Have you ever gotten a knot in some thread or yarn you were trying to work with? Or worse, in a chain necklace?

You can’t untangle it by diving in and tugging and pulling on it. That will just make the knot tighter than it already is.

It’s a delicate process.

You need to go slowly and work your fingertips into the barely-visible crevices.

It’s a process of making tiny movements. And if the knot is really tight, the movements will be so small that you’ll be convinced that what you’re doing isn’t working.

But that’s when you need to keep going. Even though you can’t see or feel the difference, the knot is loosening. Even if it’s just at the microscopic level.

Eventually, you feel that fabulous sensation of really being able to grab hold of one part of the knot. From there, it’s a cakewalk. You might have been struggling with that knot for hours, but once you reach the point of the first major shift, it only takes a few more minutes for the whole knot to be gone.

It’s the same with shifting a belief that holds you back.

We all have them. I’ve got tons – tons! – of them.

Here are some of mine:

Other people know what I need more than I do
My ideas aren’t very good so I should wait until I’ve developed them more before talking about them
I absolutely must Get It Right

Noticing the belief-knot is the first step. But once you’ve become conscious of it, you can’t force radical change.

If you’re like me and believe that mistakes are to be avoided at all costs, the step that comes after realizing the belief isn’t helpful is not to go out and make the biggest mistake you can possibly think of.

Or if you believe that other people’s projects (OPP!) need to come before yours, running out and telling everyone you come first is probably not a wise move.

Doing either of those would be the knot-equivalent of tugging on the ends and making everything tighter because all your resistance will get triggered.

Safety

The belief is there because it’s keeping you safe from some perceived danger. It doesn’t matter if the danger is real or not.

You need the safety of those tiny movements to loosen the knot gently.

(To bring in another metaphor, when you’re learning to swim, you don’t start in the deep end, right?)

If you grew up witnessing a family member fail at one or more entrepreneurial ventures, you might feel that starting your business or leaving your job is too risky.

The knot-tightening method would be to invest all your savings right away or quit your job with very little savings in the bank.

But what would the knot-loosening method look like?

A few possibilities would be to start your biz with as little up-front cash investment as possible, or to start socking away several months of savings, or to go part-time rather than quitting outright.

What’s important is that you’re taking small steps toward what you want, in ways that feel safe for you.

Proof

If you believe that failure is catastrophic, you don’t just wake up one day willing to take all sorts of risks. You need to learn that failure isn’t actually dangerous, and that you can survive it without sacrificing too much.

The way you do that is by building a body of evidence that supports your new belief.

The best evidence is when you try something and experience for yourself the fact that you survived just fine. And that goes right back to safety – it’s crucial to find ways to take steps without freaking yourself out so that you can experiment with your new belief.

Will failure still hurt, or will you still feel scared? Yes. But the amount of emotional management required before taking a risk will decrease. And the time between getting an idea and acting on it will shorten.

Perseverance

Some beliefs are knotted more tightly than others. They’ve been part of your reality for longer, or there’s more pain associated with them.

If you’ve got one that’s really tight, it could take a long time for it to unravel.

It might not feel as though the tiny steps you’re taking and the evidence-gathering you’re doing are making a difference, but I assure you, they are.

(Yet another metaphor: Just like a seed that’s been planted, lots of stuff happens underground before you ever see the green above the surface.)

Remind yourself why you want to shift the belief. And what you hope to achieve as a result of choosing a new belief instead.

Keep working at loosening the knot while being gentle with yourself along the way, and soon it will unravel.

Image credit: turbo.beagle

Sometimes when you’re evaluating your project ideas for which one you’ll do next, something unexpected can happen.

You think that Project A is the “right” one.

Maybe you even start working on the project. But then you keep bumping up against obstacles.

And you begin to suspect that the easiest way to remove the obstacles is to work on Project B.

Cue Resistance!

But but but!

The problem is that Project B isn’t what you wanted to work on.

Imagine this scenario:

Project A involves tackling something big and important that will bring you accolades and ease to the people you work with once it’s done. Like creating or improving a system that your entire team will use.

Project B, on the other hand, is something like organizing your office and sorting through the waist-high piles of papers you haven’t had time to deal with for months.

Why we fight against working on Project B instead of Project A

Okay, even besides the fact that Project A might be a lot more appealing than Project B, there can be other stuff that gets in our way.

