The word “dream” is so powerful, yet many think of dreams as something that occurs when they sleep and soon to be forgotten when you wake up. I remember when I was a little girl, my grandmother would say, “Joy, stop daydreaming and help me in the kitchen.” Did you ever hear that growing up?

Having dreams that hold value and meaning can reveal a lot about what you really want in life – both personally and professionally. However, it’s essential you organize your dream in a way that can help you take the steps to make it happen.

Here are a few steps you can take right away to begin the process of making your dream become a reality. Grab a piece of paper, a favorite pen and answer these questions:

1. What is your dream? Describe your dream in detail. Is it to own a business? What kind of business? What would you be doing each day in that business? Create the vision as clearly as you can.

2. What will you accomplish with your dream? Make more money? Buy a new home? Have better health?

These were the questions given to the children. I’m going to take this one step further. The key to making your dream come true is to take your answers to the questions above and map out a plan to make it happen. Here are two simple, easy-to-follow tips to help you get started:

Easy Tip #1 – Write your dream on a sheet of blank paper. Now, map out all of the things you need to have in place to make it a reality. For example, if you’d like to take a vacation this year to Africa, what do you need to do in order to make it happen? Set a date to depart, check air-fare, make flight arrangements, find a place to stay, update your vaccinations, learn the currency system, etc. Now write a date next to each task indicating when you will complete that portion of your research. This simple process makes dreams come alive.

Easy Tip #2 – Create a Vision Board. This is a very powerful tool. Women in my Success Circles report that most (if not all) of their Big Ideas, Dreams and Goals come true when they go through this process. It only takes a few hours and it’s worth every minute you spend. All you need is some colorful construction paper, glue, scissors, favorite magazines and music that you love to listen to. Find the photos or images in the magazines that feel and look like they are a part of your dream coming true. Cut those out and add them to your board. Place your completed vision board in a spot that will remind you often of your dream. I’ve been doing this for years and I can tell you that my Dreams have come true using this simple process.

Dreams are powerful and they can become a reality if you give them the time and energy they deserve. How can I be so sure? Martin Luther King had a dream. Because he took the time to clearly identify his dream and take the action steps to make it happen, history was forever changed.

I invite you to begin your journey to make your Dreams a reality.

Anything is possible.  Everything is waiting for you.

*****
© 2011 Joy Chudacoff
 
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:  Joy Chudacoff, ICF, PCC, is the founder of Smart Women Smart Solutions®, a Professional Certified Coach to 1000’s of women, Motivational Speaker, and Entrepreneur.  She publishes a weekly buzz generating ezine, Reflections On Life and Business for Women Entrepreneurs.  If you’re ready take your coaching business to the next level, get your FREE Tips, FREE Report, FREE MP3 and be the first to hear about my exciting new program for coaches and consultants at Smart Women Smart Solutions Coaching.

Realizing a goal requires that you get into the game of making it happen. It’s essential that you make a statement to the world that you’re ready to take action on this idea, dream or vision that you have. In life, you are either in the game or on the sidelines.
 
Let me give you an example: A few days ago, I was speaking with a friend who shared with me her disappointment that she wasn’t chosen for a particular project. She felt she was “perfect” for the position and an expert in this area. As I explored this situation with her, it became clear to both of us why she wasn’t considered for the project. She was taking a “sideline” position with her business. She had not taken the steps necessary to market and promote her service in this game called entrepreneurship.

People are not mind readers. They have no idea what your abilities are or if you are in business unless you educate them. People make judgments or perceptions based on what they see and hear. If you want to get noticed, you need to get off the sidelines and get into the game of achieving your goals. Whether you’re a coach, speaker, writer, attorney, or stay at home mom, if you have a Big idea, Dream or Goal about which you are passionate, you must communicate it to the world so when opportunities arise, you will be considered.

Are you sitting on the sidelines of your business? Here are a few tips and solutions that will help you get off the sidelines and into the game:

1. Show up ready to play – In any sport, you must show up in your “uniform” if you want to play the game. My kids would not be allowed on the soccer field if they arrived in their baseball uniform. Be thoughtful about what you wear. Ask yourself a question: “If I were to meet my ideal client today, would I be presenting myself in a way that would entice them to work with me?” This does not mean that you need expensive clothing or jewelry. You need to look put together and that can be done on a budget.

2. Pick your position – Everyone has a “position” that they excel at. In the game of soccer, my son enjoys the striker position and my daughter enjoys playing goalie. What’s your area of expertise? What is your gift to the world? You need to communicate how you can help people when they use your product or service. In the example I gave earlier, my friend was “relaxed” in communicating to anyone that she’s an expert in her field. How in the world would anyone ever know?

