Category: Dagmar Fleming

Making decisions in the fast-paced world of business can be quite a challenge. But fear not, because I’m going to share some valuable tips to help you enhance your decision-making skills and conquer the business realm. Let’s dive right in!

1. Don’t Overthink – Trust Yourself

As business owners, we know our stuff. We’ve got the experience, the knowledge, and the instincts. So, trust yourself! Sure, gathering information and considering options is important, but don’t get stuck in analysis paralysis. You’ve got what it takes to make smart decisions based on your expertise and gut feelings.

2. Make a Decision and Embrace Learning

You can’t hit the bullseye every time. Sometimes, you’ll make a decision that doesn’t turn out as planned. But guess what? That’s okay. Every decision, even the wrong one, is a chance to learn and grow. Take it as a valuable lesson that helps you fine-tune your strategies. So, make that call, launch a new marketing campaign, hire a new biz development company, and be ready to learn from the outcome. If it’s a flop, you’ll learn what not to do next time. That’s a gain in my eyes.

3. Stop Wasting Time – Take Swift Action

Time is money, my friends. So, don’t waste it by going back and forth endlessly. Once you’ve weighed your options, make up your mind and go for it! Indecision creates confusion. It slows you down. Business thrives on speed, so be confident in your choices and take action. Trust me, your efficiency and agility will set you apart from the competition.

4. Listen to Your Gut

Numbers and analysis are great, but don’t forget to tune in to your instincts. How do you feel about your decision? Your gut knows the best and will sing the response, guiding you like an internal GPS on the fast track to success.

If something feels clear, exciting, and aligned with your vision, seize the opportunity!

But if you sense confusion or unease, consider it a signal from your gut that you may be out of harmony. Pay attention to the melody within and let your intuition be your guiding conductor.

So, there you have it! You’ve got the tools to become a decision-making superstar.

Rely on your instincts, make fast decisions, and be open to learning from both successes and failures.

Now, go out there, take decisive action and make those game-changing decisions.

You’ve got this!

~ Dagmar Fleming
Success Catalyst

Is your motivation mojo in a slump? Here’s how to kick it out of a ditch and into full gear so you can set your goals and actually achieve them.

“Are you saying I would get sh#*t done? No way, Dagmar.”

“Way!” I say.

Read on…

1. Set a goal that is specific but vague enough to leave some room for improvement.

I realize it sounds like an oxymoron but give me a sec to explain.

(On a side note: Have you ever noticed that there’s a moron in an oxymoron? What is it trying to say?!)

Back to the point…

If your goal is to make an extra $10K per month in your business, add “or more” to your financial goal, e.g. $10K or more, so you’re open to ideas that surpass your initial expectations.

Don’t throw money away if the Universe and your own brilliance are pushing you into open water. Swim like a champ!

2. Set a specific date to accomplish your goal but let go of attachment to that timeframe.

If you were planning to make an extra $100K this year, would it be so bad if it happened by February 1st next year instead of December 31st? I’d say enjoy the money and your accomplishment despite a few months’ delay from the original plan.

Less pressure around time equals a better chance for success.

3. Is your goal set to benefit you or to please others? Take some time to reflect on the true motivation behind your goal.

If you’re trying to lose a few pounds because your man told you that you looked fat in jeans, your desire to please him might not carry the weight (pun intended) past initial excitement.

The closer the goal matches your own desire and not the external environment, the easier it’ll be to get things done.

Figure out if you want to be slimmer for yourself and, if so, go for it! You might even want to dump the guy and your old jeans and go for an upgrade instead. Now, that’s great motivation!

4. Goals are set but you’re feeling demotivated? Here’s what to do to get fired up.

First, go back to Point 3. Who are you doing this for? If the answer is still: “Definitely for me,” but your goal is moving like a snail, it’s time to check your emotions.

We often avoid tasks because they’re challenging or we don’t know how to accomplish them, so we feel dumb.

