Category: Productivity

  • Read This When You Feel Like A Round Peg Trying To Fit Into A Square Hole. Here’s One Thing You Need To Always Understand To Keep You Sane.

    Read This When You Feel Like A Round Peg Trying To Fit Into A Square Hole. Here’s One Thing You Need To Always Understand To Keep You Sane.

    I expected magic when I attended Alex Franzen’s Writing Workshop in Sydney, but I could never imagine the depth of this loving explosion. So many loose floaty bits of myself re-grouping & cementing together.

    Love is the essence of who I am, and it’s ALWAYS the answer to everything.

    But somewhere along the way, I got caught up in the ‘real world’ and listened to others when they told me that to see things through the eyes of love all the time, is somewhat naive.

    I bought into the fact that I had to choose to:

    • Be an extrovert or introvert.
    • Have a favourite colour all my life.
    • Be passionate about one thing forever.
    • Follow a particular faith.
    • Lock myself into a particular way of eating ie Vegan, Paleo, Vegetarian.
    • Either be all woo woo or badass.
    • Be prim and proper or a rebel.
    • Follow someone who has done what you want to do and mimic your way to success.

    Etc etc etc

    Here’s the thing, I don’t want to see ANYBODY like me, and as much as imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, you don’t want to see anybody like you, right?

    Oscillating between two worlds looking for a place to fit, while trying to chop, shave down and squeeze yourself into a mould that is just a few breaths short of literally feeling choked.

    As the song goes, I’m a bitch, I’m a lover, I’m a child, I’m a mother, I’m a sinner, I’m a saint.

    Guess what gorgeous, you’re all of the above too and that’s ok. Marketers talk about polarising your market, but it has to be done authentically and in a way that feels like your life looks pretty much like what you show the public.

    I haven’t always been this transparent. I’m a Virgo which is Perfectionism at it’s finest, so this means 5 years ago I wouldn’t be caught dead looking less than ‘perfect’. Not only is it hard to maintain this facade, it’s also soul destroying when you’re looking so glam while dying on the inside.

    A slow painful death with every dot of foundation masking your pretty face from the world, every stroke of mascara beautifying your lashes and with every particle of blush to prettify you.

    Now don’t get me wrong I LOVE makeup (I can spend a whole day JUST makeup shopping) and looking glam – in fact it’s a strong part of who I am. The difference now though, is that it doesn’t define me.

    Let me make this even clearer, looking good IS essential to feeling great but the difference is that it enhances how you feel, and will uplift when you’re in a funk, but it’s not a pre-requisite to feeling whole and complete.

    I used to think that being consistent and solid was the key to success, but I interpreted it incorrectly. I took it to mean that I had to be consistent in my ‘persona’ and I had to always respond/think/act in a certain way according to the standard that I had set for myself.

    Now here’s the difference, I still respond/think/act according to my base principles, but the response is no longer defined by what I think others want to see/hear. Sounds small, but it’s a polar difference when you delve into this little nugget.

    Think about the last 5 decisions you made.

    They could be responses or actions such as posting your thoughts on FB, or releasing a new program or even what to cook for dinner. The point that I’m getting to, is an awareness of how many choices are made while you’re in auto-pilot mode, based on conditioning or the need to keep the peace or even worse feeling apathetic without even realizing.

    It’s time to reclaim your power girlfriend.

    I want you to realize that it’s time to glue back together the fragmented pieces you tried to cut off. You can’t saw them off sweetheart, they’ll just grow back and come back roaring to be heard.

    I was blessed to meet some fricken wonderful women in Alex’s workshop, and what really hit home for me was that they showed me that love IS possible while being successful academically or financially.

    Here I was surrounded by this sisterhood of amazing women – Doctors, Human Rights Lawyers, and soooo many game changers who are spreading their own kind of magic. What dawned on me was that like Alex, these women are ALL successful in their own right and yet possess the same ‘woo-woo’ qualities as I did.

    somewhere along the way

    There is a place for us both dear friend. I’m with you every step of the way.

    So I boldly declare that:

    • I will no longer box or label myself into anything.
    • I’m an ambivert – I’m an extroverted introvert for the most part and an introverted extroverted the rest of the time.
    • I’m multi-passionate – I love lotsa things. I have 3 different biz that excite me in different ways.
    • My colour preferences will constantly change and that’s ok – Pink will always be #1 for me with Turquoise right behind.(Orange is pushing my buttons atm 🙂
    • I’m not vegan or raw 100% and that’s ok – I eat seafood, and ONLY organic grassfed beef IF I ever eat meat.
    • I don’t eat sugar, dairy or wheat – nuff said.
    • I can only lead from who I am – I am who I am.
    • I can only teach what I have lived, not what I’ve learned – AMEN!