3. Show them you can do it – When you are in the spotlight, this is your time to shine in your area of expertise. When a player gets control of the ball, this is his or her opportunity to show everyone that they know what to do. As a woman entrepreneur, you will want to showcase your work so people can clearly see you are the “go-to-gal” in your industry. You can:

A. Ask for “rave reviews” from your satisfied clients so you can include them in all of your marketing materials – both online and offline.

B. Write articles about your area of expertise and submit them to industry publications that your ideal client reads.

C. Public Speaking. Get the word out by speaking to groups that have a desire for your area of knowledge. This is a wonderful way to get noticed and create a “buzz” about your business.

Sitting on the sidelines of your business can be “comfortable.” It’s much easier to be a spectator. Promoting your business to the world can feel uncomfortable because of fear and the risk of being judged. However, the only way to build a thriving business with rave reviews is to get into the game of entrepreneurship and create a plan to let everyone know how your area of expertise can benefit them or transform their life or business.

Anything is possible.  Everything is waiting for you.

*****
© 2010 Joy Chudacoff

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:  Joy Chudacoff, ICF, PCC, is the founder of Smart Women Smart Solutions®, a Professional Certified Coach to 1000’s of women, Motivational Speaker, and Entrepreneur.  She publishes a weekly buzz generating ezine, Reflections On Life and Business for Women Entrepreneurs.  If you’re ready take your life and your business to the next level, get your FREE Tips, FREE Report and FREE MP3 now at  http://www.ProfitsWithPassion.com.

The thought of building a business “online”—you know sitting behind your laptop in your pajamas all day, never having to leave the house sounds really attractive to many people.  This works well if you are in a products based business where the only contact you have with real people might be the UPS guy or gal.  However, if you are in a service-based business like an attorney, consultant, coach, event planner, real estate,–you get the idea, then it’s essential that you have both an online and offline presence. 

If you are a service provider, you are the product.   I find many entrepreneurs dragging their feet on this part of the business plan and it’s the one area that can guarantee new business.  Today, after 51/2 years, my business is still over 85% referral based.  These referrals come from satisfied clients, speaking engagements and client attraction events that I’ve attended.  Do I enjoy online business?  Absolutely.  However I’ve learned the value of taking my business offline. 

Here are a few solutions for taking your business “offline” to attract more of your ideal client:

1. Public Speaking – this has been the number one  best way for me to build my business “offline.”  It has produced the most highly qualified referrals over the years.  The audience can get a sense of who you are and your presentation can identify more clearly how you can help them.  Make sure you leverage your time well by speaking to groups that are your ideal client.

2. Referral Program – create a “referral” letter that you can send out to all of your current and past clients.  Let them know that you are accepting new clients and explain how your services can benefit people they may know.  You may be surprised that clients (and good friends!) can forget exactly what you do if you don’t remind them often.  I’ve  had  prior clients get my letter and call me to begin working with me again!

3. Attending the “Right” Events – getting out and attending events is key to the growth of your business.  Make sure that you attend events where you truly enjoy the programs being represented and it’s essential that these events attract your ideal client as well.  Let me clarify something: If you are drawn to a particular charity or fundraiser that is not well attended by your ideal client, that’s wonderful.  Giving back or enjoying the spiritual growth you receive is important to your success as a human being.  It’s key to pick one more venue to attend regularly so that you can also work on building your entrepreneurial dream as well.

If you are a woman entrepreneur in a service based business, the tips and solutions above can generate more ideal clients quickly.  In fact, it can happen in as little as 30 days if you put these action steps into place right away. 

Next week, I’ll meet you back here to chat with you about building an “online” presence.  Successful marketing is like cooking:  You need more than one ingredient to make the recipe turn out just right.

*****

© 2010 Joy Chudacoff
 
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:  Joy Chudacoff, ICF, PCC, is the founder of Smart Women Smart Solutions®, a Professional Certified Coach to 1000’s of women, Motivational Speaker, and Entrepreneur.  She publishes a weekly buzz generating ezine, Reflections On Life and Business for Women Entrepreneurs.  If you’re ready take your life and your business to the next level, get your FREE Tips, FREE Report and FREE MP3 now at http://www.smartwomensmartsolutionscoaching.com/ .

Women are the most creative beings on earth and I want to make sure when you have these awesome, amazing, wonderful ideas, you ask the “right” person before you give up on your Big Ideas, Dreams and Goals. By the way, I don’t think people intentionally want to hurt your feelings when you share a great idea.  I think it’s because few people are visionary– they aren’t looking through the same lens on life as you are. Many people see the world as black and white. Entrepreneurs have a lot of gray in their thinking. Entrepreneurs are unusual. We are not ordinary people. We think differently.