Who wants to be a loser? Not you, I bet. So you give up on your goal. You didn’t try, so no one can call you a failure. Pretty smart, right?

Wrong!

It’s time to do the research and learn steps and tactics that will get you to the finish line. If you can’t do it on your own, hire a specialist like me. I’ll kick your butt. No problemo.

5. Still not feeling it? Hyperventilating when you think about what you’re trying to do? You might feel overwhelmed by the magnitude of the task itself.

Don’t swallow the whole elephant in one gulp.

I’ve no clue who came up with this idea because, as far as I know, no one eats elephants, but the argument still stands.

If you feel stressed, break down the result of your goal into a series of small tasks, then tackle only one at a time.

My fave power question is: What one small step can I take today towards my big fat juicy goal?

Once you ask that question, it’s easy to do just one small (but brilliant) thing. It’ll probably lead to another equally tantalizing step and, before you know it, you’re a genius! Sounds splendid to me.

6. “I’ve tried it all, Dagmar, but it still ain’t going. What do I do now?”

You think you’ve got me cornered, but here is my most brilliant advice. Are you ready for it? Really ready for it? Here it comes…

Ditch the goal!

Wait, what?

If it’s so hard to get it done, perhaps you shouldn’t be doing it at all.

I give you full permission to quit or redirect.

Can the same goal be tweaked in such a way that you feel less pressured to perform and get a sense of accomplishment, even if it’s small?

If your goal was to lose 20 pounds, replace it with: “I’m no longer eating snacks after 9 pm.” You might be surprised when you end up getting that slim body (and a hunk) you were after in Point 3.

And if losing weight is too difficult right now, follow my friend’s golden advice: “Get yourself new clothes that are a few sizes bigger, so you look slimmer.” Worked for me. Just saying.

7. There’s no 7th point.

I got you there, didn’t I?

I no longer feel motivated to motivate you. Besides, it shouldn’t be that hard.

Re-read all the points above, dump your excuses, and get your ass moving!

Pump up the jam, my friend.

To your success,

Dagmar

P.S. Ready to get fired up and trash what is holding you back?

Sign up for a free Rapid Breakthrough Session with me and let me help you bust through your blocks so you can achieve your goals.

Break through your limits – sign up here.

“I’m not feeling like myself,” said one of my clients after going through my How To Become Limitless Workshop.

“What does it mean to you that you’re not yourself?” I asked.

“It’s the automatic way I exist. Just going through the motions,” she explained.

“You’re right,” I replied. “That old version of you is dying. It was the 1.0. version that existed before you upgraded your concept of Self and decided to break through your limits.”

“What you are experiencing now is a new way of showing up in the world,” I added.

“It’s different from how you’ve rendered yourself in the past, so it feels foreign to you, but it’s actually an expanded version of you. It shows you the parts of your personality and innate skills that you didn’t even know existed. These aspects of you have always been within you but were buried so deep in your psyche, you never had the opportunity to tap into them.”

My client’s question reminded me of my mother.

She’s the most diplomatic and compassionate person I’ve ever known. As a result, she was often pushed to the side by those who took her good nature for granted.

Once she decided to disconnect from her old identity, she started asserting her needs.

“It’s not like me,” my mom worried. “I’m not comfortable with who I’m becoming.”

“Congratulations,” I replied. “Now you’re finally standing up for yourself. In this new 2.0 version, there’s no room for appeasing others. You are learning to stand in your power. It is the HIGHER CONSCIOUSNESS YOU that you have always deserved to be!”

Despite their discomfort, both my client and my mom decided to release what’s always been so they can experience what can be – a shift from a limited to limitless reality.

You may feel lost as you awaken to your power, but it’s only temporary as you disconnect from the old identity and embrace new aspects of yourself.

It’s expected. Here’s why…

When you think about taking a quantum leap in your life and breaking through your limits, the laws of physics are simple.

