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How do you know if your achieving work life balance?

How do you know if you’re achieving work life balance? Is it happiness? Is it the amount of time you’re spending in your garden or with your children?

achieving work life balanceThis article in the Guardian this week explained how a New Zealand company trialled a 4 day working week for 5 days pay to test how this would affect workers work life balance. It’s interesting that this two week trial showed a 24 point increase in achieving work life balance.

In November last year just over half (54%) of staff felt they could effectively balance their work and home commitments, while after the trial this number jumped to 78%.

That’s powerful isn’t it? Would you like to increase your work life balance indicator by 24 points? I think many people would! Especially busy business owners.

Measures for achieving work life balance

What measures do you use for achieving work life balance? We all have different aspirations, so what may sound feasible for one may be totally alien to another.

Amount of time at home v work – Even if you work from home, the separation of home time and work time is often the biggest factor people mention when talking about achieving work life balance. Do you have the amount of time in mind that you want to achieve? Is it 10 hours work time? Or is it about being home by 4pm when the children arrive home from school?

Some people work the other way around – how much time do I have available to work if I need to take the children to school, do my home jobs, do the shopping for my neighbour and be able to pick the children up. OK, maybe that’s extreme, but remember, this is about what’s right for you.

Quality time with the family – What do you mean by quality? Is it a day out? Is it having a meal and chat together? Is it reading stories before bedtime? Is it being in the same place at the same time? Define what this is for you, if it’s important to you achieving work life balance.

Time spent doing hobbies – Do you work so you can play more? Would having more time doing your hobbies be an important measure of your work life balance?

Time doing exercise or sport – This may be about getting away from work at the right time to play the team sport you want to do. Or it might be devising your schedule so you can do everything you want to do in the week. If exercise or activity are important, (and I would suggest for a healthy lifestyle it is), then fitting it into your mix and balancing it into your week is crucial to your work life balance.

Time with friends – Is this something you’d like more time for? Is it nights out? Days walking? Holidays? Theatre? What does this mean to you, and how can you measure it?

Time to do home jobs or personal appointments – Just like the research in New Zealand, having time available to do your household tasks and get to the dentist on a day off, or take those things to the tip can be so beneficial to you feeling great. Right? So how can you get the balance right for you if this is important to achieving work life balance?

Quality & length of sleep – Yes, sleep is important 🙂 We talk about it a lot, and sleep is one major factor in reducing stress. But isn’t this what achieving work life balance is all about? Living a happier more fulfilled life?

How do you know if you’re achieving work life balance?

Personally I think balance changes over time. In my experience what was right for me when my children were small is very different now they’re teenagers. I don’t think my values have changed, but what I want to do with my 24 hours a day has a different focus.

In the Business Cheerleading Club we’ve been talking a lot about mindset recently, after our workshop with Lottie Moore. This shift in emphasis of mindset I think helps us look at what we want to achieve in life and not just in business.

I’ve got 5 spaces left on the Summer Programme if you’d like help with reviewing and achieving your work life balance. In just 20 minutes a week we’ll get that focus on your work and life, and set the actions for the next week. Simple steps of moving forward, with the support of an experienced listener and business owner may just be what you need to find your work life balance, this summer, and get ready for your autumn business growth.

Book now for only £132 for your summer support to keep you balanced and on track so you hit the ground running in September 🙂




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Monday Musings – Be yourself

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

be yourselfSo whilst I’ve been working on improving my scheduling to fit everything in to my business and family life, you may think that all this work isn’t working for me, so how can it for you? If I’m a day late with one of my promises to you, surely I’m not the right person to help you get unstuck or move on with your particular situation.

We all have choices. Yesterday I chose to put my business schedule aside, even though I’d spent my usual 15 minutes in the morning preparing it and was confident when I wrote it that I’d achieve it. Why? No-one was even ill! Yet, to me, I chose to put my family first.

It was my eldest son’s high school prom last night. And he told me when I dropped him off at work at 9.30am that he needed new shoes to go with his suit. Really? In famous tennis player John McEnroe’s words, “You cannot be serious?” Yes, he was. Grrr. So I juggled things around, and whilst I did not shop all day on his behalf, it certainly messed up the time I had available for my own schedule.

