Are You Pushing Your Boundaries or Just Cozying Up to Them? by Cara Lumen

I thought I was doing pretty well, I was teaching more teleclasses, creating more information projects, and coaching more clients. But nowhere in that scenario was I pushing any boundaries. I already know how to do those things. In fact, I'm not even close to being stretched.

If we don't stretch, we don't grow. If we don't think beyond what we know we won't discover anything new. If we don't push our boundaries they won't expand.

A long time ago in New York City I took all the EST seminars. I finally found myself on the enrollment team and that was not a good place for me. As I recall, we were to try to discern between an objection that was simply a rationalization that was holding them back or the fact that they didn't really want to take the course. In retrospect, I'm guessing that if they stood there and talked to you they sort of wanted to be talked into it. However, that's not my version of how to sell something but I did learn from the experience. How can I tell what's holding me back? How can I tell the difference between really truly not wanting to do something or simply being afraid, or uncertain, or even overwhelmed with the idea?`

I'm not the most natural networker in the world but I know it's vitally important so I have figured out my personalized way to do it. I didn't exactly push through the barrier that makes me hesitant to reach out to people, but I approached it from a different angle to make it work for me.

I now have a radio show on Blog Talk Radio www.blogtalkradio.com/passionatelyonpurpose and at first I was apprehensive - not about doing it, I talk like crazy, but the technical aspect was not within my comfort zone. But guess what, I wanted the show more than I wanted to be comfortable. So I scheduled a time, got my intro music up there and did it! It was fabulous. It was fun. I plan to have guests but for the first few times I'm writing the scripts and doing them myself. I even have new pages on my web site www.passionatelyonpurposeradio.com where I have put the PDF's of the show script for added value. So I'm off and running on a new adventure simply because I pushed though the boundaries of my comfort zone.

I'm writing a book proposal and one of the things you have to do is show the editor how well you will be able to market the book when it is published. So I had to sit down and write all the ways I could promote it. Now why haven't I done that as extensively for my business? Why haven't I reached out to the people I know and figured out some way we can create a mutually advantageous call, or class, or venture? Maybe it's because I felt like I was "selling" myself. It is less about me when I'm talking about promoting a book. But that's just my mind making excuses.

I really want this book to be published so I've begun to work on setting up the marketing elements I will need. I changed the name of my blog to www.passionatelyonpurposeinsights.com I have my Passionately On Purpose Radio Show, I change the name of my emagazine and www.passionatelyonpupose.com sends you to the past issues. You would guess that the working title of my book is Passionately On Purpose, How to Make a Difference in Your World - right?! I'm being proactive.

Sit down and make a marketing plan and get started. Increase the number of your article submissions to 3-5 a week with a good strong resource box at the bottom. Get yourself a business page on FaceBook. Blog three times a week. Put a great emagazine out to your list. Participate on other blogs. Get a stronger opt in offer to raise your conversion rate. All of these things will attract new people to your web site.

Look for one thing that is not particularly easy for you and go at least explore it to see if it is something you would like to do. I remember I felt so challenged about learning sound editing that I put it off for a year. But I finally did it. What a liberating thing it is to know how to do! Learn something new technically every month. You don't have to master it; you just have to know how it works and how you can use it. If it fits in your marketing plan you can get someone else to apply it for you if you really don't like to do it yourself. But knowing how something works lets you know what to expect of those who do help you.

Stop your business. Sit down and think. Sit still and feel how you feel, notice what's working, what you want to do more of. Most of all look at what new things people are asking you to do. Then make a Discovery Plan. What do you want to learn next? What new technology, opportunity, or idea do you need to explore? Push yourself past your barriers and go exploring. It's exciting to push the envelope and discover you can do more than you thought you could!

Cara Lumen, MA, Your Idea Optimizer helps you turn your ideas into steady profit. As a business developer, content developer and educator, Cara helps you make money from what you already know. You can learn more about how to put your wisdom to work through her radio show www.blogtalkradio.com/passioantelyonpurpose and her Passionately On Purpose emagazine at www.caralumen.com