Today I don’t have a lesson to share, I don’t have a marketing tip for you, nor do I have anything witty, educational or deep to say. However, I invite you to keep reading since this post comes from the heart. It’s one of those posts where I’m nervous about clicking the Publish button!

I read Dave Navarro’s blog post today The Survivor Mindset: Becoming Stronger Through Vulnerability — it was just what I needed to give the whole vulnerability thing a shot. So here goes.

This post has been long overdue and it’s not because I’m trying to ignore you or anything. It’s because the amount of time I have to blog, write, speak or do anything business-related has been drastically reduced since the beginning of the year.

Those of you who follow me on various social networking forums know that, since January, my two older kids are no longer in daycare — they are home with Jasmine and I.

I had it all planned out — I would squeeze in marketing, networking and work for at least one hour per day in the afternoon, during nap times. But you know what they say about perfectly laid plans — my son no longer believes in taking naps and my daughters are rarely synched.

Another part of my “perfect” plan was, after putting the kids to bed, I would just skip over to my office and do the rest of my work. Ha ha ha ha! I totally underestimated the power of physical, mental and emotional fatigue at the end of a day filled with singing, drawing, dancing, refereeing, cuddling, crawling around, reading, kissing boo-boos, cooking and cleaning (please don’t say I told you so, even if you thought it). 8:00pm come around and I’m beat — done for the day.

One of the main reasons I wanted to work from home was so, when I had kids, I would be the one to raise them. That’s why I pulled them out of daycare. Most of you also know that I have my heart set on homeschooling. At the same time, I need my business as an outlet for my entrepreneurial spirit, as a place to stay connected with like-minded adults, as a way to contribute to the family’s finances and as a way to reach out and help others. I’m realizing it’s not that easy to have my cake and eat it too.

My kids are still very young, so I know it’s not going to be this difficult all the time. Right now, I’m not sure how to make it all work and keep my sanity. I thought having a few info products available, like my Out of the Box Self Coaching Workbook and Designing a Compelling 30-Second Intro guidebook, would bring in enough recurring income to help with expenses until summer break when I can hire a student as a mommy’s helper and concentrate more on projects. Guess what? Like everything else, this isn’t working out as I planned either.

The problem is, as with any product or service, I need to practice what I preach, that is, do constant marketing, something I’m not doing. So sales are not going as I would like.

Here I’ve been telling you to go out there, gain visibility and credibility, get more clients, market the heck out of your services, have confidence in your unique abilities, tap into your strengths and keep giving, all in an effort to infuse you with the confidence that it will all work out… Karma will kick in and it’ll all come back to you in increased business.

I’m sitting here feeling pretty much like a failure and a fraud, because I am in that place that so many of you whom I’ve spoken with over the past years have been in (or are in now). Here I am telling you I just can’t seem to do it for myself, I don’t have the answers, and I’m not sure where this path will lead me.

All these things put together have left me second-guessing my abilities.

I want to assure you that I will keep posting weekly Savvy Snippets and sharing interesting articles that I find on the Internet and elsewhere to help you run and market your business. If you decide to unsubscribe, I totally understand. Like I said, I’m not giving up this blog nor my business, and I’m not even announcing a hiatus. What I need is the time and space to let things flow without pressure to perform or keep up appearances.

I haven’t thought of the ramifications of posting this, but I’m willing to fully accept the consequences.

If you have any sage words of advice, encouragement or suggestions, now’s the time to share…

Well, the kids want me out of the office, to make popcorn and watch Finding Nemo with them, so I’m off for now. I guess I just needed to come here and let you know I haven’t given up this blog or my business. I’m just at a challenging place and time in my life and business right now, and I wanted to be completely open with you about it…

Much love.

Half the battle in alleviating stress involves knowing how to handle new information that crosses your desk. — Jeff Davidson

Easier said than done, I know. I guess that’s why it’s “half the battle“!

What’s your fave stress-busting technique?

