to physically recover and to reconnect with my family, who have been surviving on mac ‘n' cheese for the past week. A day or two of down time can re-charge my batteries and get me ready for the next big project.

I also can get zapped if I'm spending too much time doing the tasks and projects best left to someone else (like customer service). If I'm feeling blah day after day for an extended period of time, usually this is the reason; I've been doing soul-sucking work, rather than soul-fulfilling work. Then I have to realign my task list to better reflect the projects I'm excited about.

Kelly McCausey of Solo Smarts Podcast says:

Sometimes I lose my mojo and sometimes I lose my vision… both have a similar effect on me. I grind to a halt and feel stuck.

When I lose my mojo for business, when it all feels like it's been said or done before, I seek to spend time with newcomers. They see everything with fresh eyes and ask great questions. This lights a fire under me and before I know it, my mojo is burning brightly again.

Ideas for getting in touch with Newcomers:

1. Volunteer to be interviewed by a new blogger or podcaster.
2. Spend time answering questions on Forums and Facebook Groups.
3. Take on a Mentee or Intern
4. Offer an Open Phones Day. Here's How: Open Phone Lines Training

When I have mojo but lack vision on where to go next, I seek to spend time with successful contemporaries. They shine a light on my potential and make me realize I'm bonkers to not live up to it. With a little brainstorming and planning, my forward vision gets a jumpstart and I'm off and running again.

Ways to connect with Contemporaries:

1. Go to Live Events like Exposure and Profit or NAMS
2. Join a Mastermind Group. Example.
3. Start a Podcast, maybe even try the Round Table Format. Example. List Building Roundtable
4. Attend a Business Retreat like Beachpreneurs.com

We call get stuck now and then, but we don't have to stay there!

Kristen Eckstein of Free Book Promo says:

It happens to all of us. I lost my mojo. Writer’s block was in full force. And my deadline was less than 24 hours.

I did get it done (about 10,000 words), and Author’s Quick Guide to Having a Successful Book Signing was released on time. WOO-HOO! So how did I do it? How did I get my writing mojo back?

• Accountability—My coach issued this challenge to me, and she checked in to see how my progress was going. That lit a little fire under my behind…
• Mastermind—I’m part of a small mastermind group and we had our bi-weekly check-in meeting Wednesday morning. Telling them what I was up to helped renew the spark of excitement I had when the project was brand new two weeks before.
• Left-Brained Activities—Some might call it procrastination, but during my “off kilter” time I played in the kitchen with raw food recipes (and ate a LOT of chocolate), put together office furniture, ran errands, worked out and pretty much did everythingexcept write.
• Right-Brained Activities—When I felt my mojo start to return, I fostered it by playing with LEGOs, playing with my cat and playing with food (a left- and right-brained activity).
• Chocolate—I ate a LOT of chocolate! Raw cacao has energy and creativity-boosting properties, so I ate a ton of it. 

The fact is, all writers, entrepreneurs, artists—well, pretty much everyone who’s ever embarked on a large project like writing a book—loses their mojo once in a while. No one can say when your mojo leaves, how or when it will return. Mine hit suddenly around 9pm on Wednesday night, after a full day of the above activities. Having a coach hold me accountable was huge. She’s pushing me to go further than I think I can, and celebrating when I surprise myself. My mastermind group does a similar thing and offers support with like-minded people. And combining left- and right-brained activities opens the neurological pathways between the two hemispheres. Of course, my personal opinion is chocolate is what really did it. 

Nicole Dean of .. here! .. says:

When my mojo flies the coop, I chase it down and tackle it in a few different ways and drag it back, even if it's kicking and screaming.

Yes, it happens to ALL of us. Like my friends above, I've been in this business a long time for TEN years (since 2004) and I've definitely had my on and off periods of time.

My friends touched on many of the things that I was going to mention, so I'll come at it from another angle.

1. Avoid loss of mojo in the first place. Have a vision and understand that what you do impacts other people. If your #1 goal in business is to profile AND make the web and the world a better place, then by not running your business, you aren't making the web and the world better. Right?

