Guest Author

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Guest Post: Rochelle Seltzer

Sometimes I want to bring you a different voice – especially around creativity! Here’s a great guest article by my Diamond Client, Rochelle Seltzer. She’s got an amazing book coming out in January 2020 called: Live Big: A Manifesto for a Creative Life.

She also has a great gift for you >>> Get It Here.

What To Do When You Feel Stuck

Every writer has been there — feeling blocked, stuck, and frustrated. Feeling unable to access creativity, or find confidence, or get into action — or all of these problems.

Feeling stuck like this may be short-lived, or you can feel unable to get back on track for long stretches.

And it’s terrible.

I’m happy to share three approaches that have helped countless creators I work with — and that have helped me when I’ve become stuck.

 

1. Start with self-love

This one may sound a bit odd, but stay with me.

Invariable, when we get stuck our self-critic has shown up to sabotage us.

And the self-critic has an array of sneaky ways to try and stop us.

Procrastination is a big one — we put things off because deep down we doubt our ability to do that thing — or do it well enough.

Which brings us to Perfectionism, a huge way the self-critic limits us.

Guest Post @RochelleSeltzer - What to do what you're stuck on your writing Click To Tweet

Impostor syndrome is another self-critic favorite, as is comparing ourselves to others.
And fear is the biggest tool in the self-critic’s toolbox.

If any of these toxic problems resonate challenges for you, turn to the powerful antidote of self-love.

Why? Because when you have big reserves of self-love, your self-critic cannot weasel in as easily.

So what is self-love?

Self-love is just what it wounds like — loving oneself with a full heart. Loving yourself just as you love the dearest people in your life or a beloved pet.

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Guest Post: Dr. Judith Boice

I’m always on the lookout for great resources for you – especially about time management and creativity. So when my friend and client, Dr. Judith Boice, ND, LAc, FABNO, published an article a few weeks ago about essential oils (and your health!) I asked if she could write something up just for us about CREATIVITY.

You’re going to want to check this out!

Increase Your Creativity and Productivity – Naturally

If you are like most mortals, your creativity ebbs and flows. Some days writing flows like water from your pen; other days you struggle across the desert, your thoughts as dry and lifeless as the landscape.

Although nothing guarantees a regular flow of productive thinking and writing, you can do certain things to maximize your creativity. The following are research-based, easy-to-apply suggestions that may surprise you with their simple, elegant effectiveness:

Sleep: Increase your sleep by one hour a day. What? And lose another productive hour? You may discover that the extra hour of sleep more than rewards you with increased productivity. Research at the Henry Ford Sleep Clinic demonstrates that one more hour of sleep per night increases concentration by 25%. That’s a major boost for both creativity and productivity.

Yawning: Professor Mark Waldman, author of NeuroWisdom1Waldman, M.R. (2017). NeuroWisdomThe New Brain Science of Money, Happiness and Success. New York, NY: Diversion Publishing Corp., explains that yawning increases cerebral blood flow, improves mental concentration and brings you into a state of heightened awareness2Massen, J.J., Dusch, K., Eldakar, O.T., & Gallup, A.C. (2014). A thermal window for yawning in humans: yawning as a brain cooling mechanism. Physiology of Behavior, 10(130), 145-8.. Yawning also decreases anxiety and shifts the brain into a day-dreamy state that is more conducive to creativity3Thompson, S.B. (2014). Yawning, fatigue, and cortisol: expanding the Thompson Cortisol Hypothesis. Medical Hypotheses, 83(4), 494-6.. Yawning even has a similar effect to drinking a cup of coffee4Gupta, S.,& Mitral, S. (2013). Yawning and its physiological significance. International Journal of Basic Medical Research, 3(1), 11-5.!  In Waldman’s first cross-over experiment with yawning, college students who yawned for four minutes before a test improved the grades by one letter grade. To support creativity, yawn mindfully three times: yawn; pause for 10 seconds to notice how you feel; repeat two more times. Repeat this simple exercise several times during the day, even several times an hour. The more stressed you are, the more you will benefit from yawning.

DOCTOR APPROVED essential oils to boost your creativity! Click To Tweet

Stretch slowly: Stretching mindfully reduces anxiety and depression and improves your overall mood5Netz, Y., & Lidor, R. (2003). Mood alterations in mindful versus aerobic exercise modes. Journal of Psychology, 137(5), 405-19..  Stretching s-l-o-w-l-y and yawn as you wake in the morning and as you fall asleep at night. Set a soothing chime to go off at least once an hour to remind you to stretch and yawn.

