Planting Seeds
Copyright 2006 Mike Pniewski
I was having coffee with a director friend of mine and we were talking about how business was going.
He has been very busy with a good stream of projects coming his way.
I told him that things were a little slow for me but I was using that time to try some new ideas to spread the news about my speaking business.
To that he responded, "Oh, so you're just planting seeds right now." "Yes," I said, "I'm planting seeds."
That assessment of my current pursuit really stuck with me after we left.
I had been harvesting a lot in recent months while I was taking full advantage of work that had come my way.
But once things slow down, we all can forget that our "crops" need to be replanted in order to reap another great harvest.
In the acting world, it typically gets slow from late April until after the fourth of July due to most TV production being on hiatus, which was the time period of our meeting.
This also means commercial production slows down because they want to wait and produce new commercials for use during the new fall TV shows.
Feature films have no real "seasons", but the TV slowdown means there are fewer opportunities out there for actors to stay busy.
I have always tried to make good use of these times in my career, and I'm sure many of you have them too, when the phone gets quiet and you find yourself in a dry spot "between jobs."
Many people tend to worry and even panic during these periods instead of using them to refocus their energies on creating new avenues for success.
Updating your business materials, websites, equipment upgrades, renew your marketing strategy?can all be great uses of these breaks in the flow of work.
As with many things, it really is a matter of how you choose to see it.
Do you look at these times as an obstacle or an opportunity?
Do you see a door or a window?
These slowdowns are often due to circumstances beyond our control, like seasons in anyone's business, so isn't it better to prepare to use them to our advantage instead of dreading their arrival?
The key to coping with and even maximizing your productivity at these times is planning.
Whether you know these slowdowns are coming or not, you should always keep a list of things you can accomplish when there are fewer demands on your time.
In the midst of juggling your projects while you're in demand, make a habit of noting things you see along the way that should be dealt with when time allows.
New brochures, pictures, r?sum?'s---so that you can easily move from harvesting to seeding.
And not only is it important to get these things done for the sake of your business, you need to stay busy in some form during slow times so you don't just wait and stress over the lack of work. That can do great damage not only to your business but also to your own psyche?and that's not good for business either.
Part of your downtime planning must include some time for you to recharge yourself by taking some time off, or to reengage yourself with a class or workshop.
Either way, you plant your own seeds that enable you to be in a better position to maximize the opportunities that come your way.
Rest has always been a great way to recharge the spirit, especially if you've spent several weeks working long, intense hours.
I spent much of the first five months of this year on the road working so I really enjoyed that part of my slow time that allowed me to catch up on some rest.
But once I had sufficiently rested, I took on a big and very unique project here at my house replacing all our windows.
Never done anything like that before in my life, but the fact of having this new, manual labor task was very invigorating for me.
I've always enjoyed fixing things around the house but to do it on this scale was thrilling and engaging in ways I don't use very often in my work.
Once that was done, I found myself very inspired to jump back into my work to begin a new cycle of planting and harvesting.
No farmer can harvest what he doesn't plant.
In our case, we must plant not only in the fields of our business but within ourselves.
Invest in good seeds that will enable you to grow your business as well as yourself.
.
Sowing the Seeds of Opportunity: How to Multiply Your Freelance (Writing) Work by Brian Konradt
(ContentDesk) March 22, 2004--You can turn your $200 fee to write a press release into $2,000 to carry out an entire PR campaign simply by convincing clients to invest in campaigns, instead of individual assignments. Campaigns achieve better results and cost less in the long-term for clients, compared to individual assignments. And, of course, as the freelancer, you get paid much more for turning out a succession of assignments that assimilate a successful campaign.Here's how to multiply your writing sales by convincing clients to invest in long-term campaigns, instead of short-term individual assignments.? Know the short-term and long-term results. A client approaches you to write a brochure. He may or may not know that his product can also benefit from other types of promotional pieces, such as ads, direct mail, news releases, websites, and so on, to sell his product or service.
Your job is to educate the client. The brochure may be the first promotional piece in a consortium...
