Okay, confession. I’m a fan of Dr. Doreen Virtue’s goddess card deck. I pull one each morning and set it on my desk for inspiration. At our January Miraval retreat, I pulled the “delegation” card. I continued to pull that card for three straight months. I couldn’t figure out what it meant.

I thought I was getting good at delegating. I was asking my business manager, Cindy, to weigh in on joint venture (JV) requests, marketing plans and copy writing. The business had a database manager, three web guys, and an event management company as well as several other important vendors on the payroll.

But I was still swimming in unfinished business – literally. Then Cindy said to me one day, “Baeth, don’t take this the wrong way, but I think you’re holding onto those things because:

a)  you feel you “should” do them;

b) you actually “want” to do some of them;

c) you’re afraid of your ‘next level’ and are keeping yourself stuck with non-priority
tasks (Ouch! So true!).

It was all of the above. I had had enough. I took drastic measures – I took a hike.

A three- and a half-hour monster hike through brambles, poison sumac and oak trees. For most of the hike, my inner voice said, go right, go left, follow the sun, crawl (yes, crawl!), rest, cry, smile, bask, wait, go, give thanks. At one point, I laid face down in the dirt and realized it was actually enjoyable. I finally found my way to a large rock overhang and sat down to observe the incredible view. I could see my neighbor’s house in the canyon below and the ridge of hills blocking out the sound of the 101 Freeway in the distance. It was warm and still. Not another human being in sight.

The sun’s angle told me it was time to head home. After losing the trail and battling the branches and dead rot to no avail, my inner voice said, “Slide.” Really? Yes. On my ass, under the tree branches that crossed over at just two feet above the ground thanks to the abundant rain fall this winter, all the way to the bottom of the hill.

I heard someone playing a drum. A woman washing something in the stream. I called, “Just your neighbor incoming.” I managed to stand
on the collapsing mud and skid into the stream, butt covered in dirt, leaves in my hair, big grin on my face.

And then I met Emilie and Mark. Also recently from Tucson to the canyon. As I talked to them, it dawned on me that they could be my personal
assistants. I asked them if they had a need for any work. They were open. They were hired. They are amazing – thorough, kind, honest, hard-working, creative, innovative, special.

And here’s when the light flooded into my brain… and I understood the “delegate” card. I realized that my intense interaction with
the trees led me straight to the support I needed. If I hadn’t LISTENED to my intuition and slid down a muddy hill, I may have never met these two wonderful souls who have helped make my life easier.

And since they are doing all the house stuff, Kevin can now book all my travel, which has freed up Cindy to do more of her genius in the marketing department. And incredibly, we now have a team meeting each week to go over who is doing what.

I am continually stunned by what is accomplished by doing the following:

1.  Asking for help

2.  Giving people autonomy (no micromanaging)

3.  Asking for input and suggestions from the team

4. Offering acknowledgment and recognition for a job well done

5. Correcting errors with a low-key approach

6. Celebrating small victories with parties, dinners out and spa vouchers, not to mention
bonuses and commissions

7.  Most importantly, when I come across a task, ANY task, I now ask myself: WHO is best
suited to do this? And then I give it to them. This leaves me space to create.

Now, if you’re just starting a business, you may not have the resources to leverage this much – yet. My recommendations? Start with a bookkeeper and a personal assistant for at least 5 to 10 hours a month. See if it’s easy or hard to give stuff to them to do. Just notice if you ‘can’t find anything’ for them to do.

How to actually delegate?

Write out the task instructions along with the desired outcome. Give to appropriate team member. Briefly discuss the job and the expectations. Set the person free to do their job. If it doesn’t go as you hoped, chances are you didn’t explain clearly. (Or the person really isn’t right for the job, in which case you assign them elsewhere or fire them. Yes, fire them. You serve no one by employing people too long because of your own need to be liked.) Remember to stay calm.

Yes, it takes work up front to train people. But if you don’t, you’ll be doing everything yourself for the rest of your life.

When I have space to create, I can give more of my gifts to more people, which means more profits, which means I can help even more people. And isn’t that why you started your business in the first place? To help people and be rewarded for the work you do? I thought so. 

Now, go delegate!

Now that you’ve stopped procrastinating (see last week’s article), it’s time to get that vital
project d-o-n-e.

