Are you on a roller coaster going up and down so quickly that it’s difficult to get off the ride? Perhaps the treadmill of your life is going too fast because you are being bombarded by too much coming at you? If you resonate with any of these statements, it’s time to stop the madness!

Since launching The Leadership Collaborative at the end of April, I’ve been out in the marketplace with intention; I’ve been speaking, networking and engaging the field to learn more. And boy am I learning what others in business are facing and it can all be boiled down to one word:

OVERWHELM!

This overwhelm is showing up in many ways; see which of these you can relate to:

• Life changes/transitions are at an all time high—loss of a well-loved pet, moving, personal health issue, graduation, end of school, ailing family member and unexpected financial matters just to name a few.
• Wearing too many hats—trying to run multiple businesses, taking on activities that aren’t aligned with passion or expertise, adding more to the plate without assessing what needs to be let go.
• Mediocre financial results—just getting by, barely covering the expenses, surviving instead of thriving.
• Too much activity—doing, doing, doing without any time to slow down, assess and plan with purpose.

If you can relate to any of these scenarios, let me ask from a place of deep humility and love the question that Dr. Phil always asks… “How’s that working for you?”

My hunch is that it’s not.

Now let me contrast the above scenario with another person I met last week. She decided to make a 180 degree shift from her 20-year career in the judicial system to launching a speaking/training business. She’s following her “lights” and integrating her love of photography into a platform that reconnects others to the core through nature as a vehicle to help them find their passion. She has a book coming out in August, she’s working on her website, promoting her speaking and because of her clarity, passion and plan she has opportunities abounding and she’s getting tangible results.

So why isn’t she overwhelmed? What makes her different that the others I mentioned above?

1. She knows herself which helps her to know when to say “yes” and when to say “no”.
2. She has a vision which guides her even in the chaos.
3. She has a plan to take care of herself and slows down daily.
4. She has a strategy and continually revisits it to adjust and stay in momentum.

Here’s the truth: If you want to stop the madness in your own life and eliminate the overwhelm, these four elements are essential and non-negotiable.

So what’s true for you? Are you ready to stop the insanity which is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results?

I’m on a mission to stop the madness! If you’re serious like me, then let me help you take a stand for your heart. Give yourself the gift of a 15-minute free, no obligation call to find out what your one next step is. Contact me to schedule your appointment today. At a minimum, schedule 15-minutes in your own calendar to slow down.

You have everything to gain and nothing to lose.

Photo Courtesy of Photoxpress ©Andrejs Pidjass

Whoa, what a ride………. Last week was my first week as a MOMpreneur. Being the mom of a 10 week old and running a full fledged business, the concept of time management presents a whole new set of challenges.  “Going back to work” brought up many different emotions; sadness, joy, fatigue, gratitude, and most of all overwhelm.

Here are some tips that I am embracing and I invite you to join me.

1.    Become the CEO of your business. When a good CEO starts her day, she has a plan. She moves with purpose, methodically devoting her full attention to each objective. She has results in mind. Does she answer every call that comes in? Does she let other people determine when to meet, and for how long? Does she run around putting out fires and saving the day? Not a chance. You are the boss of your company, and it’s okay to act like it. You get to decide where to invest your time, and that means you don’t necessarily respond to every little thing right away. Go ahead, let that call go to voicemail!

2.    You won’t get it all done – and that’s okay. It’s the dark side of ambition that driving need to get everything handled. It haunts our nights and eats into our personal time. Many of us believe that in order to be successful, we have to get everything done. It’s not true! Handle your biggest priorities (like your marketing activities) every day and let the small stuff take care of itself. It is OK if you don’t get it all done – really! Getting to the next level is about doing what’s most important – always.

3.    Perfectionism isn’t profitable. Remember the golden rule in business: ‘Tis better to get it done than to do it perfectly. Don’t waste time with details that don’t really matter in the end. If high standards are compromising your productivity or adding to your stress, take some time to explore whether you have an unmet personal need (such as a need for approval). If this is the case, find ways to meet your needs outside of work. (We’ll talk about needs in a future article, as I have found that unmet needs are one the biggest reasons we become out of balance – more later). Remember, your job is to make sure things get done – one priority at a time.