2. Take your vitamins. Seriously – good vitamins can really affect your entire mood, energy levels, and overall outlook on life, the universe and everything.  I keep mine sitting on my desk, so that I remember to take them every day. I notice that when I forget, I fade.

3.  Have people dependent on you. I have my team (assistants, customer support, writers, designers, etc), business partners, my family, my coaching clients, and even my dogs dependent upon my success. I don't have the luxury of crawling into bed too long before I have to get my butt up and get busy getting things done.

4. Allow for the down times and don't beat yourself up when they happen. Forgive yourself as you would forgive others. Don't get into a spiral of “I suck… ” because it doesn't help you to get back on your feet.

5. Keep track of your progress. With my coaching clients, I always recommend they create a spreadsheet or notebook of “Where I am Now” so they can track their progress. Otherwise, if growth is slow and steady, you may not realize that you're moving forward unless you have a way to look back. It's kind of like with weight loss. If you haven't seen someone in a year, and they've been losing 1-2 lbs per month, they may not realize how different they look, but you sure will.

6. Have some happy reminders near your desk. I have cards and printouts by my desk from people who have taken the time to send me words of love. These are from past coaching clients, friends whose lives I've touched through my work, and colleagues. I pick those up and reread them from time to time when I need a boost.

7. Most importantly – have some recurring income streams in place. When my mojo runs off – I have enough passive income streams and recurring revenue streams in place that I don't have to panic. I can take a break and not freak out about it. It's ok and that's a great feeling for me. I hope you have some in place as well. If not – please listen to the free audio on the top of this page to learn why it's so important to me that you start adding income streams today. Passive Income & Recurring Income Training

Warmly,
Nicole Dean

PS. If all of the above fails, write a blog post about getting your mojo back and then you'll talk yourself into getting your stuff done. Busted.

I wanted something that'll make a difference in your life.

And, finally BAM! It came to me.

One of my favorite presenters at NAMS gave a talk about money… about how so many of us have issues with it and have baggage and guilt about wanting to have more of it.

Even my own husband had views of wealthy people being evil.

Me? Personally, I love money and want oodles of it, but I'm weird.

Anyway, it reminded me of a talk by Ray Edwards when he said

“The best way to help poor people is to NOT be one!”

Now taken out of context that could sound bad, but it's not.

He was giving YOU permission to prosper. And, encouraging us entrepreneurs to make lots of money so we can make the world a better place.

I found another version of that same talk and I'd like to share it with you. You can listen totally free here: Permission to Prosper

Ray is unapologetically Christian, and that transparency is appealing to me. If it's not your thing, I still suggest you listen. The message is one that so many of us need to hear.

Lots of warm, intelligent, good people like Ray come to NAMS.  I hope you'll consider attending in the fall.

The discount is not shown on the first page of the checkout, but it will be reflected during the second stage of checking out to bring the price down to $397. I hope to see you there.

Have a fantastic day! You deserve it.

Warmly and with Big Hugs,
Nicole Dean

PS. You Rock!

This one is called “Unlock the Creator in You“.

The cool thing is that this is not just an 80-page book. It's a system with printable action sheets and a bonus that includes five special binaural audios you can listen to when you need extra laser focus or to get your creative juices flowing. (I'm listening to one called “Mental Refresher” right now.) And, the price is definitely right.

Of course, if you know me, you know I like to give you a little sample so you can see if this is something that will benefit you.

So, here's an excerpt from his book (just one of  the dozens of ideas you'll learn) and a snapshot of one of the sample worksheets that Dennis graciously allowed me to share. I know you'll love it.

An Exercise to Get out of Any Rut You’re In

by Dennis Becker, author of  Unlock the Creator in You

If you’re stuck in a rut, it can be really hard to follow through on any creative idea. Whether you are in a rut in life or in business, it seems impossible to get out. As a first step, consider journaling why you’re in a rut. What are your feelings surrounding this experience? What can’t you do that you wish you could do? Sort out your feelings and you’ll be in a much better position to move forward.