‘Done’ is my favorite word – after ‘love.’ And I LOVE DONE. (I done love and do love as a way of life!)

If you love done as much as I do, I bet there are some things that are not getting done that need to get done. At our recent “Renew and Prosper” Retreat at Miraval, we focused on renewing our physical and mental condition as well as moving forward on projects so that we can prosper financially, THE key to a life of freedom on your terms.

There were 10 of us in attendance and every one of us moved forward in a HUGE way in a short of amount of time on projects essential to the following conditions:

• Taking your Life Purpose to the next level of authentic expression
• Making money in a way that feels good and energizing, not demeaning or draining
• Feeling positive about your life and completing what needs to be done!

Here is how the process works:

#1) Identify the project you are procrastinating on the most. That is where you have the most fear. Why? You KNOW deep in your soul that if you complete this project, you will be MORE successful, MORE visible and MORE exposed. This is frightening to most people due to the added responsibility that comes with completion. You can’t blame others for your failure to act, be a victim of circumstance or hide out if you move into completion.

#2) Pick one project and map it out, on paper. This step is essential, easy and can change your life. So, if you have a book to write, outline the chapters first. Then, go to amazon.com and look at the reviews of books you’ve loved to see what resonates with readers. Then read reviews of books specifically in your field for both positive and negative feedback from readers to see what people are looking for. The next step might be to write a short paragraph description for each chapter or write a chapter.

Every project should be broken into mini-projects and then tasks. Projects are made up of lots of little tasks. However, don’t confuse a project for a task – otherwise, you’ll never break it down. As long as you just see the big picture of the project and don’t break it down into tasks, it’s unlikely you’ll get it done.

#3) Get support. Do not try this alone at home. Schedule time EVERY WEEK to meet with a buddy either in person or by phone for at least three hours. Because the retreat group was together each morning for three days in a row, they had a lot of support and accountability to move forward on their independent projects. I often sit with Cindy, my business manager, to work. We occasionally ask questions of each other or take a moment to have a laugh, but essentially, we determine with each other our priority projects, the current tasks and then get to work. Doing it side-by-side makes the work feel like devilishly good play rather than drudgery or penance.

If you do meet by phone, agree to what you are going to do, then hang up and get to work. Call each other back each hour to share your progress.

As you complete each project on your list, go back through this 3-step process each and every time. You will be astounded by what you get done. I do think the linchpin of this process working is doing it with someone who is as committed as you are to their own success. With that kind of support, you really can’t fail, unless of course you just sit there and do nothing.

Okay, so pick the project, break it down, find a buddy and get busy! I promise you – if you do this, you will be AMAZED by what you accomplish.

I love done and I LOVE seeing you get done, too!

If you are interested in getting MASSIVE amounts of “stuff” done (“stuff” fertilizes gardens from which money grows!), you might want to consider coaching with me.

BUT I am not for the faint of heart. I seek highly creative, highly scattered entrepreneurs who possess COURAGE. If you want to sit on your butt and grow weary of your own procrastination, please do NOT apply. We have 3 spots available in our VIP Mentoring program from now until September. These spots will fill. Contact Cindy Gallo at support@yourpurpose.com for an application. After we receive your completed application, Cindy will set up an interview to see if and how we might help you Renew and Prosper!

Sometimes you wait. And wait. And wait. And nothing happens. And you say you are “stuck.”

Other times, you wait – until it feels right. You act. Something happens.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Do the thing and you will have the power.”

What are you waiting for? Nothing? Something? Inspiration?

You procrastinate not from laziness but from fear. You are overwhelmed. You don’t know what to do next. You see the book, the web site, the new business, the baby birthed – but you don’t have a plan. So you don’t do a thing.

Solution?

This is easy. Procrastination means ONE thing: the THING you are procrastinating on is the THE thing you MUST do. For the thing you procrastinate on is the thing that has all the power. And it scares the shit out of you. It WILL move your forward. You WILL get what you want. You don’t really want the power (or the responsibility). Or do you?

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Do the thing and you will have the power.”

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Baby steps. You’ve heard it until you could puke.

Why?

It absolutely 100% works. It’s how you learned to WALK!

Ready to walk?