4.    Contain your business: declare office hours. When you’re self employed, and especially when you work from home, your professional life and your personal life tend to blend together. You conduct high-powered meetings over the phone in your pajamas (come on ……I know I am not the only one your faxes end up with salsa smudges; you stop shopping for the kids back to school clothes to take a call from your assistant etc. But when you set up boundaries between your personal time and your work hours, you’ll start to experience some wonderful benefits:

You become much more efficient. In an effort to make the most of your work hours, you stop tending to the minor details and start tackling the bigger picture.
Your time off actually becomes “down time” so you feel much more rested.
At the end of the day, you feel satisfied instead of resentful; in control instead of chaotic; purposeful instead of panicky. Of course, you only realize these benefits if you actually honor your office hours. Take them seriously, and demand that everyone else does too.

TLC Coaches challenge:
This month, be intentional about how you spend your time. Define your office hours and stick to your priorities. Constantly ask yourself, “Which result is most important now?” Post a sign or make a note to keep you focused, and when the end of the day comes, close the door.

Begin this fall with a CEO mentality and join me in having your business serve your life rather then feeling like a servant to your business!

Reproduced with permission from Teresia LaRocque’s ‘Leverage Your Business, Love Your Life’ newsletter. To subscribe, go to www.teresia.com. Copyright 2010 Teresia.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. What’s most important to you? And what changes do you need to make to have a CEO mentality in your business and your life? Share your comments at the blog at www.shannonbruce.com.

“Simplifying is really about choices – prioritizing what is important – and then sticking to those choices no matter how tempting it is to add more to your to-do list. In fact, take those tempting activities and put them on a list of things not to do. You are the only one who can assume responsibility for your time and clarify what’s really important to you.” Rick Warren

In returning from the Destiny Project Retreat in Hunt, TX, I have a lot on my plate since I was “unplugged” from technology for 6-days. In clearing my e-mails, I received the quote in a devotional from a client and it literally stopped me and took my breath away. As I read it, the truths laser pierced my heart reminding me that at every given moment, I have a choice about how I  “be” and “do” my life and work.

This idea that “I get to choose” is a hot topic for me post-Destiny Project retreat. I had the privilege of co-leading with my awesome friend and colleague Wendy Balman as we witnessed 13 incredible women break through their fears to reclaim the truth.  Each one overcame barriers and courageously pressed through the resistance to give themselves full permission to dream again. It was beautiful process to watch as each and every one uncovered their authentic desires, values, identity, mission and more.

We all left the retreat transformed, including me and Wendy. As we all re-enter the “world” after experiencing a slice of heaven on earth, we are navigating how to boldly remain on our own paths, learning  to guard our hearts as a wellspring of life. We choose to press on and persevere so we can become even more of the authentic masterpieces we are created to be.

What does this mean for you? It means this is a time to risk and simplify. Why? Because the world needs what you have to offer and the only way to unleash your true identity and to fulfill your unique mission is to follow the advice that Rick Warren has offered:

• Prioritize what is important.
• Stick to those choices no matter how tempting to add to your to-do list.
• Put those tempting activities on a “not-to-do” list.
• Assume responsibility for your time.
• Clarify what really matters.

A couple of weeks ago, I asked self-employed and work at home professionals to share their tips for balancing work and life in the summer months and beyond. The bottom line of their feedback is this: Schedule your work time and play time, let go of non-essentials and get support.

Here’s what I’m curious about for you:

• What changes do you need to make with your time as you schedule both work and play?
• What will you let go of?
• What support do you need?

All of this great advice is really about simplifying, yet clearly it’s risky based on the fact that so many, myself included, have such a hard time letting go of control. I encourage you to read the specifics that each friend shared as it could be helpful wisdom that guides in making the necessary changes in your life.

So now what? What’s your next step? I’d love to hear how you’ll simplify; feel free to share your comments at the blog at www.shannonbruce.com.

