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How to Stop Spinning Your Wheels and Fully Enjoy Your Business

Copyright (c) 2009 Christine Kloser

I got off the phone yesterday with a colleague who reminded me of myself. (Well, he reminded me of my past self.) He had experienced a good level of success, was respected by his colleagues, had a wonderful family and all the clients he could ask for.

But, there was something very wrong. He was exhausted, overworked, stressed out, and feeling like his life was his business… missing out on the other things that meant a lot to him.

I call this the «spinning your wheels» syndrome. It happens when you find yourself constantly running on the hamster wheel of your business (and your life). Only to realize that when you «get» to where you think you want to go, it’s not what you had envisioned. The «success» experience falls flat in comparison to what you thought it would be. Where is the bliss? Where is the freedom? Where is the joy from doing the work you love so much? Ahhhh… these are all very good questions.

And, here are three steps you can take immediately that’ll help you get off the never-ending «merry go round» of your business and enjoy more ease in your life. These were the very steps I took to shift things in my business to a place where I truly love my business and my life.

Step 1: Create Your Personal Definition of Success When it comes to experiencing entrepreneurial success, so often we see that definition being (according to the external world) about financial success. However, if the sole focus of a business is on financial reward, your life will be compromised in that pursuit.

It’s important as you look at redefining success for yourself, that you look at the entire picture of success. Here are some things to consider as you contemplate this… that go beyond your financial goals. What is the work that truly calls to your soul? How do you want to spend your time in your business? What types of clients do you want to work with? How many hours a week do you want to be working on your business? Do you want to offer more products or services, or cut back on your offerings? What kind of team do you need in place to help you experience your definition of success? How involved are you with your team? Do you want to travel for your business, or stay closer to home? What support do you have on your journey?

These are all questions to consider as you define what real success means to you. You’ll see that success is about much more than money… it’s about fulfillment, peace of mind and joy in your life.

Step 2: Reevaluate Your Business Once you’ve gotten clarity on your personal definition of success, it’s time to take a closer look at your current business. It’s important to give yourself a half day (or preferably a day) to step back from the operations of your business, and focus on the big picture. Too often, I see entrepreneurs who are working to create a business based on someone else’s model of success. But, in this step, the only model you need to allow to emerge is the one that works for you.

As you reevaluate your business, identify if there is anything you’re doing that you don’t want to do? On the other hand, are there things you want to do, but aren’t getting to? Are there aspects of your business that you think you «should» do, but they just aren’t working for you? Once you evaluate your current business, turn your focus on creating a vision for the business you really want. If you could create anything for yourself in your business, what would that be? This type of reevaluation is a necessary step in getting your «wheels to stop spinning» and fully enjoying your business.

Step 3: Be Proactive Being proactive is a key step to take your insight and clarity from the previous two steps and create positive change for yourself. When you do this type of work (to create your personal definition of success and reevaluate your business), chances are you’ll see some things that require a change to be made.

But, it’s up to you to take your new understanding and shift something in your business as a result. Nothing is more painful than knowing it’s time to make a change, yet not being proactive to it. This has been the step that’s allowed me to release entire businesses, projects, strategies, or programs that didn’t fit with what I saw for myself, my life and business. As a result, more aligned opportunities keep showing up for me, and I’m feeling more fulfilled in my business (and my life) than ever before.

These three simple steps aren’t necessarily easy, but they are indeed simple. If you feel like you’re spinning your wheels in your business and want to enjoy your life more fully, you owe it to yourself to give yourself the gift of time to follow these three steps and move forward toward the business and life you truly want.

How to Become a Private Investigator in 8 Easy Steps

Becoming a private investigator shouldn’t be all that hard right? I mean many thousands of people have gone on to accept

great private investigator jobs or open their very own successful investigation agency; why can’t you? I’ve boiled down the

process into nine easy steps:

1. Find a quality private investigator school or training.
2. Get licensed, if required.
3.

Get your essential gear and support systems in place.
4. Market your investigative services.
5. Impress your clients with

quality service, every time. 
6. Invoice and collect for your investigations.
7. Repeat steps 4 through 6 as often as

necessary.
8. Find more private detective training and improve your skills. Again, repeat as often as necessary.

Actually, I wish it were that easy but it’s not… though it is not impossible, as many of your future competitors would have

you believe.  After all, no one wants to encourage his or her future competition.

