a personal note from Cairene

Egged on by all the economic doom and gloom, I've recently found myself in a very nagging and demanding relationship with my business. "Why aren't you doing more for me!" I've whined in frustration. "Hurry up already!" Of course, such temper tantrums have not gotten me what I wanted any more than they did as a screaming toddler. My business has responded with a "time out" as swiftly as my mother would have.

During an especially impatient Veruca Salt moment last week, I had the presence of mind to get quiet and ask what my business needs from me rather than focusing on the reverse (an inexplicable moment of maturity that arrived from out of the blue, thank goodness). And here's what it asked for: fearless, naked authenticity. "It might work better," said my friend THW, "To just plainly share what you are most passionate about without all this worry and drama getting in the way." Whoa. Once I let that sink in, a desperate moment of really not knowing what to do next just... shifted. I stopped pushing on the door marked pull. And - would you believe it? - totally surprising and wonderful things have already come through that opening.

What that means for the moment is this weekly newsletter will return to being twice-monthly (which is what it seems to want to be anyway - I'm just making it official). And maybe I'll blog every week day, but maybe I won't. Because I have a lot of other fearless, naked and authentic writing to do. Revised classes are in the works, along with other cool stuff. I'll share more as soon as they are ready.

events

Entrepreneurial Series Morning Meetings at CubeSpace

Every weekday morning, CubeSpace offers local Portland entrepreneurs the opportunity to chat with "professionals-in-residence" about legal, IT, finance & operations, HR and marketing questions as part of its Entrepreneurial Series.

These events are free and open to the public - and are a great way to get answers that will point you in the right direction with only the investment of your time.

I will be among the "professionals-in-residence" three Wednesdays this fall. If you would like some face-to-face troubleshooting, I would love to chat with you - come on down!

Wednesday, 9-10am, November 26, 2008 (last chance this year!)
CubeSpace - 622 SE Grand Avenue, Portland, Oregon

get in gear > it's time to shift down (and why that's a good thing)

I've been thinking a lot lately about the changing energy of autumn and winter. I can feel it in my body. It's not a time for pushing in business anymore than it's time for trees to push out leaves. It's time to be dormant - to get quiet, listen, rest, repair, and prepare for the return of spring.

In years past, I have fought this urge to slow down and struggled to keep my activities in high gear. The holidays have often further fueled that busyness. But I've learned it doesn't really work. It's certainly not satisfying. And this year, I've finally stopped seeing it as a problem that needs fixing.

One of the unspoken "rules" of business we follow without question is that work should be more or less the same year-round. If it's not, the fault is ours for lack of a better marketing strategy or some other overlooked tactic.

But we are beings created to live in a seasonal environment. That the world is changing around us is undeniable. We are not made to function the same way year 'round. We are not meant to do everything all at once all the time.

[Are you humming The Byrds as you read this yet? ... All together now: To everything turn, turn, turn there is a season turn, turn, turn and a time for every purpose under heaven...]

cycles of change

When I asked my business what it needs from me right now - besides fearless, naked authenticity [eep] - it also requested that I work according to the season. The seasons of autumn and winter, the season of the economy, the season of the nation, the season of my life.

Which means slowing down, looking inward, preparing - doing one thing at a time well. Again, this is not a problem that needs fixing. We get ourselves in trouble when we ignore the realities of the seasons and the necessary change and renewal they bring about. Nor is it or a phase to rush through. Working at the right pace matters - a lot. As anyone who has driven a manual transmission knows, if you try to stay in high gear going uphill, you stall.

My current need to "shift down" happens to correspond to the changing environment outdoors and the changing economy, but of course, "winter" can arrive at any time in your career, relationships, finances, health or spirituality. Which can be very disorienting and, well, downright scary if you don't understand what is really happening.

One of the best explanations I've encountered is the "The Universal Cycles of Change: Patterns in Nature Translated to Human Behavior" by Kristine Hallbom. She describes the seven cycles (picture these around a circle) of Creation, Growth, Complexity to Maturity, Turbulence, Chaos, Dropping Off, Meditation and Dormancy - then back to Creation. I can't figure out how to summarize it without just repeating the whole dang thing, so just go read her insightful take on things then come back here. It won't take long and I promise it's worth it.

... Brilliant, right?