When an electron jumps out of its existing orbit around the atom’s nucleus, it lands on a brand-new path. Its trajectory is completely different.

It’s called a quantum leap because you can’t achieve new levels remaining who you are now – circling the same concepts of what you can or cannot do.
That version of you has to die.

When Einstein said that we couldn’t solve problems with the same thinking we used when we created them, he was talking about the need to leap into an entirely new awareness to create novel solutions.

To experience your limitless version, you must jump to a new level of being – a new way of showing up in life and business.

You have to tap into resources within you that you had no idea existed.

They were dormant, waiting to be activated so you can create what you want and need.

When you make a quantum leap, the new version of you that emerges will feel unfamiliar. You may feel lost and confused at times.

That’s a good thing!

It means the upgraded version of you – 2.0 is taking hold of your life.

Let it be.

Let it show you what you’re capable of.

You have no idea how far it can take you.

See for yourself.

Are you ready to jump?

Much success,

Dagmar Fleming
Founder, Unlock Your Success

Have you ever woken up from a nightmare in the middle of the night, thinking: “That was a pretty shitty dream”?

I was drowning in an ocean inside a dive cage. The cage was sinking to the bottom, and I was surrounded by darkness. I was screaming with rage but there was no one to hear it. I was completely alone.

I looked up and saw a glimmer of light coming from the surface.  A promise of life I was about to lose.

“I’m going to die inside this cage,” I thought. “I’m gonna drown despite being an excellent swimmer.”

I can swim for hours without ever feeling tired. I can rest in the water, then keep going across the lake.

So as I looked at my body stuck inside the cage, I thought: “What a pity. This woman, so capable of making it to the surface with little breath, is gonna die inside that cage despite her abilities.”

Now, that’s a shitty dream!

But it made me think about my life and life of so many others.

What is your cage?

We live in a society where we are groomed for tribal consciousness.

We are told how to think, how to act, when to laugh, and when to cry.

We’re told to be brilliant but there is so much criticism and pressure, that it’s simply easier not to stand out.

With time, we adopt the cage that we were put in.

 We become comfortable with the uncomfortable.

We resign ourselves to the destiny of drowning in our unfulfilled hopes and unrealized dreams.

And you may look at your cage and say: “THEY did this to me. THEY drowned me. I had my skills. I had my big visions, but THEY chained me down.”

And that’s okay to think that way because often you’re right.

It may have been your parents who told you that you were not good enough.

It may have been your high school friends who called you a geek and never invited you to their clique.

It may have been your boss who, no matter how good you performed, never appreciated what you had done.

But if it’s them, then you’re going to die as a disempowered being because you let their cage enslave you.

Are you going to stand up for yourself?

Will you decide to no longer play the victim?

Will you realize that on some level, at some point you just gave up?

You accepted the cage.

There is no shame in it. There is no guilt.

We all did what we had to do to survive.

We did what we thought we needed to thrive.

But thrive we did not.

Today, we can break out of the cage.

We can set ourselves free.

Free to crumble and free to triumph.

Free to try, to fail, and to succeed.

Most of all, we can give ourselves permission to be who we are and as we are, with all our shortcomings and all the brilliance.

Today, we can break the bars, swim up to the surface, and rediscover who we want to be ON OUR TERMS.

We can reach towards the light, and let it guide us out of the darkness like a lighthouse beacon on a stormy night.

Because inside that cage, there is no longer a disempowered woman. She only felt powerless because she thought there was no way out.

Freedom doesn’t come from breaking out of the cage that is jailing you. It starts when you make a decision to be free.

When you give yourself permission to explore yourself beyond the limits you have accepted in the past.

When you decide to redefine yourself.

When you focus on your potential and possibilities instead of inadequacies.

When the cage is no longer comfortable.

That’s when the slave becomes the master.

Master of your own life.

Master of your own destiny.

Master of your own future.

Break the cage. Now!