Maybe we think that Project B doesn’t “count.” I mean, especially if you’re a creative person, it feels good to wind up with a finished product you can say ta-daaa about. So Project B can feel like it’s not even a project…and certainly not as meaningful.

It’s easy to end up thinking that the only valid way to spend our time is to work solely on the big, important projects.

Time for a reframe

Something I have to remind myself of at least once a day: We are each responsible for creating a work-life that fulfills us and makes our hearts sing.

Yes, it can feel as though Project B is forcing itself on you and taking over your brainspace, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

Next time you’re struggling with choosing to work on Project B (the one that needs to happen) instead of your Project A (the one you thought was next), try the following:

Remember that anything can be a project

Even if you’re working on something as mundane as just sorting through junk-mail, by virtue of the fact that you’ll eventually reach the end of the pile, that’s a project.

And it’s legitimate.

Look for ways to infuse your project with meaning and pleasure

How do you infuse a project with meaning? One way is to create a system to make the process more efficient in the future. For example, instead of just sorting through your papers, look for ways to make it easier to stay organized going forward.

I imagine you already have a pretty good idea of what I mean by infusing the project with pleasure, but some go-to ways for me are to play music, brew yummy tea, and plan a reward at the end.

Imagine how great it will feel to finish Project B

Whenever I’ve got one of those Project Bs I’ve been avoiding – especially if there’s some form of organizing involved – I worry I’m going to find something important that I should have dealt with long ago.

If I can get to the point of being willing to face it, I always feel a beautiful sense of lightness once I’m done. (Okay, okay, I usually beat myself up for a few minutes for not dealing with the project sooner, but once the initial sting subsides, I’m glad I took care of it.)

Remind yourself why you’re working on Project B instead of A

You’re working on Project B now so that it’s easier to work on Project A later. And who knows? Maybe Project B will help make Project C easier, too.

When the project you don’t want to do starts crowding your thoughts and creating anxiety for you, ignoring it won’t work.

Either say no to the project or get clear on why you’re going to do it. And then do it.

And if you’re having trouble getting clear, get some support.

We’re so quick to dismiss our Project Bs as poor uses of our time, but anything that helps to create spaciousness and peace in our work is worthwhile.

How about you?

Do you have a Project B that’s getting in the way of your Project A?

What’s one way you’ll infuse your Project B with meaning so that it feels like it’s a part of your work, and not a postponement of it?

One of the key principles I teach in Project Prowess is that you have to have enough Capacity if you want to enjoy your creative process and complete your projects consistently.

(A quick refresher: Capacity is the time and energy you have available to do whatever it is you’re working on.)

Here’s a little story about what happens when you try to work beyond your capacity.

As you may know, I’m an Instigator for A Year With Myself. And I was completely honored when C. A. Kobu invited me to participate.

My module was due on February 16, and Project Prowess was (originally) set to start on February 23.

I thought I could submit excellent content to C. A., while still keeping up with spreading the word and preparing for Project Prowess.

Turns out I was completely wrong.

The pace I’d set myself was just not sustainable, and I let that manic energy of “I must do one more thing for my business…” take priority over rest and nourishment.

I had started to dread the fact that Project Prowess was about to start. And I was quietly cursing myself for agreeing to contribute to a different project at the same time.

When I found myself avoiding the things I love doing, I thought I was entering a season of Oh shit I have to tear down my entire business and start from scratch because oh my god I was wrong and what I thought was my passion isn’t my passion!

When you work beyond your capacity, you will pay the price sooner or later with fatigue, anxiety and even resentment.

It can change how you feel about your entire business and sap you of all motivation.

Here’s how I got myself out of the over-capacity mess:

1. Notice that something isn’t working

Your symptoms will be unique to you, but if you feel like you’re running from task to task (unsuccessfully) and you’re feeling tired, frustrated, resentful and needy (like you want someone else to fix everything for you – ahem!), chances are good that you are working from a state of depletion.

2. Ask yourself what can shift

Rarely is everything in your life unchangeable.

In my case, I couldn’t change my due date for A Year With Myself. That was a project with an external deadline, and lots of moving parts dependent on my contribution.

So I had to look for other places to open up some spaciousness.

The most obvious choice was to postpone Project Prowess, even though it felt like a really big deal to do that.

3. If you’re having trouble finding any wiggle-room, for each commitment you’ve made, ask what would happen if you postponed or cancelled it

As I said above, rarely is everything unchangeable.