As a business owner and woman, you are busy balancing the plethora of demands between your life and work. In fact many of you had great insight about the topic which you posted to my Facebook wall, which will be shared in a future blog. However, in the interest of staying “balanced” as I prepare for the upcoming Destiny Project Retreat in Hunt, TX, I’ve decided to leverage the wisdom and share several Best Business Women Tips that I received from my friend and colleague, Krista Dunk of KB Women.

Be sure to take a moment to read the insight from the many incredible business owners that shared tips with KB Women. You can read more at the KB Women Blog.

In the meantime, here is the quote that I shared:

“Imagine your business is like a coin. There are two sides to this coin which requires your attention so you can create both a thriving life and prosperous business. One side represents discovering who you are authentically, including your values, purpose, mission and personal definition of success. The other side is about applying this insight into your daily life by establishing practical systems, like how to work with clients, ways to market your services and a schedule that leverages your time. When you address both sides, including the spiritual and the practical, you will achieve authentic success.”

As you read this quote, I wonder what’s your next step to balance both the spiritual and the practical?

When I answer this question for myself, it’s truly about leveraging who I am in a way that helps me to achieve more with less effort. In this moment, that means using what is already available to benefit you by bringing you this KB Women blog post. This honors my values of connection, impact and contribution (the spiritual side) and allows me to accomplish the preparation I need (the practical side).

What insight do you have to offer? Share your comments at the blog. And have a great week.

Picture courtesy of Photoxpress © Styf

Remember that commercial years ago where  a woman is overwhelmed and frustrated by the many demands for her attention? She finally took a stand and declared “Calgon, take me away!” This woman was really onto something that I think bears repeating. Her declaration points to the truth that we all need to step away from the chaos and demands of life to slow down, pause, breathe, check in and reassess.

So what about you? Could you use a “Calgon” break? Permission granted…Go for it! Maybe it’s not a bubble bath, but it could certainly be a ten-minute break to breathe or go for a quick walk. Or how about sitting down to eat your lunch at the table rather than “on the go” or standing up?!

At some point, you will get caught up in the “doing” and “serving” others through your business and your life that you barely have time to think, let alone feel.  Some of you might press in and push through, while others shut down and just stop all together. In either scenario, you’ll reach the point where you are ineffective and unproductive forcing you to reevaluate.

So what’s the answer?

The answer is this: give yourself permission to pause. Take a quick assessment right now and contemplate the following questions.

• What are you currently experiencing internally? Are you at rest inside? Or are you feeling chaos within? Name what you notice.

Once you tune in to what’s happening in your internal world, take a look at what’s going on externally by answering these questions.

• What’s working?
• What’s not?
• What really matters?
• What changes are needed?

Your answers to these questions will reveal some powerful truths. However, you’re just scratching the surface at this point.

There are actually deeper truths that need to be accessed.  This internal wisdom will actually help you on the front-end to be proactive in your life and business rather than reacting to the shut-down or burn-out that comes after you hit the proverbial wall.

When you give yourself permission to glean this inner wisdom, you’ll discover your true identity and life mission which reveals your purpose. With this information, you have filters for your choices and you can design a path to the life you’re intended to live. This keeps you anchored in peace while achieving greater impact and tangible results with less effort in both your life and your business.

There’s actually a coaching journey that can help you tap into these deeper truths. It’s called The Destiny Project and this week it went virtual under one website location with it’s own unique brand, identity, mission and purpose. What’s really cool about this journey is that it provides enough structure to keep you moving forward, blended with enough process that takes you deeper into the learning of who you truly are at the core.

Many say they don’t have enough time to dream because there’s too much to do.  How about you? What do you think?

What if the question isn’t how can you afford to dream, but rather the question was how can you afford not to? I invite you to contemplate this in your “Calgon” moment as you exercise your permission to pause.

Post your comments at www.shannonbruce.com; I’d love to read your thoughts and be sure to check out the new website because it’s pretty amazing! Thanks Michael Warden and Josh Tilton.

Photo Provided by www.photoxpress.com, Copyright Julia Britvich

I’ve spent the majority of my life “doing” rather than “being”. After all, there are places to go, people to see, and things to do, right?

