As entrepreneurs, we pride ourselves on our individualistic natures and the strength it takes for us to show up every day and run our businesses. But once we step into a big role, even we can’t escape those humbling moments where we come face to face with our inherent weaknesses. Some of us are brilliant at motivating our team, but get a little sloppy when tending to little details. Others shine at ironing out inefficiencies, but aren’t so good at big-picture innovating.

These inconsistencies are what make us human. And while it might be hard to fess up to our weaknesses, bringing them to light is exactly what we need to do in order to make sure our businesses succeed.

The quiz below will help you identify your weak spots as a business owner. Pick the best answer, and get ready to learn what lies beneath your personal and professional quirks:

1. You’re most motivated when you are:
a. Following your bliss.
b. Feeling aligned with your short and long-term goals.
c. Following a regimen that you know will get you specific results.

2. You’re deciding a new color palette to represent your brand:
a. You pick out your favorite colors — the ones that make you feel happy.
b. You rely on your designer’s advice. After all, she’s the best in town.
c. You stick to the same color family that best represents your brand.

3. You are about to make a speech and you realize you’ve misplaced your notes. You:
a. Breathe deeply and wing it.
b. Ask for a short postponement and have your office fax your notes over to you.
c. Apologize and switch to another well-remembered speech.

4. What’s your ideal way to brainstorm with your team?
a. You come up with all the ideas, and your team executes.
b. Your team brainstorms, and you pick the winning idea.
c. You brainstorm with your team, and the best idea wins.

5. Your loyal clients would best describe you as:
a. Creative, eccentric, and free-spirited.
b. Warm, personable, and adaptable.
c. Reliable, punctual, and professional.

6. It’s Wednesday morning, and you get an emergency call that requires that you leave town the same night to be gone through the weekend. You:
a. Leave everything right where it is. You’ll deal with work when you get back.
b. Call your team immediately and delegate as many tasks out as you can.
c. Try to crank out as much as you can, and then take the work with you on the plane.

7. Out of the ten great ideas you jotted down in 2010, how many were actually realized:
a. One to two (You had twenty ideas and couldn’t decide).
b. All ten (but you have to check with your team to see the status).
c. Three to five (You were too busy to do all ten).

8. Your employees would describe you as:
a. Fun and unpredictable, but a little possessive.
b. Nurturing and trusting, but a little indecisive.
c. Hard working and reliable, but a little rigid.

Mostly As:
Your strength is: you trust your instincts. This confidence allows you to think on your feet, and it carries you through the inevitable uncertainty that comes with running a business.
Your weak spot is: you let your emotions drive your decision-making, which might feel good in the moment, but could alienate you from your team and your clients. Work on staying focused enough to communicate your ideas properly, and try to engage a bit more to make sure that your projects are on track and things are running as smoothly as they could be.
Keep in check: Your ego, which clouds your judgment often.

Mostly Bs:
Your strength is: you are a natural team player. You probably have a tight-knit team that feels like family, and your sincere nature forges solid client relationships. Your people skills allow you to shine at business development.
Your weak spot is: You second-guess yourself quite often and place important decisions in other people’s hands.  Work on trusting your instincts a bit more, and don’t be afraid to take the reigns in situations where you must lead your team.
Keep in check: Your people-pleasing tendencies, which can undermine your leadership position.

Mostly Cs:
Your strength is: you are highly organized and your business appears flawless. You run a tight ship and aren’t afraid to roll up your sleeves and dig in whenever and wherever necessary.
Your weak spot is: you can’t let go, and it’s likely that you’re tearing your hair out behind the scenes to make sure everything’s running perfectly. Work on delegating a few tasks to someone else, and be patient as you train them to become the right hand you need.
Keep in check: Your inability to handle uncertainty, which is very likely preventing you from moving your business to the next level.

About our guest:
Ali Brown is fast becoming regarded as the voice for women in business and success. After launching her first business from her tiny New York City studio apartment in 1999, she has grown it into what is today Ali International, a multimillion-dollar enterprise with 50,000 members that ranked in 2009’s Inc. 500 list of fastest growing private companies in the nation. Forbes.com recently ranked Ali as #1 Woman for Entrepreneurs to Follow on Twitter. Ali is dedicated to helping women start and grow their own businesses via her coaching and publishing company the Millionaire Protégé Club; her female-centric Ali Magazine; her online Ali Boutique; and Shine, her annual fall conference where Ali delivers the best in business-building strategies for entrepreneurs of all levels. www.AliBrown.com

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“Get your personal needs met, once and for all; if you have
unmet needs, you’ll attract others in the same position.”