The next time you notice you are procrastinating, this is how you can drop it and do the thing and get the power:

1. Pick the project you are procrastinating the MOST on. This is the MOST important one.
2. Break the project down into TASKS/single steps. I like setting up a table in Word or using a mind-mapping software like www.mindgenius.com (30-day free trial) or www.bubbl.us (free!) to break my projects down into tiny steps. If I don’t, they will NEVER – as in “NEVER” – get done.
3. Put your steps in your calendar. Just a few steps a day. You can always do more, but don’t skip the days you’ve set aside scheduled time to work on the important project.
4. No sugar for one week if you procrastinate. Or other suitable deprivation.

Let me know how it goes.

“Do the thing and you will have the power.”

For hand analysts, Madeline Zima’s fingerprint chart:

Life School: Service + Love = Joyful Connection to the Divine and Others

Life Lesson: emotional authenticity = express yourself regardless of the expectations of others. Finding balance between stuffed feelings and inappropriate outbursts.

Life Purpose: “Visionary Creative Expression in the Spotlight,” also could be described as “Leader in the Spotlight”, “Boss in the Arts,” or “Living in the Spotlight.”

Madeline’s life is definitely one of the living in the spotlight. She has been in front of the camera since 24 months of age and hasn’t slowed down since. Her characters are precocious and wise beyond their years, showing Madeline’s emotional depth and sensitivity.

Let’s take a look at her hand prints:

Madeline’s hands are long with narrow fingers. Long narrow fingers indicate sensitivity and an ethereal nature (she’s
quite a contrast to Charlie Sheen featured in our last issue). It’s likely that Madeline is deeply moved by music, poetry, art and nature.

Both of her heart lines curve up to her index fingers, indicating that she has a “Big Heart” emotional style and
wears her heart on her sleeve. It is not difficult for her to express what she is feeling – or is it?

The paradox in Madeline’s hands is that she is capable of tremendous depth of feeling and yet, her Life Lesson challenges her to express what she feels without being overly concerned for the expectations of others. She could appear more serious than she actually is to simply keep from crying so easily at inopportune moments. I have found that highly sensitive people who are prone to tears sometimes cope by building a wall of self-control that belies how sensitive they really are.

Madeline is a student in both the School of Service and the School of Love.

Folks in the School of Love deeply fear disappointing God or “the Father” and typically have fantasies of doing good to
please God and win points in heaven.

People in the School of Love often rearrange their feelings to conform to what they think others want of them, causing them to lose touch with their own needs, desires and interests. Since Madeline is in both schools, she could rearrange her feelings to be a good girl, or in frustration, rebel and go in the other way, thumbing her nose at authority and anyone who would seek to chastise her by acting out emotionally or throwing an occasional tantrum.

In order to thrive as a Visionary Artist Living in the Spotlight, Madeline is well-served by choosing projects that honor her true heart’s desire. In this way, she serves her Life Purpose and her audience authentically, without sacrifice or loss of self-respect.

Know Your Purpose?

Charlie Sheen. Actor, activist, soap-boxer. He appears to have gone off the rails. He appears to not care. On one level, it’s liberating to see someone care so little about the opinions of others. On another, it’s terrifying to see someone so certain of their certainty, especially when it includes statements about being a fiercer drug addict than Jagger or Richards.

Why are so many fascinated by this man’s rants? I didn’t know, so I went online and had a look at some of the videos. Yes, his rants make for great shock TV and radio. Rants filled with intelligent insights, insane claims, and narcissism the likes of which we haven’t seen since Limbaugh’s oxytocin rap. (Limbaugh could have used that experience to be vulnerable and open to his audience, but instead ignored it and carried on with the same old stumping for the right of the right-wing agenda.)

Best I can tell, Sheen has a personality disorder, which is sad, because it’s clearly untreated. However, beyond the craziness, there is a man, a man with great talent, a man with a Life Purpose.

Perhaps part of his Life Purpose is to shock us awake to our own narcissism in whatever form it takes. In the US, I observe that customer service, for the most part, has become a misnomer. And manners? What are manners? I read that the civility of the Japanese helped ease their enormous suffering in the wake of the recent earthquake and tsunami and helped prevent widespread chaos and violence.

Manners count.

Except when they don’t. On shock TV and radio, it’s about voicing your thoughts – free speech, expression, open air waves.