With love,

Dagmar Fleming
Founder, Unlock Your Success

Do you ever wake up thinking: “ I really want to do nothing today”? You’re feeling demotivated and flat lazy, like a hippo on a sunny day.

I can see you nodding your head right now. “More times than you know, Dagmar.”

I bet!

After you realize the creative juices are not gonna flow today and your motivation mojo has fled to Cabo San Lucas, there’s only one logical thing left to do… Scroll through Facebook to pretend you’re busy.

“I’m managing my hi-profile social media presence. Maybe I’ll add 2 more followers to my existing 5,” you hope.

You’re in a state of “busying,” i.e. appearing to be busy, while drowning your guilt in another cup of Joe. Extra dark to pump up the jam and get the party going.

For an A squared personality like me, doing nothing sounds like torture. I sit on pins and needles, scolding myself: “Why ain’t I doing something?” My friend Marvin is busting my ear with “What’s going on?”

I’ll tell you what’s going on: I’m gonna add 20 more items to the 157 tasks that are already on my never-ending list. Oh well, there’s always tomorrow… or at least that’s what I’m telling myself.

But something magical happens when you do nothing.

My bestie (also known as Ascended Master Paul the Venetian) once told me (more like whispered into my ear from the heavenly realms)

The biggest movement happens in the moment of stillness.

Say what? I bet you’re scratching your head or thinking that I’ve lost my mind.

Quite possibly. I do hear voices in my head after all. They call it intuition or something more fancy like channeling.

But the questionable sanity of my mind aside, is it possible that in your daily life filled with hustle and bustle, running behind time, conquering your list of to-do items, and everything seemingly urgent…

Is it possible that in that state of rushing we stop listening to our INNER VOICE?

The voice that tells you: STOP. Don’t go there. Don’t do this. This is NOT what you’re supposed to be doing right now. You’re going in the WRONG DIRECTION!

Is it possible that, if we pause for a minute, we can understand what has brought us to this moment when we need to realign, readjust, and determine where to go next?

When I permit myself to do nothing, I come up with the best strategies, big visions, and next steps in my life and business.

I realize what I need to STOP doing and what I need to START doing instead.

Often, when I don’t feel motivated, I watch a comedy in the middle of the day. While I watch the movie, an idea will pop into my head about a new advertising campaign or a different outreach program for my business.

Just the other day, I felt super apathetic, so I took my dog hiking. By the time we came back, I had so many fresh ideas for my business, I ended up worked till 2 am. I felt so invigorated and inspired.

When we give ourselves permission to do nothing, we let go of resistance to what we think we should be doing.

The resistance we feel tells us that we are not aligned with the activity at hand.

Perhaps now is not the right time. Perhaps you shouldn’t do it at all.

What if you disarmed this resistance by redirecting your attention to something that you were more in flow with? It could open your mind to the activities that are most beneficial for your goals.

So can you do nothing and get something done?

Absolutely!

Try it. It sounds crazy but it’s FUN! Who knows what you’ll come up with? Might be a brand new business.

P.S. No productivity coaches were harmed in the making of this article. I hear they are practicing doing nothing now.

To productive laziness,

Dagmar Fleming
Founder, Unlock Your Success

A human physical body creates a shell – a physical limitation that in turn propagates an idea that there’s a limit to what constitutes you as a person.

It conditions the human mind to try to push through the limits – to break through the perceived confines.

We start pushing against the limit of the body which, while being a purely physical notion, ends up spilling into our psyche, creating a self-imposed ceiling on our mental and emotional abilities.

Life becomes a constant struggle to reach for more than we think we’re allowed to achieve.

The fight is never-ending, and in that endless battle full of losses, failures, and disappointments, we get used to the safety of our own cage.

Occasionally, we give ourselves permission to break through that restraint by trying to lose weight and thus molding our own physical expression to the prevailing expectations of aesthetics.

Athletes push the limits of physical endurance as if the body were an enemy that had to be subdued and forced into high performance.

