Train Your Brain into Your Future Business Success - Christine Kane

Best Of Series: This is a repost of one of my most popular blog posts.

Here’s how I taught my dog to catch food in mid-air:

My husband and I would sit on the sofa with a bowl of popcorn.

My dog would watch us.

Piece by piece, we would fling popcorn at her.

She looked utterly confused each time a kernel bounced off of her face.  She’d watch them fly by like it was a tennis match. She’d run after them, pick them up, and look at us again as we pelted her with more popcorn.

Then, one evening, after many rounds of this routine”¦

“¦she opened her mouth and caught one.

We were shocked.  So was she.  For a brief moment, the three of us just looked at each other dumfounded.

Then, my husband and I jumped up as if she had scored the winning goal.  We patted her excitedly. We yelled “Good girl! Good girl!”  It was our own living room version of the 1951 classic baseball moment”¦ “The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!”

Since then, she’ll catch any food you toss her way. (Though she lets raw broccoli bounce off her head.)

So, here’s why this matters to your business.

Celebration is crucial.

And no, I’m not comparing you to a dog.  (Though you could do worse than being my dog, that’s for sure.)

What I AM doing is sharing a key to your future success.

Celebrating your victories will train your brain to OWN IT.  Even if it’s for a brief moment.

Acknowledging yourself for completions teaches you to receive, to FEED yourself.

And this is probably the one thing you always forget to do.

See, you’re a creator.  You look ahead.  You see ideas.  You see the ideal.  You see what’s possible.

As such, you look to the horizon.  You place the bar pretty high above your head.  You demand a lot from yourself.

This is great.

But the problem is that when you don’t stop to take in what you’ve completed and created, then you are always chasing the horizon line.  The bar is always just above your head.

And when that happens, you lose your light.  You resent your clients.  You become small.  You miss the abundance of your life and of this world.

And the world needs you too much for that to happen.

So”¦

What have you achieved?  What debts have you paid off?  What courageous acts have you performed?

It doesn’t matter if they’re not courageous in someone else’s eyes.  What was a big deal for you?  Was it giving birth?  Buying a house?  Moving to another town? Writing a book?  Giving a speech?  Asking someone out?  Quitting a job that was not right for you?  Starting a business?  Doing an open-mic night?

Write it below. Today’s as good as any to let us celebrate with you”¦

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

45 COMMENTS ADD A COMMENT
  • Chris

    I will have a featured article and art work in the Sept-Oct issue of Somerset Studios.! This is huge for me.

  • Tessa Dowell

    Three months ago I enrolled in your Uplevel Your Life program (as a recent retiree from a 35-yr govt job). I was scared to spend that much $$ on my tiny retirement pension, but you & your message really inspired me, so I did it!! I have a lot of passions, but I didn’t know what to pursue as a 2nd career. So, with your help, I have gained much clarity; and, as a result, I enrolled in a one-year health coach certification program and will launch a health coach business 6-months into the program. I feel like I’m coming out of a cocoon! Thank you, Christine. You rock and your helping us all rock.

  • Amy Scurria

    I finally allowed myself to embrace that I want more than the career I’ve been chasing. I expanded my horizons and am starting a business that will allow the use of my talents in a way that will earn the income that I want! And just started working on a piece for my first test client!

  • Corinne

    I’m sure that I must have seen this post last year, I would have been attracted by the reference to dogs catching popcorn; a trick we taught our pups, but I love that the message is repeated. Have gotten so much shit done this year and grown so much. When you celebrate the achievements, the bubbles rise like champagne, the excitement builds, you can’t wait to do more! I am so looking forward to my second year in Gold.

  • Shannon Lagasse

    Brilliant. I love it. And it’s exactly what I needed to hear! Going to take a moment to create an accomplishments list instead of a to do list. 😀

  • Renee Wade

    I took on leasing a 2 acre farm with my husband last year, even though we could only figure out how to be there part time. This year I figured out how to legally teach nine apprentices in a work trade – which is really the essence of my dream. To step forward and help people connect in profound ways with this gorgeous and marvelous planet while doing something as basic as growing food for body and soul. I LOVE teaching, even when I am way too tired and with way too much on my plate and seemingly no where near enough money in the bank. Thanks for reminding me to celebrate how much I have created.

  • CJ Blaquera

    OMG, Christine. And hi! I have been working my ass off editing new videos. I have stepped into my POV and had the courage to speak with my true authentic voice in these videos – even if people unsubscribe or have a negative response. The ones who resonate will raise their hands and step forward. This is AMAZING. Certainly something to celebrate and FEED myself with. And yet, I have been sitting through hours of editing and searing pain in my shoulders just to “accomplish” which is NOT something to celebrate. In this way I have been missing the abundance of this world. Thanks for speaking to this! It’s like I think I can “achieve” my way to experience the abundance someday in the FUTURE and totally miss it TODAY. Oy!