What does the rut look like for you? Draw what the rut is–create a symbol for it. Let your imagination lead you–or your feelings in the drawing. Then, crumble up the drawing and throw it away–or even burn it. Don’t give it any power over you now that it has form. Sounds silly, I know… but the activity will make you smile and you’ll feel more powerful. Just try it.

Next, get out a piece of paper, draw 5 bubbles, and list one reason you’re in a rut in each bubble.

Then, draw 2 spokes from each bubble. On the spokes, brainstorm ways you’re going to get out of your rut.

You can also write a narrative about what getting out of the rut really means to you and what it looks like. Paint a picture for yourself of what your life looks like after you’ve gotten out of it.

Follow through on the ideas in this book and you’re 100% guaranteed to get out of your rut and to never get stuck in one again.

How to get access to this amazing course.

 Buy it cheap here: Unlock your Creative Thinking Side

Do this exercise and then tackle the ruts that are in your path so you can SHINE!

Big hugs,
Nicole Dean

PS. Don't you nod your head and click away. Scroll back up there and do the exercise. I double dog dare you.

PS again. If you're a member of Dennis' Earn1k a Day group – it's in the download area already. So go grab it there.

As you may know, I recently released a course called “Sticky Social Media” that has been a huge hit. The course comes with training videos showing 17 ways to quickly create graphics for social media sites. It also includes tons of other stuff, but you can see all of that on this page: Sticky Social Media

That got me thinking if I missed any good tools. So, this week I asked our panel of experts the following question.

“Regarding social media graphics.

What tools do you personally use to whip up quick and easy graphics to share on Social Media sites?”

I hope you like it.

Lynette Chandler of Tech Based Marketing says:

Right now, my favorite tool is Pixlr because it is online and I don't have to fire up clunky graphics software.

I even created a Pinterest Pixlr tutorial complete with downloadable templates -> Get the free Pinterest Pixlr Tutorial & Templates Here

I also use Keynote and finally, two fun tools on the iPad. FrameArtist+ and Over. FrameArtist+ is a little bit more versatile than Over but I love the fonts that come with Over. Their artwork packs are also really cool.

Dr. Mani of How to Set Goals says:

Nicole, this is one question I can answer

I have a screen capture tool called CaptureMe (for the Mac) which can resize and grab any portion of a screen for use as an image.

To edit an image by adding text or a quote, I make this ‘grabbed' image (the one I grabbed from my screen) the background of a table cell (takes a basic understanding of HTML to do this), and type in the text as the table cell's content. Sizing, positioning and any other formatting can be done with adding <b>, <i> or <center> and <align> tags.

Then, I use CaptureMe again to snap a photo of the edited image – and share it on social media.

Might sound elaborate or complex, but on average it takes me 3 minutes to modify and get ready an image, which beats the time it might take using a program or online image editing site!

Hope this helps.

Lou Bortone of Video in a Day says:

As Facebook (and obviously Pinterest and Instagram) become even more visually oriented, I think it's crucial to make your posts stand out with groovy graphics.

Quotes, tips and quips can all be turned into more interesting and compelling visuals using free online tools like ReciteThis.com and Pinwords.com. If you've got something to say, why not make it more fun to look at?

Kevin Riley of Blogpreneur Training says:

Although I have Photoshop on my Mac, I often am on another computer and want to quickly edit an image on the fly. In fact, I edited all my photos on my latest trip to Europe without Photoshop. How?

I used a fantastic new online image editor called PicMonkey. It's free for most functions (for a few bucks a month you can use all their functions, but I've never needed these) and you can edit an image in under a minute. Then, you download it back to your computer.

Nicole Dean of .. here! .. says:

As part of our Sticky Social Media training over at CoachGlue.com – I created several videos.

We decided to make two of them public for those of you who are curious if the training is simple enough to do yourself.

Here I show you how to use a free tool called KeepCalm-o-Matic.co.uk

It doesn't get much easier than this.

