How to Dig Out of Information Overload and Focus On Getting Your Next Client

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Does this sound familiar?
“Help, my inbox is filled with unread newsletters, my desk filled with papers and to-do lists, my shelf filled with information products I haven't looked at, and I can't keep up with all these tele-seminars!”


Have you ever found yourself in this spot where you feel completely overwhelmed with everything that you are trying to learn and cram into your brain as quickly as possible so that you can start seeing the results in your business...and start living the life you truly want? I know I have.


In fact, in the last year I decided to get multiple certifications, travel to the East Coast to meet people and create my first professional video, attend as many tele-classes, seminars, and events as possible to meet people and learn, in hopes that it would help me find clarity on moving my business to the next level.


And while I would not change anything that I did or any decisions that I made because of the blessings that came with them, I found myself almost just as confused and overwhelmed as I was before. 


Can you take a guess why? Yep, I was on information overload.


If you're on information overload in your business right now, I'm happy to have you here so that I can share my experience, provide you with support, and help shed some light on how you can take steps to move forward. 


Many of my clients are at the beginning stages of their business. Whether they are just starting their entrepreneurial adventure or changing the direction of their business, they are often feeling stuck, confused, and overwhelmed with not only all that they are doing each day (both at work and at home), but also with learning, implementing, and figuring things out along the way. 


It's a pretty miserable place to be in, right? Not only is it frustrating, but it's also tiring and you don't feel like your happy, energetic and enthusiastic, loving self that you are. Your relationships suffer, your exercise and health takes a backseat to your work, and your finances are always on your mind.


Imagine for a moment what your life would be like if it was not important to you to HAVE to know everything that you are trying to learn; imagine what it would be like if everything that you need is already available to you and you easily see what it is and are able to focus fully on it; imagine that with this clarity and ease, you are able to confidently get your next client.


Now, take the first step. When I found myself in a place of extreme overwhelm from information overload, here are some steps that I took and that you can take to begin to free yourself of this mental, physical, and emotional prison:


1. Reconnect with your passion. Consider for a moment that all of the reading books, listening to tele-classes, and networking like mad was no longer important to you. 


If you took a moment to sit quietly and ask yourself from the place in your heart what you are truly passionate about doing, what answer would come? I know that as a heart-centered entrepreneur, you want to make a difference. 


So, what difference is it that you want to make that makes your soul sing from the inside out? For me, it's empowering women to step into their power and fully embrace the excellence of who they are and what they do, so that they can have the life and business they desire.


2. Clear 'a path.' If your primary cause of overwhelm is too much information at once, ask yourself if it is REALLY necessary to know all these things right now. 


You're likely making your life much more difficult by telling yourself that you need to do this or that before going out and meeting people and inviting your next client to work with you and benefit from the gifts that you give through your work. 


Clear away the papers, books and information products that you're not using right now. Organize them in a closet or another easily accessible spot for now. Start with a clean slate again. This will help clear your mind and the energy of your environment, helping you to concentrate on allowing in that next and best step for you.


3. Discover 'that thing' that is holding you back. As this heart-centered, passionate leader in your business, what would have to be true for you to go out and get your next client? 


What do you believe that you need that you don't already have that is hindering you from getting your next client? My clients often say that they don't know where to find their potential clients. 


If this is true for you, then I would invite you to explore and describe what this ideal potential client looks like for you. Once you have a clear vision of that, you'll be able to move to the next step of finding a place where this person hangs out.


4. Forget everything else that you feel that you should be doing and focus on what that next step is to get your first or next client. I'm all about making things as simple as possible. 


If I can find a way to simplify a situation or streamline a process, I will, because the alternative is always unnecessary stress that affects my health, finances and relationships. 


It can be easy to find yourself overloaded as an entrepreneur and the leader of your business, but I can guarantee you that if you are feeling overwhelmed, you're not seeing all of the options and opportunities that you have, because there's always a way out of overwhelm.


So, what is your next and simplest step you can take today to make a connect that will lead you to your next client? Give yourself a break from all that you 'should' be doing and find a way to share the gift of your work with people—whether that's through in-person connection or online.