If you’re sensitive and conscientious, chances are you tend to overestimate the impact a change will have on the other people involved. And that means you’ll be reluctant to back out of or shift a commitment you’ve already made.

Plus, if you were on the receiving end of messages about “quitting” being A Bad Thing, it’s easy for this kind of situation to trigger feelings of having failed.

Commitment is a necessary ingredient for creating what you want to create, but you have to look at your own commitment patterns to determine if keeping the commitment or changing it is the right choice for you.

What became clear to me is that if I didn’t postpone the start date, I would not be at my best for the lovely projectizers who had already signed up. And that was definitely not okay.

4. Whatever you decide to do, take responsibility for your choice

The resentment I was feeling toward my business a few weeks ago? Totally of my own doing.

I felt resentful because I perceived myself as powerless to change or fix things to work for me. I was defaulting to a victim mentality, when in reality, I am a business owner. I get to decide what’s best for me and my business.

Once I took control over my schedule again and decided to postpone my course, a lot of the anxiety dissolved.

That said, it was still pretty terrifying to tell people that I was changing the start date, especially since it was due to my own flub (i.e., not realizing sooner that I had a conflict). Would they get angry? Would they ask for a refund? Would they secretly think I was a flake but not say so?

All I could do at that point was to send honest emails to the projectizers and let them know what was happening and why.

5. Let go of the outcome

I didn’t know how the people who’d signed up would respond, but I’d made my decision. I knew I’d done my best to minimize inconvenience and disappointment, but I wasn’t in control of the outcome.

Part of how you keep that victim mentality from creeping in is by remembering that you made a specific choice, and why you made it.

I had to accept that maybe someone would get upset, but I was postponing the course to preserve my health and make sure I could offer a high-quality program for my people.

As it happened, nobody got upset. Not even slightly. In fact, several people said that the new start date worked better than the original.

6. Reflect on what needs to change for next time

This part is challenging because there are an infinite number of ways you can wind up working outside your capacity. That’s why part of what I teach in Project Prowess is to review every project for ways to improve and better understand your creative process.

In this particular case, here’s what I learned:

Promoting a course takes a lot of time and energy (at least for me, for now), so if I get an additional opportunity that’s too good to pass up, I’ll do a better job of negotiating my deadlines and changing them when necessary.

Mistakes will happen, and they are almost never the catastrophe my inner perfectionist believes them to be.

Ignoring the signs and symptoms of depletion does nothing to address the problem.

I’ve gathered more evidence that doing what’s best for myself is very often what’s best for others, so it doesn’t make sense to punish my health for a deadline that can be changed.

How about you?

What has you over-capacity right now?
What gets in the way of creating more spaciousness for yourself?

Psst! If you missed this session of Project Prowess, sign up here to be notified when the program is starting again!

Image credit: karpacious

In Project Prowess, I talk a lot about Capacity – the time and energy we have available for everything we do.

In our go-go-go culture, it’s easy to overestimate how much capacity we have for our projects (and underestimate the amount of self-care and rest we need).

If you try to work on a project when you don’t have the capacity for it, it’s going to be hard to get it done.

One of the lovely projectizers from the first group who attended Project Prowess is Paulita Pranschke. Understanding her own capacity and getting clear about what she needs to feel nourished was vital to completing her project.

I asked her to share some of her experience with you, so you could get a taste of what the program is like.

Did you have any concerns when you signed up for Project Prowess?

Uncertainty that I was really going to work on my chosen project, that I was really committed to working through my resistance so I could make progress. I mean, why spend money if I wasn’t committed to engaging with the process?

I went ahead and signed up, though, because I really, really deep-down wanted to make progress on my project (a dream I’d had for the embarrassingly long time of over 2 years).

Plus I knew I needed support. AND, I took Victoria’s Thing-Finding class last summer and was floored by how much I learned about myself. Victoria and my fellow-classmates really provided the kind of encouragement and support I needed. I wanted to work with Victoria again!

What were you most hoping to learn during the course?

I really wanted to learn in my bones how to meet myself where I am, find out what I need and then give it to myself. Especially when I feel anxious or scared, which is usually under the procrastination.

What project did you choose to work on during the program?

I wanted to put up a website and blog that would support me in my still-gestating business.

How was that process for you?

I discovered my commitment was not solid but for good reasons.

I had legitimate fears about visibility.