We got him sorted, and whilst I’m disappointed that I didn’t get this to you yesterday, it’s just another tale to prove that we can run our businesses in the right way for us We choose what we do with our time. Has my business come to a grinding halt because I didn’t send this to you yesterday? No of course not. You may realise I’m no longer a person you want to hear from because I’ve let you down this time. I’m sorry for that. Or, you may realise that I can really help you get unstuck with that thing that’s really frustrating you at the moment in your life or business.

I’ve learnt, throughout my 14 years of business, that if I’m being myself, I actually offer better service to my clients and customers. It’s when I try and squeeze too much in, I do everything badly – including not being the caring Mum I want to be, or the caring business owner helping others achieve success.

Be yourself in business as in life

Are you always yourself in your business? Or are you trying to be something you think you should be? Or doing things you should be doing? I spend a lot of time with business owners exploring these shoulds and either getting rid of them totally, or working out what’s right for them and their business. We’re all unique, and so are our businesses, so following what others are doing won’t necessarily be right for you.

So I apologise that I’m a day late, but I also hope that this week you really think about what’s right for you and your business. If you’d like to explore what’s right for you, why not book a 20 minute Explore call. (or if you’ve had your free one already, you can book a paid for Explore session)

If you’d like Monday Thoughts, and our weekly business tips delivered direct to your inbox, you can sign up here:

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Being more productive

I’m enjoying learning about being more productive and putting new systems and structures in place. For myself, my business and my family.

I’m trying new things out, not afraid to change those things if they don’t work for me. I’m also enjoying de-cluttering and getting rid of lots of excess paper in the office and on all those piles around the house. It’s actually quite good fun 🙂

Being more productive

I’ve been listening to How to Be a Productivity Ninja in the car these past couple of weeks, and have just ordered the book. There’s so many ideas in this book to help us in our work, home and business. The difficulty I’ve found with the audio book is that I had no way of writing down the notes and checklists! Hence the need, for me, to have a hard copy to refer to.

The biggest learning point for me has been about “The” To Do list. Graham Allcott made so much sense when he talked about a Master To Do list, which includes the weekly shopping, daily exercise, PLUS the Projects you’re working on.

What’s a Project?

A project is anything which has multiple “to dos” on it. It could be booking a holiday, or building a website, or a creating a marketing strategy.

This was a major “ah ha” moment for me! A project may be ongoing for a few months, yet it sits on the “to do” list and is often a frustration as it looks at you every day.

Often a project is something worked on by a few people. A website for a client will be at least a two-way process. People need time to think and reflect to get the right feel for them. But when you’ve allocated time in your diary to complete certain tasks, it can be frustrating when said client doesn’t get back to you when you’ve agreed they would!

So having a “Waiting” list where you’re waiting for someone else to do something is a perfect way of moving it off your immediate to do list, without it being lost and forgotten about.

Creating time for being more productive

being more productiveThat may sound contrary – needing time to be more productive! However, what I’m finding is that I need to create space to get things organised. Create new systems and structures. Try things out. And de-cluttering the office doesn’t happen without putting some time and effort in.

The Productivity Ninja book suggests we all need monthly, weekly and daily checklists. They’ll take time to set up and trial and review. You may need time to get your email to zero for the first time in a long time. I’ve made a start, but I’m not there yet. Although those last 200 emails from ages ago are probably not important. My guess is that they’re newsletters I signed up to that I didn’t have time to read when they first appeared in my inbox, and I haven’t added “reading time” to my weekly checklist before now. So, in theory they should be easy to clear when I have my “weekly productivity review” time this week.

So, I’m looking forward to testing out some of my new systems this week. I’ve started my lists and systems, but I have to use them – will I need something on my phone as well as my trusty notebook? Or will the spreadsheet I’ve set up work well for me?

It’s going to take time, and as Graham Allcott says at the end of his book, he doesn’t always get it right. He does however share a lot of productivity tools for being more productive. I highly recommend you review your systems and procedures regularly, even if you’re already a productivity ninja. Life and technology moves on. New “things” come into our lives which we need to do and keep on top of.