Having my business ask me for fearless, naked authenticity would be terrifying if I didn't understand it as the positive and necessary step of Dropping Off. Letting go of what I've been hiding behind is not unlike a snake shedding its skin. Spending some time in meditation and dormancy is not unlike a caterpillar cocooning to become a butterfly. It's all good. It may not be what I had in mind for November and December, but I'm adjusting as necessary. It feels better not to fight it. As Ms. Hallbom points out, what caterpillar would refuse to become a butterfly, arguing that right now just isn't a good time for me?

so, what does business-wintertime look like?

Great, Cairene, so you're slowing down, looking inward, and preparing. You're a caterpillar becoming a butterfly. Yay for you. But what does that really look like in your business?

Shortening my to-do list. They say you should work on no more than three projects at a time. I'm reducing that to two. Maybe one. Trying to juggle multiple projects right now is crazy-making because that's part of different cycles.

Getting organized. Purging my hard drive, cleaning my office, fleshing out my business manual, outlining systems to manage my newest offerings, planning my 2009 calendar.

Learning more about business. I've got a stack of books to read and I'm super-excited about this offering from Naomi Dunford of Ittybiz. It's said that the right teacher will appear at the right time, but seriously, it's like the woman read my mind.

Reaching out. I'm working on being less of a lurker. We all need encouragement, especially these days, and it feels important to acknowledge people's fabulousness and build and strengthen the connections that get us through the rough periods.

Practicing my basics - those essential activities that sustain and support everything else. Sleep. Exercise. Healthy food. Play. You know the stuff.

get in gear > how to shift down (and feel good about it)

Feeling the need to slow down, but you're too busy?
Obviously, if you've made commitments to others, you need follow through on them. But consider what projects you can postpone. If tempted to start something new, choose very carefully. Say no (or at least not right now, maybe later) often. Less is more. Give yourself a break when it comes to your productivity. Take extra care of yourself, even if only in small ways. If money concerns make slowing down feel foolhardy, take a look at your cash flow, budget, etc. and make a conscious (rather than knee-jerk) decision about how much you really need to take on right now, especially if you are simplifying for the near future. Frequently congratulate yourself for so brilliantly avoiding burnout.

Not wanting to slow down, but there isn't much else to do?
Maybe you aren't craving a time out. Maybe you'd be just fine with a full schedule. But the clients and the work aren't there. So, now what? Instead of railing against a forced winter and wishing you were someplace more tropical, try looking at it as an opportunity instead - a gift, even. Do all the stuff you don't usually have time for when you do have a full schedule of client work. Clear and organize. Improve your skills. Refine your systems. Reinforce your structures. Do everything you can to get ready for spring (which, sooner or later, will come around again). If money worries have you panicked, get real about what you have and what you need - and, if necessary, bring all your creativity to generating income in new ways.

The people who can learn how to survive (even thrive) during this recession are the ones poised for extraordinary success when the economy recovers. While everyone else is waiting for spring to act, you can be among those with a head start if you understand and practice the cycles of change. By neither ignoring nor denying winter (both the seasonal and economic variety), but recognizing and embracing it as an essential time-out for rejuvenation, you will be ready to bloom gloriously with the first return of spring.

I truly feel the coming months and years belong to those who are able to create opportunities for themselves and others. And that requires, among other things, cultivating readiness. Classes are on hiatus for the moment, but courses all about getting ready in your business are in the works and will return in the new year. Look here for announcements.

talk back

Like what you've read? Irked? Have a suggestion? Got a question? Let's start a conversation.
I'd love to hear from you - send me a line or comment on the blog.

recently on the blog

• Change Is Easy (Sometimes) | on reusable grocery bags - or is it about beauty?
• My Election Hangover & Online Income Streams | on sources of hope
• Marco! Polo! | on feeling like a voice in the wilderness
• On Seasonal Changes | the genesis of this newsletter
• On the Need to Lose Ourselves | a follow-up to Flow=Dreaming
• What's Normal? | on waiting to act until things get back to "normal"
• Lighten Your (blog) Load | in which I apply my email management rules to my blogroll
• On Technical Skills | a follow-up question to the last newsletter

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Unless otherwise attributed, all material is written and edited by Cairene MacDonald.
© 2008 Cairene MacDonald, Third Hand Works. All rights reserved.

Cairene MacDonald
Third Hand Works
PO Box 31113
Portland, OR 97231
info@thirdhandworks.com

from overwhelmed to ready for anything
organization and time management for people in their "right" minds

Third Hand Works | administrative guidance for independent creative professionals