This approach to life fell short for me over ten years ago when I made the bold and courageous decision to leave behind the security of my steady paycheck. I quit my “Corporate” job to pursue my entrepreneurial dream because I was exhausted and burnt out from all of my “doing” for the sake of what?!

Little did I know that I would find myself going through life transition upon life transition, starting with my divorce and the subsequent hurdles of my daughter’s health struggles.

Because of these changes, I was challenged to find answers to the questions of “Who am I?” and “What’s next?”

I could write a book on the topic and some day I just might! In the meantime, the key learning is that I am a “human being”, not a “human doing”. Out of this paradigm shift, I have reaped the benefits of living a heart centered life and I am committed to supporting women like you to do the same.

For those of you who are “do-ers” (which is 99.9% of the women out there), here are some practical next steps that will help you “to be”.

1. Slow down and breathe fully. Repeat multiple times during the day!
2. Go for a walk in silence. A little bit of exercise, a chance to be and not just “sitting still”.
3. Get up early in the morning before everyone else wakes up. Drink your coffee in silence and breathe some more.
4. Stop talking and listen. Pay attention to others and to your inner voices, your body, etc.
5. Read my blog article “On the Verge of a Break Through” for more insight.

Learning to “be” is essential if you want to find inner peace, joy and greater purpose. It’s a huge shift from the crazy-making world we live, yet so worth the perseverance and commitment to find it.

So what else would you add to this list? Share your comments at Facebook and the Blog…And then, breathe and “just be”!

Do you find yourself in the absence of “complete” clarity. I’m right there with you because in this season of my life, there’s a lot in flux in both my personal life and business. I have a sense of where these shifts will take me and I’m moving forward in action in new and positive ways.

At the same time, I find myself challenged by the lack of “crystal clear clarity” that “us coaches” support our clients to discover. Perhaps you’re like me, finding your schedule jam packed, having little margin, and new opportunities coming to you at warp speed.

Here are some of the realizations I’ve had over the past few weeks:

Strengths taken to an extreme become a weakness. My can-do attitude has resulted in me saying “yes” too often. Don’t get me wrong; I am saying “yes” to good things that honor my values, strengths and vision. The end result however, is that my quiet time has been impacted and the quality of my personal relationships is being affected. What about you? What strengths have become weaknesses in your life?

The “good” can crowd out those things that are “best”. When you receive an opportunity that appears aligned with your strengths, talents, values, vision, etc. pause before saying yes. Evaluate whether the opportunity is “good”, “better” or “best”, and choose accordingly.

Replenish on a grand scale so you can continue to give to others in a big way. You must renew and replenish to the same degree you are giving to have increase your impact, influence and results. To be in service from a “full” tank you need to take care of yourself. This isn’t selfish; it’s a fact of life!

So now what?

Reduce your screen time—my daughter’s pediatrician told me that she should have no more than 2 hours of TV, Computer, and Electronic Games a day. Hmmm, I wonder what that means for us adults. For me, this means that I must turn off the computer when I leave my office daily.

Aim for an earlier bedtime—what bed time allows you to wake up being your best self? I have found a time that allows me to wake up refreshed and every time I “push it”, my morning is challenged.

Radically reduce your multi-tasking—you can’t send an e-mail, put a load of laundry in the machine, talk on the phone and be present all at the same time. Keep the main priority  your focus and be real about how many activities you can handle at any given time.

Here’s the truth in all of this. You need to shield yourself from the busyness to hear what your body, soul and spirit are saying. External noise and excessive activity interferes with your ability to hear the still small whispers within that will give you the “complete” clarity you need.

What do you think? I welcome your feedback and comments.

Do you need permission to unplug? Is your blackberry, computer, kids, work, or whatever else keeping you “amped” up and on “overdrive”?

I’m headed out of town tomorrow and you know how that goes! There are errands to run, logistics to coordinate, packing to be completed in addition to the regular routine of life and business!

Breathe with me please! In this moment, let’s all take a deep breath inward and exhale all of the spinning and frenetic energy to “be still” and remember what really and truly matters.

