You’ve probably heard the old saying, “Build on your strengths.” It’s good, solid advice, but so easy to forget or ignore because you don’t quite know how to do it.

Here is a simple process for overcoming this common obstacle; how to shift your mind-set to do what feels hard.

I tend to vacillate between my two extremes. I focus on doing the things I am good at, and then I worry and stress about the stuff that’s a challenge.

In my case, the easy parts are marketing, customer service and anything creative, like writing or product development. I love doing things that involve directly communicating with and helping my clients. As a result, I have developed mastery in these areas.

All the back end parts like organization systems, live in the other end of the polarity. It took me awhile to figure this out I  love having everything neat and put away. I get a warm feeling when I walk into my office and the desk is clear and I know where everything thing is. However, this has happened maybe five times in the last five years

My solution is to over-compensate with tons of filing cabinets and I actually have it under control, but this isn’t the issue. I don’t do it easily and stuff piles up because I put it off.

Back to the question; how do I use my strengths to get me to be more excited about organizational tasks ?

On the surface it looks like my strengths are creativity and relationships. It can feel like a huge jump to marry this to cleaning my office and I have to really stretch to see any relationship connection to organizational tasks. However, I decided to dig deeper into my own psyche because I know the secret lives there.

It’s really about motivation. I have read tons of books on how to be organized but they are all written by people who are good at it and don’t have my issues. One book I do love is “The Color Code,”  by Taylor Hartman. Great book that helps you understand yourself and your motivations. He has an online personality test. I have done the long book version of this test multiple times and no matter how I answer the questions, I come out a Yellow.

Yellows are people who are motivated by fun. Organizing my office doesn’t feel fun to me. It feels tedious. The obvious question is, “How can I make this process fun?” When I look at my strengths, I have to ask what makes those  things fun?  The common denominator is communication. Marketing, customer fulfillment and product development are all about communication. I love any form of communication. It’s in my genes. It gives me a buzz. Organizing feels like work.

From that place it is easier to see a way to make that jump. It is about bringing the process of communication into organizational systems. It immediately feels more creative  Re-framing this transforms the whole process.

My example:  Motivated by  fun. Communication is my key. Marketing, customer service and writing are all about communication = fun. Organizational tasks = responsibility, tasks. work = not fun.  Shift: Organizational tasks = communication processes = more fun.

Your story will be different from mine but the process will work regardless. Here are the steps I followed to get from A to B.

1. Figure out what your strengths and weaknesses are. You can use my nifty Whole Business pie chart process to help.
2. Make a short list of what you like  about your strengths.
3. Figure out what motivates you forward. Take The Color Code assessment to get help and find out your key.
4. Determine how your motivation operates in your strength and weakness areas.
5. What is one way you can bring that key that motivates you, into your challenged place?

This takes a bit of a focus to get your head around this. If you are a blue, you might feel confused but just breath! It works. Please come back and tell us what color you are and how this has made a difference.

I write about self-doubt a lot. It’s not because I am obsessed with this topic. It’s because it comes up all the time.

Self doubt comes up for me regularly, and I have become an expert at seeing what triggers it and how to get past it.

It is one of the first things new small business clients share, regardless of how long they have been in business.

Self-doubt leads right into fear and panic and you might feel:

• I’m not good enough or smart enough.
• No one will want to hire me because…..
• I will fail and look bad!

There are more and I am sure you could create your own list. My own list has caused me more pain and suffering than anything else. Here is what I learned and it still works.

1. Have a crystal clear and detailed vision and picture of where you are going. This needs to include how much income you will get and the income streams that will provide it. Check out Chapter 5 in my book, “Your Money Map.”  I created this process during one of my most fearful times and it really helped me to shift. Remember your vision is about your business, not about the lifestyle you want.

2. Keep a positive attitude. Instead of saying, “I can’t or don’t know how,” say “Who can help me and how can I find out how?” Your own limiting thoughts are your worst enemy if you are a business owner. An important entrepreneurial trait is to have the ability to keep your focus positive. When I wake up to a bad day, I immediately look at ways to get more empowered. For me it is often about talking to my support team.

3. Take calculated risks. If you stay where it is safe, you won’t move forward and won’t grow. If you don’t want to take risks, it is better to have a job. To grow a business you have to get out of your comfort zone and invest in yourself. This can mean investing money, and jumping in with both feet.

These three points are intertwined and related. For example: You might have a fear of spending more money and creating another debt. Fair enough, however if you have a clear vision of where the money will come back, it makes it easier. Your fears can also be part of your limiting thoughts.

Tell me what you think about these three points. Can you see how they can work to help you stay away from self-doubt?

(above art by Rogenetheartist)

I  love working with creative people. They are fun, spontaneous and passionate.

Those are all positive traits that help them to be great at helping people via their services.

Creative people are also notorious at struggling with getting their businesses to be successful.

If you can relate to this statement, you most likely have a vision for your business that is way too small. This can hold you back and will affect every decision you make!

Here are 5 things to consider. Look at this list and ask yourself if this sounds like you.

1.  Not seeing multiple income streams.
All business owners have blind spots; areas you just can’t see.

If you offer direct service to clients, this is the easiest route to begin to bring in cash flow, but there is a limit to how many clients you can see in one week or how many direct jobs you can take on.

In order to develop a business it is important to look at how to leverage income by offering programs to  groups of people or creating passive income by offering products to your niche clients. If you know your niche client, it is all about offering more and more value and a variety of ways you can help them.