Sometimes, we rebel against the self-imposed prison by trying to go after more ethereal manifestations, like bigger goals or ambitious dreams.

But in the end, this physical body with its perceived limitations offers a safety net – an excuse to go back to the way things were.

“Oh well, I tried,” you say.

”I’m not smart enough.”

“I wasn’t born with money.”

“I can’t run that fast. My body won’t allow me.”

That body and its construct of limit, as encompassed by our skin that covers internal organs, provides an emotionally safe haven to return to. An easy way out. After all, you can’t jump beyond your skin, can you?

Then one day, you glimpse an idea that perhaps the body is just a construct like everything else in your reality.

You start wondering if the limits are true.

Are there walls really there? Is everything a battle to fight?

You start transcending your concept of Self.

You spontaneously heal your chronic ailments.

You decide to do that thing you’ve wanted to do for decades but haven’t had the guts to try.

“Why not?” you ask.

“What do I have to lose?” you wonder.

You dip your toes in the water, even if you don’t know how to swim.

Suddenly, the story of who you are and what you’re capable of becomes an old movie that no one wants to watch, not even you.

You’re willing to let go of the tight grip you’ve had on who you are – the persona you’ve created that has been running the show 24/7.

You’re willing to drop the stories you told yourself. The stories you told others.

You wonder who you will be when you become the person that attracts the future you want.

And in that state of allowance, you let a new story unfold, eagerly anticipating the next episode in the drama called your life.

Is today your new day?

Would you shed your old skin like a snake that’s bursting through its old shell into a bigger version of itself?

Would you let a new construct of Self based on limitless potential rise like a phoenix from the ashes so you can build a new foundation for the rest of your life?

The life you’ve dreamt to live. The life you’ve always wanted. The life you deserve.

Would you be willing the old you die so the NEW YOU could be birthed?

Could you?

Would you?

When?

Dagmar Fleming
Founder, Unlock Your Success

We all want something — a bigger house, more money, a promotion, or more clients. It would seem logical then that we should focus on the objects of our desires. And yet, in all the years of working with my clients, I’ve realized that most people unconsciously focus on what they don’t want.

Let me illustrate this point using a concept of relationships which every one of us has been in at some point in our lives.

If you didn’t like the last person you dated, upon successful (or not so successful) exit from that “bondage,” you would most likely say:

“All hell will break loose before I date another guy (or woman) like that!”

Now that’s a strong statement!

Hell aside, your focus is clearly on the attributes of your partner that did NOT work for you. Not surprisingly, most people will end up in bed, figuratively and literally, with the same kind of schmuck.

For those of you in America that don’t know what a shmuck is, the Merriam Webster dictionary defines it essentially as… a jackass.

So what’s the big deal about not wanting another schmuck?

I bet you’re wondering… while simultaneously running a list of your top past jackass / prick / jerk titleholders in your mind. Caught you in the act!

Now that I busted you, let me explain.

Most of you have heard about the Law of Attraction (unless you’ve been living on Mars for the last few decades — my articles don’t get there, yet… for now. Stay tuned for updates).

Put it simply, the Law of Attraction says that what you put out is what you get back.

The Universe hears your thoughts and brings you exactly what you ask for on a platter. It really works. Pinky swear!

The problem is that the darn Universe does not speak good English. It can’t differentiate between “I do” and “I don’t.” There must be a glitch in the system, but since there isn’t a patch that can fix it, let’s try to work with what we’ve got.

It means that if you’re complaining about your last guy being withdrawn or your last woman to be a nagger, you’re literally begging the Universe for another rerun of your “Ball and Chain” hit.

Your focus dictates what you manifest in your life.

If you want a different partner, focus on qualities that you desire. That means things you actually do like.

I can hear you say: “This is great Dagmar, BUT I’m not looking for a romantic partner.”

I hear you!

