It’s March. We know that soon, here in New England, the weather will change, and that comfort and warmth and the scent of spring blooms is imminent. Soon, we will open all the windows, let the fresh air run through the house, and do a thorough spring cleaning. We’ll begin to eat more lightly, get outside and get moving, and give our body a little cleanse, too. How we all love a fresh start!
If only we knew the same of our economic situation. If we knew there was a definite improvement only weeks away, might we choose to use the present time as an opportunity to explore new opportunities instead of letting fear drive us as investors, consumers and business owners?
I say, let’s do it anyway! Let’s look at this recession from another angle – one of opportunity. Outside, under a few inches of snow, seeds are germinating in the darkness. Perhaps this time of economic gloom is the perfect time to germinate our own seeds, to tend to our own soil, to clear out the weeds to let our visions grow.
We can begin by choosing to use the recession as a time to “cleanse” — to simplify — letting go of the toxic things, systems, or situations that aren’t working for us. Chances are, if we do, we’ll be opening up and creating space for new opportunities to enter!
Here are three simple things you can do today to create space and change your mindset.
Go on a Media Diet
Shut it all off. Cut the flow of bad news to your brain! Although it is good to keep abreast of current events, keep a limit on what you take in. Most of the news headlines – tragic accidents, violent crimes, robberies, terrorist attacks, havoc in the markets – bring in ratings based on their “shock factor.” The truth is, very little of this actually relates to you, now, in the present moment.
Television news, online RSS feeds and news websites can create an environment of fear and worry. Instead, take stock of what GOOD is happening, right here, right now, and focus on how to make it even better.
Detox Your In Box
Clear out a little virtual clutter, and lighten your load. This is an “instant gratification” fix that can give you a sense of achievement every day! Chances are there are old e-mails, Facebook, Twitter and calendar notifications and spam clogging up your e-mail inbox. Your postal carrier drops umpteen pieces of mail – most of it junk – in your mailbox every day. Deleting/throwing away or archiving/filing old mail for a few minutes every day frees up space in your inbox, on your desk, and in your head, once you know what may have been lurking in there. Touch every piece of mail – virtual or otherwise – only once, and take action or file or delete/discard.
Make a point to archive or delete any e-mail that’s six month’s old or more. Change your Facebook/Twitter settings so that notifications no longer come to your e-mail or phone. If you are in an e-mail group, opt to have messages sent to you in digest form rather than individually.
Do you really need to run to your computer every time it signals that you’ve received an e-mail? Probably not. Turn off the e-mail notification setting, and instead set aside a bit of time in the morning and in the afternoon to check e-mail in batches and respond promptly.
Practice Letting Go
In every practice or business, there are the “not so ideal” situations: necessary tasks you don’t like to do (or have little time to do) or “negative” clients or customers who ask a lot for little return. Now is the time to take stock and consider making changes in these areas. Perhaps you should outsource the paperwork that’s been bogging down your consulting business. There are plenty of professionals out there who are suddenly without jobs. Perhaps it’s time to say goodbye to a client or customer relationship that’s just not “working,” and use that extra time to better serve those clients who are, or to work on attracting more ideal clients. Take a few minutes today to imagine your perfect day. What would you be spending the bulk of your time on, and with whom? Make a list of the actions and clients that really feed you. Then, run that list against your current situation, and you’ll know where to begin to let go.
It doesn’t take much to get started. Once you clear out what’s not serving you, and take steps to shift your mindset to one of opportunity, positive results can’t be far behind, no matter where the economy is.
Donna Toothaker is founder of www.1stVA.com, the highly sought-after company that provides online marketing support and services to the top nutrition and fitness professionals in the country. 1st VA specializes in assisting these professionals who wish to effectively build or improve their online presence. To discover how 1st VA can help your business – visit http://www.1stva.com.
