I recently shared this exercise from my first book with my mentorship Shining Stars as a way to help take the long view of their business journeys and I thought I’d share it with you, too.

Sometimes it can feel like things aren’t moving fast enough. But guess what? You’re probably farther along than you give yourself credit for (plus, remember that things take time).

Look back in order to look forward.

Create a life map illustrating the significant personal and professional milestones that have made you who you are today. Draw a horizontal line and mark time periods on it. Next, along the time line, plot out major milestones and achievements. What were some key learning moments in your life? What are you proud of? This is your opportunity to brag about yourself, so please don’t be modest. If you have trouble thinking of things to include, have a friend or family member remind you of all your wonderful talents and accomplishments.

Include things about yourself such as the following:

• Education and training
• Qualifications
• Work experience
• Passions, interests, and relevant hobbies
• Accomplishments and awards
• Challenges you’ve overcome
• Peak moments and personal triumphs that demonstrate your character

Recognizing past achievements (and how long they took) plus acknowledging your learnings along the way helps to put a seemingly circuitous path in perspective.

What have you learned through the years? What key take-aways can help you during the next chapters?

Most importantly regardless of what you’ve accomplished… what can you acknowledge about who you are now?

You can see an example of my life map here. I’d love to see what you create! Please take a pic and send it to me at info @ artizencoaching.com or tag me on Instagram (@jennlee).

What’s your superpower? I’ve been told that one of my superpowers is making business more accessible and fun for creatives.

That’s why I’ve contributed my flagship Right-Brain Business Plan Home Study (valued at $147) to my friend Andrea Scher’s 72-hour Superpowers Bundle.

If doing my RBBP course has been on your wishlist but it’s never been the right time or you haven’t had extra funds… NOW is the time to grab it because I’ve never offered it for this low before (even on it’s own) and in this $97 bundle you get 9 more super-inspiring courses (valued at more than $900) from some of my favorite creative cohorts.

All of these incredible resources are yours to go through on your own time when you grab the bundle.

With 2017 just around the corner I know my RBBP course will help you get your plan in place for an amazing new year. And you’ll be inspired by all of the other creative resources from these fabulous cohorts, too.

Ready to create your own RBBP? Grab it along with 9 other amazing creative resources for only $97 in the 72-hour Superpowers Bundle sale.

This month I attended my first class in a 9-week Meditation Instructor Certification Course and I’m excited to be back in student mode. There’s so much to learn when we take on a Beginner’s Mind. I’m soaking up all knowledge I can while still pacing myself and I’m showing myself compassion when I start to feel like I’m “never going to get it” or I am overwhelmed.

I’m noticing how this idea of a Beginner’s Mind is super helpful to apply to business as well. Whether you are indeed a beginner brand new to your business or you’ve been running your company for years, approaching your work with a Beginner’s Mind can help you see your offers and opportunities in new, innovative ways.

Here are a few prompts to help you embrace a Beginner’s Mind in your business:

• Openness: What do you notice when you look at your business with fresh eyes? What new information, sensations, insights, and experiences can you allow in? Sometimes hints about your next move are right under your nose but you have to be open and willing to receive them. Quieting down helps with that, too (I share some tips on that in the Creative Heroes interview with RBBP Facilitator Stephanie Dyke on her Creative and Mindful blog).
• Eagerness: What are you passionate about? What can you not wait to get your hands on? What’s lighting you up now? Give yourself permission to follow those hunches and curiosities with no expectation of where they will lead you.
• Letting go of your preconceptions: Your routines, habits, and engrained experiences can keep you stuck in a rut and innovation far from reach. What assumptions, judgments, or beliefs about your business, your customers, and your goals can you leave at the door? What possibilities will this open up for you?

If you were to start your business over from scratch, imagine what you would you begin with. What would be the first building blocks? Even if you weren’t going to completely tear down and rebuild, this can be an enlightening reflection exercise, especially as you prepare for 2017 planning.

From a more incremental perspective, give yourself permission to “begin again” over and over in your business. This gives you latitude to conduct small tests as you go and learn from them so that you can continue to evolve and innovate.

So many creative entrepreneurs I know have big dreams of launching products such as e-books, courses, kits, and more. But often times they get stuck in overwhelm or just don’t know how to get started packaging up their know-how so their idea never sees the light of day. That breaks my heart because that means folks are missing out on their special gifts.

I know it can be helpful to see inside peeks so you can see what’s possible. So, in the Facebook Live video below I shared a few early prototypes from some of my books, kits, and programs. I hope my show and tell inspires you to start small and get your ideas on paper.