Let’s take a brief look at Sheen’s right hand [pictured above.]

His head line, emerging on the palm between the index finger and thumb and traveling horizontally, is quite short. This means that Sheen makes quick decisions. Bad news? Impulsiveness, lack of forth-thought, babbling about whatever comes into his mind without a filter.

Sheen’s heart line, emerging beneath the little finger and curving up towards his middle finger, is also short. This is the energy of the “hermit.” Of all the heart line types, the hermit has the lowest need for closeness and affection. He treasures his personal freedom above all else. His freedom is non-negotiable – meaning he is
unwilling to give it up for anyone or anything. “Give me liberty or give me death” is the slogan of hermit heart-line owners and self-proclaimed “winner” Charlie Sheen.

The combination of the freedom-seeking emotional style with a very short head line would make impulsive, brief sexual encounters more appealing to Sheen than a nurturing, long-term relationship. The demands of others on Sheen’s time, energy and money could cause him to jump ship again and again, particularly in work situations and love relationships, to avoid feeling trapped, overly-observed, analyzed or needed.

The shape of Sheen’s hand is the fire element: an irregular shaped palm (not rectangular nor square) with fingers that are shorter than the palm. This fire energy gives Sheen additional impulsivity,
charisma, passion and an intense, restless creative drive. He likes to blaze a trail and needs fuel to burn. It seems that he’s burned out most of  the people close to him and is now feeding on his own fuel in a last-ditch attempt to capture the attention of his audience. It’s as if the audience is all he’s ever trusted in. A sea of anonymous viewers or listeners is more intimate than a romantic partner.

Sheen says he’s all about winning but his hands belie a deep insecurity and low-self worth. His middle finger is leaning toward his ring finger, indicating that he is worried about his future and not standing straight in his integrity. He is so far out of integrity that the finger is bowing like a cross-bow. And the finger is bowing to the ring
finger (which represents creative expression to an audience) as if looking for applause from the audience for his integrity breeches. (The hands are quite literal!)

Additionally, the tip of his thumb curves outward, indicating emotions rule. And his index finger is leaning away from the thumb, indicating that Sheen is not owning his true power in the world and his shooting himself in the foot. And if you’ve seen any of his videos, you didn’t need my hand analysis to figure that one out!

I think people are fascinated by train wrecks in process. We know it’s best not to traumatize ourselves by looking, but how can you look away? It’s too gory and it pulls us in. I haven’t seen Sheen’s right and left hand fingerprints, which would allow me to determine his Life Purpose. I suspect his Life Purpose includes creative expression and communication mastery to a large audience. His Life Lesson appears to be low self-worth tied up in a hard case of narcissism. Only someone who really despised themselves would celebrate bringing himself and others to the point of OD and back.

Imagine if he used his spotlight to help kids get clean, for example, and that incredible talent to help others celebrate theirs. That would be a good use of his power. This traveling circus is another thing. I hope Sheen makes it through and finds his way back to his heart. His life line indicates, due to a fork further down his palm, that right about now, Sheen has the opportunity to keep going the way he’s been going or have a spiritual awakening, where he literally sobers up and discovers who he is beyond the cavalier act of “who
cares?”, which is the shadow side of the spotlight.

If you are called to the spotlight, are you hiding out, running scared, or telling everyone you don’t care – when you desperately do? It’s okay. Just notice it – and get back to your purpose!

Did you know that your Life Purpose is in your hands – literally? It is.

I didn’t always know this.

12 years ago, I was working in a marketing job and spending my time
outside of my job looking for answers as to why I was here on Earth. I
read books, took workshops, formed discussion groups with friends and
even traveled to India and Nepal. I had a larger understanding of this magnificent
world we live in, but was no closer to finding out what my contribution
was to be.

As my frustration grew, I also became quite depressed and despondent.
Frightened by my negative outlook, I called a friend who suggested I pray
to God for help. I actually kneeled down by my bed and said, “God,
Infinite Universe, if you will show me my Life’s Purpose, I will forever
be your humble servant.”

A few weeks later, a woman named Terry-Linn Snider came to my door, a
recommendation from another trusted friend, and she ‘read’ my hands. She
told me, “You are not living your Life Purpose.” I gasped a
little when she used the term ‘Life Purpose,’ remembering my prayer from
just a few weeks before.

