There's nothing like the wrong environment to take the sizzle out of your entrepreneurial dreams

Are you a massive dreamer? Do you have a dream for your business that you only take out when no one is around? Tell the truth - does your dream scare you on occasion? I love big dreamers but not everyone does.

I'm a dreamer - I dream in technicolour. I also take bold action to make those dreams a reality - which irritates the heck out of people sometimes. I've been accused of being like a man when it comes to business. I prefer to call myself a women who is driven to succeed and I'm blessed to have surrounded myself with enough like minded people that the trolls can't really distract me now.

I've been busy this week planting a small garden in front of my house. I've claimed this piece of stubborn earth to create a space that I find appealing. It's been a task and a half. My first attempt to put the shovel into the ground sent a vibration to my skull - nothing could grow in this clay that was as solid as concrete. With my few tools, I managed to turn the dirt, add manure, rich soil and peat moss and I am proud of the fertile spot I have created. It's only been a week but I see evidence that the perennials are taking root.

Environment is important when you plant flowers..............and it matters even more when you plant dreams.

Look at the environment where you are trying to plant your big dream - are you planting in fertile ground? Will adding a few ingredients make it a "fertile patch" into which your dreams can flourish?

Or, is it time to find a new environment?

Had I struck bedrock when I put that shovel into the ground that day - I would have known not to waste my resources or my valuable time.

I've known tough environments. "Crabs in a bucket" is a term that is used to describe an environment. I love this analogy because I've lived in a bucket of crabs. In this analogy, one crab with a dream tries to get out of a bucket and all the other crabs jump on his back and try and climb over him - resulting in all crabs staying in the bucket.

It can look like this example that a client shared recently.

You open up shop in the community and people drive right past you to visit your competition in the next community. That's one example of what crabs in a bucket looks like. The message is all about lack of support that is necessary for growth. Planting your dream in an environment that isn't fertile for growth is a waste of valuable resources.

Take time to evaluate the environment before your take bold action.

Sometimes you can get the ground ready - add a few ingredients and turn the environment into one that is very supportive. My little flower garden is a good example. as is the place that I have chosen to grow my business this time.

There's nothing like a poorly chosen environment to take the sizzle out of your entrepreneurial dream. Take the time to choose well.

It isn't enough to dream of a better life, you have to believe it's going to happen. That's how you create a better life.

The title of this post is kind of telling - it isn't your ability to dream that helps you to create a better life. It's your ability to dream and expect the things that you desire. That's been my learning curve and the lesson that I needed so desperately to embrace. I had the dreaming down pat long before I learned to manage my expectations.

At the worse point in my life, someone spoke those words at a seminar - the life that you have is the life that you are expecting. To say I was pissed was an understatement. I was in the midst of one of the worse days of my life. My home that I cherished had been on the market 8 months - I was behind on payments and even though I had equity in the home, I had no way of accessing the equity because my income was too low. I was living on a fixed income disability pension. (Some might say I didn't know the right broker - topic for another day) :).

One day someone knocked at the door and when I answered the door - there was a gentleman standing there with registered mail. I had to sign for the dreaded letter - it was a notice from the lawyers informing me that they were going to foreclose on the mortgage. It was a soft landing - I hadn't run from my debt. I knew that this was the next step for me. Every day I hoped that the home would sell.

That same day, I got a call from the realtor that we had an offer on the house. Needless to say, we stalled the foreclosure and went ahead with the sale - I took a big hit on that sale because I was vulnerable and not making decisions from a position of strength. It would take a long time to realise the blessing hidden in this mess - many months later, I did eventually go bankrupt but there was no house included in the bankruptcy and for anyone who understands that industry, that makes a world of difference.

I landed in a pretty scary place - no home, no job and no prospects. I was literally dependent on someone's kind heart to help me out. It was a very low point in my life. At a seminar I was given tickets to, I heard this powerful message that really annoyed me at the time. The life you have is the one you believe you can have. Grrrrrrrrr - really?