Essential oils: Essential oils can brighten your mood and increase concentration – relaxed concentration that is conducive to creativity. The following essential oils are particularly helpful in improving memory, concentration, and alertness:

  • Peppermint Mentha x piperita, var. vulgaris is a “cephalic,” meaning it increases brain activity. Peppermint also instantly enhances sports performance including grip strength, oxygenation, and jumping distance6Meamarbashi, A. (2014). Instant effects of peppermint essential oil on the physiological parameters and exercise performance. Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine, 4(1):72-8..
  • Rosemary Rosmarinus officinalis enhances memory7Moss, M., Cook, J., Wesnes, K., & Duckett, P. (2003). Aromas of rosemary and lavender essential oils differentially affect cognition and mood in healthy adults. International Journal of Neuroscience, 113(1), 72-8. and helps to resolve depression8Machado, D., Cunha, M., et, al. (2013). Antidepressant-like effects of fractions, essential oil, carnosol and betulinic acid isolated from Rosmarinus officinalis l. Food Chem, 136(2):999-1005.. Rosemary is one of the “cephalic three” – rosemary, peppermint and basil – that are the premier essential oils for improving mental function.
  • Basil Ocimum basilicum stimulates brain activity yet it also has nervine (nerve calming) effects making it an ideal balancing agent for the nervous system. Basil also has anti-depressant, mood lifting properties. Use basil for a maximum of two weeks at a time before taking a two week break because it its methyl chavicol content. Avoid if you are pregnant or breastfeeding; if you have endometriosis or other estrogen-dominant condition; and/or if you have a history of estrogen-dependent cancer.
  • Bergamot Citrus aurantium var. bergamia lifts mood while reducing anxiety9Chang, K.M. & Shen, C.W. (2011) Aromatherapy benefits autonomic nervous system regulation for elementary school faculty in Taiwan. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med., 946537. and shifting the brain toward parasympathetic (relaxed) nervous system activity10Peng, S.M., Koo, M., & Yu, Z.R. (2009). Effects of music and essential oil inhalation on cardiac autonomic balance in healthy individuals. J Altern Complement Med., 15(1):53-7..
  • Lemon Citrus limonum improves memory and helps maintain dopamine levels, which may be helpful for depression11Zhou, W., Fukumoto, S., & Yokogoshi, H. (2009). Components of lemon essential oil attenuate dementia induced by scopolamine. Nutr Neurosci.,12(2):57-64..  Lemon also decreases cortisone, a stress-related hormone, and increases endorphin levels when used over at least a two-week period of time12Ceccarelli, I., Lariviere, W.R., Fiorenzani, P., Sacerdote, P., & Aloisi, A.M. (2004). Effects of long-term exposure of lemon essential oil odor on behavioral, hormonal and neuronal parameters in male and female
    rats. Brain Res., 1001(1-2):78-86.
    .

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Guest Post: Maribel Jimenez

One of the questions that people love to ask me is about launching a book. And they’re always a bit disappointed when I tell them that launching a book is like launching an online program – you follow the exact same steps.

Sorry, there is no shortcut here! You’ve got to do the launch.

But I can give you some help – let me introduce you to MY launching mentor, Maribel Jimenez. Maribel is the one who taught me the ins and outs of launching for my online programs and for my books. She took my launching efforts from “just barely there” to “Wow! That works – and I can do it again and again!”

I want you to experience the same!

Myth: To Make More Money, You Must Work More…

Today, I’m breaking this myth that in order to make more money, you must work more. I will share how not only is it NOT true, but you can actually work less AND make more.

Before I break this myth, let me start by saying I believed it to be true.

I spent most of my life working a traditional job, the statement that I needed to work more to make more was true to an extent because I worked hourly.

It was ingrained in me for years, and I never actually questioned it. I just kept working and as I earned more per hour, I earned more overall.

Then 15 years later I took the leap as an entrepreneur, and it was still second nature to me to think that. I didn’t know any other way than to put in tons of hours and work hard to be successful.

So guess what?

I put in tons of hours and worked hard… but I wasn’t successful. So I put in MORE hours because I wanted to feel like at least I was trying to be. I kept putting in the hours because I really didn’t know how to turn myself off.

In my head I carried all these beliefs that said things like – “Work hard now and play later,” “It takes hard work to be successful”, “You must put in the time to make things work”, “You must do this for your family and they will understand it’s for them”… and on and on.