With that in mind I am going to give you

the best advice you will get in our industry:

Commit right now to becoming a lifelong student of the Private Investigator

tradecraft, which means finding a mentor, taking courses, reading books, research, and networking! This is not just for the

short-term, but also for as long as you intend to conduct investigations for business or for pleasure. I commit to at least 5

hours a week to learning more about some aspect of this business; improving my marketing skills, staying abreast of the

changing climate of our industry, studying new methods of skip tracing, surveillance, photography, etc; each are extremely

valuable topics to pursue.

Competency is developed from the study and practice of these skills and competency leads to

success!

Step #1 is the first step in the process for a reason, finding the right school for you is of paramount importance

and will lay the foundation for your future; no other single decision made by someone wanting to learn to become a private

eye is so crucial!  You wouldn’t begin a long journey without a map or a critical mission without a plan if you hoped to

succeed.  A quality private investigator training program should teach you each of the most critical skills needed so that

you will hit the ground running once you are ready.

Finding the right course can be tough! You have to consider a lot of

options and weed through the rip-off courses (and there are more than a few) to find a truly great private investigation

course. Ask about the training director’s background and current investigations business… if they get offended or

defensive, that would be a good sign to stay away. Pick their brain a little; does what they have to say give you cause for

concern or does something feel not quite right? Investigate his or her claims on your own- a little research will go a long

way.  Most importantly, walk away if something is wrong.

Ultimately a variety of courses and books from a few reputable

companies and authors would be in your best interest.  This is a complicated business, the real «pros» all tend to approach

the industry a little bit differently and none of us are able to cover everything 100% in full. Consequently, it would not

hurt to expose yourself to as much information about this business as you can before taking Step #2.

Lastly, I want to leave

you with this: having dealt with thousands upon thousands of people asking questions about getting started in private

investigation I find that the one singular cause of frustration and eventual failure is that new people are too busy trying

to reinvent the wheel rather than enlisting the help of an investigator who is a trusted and proven veteran PI or availing

themselves of his or her training programs.

Give yourself a fighting chance and start with Step #1 rather than halfway down

the list. You’ll be glad you did.

Be patient; be persistent and do not give up on your dreams.

Is National Certification Worth It?

          What started out six years ago as a simple quest to become «qualified» to manage the activity department at a local Rehab has developed into a pursuit for «self».  Back then, I spent several weeks exploring my options and discovering resources for my new found profession.  The lure of being a nationally «certified» activity professional not just a «qualified» director won out. 

            I got an application and began to fulfill the requirements.  I found the nearest «certified trainer» to me was two hours away, halfway across the state.  Nonetheless, I contacted her and made arrangements to take the basic course with her, because that was all that was required on my national application.

            Eight weeks later, I had my certificate of completion in hand, and was in route to fulfilling the required hours of service, and getting transcripts from my alma mater.  Two years pass as I earned the 4,000 hours required.  Alas, with all my paperwork in hand, I mailed my application out.

            Somewhere in the middle of all of this, I accepted a new position at a manor very near my house.  One day, after I started, I got a call from National Headquarters.  They had received my application, but it was incomplete.  I was missing the advanced course work.

            It seemed that somewhere between me getting my original application and my submitting it, they had changed their requirements to include the advance course as mandatory for all certifications.  It was part of an initiative to improve the educational system by which they wanted recognition.

            I accepted their offer of provisional certification.  The stipulation:  I was required to complete the advance course within four years.  So I once again set out to find a «certified trainer» to teach me part two, the advanced course.  I found one, this time she was half a continent away.  We made arrangements and I completed the course.  Nine months later with my certificate of completion in hand and seeing that I only need to complete an additional 200 hours of consulting experience, I chose to jump to the head of the class and get the top of the line certification available.

            Well, National Headquarters «lost» all of my consulting hours, documentation, and pages from my application are missing.  Sure they gave me the «certified» activity professional credentials I wanted four years prior, but that wasn’t what I had spent the past year dedicating my life to.  Phone calls were made, the executive wasn’t available, wouldn’t be for several more days.  She’d return my call on Tuesday morning.  Tuesday morning comes and goes.  I called back, no, sorry the executive makes this decision, can you remind me again what this is about, I talk to 50 people a day and can’t keep it straight.  She’ll return your call.  The classic run-around.

            So I question is national certification worth it?

            At this point, no.

            Easily putting sour-grapes aside, not being disgruntled, harboring no ill-will, I ask:  is national certification worth it?  Compared to what?   I could have settled for being «qualified», but I wanted more than that.  I could have pursued state certification, but I wanted to be better than that.

            Don’t get me wrong, I took the courses with some very remarkable instructors.  They helped me change the direction of my career.  They helped me become a better business leader.  I don’t need some «higher authority» to validate what I know, or what I know I can do.  I don’t need a piece of paper with initials stamped on it that I can use after my name.  I am just as good with it as without it.  What makes them so important?