It took me quite some time before I could appreciate this lesson. I've put enough distance between me and that terrible time to be able to reflect and I can see the wisdom in that statement now. I was struggling with high anxiety at the time - a real fear that I was going to be living in a cardboard box somewhere or dependent on others to get by in life. It was bad enough that I was visually impaired but I really didn't believe that I could create a better life. I was feeling about as low as I had ever been. Like they say - I had nowhere to go but up and I had tough lessons yet to learn.

I spent a lot of time working on the skills that it takes to unleash the creative powers that we all have. It's not an easy task - I took every course imaginable. If there was even a hint that I was creating this mess - someone please show me the way out. I begged the universe to show me how to become a believer when everything around me was not affirming the life I wanted.

The law of attraction depends on three things that have to be in alignment - our thoughts (dream a big dream) and our feelings (this is where belief comes in after all you're not getting fired up if you don't belief your dream can come true) and actions (in alignment with the dreams).

I had a vision board back then with some pretty impressive images on there but I didn't get excited when I looked at that board. Actually, more often than not, the thought that came up was "how do you go from here to there?" I wanted to know "how" but every book I read and every lesson I learned told me that I didn't need to know how. I just needed to get fired up about the good life.

Back them my EXPECTATIONS were low - I was stuck in this pity party but I kept going. If there was a lesson to learn I was going to learn it and I am so glad I did. Now I don't need to know how. I still have days where I stress but once we get rid of bad habits like complaining, it's hard to go back there for extended periods. I also have an accountability partner, a network of people who operate like I do, someone to kick me in the arse on the bad days - oh yes, there will be bad days.

What are you expecting in life? I don't mean what do you dream about - what are you expecting to happen? Really? Deep down? When you expect something to happen it gets you fired up with a knowing that it's coming toward you as quickly as you take action toward it. Don't lie to yourself if you're expectation is not there yet. Work on the skill of a disciplined mind - letting go of the how and working on the things that you need to work on to become the person who can sustain that dream.

It isn't enough to dream of a better life, you have to believe it will happen and only then take the right action.

2 Pieces of Advice From the Sages

The tax business is not a numbers business as much as it is a people business. During the season I get a chance to speak with a lot of folks and share many personal stories. I asked some of the more successful business folks what tips they could offer that were not of a business nature.  This is what they shared. (Names have been changed to protect identities and stories shared with permission.)

#1 Self Care is Key

"I didn't start taking care of myself until after I had my first heart attack." Grant says. "What a wake up call. The only thing I had in life was work."

Take time out of your busy schedule for self care. Self care means different things to different people. For some, it may mean a little pampering and primping built into a busy schedule or working out at the gym. 

For others it may be a night out on the town. 

For me it means time away from technology with a combination of pampering, nature and lots of laughs. Whatever it means for you, there is consensus that it matters more than you may think. Self care renews initiative and gives you that much needed break from business that is just what the doctor ordered. 

#2 Remember the People Who Matter

Harvey tearfully told me that his one regret was that he wasn't available when his children were small. "You don't get those days back." 

I've heard this before. You never regret not getting that big deal as much as you regret not being there when your son or daughter scored that goal. 

Carve out time for the people who matter most. Make them a priority early on. 

I love learning from the folks in my life who generously share their lessons. I will take these two suggestions to heart. 

Get Your Ass Around That Corner

We have all seen this pic - we only need to see the next turn in the road, right? That all sounds lovely on camera but the reality is, we are scared spitless to take that turn. Most of us spend far too long waiting for some poor guy to come back and tell us what is going to greet us when we get around that turn. 

The truth is, most folks are so afraid to make the turn that they justify it with "better a devil you know than one you don't".  I know this because for a long time that's what I would do.

What I've learned is that the status quo gets your nowhere. What's around the corner is exactly what you need to move forward. There may be any number of corners. I'd be more concerned that you're stuck looking at the same landscape all your life and missing the bigger picture called living. 

So get up there and get your ass around that turn. It's amazing.