But I also had not so good reasons like thinking it needed to be perfect. One of the things that really helped was when one of the other participants was stuck on a sales page and Victoria told her to create a “shitty first draft.” Applying that idea to my website freed me up to move forward.

What did you like most about the course?

I love the tool “council of selves” and using it as a way to address procrastination and resistance by listening and making space for the entirety of me.

I also appreciated the camaraderie of the Facebook page and the live, individual coaching on the group calls. Most of all, I appreciated Victoria’s encouragement, support, and resourcefulness at helping me gently unlock the stuck.

What surprised you during the program?

The information about capacity was vital for me. I was so stunned at how little time I have during the week and how much I was pushing myself to “make” things happen, which doesn’t work with tiny, sweet things. Even my weekend time is finite.

It became very clear that self-care is essential for me to move forward with this project and future projects, which is not what I expected. I always think I will need to work harder, rather than be kinder to myself.

Would you recommend this course to others? If so, why?

I would recommend this course to anyone looking for gentle accountability and creative ways to unlock the stuck, in a context that deeply values your whole self.

What was the outcome of Project Prowess for you?

I got my self-hosted blog launched! Huzzah!

Anything else you’d like to add?

Victoria’s style of offering support for both the rational side and emotional side works beautifully for me.

My logical brain can focus on the planning and structure she offers while my emotional side can listen to my 12 & 13 year old selves who strangely enough wanted more broccoli and kale in my life.

You never know what helpfulness may come from who-knows-where and Victoria’s methods are a sure-fire way to access the help that’s all around us.

I felt like she really cared about me first and foremost, and was helping me learn how to use radical self-care as a springboard for creating the things I want in the world.

Find out more about Paulita and her sweet, new blog at paulitapranschke.com. Say hi and congratulate her on taking such a big step forward!

I know that no two situations are alike. If you’re ready to dig in to your project with a process that will work for you, check out Project Prowess.

The price goes up Monday night, and the Premium Option, which includes four additional sessions focused on working on your project, is nearly half full! I hope you’ll join us!

It is my great pleasure to announce the winners of the Project Prowess contest!

Congratulations to Yael Saar and Jodi Henderson!

Here’s how Yael described her two ideas:

My Sleep Deprivation Companion: a kit of body mind goodness to bring self-kindness and safety to zzzz-less times.

and

Mama’s Comfort Camp online: turning my self-kindness gentle Tried Mama Yoga class into something I can share with those who can’t come to my classes in person.

I work mostly with moms, but any woman (or man who wouldn’t mind women-centric language) looking for self-kindness could benefit from these projects.

And here’s how Jodi describes her project:

I have a burning desire to create an annual Empty Bowls event in my home community to raise money for organizations dedicated to feeding the hungry in my county. It will help the food pantry and other organizations to serve more people in the community.

Ultimately it would contribute to the creation and maintenance of a soup kitchen in my home town.

They’ve both won a spot in Project Prowess, which starts on Thursday, March 8! I can’t wait to see what they create!

There were so many great entries this year, and it was incredibly difficult to choose. I truly wanted to work with every person who submitted an entry, and I’m so grateful to have such a creative, loving group of people who wanted to projectize together.

What project have you been meaning to work on? What has your business been asking you to create?

With Project Prowess, you will…

• Change the lives of your people by sharing your unique smarts with them
• Make money by creating something you can sell
• Know how to projectize in ways that are nourishing rather than draining (which will make it easier to create more and better stuff…which will allow you to help more people…which will help you make more money…)

Ready to learn a projectizing process that fits who you are, in a beautifully safe and supportive environment?

There’s still time to register, but hurry, because the Premium Option is nearly half full! Also? You will save $50 by registering before Monday night when the early registration period ends. Join us!

I got an email the other day from one of the lovely people who joined Project Prowess and she let me know that she was feeling nervous about the course.

And immediately I realized that if one person was feeling unsure and a little anxious about the course, there would be others. Because that’s the nature of things…we are never alone in how we feel (we just think we are because sometimes it’s hard to talk about emotions).

Here’s the email:

I signed up! And for the Premium Option even though I’m terrified!

I’m totally unfamiliar with the call in format (I’ve never done a conference call!), and nervous about sending my work to you to review and comment on, and terrified about actually embarking on this project that has been delayed for so long and afraid that I will end up angry with myself for not getting started before.

I hate the thought that there might be a simple solution to something that has long plagued me, and that I may kick myself for not sorting it earlier.