– Thomas Leonard

Related posts:

1. Wednesday WOWs – Words of Wisdom [personal growth quotes]
2. How to turn a problem into an opportunity
3. Missing the moment – another mindfulness quote
4. Quote for Strong (sassy!) Women

From this month’s book summary, The Science of Getting Rich, Wallace Wattles offers a different definition. Yes, he’s definitely talking about money, but it’s the purpose or use of the money that may be different from what you are used to hearing.

Wattles defines being rich as having the ability to do the things you want, to develop your talent. “No [woman] can rise to [her] greatest possible height in talent and soul development unless [she] has plenty of money.” The premise is that you must use things in order to develop, learn, grow, become rich, and that you must have money in order to acquire things.

“The object of all life is development, and everything that lives has an inalienable right to all the development it is capable of attaining.”

A person is rich when she owns all she wants for living all the life she is capable of.

The desire for riches is really the desire for a richer, fuller, and more abundant life.

What do you think?

The full book summary is available to members of Personal Growth Princess.
You can join today.

Related posts:

1. The Science of Getting Rich – February self-help summary & bonus content now available

This is a lovely personal reflection to help you manage your thoughts and focus on strengthening your financial situation, regardless of the economy.

Download your personal reflection here.

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Laura Howard West

I like to think of my business and my life as flowing in the Universal Abundance Current. When I am aligned, this current flows naturally and easily, full of abundance, success, and joy no matter what is coming my way.

But too often we find ourselves fighting against the current, paddling upstream by reacting to our circumstances, sure that if we just work hard enough and long enough that we’ll get to where we want to go… which is actually located somewhere downstream!

It takes a lot of effort to paddle hard, trying to fight the natural stream and “make” things happen when, where and how we want them to happen. But it takes a huge amount of trust to let go…. to surrender to the flow and trust the Universal Abundance Current.

Letting go. Honestly, whenever I used to I say that (and sometimes it still happens), I would shudder and roll my eyes. I felt irritable right away. I mean, how in the heck do you “let go” anyway? If I let go of my “hard work”… then what will happen? I may lose everything I’ve worked so hard for.

The dichotomy is that if you can let go forcing and resisting and allow the current take you where the energy is naturally evolving, you’ll get to where you want to go without struggle, and it will probably be even more fantastic than you imagined.

How do you let yourself trust the UAC?

Here are four simple tips to help you feel into the current and trust your letting go.

1. Feel into the Flow. Notice what is moving. What opportunities are in front of you? Where is the energy stuck?

2. Stop Resisting and Forcing Your Will. Trying to push your way through is a short term strategy and often doesn’t work. Stop trying to force a project into form when it’s obviously not ready or getting impatient that a certain milestone isn’t happening on “your” timeline.

3. Trust the Process. For most of us it scares us to let go and trust. We are trained to have deadlines and to stick to our deadlines no matter what. If you’ll allow yourself to trust, amazing opportunities will arise when you relax and trust.

4. Swim Downstream. You don’t just surrender and sit still. You take the inspired actions that are in front of you. Actions that are in alignment with the flow of energy, opportunities and feedback.

It’s time for you to tap into the Universal Abundance Current. Anytime you are starting a new project, feel stuck or notice that you are not having fun because you are trying to force an outcome, surrender (yes!), let go, and flow into the Universal Abundance Current.

Written by Laura Howard West, Center for Joyful Business, www.joyfulbusiness.com. ©Copyright 2011. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

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You work hard to provide a good life for yourself and your family, but stress can prevent you from enjoying that life. Don’t allow stress and worries to rob you of the happiness you deserve!

Follow these easy strategies to help you banish daily worries and stress:

1.    Ask for help. If you’re constantly running on empty, your mind, body, and soul will suffer the repercussions of your tenacity. There’s no shame in asking for a helping hand. Sometimes, you’ll be able lean on a spouse, coworker, or friend, but other times you may have to hire help.

•    If your mounting responsibilities are barely allowing you the necessary time to eat and sleep, you may have too much on your plate. Streamline your responsibilities by creating a time-effective plan for crossing the items off of your to-do list in less time.

•    Most people are delighted to be needed and will be more than willing to help you. If housework is the culprit of your stress, divide the tasks equally amongst the family members in your household.

2.    Set aside time for yourself. What do you enjoy doing? Knitting, relaxing in a bubble bath, drawing, lounging in bed watching reruns of the Golden Girls? Indulge yourself in your favorite lazy activity a few times each week.

•    Carve out a few hours each weekend to indulge in your favorite lazy activity. Choose at least one weeknight to relax after work. Sitting in a candlelit bubble bath while listening to your favorite CD and reading a magazine is an effective treatment for washing the day’s stresses away.

