I got that letter in the mail that every person, entrepreneur or not, fears: a letter from the IRS with the word audit in it. Thankfully, it isn’t a full audit, but it has been a pain just the same. The most intimidating thing about the letter was the list of documents they needed a copy of, all from 2005 except one, which dated back to 1998. YIKES!

The first thought I had when I saw the list of what I needed to submit was there’s no way I’m going to find all these things. It may be hard for some of you to believe, but I am not a very detailed-oriented nor organized person. Don’t get me wrong - I can be when I need to be, but it doesn’t come naturally. The good news (and a prudent lesson for any leader) is that I had hired people much more capable than myself in areas I felt weak. This happened to be one of those areas. Thanks to my super-organized Controller and COO, I was able to fish the 2005 boxes out of my basement and quickly find not only canceled checks but in-depth details of the transactions I needed. The document from 1998 was gone but a call to our vendor and they were able to fax us an archived version of the information we needed. Any holes remaining in our records were filled by our long-time accountant. Thank goodness for them (did I say that out loud?)!
Through this experience I have developed a new appreciation for detail-oriented and organized people. Even though I am running as a solo-preneur right now, I’ve maintained the record keeping set up and organization I had when I had 24 people working for me. Sometimes it feels like overkill, but it is easier to keep it organized now than it would be to dig through it and find information later. After all, you never know when the IRS will come knocking!

It happens in business and in life. Whatever project or idea we’re working on comes to a stopping point. Sometimes the abrupt halt comes from an external obstacle like a lack of money or people, but other times the stumble is internal. We run out of energy. Another project captures our attention. We just lose faith in what we’re doing and why. If you’re experiencing this, know that you are NOT ALONE and there are ways around it.

In my life, I’ve found that hitting the wall usually has meaning, but it isn’t always what we think it is. Yes, sometimes it is an indicator that we need to stop and other times it is just a sign that we need to take a different direction or back off for a bit. But how do you know? I’ve come up with three steps to take to see whether this wall is truly a barrier or just a minor detour or annoyance:

1. Take a break. That’s right, sometimes you just need to step back from a situation, let the emotion settle, and then look at it again. When we’re in the middle of something it is very hard to observe it objectively. With some separation and diversion of our attention, the solution can become clear.

2. Ask a friend or mentor for help. Sometimes we’re afraid to tell someone else what we’re thinking, especially if we’re thinking about quitting something, for fear that they’ll think we’re stupid or just weak. If you have the right friends and personal advisors (or even better, a Mastermind Group!), they’ll help you work through the issue and look at it from different perspectives.

3. Take action. Getting stuck in analysis paralysis adds to the frustration. Many times, just taking action – even if it’s small – can help kick-start the forward motion. Even if it is the wrong action, if it is small enough it can be righted and at least it got you moving!

The philosophy that works for me is to choose not to focus on the obstacles because I’ve found that increases your chances of hitting them. You have to acknowledge them, but then focus on the path around them, the Path Forward.

How do you deal when you hit the wall? Any tried and true ways to forge ahead??

Lessons about work and life turn up in the most unsuspecting places.

As some of you know, I am trying to learn how to juggle. It seems silly, really, but my goal is to be able to add it to my work/life balance presentations. What better visual of how hard it really is to juggle our lives than to try juggling some balls!

So I haven’t been practicing as much as I should but I have been asking around for a Juggling Coach. Yes, I put that intention out there and the universe answered in an unbelievable way. Last week, I started training a group of awesome women entrepreneurs from South Africa and took my juggling balls with me to see if any of them knew how to juggle and could teach me. No such luck. HOWEVER, as we were leaving a late-night reception around 8:00 pm, we came upon the UMBC Juggling Club, one of many juggling clubs in the area. Who knew!? I was actually ready to continue walking by when my fellow ACTiVATE instructor Renee Lewis (standing next to me in the photo below) pulled me over to them. “You’re not missing this opportunity.” Thank goodness for friends.

We spent the next 45 minutes with a couple of student members of the juggling club as they, well, taught us to juggle. In that brief training session I learned some important lessons not only about mastering the art of juggling but also about life and work:

1. Relax. Don’t try so hard. Just let it happen.

How many times do we take ourselves and whatever crisis we’re reacting to at the moment too seriously? There is a difference between working hard and struggling. I don’t think it is supposed to be a struggle if you’re in the right place pursuing the right things.

2. Slow down. Take the time to find the rhythm and work into it.

Not unlike #1, but distinct in important ways. So often we get going so fast because we think everything is a race. If we can learn to plan a little bit better, we don’t have to live in last-minute mode. I should learn to take my own advice on this one.