Let’s tackle the non-technical stuff, first.

The most important thing to know

It’s completely normal to feel this way.

Whenever we take a step toward the things we want, there will be a mix of emotions that bubble to the surface. Some of them will be excitement, but some of them will be more like fear, anxiety, dread or terror.

This does not mean you have made a wrong step or a bad choice! Again, it’s the nature of things.

You are one of my Right People, and we are complex, sensitive flowers. We often (if not always) feel conflicting emotions about the stuff we do.

Feeling angry about waiting so long to figure this out

Oh boy, have I been there.

I don’t know this for sure, but I think it’s part of how our brains are wired. We learn something, and once we see that it’s not so mysterious, we instantly chide ourselves for not knowing it already.

Here’s the thing:

You only know what you know.

And you’re only ready to know what you’re ready to know.

Yes, you might feel anger or regret that you didn’t learn these skills sooner. That’s the part of you who was ready and wanted you to move ahead.

Thank her for pushing you to learn new stuff, and let her know that you’ll try to listen to her sooner next time. (In fact, during the program you will learn a tool to calm the parts that feel scared about moving ahead, so it will be easier to listen the parts that are ready.)

And then? Celebrate that you’re making progress on the project that has been waiting so patiently for you.

The Project Plan Check-Ins

When you sign up for the Premium Option, it includes a “Project Plan Check-In” with me.

I will not be grading you. There will be no red pen.

The purpose of the check-in is to make sure YOU feel comfortable with your project plan, because often when you’re doing something for the first time, it’s easy to wonder if you’re doing it “right.”

Once you have a good start on your project plan, you’ll send it to me and I’ll take a look at it during one of the Lab Sessions.

I’ll ask you how you feel about the plan and you’ll tell me if there’s anything that doesn’t feel right to you.

I’ll take a look at your task estimates and your deadlines and make sure everything seems reasonable.

Then I’ll offer lots of reassurance, and, if needed, make a couple of gentle suggestions so the plan will work better for you.

Again…no grading. No judging. Just reassurance and a second pair of eyes on your plan to make sure it will support you.

The call-in format

Here’s how this works.

For the four classes:

When you sign up, a day or two before our first call, you’ll receive a phone number and passcode from me.

At the time of the call, you dial that number however you want. You can use your land line, cell, or you can use Skype. You’ll be calling a U.S. phone number, so depending on where you’re calling from and your phone plan, you may or may not have a per minute charge. You may need Skype credit or a subscription.

Then you’ll hear a recorded voice prompting you to enter the passcode. Once you enter it, you’ll be added to the group call and I’ll be there. You’ll probably hear some chit chat happening and we can say hi before class starts.

Then, I’ll start the class by muting the lines so the recording is clear, and I’ll talk about projectizing, with lots of breaks where you can ask whatever questions you want. You’ll be able to unmute yourself by pressing *6, and then I’ll hear you if you have a question.

If you feel uncomfortable asking a question live on the call, you can ask by posting it on the Facebook group page, which I always check frequently.

During the Lab Sessions:

Before the first Lab Session, I’ll send you a worksheet to help you get clear on what you want to accomplish during the session. You’ll spend a little time beforehand filling that out for yourself.

You’ll dial in to a phone number just like for the Core classes.

Then I’ll guide you through a brief meditation-y exercise to help you focus on what you want to work on. (You do not need to have meditation experience for this! It will be easy and will make you feel calm and centered, I promise!)

If, after that exercise, you know what you want to work on, you’ll be able to hang up for 45 minutes and work on the tasks you chose.

But! If you’re feeling at all stuck, you’ll be able to stay on the line and ask me about it. I’ll help you get unstuck.

Or, if you hung up to start your focused work session, and then got stuck, you can dial back in and I’ll be there to help you get back on track.

At the end of the 45 minutes, you dial back in and check-in with the group and we celebrate what we all accomplished. (Yay! Progress!)

Regardless, I will stay on the line the whole time, there for you if you need me.

How about you?

Have questions about Project Prowess? Ask in the comments and I’ll answer them lickety-split!

Have you entered the contest, yet?

In case you missed it, I’m giving away two seats in Project Prowess.

This four-week program to help you finish a project to grow your business starts March 8!

To get all the details about how to enter the giveaway, check out this post. The contest ends on March 2!

But, if you want to make sure you get a spot (especially since seats in the Premium Option are getting snapped up), you can register now.