The Business Cheerleading Club members are constantly talking about their schedules and getting it right for them. It’s a work in progress for most of us. So if this is an area you’d like help with, join us. They’re all happy to share their tips.

I’d love to hear how you keep productive. Leave a comment below.

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Can your children teach you to believe in yourself

I believe children can teach you to believe in yourself. Here’s why:

Today my eldest son, age 16, started his GCSE exams. He walked out of the door having had a good night’s sleep, a good breakfast inside him, and having done his paper round and had some exercise and fresh air. He was calm, relaxed and confident, having packed his bag yesterday.

He totally believes in himself and his ability to do the best he can in his exams, which stretch over the next 5 weeks (one week off for holiday/revision in the middle). Yes, he could have done more revision, but as he reminded me, he made choices about how to manage this time.

It’s not just about  mindset. It reminded me that so often as a business owner you don’t always believe in yourself. But you should.

Just like my son, you’re ready for the next step:

  • you’ve done your preparation work & researched your market with the products and services you’re selling
  • you’ve got your systems and structures in place to take payment, and your ready to supply the customer with what they want
  • you’re fit and healthy, and making time for you within your weekly schedule to maintain your mental and physical health
  • you’ve got your daily routine to ensure that nothing is missed in your business
  • you’ve got your business and life goals in focus, and you’re working towards achieving them

3 tips to ensure you believe in yourself

  1. Ensure your personal core values are also within your business values. If they aren’t you’ll feel that your business isn’t totally a part of you. Yet it is. You are your business, so you must ensure your values are incorporated into your business. If you don’t believe in yourself how can you expect your customers to?
  2. Keep track of your business numbers and don’t let anyone distract you from your business. You know you and your business best. If you can’t afford something this month that you think will help your business in the long run simply be honest with yourself and put a bit of money aside towards it next month. Don’t be distracted by special offers, or experts saying you “have” to do something. You know what’s right for your business. Don’t jump in. Take time to think about it before making a decision
  3. Have the right support team cheering you on. Whether this is your understanding family, a group of friends or a focused business support group, or more likely a combination of support, when you’re struggling to believe in yourself, they’ll remind you how special and talented and focused you are. It’s easy to forget why you’ve set your business up, but your business cheerleading team will keep you on track, and boost you when you need it.

What else can our children teach us as business owners?

children help you believe in yourselfAs parents we teach our children lots of things, and we hope to inspire them with confidence, so they grow up to be sure of themselves, and believe in their abilities. So isn’t it fascinating that when they turn round to us and say, “you’re great at that Mum/Dad”, that it inspires us and confirms what we know deep inside? That we’re doing a good job as a parent, and a great job as a business owner. Those simple words remind you to believe in yourself.

I’m sure there’s lots of other things our children can teach us. I’m often blown away by what my boys teach me. It’s a collaboration isn’t it? Learning together so we benefit from each other. That’s why I love the Business Cheerleading Club so much I think – a collaboration of business owners, learning together, just like my family 🙂

I’d love to hear what your children are teaching you and how you’re using that within your business. Let me know by leaving a comment:

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How we think has an impact on our business

Did you know that how we think impacts on how we communicate with others? You know that each one of us is unique, so does it make sense that each of us thinks in our own unique way?

Each of us thinks in a different way, but how do others know how we think? Yes we communicate, but we generally communicate in the style to suit us, not our listener, so will what we say come across in the way we intend?

Thinking, learning and communication are linked so closely aren’t they? Yet, do we really understand how we think and use that to our advantage in our business and personal lives?

Understanding how we think

I had a wonderful conversation with Helyn Connerr who shared some insights into how we think differently from each other. She called it a “cognitive model” of thinking, learning and communicating. Her Mercury Model describes 12 different ways the mind thinks, we we all fit into.

The Mercury Model accurately describes how our minds tick. It’s all about individuality in thinking and learning. Helyn Connerr

how we think and communicate

 

You may have yourself experienced difficulties at school, where you didn’t ‘learn’ in the same way as your peers. We all know of stories where children are “tossed out” or “written off” because they come across as disruptive in the classroom, but later turn out to have an entrepreneurial streak and are seen as a “success” later in life (we want talk about what success is here. I’ll keep that for another day!).