3. You will mess up. Accept it and get over it. Oh, and try not to hurt anyone.

Failure is a given when you’re trying something new or big. Be OK with that. I know I’ve said it a million times, if you’re not failing you’re not taking enough risks. Just make sure you learn from it and move on without taking anyone else out along the way.

4. Get bigger balls.

Really! The balls I was trying to learn with were too small. I’ve ordered a set of heavier ones and I’ll let you know how that goes. As for the life and business lessons, I’m going to be careful here because this could get ugly. My point here is that even though it seems like it would be harder to juggle larger objects it is actually easier when you’re training your muscles to remember the motion. You can’t be afraid of what you think might be harder because in reality, it might be just what you need to continue moving forward.

So the bottom line on this for me: be careful what you put out there in the universe – you might just meet a crazy band of jugglers and learn something unexpected! Oh, and the Juggling Club is in the UMBC Commons every Wednesday night from 8:00 - 10:00 pm. They claim that they can teach anyone to juggle if they really want to. Anyone want to join me??

Please help me welcome my special guest blogger, Tonya Taylor, with some great advice for any business owner or anyone who feels intimidated by technology….

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How many of us knew how to walk, talk or do anything when we were first born? NONE! As we grew from an infant to a toddler we learned you had to crawl before you walk. That same philosophy holds true as an entrepreneur, however when it comes to technology we let 4 of the most dangerous words in the English language stand in our way…

“I DON’T KNOW HOW!”

So many women are not investing in technology or training for their business or themselves. Having no (or poor) technology doom most who try, and prevent others from even trying. They are constantly working harder not smarter because they are afraid of technology.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am not saying an accountant can try, then, instantly become a database programmer, nor can a real estate agent morph into a web designer. Even if you aren’t particularly savvy with technology, that doesn’t mean you should be afraid of it.

Some entrepreneurs fear of technology, lead them to utter those 4 words (not to be confused with four letter words, that’s another topic!) more often than they realize. As a result, it’s hard–overwhelming to get started.

When was the last time you updated your internet (web) browser software? “I DON’T KNOW HOW!” Regular software updates can provide better and quicker service and are crucial to keeping your home office computer or your home office network as secure as possible.

When was the last time you updated your Office templates? “I DON’T KNOW HOW!” Microsoft offers free templates for work, home, and play. Importing pre-designed templates into Microsoft can save you time and money.

When was the last time you attended technology training from your home or office just using your phone and computer? “I DON’T KNOW HOW!” WebEx offers free live and recorded webinars and webcasts from industry experts. Principal Financial Group offers free teleclasses for Women, from Leading Experts.

You get my point?

The challenge is for you to replace 4 of the most dangerous words in the English language with these “I WILL learn how” to use technology to propel my small business to the next level.

About the Author

Tonya R. Taylor, is an entrepreneur, consultant and publisher of 101 FREE Tools To Grow Your Business. Need to address tomorrow’s technology needs today?

“101 Free Tools to Grow Your Business” is a handy reference guide for small business owners who don’t want to waste MONEY. You’ll get the tools YOU need to power up your business fast! Visit www.101FREETools.com to get your copy of this special report.

Those of you who know me (or who have seen me in the summer) know that my hair is naturally very curly. God gave me curls and I spend most of my time trying to lose them. So as I was packing for my recent trip to Thailand, I made sure I had a power converter so my hair straightener (called a flat iron) would work. I learned the hard way that I needed one when we were in Italy last year. I guess those 220 volts shooting into my 110 volt appliance wasn’t good - I fried my Chi just by plugging it into the wall. So this time, I was prepared…or so I thought.

The first night I was there I had been out at the pool and walking around town and was badly in need of a shower. I was supposed to meet some folks for dinner so I had to make it quick. Yea, right. When I plugged in the flat iron I didn’t smell that awful odor of electronics burning so I thought I was safe. I wasn’t going to toast two of them, but this one wasn’t even getting hot. Nothing. I tried it in the little shaver outlet in the bathroom too, but didn’t get anything other than a strange hum that couldn’t have been good. Hungry, I decided to go au-natural and left with a wet head to go eat dinner. My hair looked fine at first but by the time I got back to my room after supper the frizz had settled in. I had to make a presentation the next morning to 150 people and this was just not how I had envisioned doing it. I had to make a plan.

One thing that I have always found helpful in difficult situations is to accept the worst and then work to improve it. Worst case: I have frizzy hair. Most of the people who were going to be in the audience didn’t know me, though they’ll think I did a bait-and-switch on the head shots in the conference program. They would think I meant to wear my hair in a frizz ball. Once I had accepted that, I then worked to improve upon it. I wanted to make sure that wasn’t what happened.