I’m so excited to announce that it’s contest time!

You have stuff that you want to create. Maybe it’s an ebook, or a teleclass or workshop. Or maybe it’s some kind of new way you want to work with your people. Or a combination of all of the above!

But something is getting in the way. Uncertainty, fear, distraction…you name it.

What I’ve learned is that there are two kinds of tools you need in order to create something successfully:

1. You need an outer structure that supports the actual work. This often looks like spreadsheets and lists and deadlines and milestones. But it needs to be the right structure for you.

2. You also need tools that support you when your creative anxiety kicks up. It often looks like resistance, procrastination, chronic advice-seeking and even panic. It’s completely normal for that stuff to come up, but it can really slow your progress!

Well, it just so happens that Project Prowess starts on March 8!

It’s the perfect environment to learn both types of tools, so that you can go from choosing an idea, to creating a plan, to getting started…all the way through to scheduling the work so you can make consistent progress.

And you won’t get bogged down in resistance or a hard-to-maintain system.

Nope…rather, you’ll have a simple framework you can follow so you can finish your projects with more ease and enjoyment!

Here’s how it’s going to work:

Who can enter

You, of course!

The prizes

I’m giving away two seats in Project Prowess.

The two winners will each receive:

• Four 90-minute group coaching calls (where you’ll learn how to projectize with more ease and enjoyment while making serious progress on your project)
• The recordings, so you don’t have to worry about missing something we discuss because you’re taking notes
• Access to the private Facebook page where you can get support and input from me and the other wonderful people in the program (this was the most popular part of the program for the first group of projectizers)
• The worksheets and workbook which will help you with your current project AND your future projects

You’ll get to spend four glorious weeks with me and the other amazing, like-minded people in the program choosing, planning and completing your project in a safe, supportive environment!

Just think about how it would feel to finish your project and…

…make the lives of your customers better by sharing your smarts
…grow your business
…have a sweet & helpful something to make money with
…enjoy the satisfaction of taking one of your ideas and bringing it into the world!

Zee rules

I’m guessing you’ve already checked out Project Prowess here and know you want to win a spot. Yes? Good.

Step 1

Leave a comment on this post and tell me two things:

1. What is your awesome project?

Who will it help? How do you hope it will help them?
What do you have a burning desire to create?

It’s okay if you don’t have all the details…just share what you know about it.

Note: If after Project Prowess starts you feel that a different project would be better to work on, that’s okay! Ms. Prowess and I aren’t going to force you to stick with the idea you entered the contest with if it’s not right for you!

2. What is your biggest stumbling block?

What stops you from moving forward with your awesome project?

Step 2

Tell your friends by tweeting out a link to this contest page!

Want to keep it easy? Then simply copy, paste and tweet one of the following…but if you want to change it up, make sure to use “@victoriashmoria” in the tweet so I see it!

• I just entered @victoriashmoria’s Project Prowess contest & you should, too! Let’s projectize! http://j.mp/xhyuRQ
• Oooh! @victoriashmoria’s giving away spots in her nifty projectizing program! http://j.mp/xhyuRQ
• Win a spot to work w/ @victoriashmoria & finish a project that will grow your biz! http://j.mp/xhyuRQ
• Learn how to bring some *prowess* (rowr!) to your projectizing w/ @victoriashmoria – her treat! http://j.mp/xhyuRQ

If you’re really not into Twitter, you can share the contest on Facebook, too. Simply send me a friend request, I’ll accept, and then you can tag me in your post about the contest!

Other details

If you’re a current or past client, you are welcome to enter.

The contest ends on Friday, March 2, at 3pm Pacific/6pm Eastern time.

I’ll be selecting based on the project type and the struggles raised so that I can make sure winners will be helped by the program. And I’ll notify the winners via email (using the address entered in the comment form) by Saturday, March 3, and announce them here on the blog by March 4.

That’s all there is to it!

Ms. Prowess (that’s my project, but you probably guessed that) and I can’t wait to see who wins, so leave a comment and spread the word!

Thank you so much for celebrating with us! Best of luck and happy projectizing to all who enter!

(Image credit: Andy Graulund)

I used to talk all the time about finding your Thing – the Thing you love to do, are good at and that will support you financially.

Lately I’ve been talking a lot more about projectizing.

Back when I didn’t know what my Thing was, I always felt like I had to leave most of my Self at home or in the parking lot to fit in at my job.