If you’ve ever felt unfulfilled in a job you’ve done, or you’ve been misunderstood, even by those close to you, you’ll now what it feels like to want to shout out “that’s just who I am, I can’t help it if I think this way. Why don’t you understand me?”

What would you do differently in business if you understood your mind better?

This isn’t about auditory, kinesthetic and visual learning styles. What we’re talking about here, is something much deeper. I’ve learnt myself that the Mercury Model is a quick and easy way to assess yourself and others, and then be able to use that understanding of how your mind ticks, to communicate in the right way with the other person.

How we think involves:

• The learning environment: including noise, temperature, familiarity, safety or colour.
• The nature of the information itself: like traditional/innovative, significant or abstract.
• The delivery: for instance repetition, fun, fast/slow pace, visuals or interaction.

Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid. Albert Einstein

What tools do you currently use to develop your team? Do you consider mental dynamics? It’s not something I thought about before I was introduced to Helyn’s work. An example Helyn shared in our conversation of a team she worked with who had four similar minds working together and they couldn’t generate new ideas as they always looked at information in the same way. She thought the idea was amazing, but those 4 similar minds couldn’t make it work.

To understand your own way of thinking, you will need to take a look at the books Helyn has written, as there’s too much to share in this space. I can assure you though, that understanding how we think will change your perspective in all areas of your life and business, so a little investment in money and time will reap rewards.

Fish can't climb trees tells us how we thinkHelyn suggested Fish Can’t Climb Trees for business owners. If you’re also a parent, you may also want to look at Learning without Tears (which was my first introduction to the Mercury Model). You can also work with Helyn one to one, or get her involved with your business or work team, if you’d like to understand how everyone thinks in a holistic way.

Helyn will be sharing further insights in a Business Cheerleading Club workshop later this year.

I’d love your thoughts on your understanding of how we think & how you currently manage this in your business. What have you learnt from my conversation with Helyn that you’d like to explore further?

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How do I get the right business mindset

“Mindset is the key to everything” Lottie Moore,

I’ve learnt a lot about mindset over my time in business. I think we can all learn from watching children as they learn how a business mindset can develop to support our business growth.

business mindsetChildren as they learn are honest with themselves and others. If they’re trying to do something they won’t stop until they do it. Think of them learning to walk. How many times will they fall over before they find their balance?

So why do business owners think that running a business is easy and they won’t fall over at the first hurdle?

I can’t answer that question, but I can help you create the right business mindset to make your business journey as smooth a ride as possible.

How do I create the right business mindset for me?

We are all different, so what works for me won’t necessarily work for you. However, from my experience, and that shared by Mindset expert Lottie Moore during an interview, there are things you can do to help yourself create the right business mindset for you.

I am assuming you’re in the right business & you have a passion for what you do. That’s the starting point!

  1. Have your plan and EXPECT it to work
  2. Be prepared to knock on doors & go out and do it. TAKE ACTION.
  3. “DO OR NOT DO. There is no try” maybe a mantra from Star Wars character Yoda, but it’s true.
  4. Choose to STAY POSITIVE in your business even if you get a little knock back, or things don’t go quite to plan
  5. Surround yourself with people who will AFFIRM you for who you are and your brilliant skills & SUPPORT you in the right way
  6. Celebrate every little success with your cheerleading team

If you’re having a bad day

And you will. It’s perfectly normal in business, as in life, to have bad days. Lottie suggested these tips to get your business mindset back to where you want it to be:

“Expect the best, prepare for the worst” Firewalker mantra

  1. Ask yourself, “have I got a reason, or have I got an excuse?”
  2. Adopt an entrepreneurial spirit – Don’t linger on the things that don’t work. Learn and move on
  3. Step up and go for it
  4. Replace “try”, with “I AM GOING TO”
  5. Replace “if”, with “WHEN”
  6. Put on some great music
  7. Take responsibility for your successes & when things go well
  8. Write down what you’re grateful for. Have a gratitude jar to remind yourself of a great day
  9. Be proactive in creating your own mood for the moment, the day, and your business
  10. What are you good & passionate about? That’s what you need to focus on & get support on the other parts.
  11. Invest in the best you can afford. Low cost monthly clubs, like the Business Cheerleading Club are great & you meet wonderful people.
  12. Mix with people who will support you and encourage you to grow your business
  13. Learn from the questions others ask in your support group. You learn what you didn’t know you did’t know!
  14. Think about the language you use. Change a word and see if it’s more positive for you
  15. It’s OK to say, “I haven’t got the money for that this month”, or “things aren’t great at the moment”, or “this is hard”
  16. Give yourself a break, you’re doing a great job 🙂

Celebrate what you want to replicate. Lottie Moore

lottie moore talks about business mindsetCreating your business mindset is one thing, and maintaining it can be something else. You’ll probably learn something else from the conversation I had with Lottie. It’s only half an hour long, so you can listen whilst you’re washing up!

What do you do to create the right business mindset for yourself? Let me know in the comments below.

 

If you’re a coach and want extra support, Lottie’s Coaching Success Academy we talk about is another option for your own support and business development.

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Do you have problems staying focused?

It’s interesting that on the day I’ve been talking about staying focused, I’ve had distractions which have taken me away from what I’d wanted to achieve! 😉

We all have distractions. We’re busy people. We have lives which are full of things we enjoy doing. We have friends and family we want to spend time with. We need to eat and exercise and sleep (not that these should ever be distractions!).

But the one thing that I hear from the business owners, in all sorts of different ways, is they struggle staying focused, and it worries them. Does it worry you too?

Staying focused

cathy presland - staying focusedI had a wonderful conversation with Cathy Presland today, (click the link or image to watch the 20 minute conversation), who in her own inimitable way, suggested that focus in itself can be a distraction to what we’re wanting to create and achieve. So anyone who came to the conversation live would probably have been disappointed not to have learnt any #tipsforbusiness about staying focused.

OK, so if staying focused is a distraction, and our to do list is a distraction, what can we do? Are we in one big vicious circle of getting nothing done?

No of course not!

Staying focused on the current activity will bring that to an end quicker. That’s an obvious statement I know, but one we often forget to carry out.

What about, as I talked about in our conversation, when you’re trying to get something done, and the children need feeding, and you remember you should be somewhere else. What then? How do you stay focused then?

Cathy suggested that you know the answer. I agree. Even though you want a checklist to work through each time this happens, a question to ask about “what is my focus?”, and that will tick all the boxes and get you back in focus, will that solve the issue?

The children will still need feeding at the same time as you should be somewhere else, whilst you’re trying to finish a piece of work. That hasn’t changed. So where should your focus be? Only you can know the answer to that. Are the children starving? How important is that other thing you should be doing?

How are you staying focused?

The scenarios we talked about may not be the focus issues you’re having. You may feel that by asking the question, “What do I know to do in this moment?” we’re not helping you get the focus you want.

What if you try it? What if you asked yourself, “What do I know to do?” and see what the answer is. Those to do lists and things you think you “should” do may take on a different perspective.

It’s interesting. A lot of the conversations we’re having in the Business Cheerleading Club are about these types of issues. If you want more help with focusing on your business, or an aspect in your business, get in touch.

Share your thoughts on staying focused in the comments below & let’s see what we come up with together.

 

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Business is personal

Do you think business is personal? When you do business with others, for your family or your business, does it make a difference who/where you buy from?

I don’t just mean buying local, or focus on small business economy. I mean the person, (or the group of people), you buy from. The service they offer, not just the products, or the price.

So, whatever your personal preferences, think about what your customers think, and how they act. How can you make business personal for them?