As it turned out, the hotel had a converter that I could use, which is the one in the picture. Yes, it looks a little scary and the hum made me a little nervous, but it worked. I may need to get myself checked out for radiation poisoning at some point, but thankfully I made my presentation with perfectly strait locks. Even if I hadn’t I was ready.

How often in our lives and our businesses do we get to the first part – imagining the worst – and then stop there? Dwelling on the negative does not help. Accept the worst case scenario and then move on, working like heck to make sure it doesn’t come to pass. Although this particular incident may be trivial, I’ve had plenty other opportunities to practice this philosophy when the stakes were higher – a lost customer, an illness, or bad economic forecast – and I know it works. Have you tried it? How do you deal with unexpected events that may not be so good?

I admit it – I was nervous about venturing out into Bangkok on my own. It was surprising to me, really, because I love to travel and have travelled internationally many times. I was really looking forward to my trip, too, but had begun to get anxious about a week before my trip. I think it all started when I talked to others who had been there. They warned me about the crowds, the pollution, and the strict dress rules for getting into temples. I suppose my expectations were set fairly low and I had resolved myself to treat the trip as just business.

When I arrived in Thailand, it was midnight (a day and half after I left my home!) so I didn’t get to see much but interesting people in the streets and colorful taxi cabs. When I woke up the next morning and looked out my hotel room window, I started to feel foolish for being nervous. After all, I had wandered through many a foreign town before, except that had been almost all in Europe. This was my first trip to Asia. Why would I want to stay in my hotel room? Sure, there was work to do, but when would I be in this city again? I decided it was time to face my fear and venture out on my own. It wasn’t that the fear went away; I just pretended that I wasn’t fearful. I was practicing my own “fake it ‘til you make it” advice. And I am so glad I did!

The first people I met were from Manchester, England. They had come to Thailand because on of their daughters was getting married in Chang Mai. Then I met a group of four women who had come to Bangkok on a girls’ weekend (how come I can’t get my girl friends to do something like that!?) to shop. A couple of them just happened to be Texas A&M graduates like me or had children who graduated from A&M. They were instrumental in helping me part with my money in the silk shop. Finally, I met two women, Debbie and Jane, who were from Texas (like me!) but their husbands’ jobs had brought them to Bangkok to live for a few years. They were so nice and helpful that Debbie even offered her assistance if (and when!) I brought my family back to Thailand. To top it off, they were working on starting up a new business! Amazing. No such thing as coincidence.

The trip that started out as just business turned into an incredible experience that left me wanting more. By facing my fear and taking the tiger by the tail (yes, the tigers in the picture were real and they were spectacular!), I found a new place to travel with my family and acquired some custom-made silk clothes to boot!

Thanks to Mastercard Small Business services for interviewing me and posting this podcast on top hiring mistakes that many entrepreneurs make. So if you’re growing your business and thinking about hiring folks, listen to this podcast first!

After staying up to catch the riveting end of last night’s Super Bowl, I heard a great quote on the news that made me think about business.

It was Perfection versus Persistence and Persistence won.

Now think about that in terms of your business or even your life. Many entrepreneurs who struggle do so because they have a hard time getting rid of their perfectionist tendencies. I find this especially true for women entrepreneurs, though the need to be perfect is not relegated to the female gender. Certainly, I know many men like that too, but the thing that kills women is that if we have that tendency, we have it in all parts of our lives. So not only does everything need to be perfect in our businesses or at work, but it creeps into our home and applies to our kids, too. From my experience, trying to maintain perfectionism in every aspect of your life, especially when there are many facets to it, is a sure road to an early grave which is accelerated if you have children.

In growing a business, you can not expect everything to be perfect. You have to prioritize and then be willing to let some things go. This goes double at home if you’re raising children while trying to grow a business or pursue a fast-track career. So what if your daughter’s shirt is wrinkled!? In my house, my kids are responsible for putting away their laundry so if their clothes are wrinkled, that’s not my problem. In business, most of my file folders have hand-written labels on them. To some people, that may feel sloppy but even though I have the labels I can print out on my computer, I rarely take the time to do it. It just isn’t important. There are things that need to be perfect or close to it, but it can’t be everything.

What is more important than being perfect in every aspect of business is being persistent. It is in keeping forward momentum when an obstacle is thrown in your path. It is looking for “How Can We?” rather than just saying “We Can’t.” What do you do to keep moving forward? Where does your ‘boot in the butt’ come from?

Persistence won the Super Bowl for the Giants (along with some great efforts by the team!). It can be the fuel of success for your business, too.