She continued, “The good news is that your Life Purpose is to own a
successful business with an inspirational message for the masses. Your
hands also indicate you might be a good hand analyst yourself. It would
be a useful tool for your personal growth and the growth of your
business.” Soon after that reading, I set out to learn everything I
could about hand analysis and building a successful business.

Since that transformational experience, I’ve spent the last 11 years
building a business that helps entrepreneurs and corporations identify
their Life Purposes and put them into action in order to generate
tangible results: better customer service, more sales, more satisfaction.
And I’ve personally read over 7,000 pairs of hands.

Thanks to this little known but rapidly spreading secret called
“scientific hand analysis,” a technique discovered and
developed by a creative genius named Richard Unger, mentor to both
Terry-Linn and myself, your specific Life Purpose can be identified from
your fingerprints.

Your fingerprints form in uterine between the 14th and 16th week of
development and do not change. Because this information doesn’t change,
it profoundly affects your life?whether you are aware of it or not.

The fingerprints reveal three key pieces of information:

1. Your Life School

2. Your Life Lesson

3. Your Life Purpose

Key #1: Your Life School

There are four types of fingerprint patterns: whorl, loop, tented
arch and arch. Each of these prints brings with it a different quality.
You can think of these qualities as Service, Love, Wisdom and Peace -
your basic formula for living well!

In order to express Service, Love, Wisdom and Peace in your everyday
life, you go to school.

Because your fingerprints do not change, you are in this school for life.
As the band The Eagles sing, your Life School is a bit like the
“Hotel California” – ‘you can check out but you can never
leave.’ And if you ‘check out,’ your life ramps up the intensity to get
your full attention and sends you back to school for more learning!

Based upon the prints on your 10 digits, it is possible to be in up to
three schools; however, most people are only in one school.

Key #2: Life Lesson

Your Life School prepares you for your finest accomplishment – living
your Life Purpose.

However, you may have noticed that things do not always go smoothly. You
may experience frustration, anger, arguments, failure, indecision and
much more on the journey to your Life Purpose. You may have noticed that
this difficulty seems to have a repetitive quality – that you seem to
deal with the same issues over and over again in your personal and
professional relationships and activities. YOU are the common denominator
in your challenges.

These challenges are opportunities for learning provided by your Life
Lesson. Your Life Lesson, also identified from your fingerprints, is your
shadow side, nemesis, or inner gremlin. This ‘gremlin’ is actually your
ally in disguise, a personal trainer for your spiritual development.

For example, let’s say your fingerprints reveal that your Life Lesson is
“trust issues.” You may find you have excellent business ideas
or intuitive impressions about other people but fail to act on them. You
may think it’s because you can’t fully trust other people or
circumstances, but the real issue resides with you: trusting yourself and
your own inner guidance. When you do begin to trust your inner guidance
and act upon it, you may notice that positive changes begin occurring in
your life – some even seeming like “miracles.”

Other Life Lessons include issues with failure/frustration, power, money,
creativity, communication, family, victimization, self-worth, and peer
rejection. You may have one or more lessons.

Key #3: Life Purpose

By attending to your Life School daily lessons and actively doing the
opposite of what your Life Lesson would have you do (act, react or do
nothing out of fear), you begin expanding into the fullness of your
expression here on Earth: your Life Purpose.

Your Life Purpose is where you come alive. Your Life Purpose is your area
of greatest achievement, satisfaction and service. Your Life Purpose is
your reason for being and is the most important thing you could ever know
- and LIVE.

Life Purposes include worldly success, leadership, business ownership,
creative expression to an audience, author/speaker, mother/father,
advocacy, mentorship, innovating and healing work. Some people have one
purpose description, others have a combination.

YOUR Life Purpose!

The most important thing you can ever do is determine your Life
Purpose and begin actively living it and expressing it in all you do.

As a business coach who specializes in helping people monetize their Life
Purpose, I show you what your Life Purpose is and then how to get paid
doing work you love.

Sharing Life Purpose with Others

Once you discover your own Life Purpose, you have the option of learning
this simple and fascinating fingerprint i.d. system for yourself. Imagine
what the ability to determine someone else’s Life School, Life Lesson and
Life Purpose could do for their lives – and the full satisfaction of
yours?