2. Not wanting to invest more money.
Solo business owners tend to feel hesitant to invest in their own business.

Maybe your lack of confidence makes you question your ability to be successful, so you view investing as creating another debt, rather than helping you to grow in prosperity.

It is hard, if not impossible, to grow a business without investing money, however you need to perceive a return on your investment and  in order to do that you need to see with your entrepreneurial hat on.

3.  Incorrect priorities.
It is easy to spend time doing the things you love.  Most people end up focusing the majority of their attention on their services and products learning more skills and developing more expertise.

Although those activities are important, it may be more important to focus on business skills; your marketing plan, organizational systems and your money map. Without those, you will never grow a real business.

4.  Limiting thinking.
I often ask my new clients about their financial goals and how much money they want to be earning per year when their business is fully developed.

People are notorious for giving a very low figure based on what they think they are capable of, what they think people will pay and generally undervaluing themselves. Your own limiting thinking could be your worst enemy.

•  Self doubt
I always mention this one because it is the biggest culprit!

Your own self doubt will stop you dead in your tracks and make you question your decisions, your ability and will undermine your confidence.

The best cure is to get help from someone who sees more in you than you see in yourself and then to act as if.

How many of these five things could you relate to? I am an expert at each one   I would love to know I am not alone!

I’ve been engrossed with the Occupy Movement like many folks.

It’s great to see so many people speaking out about topics that effect everyone’s quality of life.

Last night I heard a man, who identified himself as a community activist,  interviewed about Occupy Portland. He said that Occupy is not about one particular issue, but many and all are important. Makes sense!

Wanting to make a difference is an inherent entrepreneurial trait, regardless of your specific points of view. It’s about listening and giving value to people.

As small business owners, you are in a unique position. You are an integral part of your community and within your businesses you face many of the same issues yourself everyday, including health insurance, social security, retirement and other financial issues. You also want to have a sustainable business.

Here are a few things you can do right within your own world that can make a huge difference. It is not all about camping down in the park. It is about fully occupying your own business in a more conscious way.

1. Be an excellent listener. Listen to your clients, their issues, concerns and desires. Your business is all about them and how you can help them. In order to give them excellent service, you need to hear what they have to say first.

2. Be open-minded and accept new points of view. Most people begin their business with knowing a lot about their product and service but very little about how to be a business owner. Let go of your subjective ideas and get help so you can really lead your business.

3. Present yourself as a professional. Acknowledge your self doubt and share that with your mentor but make decisions from a place of empowerment. Build a professional website and see yourself as a successful person.

4. Get out of your office and connect with other entrepreneurs in your community. Find a variety of business groups and people. Staying in your comfort zone won’t help you to grow.

5. Create a plan and keep updating it. New business owners waste a lot of time going around in circles and then feel frustrated. A good plan for marketing and growing, will keep you focused and on track!

These five things might be obvious but it is easy to forget how important they are. Doing each of them will keep you grounded and you will be able to help way more people and make a much bigger change in your community. Can  you see how they will make a difference?

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Pricing seems to be the issue of the week.  It seems like everyone I meet with is having a crisis around charging for their services.

It makes me wonder if this problem is contagious!

I also think this is more a women’s issue. I want to whisper this in case it is not politically correct to imply this, but women do seem to end up giving and giving without getting paid enough.

Here are some examples I have heard already this week:

•  Under-acknowledging the value of your service. One woman admitted to me today that she has no trouble expecting a hefty bill from her lawyer or paying her counselor, because she needs those services, but she is not seeing her own service is equally important. She wonders if people will really value it.

•  Giving too much! you offered a free 30 minute introductory meeting and then end up going for over 90 minutes. You offered tons of solutions to a potential client who has not yet hired you. Client hears too much and gets confused and then backs away. Giving is part of marketing but you have to know how much to give and how to lead it into a sale.

•  Poor communication about what you are offering. You lack clear written documents that outline exactly what is covered in your program. As a result clients keep asking for more and you keep giving more without any additional charge, because of your fear that if don’t, the client will be angry and feel not taken care of. Lack of clarity makes everyone confused.

All of these situations are a result of a mixture of low self-worth, self-doubt and not fully stepping into a full leader of your business. If you can relate to any of the above issues, here are a few things you can do.

1. Make sure there really is a burning need for your service. You need to see the value on a gut level, not just in your head. You have to feel the value 100%. If you don’t, this is the first place to begin. You can’t successfully offer a service you don’t really believe in.  If you do acknowledge the value fully, then the issue is about you, not your service.

2. Your own self-worth needs to come from knowing you are a really good person, skilled and an expert at what you do. You help people and make a difference.  If your self-worth depends on everyone liking you,  hiring you and paying you, your potential clients will feel your desperation or discomfort and it won’t make them feel secure and trusting that you can help them. When you feel good inside, you can put forth clear structures that then help people to feel safe with you. They know where they stand and won’t feel confused.

3. Be willing to step into those big leadership boots. Operate from a clear business plan and vision that states how much money you plan to earn and where it will come from. From that plan you can figure out what you need to charge in order to run your business. Get away from charging by the hour as you have a whole infrastructure to support. It is not just about the minutes you spend with the client.

By the way- I can identify with all the above. I used to be similar and it was painful to look at myself. The good news is that I followed my own advice and changed!   If I could do it, so can you.  I would love to hear your stories and comments below and if you want more help just let me know.

Read more about why people undercharge.
The dance of giving and receiving.