Our first family picture

You’ve been asking for pictures of my growing family and I’ve been meaning to. The excuse I’m using is: I was without my computer for 2 months, then I gave birth.

But now that Jasmine is getting a little older (6 weeks already) and getting into a routine, AND my hubby is (finally!) back to work AND summer is coming to a close, I have a little more time (!) to concentrate on my business.

So here you have it — a picture of all 5 of us. Ain’t we a cute bunch?

It was taken this past weekend at my long-time friend, Debbie and her husband’s 10th anniversary party in the Eastern Townships. Can you believe the leaves are already changing color — just to give you an idea on the kind of summer we’ve had.

I’m slowly getting back in the swing of things. I have a ton of blog posts in my head… just waiting to have both arms baby-free so I can type them and share.

Tons of exciting things are in the works. Wish I was further ahead on certain projects (you’re gonna love them), but alas, I have a newborn and I refuse to play the guilt game.

Hope you’re all doing well, and getting back in the swing of your business now that summer is just about over.

Keep your emails and comments coming. I’m still here and reading everything you send. I may be a little slow to respond, but I am getting your messages.

All the best and tons of success.

Taking action, no matter how small is much better than waiting around for the perfect situation to present itself.

There are many ways of going forward, but only one way of standing still. — Franklin D. Roosevelt

I find comfort in these words as I contemplate slowing down (yet again) to care for a newborn. The Achiever in me makes it hard to be balanced in this area. During the next few months, I need to keep in mind that taking small steps represents forward movement.

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I’ve ordered my copy… what are you waiting for?

What parts of your personality are you holding on to that no longer serve you? Fear? Impatience? Ego? Striving after perfection?

To be successful, you must regularly analyze your current beliefs and patterns, then give yourself permission to break down self-induced barriers. This leaves room for you to grow by embracing new and empowering beliefs, leading you to manifesting your goals.

How can you break down negative parts of your personality that seem ingrained? Once you’ve identified the pattern and when it comes up, do one thing different and observe the shift.

For example, the pattern of fear is something I constantly strive to keep in check. I’ve identified when it comes up and how it physically manifests (in my gut and internal dialog). My initial impulse is fight or flight mode. The small change I made was to ignore the urge to react impetuously and calmly sit with the fear for a while. I observe where the fear is happening in my body and what conversations are going on in my head. In this simple way, over the last few years, I’ve learned my fears are often unfounded or excuses not to do something. While I haven’t magically made the fear disappear, I’ve broken it down so it no longer controls me or stops me from moving forward in my life.

Now you try it.

It’s not easy, but it’s well worth the effort. Humility, prospicience and commonsense will help you clear out old patterns. Once you let go, you’ll instantly feel lighter and free up resources like your energy, mental capacity and emotional availability. It allows you to accept yourself as you are, to be content with what is and to enjoy the present moment. It provides hope. It brings you to a place where you can accomplish the things that really matter to you.

This is called breaking out of the box.

It’s a choice that only you can make. Will you choose to give yourself permission to toss the things blocking you from your true and full potential?

It ain’t bragging if you can back it up. — Dizzy Dean

Never be so modest as to deny your audience the chance to hear about your successes and accomplishments. Testimonials are a powerful marketing tool, since prospects can read how you helped real people with tangible results, in your clients’ own words.

Also, be sure to visit the Small Biz Survival blog each Friday. Becky McCray invites you to promote yourself on the Brag Basket. It’s a fun way to celebrate your wins.

Today is Saturday, so your Anti-Procrastination Month assignment is: Take a break!

When you put something off because you’re feeling bored, tired, indifferent, frustrated or discouraged, it’s time to step away from the task at hand for a while to recharge. If you feel like you’re trying hard just to get started, stop trying for a while. If not, you risk burning out.