As a hand analysis mentor, I am able to show you, in just three days, how
to discover your own Life School, Life Lesson and Life Purpose. You can
then share this information with others and begin bringing in extra
revenue in as little as 60 days.

This ultimate coaching tool – hand analysis – gives you a short cut to
your client’s biggest challenges and greatest talents. Imagine not having
to spend days, weeks or even months trying to determine with your client
their best course of action but to have clarity in just minutes.

If you’d like to determine your own Life Purpose and then share this gift
with your family, friends and clients, I invite you to join me NEXT WEEK,
Thursday through Saturday, March 24 – 26, 2011 in Los Angeles,
California for my “Your Purpose” Training, Level I.
We’ll decode YOUR Life School, Life Lesson and Life Purpose and you will
then know not only your Life Purpose but HOW to share this incredible,
life-changing Life Purpose information with others.

We ONLY have 5 spots remaining for
this unique training! Will one of  them be yours?

Register here now: http://yourpurpose.com/training

I need to say it now: YOU ARE NOT MOTIVATED BY MONEY. You know that already. But if not motivated by money, WHAT are you motivated by?

Daniel Pink, author of “Drive,” a book about what REALLY motivates us, basically explains that after extensive studies, people are definitely not motivated by money. In fact, when offered more money for more responsibility, most people just freeze and fail.

But there are 3 things that do motivate us – and these three things have been the guiding forces of my life since discovering hand analysis and my Life Purpose in 1998.

These 3 things comprise the REAL SECRET that encompass every teaching on manifestation you’ve probably ever come across.

Here they are:

1. Having a sense of purpose

2. Mastering new creative skills

3. Being of service to your community

That’s it. Purpose, Mastery and Service.

In January, I shared the same stage as Brian Tracy (We were rated the top two speakers by the audience survey – how cool is that? Yes, I was happy about that feedback. Anyway, I digress…) and Brian said, “Research has now figured out the one thing that separates those who succeed in life from those who don’t. We all start out at pretty much the same baseline as children. However, those who are willing to learn new skills quantum leap ahead of those who resist learning. You don’t like selling? Get over it. Get over it and learn it.”

This is the part that is often left out of the recipe for success in the mystical books on manifestation. They wax poetic about your purpose and being of service, but most of them don’t drone on about WORK. That’s right, that four-letter word, W-O-R-K.

Guess what? You are motivated by WORK! But this work must express your Life Purpose and allow you to serve others. Can you see how this all fits together?

So, if you know your Life Purpose is to be a Healer in the Spotlight, but you don’t have any clients, guess what? You need to learn how to get clients. (I am going to share with you my #1 resource for getting clients next week. The BEST resource I personally know of… so stay tuned for that!).

Let’s bring this all together.

1. What is your Life Purpose as you understand it today? Write it down.

2. What skills do you need to master (or delegate!) to express your purpose? Examples include: learning to sell on the phone, learning to sell on stage, finishing your book, getting a bookkeeper, hiring a personal assistant. You get the idea.

3. Who do you most want to serve – your ideal clients? (And is there a charity you’ve wanted to get involved with but have been putting off? How about signing up for a leadership role next week?)

Okay, so now that you know exactly what motivates you and how to activate this motivation, what about the money? WHY is money such a big issue for nearly everyone?

Well, here’s my assessment in a nutshell. Money was designed to help you master new skills by investing in yourself by paying others for experiences, products and mentoring. Money comes to you when you serve others with your purpose and have the skills to receive money in exchange for your service.

Money is a medium exchange for VALUE. If you offer something that has little to no value, you might get money short term, but as the housing and banking crises have shown us, selling ‘no value’ just because people will buy it tears apart not only individual lives but the very fabric of our society.

When you commit to your Life Purpose, your life automatically becomes an act of service, a prayer in action. That is a rich, rich life.

And if you don’t know your Life Purpose? Well, I can help you with that by reading your hands! You can order a hand analysis session with me right here!

Bring your hand questions to our NEXT FREE Life Purpose Master Mind TeleClass on Thursday, March 17th at 5 PM Pacific. NOTE – the LPMM is now FREE. Unbelievable! Join the hundreds of members who are committed to living their Life Purpose FULL OUT in 2011 and BEYOND!