    • Christine Kane

      They’ll be awesome CJ. You’ve done it the way you needed to do it. Time to get those babies out. Congrats!

  • Nancy Campbell, LMBT

    Every Monday I do a shortened work day (and this is hard when clients call and neeeeeed to come in) and I take myself out to lunch after the bank deposits and I celebrate the previous week and brainstorm on paper what I can do next or hash out a problem I may have – basically, time to work ON the business. As a sole proprietor, I find it helpful.

  • e’Layne Koenigsberg

    In the list you have above I’ve done them all…except the open mic thing…well reading my poetry in front of a huge room of people might count…and behind each thing on the above list is a back story of large proportion ..and until I “got” the section in your teaching about the goldfish in water did I “get” what a big, accomplished life I’ve had to date…how I grew myself in what was at first barren soil…until I sought teachers and visionary’s to shine some light on my confused, impoverished soul. And I grew myself happy and thrived on so many levels. Looking at my life from outside the fish bowl I am able to really celebrate four decades of personal growth…and of being a brave, conscience, wise women…and see the gifts I have to share with others in much broader ways than I have been. A ps…my dog is 14 and still catching popcorn…lol…thanks for the gift of you Christine.

    • Christine Kane

      Thank YOU e’Layne! And a big high five for all of it! This is why so many women are inspired by you!

  • Fiona Claire

    Well this is a well timed article for me Christine as I have recently had to face the facts that the dreams I had for my business have not come to fruition and I am feeling drained and uninspired. After grieving a bit and feeling sorry for myself I realised I have to look at what I HAVE achieved in order to be able to move forward. You are so right that often us dreamers and creatives are looking to the future with such clear imagination that we don’t appreciate what we have done already. The truth is that I have had some wonderful clients, learned so many new skills, and done the kind of work that I just yearned for in the past, I also have a thriving part-time piano teaching business which just keep bubbling along. So really I have been successful. Now to re-group, clarify my goals, and take the next steps. Glad to be in the vortex!

    • Christine Kane

      And welcome to the Vortex Fiona! What a brilliant turnaround you just had. Now, take the next steps from that courageous place!

  • Gloria Najecki

    In January I told my partner that I was going to pay all our monthly bills. Me, the self employed artist made a pact to pay for everything in 2014. It’s practically 6 months into the year and I’m doing it. I can’t say I am actually celebrating. It’s a challenge for me to whoo hoo myself. Working on it.

    • Christine Kane

      Gloria, so here’s a question:

      are you ready to stop telling yourself the story that you’re not ready to celebrate — and just celebrate? I’m here to tell you it’s time. You’ve done so much – and you are ready to break the chains of all that gunk!!

      CELEBRATE BIG TIME – this is HUGE!!!

      • Gloria Najecki

        Here is an answer CK. YES! I’m letting the story go! Just sold a large painting and chose to celebrate by purchasing a work of art from another artist that I discovered through UYB. It feels incredibly enlivening. <3 Thank you for your words and the heartfelt energy behind them. All received with tremendous gratitude.

  • Marla Ross

    I took imperfect action today and took the first step towards R&D for an additional product line for my business. All the gremlins have been telling me “you don’t have the time, you don’t have the money, you don’t have the staff to help you”, but I realized I never even asked how much time it would take, how much it would cost, and you don’t need a staff if you don’t have new product…so just ask the questions. So I did…today. We’ll see what the universe says in response.

    • Christine Kane

      Congratulations Marla! The self-awareness alone here is worth a huge high-five!

  • Diane Labazio

    I really enjoyed your article. It made me think of my dog Leo who is a rescue from an abusive home. In the beginning, every time we tried to toss something to him, he’d flinch. It was a good day when he learned to trust that everything we were tossing to him was a treat (or a toy) and not a punishment. Now he fearlessly catches everything we throw his way. And my celebratory moment was yesterday, when two of my proposals were accepted by two previous clients.It’s a big compliment when I receive repeat business, it’s extremely validating..

    • Christine Kane

      Oh yeah, Diane! Congratulations! Repeat clients are the best — you’ve established that foundation, you can serve them even deeper, and they are telling you that YES you have served them well. Congrats! (and Leo sounds a lot like Ima, my dog. She’s 16 now and still hiking with me! Her first year was hard, but after that, we’ve loved her into bliss.) 🙂

  • Jane Carter

    I’m wrapping up my counseling job after working at a college for 10 years, and starting sessions in my new private practice (I don’t even have furniture yet! It makes for interesting sessions…). I still haven’t taken the time to figure out how I want to reflect/celebrate the work I’ve done in one dream job while celebrating the gutsy-ness of starting a new one, especially while I’m so busy. Thanks for the reminder that I need to mark the occasion, though!