• The “Keep Calm” website is: http://www.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/
• To see more videos like this one, grab the training at Sticky Social Media

You can see the graphic that I created using the Keep Calm-o-Matic here:

We also show a few paid (but powerful) tools in the Sticky Social Media training.

Here's one that I use myself.  Instant Infographics

Again, here's where you can grab the  Instant Infographics tool.

And, you can grab our training at: Sticky Social Media,

Sample created with the Instant Infographics program:

I hope this gave you some ideas and made you smile.

Warmly,
Nicole Dean

PS. Of course, be sure to check out my contributors to this post:

• Lynette Chandler of Tech Based Marketing
• Dr. Mani of How to Set Goals
• Lou Bortone of Video in a Day
• Kevin Riley of Blogpreneur Training

I found a great Google Hangout recording that Dennis Becker did a few weeks ago all about the topic of Mindset.

I thought it would be good to share for a few reasons.

1. I really like Dennis and want to show him the love.
2. My good friend Connie Green is in this one, too.
3. The Hangout contains good info that is important to be reminded of.

Here it is. Enjoy!

The panel consists of Dennis Becker, Barb Ling, Connie Ragen Green, John Paduchak, and Justin Popovic.

In this recording you'll see an example of the cool people who hang in Dennis’ group over at Earn1KaDay.

The warmth and fun in this video also explains why I’ll be going to Vegas next month for Dennis' event. (Click on that link to join me.)

Recommended:

This weekend, Dennis released a new book about
how to make money QUICK (like in under a week) online.

Check that out here: Week One Profits

Warmly,
Nicole

Today, David wants to share a message about failure and, even moreso, about taking BIG risks.

He is currently doing a list-building challenge where he is trying to increase his mailing list by 1000% (Yes, that's one THOUSAND PERCENT!) in the next 30 days. You can watch along if you join his challenge and work alongside him. I encourage you to check it out.

-> Check out David's List Building Challenge  (The link will open in a new window so you won't lose this post.

All rightie. Without further delay, I hand over the stage to David.

Congratulations! You Are a Wonderful Failure?

by David Perdew

I love a good baseball analogy.

Ty Cobb is the best hitter in baseball history – all of baseball history. He stopped playing in 1928.

His failure rate was 63.4 percent.

He got a base hit just 1 out 3 times he stepped up to bat in 11,434 at attempts in his professional career. Ty Cobb was a super star with a success record that has held for 85 years.

Ty Cobb never thought he would go to the plate a failure, for sure. Failure was not on his mind. But I bet he was all about learning the pitcher’s style, his good pitches and his weak pitches. I bet he knew what the pitcher was going to throw before the pitcher knew.

He learned through his failures.

So, why is it that most of us are allergic to failure and attach shame and guilt when something doesn’t work?

Thomas J. Watson, the founder of IBM, had the answer to that question when he was interviewed in the 50’s. At that time, IBM was the biggest company in the world.

He was asked what the secret to his success was.

“It’s quite simple, really. Double your rate of failure.

You are thinking of failure as the enemy of success. But it isn’t at all. You can be discouraged by failure or you can learn from it.

So go ahead and make mistakes. Make all you can. Because remember that’s where you will find success.”

That’s where you will find success…

If you want success, fail more.

Man, that goes against everything we’re taught most of our life. Failure is bad. Failure is frightening. Failure means you’re not a good person. And you certainly aren’t perfect if you fail.

Watson alluded to two kinds of failure:

• Discouraging
• Educational

We don’t need to talk much about discouraging failure. Most of us know it too well.

It’s a failure that devastates us because we’re personally attached to the outcome.

We were absolutely sure that this task, this product, this relationship, this job – THIS was the one that was going to give me everything I want in life. This was the one that was going to solve all my problems. It would make me whole.

And when you get as old as I am, you finally realize that’s it’s never just one thing, but everything that adds up to who you are. You are today the sum of all your thoughts, behaviors and activities.

Failures are stepping stones to the success you’ve achieved if you finally learn from them.