By now, most of you have already been married, divorced, widowed, re-singled, and whatever else exists in the English vocabulary to summarize your relationship status as… complicated.

The thing about business is that it’s no different from your dating world.

If you want more clients, don’t focus on the fact that you don’t have any, it’s difficult to find them, or that you don’t know how to get more.

Focus on the end results — the sweet sound of kaching as the cash flows into your checking account.

I realize that if you’re getting a message from your bank that your balance is super low, it might be excruciatingly hard to imagine yourself as a millionaire.

However, if you can let go of where you are now and focus your mind on where you’re going, then money will magically start appearing in your life. Unexpected sources of income will show up, new clients will turn up from referrals, and brilliant ideas for growing your business will pop up like a rabbit from Houdini’s hat.

Think of it as driving a car.

To get to a new destination, you have to plug in the end address in your GPS. You don’t program your current location because that would keep your car exactly where it is now.

Once the car is moving, you focus on where you’re going.

The GPS keeps rerouting you, even if you hit a roadblock or take a wrong turn. It finds another way to put you back on track.

While you’re driving, you’re not worried about where you are now in this moment, because the wheels are spinning and there is no way to move forward while looking into the rear-view mirror.

As you set out to accomplish your goals this month, make sure you have the right address programmed into your GPS, and keep rerouting your mind to that destination until you get there.

Look out the windshield, my friend. It’s the only way to get to what you want.

Dagmar Fleming
Founder, Unlock Your Success

“I have 30 prospecting calls I have to go through in the next two weeks and every day I found a reason not to do it,” complained my client Sarah about trying to build up her law practice.

“Everything sits ready in front of me, but I find every possible excuse to walk away, even if it’s just to reorganize my files.”

“I am determined to do the task but every day I don’t. If I don’t get to it soon, I’ll run into serious cash flow issues,” she worried.

“Are you romancing your bad habits?” I asked.

“The way you’re talking about it sounds as if you’ve created a story and now this story has taken on a life of its own. It’s controlling what you can or cannot do.”

“You say ‘every day’ but the truth is you don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow. You’re locked into not making these calls because the concept of ‘every day’ ensures you walk away from the task that you’re trying to accomplish,” I observed.

As I talked to Sarah, I realized her mind has come to a conclusion that she would have to remain that way because every day she didn’t do what she wanted. She was romancing this state of mind.

The narrative she created of not being able to prospect was like a love affair – destructive but addictive.

Every day, she would come back to her list of prospects with a hope for a better outcome, feeling like something was being done – even if it meant just thinking about it. After all, she invested so much effort into that relationship – daily worries about not getting clients… exhilaration at the thought of potential income she would get from making these calls… nagging guilt that another day had yielded no results.

“Would you be willing to end this love affair and let go of this relationship between you and your sabotaging habits?” I asked Sarah.

I knew exactly how she felt.

Doing taxes has been my Achilles heel for years.

I would find thousands of reasons not to do them until the deadline was looming over my head.

I bet you can relate…

We all feel resistance in our life, especially to completing tasks that we don’t like.

But here comes the good news. Yes, there is some. I’ll get to it… eventually.

Over the years, I’ve realized that the hardest part is to get started. Duh! Pretty obvious, isn’t it?

Here’s a light bulb moment.

Once you do, you will recognize that the task you’ve been trying to avoid for so long is actually not as difficult as anticipated.

In fact, avoiding it puts more emotional strain on you every day since you know you should do something, but you don’t.

The emotional cost of procrastination outweighs the discomfort of performing the task.

You feel like a failure, ashamed, and puzzled over your inability to get it done, yet you find “perfectly logical” reasons why not to. It’s like when you know you need to dump a guy you’ve been dating but you don’t, because you’ve invested so much time in this dance.

So what do you do?

First, ditch the guy. Like yesterday.

Second, split the task into shorter chunks.

It’ll position you for more success than expecting to do it all in one sitting.