    Where are you limiting or blocking yourself from being ALL that you are gorgeous?

    To truly love yourself isn’t all just woo woo shit where all you need to do is focus on what you want to be/do/act like. It’s also about accepting the light and the dark within to shine your beautiful light on the parts of you that need some fine-tuning, appreciate what resonates for you and most importantly love both sides of you equally.

    When all else fails, you can’t find clarity, belonging, hope or connection. I want you to always remember that love is always the answer – ALWAYS.

    [pullquote width=”300″ float=”left”]What are you going to finally accept about yourself gorgeous? I’d love to hear your beautiful, bold self-accepting declaration below.[/pullquote]

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    If you want to know more about how to find that sweet spot of clarity to get you firing on all cylinders again, then my Webinar ‘Stop Pretending Everything Is Great & Start Creating A Life + Biz You Love’ will be extremely valuable to you. Save your place here

    P.S – Girl, you’ve so got this!

     

     

    [warning]

    Monique Alamedine is a Writer + Intuitive Biz Coach + Life Strategist who believes that ‘success’ means being calm, centred & crazy ambitious – all at the same time.

    She calls this being a Zen Hustler – and is on a mission to help you become one too.

    She helps women in retail & service business make money doing what they love while ‘keeping it real’. Ain’t no sugar-coated fluff coming out of this Mumma’s mouth – expect straight from the heart home truths delivered with a big serving of love.

    As a Zen Hustler, she mixes intuitive readings with kick-ass business strategy. Email Hustle@ZenHustler.com

    [/warning]

     

  • Stop Pretending + Start Creating

    Stop Pretending + Start Creating

     

    Stop-pretending-720x500-for-blog

    Divorced. Detached. Disconnected

    Three words that are probably the most antagonistic words to describe what was once something sacred.

    When a relationship reaches this stage, it usually takes a fair bit of heartache to get to this point.

    I reached this breaking point recently. I had enough of feeling alone, and void of emotion. Something just had to give, the pain and isolation of not being able to communicate and resolve the issue had taken it’s toll.

    What was I going to do?

    You’re probably thinking I’m talking about marriage or relationship of the physical kind.

    Nope.

    I’m talking about when your souls purpose doesn’t align with what you’re actually doing.

    That kind of disconnect cuts deeper than any external relationship. I walked around for years, not really aware of how deep the divide actually went.

    It kinda creeps up on you.

    In fact I loved feeling so detached from the emotions of youth.

    How liberating to be free of the emotional rollercoaster ride of my twenties. Isn’t this what being all grown up means?

    Letting go of the silly stuff and not letting things bother us, right?

    Well kinda sorta. I’m pretty laid back by nature.

    What I mean by that is that I don’t do drama or gossip so anything that remotely resembles this, instantly takes me to zone out world. This leaves me with the challenge of working out what is worthwhile delving into and what is just water off a ducks back.

    So here I found myself lonely, bored and dispirited, craving something deeper. Looking from the outside in, my life has never been better – business is going great guns.

    It dawned on me  that only I could change this horrid situation. And after many intuitive nudges, it was now time  to peel away that last, thick, stubborn layer that I have used as my protection for years.

    I realize that I no longer need it.

    IT needs ME!

    The ego needs to feel important, busy, strong and all-knowing. But spirit aahhh now that’s another story.

    I asked for guidance and now I was receiving. It’s feels like I am re-connecting with a long lost friend. Someone who has been here all along that I have neglected.

    I’m not going all woowoo on you now but as a Zen Hustler, spirituality is an important part of how I run my life and build my business.

    Whilst I believe in the basics of LOA (Law Of Attraction) I also strongly believe in taking action ie Hustling. Combine the two together and THIS my friend is a powerful combo.

    One doesn’t work without the other, much like willing money to fall down from the sky won’t work unless you’re doing something about it.

    On the flip side, if you are taking action, but you really don’t believe deep down that you can actually do it – then you probably won’t.

    I am persistent, and devoted to my passion and that is to help women find their voice and create a soulful authentic business with their own flavour.

