Get Moving!

Photo Credit: Legley

One of my best thinking times is when I am out walking the dog in the morning. We walk all over town at least 30-40 minutes. This gets the blood pumping, gets us outdoors and helps me relax into the day. On the weekends we usually head out to the park so he can run around and sniff to his hearts content and I can walk in the beautiful trees of the forest area in the “back-40”. Go early enough and you may see only one or 2 people. That is something I would love to do even more.

You should check out the Trail Talk videos from Justin Lukasavige, he does the same thing on Friday afternoon’s.

1) The Art of the Stretch: If you have been at your desk for hours on end, like most solo entrepreneurs are, it is time to get up, have a big stretch. (Note…  sound effects help with the big stretches). Have you ever watched your dog or your cat do one of those head to tip of tail stretches? Legs stretching out front and back as far as they can go – yep that is the kind of stretch I’m talking about.

2) Move Around – Do Something Else: Then it is time to move around, get the blood pumping again, swing your arms, rotate your neck around and most importantly… STEP AWAY FROM THE DESK. This is so hard to do when you are on a roll and things are going well but there is that magic point between where you are doing well and you are about ready to crash. Learn to recognize that point, anticipate it and work around it. [Read more...]

Fight Back a Wonky Day – Suggestion #2:  Start Writing

I have been an off and on journaler since I was a kid but it wasn’t until I was an adult that I began to realize what a tool this could be.

I’ve heard it referred to as journaling, brain dumping, and the morning papers (ala Julia Cameron). The point is to get all that stuff that has accumulated, and cluttered out of your head and down onto paper.

Taking the time to do this can be such a release. As creative entrepreneurs we tend to hold on to each and every idea that pops into our head in an attempt to not forget. Holding on that tight can stall one from moving forward on a project.  Writing it all out can also give you a different perspective on what is and isn’t important.

You might be surprised to find that there are days when the time you invest in writing. takes you in directions never thought of before. This free-form writing experience can generate blog post ideas, product ideas, aha moments on your “stuckness” and even provide solutions by helping you see the problem from a different angle.

There are so many benefits to writing that I highly recommend it to family, friends, clients, and especially creative entrepreneurs. We can so easily get stuck in our own head, that we get tunnel vision. That tunnel vision can lead to stagnant creativity. We all need fresh input and new ideas. [Read more...]

Ever had a day you just wanted to go hide out in your cave?

The day starts out okay – well okay the dog got you up extra early because he REALLLY needed his potty walk.

That is not too bad in the end though. It is early, the streets are quiet, the birds are out, the sun is shining – no rain, at least not yet, and most importantly the school buses haven’t started their roaring journey down the street yet. You have some good podcasts or audio classes loaded up on the ole’ iPod and you head out on the walk.

As you stumble down the sidewalk (since you really aren’t awake yet) you actually have patience to let the dog stop and smell every single possible tree he can find. You are listening to your podcasts and then it happens…

Your mind starts to drift and you start reviewing your day. Ugh. The list that is never ending; overwhelming even. After that it just seems to cascade and go down hill after that.

What do you do on days like this? What tools do you have to battle back on those days that just go wonky?

Fight Back a Wonky Day – Suggestion #1: Listen up [Read more...]