•    Refrain from feeling selfish for taking time for yourself. You may be a busy professional, a spouse, a parent and have a home to maintain all at the same time; however, taking two hours now to de-stress will save you from going into overdrive and possibly stressing out your loved ones later.

3.    Socialize! Making time for socializing with friends and family is a vital aspect of managing your stress levels. Friends and family make you laugh and provides you with a shoulder to lean on. This, in itself, will deplete your stress levels exponentially.

•    If possible, designate one day per week (like Sundays) to spend time with extended family and friends. You could host a neighborhood barbeque in your backyard, host a Sport Sunday gathering, or simply have coffee with your closest pals.

•    Living far away from friends and family can truly dampen your ability to socialize. You can meet friends at church, neighborhood gatherings, at the park with your kids, or on the community meeting site, MeetUp.com to find a group of likeminded folks.

•    When hosting events in your home, avoid fretting about the details. This will counteract your efforts to de-stress! Have a simple plan, such as using paper plates, napkins and plastic utensils for easy cleanup. Perhaps you can order pizza rather than cooking.

Stress seems like a normal part of life, but it doesn’t have to be that way if you’re willing to put your own health and well-being as a top priority. Most of the time there’s a simple fix to the challenges that are causing you stress. Simply readjust the way you perceive the issues and how you address them. Both beauty and stress are in the eye of the beholder!

Related posts:

1. Are the Holidays Over Yet? How to Keep a Positive Attitude During Stressful Times

Try these suggestions to change your life today – no strings attached:

1.    Start a blog. It may seem silly, but blogging has changed thousands of lives. Blogging provides you with a platform to be heard and admired, while you make new friends. On your blog, all of your thoughts are heard. Create a blog today by using our sister site BasicBlogSetup.com, or by using one of the many free services available online such as WordPress.com.

•    Snag a theme for your blog that suits your personality. I recommend the themes at iThemes.com, especially Builder, (that’s the theme I use for PersonalGrowthPrincess.com0> I like Builder best because it is the most flexible and you can make it look virtually any way you want, without having to know any special web design skills.

•    Blog about your hobby. Cooking, crafting, decorating, and fashion are all hobbies with a large blogging community. In addition, racing, fantasy football, and self-development are also equally popular in the blogging world.

•    The easiest way to enrich your blog is to add photos. Add photos of your daily life or your hobbies. However, blur out all personal information (e.g. house number in the background of a photo) in pictures to protect your privacy.

2.    Make the cut. Change your life in a matter of minutes by simply removing negative influences from your life. Those who bring negativity into your life, cause harm to you or your family, or make you feel uneasy should be chopped from your mental priority list immediately.

•    Life is too short to wait around for unmotivated people to change their character. Some people only intend to channel negative energy. Keeping them around will only make the burdens, worries, and sadness in your life heavier.  That doesn’t mean you are better than them or should look down on them. Rather, just remove the influence from your life.

•    Choose on a case-by-case basis the best approach to take with each person. Some may benefit from hearing the truth and may hopefully realize your point of view. Others will simply be too stubborn to cooperate. The only person you can control is you. You may have to remove them from your life.

3.    Tend to your health. Maintaining a healthy weight makes you less susceptible to a myriad of health issues. You’ll also look good, feel good, and increase your confidence by maintaining a healthy weight. Start changing your body today by becoming more active.

•    Do it now. Why wait until tomorrow? Changing your life starts with this one simple step. Therefore, refrain from depriving your health the benefits of leading an active lifestyle any longer.

•    Dust off your old shorts and walking shoes and go for a brisk walk around the park. Even if you haven’t been active for quite a long time, a brisk walk is gentle enough, yet potent enough, to make a difference in your weight if followed regularly.

•    Get into the outdoors. It’s far more inspiring and rejuvenating to exercise in the great outdoors when compared to staring at the blank grey walls of a crowded gym.

As you can see, changing your life can require an action as simple as creating an account with WordPress.com or going for a walk in the park. The one thing required in all of the tips mentioned above is consistency.

If you simply start a blog, tell a friend that you’re parting ways, or exercise without any real consistency, you won’t experience a significant change. Start changing your life today and remain consistent for lasting results. If you want it, chase it; taking the first step can change your life forever!

Related posts:

1. The Trophy Effect: You are not your mind – 55 minutes that will change your Life!
2. Limiting Beliefs – how do you change them?
3. My baby (my cat) is 19 years old today!
4. Helping Kids Develop a Positive Outlook on Life

This month’s featured summary is The Science of Getting Rich, by Wallace Wattles.