But even once you know what your Thing is and it’s time to start projectizing around it, you still need to make sure what you’re choosing to work on and how you’re working on it fit all of who you are.

Both Thing-Finding and Projectizing have very similar processes…you need things like Safety and Desire and Commitment. And a big willingness to experiment.

Really, they’re very closely related. Fundamentally they both serve the same purpose:

To help you shape your work around yourself, rather than shaping yourself around your work.

So when C. A. Kobu asked me to contribute to the Discover Your True Passion module for her amazing 52-week self-study program, A Year With Myself, I was thrilled to get the opportunity to share more about Thing-Finding. And this week it’s been published!

I wanted to do a little something fun to celebrate, so I’ve got something special for you whether you consider yourself a Thing-Finder or a Projectizer!

For Thing-Finders (in other words, if you’re still not sure what your Thing is)

I’m excited because I think you’ll get lots out of the journaling prompt that’s available for no cost whatsoever, but if you want even more, purchase the full 52-module kit using my link between now and March 15 and I’ll send you a gift copy of the full Shmorian Thing-Finding Kit, and an invitation to a live Q&A call in late March (exact date TBD) where we can talk about all your Thing-Finding questions.

On top of getting all 52 AYWM modules as they’re released, you’ll get the Thing-Finding Kit and a call with me!

If you think you could be a Projectizer (in other words, you’re ready to start bringing your Thing-related creations into the world)

Purchase the full kit using my link between now and March 7 and I’ll send you a coupon code for 50% off your registration in Project Prowess.

Which means you’ll get the full A Year With Myself experience (52 modules!) and you’ll get my hands-on support in creating something to help you start or grow your business.

Note that the deadline is different for this option, because Project Prowess starts March 8!

Easy peasy

Simply purchase A Year With Myself, and then email me your receipt (my email addy is right on my Contact page) and let me know whether you’d like the Project Prowess discount or the Thing-Finding Kit and call. I’ll get your goodies to you within 24 hours (probably a lot sooner).

I’m really proud of the module I shared for A Year With Myself. I hope you enjoy it. :)

In case you missed Tip #1, I shared a starting place for figuring out what needs to change in a project that’s gone off the rails.

For today’s tip, I talk a bit about Desire.

Desire is one of the five essential ingredients for successful projectizing that I talk about in Project Prowess.

(If you’re reading this in your email or via RSS, you may need to click through to watch the video.)

The video is less than five minutes long, but here’s what you need to know:

It takes a lot of energy to go from Idea to Finished Creation, so if you don’t truly want to do the project you’re working on, it will be challenging to complete it. There’s no such thing as a completely smooth project, so Desire is what helps you keep going even if things get rough.

There are two big aspects of Desire (as it relates to a project) that I talk about in the video: the What and the How.

It’s possible that you’re not that excited about What you’re working on…maybe it’s not meaningful to you, or simply doesn’t light your fire. This can happen if you decide to work on something you’re good at, but you don’t feel passionate about.

Or, if you’re working in ways that don’t fit who you are, maybe the How is the problem. For example, if you need isolation but your project requires too much group collaboration. (Ugh…that just gave me a flashback to all those group projects I absolutely dreaded when I was in school…clearly, I like to work in isolation!)

Is your stuck project missing Desire? Or does it feel like something else is causing the stuckness? Tell me about it in the comments!

Pssst! Project Prowess starts on March 8! In this four-week program, learn simple projectizing tools that will help you create with more ease and enjoyment. Get the details here.

As you can imagine, with Project Prowess starting in two weeks, I’ve got projects on the brain!

And I’ve been getting some questions about what to do if you’re already in the middle of a project that you had high hopes for, but are finding that it’s gotten way off track somehow.

Here’s a little video about where to start when your project is bumming you out or keeping you awake at night.

(If you’re reading this in your email or via RSS, you may need to click through to watch the video.)

Here’s what I share in today’s (under 5-minute) video:

• A big dose of reassurance…projects go wrong from time to time – it happens to the best of us!
• The first two steps to take if you find yourself dreading or avoiding your project because it’s not going well

Got a project that’s gotten bogged down? Tell me about it in the comments. I’ll share ideas for how to get moving again here or in the next video!

If you found this video helpful, I hope you’ll join us for Project Prowess, where you will learn how to go from Idea to Finished Creation with more joy and ease. Starts Mar 8!