            I ask this of the state level also.  What makes the state association so important?  It is a professional association.  Kind of like a pro-golfers association.  Sure you look good by being a member, but in the end, that’s all you are, a member.  They don’t license you to be a golfer, they can’t discipline misconduct.  All they can really do is take your money and say you’re a «certified» member and at worse revoke your membership.  It is not like the state or national certifying association is a state or federal agency.  We are not licensed by any one.  So who are they to say I am «certified»?

            How does being nationally «certified» improve my lot in life?  A certification indicates that a minimum of qualifications have been met.  It doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re good at what you do.  It doesn’t even mean career advancement.  In my case, I am already at the top of the ceiling; there is no room for advancement.

            So why pursue national certification?   For me, it’s a milestone; a feather in my cap; proof of my unrelenting pursuit for self-improvement; a desire to show others that with a lot of hard work you can make a difference in your own life.  And with a difference in your own life, you can make a difference in someone else’s life.  And so on, and so on.  It has to start somewhere; I am always willing to be the one to step up.

            I do not need validation of an outside agency to know what I know.  I don’t need validation of an outside agency to do what I do.  I meet minimum state and federal guidelines to be «qualified» to manage my activities department.  The certificates of completion from continuing education classes and conferences and training courses do the same thing.

            So why pursue national certification?

            Because at the moment that’s all there is.  And because they claim to stand for the same things I believe.  They are fighting the good fight to improve educational requirements, improve our standing in the healthcare community, but they are standing in my way.  I am sure that for every one of me that gets rubbed the wrong way, gets our nose bent out of shape, there are dozens upon dozens upon dozens of other who have had the most remarkable, joyful experience ever.  God bless them.  But this isn’t about how we are treated, this isn’t about pointing fingers and saying you did this or you did that.  It’s about self improvement.  It’s about validating yourself.  The goal was never the certification; it was the journey to getting there.  That has been the most remarkable journey imaginable.  I would never have taken this journey if the goal weren’t to become nationally certified.  But the journey, and the people I have met along the way, is what’s important.  It is what changed my life.

            Is national certification worth it?

            I don’t know.

            I haven’t gotten there yet.  Maybe someday I’ll be able to look back and say it was all worth it.  I doubt it.  But the journey…

            Yes, the journey to pursue national certification was worth every painful paper cut, sleepless night, mad dash to a deadline, soul searching moment. 

            Yes, the pursuit for national certification is worth it.  That little piece of paper at the end, I can take it or leave it.  It is just another mile marker in my life that says I was here, I did this.

            If when the dust settles and everything clears up and they offer me my advanced certification, will I accept it?  Sure.  Gladly.  And be an asset to their team.  But I already am.  I just don’t have a key to the executive washroom.  And that’s okay.  My journey isn’t complete, even with certification, my journey won’t be complete.  My journey will never be complete.

            Is national certification worth it?

            To some yes, to many, perhaps, to me, I don’t know.  I guess it’s the wrong question.  Is going through nearly a year long process to become a better professional worth it?  Absolutely.  And getting certification too would just gravy on top.

            I absolutely recommend pushing your comfort level.  I absolutely recommend you tackle educational pursuits.  I absolutely recommend that you better yourself professionally and be more than merely «qualified».  I absolutely recommend that you be the best you you can be and the road to national certification is a great place to learn who you really are, what you can really do and what you are really about.

            And having that little slip of paper with initials that you can use after your name may not be that important.  It’s up to you.  I don’t know.  I’ll let you know if I ever get mine.