Sowing the Seeds of Opportunity: How to Multiply Your Freelance (Writing) Work by Brian Konradt
Seeds > Sowing the Seeds of Opportunity: How to Multiply Your Freelance (Writing) Work by Brian Konradt
Mangosteen
Mangosteen (also known as mangostin and guttiferae garcinia mangostana L) is the fruit of the mangosteen tree. The tree is quite slow in growth but can achieve heights of anything from 20 to 80 feet. It is typically thick-leaved and grows exclusively in tropical countries with climate such as in India, the East Indies, Thailand and the Philippines.
It requires a considerable amount of moisture to thrive. The leaves are of leathery texture and can grow to a length of ten inches or more.
It is believed to have originated from the Sunda Islands and is most extensively cultivated in Thailand, Kampuchea, Burma and Singapore.
There have been repeated attempts to cultivate it in places like Queensland and Africa, but these have never been very successful. The mangosteen tree was first introduced in America in 1906, when the United States Department of Agriculture received seeds from Java. Attempts to cultivate it in California, Florida and even Hawaii were...
Seeds > Mangosteen
The Trust We Must Have to Manifest What We Truly Desire
Some of my greatest teachers have taught me that faith and trust are two of our most powerful allies. True belief in your ability to create results in your life is based upon this trust. We know that the first step of manifesting what you desire is to breathe deeply and get centered - therefore quieting the mind. Allowing this calmness to flow through you... As the book Conversations with God (a deeply spiritual, non-religious book) teaches us, Our thoughts are expressions of the Divine - of God - that we are at the same time the Source and the receiver.
Now, this may seem a bit too powerful for some to either understand or admit. But think just for a moment, if we are given the free will as we have been given - would it make any sense that our thoughts (prayers) would be separate from the Creator? How are we any different? We carry the seeds of Creation inside of us - we are Spirit embodied. Breathe deeply and ask yourSelf: "How does this feel when I hear it?" "How can I Create?"...
The Trust We Must Have to Manifest What We Truly Desire
Seeds > The Trust We Must Have to Manifest What We Truly Desire
Planting And Nurturing Your Contacts And Resources
Planting And Nurturing Your Contacts And ResourcesBy The success level of your bodybuilding endeavors is highly determined by the contacts and resources that you posses and have access to, as well as these that you can offer to the world of bodybuilding.Success is achieved through desire dedication, effort, simplicity, and consistency.As any type of success, it is achieved through consistent care, dedication, interest, and effort.It is important to note that in order to succeed in your bodybuilding endeavors, it is vital to constantly be aware of what you can offer to the world of bodybuilding and the contacts through which it will be achieved.It's simple to follow that focusing on planting seeds that will enable you to create contacts and create resources that you will offer to the world of bodybuilding is a vital procedure to the overall level of success.Each possesses his unique truth. Plant it, nurture it, and create from it a masterpiece.Metaphorically speaking, each person possess...
Planting And Nurturing Your Contacts And Resources
Seeds > Planting And Nurturing Your Contacts And Resources
Ganja (Marijuana) Glycerin Soap is 100% Legal & 100% Fun!
Ganja Glycerin Soap, a fun and unique gift is also part of the Ganja Trio Gift Bag, which contains 3 of the most unusual soaps you will find on or offline.
Ganja Fudge Brownie is a brownish/green color with the incredibly realistic scent of a rich chocolate brownie coupled with the distinctive ganja aroma.
Psychedelic Poppy Seeds is a bright orange color flecked with real black poppy seeds and a luscious fruity scent.
Packaged in an environmentally correct brown bag and boasting a gift tag, which you personalize, this will be one memorable package to give to your favorite friend/relative/coworker. http://www.everythingshea.com/ganjatriogiftbag.htm "I sent my son the Ganja Trio Gift Bag for his birthday last week and he already wants to order another one and several for his friends Christmas presents.
He says this soap is so cool and he likes how it feels and the Psychedelic...
Ganja (Marijuana) Glycerin Soap is 100% Legal & 100% Fun!
Seeds > Ganja (Marijuana) Glycerin Soap is 100% Legal & 100% Fun!