If you have questions or comments, share them below. I'd love to hear from you—where you're feeling stuck or how you got out of your information overload.

Copyright 2011 All Rights Reserved

If you would like to use this article on your blog or website, feel free as long as you include the following author information:

Known for her creativity, gentle disposition, enthusiasm, and passion, Lisa Hromada is a Personal Branding Strategist and Money, Marketing, & Soul Coach who specializes in empowering women entrepreneurs to manage their time and find the clarity and focus they need to create a thriving business while still having the time and energy to enjoy their life. Find Lisa's FREE gifts and more at: http://www.lisahromada.com

Top 3 Barriers Holding You Back from Getting More Clients

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If you are like most entrepreneurs at the beginning stages of your business—whether you are starting a new area of your business; you are a new entrepreneur coming from a corporate job; or switching the area of focus in your entrepreneurial business completely—there are 3 common barriers that are likely the culprit holding you back from getting clients.

The tricky thing about these barriers is that they come up again and again, really no matter where you are in your business. So, what is so 'bad' about these barriers?

Well,...they are powerful—just as with any thought or emotion—and they can make or break a relationship, whether it is your relationship with your clients or potential clients, or your relationship with money; they can determine whether you move forward in your business... and this ultimately stops you from helping people through the exceptional work that you do each day.

Here are 3 of the top barriers likely the culprit holding you back in your business (no matter where you're at):

1. Fear and Unease: When you begin to listen to your thoughts, you will hear a lot of fear showing through. It may be subtle, but it is there. It can be your “what if” thoughts, like “what if I don't succeed?” “what if they don't like me?” “what if I make a mistake?” Or you could feel uneasy when you are about to attend a networking event because you don't know what it will be like or who you will meet or know that you will talk about. These are all very common and I want to share with you one thing that you can do right now to begin breaking through them. This one thing is: getting clear on the true value that you provide and to whom. These fear and unease-based thoughts quickly begin to disappear when you get clear on your niche and what you uniquely offer.
   
   
   
2. Overwhelm: Ok, so we all know that there is a TON to accomplish when you are at the beginning stages of your business. Not only is there a lot to accomplish, but you are often doing it yourself because you either don't feel the need yet to hire help or you feel that by doing it all yourself will save you money. At any stage of your business, there will always be a list of things that you want and need to get done.
   
   When you are at the beginning stages of your business, the best steps to take is to first determine what stage that you are actually at and second is to get help. You're going to save yourself a lot of heartache by getting help from the beginning. This is going to be a huge factor in helping you achieve the success that you desire.
   
   
   
3. Fatigue: This is a big one, right ladies? We are queens of multi-tasking and taking care of everything and everyone. We either feel like we have an obligation to fill or we feel that we will do it better than others, so we attempt to handle everything and make time for everything without asking for help. As an entrepreneur (and mom, daughter, wife, friend, partner, and perhaps even employee too), you fill every moment with 'doing something' so that you feel like you're not wasting any time. And while you might get some things done, you have to ask yourself whether you are truly being productive. And if you are not being productive, especially if all your work is not bringing in any more money, and you still feel fatigued, something has to change.
   
   So first, take a deep breath... did you take it? Take a deep breath right now and let it out slowly. Now, let's talk about what you can do right now to stop getting yourself so tired and still feeling like you are not getting enough done. One important step that I mentioned in #2 is to get help. A second step is to write down your priorities in all aspects of your life and then determine how much time you are wanting and willing to spend to each priority. This is going to help you start getting clear on what you can and want to do yourself, what to delegate, or what 'put away' for a later time. When you get clear, you will be able to see how you can give your attention to the most important things without overexerting yourself into fatigue.

What are those other things standing in your way or stopping you from building the kind of success that you want?

Need help breaking through your barriers and attaining the clarity and focus you need to move forward? Sign up for my FREE gifts at http://www.lisahromada.com. When you sign up, I have an extra bonus gift for you to take advantage of that is going to help you get clear and get focused. 