When I first decided to birth my Women’s Success Circle’s, I was very excited. I could hardly sleep at night as I was up thinking about all of the ideas and possibilities of how I could support women using this concept. I was at an event one evening with my husband and I decided to share my Big Idea with a woman there and she flat out took the wind out of my sails when I told her about it. She laughed and said, (and I quote) “That will never work. Women will never pay for that.” Can you imagine the embarrassment I felt?  Thankfully on the way home as I licked my wounds, my husband Greg reminded me that not everyone will like my ideas but that doesn’t mean they won’t work. He said a lot more than that but I only have room for so much!

When you’ve got a really Big Idea and you feel like you’re going to burst at the seams if you don’t share it with someone, ask yourself a couple of questions:

1. Is this person where I want to be in terms of how I define success and achievement? I’ve found that people who’ve achieved success are willing to listen patiently to ideas and ask very wise questions to help you flush out your idea more fully. Having mentors and coaches in my life who’ve achieved the success I desire has been a key ingredient to the growth in my business. People who’ve had success in their lives are typically more open to possibility.

2. Is this person a positive, nutritious person? Is the person you are about to speak with, someone who you admire for their positive outlook on life? Do they inspire and motivate you? I have a “core” group of people in my life who I turn to when I have a Big Idea, Dream or Goal that I’d like to accomplish. These people are successful, positive, creative, and most of all, they inspire me to be great.

I invite you to think about the people you are surrounding yourself with when you are brainstorming your next Big Idea. It can make the difference between achieving your goals or giving up too soon when success may be just around the corner.

One last thought: As coincidence would have it, I ran across a quote the morning after I wrote this article and it feels like the “perfect” ending: “The girl doesn’t, it seems to me, have a special perception or feeling which would lift that book above the “curiosity” level.”  From the rejection slip for “The Diary of Anne Frank.”

Anything is possible. Everything is waiting for you.

*****
© 2010 Joy Chudacoff
 
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:  Joy Chudacoff, ICF, PCC, is the founder of Smart Women Smart Solutions(tm), a Professional Certified Coach to 1000’s of women, Motivational Speaker, and Entrepreneur.  She publishes a weekly buzz generating ezine, Reflections On Life and Business for Women Entrepreneurs.  If you’re ready take your coaching business to the next level, get your FREE Tips, FREE Report and FREE MP3 now at http://www.SmartWomenSmartSolutionsCoaching.com .

So here goes. Martin Luther King was a man who lived in courage and vision every day of his life. He was a man who most likely lived in fear and faced challenges for pursing his dreams and convictions. In August of 1963, he gave a speech entitled, “I Have A Dream”, which changed the way this country saw equality and fairness forever.

What, you might ask, does this have to do with Smart Women? Well, a lot actually. Many times women live other people’s dreams. Not because we don’t have any of our own. You all know that I believe we are the most creative beings on earth with Big Ideas. Many times we don’t even realize that we are not connected to our dreams and desires. Women are so busy helping others realize their dreams, (family, friends, co-workers) that we don’t take the time to ask ourselves the question, “What am I dreaming about?” “What’s my vision for my future?” And… “Do I have the courage to act on this dream and vision?”

When I had my first child, I was fortunate to be able to stay at home with my new son but there was something missing from my life. I couldn’t identify what it was in the beginning. It took me quite some time because I kept having this conversation with myself that went something like this: “You should be happy.” “You are so lucky to be at home with your child.” “You are 40 years old and have waited a long time for this.” When I really gave myself permission to reflect, I discovered that what I really needed in my life was to be a woman who wore three hats: a wife, a mom, and an entrepreneur. Is it a challenge? You bet. Am I more divided? Absolutely. However, I can tell you that I am much happier and I have an energy that fuels me each and every day for this full life.

What fuels you? What’s your dream moving forward into 2010? It does not have to be a vision or mission as big as Martin Luther King. It can be finding time to engage in a hobby that has been on your mind, acting on a Big Idea for a business, growing an existing business or engaging in a fitness/exercise program that will keep you strong and healthy. It’s about you taking action on your dream.

In my Women’s Success Circles, women give themselves permission to pause and reflect on what’s next in their personal and professional lives. When you land on where your energy and passions are, you feel this incredible sense of being alive with possibilities. Everything seems possible.

I think that’s what Martin Luther King must have felt. Alive with a future full of possibilities for people everywhere. How about becoming alive with possibilities for you this year?

Anything is possible. Everything is waiting for you.