Tips to make your business more personal

  1. Make sure your business shows the customer the people behind the business. Whether you trade solely online, or have a team, show them off. You’re proud of your team aren’t you? Get their photos (good quality), and put them on the website. Introduce them to your customers so they know who they’re dealing with.
  2. Use the name of the person dealing with that part of the process in communications. Whether it’s an email update, or on the despatch note. It makes it more personal experience. If it’s just you, then make sure the customer knows it’s you.
  3. Share your story. Not only do people buy from people, but they like to know your story. They will tell others your story. They may even share their story with you.
  4. Share testimonials. Showing you’re doing a great job for other customers is a perfect way to show that you’re doing a great job, and helps others put their trust in you.
  5. Tell some family stories. Whilst it’s important to keep your private life private, there may be stories you can share to make your world come to life for your customers. It’s surprising how sharing a photograph of a place you’ve visited can instigate a conversation with a potential customer!

If business is personal, are you doing all you can for your business?

business is personal people buy from peopleI say this as you may disagree that business is personal! Please do let me know by leaving a comment.

And if you do agree that business is personal, are you doing ALL you can to promote your business?

  • Are you being yourself?
  • Do you tell your friends about your business, even if they may not be ideal customers they may know someone who is?
  • Are you getting enough sleep so you start work in the right frame of mind each day?
  • Do you take enough breaks so that the quality of your product or service is high quality every time?
  • Does every customer get the same care and attention you want to give?

Whether you agree with the statement, “business is personal” or not, I’d love your thoughts and your tips on what you can do to create a personal experience for your customers to make them feel welcome. Please leave a comment below.

 

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Are you managing difficult conversations at work

Difficult situations are never easy to deal with. Some will need us to have a difficult conversation, which makes us feel uncomfortable. We may prefer to avoid the conversation, or the situation altogether.

What happens then? If we avoid it?

The situation often gets worse. We feel worse about the situation. Other people may be affected, and not feel great about whatever it is that’s going on.

At home we may find we’re taking our work frustrations out on our partner and family. They may get frustrated with us, and a spiral of uncomfortable and difficult conversations may happen. We may shout and get upset. We may not sleep as well as usual.

All because we’re not managing difficult conversations at work effectively.

How to approach difficult conversations

Whatever our approach is, the first thing to remember is:

  • the conversation needs to happen

If we avoid having that conversation, the situation will get worse, and it’s likely that feelings will get out of control from the original situation that occured.

When managing difficult conversations, it’s important to remember to:

  • listen to the words that are said
  • listen to the words and actions not said out loud
  • listen to your feelings

Listening is such a skill, that many people, including business owners, forget to use it. Allowing someone to talk whilst you simply listen, allows them to say what’s on their mind.

Having the conversation, to move things forward, is often more important than the words used. I’ve known people put off having the difficult conversation as they spent so long on trying to find the right words to use, that the situation was overtaken by other events, and everyone involved felt much worse.

It’s not always easy managing difficult conversations at work,  but we must do it. It the issue is affecting your work place, it may also be having an impact on other staff, partners, and most definitely customers. If there’s an “air” about the workplace, it’s not always comfortable for others, and good work is unlikely to be happening. Your top quality customer service may also be affected if you’re not managing the situation as well as you could be.

At the end of the day, it’s your business & you’re responsible for all that goes on within it.

Managing difficult conversations at work – Workshop

Managing difficult conversations with Simona Frumen

The hardest part, in my experience, is starting the conversation. Once you’ve started, the people affected are happier that it’s being talked about.

That’s why our next Business Cheerleading Club workshop is all about How to Start that Difficult Conversation, with expert mediator and lawyer, Simona Frumen. Anyone can join this, by booking your place , (if you’re a member of the club, this is free for you & details will be sent later this week). The workshop will be recorded if you can’t join live, and you’re welcome to ask any questions, or share a situation you need help or advice with, in advance.

As a mediator I was leading their difficult conversations without shaming, humiliating or hurting the parties involved.When we resolved their issue, they were so grateful for the relief they felt.

Simona Frumen

Club members get the opportunity to share situations and get help from other business owners to work out the next steps, and get support when managing difficult conversations at work.

What’s your experience of managing difficult conversations at work? Le

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Do you know the secrets to financial freedom?

Many people start a business to create financial freedom for themselves and their family. For others, the freedom of running a business is in the flexibility of time around family commitments.