    • Christine Kane

      Champagne (or Kombucha) all around Jane! Imperfect action is where it’s at!

  • Alice Osborn

    Christine,
    Last year I decided to host my own women’s writers’ retreat with your encouragement at Bend of Ivy Lodge in Marshall, NC. It was extremely powerful and inspiring. We had 8 women including me and afterwards they all wanted the retreat to be three nights instead of two. As a result I had to make a larger initial investment, I had to raise the tuition and now we’re at 10 signups and I’m almost at my goal of 12–and it’s the beginning of May for the retreat Aug 8-11. I’m thrilled I’m doing this and attracting the right folks!
    Alice:)

  • Christine

    I signed the papers to put my parents’ home on the market after moving them into Assisted Living. I’m trusting the Universe that the home will sell with ease and this is the right thing for all involved.

    • Christine Kane

      Absolutely, Christine. We will know that all is aligning perfectly on this.

  • Darnita

    On Monday, I opened a shop on Society6 to sell art prints, home decor items, and accessories. It made my week. :-). Each day, I say YES! to my passion and my life. It is amazing!

  • Gina

    A little over a year ago now, I took my very first steps in closing up my first business (loved the business, but I was commuting too far), and baby step by baby step have launched my new business (website launched in February, continuing content marketing), and just yesterday had my first client session! Today deposited my first check and am about to go to my second client session:-) I have celebrated so many things since that day a year ago now, and I am definitely continuing to celebrate each wonderful new opportunity, thanks for providing a place to share my celebration!! 🙂

    • Christine Kane

      This made me get chill bumps all over, Gina. LOVE it! I’m so happy for you!

  • Lissa Sandler

    This week I quit a job that wasn’t right for me. I had worked for this business for over 6 years, but the time had come for us to part ways. Probably one of the hardest things I have done and it might not have happen exactly as I would have liked…but the important thing is I have clarity and I know as I have Upleveled this past year in Christine Kane’s Gold Academy they aren’t my ideal client anymore. Time to wish them the very best and move on. I cannot wait to see what new opportunities are on the horizon.

    • Christine Kane

      Woohoooooo! Congratulations Lissa! (Sometimes our biggest tests are the things we say NO to.) Let’s see what doors open now that you’ve released this!

      • Lissa Sandler

        Thank you Christine, thank you for helping me understand that sometimes the biggest service we can do for a client (and ourselves) is to say no. I am excited, and a bit scared. Glad I have a one on one Gold coaching call with Elaine next week:)

        • Christine Kane

          Great. Elaine knows A LOT about this process of saying NO to the good (or not-so-good) so that you can say YES to the great. That call with her will help. (And I’ll make sure I check in with her before you have it.) Go Lissa!

  • Christine Springer

    10 days ago I took the leap and quit my “day” job. I was scared but I did it anyway! I’ve had 3 new clients sign on since I took the leap. So freaking excited!! Thank you, Christine, my Uplevel Gold peeps and the awesome Uplevel team for supporting me and helping to make this dream happen. I’m grateful for you all!

    • Lynn V.

      Big CONGRATS to you, Christine!!

      I’m making the transition, but haven’t ‘cut the cord’ yet…soon, very soon. 🙂

    • Christine Kane

      Yay Christine! SO many people share with me that they DREAM of doing exactly what you have just done. And so few of them ever take the action to get them there. You have taken action, you have gone through many “wtf” moments (though maybe that wasn’t exactly your choice of phrasing 🙂 ), and you’ve created a business. Go you!!! Can’t wait to witness where all this continues to go!

    • Wendy Pitts Reeves

      YOU are just ridiculously AWESOME, Christine! :))

  • Kate Ostrem

    About three weeks ago, I started my Enneagram coaching and consulting business, 9 Open Doors. I’ve been thinking about doing this for years and now is the time! I have my first workshop scheduled, and when I feel overwhelmed about promoting it and getting people to sign up, I remind myself that I was still just thinking about all of this three weeks ago. I need to be patient, keep working, talking to everyone I meet about this, and it will happen.

  • Kate Ostrem

    About three weeks ago, I started my Enneagram coaching and consulting business, 9 Open Doors. I’ve been thinking about doing this for years and now is the time! I have my first workshop scheduled, and when I feel overwhelmed about promoting it and getting people to sign up, I remind myself that I was still just thinking about all of this three weeks ago. I need to be patient, keep working, talking to everyone I meet about this, and it will happen.

    • Christine Kane

      Congratulations Kate!! That’s awesome!

      (And yes, three weeks is very very new. You’ve already taken action – so that is GREAT!)