Here’s the problem…it’s not about the time you put in…you can put in tons of time and not be successful. I figured that one out.

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Guest Article: Jenean Merkel Perelstein – 5 Principles of Leadership – Part 2

Guest Article: Jenean Merkel Perelstein 5 Principles of Leadership – Part 2

Since Ben and I welcomed the birth of our son I’ve been navigating the extra layer of time called “Motherhood”. It’s great and it means I get the opportunity to bring you wonderful weekly content partially from me and partially from guest experts.

Continuing this week for Part 2 is Jenean Merkel Perelstein, a Sociocultural Anthropologist and Business Strategist.

Read Part 1 here.

5 Principles of Leadership – Part 2

While Kim is tenderly loving on her little babe, I wanted to give her a break and share with you some leadership principles that will help guide you on your journey toward reaching brand new shores. Whether that’s digging in and finally writing your book, or positioning yourself as a thought leader so that you can share your stories with the world, I know that change is hard, and I’d like to help.

The following are principles of leadership that have helped guide countless pioneers through treacherous adventures; whether through unknown lands or local boardrooms. I’ve taught these principles in many forms throughout the years and they’re worth keeping your eye on as you endeavor to challenge and change our results moving forward.

Lesson 3: Trust the Momentum

It’s important for you to keep traveling in the direction of your dreams every day. I mention it here because this is one of those things that natural leaders just DO. They DO. They work toward it and they know, with all of their being, that doing is coupled with trusting. When you trust that movement is taking place even when you can’t see immediate results, you keep going.

We all know that success builds more success and it sucks when you can’t see that you’re being successful in any way. There may not be any external validation that what you’re working on is having an impact. In fact, much of what we get rewarded for in life is delayed. Sometimes we build foundations for a good, long time before anything resembling the house we intend to build takes form.

Be patient. Be mindful. And keep going. Your ability to trust the momentum in what you work toward could just be the difference between you and the next guy who quits four feet from success.

Have you ever seen the potential in someone else rise almost to the surface? And you know they’re nearly there? And you can smell success for them but they give up before reaching it?

Some people have a knack for this specific brand of self-sabotage. In fact, some people actually specialize in it. They get all fired up with energy and gumption at the beginning of a project but then they lose the faith in the momentum that is happening on their behalf. They forget that they’ve set anything in motion and believe that they are starting anew each and every day.

I like to think of someone pushing a huge boulder down the road. To begin with, things are difficult and any movement at all is painfully slow. You might have to build up your leg muscles and really push your shoulder into it before it will even budge. But eventually it will. It may start to move slowly at first; in a game of inches. But before long you get it rolling. It’s here that you need to be careful not to stop! If you stop, even for a little while, you’ll have to heave your shoulder into the great rock to get it going all over again. But if it gets rolling along, even at a slow pace, you can keep it going without as much effort.

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Guest Article: Jenean Merkel Perelstein – 5 Principles of Leadership – Part 1

Since Ben and I welcomed the birth of our son I’ve been navigating the extra layer of time called “Motherhood”. It’s great and it means I get the opportunity to bring you wonderful weekly content partially from me and partially from guest experts.

Our next expert is Jenean Merkel Perelstein, a Sociocultural Anthropologist and Business Strategist.

5 Principles of Leadership – Part 1

While Kim is tenderly loving on her little babe, I wanted to give her a break and share with you some leadership principles that will help guide you on your journey toward reaching brand new shores. Whether that’s digging in and finally writing your book, or positioning yourself as a thought leader so that you can share your stories with the world, I know that change is hard, and I’d like to help.

The following are principles of leadership that have helped guide countless pioneers through treacherous adventures; whether through unknown lands or local boardrooms.  I’ve taught these principles in many forms throughout the years and they’re worth keeping your eye on as you endeavor to challenge and change our results moving forward.

Lesson 1: Trust Yourself

One of the strongest muscles you can strengthen for good leadership is to build your awareness; both externally and internally.

We, as humans, have done an excellent job at learning how to control our environment around us to create useful and comfortable lives.  We use tools, produce food, and enjoy such extravagances as efficient transportation and electricity.  We’ve done this by finding ways to control our surroundings.

But what happens when we reach the limits of the environment around us that we can actually control? Nature has a way of controlling us.  When we’ve farmed too much the soil becomes depleted.  When we waste resources, we must do without.

Have you ever seen this play out in someone’s leadership before?  They begin by controlling their environment and become successful because of it.  Their control over forces can lead to favorable outcomes for a good long time until the day that it doesn’t work anymore.  For some, their need to have control over a given situation versus working with it will lead to their eventual demise. There is such a thing as too much control.