To get my taxes done, I assigned 15 minutes a day for that task.

Completing just 15 minutes of accounting would give me a feeling of progress and satisfaction. I didn’t feel behind anymore.

As days progressed, those 15 minutes would turn into hours, because it felt so darn good to be on top of things. My taxes got done on time. My accountant loved me. I popped the champagne.

“You have to give yourself permission to do just two or three calls each day without anticipation of tackling all 30 at once,” I recommended to Sarah. “You might end up liking the calls so much, you’ll complete all 30 in no time at all.”

Procrastination affects us all. So without dragging my feet, I’m gonna ask you strait up…

Are you in love with the way things are?

Where is resistance showing up in your life?

Would you be willing to let go of your “lover” and be open to a different experience tomorrow?

Start by dismantling your story.

It usually starts with “I’ll never get it done…”

“It’s too difficult…”

“I don’t know how to do it; why even try?”

“I hate doing…”

“I’m not good at…”

That’s your story of yesterday. It doesn’t determine your future. Don’t get hooked on it.

Tomorrow you’ll fall in love with a “can-do” attitude. That’s the love affair you want.

Get going, my friend.

Dagmar Fleming
Founder, Unlock Your Success

Do you ever wonder why it’s so hard to reach the goals you want to reach? After all, you set them yourself. It simply ain’t happening. Let me give you a hint why…

“Get off the street,” a woman screamed frantically at her little puppy that ran off into a busy road.

“Tell him to get on the pavement,” I advised her as I watched her confused puppy frozen in the middle of the incoming traffic.

Looking at this panicked woman and a puppy that didn’t understand her command made me think about people’s struggles with achieving goals.

I bet you’re wondering…

“What’s a dog got to do with this?”

More than you think.

“How did you train your dog to behave so well?” The puppy owner asked while dragging her puppy back to the curb where my dog Jaba waited patiently for my command to cross the street.

“By telling him what I want him to do, not what I don’t,” I replied. “It’s all about your focus.”

Most owners will say “Get off the couch” if their dogs get on their prized piece of furniture.

The verbal command and the image the dogs telepathically receive in that moment is that of a couch because that’s what their owners are focused on.

You worry about your furniture being scratched so naturally, as you shout at your mutt, the image you project from your mind to your pooch is that of …. wait for it… a couch – the very object you try to protect. Not surprisingly, the poor fellow keeps lounging on your fancy settee, thinking that he’s satisfying your (and definitely his) intent.

How do I know that? Imagine two smelly Shar-Peis spread out on my expensive sofa for years until I figured out they were simply confused about my intentions. Ruff!

If you want your dog off the couch, you have to focus your attention on the floor. Bring an image of your floor to your mind and say “Get on the floor.” Isn’t it where you want your hound to be?

So the big dog question for you is:

Where do you want to be with your goals – on the couch or on the floor?

When we set our goals, we tend to think about all the reasons why we might not be able to achieve them. It’s happening on a deep subconscious level because we may think these goals are too big or unrealistic. We’re afraid to fail and be disappointed. The mind keeps yapping like a mad chihuahua.

In other words, we focus our attention on what we DON’T WANT.

We’re focused on a couch being ruined or the street full of incoming cars that are about to run our puppy over.

What if we focused on the desired outcome instead of the roadblocks that we anticipate?

If you want to secure 10 more clients this month, don’t let your mind linger over “the couch” – the problems that you foresee, such as bad economy, recessions, or unemployment. That’s NOT what you want!

Focus on “the floor” – the result you want to accomplish. You know… the sweet sound of ka-ching flowing in from those new clients.

Brainstorm new tactics to find new prospects. Test new strategies. Talk to other business owners to learn how they’ve pivoted their business. Hound these ideas like a beagle.

From the moment I got my dog, I projected an image of a sidewalk when I walked him. If he veered off to the street, I would gently pull him back and say, “Keep to the pavement.” He quickly learned to stay on the path.