And don’t forget… I want to hear from you. Share your comments and questions below!

Copyright 2011 All Rights Reserved

If you would like to use this article on your blog or website, feel free as long as you include the following author information:

Known for her creativity, gentle disposition, enthusiasm, and passion, Lisa Hromada is a Personal Branding Strategist who specializes in empowering women entrepreneurs to manage their time and find the clarity and focus they need to create a thriving business while still having the time and energy to enjoy their life. Find Lisa's FREE gifts and more at: http://www.lisahromada.com

Top 3 Trailblazer 'Secrets' to Managing Your Time

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Do you have difficulty finding time for everything? Are you often tired at the end of the day from trying to fit everything in? 


It's overwhelming...and common. You're going from one thing to the next and you never seem to get everything off of your to-do list. This happens all the time and is one of the most common complaints from entrepreneurs, especially if you're just starting out your business.

You've probably taken multiple courses, attended seminars, and hired coaches to help you with your business...or health...or relationships...or finances, so that you can feel like you're more in control over these particular areas of your life that are important to you...and make time for them. 

But what it really comes down to is how you use your time to have all that you want. Of course you need the help, knowledge, and tools, but first you need the time management know-how to be able to use those resources, otherwise, you will have no time to have the healthier and wealthier business and life that you want, desire and deserve.

As an entrepreneur, the way that you use your time really does determine how successful you are—personally and professionally. That's why it is so important to be crystal clear about what you really want, what your priorities are, and how you're going to accomplish what you want—whether you do it yourself or hire someone else to do it.

The goal of this article is to share 3 'secrets' to managing your time better, so that you are more productive, more satisfied, and have ample time to include all that you want in your day or week.

1. Know what should dedicate your time to and what should not: One of the most important first steps is to know what you really want; think of one specific thing at a time. Think about what you want to happen or what you want to have in the next 30 or 90 days. 
   
   
   Then with this one goal in mind, think of what needs to happen—what tasks need to be done—for you to get it accomplished. Remember that you don't have to do every task yourself; think about who you will need to help you; it could be a partner or a VA or even a neighbor or friend.
   
   
   
2. Understand how much your time is really worth: One of the biggest blocks for many entrepreneurs is thinking that they will save more time and money doing every task themselves. This may be true in some cases, but in most, entrepreneurs save more than twice as much time and money concentrating on those tasks that they are passionate about, good at, and that will generate money, by delegating the other detailed tasks.
   
   So, a useful exercise to determining whether to get help with the growth of your business or not is to determine how much your time is really worth. So, how much is your time worth? 
   
   
   Give yourself a general hourly rate as a basis. Knowing how much your time is really worth and how much time you spend on all of your tasks on your to-do list, you'll be clearer about what you want and need to delegate to grow your business the fastest.
   
   
   
3. Don't keep everything bottled up in your mind—write it out: People have different ways of making lists that work best for them, but no matter what kind of list works best for you, it's important to get all the things out of your mind and onto paper. 
   
   
   Because then you are able to fully see what seems to be important to you (it's on your mind after all). Once you see where you want and need your time to go, you're able to then make a plan to either schedule out each task, delegate to someone else, or eliminate it if it is not going to really get you to where you want to be.

There are of course many other time management 'secrets' to creating a business and life that you truly enjoy and honors your lifestyle, but starting out with these 3 'secrets' will help you start getting clear on how to best use your time.

Need help getting clearer on how to manage your time and be more productive? Sign up for my FREE gifts at http://www.lisahromada.com. And don’t forget… I want to hear from you. Share your comments and questions below!

If you would like to use this article on your blog or website, feel free as long as you include the following author information:

Known for her creativity, gentle disposition, enthusiasm, and passion, Lisa Hromada is a Personal Branding Strategist specializing in empowering women entrepreneurs to manage their time and find the clarity and focus they need to create a thriving business while still having the time and energy to enjoy their life. Get your Free Trailblazer Entrepreneur Success Kit at: http://www.lisahromada.com