Many years ago, I was on the fast track to stardom in the journalism world. I was young and dumb. I thought I was all that as my daughter says… So, I took the first job that offered more money and a little more sweet talk.

And man, was that a mistake.

I’d traded my values and my commitment to another company that had none.

Within 5 years, I was out of the journalism business because I couldn’t live with the choice I’d made.

That “failure” set me back for a long time. It broke my confidence and embarrassed me when I talked to my friends who were still living the journalism dream.

My concept of failure changed as I realized that it’s only a failure if we hide from it, stuff it in a drawer and don’t examine it.

Which brings me to failure of the educational variety

I teach something called The 6 Steps to Implementing Big Ideas.

It’s not complicated. In fact, it’s so simple that many people miss its importance. The steps are:

1) Dream
2) Prototype
3) Test
4) Execute
5) Feedback
6) Improve

Steps 2 and 3 embrace failure. In fact, you’re looking for as much failure there as you can muster. If you’re going to fail, you want to do it here.

If you haven’t executed your idea yet, but you’re testing it thoroughly with a low-cost or free prototype , then you’re not losing much money.

When we tell people to do research to find a profitable market before building a niche product, we’re telling them to find the prototypical customer. Test that customer. When customers tell you that there’s a problem, listen. Now’s the time to make the changes before you execute it.

(Prototype is a fancy word for a book outline, a drawing, a PowerPoint presentation, a mindmap or any number of communication tools.)

An educational failure is a blessing because it leads to greater success much faster.

Want to know how to create a disastrous failure? It’s really easy and guaranteed to work every time.

Skip the prototyping and testing steps and jump from Dream to Execute. Your chances of success are slim to none then.

One of my friends spent $18,000 producing a $97 product. She sold 2 of those. That’s a failure.

But, it’s only a failure if she doesn’t learn from it.

Remember what Watson said: “You are thinking of failure as the enemy of success. But it isn’t at all. You can be discouraged by failure or you can learn from it.”

I’m scaring a lot of people right now…

I’ve challenged people to think big and do things differently. I’m a big thinker. Always have been.

When I challenge people, I roll up my sleeves and get dirty too. We’re doing that now with my MyNAMS 30-Day List Building Challenge.

List building is an essential part of business. It’s about filling the prospect funnel. That’s why I’m challenging people to improve or finally create their lists. Without a list, they have no business.

I’m pushing people to take action and do things differently – and to test before spending a ton of money.

Everyone is setting goals. If they don’t have a goal, I’ll set one for them. If their goal isn’t to add at least 1,000 new subscribers in the 30 day challenge, then they aren’t pushing hard enough.

And that means they're afraid of failing!

My goal is ridiculous – insane some have said. I plan to increase my list size by 1000 percent – that’s adding about 50,000 new subscribers to one of the small lists I have.

If I get 10,000 new subscribers, is that a failure? I don’t think so. What’s really lying behind that goal is finding the 20 percent that works massively and discarding the other 80 percent that consumes my day.

I guarantee we’re going to fail a lot in this challenge. Some tactics won’t work at all. When one tactic turns out to be a waste of time, we’ll jump up and down and celebrate as we toss that tactic in the trash.

But when something works really well, let’s do as much of that as possible.

So stop thinking of failure as – well, failure. Think of it as the next step to success.

And remember, if you don’t try, you can’t fail. If you don’t fail, you don’t grow. If you don’t grow…what’s the point!

The MyNAMS 30-Day List Building Challenge is an ongoing challenge.

It’s happening live right now, but anyone can join at any time to start their own challenge. You’re invited to come in and succeed today.

David Perdew is the founder and CEO of the Novice to Advanced Marketing System and MyNAMS.com and produces two intense workshops each year in Atlanta, including NAMS10 coming up Aug. 9-11.

As part of the challenge, David is touring the blogosphere and posting marketing and list building insights on different blogs. You can find the complete schedule of all the blog posts – past and future – here.

Hey guys. It's me (Nicole) again.