If you want help developing your digital or tangible products, my team and I would love to support you in our upcoming 6-week Product Development course that starts on Monday, September 26th. The early-bird rate ends tomorrow, Friday, September 23rd, so join us now for best savings!

Want to get a sense of my creative teaching style and learn about how to diversify your income? Sign-up to watch my FREE video class series on Maximizing Your Moola.

So many creative entrepreneurs, myself included, are driven to succeed. It can be seductive to go after the holy grail of hitting six-figures. And once you’ve checked that off, to keep on pushing toward the next milestone. Believe me, I get it!

Yet, when I talk with creative entrepreneurs from all walks of life and at different stages of their business and I ask what they really want, that’s not the whole picture.

When we dig deeper they share from their heart how much they crave more quality time with loved ones, to be more present for their children, to enjoy playful creative time just for the sheer joy of it, to meditate regularly, to do yoga or go on retreat, to take a vacation, or simply to have some white space in their day to breathe.

What is it that matters most to you?

Yes, if you’re in business it’s important to earn income, but that’s not the only currency. Remember to honor your values and what matters most to you, because isn’t that why you went into business for yourself in the first place? To live the life of your dreams?

If you’re making big moola at the expense of your relationships, health, personal values, and joy, the cost is much too high.

I hate to admit it but in the past I was so busy with work that I missed out on a dear friend’s wedding because I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to speak at a conference in Australia, I bailed on my book club, birthday parties and the like to gear up for my launches, and I ignored signs of a chronic health issue. I’d pull all-nighters and would scoff at my husband’s observations that I was working too much. I even let my my house fall apart with a leaky roof and weeds for a lawn. All because I was so wrapped up in my business “success.”

While I don’t regret what I’ve been able to achieve thanks to my ambition, over the past couple of years as my business (and I!) have matured, I’m learning a new way to approach my work. I’m making conscious (and sometimes tough) choices to really honor what matters most to me. And while the adjustments and transitions can be painful at times, I know that I’m working smarter and that I’m cultivating my right balance of moola and meaning.

If you find yourself relating even just a little bit to what I shared here about my journey, I urge you to take another look at what matters most to you. If you say that your family matters but you’re so obsessed over creating the perfect sales page that you miss having dinner with them yet again, or you know you need to tend to your well-being more but you pick an Instagram binge over afternoon yoga, have an honest conversation with yourself about the choices you’re making.

This is something that I’m becoming increasingly passionate about in my work with more seasoned entrepreneurs.

So, if you’re nodding your head because you’ve found yourself relating and saying yes I’m missing out on experiences, and it’s not worth the price I would love for you to join me at a LIVE video class 10am PT Tuesday, Sept 13th and learn how to Maximize Your Moola!

This is an interactive webinar where I can help show you how you can make money AND not sacrifice those things that matter most to you.

Click here to sign up.

The class is newly updated with even more tips and teaching in my signature creative and visual style.

If you want to be able to spend less time working and more time doing what you love, this class will open your eyes to new possibilities.

At the end of June 2006, I said farewell to my decade long journey in Corporate America. I walked out the doors of Gap Inc. on Folsom Street in San Francisco and never looked back. This was pre-iPhone, otherwise you know I would’ve taken a selfie to commemorate the moment! 😉

Of course venturing into the unknown scared the bejeezus outta me, but I knew that I had to follow my heart.

Now, another 10 years later, I’m grateful for all that’s transpired since I took the leap!

Just for fun, you might get a big kick out of reading this fake future press release I drafted up right after leaving my corporate job.(BTW, it’s such a powerful exercise in articulating your dreams – I highly recommend doing it yourself!)

While not everything came true exactly as I wrote it, I’d say that some things are close enough or the essence of those visions have manifested in some form or another.

TODAY only to celebrate my 10-year solopreneur-versary, I’m hosting a sale on my Unfolding Your LifeVision® licensing program and YOU can save 40% on this fun, done-for-you program. This is the lowest price you’ll get on this comprehensive system.

Hold inspiring life vision workshops based on one of my bestselling creative works without spending a fortune or spinning your wheels! I’ve taken out all of the guess work for you and share my best secrets, so you can focus on teaching inspiring and profitable workshops now.

Not only do you get rights to lead my Unfolding Your Life Vision® Workshop but you also get rights to lead my inspiring Dream Box Workshop as well!

Plus, for this special occasion I’ve added in the never-before-offered Exploding Box Year-in-Review workshop guide. If you’re not sure what an exploding box is… here’s a quick video of my box from my 2015 reflection process.

That means you get not 2, BUT 3 workshop guides for the price of 1, on sale to boot.

Save a whopping 40% now through 9pm PT, TONIGHT, June 28th by entering the code: CELEBRATE at checkout. The discount cannot be applied to previous purchases.