As you look to your surroundings and what new areas you want to affect change around, notice when the forces of nature are asking you to work with it instead of trying to control it.  Good leaders will know the difference.  They’ll know when it’s time to stop pushing and reassess the situation.

One of my favorite sayings is a Chinese Proverb.
When the winds of change blow, some will build walls and others will build windmills.

Constantly ask yourself if you are building walls or windmills.  Are you using your external environment to help create change with you or are you trying to shore up the foundation to keep external forces at bay?  I guarantee you that if you attempt to control too much, too often, the winds of change will blow you off course.

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Guest Article: Sheryl Bernstein

Ben and I welcomed the birth of our son, Connor Benjamin, last week! In the coming months, I’ll still be bringing you great weekly content – but it’ll be partially from me and partially from wonderful guest experts.

Our first expert is Sheryl Bernstein, Creative Coach

Mother May I? Are you waiting for permission to Take Your Giant Steps Forward? You’ve got it!

I was in the beautiful state of Maine the last week of August (long trip from California) at my Brother and Sister-in-Law’s wonderful summer house on the lake.  Actually, it’s called a pond… Middle Range Pond. (Range pronounced Rang.)

Picture lots of green, trees, serene water, the sound of loons. Days were filled with canoeing, kayaking, eating outside, toasted marshmallows, laughing, and singing ’round the campfire while my nephew played the banjo. And the wonderful time spent with my family: nephews, nieces, and the little ones, my great-nephew and nieces. Plus, a visit from my childhood friend who was traveling through. We’ve known each other since I was 4 and she 3. Brought back so many childhood memories. Like the endless Summer evenings spent playing games on the front lawn. Did you? Red Rover Red Rover, SPUD, and Mother May I.

Remember that one?

We’d all line up, and the “leader” would pick one of us, give us a command like, “Sheryl, take 3 giant steps forward”. Then, you’d have to ask, “Mother May I” before you could do it. And when you asked, the leader had the option of saying “Yes you may,” or “No you may not.”

If you DIDN’T ask permission, (so surprisingly easy to forget to do) you didn’t get to move at all. In fact, you’d get sent back to the beginning and have to start all over again. The goal was to take enough Giant Steps, Baby Steps, Sideways Steps, and Umbrella Steps to get to the finish line, and become the next leader.

On the flight home from Maine, I got to thinking about all Mother May I? – and, made me think about today.

Where am I, and where are you, waiting for permission to take your giant steps forward? Or even not-so-giant steps?

Sometimes we wait for a message, a sign, a “you go” before we take the steps that will get us to our goals.

Well, if that’s you, and you’re waiting for a sign, a word, the permission to get into action to do the thing you want to do…here it is.

Yes, You May! Absolutely, positively, Yes You May!

And to help you get going where you might be a little stuck, unsure, scared, or stymied to begin or continue… here are few simple action steps that I guarantee will get your motor running. These steps will lift you, and move you forward.

Step One: Write a gratitude list.

Now, don’t dismiss this out of hand, because it will get you going and in a great place to create from. And, it’s best if you do this with pen to paper. Though any way that you prefer is great. Just start with 20. Make a list of 20 things that you are grateful for. I say things like “I’m grateful for my eyes”. “I’m grateful for my strong body” “I’m grateful for my home” “I’m grateful for my Kitty” “I’m grateful that I can walk from here to there.” “I’m grateful for my friends.”

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Guest Post: Kristen Nolan

Do you ever feel complete exhausted – even if you’re not physically active?

Me too! By 3 pm, I’m reaching for an afternoon cuppa (and maybe a nap) to get me through the rest of the day. And I’m always trying to manage my energy – especially my brain energy – to get through all the projects in my day.

I finally realized that knowing how to navigate movement, food, and brain power REALLY wasn’t my area of expertise. So I took my own advice and reached out for help!

That’s why I’m bringing you a special guest: Kristen Nolan of KristenNolan.com. She’s the High Performance Health Mentor – and a friend of mine! Kristen brings her list fantastic weekly tips (also on Tuesdays). One of my biggest challenges is setting myself up for success for long days at the computer: brain power, posture, drinking water, and not feeling like a slug by 3 pm!

This is a special video from Kristen to us – and she’s offering a great goodie to help you keep going too!

Here’s the link to your Free Snack List: 31Snacks.com

I personally just started working with Kristen so I’ll keep you posted on the transformation!

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