When I started my first business, I had no plans of financial freedom. It wasn’t even a concept that I’d heard of, or was thinking about. I started the business as I had a passion to help other women, and I knew I could earn a living, and contribute to the family finances through my work.

As life moved on, and the ups and downs of growing a business, and a young family, and investing for our future became a bit more in focus for me. I guess I was more aware of what I was doing with money. I chose to invest profits into the business to grow it. I chose to find premises and move out of home, as it seemed the most sensible thing to do. My turnover was growing fast, and even our most pessimistic estimates suggested that all our base line expenses would be covered, including my basic income from the business.

If you know my story, you’ll know that the credit crunch hit my business hard. The same month as my Mum’s cancer prognosis was terminal, the credit crunch halved my turnover. Yep, in a month. I’d literally only signed the premises lease that month & now I was saddled with 3 years of paying for a retail unit that I may not need.

Crippling is a good way to describe this section of my personal money story.

I still wasn’t looking for secrets to financial freedom.

I was simply working through each day trying to regain the sales I’d lost, and grow my audience to sell less to more people. Whilst, spending time with Mum and Dad. I was doing what any business owner does, and battens down the hatches, and does what they think is right for their business and their family in times of struggle.

Are there really secrets to financial freedom?

secrets to financial freedom with millen livisYou may have seen people who’ve followed a plan for finding their own financial freedom. You may have had conversations with people who tell you that “you too can have financial freedom, if you just do this”. You may well have planned meticulously for every eventuality and have pots of money in different places to help you ensure you have financial freedom.

I’ve always believed that I’ll find my own way back to financial freedom, after the setbacks I’ve had. It took me a long time to realise that I had to stop blaming others though.

Yes, I know the credit crunch wasn’t my fault, but maybe if I’d saved 6 months money to cover expenses, maybe, just maybe we’d have got through things differently?

Over the years I’ve tried this, and I’ve tried that. I’m getting there with my own financial freedom.

However, it’s only this year, and finding Millen Livis have I really, truly understood what financial freedom really means to me. Taking responsibility for my own financial freedom.

It’s strange. I’ve spent a lot of time talking to friends, family and clients, helping them “do things in the right way for you”, so why has it only just clicked for me that my own financial freedom will be very different from someone else’s?

  • The words financial freedom may mean something quite different to you
  • What’s right for me, may not be right for you
  • My methods of reaching financial freedom, may be quite different to yours

And that’s fine. Durrh! I feel a bit silly really. I’m sharing here, as you may also be in a bit of a rut with your own money story and need a bit of help.

Millen’s Secrets to Financial Freedom

….are simple. She even calls them “common sense”, and describes that as it’s not so common now, it has to be listed for people to follow.

  • Don’t spend more than you earn
  • Don’t borrow more than you can afford
  • Build multiple streams of income

millen livis secrets to financial freedom free downloadTo me, these make sense. I got in touch with Millen to tell her how I’d had an “Ah ha” moment when listening to one of her webinars. I also asked if she’d be happy to do a short interview with me as I know there’s others like me who could benefit from her straight talking, common sense approach.

She said yes! 🙂 She’s going to be live with me on Friday 2nd March 5pm GMT on the Facebook page. I can’t wait! I’m not sure I’ll be getting any more “ah ha” moments, but if I can help just one more person to find theirs then our time together will be totally worthwhile.

Millen’s new book is fantastic & simple to read and follow. Millen has got a free download for you, telling you her secrets to financial freedom, and much more, which I highly recommend. Whether you’re stuck in a money rut, or looking at growing your wealth or financial portfolio at the moment.

Why not come and speak with Millen yourself on Friday at 5pm? You can chat via the comments box and I know she’ll help you, just like she’s helped me.

If you like what you see, Millen also has a Lasting Wealth Academy which may be just the thing for you to take you and your finances to the next step.

I’d love to hear what your “ah ha” money moments have been.  What are your secrets to financial freedom? I think we’ve shied away from talking about money for a long time, and that has to change if we’re to help educate our children about living with their own financial freedom. Leave your comment below, or share your ideas in the Business Cheerleading Club, a safe place for coaching, training and supporting business owners

 

 

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