When it was time to get to the other side of the road, I would focus my attention on the image of crossing the street while uttering: “Cross the street.”

My focus and my verbal commands were always in sync so the dog (and my mind) would receive coherent directions.

My mastiff… ahem, massive point is: If you want your puppy off the road, scream “pavement” instead of “street.”

And as far as your goals, ask yourself:

Are your thoughts where you need them to be?

Is your focus on the outcome that you desire or on the roadblocks that you anticipate?

Are you stuck on the couch?

Or

Are you focused on the floor?

Let your pooch be your guide. Woof-woof!

Dagmar Fleming
Founder, Unlock Your Success

“What is it that you want?” asked my friend Suzy when we talked about what’s next for me after the pandemic lockdown.

“I want to help more people heal their past hurts so they can step into what’s possible for them.”

“I want to come out of “hiding” and have a bigger impact.”

As I said it, I thought about all that I have gone through in my life that led me to this very moment.

All the ups and downs… joys and sorrows… victories and defeats… the experiences that shaped who I am today.

“You’re like a caterpillar that is trying to break through the cocoon,” replied Suzy. “It may seem hard, but it isn’t.”

It made me realize…

The act of birthing is not a struggle.

When a caterpillar tries to break through the cocoon and pushes through a small hole in its walls, all it sees is a gate to freedom — an opening to a new, grander version of itself.

It’s a new beginning filled with hope, excitement and exploration of what’s next in its evolution.

The caterpillar’s life inside the cocoon is not a struggle.

It’s just a preparatory stage for what is about to come when it morphs into a butterfly.

It made me think about my life…

Most of my life, I’ve been hooked on a program of struggle. Having been raised in Poland, an ex-communist country, struggle was deeply encoded in my psyche. It was accepted as a norm.

When I came to the US, I realized that a concept of struggle was an international addiction.

In America, it was just phrased differently. “Work hard and the success will follow.”

But hard implies hardship. In essence, it means struggle.

As I was listening to Suzy talking about a caterpillar, I recognized its innate desire to transform — to become a butterfly. I got to appreciate how patiently the caterpillar waits inside the cocoon as it is being prepared for the transition into what it is about to become.

In that moment I understood that all experiences that I had had in my life weren’t really a struggle.

They were simply a playground in which I was evolving, learning how to fly… how to spread my wings… how to step into the next stage of my own evolution.

In the midst of the coronavirus crisis, we’re all being forced to evolve.

You may feel like a caterpillar trying to spread your wings within the confinement of your cocoon. You may be fighting the walls that surround you so you can emerge out of your standstill and succeed.

Is it possible that you’re not locked inside?

Perhaps you are simply being prepared and incentivized to transform who you are now, so that you can become the new, bigger, and more exquisite version of yourself.

As you feel yourself move through the tiny hole in your cocoon, it looks like you’re struggling but you are not. You are in the process of metamorphosis. You’re rebirthing yourself into a new level of wisdom and empowerment.

You’ve been preparing for this exact moment for a long time.

When you release the concept of struggle, you’ll see your past as a preparatory stage — a momentary experience in your evolution.

And when you look back at your life, you may realize that all your experiences with their perceived stagnation, defeats or lack of results were simply preparing you for this exact moment.

You’ve been expanding who you are.

It was not a struggle.

It was an elementary school of life, followed by a middle school and a high school… until this moment of graduation when it’s time to break through the cocoon and, as Suzy said, “Leave the place of liquid comfort into a new space of beauty and grace.”

Everything you’ve always wanted and waited for is NOT inside the cocoon. It’s outside its walls.

It’s time to spread your wings, dry them off, and fly onto a bigger stage.

This is your graduation.

Claim it!

Dagmar Fleming
Founder, Unlock Your Success

P.S. Are you ready to fly? Learn what’s holding you back and how to overcome it by signing up for the Rapid Breakthrough Session with me. Reserve your spot here.