Its Weight in Gold

Li Qiangong, styled Mian,( http://www.designer-cheap.com/) was once the Military Commander of Fengxiang Prefecture! A farmer from one of the Districts under the Prefecture found a large earthen jar full of gold pieces in the shape of horse shoes. The gold was taken to the District Magistrate. The Magistrate was afraid lest the official storehouse could not provide sufficient security so he put it in his private chambers. After two nights he went to inspect the jar and found only pieces of earth.At the time the gold in the jar was dug up, all the people from the surrounding villages came to look and they examined the gold. As a result, when the news that the gold had changed into earth became known, everyone was amazed. The matter was reported to the Prefecture authorities. The Magistrate could not defend himself and was forced to submit a false confession to the effect that he had replaced the gold with earth. Though most of the paperwork was complete the hiding place of the gold was not discovered. The case was reported to the high-ranking officials. Li Qiangong read the file and was furious. He happened to mention this case in a banquet and all those present were bemused. At that time Prime Minister Yuan was in the Prefecture. He bowed his head and said nothing.On being inquired by Li, Yuan said, «I suspect there has been an injustice in this matter.»»There were witnesses,» Li pointed out, «it is not as if the judge did not make investigations.»»Yes, you are right,» replied Yuan.They went to the official tribunal and examined the earthern jar. It was stuffed with over two hundred and fifty lumps of earth. Gold pieces were sought from the many shops of the region and these were melted down so that the quantity was equivalent to that of the pile of earth. When only half the gold was weighed, it came up to three hundred catties. Enquiries were made concerning the manpower used to transport the jar to the Magistrate. When Wu Xingde was the Governor of Luoyang, (http://www.watchescat.com/)the eastern capital, there were laws prohibiting the private transportation of salt. If a person could catch anyone transporting over one catty of salt without official permission, he would receive a big reward. At that time, many desperadoes made use of this law to frame people.A certain village boy often carried a load of vegetables into the city. One day he met a nun on the way. She was from east of the river and they kept each other company. When they were near the city, the nun hurried in front of him and entered the gate. After a little while, the guards at the gate searched the boy and found several catties of salt in his basket of vegetables. The boy was bound and taken to the Prefecture authorities.Wu Xingde took the salt and examined it. The salt was wrapped in a white silk handkerchief which had a strong fragrance. Wu was very surprised.»This village boy is dressed in rags. His clothes could not be more tattered. How could he possess a fragrant handkerchief such as this? This must be the work of crooks.»»Did you walk with anyone after you left home?» Wu asked the boy.The boy told him what happened. Wu Xingde was delighted.»I’ve got it. This must be a plot between a nun from the Tiannii Convent and the guard at the city. gate. They hope to earn some easy money by getting the reward.» Hot summer, Chaner kept shouting in the trees: «cicadas, cicada,» leaves, grass lit by the sun hung his head, and all life are no alternative but to endure. Only pond, the fields, the stream of small water droplets do not want to endure, come together to talk the summer somewhere. One of the small water droplets, said: «Yesterday, when it rains from the heaven, where the partnership that they can be cool, and they have become water vapor has returned.» They talk a good range of small water droplets are on the sun-baked into a the water vapor, embarked on a summer’s journey to heaven. Along the way, the small drop their eyes to see, however, and there are high-rise buildings, They discovered that two fanners carried it using a thick bamboo as a carrying pole. Considering the amount of gold involved it was beyond the strength of two men to lift the load. It was obvious that the gold had already ‘changed’ into earth on the road. Everybody was convinced and the Magistrate was exonerated.( http://www.top-watches-brand.com/)

How to Be a Successful Logo Designer

Making a living out of selling Logo Designs can be fraught with danger. Cuthroats willing to slash your throat on street corners, drug crazed thugs and conniving conmen are just some of the things to avoid. Its a jungle out there so make sure your logo design is bulletproof.

Buy Low — Sell high
In terms of outlay the resources you’ll need to produce your logo designs are pretty minimal and the returns can be huge. What you’ll need is either a pen and paper or in todays modern fangled world a mouse and computer to produce your designs. Pop along to your local electrical retailer and see what offers they’ve got on for computers. Alternatively make one yourself out of an old radio and a broken down TV. Hey presto a fully functioning desktop publishing empire for the price of a cup of tea.

Look close to home for design inspiration
Now that you’re fully set up to produce quality logo designs, you’ve actually got to come up with some rather fancy ideas. A good place to go for inspiration is the front living room where you’ll be amazed to find lots of branded products just waiting to be copied and served up as your own logo design ideas. Another place you might want to look at is your own kitchen. Go on, take a look in your fridge — it’s brimming with things like cream cheese, beefburgers and probably some skanky vegetables. If that doesn’t inspire you to create, I don’t know what will

Hands up who wants a logo?
Your hardest task in making your logos pay for your living is going to be finding anyone vaguely interested in what you have to offer. Once you’ve asked your small circle of friends and family for the umpteenth time whether they want to pay you to produce a logo for them, its time to look at advertising your services to a wider audience. Try producing a TV commercial using a movie camera and the help of a local TV production crew. Once your ad is shown on primetime TV those orders will start to rollin…

…or they would have done, but for one fact on this journey of self discovery we forgot to build ourselves a website or leave a contact number for people to call. In hindsight remember to have a website designer build you a logo design website before you spend thousands on producing your tv ad. OK, for arguments sake lets say we had a website ready beforehand and now we’ve got something like 200 logos to produce, how are we going to cope? Outsource, my friend and soon like this article recommends — you’ll be earning BIG BIG moneys baby. Damned right.