I’m traveling to Breckenridge, CO for a training retreat with my friends and colleagues of the WayPoint Coaching Community. So here are some other action steps that I’m giving myself permission to take in the coming days:

• No e-mail, facebook, twitter, or internet for the next 5-days! I know…this is going to require self-control and tons of prayer!
• Being fully present with the training our group will be doing.
• Opening my heart to receive the renewal and replenishment that I really need.
• Engaging with my WayPoint Coaching Community with the intention to allow every emotion to surface because it’s all welcomed and necessary for my renewal.

So that’s me…What about you? What do you need to unplug from? What steps will you take?

We all know it’s a choice to take a break, yet I know that you need permission. Super Mompreneurs and Women Extraordinaire need to know it’s OK. So today, permission is granted for you to take a sabbath from whatever is keeping you on the fast track. Why? Because when you slow down, you are actually more Super, Amazing and Incredible!

Will you join me on this adventure?  Let me know by posting your comments below.

P.S. No e-mails, blogs, facebook posts, or twitters from me until next week! I’m declaring the victory right now…Wish me luck!

Remember that song by Bachman-Turner Overdrive called “Taking care of business?” Oddly enough, this song randomly popped into my head this morning so I googled it to find these lyrics:

Taking care of business, everyday
Taking care of business, everyway
I’ve been taking care of business, it’s all mine
Taking care of business and working overtime.

This little ditty could actually be the theme song for every woman out there, and most definitely applies to those of us who work from home as entrepreneurs and Mompreneurs! No matter who you are engaging with, whether it’s in your home, community or workplace, you are most likely “taking care of business” from the time you awaken until the time you get to bed!

And today marks the fact that there are only 100 days until the end of the year. Nothing like adding some pressure!!!

So here’s what I’m curious about. As you “take care of business” are you “taking care of you?” If not, you might be working from an empty tank, reducing the quality of your health, diluting the impact of your results and hindering the quality of your relationships.

Here’s the truth…Taking care of business means you must take care of you! To positively influence others in your life your gas tank must be refueled regularly.

You probably “know” this to be true, so the real question is whether you act in your life as if you believe it to be true. Would others in your life see you as present, loving, and available? Or do they see a woman who is distracted, on edge and unavailable?

What does it mean to take care of you? Read the list below and find one that you’ll commit to in the coming week:

• Go to bed 30-minutes earlier.
• Schedule some quiet time before your day starts.
• Take a lunch break.
• Make time to go for a 15-minute walk around the block.
• Take a hot bath.
• Slow down your pace.

Any one of these activities will become a conscious way to replenish. With a full tank, you’ll be much more effective at “taking care of business, every day.”

What will you commit to? I’d love to hear what you’ll say “yes”. Post your comments below…and Enjoy!

On your mark, get set, GO! It’s off to the races, go, go, go…Come on get going, now! Can you feel the shallow breathing, the quickness of your pace, and your thoughts being consumed with “what’s next?” It’s almost suffocating, isn’t it?

Thanks to blog read Lisa Lauffer for her inspiration as she shared that tip #27 from the Quick Tips for Daily Living blog post has encouraged her to “slow down”!

Here’s what Lisa had to say:

“I felt led lately to follow #27–sloooowwww doooowwwwwnnnnn. I mean really–what’s the hurry? Why am I trying to get through everything and get everywhere so darn fast? Aren’t I doing all these things so I can enjoy the journey of life? This single one-liner has led me to take many a deep breath and sink into my experiences, so that even if I’m scraping dried food off my countertop with my fingernail, I’m really engaged with that activity! And I’m loads more engaged with my kids. Life feels fuller, and I close my eyes at the end of the day with much more satisfaction.”

Ahhh, breathe into that?! Feel the spaciousness and life that comes with slowing down and breathing.

I want to invite you to slow down for a minute right now and breathe fully. And by the way, it doesn’t take any extra time for those of you with with an already full day!

As you breathe, contemplate the following questions:

• What do you notice around you? Become present to your surroundings.
• What’s going on in you? Check-in with your thoughts, your body, your heart to become conscious right now.
• What’s the wisdom from slowing down and breathing? Make a choice right now that will allow you to engage completely with today’s journey.

I’d love to hear the impact this has on you. Share your comments below. And keep breathing!