*****

© 2010 Joy Chudacoff
 
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:  Joy Chudacoff, ICF, PCC, is the founder of Smart Women Smart Solutions(tm), a Professional Certified Coach to 1000’s of women, Motivational Speaker, and Entrepreneur.  She publishes a weekly buzz generating ezine, Reflections On Life and Business for Women Entrepreneurs.  If you’re ready take your coaching business to the next level, get your FREE Tips, FREE Report, FREE MP3 now at    http://www.SmartWomenSmartSolutionsCoaching.com .

Over the last few months, I’ve been going through testing at UCLA Medical Center here in Los Angeles to determine if I might be a possible match to donate one of my kidneys to my husband, Greg. Greg has Polycystic Kidney Disease and one of the affects is possible kidney failure over time. His kidney function has steadily been declining and we’ve known for some time that this day would come. What we didn’t know until now, is that I am, in fact, a match! On Tuesday, December 1, we will go together to UCLA Medical Center where I will undergo a procedure to remove one of my healthy kidneys and Greg will receive that kidney so he can feel healthy, energetic and enjoy life to the fullest once again.

Why do I tell you this story? Because what I’m going through right now holds many similarities for women. Women love. Women give. Women have fears. Some days I want to go jump in my bed, pull the covers over my head, go to sleep and wake up to realize that this has been a bad dream. Do you think I’m scared? You bet. Do I have anxiety? Of course. Will I feel the fear and do it anyway? Absolutely. How do you feel the fear and do it anyway? I’m sure, as you are sitting here reading this, you are thinking about some fears that you have, right? And it’s possible that you haven’t been able to overcome that fear yet.

My definition of Fear is…
Feeling
Emotions
Appearing
Real

Because they are real—right? When you feel your own fear, it seems almost impossible to move through it. And this is what keeps you stuck and trapped.

What do you fear that keeps you from stepping into who you really are? Do you:

~Fear cultivating a loving relationship because of past hurt and emotional pain?
~Fear letting go of a relationship that’s toxic and no longer serves who you are?
~Fear leaving a job or career that you’ve outgrown long ago?
~Fear taking on the idea of starting your own business even though it’s always been a dream?

These are just a few of the “fears” that women may have at different times in their lives. Fear is natural, it’s healthy and it’s never going to go away. The key is to find solutions to “manage” your fear so that you can move through it. Fear is a natural partner to your creativity. Anytime you have a new idea (or in my case, a health crisis that needs to be handled) you have the opportunity to take the pieces of the idea or situation apart and make choices about how to move forward in a way that serves you and will be in your highest good.

Here are some of the ways that I’m “managing” my fear and doing it anyway:

1. Create an air-tight support system – I’m so blessed to have an amazing support system around me. By the way, it’s not by accident. I seek out positive, nutritious people to be a part of my life and my families lives. I’m intentional about decreasing the amount of toxicity and negativity in my life as much as possible.

2. Become “Curious George” – Recently, I had a very Smart Woman explain the difference between “healthy anxiety” and “unhealthy anxiety” to me. “Healthy anxiety” propels you into asking curious questions of people who can help you break down the fear barrier and move toward positive resolution. “Unhealthy anxiety” keeps you stuck and trapped—unable to move at all. Yes, I’m driving the doctors crazy with all of my questions and I’m sure my family is a little crazy with all of the planning I’m doing but it’s what I need to feel clear and calm.

3. Create a Vision of What’s Possible – Instead of focusing on the fear of not being able to do something, focus on what will be possible for you on the other side of the fear, once you conquer it and move through it. Think about how your life will open up to new beginnings once you take that first step.

What’s possible for me once my husband has a new, functioning healthy kidney? Our family can begin a renewed life and fully embrace living whole once again.

What’s possible for you once you feel your fear and do it anyway? Loving relationships, a Renewed life, a new business?

I share this article with you in the hope that you can take my current situation and look at your own life with a critical eye. Explore what’s holding you back in different areas of your life. Every time fear rears her head, use these solutions to help you move beyond your fear. I’m a woman just like you who loves, gives and feels fear…..and I’m doing it anyway. You can too.

Whether you’re donating a healthy organ to a loved one or making a decision to have more of what you want in your life and less of what you don’t, feel the fear and do it anyway. I’m doing it and you can do it too. I believe in You.

Anything is possible. Everything is waiting for you.

*****

© 2009 Joy Chudacoff
 
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:  Joy Chudacoff, ICF, PCC, is the founder of Smart Women Smart Solutions(tm), a Professional Certified Coach to 1000’s of women, Motivational Speaker, and Entrepreneur.  She publishes a weekly buzz generating ezine, Reflections On Life and Business for Women Entrepreneurs.  If you’re ready take your life and your business to the next level, get your FREE Tips, 2 FREE Reports and FREE MP3 now at http://www.ProfitsWithPassion.com .