    This is what pushes me to delve deeper. How can I lead this gorgeous tribe of women who have so much to offer the world if I can’t dig deep and show them that regardless of how fragmented they feel, it’s not forever.

    For a go getter like me, I have had to make time to just. be. I got so caught up in the doing, that I forgot about the being.

    Busy busy busy does not equal productivity.

    Being vulnerable doesn’t mean your weak.

    Speaking your truth doesn’t make you a bitch.

    Have a think about why you’re not feeling that wholeness.

    Where are you holding back gorgeous?

    If you’d like some help with 

    [warning]

    Monique Alamedine is a Writer + Intuitive Biz Coach + Life Strategist who believes that ‘success’ means being calm, centred & crazy ambitious – all at the same time.

    She calls this being a Zen Hustler – and is on a mission to help you become one too.

    She helps women in retail & service business make money doing what they love while ‘keeping it real’. Ain’t no sugar-coated fluff coming out of this Mumma’s mouth – expect straight from the heart home truths delivered with a big serving of love.

    As a Zen Hustler, she mixes intuitive readings with kick-ass business strategy. Email Hustle@ZenHustler.com

    [/warning]

  • Visualization Sucks

    Visualization Sucks

    visualisation-waterfall

    As a conscious Entrepeneur, I was always taught that to achieve my goals I need to just see and feel it in my minds eye for it to manifest.

    Whilst I do agree with the overall principles, it’s so easy to get caught up in the ‘feeling’ of it all, so much so, that it ACTUALLY FEELS like you’ve arrived at your destination.

    This is a trap I have fallen into many times.

    I imagine what it feels like to have a successful business, new car, sell products etc, and once I achieve those goals in my mind, I feel like the work has been done.

    What we need to realize is that this visualization stuff only works if you combine it with massive AND consistent action.

    I agree it’s important to acknowledge your achievements, but things fall apart when you start buying into your own hype.

    What does this mean?

    For me it means that I am focusing on centering myself rather than oscillating between flat-lining and red-lining. Keeping myself in the present moment, with my eye on the big picture is a massive juggling act, but one that pays off in bucket loads.

    Since adopting the intention of staying centred, I am now able to still acknowledge my wins, without boycotting the steps required to get me where I need to be.

    Visualizing while still ‘doing’ what needs to be done is the key to success. Don’t get so caught up in your vision that you forget about today. It’s like waiting for happiness, ‘when I get this I will be happy’ or ‘when I lose weight I will take care of my appearance’.

    Setting an intention can be so much more empowering than planning.

    Let me tell you my story.

    I was forever planning, visualizing and dreaming.

    Whenever I would achieve something that would bring me closer to this vision, something inside me would shut down, much like ticking things off a to-do list. Except this would apply to my whole vibe.

    The problem was that I was so invested in the outcome.

    There is a big difference between wanting something and being desperate.

    The magic formula is simple:

    Clarity + Intention + Kick-ass action is all that’s required.

    Think about the reason why you want what you want.

    Keep peeling away those layers until you get to the pure intent of the BIG FAT WHY.

    Why do you want this? THAT my friend is the kinda gold that’s going to get your life + biz blinging.

    Visualizing ONLY works if you remember that there are still steps you need to take to get to that sweet spot.

    The magic takes place when you find your middle ground on the oscillating speedometer between doing nothing and EVERYTHING.

    When I stopped and became clear on the why, the how suddenly became unambiguous.This actually grounds you into feeling, rather than allowing mind chatter to rule, so you are able to come back to your heart space.

    Can you relate to this sweets? I would love to hear your thoughts on this below.

    [warning]

    Monique Alamedine is a Writer + Intuitive Biz Coach + Life Strategist who believes that ‘success’ means being calm, centred & crazy ambitious – all at the same time.

    She calls this being a Zen Hustler – and is on a mission to help you become one too.

    She helps women in retail & service business make money doing what they love while ‘keeping it real’. Ain’t no sugar-coated fluff coming out of this Mumma’s mouth – expect straight from the heart home truths delivered with a big serving of love.

    As a Zen Hustler, she mixes intuitive readings with kick-ass business strategy. Email Hustle@ZenHustler.com

    [/warning]

  • Stop Being Mediocre At Many Things + Start Being Brilliant At One

    Stop Being Mediocre At Many Things + Start Being Brilliant At One

    Stop Being Mediocre

    Mastering The Art Of Multi-passionate Entrepreneurship

    I have (another) confession to make.