This is a classic self-help/personal growth book, quoted by many, but apparently read by few. Most of the people I talked with knew of the book, and had even referred to it in conversations, but had never actually read the book. That told me it was a perfect selection for a book summary.

Just as with last month’s summary, 6 Styles of Procrqstination, by Dr. Linda Sapadin, this information on understanding yourself in relationship to mindset and what works best for you is particularly useful as you think about living into your goals for 2011.

Want to see all the content? Become a member!

Related posts:

1. Six Styles of Procrastination – January self-help summary & bonus content now available
2. Persistence Pays – December self-help book summary & bonus content now available
3. What Does It Mean To Be Rich?
4. New Self-Help Book Summary & Content Added for July

Practice Meditation

1.    Practice breathing meditation. Breathing meditation is a simple and effective method for calming your mind. Start by finding a comfortable and quiet place where you can sit and observe your breath. With practice, you’ll be able to meditate longer periods or place your mind on your breath in any surroundings. Remember, meditation is a “practice”. That means you don’t have to do it perfectly – in fact, trying to do it perfectly actually gets in the way.

2.    Develop single-pointed concentration. For many people it is difficult to slow your mind down. You’re constantly thinking about the things you need to take care of, what’s not finished yet, etc. Not only are these thoughts stressful and draining over time, they make it difficult to slow your mind down enough to experience the Quiet. Consider using something to help you focus. Train your mind to rest upon your object of meditation whether it’s a candle or a spoken mantra. Note any distracting thoughts but let them float on by. The practice of meditation is that you notice these thoughts and let them go, not that you prevent yourself from having them to begin with. Bring your mind back to your chosen object.

3.    Learn to visualize. Select images that promote happiness and serenity. Perhaps you may want to picture snow-capped mountains or sheep grazing in a meadow. If you don’t have a favorite image in mind, take a look at the photos at iStockPhoto or Getty Images. You can use search terms to help you narrow down the images.

Here are two of my favorites:

4.    Focus on positive thoughts. If your meditation is part of a spiritual practice, you can follow the prayers taught in your tradition. Alternatively, you can soothe your mind by repeating any thought or quote that is meaningful for you.

Use the Soothing Qualities of Water

1.    Take a bath. Cultures all over the world have long appreciated the calming effects of water. A simple warm bath can soothe your nerves. Rest your head on a bath pillow and add some comforting scents like sandalwood or lavender. Turn the lights down low and play soft music.

2.    Surround yourself with the sound of water. Eat your lunch by a park fountain or install a solar device in your own backyard. You can find recordings of waterfalls online or get a CD with aquatic effects that you can play anywhere you go.

Get Back to Nature

1.    Go for a walk. In some eras, it was common for people to go on long retreats into the wilderness. When I was in South Korea, every morning people would take a slow walk to the top of a mountain – a sort of walking meditation. Even a short break can do wonders to restore your peace of mind. Visit your local state park or take a quiet walk around your neighborhood. If you work indoors all week, use the weekend to explore scenic trails for biking and hiking.

2.    Cultivate a garden. Gardening is a great way to slow down and appreciate nature. Devote a section of your backyard to growing flowers and vegetables. If you live in an apartment setting, select plants that will flourish indoors or on a balcony, like some species of palm trees and herbs.

3.    Spend time with animals. Spending time with animals is so therapeutic it’s even been proven to help people recover from surgery faster. Take your dog for a walk. Watch your cat at play. Sign up for horseback riding lessons. Or volunteer at an animal shelter!

Live in the Present Moment

1.    Put the past behind you. Dwelling on the past can make it difficult to feel composed. If you’re thinking about past misfortunes, decide if you’d rather devote your energy to more constructive activities.

2.    Adopt a positive view towards the future. The future always carries some uncertainty. Focus on creating causes for a better future and patiently accepting whatever outcomes arise.

3.    Enjoy the present moment. Give your full attention to what is happening now. Take advantage of the opportunities before you and delight in the good things that surround you. Steer your mind towards wholesome thoughts and actions. Engage fully with the people who share your life.

What other techniques do you use to quiet your mind?

Related posts:

1. Your mind is not your friend
2. The Law of Exposure – use your mind to achieve your goals [video]
3. The Trophy Effect: You are not your mind – 55 minutes that will change your Life!
4. Letting Go – quotes for the soul and mindfulness

While your access to your members area and blog posts should not be disrupted, there’s always the chance things will get hung up a bit. Sometimes those little trolls under the bridges just can’t be soothed.

Thanks for your patience as we complete this process.

We’re excited about being in a sparkly new castle with a super solid foundation!

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