Before I get started I received some feedback from my last blog, asking about if I was happy in my new job. The response is that I feel comfortable in my new role which make me feel uncomfortable (fear of not growing enough). I am so use to having challenges to overcome with no idea how to tackle them which force me to work hard, learn, and grow professionally.
I am not feeling that in this role but I knew this risk and vowed it would give me the space and opportunity to pursue other goals such as; building a business and a strong network outside of work, with a focus on more person growth and building a stronger connection with my community.
Mastermind session #2: As we each entered the café I observed our confidence rise, our self-shields and doubts lower, and a calming supportive happiness fill our minds, souls, and spirts. At this moments I thought; what a refreshing feeling, this type of environment is one of the reason I really see the value in Masterminds, it sets the stage for success. We immediately start catching up on the progress we have all made since the last time we met, it’s as if none of us have the self-control to even hold back the excitement of our achievements. What a great place to be, truly living our best lives and enjoying the journey openly and honestly with each other. There was discussion of the fear of sharing too much of your business ideas with other businesses in the same industry, how always having to chase the next big thing or idea is exhausting, and how to keep up. Someone asked if I could share my morning routine, so I did, it’s so great to share what works well for someone else so others can use the general idea but modify to fit their needs and temperament.
My Morning Routine:
5am: wake up (I go to bed no later than 10:30pm and I sleep in my workout clothes)
5am – 6am: Listen to “Uncommon Being”, fearless motivation on my Alexa while I make breakfast (2 egg whites, 1 full egg), drink my lemon water and black coffee and review my Law of Attraction planner and goals for the day, week, and month
6am – 6:30am: Workout (usually select a 30mins workout from the Beach Body app)
6:30am – 7am: Prepare my lunch and drink my post work-out protein smoothie ( it chocolate and yummy so I use it as my reward for working out)
7am – 7:30am: Shower and get ready for the day
7:30am-7:45am: Kiss my boys, tell them I love them & leave for work
For mastermind this month our homework was to complete a visionary exercise, write down where we will be in 1 year as if it were one year from now and how we would feel when we achieved our goals. We also had to complete a Temperament assessment which uses the Meyers Briggs evaluation criteria to determine personality type.
“Our coach/facilitator went even further and provided us with some tools that describe the actions we can take based on our Temperament for time management. What a great addition to this, I love that I have something I can actually use to take action on. For example; I am an intuitive judger (NJ) I want more than anything to achieve the goal, I get energy and drive to achieve, have high standards, always keeping the long-term vision in mind.”
We were all eager to discuss the results of our “Temperament Assessment” so we started there. There was an overwhelming feeling of self-confirmation as each of us shared our temperament results and read the descriptions associated with our type. Our coach/facilitator went even further and provided us with some tools that describe the actions we can take based on our Temperament for time management. What a great addition to this, I love that I have something I can actually use to take action on. For example; I am an intuitive judger (NJ) I want more than anything to achieve the goal, I get energy and drive to achieve, have high standards, always keeping the long-term vision in mind. I learned that due to my “big picture” mindset I need to ensure that I need to spend more time and give more attention to the small details and use tools to map out all of those pesky details that can cause big problems down the road.
This triggered a discussion on how we actually use planners, specifically “passion planners” and what do each of us write in the priorities field for the weeks and day. Lisa was able to describe that she uses the field for tasks that she would put off, not tasks she knows she will get done throughout the day. That way the tasks that remain over the weeks keep moving from day to day and week to week which shows the tasks not getting done. This provides an understanding of what “frog” needs to eaten. I had the realization during this discussion that based on my “temperament” I am transactional and need to see the value in something in order to get it done or to do it at all. I don’t follow the normal path of putting difficult things off, those are the tasks I usually do first because I can see the challenge in the task and see the value in what I can learn from it. So, I need to prioritize the small (just do it) items because I know based on my “temperament” that I will naturally get the bigger more challenging items done. An example of small tasks are; getting the registration for my car, programming my garage door opener in my new car so I park in the garage versus needing to clean my car off when it snows, and scheduling my PMP exam. These are all tasks I know how to do, they would only take me minutes to complete but because I would not learn anything or be challenged I don’t see the value in completing them. Even though there are clear consequences to not getting these items done. Wow, this is a game changer for me in my experience the small things make a big difference.
Next on the agenda was a readout of our visionary exercise. I had to start with how far I came since I started this journey to help me complete this exercise. So, I made the table below and reviewed it with the group as I did my read out.
Accomplishments List:
| When I started this journey | After just 2 months on this journey |
|
· 20 lbs over weight · ~$40K in consumer debt to grow my multifamily business · Talking about starting a business in the medical marijuana/hemp industry for 2 years w/nothing to show for it · No personal/home budget, constant arguments with my husband about money · Thought about blogging for 1 year now but never did it · Submitted paperwork for eligibility to take PMP exam 1 year ago |
· Lost 5lbs in Jan. but gained weight back in Feb. due to off balance · < $20K in consumer debt · Officially started business · Secured 1st client and established 3 strong relationships in the industry · Plan in place to purchase analytical equipment to start testing samples · Passed PMP Exam, PMP Certified · Wrote 1st blog |
Visionary Read out:
One year from today we have paid off all our consumer debt just in time to save money for the purchase of an apartment building with commercial space to move our new lab equipment to because we have so many clients now we need to expand and we are ready to get certified with NYS. I’m feeling strong, healthy, and confident with my body due to consistent weight loss and a healthy sustained routine. My boys have all learned how to run samples and love working alongside their mommy, they have learned to love science too.
Transformation from mastermind to growth alliance:
After our meeting time was up, we continued to discuss specifics about our businesses, the partnerships we have made and the next steps. This lead into struggle we have as females growing business and how this impacts our relationships with our spouses. The reason I am highlighting this is because I think our group is transforming from a traditional mastermind group to more of a growth alliance. If you google “define mastermind group” you will get the following result; A mastermind group is a peer-to-peer mentoring concept used to help members solve their problems with input and advice from the other group members. The concept was coined in 1925 by author Napoleon Hill in his book The Law of Success, and described in more detail in his 1937 book, Think and Grow Rich. I would define a growth alliance as a mutually beneficial transactional business like friendship. In our group, we all came into this environment to improve our lives in the personal growth, relationships, and business development space. We enjoy working hard and building things and to some people this means talking about work but for us it’s about building something tangible and it gives us energy, removes judgement, builds trust, and forms alliances.
So far, this experience has been very rewarding as you can see from my accomplishments list. I hope this inspires some of you to take the leap and try out a mastermind in your local community.