    Up until recently, I struggled with doing one thing really well.

    Give me 5 things and I felt like I was right in my element.

    Hindsight is a wonderful little bugger though, because I can now see all the opportunities I had missed out on for growing my business.

    I loved the variety, and excitement of something new.

    The exhilaration + passion alone, led me to believe that juggling so many things at once was sustainable

    But alas, I was being mediocre and needed to stop.

    Now don’t get me wrong I have no issue with doing multiple things, but when you constantly start something and move onto the next it’s called Bright Shiny Object Syndrome.

    I’m definitely guilty of BSOS.

    In fact I still have to pull myself up on it, and to be honest it’s much like a reformed alcoholic – you can never allow yourself to be lured into the shine and sparkle of that ‘new’ exciting project.

    Be aware that being multi-passionate, can also lead to BSOS if not managed correctly.

    I don’t know about you, but I am sick of half-assed effort. I no longer accept mediocre. My heart + arms are wide open to focus and devotion. 

    Focusing on the one project/business/task.

    Devotion to my cause by doing the work on a daily basis.

    Going through the day to day grind and reaping those juicy sweet rewards.

    What would happen if you focused purely and solely for a set amount of time on ONE project?

    Juggling between Snugbods, Glass Straws and Mentoring had me running on empty and chasing my tail. After feeling like a wench was physically pulling me in 3 different directions, I realized there had to be a better way to do this. Glass Straws was taking off all of a sudden, and my gut was telling me that this is where I needed to be. But of course it’s one thing to know and another to DO.

    Enter my brilliant coach who suggested I focus on ONE thing for ONE month.

    Bingo!

    Now in my mind, it didn’t feel like a permanent thing so for a BSOSer, it felt do-able, manageable and somehow not so stifling but rather liberating. 

    What ended up happening is that, I actually quite enjoyed giving something my full attention. I got so immersed in what I was doing that I forgot it was only for a month.

    If you’re a BSOSer (Bright Shiny Syndrome) here are a few things to try:

    1. Focus on one project, but ensure that you have variety.

    For my Glass Straws I ensure that I mix it up with writing, taking pictures of my smoothies + juices, sales + marketing. Keep it exciting by thinking outside the square. Research other industries and see what you can apply to your business.

    2. Create  a Read Later file 

    Use tools like Pocket or Evernote to create a folder of ideas or things that you would like to do once you have followed through on your current project. That way you won’t be concerned that you will ‘forget’ something if you don’t act on it immediately.

    3. Devote yourself to the cause

    Constantly remind yourself about why you do what you do. What’s the big why? When it’s something that goes deep, it’s easier to stick to it. My big-ass why with Glass Straws, is that I am contributing to the longevity of our beautiful planet. Now THAT makes me want to go hard.

     Ask yourself gorgeous, where are you settling for mediocre?

    Be honest.

    What are you going to do to start playing full-on and doing EPIC shit?

    Love always

    My Signature www.moniquealamedine.com

     

     

    [warning]

    Monique Alamedine is a Writer + Intuitive Biz Coach + Life Strategist who believes that ‘success’ means being calm, centred & crazy ambitious – all at the same time.

    She calls this being a Zen Hustler – and is on a mission to help you become one too.

    She helps women in retail & service business make money doing what they love while ‘keeping it real’. Ain’t no sugar-coated fluff coming out of this Mumma’s mouth – expect straight from the heart home truths delivered with a big serving of love.

    As a Zen Hustler, she mixes intuitive readings with kick-ass business strategy. Email Hustle@ZenHustler.com

    [/warning]

  • The Girl Who Cried Wolf – What happened When I took A Really Good Look In The Mirror

    The Girl Who Cried Wolf – What happened When I took A Really Good Look In The Mirror

    Caligraphy-I-did-it-again

    I have a confession to make.

    My name is Monique and……..

    I am the girl who cried wolf.

    When these words first escaped from my mouth, a sense of relief and peace washed over me.

    Here I was the glam, proud, successful Business Blingstress admitting to weakness.

    But you see herein was my problem. The fact that I could not admit. Could not accept. Could not be vulnerable. What did I do instead of owning my shit?

    Well….I was always mesmerized by those Bright Shiny Objects (BSO) that would somehow find me in my darkest hour and seduce me into believing that ‘it’ was going to be my saving grace.