I'd like to share a few other famous “failures” with you.

I've also shared this video before, but I love it so much I wanted to share it again.

Warmly,
Nicole Dean

PS. Be sure to check out the links from David. I'll put them here again for your reference.

• MyNAMS 30-Day List Building Challenge – Watch David grow his list and you can grow yours, too.
• NAMS10 in Atlanta coming up Aug. 9-11 – I'll be there!
• The 6 Steps to Implementing Big Ideas – Free Training

PS again – Here's that quote in pinnable format if you'd like to share it.

I'm really excited today to share my friend, Katie, who died a year ago today.  We just finished recording an interview and I think you'll like it.

The audio recording of our interview is in this blog post. Just look for the “play” button and listen. It’s free! Also, be sure to check out all of the resources listed below.

Step 1: Listen to the Interview.

Be sure to listen to the entire interview.

Katie eating her zebra cake:

Step 2: Check out these Resources Mentioned in this Show:

All links will open in a new window and not interfere while you're listening to the audio.

• Katie's Blog – with Pictures
• New Horizons for Children – Orphan Hosting
• My adoption story – in case you want to read it

Step 3: Share the Love.

If you liked this interview, don't keep it to yourself. Share the link with some friends by using the sharebar to the left. (Pretty please.)

Step 4: Make Sure you Don't Miss a Thing.

Either sign up for my blog updates
over there –>

Or grab my feed on iTunes so you can get lots more free interviews just like this one. (Please leave a glowing review while you're at it.)

Or Subscribe and Listen on Stitcher

Step 5: Get a free link on my blog

Please post your comments below after you listen to the interview. Show Katie the love so I can continue to get great guests like her.

Plus, of course, you can include your URL and your Twitter ID in the appropriate fields when you comment, as always.

Thanks again for being part of my business and my day. I'm looking forward to hearing what you learned and will apply from this interview.

Warmly,
Nicole Dean

Would you Like to Start a Podcast like Mine
and Have Cool People on your Show?
If you can make a telephone call, you can have a podcast, too:
Click here -> How to Start a Podcast

PS.  Here are the links mentioned again for your reference:

• Katie's Blog – with Pictures
• New Horizons for Children – Orphan Hosting
• My adoption story – in case you want to read it

Inspiration to so many… such a loss.

I found a video series on YouTube on Goal Setting that I'm enjoying. I wanted to share with you.  First, though, I'd like to share my favorite quotes from Zig, and, of course, some of his training on Amazon.

My 15 Favorite Zig Ziglar Quotes.

1. I believe that being successful means having a balance of success stories across the many areas of your life. You can't truly be considered successful in your business life if your home life is in shambles.

2. People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing – that's why we recommend it daily.

3. People don't buy for logical reasons. They buy for emotional reasons.

4. You cannot climb the ladder of success dressed in the costume of failure.

5. You do not pay the price of success, you enjoy the price of success.

6. Expect the best. Prepare for the worst. Capitalize on what comes.

7. A goal properly set is halfway reached.

8. Failure is a detour, not a dead-end street.

9. Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.

10. Remember that failure is an event, not a person.

11. If you can dream it, you can achieve it.

12. Money isn't the most important thing in life, but it's reasonably close to oxygen on the “gotta have it” scale.

13. Statistics suggest that when customers complain, business owners and managers ought to get excited about it. The complaining customer represents a huge opportunity for more business.

14. People who have good relationships at home are more effective in the marketplace.

15. Success is dependent upon the glands – sweat glands.

Awesome, right? I agree.

Check out Zig's Best-Selling Books and Audios on Amazon:

Here are those videos for you.

Goal Setting Video 1:

Goal Setting Video 2:

Goal Setting Video 3:

If you want to share how Zig has touched your life, you can leave a comment on his Facebook page for his family to read. http://www.facebook.com/ZigZiglar

Thank you for sharing my day.

Warmly,
Nicole Dean

PS. What's your favorite Zig quote? I'd love to hear. There are so many good ones.