Here are some ways to recharge without losing your momentum:

• Take a nap.
• Go for a walk.
• Call a friend.
• Spend a few hours at a bookstore.
• Watch a sitcom.
• Play with your kids.
• Pick up a long-forgotten hobby.

The possibilities are endless, so add your own to the list.

A brief respite can actually help you overcome procrastination when you’re trying too hard to come up with something. When you participate in a mindless activity, you supply your body with rest AND you give your brain a break. Instead of forcing it to do what you’re trying to make it do, taking a time-out gives your brain time and space to help you find solutions and formulate ideas so you can begin again (if you’ve ever woken up in the middle of the night with an amazing concept or solution to a problem, you understand what I’m talking about).

At times it’s good to embrace procrastination, rather than force yourself to do something you’re not up for. Just choose activities that will rejuvenate your energy and that will help get your creative juices flowing again. I’ve given you a few suggestions, but you’ll need to experiment until you find what works for you.

… it’s just that it’s Vacation Time for our family.

Tomorrow (Wednesday) we’re packing the kids and the van for a 6½ hour drive (yeah, I know) to Burlingame State Campground in Rhode Island. It’s our very first family vacation. Meeting us there will be Chantal (my middle sister), David (her hubby), Ethan (my 2½ year old nephew) and Kayla (my 6½ month old niece).

Yes, you read that right. We’re camping (in tents) with 4 kids under age 2½. What can I say? We’re suckers for punishment (and we love the outdoors).

A few years ago, Fred (my husband) and I discovered that taking our vacation during the first 2 weeks of September is the best time of year. If you only ever take vacations during the hot summer months, here’s what you’re missing out on:

• No bugs: Nothing ruins a vacation more than pesky flies and mosquitoes.
• No crowds: Kids are back to school and most people are back to work. That means no packed beaches, no long line ups for rides/attractions, and plenty of available camp sites.
• No boiling weather: OK, so we’ve had our share of heat waves in September, but nothing compared to the heat in July and August. Cooler weather means we can actually build a fire, huddle around it and enjoy its heat.

So, if I’ve been a little quiet lately, it’s because I’ve been busy packing and enjoying our family time.

Don’t fret, I’ll be back, ready and raring to go with plenty of interesting stories and marketing advice!

À bientôt!

Most of you know biking is, hands-down, my favorite sport. While I’m not yet smitten with my Trek, I predict it won’t be long before I am.

You hear me speak about the importance of being a passionate entrepreneur, but it’s even more important to engage in activities totally unrelated to your business — you know the ones I’m talking about — activities that allow you to disconnect, play, stimulate and restore your mind, body and soul. It’s the activities that, if ignored for too long, you’d soon suffer from discouragement, boredom, frustration, burn-out and overwhelm.

Admittedly, this (participating in activities I love) is something I haven’t been doing lately, which explains the slump I’ve been in. I ignored the crucial role physical activity personally plays in affecting my emotional state, creativity and drive to keep on keeping on. Reconnecting with my passion for biking has helped me get unstuck and regain the momentum I need to be the fully functioning, energetic and present mother, wife, friend and entrepreneur I strive to be.

Identifying key activities that stimulate and enthuse you is essential. List them all and post your list in plain view. When you start feeling yourself slipping or if you’re feeling stuck in your business, glance at your list, pick something and go do it. You’ll come back refreshed,

I’ve taken it a step further by creating a vision board of physical activities that juice me — biking, hiking, yoga and strength training — and placing it on my bulletin board, at eye level, right in front of my desk. Apart from physical activity, I’m quite adventurous in the kitchen. It’s a place that allows me to be creative and daring — trying new recipes, mixing unlikely ingredients together (who knew avocado and mango with chicken could create such a delectable experience for the taste buds?), being proud of my abilities and enjoying the fruits of my labor with friends and family.

So share with us what helps you keep on keeping on in your business. What juices you? What are you enthusiastic about? What non-business passions do you pursue? What activities do you engage in? How do you regenerate and energize? What keeps you going?