    There was always this great new idea that I had which was going to be THE next biggest thing in my life or that I somehow needed to buy the latest program that was just released because I didn’t have enough resources or information already or the best one was the procrastination of ‘needing’ to get everything right, or having the right tools to start. Puhhhleeesse!

    Once again, all bullshit!

    Enough
    I finally had enough of my own BS.

    If you’re honest with yourself, I’m sure you have done this at some point too. And some of you may still be there. There is no judgement on either part, just experience that I can share with you.

    By embracing this path of awareness and allowing myself to immerse into it completely, I feel like I understand the true meaning of liberating empowerment. In the past I thought I was playing fullout and that I was the victim because people just didn’t understand me. They just weren’t visionaries like me – that’s all. B fricken S!

    The day I realized and openly admitted to my Husband that I was the girl who cried wolf was such an emotional turning point for me.

    Y’all know about the major breakthroughs I experienced with my Mentors. As a result, I now feel a strong urge to share my journey, so you too can see that all that glitters ain’t gold, and to give you an inside peak into the mind of a reformed perfectionists mind. I am so happy to have moved passed double, triple and quadriple checking something hundreds of times. Even Blog posts used to take me days. I recall my first blog post taking me about a week to write, the pictures had to be perfect and I even created alot of the graphics. Fast forward to today and this blog post you’re reading has taken a matter of hours not days. Now THAT is a proud moment for me, no more sitting on it and waiting for some outside entity to tell me it was ok. These are MY thoughts and feelings, so why the hell was I seeking external validation?! Go figure.

    Where do you feel stuck gorgeous? Can I ask you to look within yourself first before blaming others or looking for them to save you and then feeling more helpless or disheartened when there is no knight in shining armor?

    When a cycle keeps repeating itself again in your life, it’s a warning for you to take action. There is no point in doing the same thing and expecting the outcome to be different this time. By chopping and changing you don’t harness that energy into one cause, so you never nurture it enough to give it a strong foundation to start with.

    Letting go of the need to be right, is right up there with forgiveness and gratitude. Be honest with yourself sweetness, have you been giving 100% focus and dedication to your project?

    Bashing Your Head Against A Brick Wall Is Easier.

    How many times have you said, this time will be different? This time I will complete this program. This time I will wake up early. This time I will create my new product. This time (fill in the blanks) then all of a sudden it’s 12 months down the track and you have done diddly squat of what you said you were going to do.

    If you aren’t ready to share it with anyone, just at least admit it to yourself gorgeous. Have you too been the girl who cried wolf, and now that you are legitimately serious nobody is actually taking you seriously?

    That’s what ended up happening with my hubby, he got so tired of hearing about my latest brainwave that by the time the ‘real deal’ had landed in my brain it just sounded like another distraction that I had created to him.

    I remember a few years back, during another procrastination period. Mr Handsome by this point was at his wits end about how to move me along, looked at me with compassion and understanding and asked me – what are you afraid of honey?

    I realized that I was afraid of my own success. I know that sounds weird or to some perhaps cliched – but it’s the truth. In my warped mind, success had all these complications that went with it. So I want you to ask yourself the same question – what are YOU afraid of?

    Are you the boy (girl) who is crying wolf too?

    You need to know that it can all change in a heartbeat.

    I used to be the most easily distracted person. I love innovations and new ideas. In fact that’s why I built my business this way, because I get to vicariously live through my clients. It’s just a case of finding what’s right for you and creating a business around what you LOVE!

    I see so many people do it the other way around, they create their business and then conform for their business. Whereas the opposite is true – Create a business around who you are. Regardless of whether you provide a product or service.

    Just like you do a business plan or a checklist, why not take the time to do a ‘life check’ list?

    Whatever you decide, just commit to it in every sense of the word and don’t forget to have fun!

    All my love

    Monique xx
    [warning]

    Monique Alamedine is a Writer + Intuitive Biz Coach + Life Strategist who believes that ‘success’ means being calm, centred & crazy ambitious – all at the same time.

    She calls this being a Zen Hustler – and is on a mission to help you become one too.

    She helps women in retail & service business make money doing what they love while ‘keeping it real’. Ain’t no sugar-coated fluff coming out of this Mumma’s mouth – expect straight from the heart home truths delivered with a big serving of love.

    As a Zen Hustler, she mixes intuitive readings with kick-ass business strategy. Email Hustle@ZenHustler.com

    [/warning]

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