Tweak your Way to Success - Christine Kane

A few weeks ago, you decided to get support in your business.  Things are growing steadily, and you know you can’t continue at this pace.

So, you hired a Virtual Assistant to help in your growing business.  At first, she was fabulous.  She jumped in and did stuff to create better systems for all of your ventures.

Then she missed one of your scheduled phone calls. After that, she didn’t return emails for days.  Tasks weren’t getting done on time. You finally let her know that this behavior was unacceptable and that if she missed another scheduled phone call without advance notice, you’d have to let her go.

Then in the middle of a big project, she disappeared again.  Also, she didn’t show up for your scheduled call.
As promised, you wrote her an email and let her go.  You still haven’t heard back, and you had paid her in advance for several hours of work.

You start to feel deflated at this disappointing situation.  You might even want to tell yourself that you just weren’t meant to have a support team.  So, now what?

Enter the power of the tweak.

What’s a tweak?

A tweak is nothing more than trying again.  Trying a new thing.  Asking, “What’s next?” And most importantly, the word “tweak” contains within it the permission to let something go so that you can move on to the next thing.  Sometimes, moving forward is more about tweaks than it is about anything else.

Now, a tweak might sound similar to the idea of “persistence.”  But it’s a better motivator for two solid reasons”¦

#1 – Tweak is a fun word.

#2 – Persistence is not a fun word.

Tweaking is about knowing that your intention is powerful and that the whole process is about finding the perfect and right path/people/projects that take you there.  It’s also about knowing you don’t have to do it perfectly the first time. (Or ever!)  In fact, the best thing about tweaks is that they require that you accept imperfection.

This sounds simple and logical, of course. But for many of us, it’s a huge challenge.

Tweak Means Keep Moving

You may have guessed that the story above actually happened to me.

So, what did I do?

I got on the web and started interviewing people again.  I’m now working with a new VA.  She has already given me a level of attention and productivity that far surpasses the last one.

I was telling my friend Joy about my new VA.  She said, “Wait a minute. I thought you already had a VA.”

I explained the situation, telling her that I didn’t really want to spend much time talking about it because it wasn’t worth the breath it took to tell the story.

And she stopped me and said, “Whoa! That’s huge for you!  And you’re already working with someone else??”

Translation: “Hey! Usually we go through about two weeks (or years) of good hard drama when this kind of thing happens!”

Not anymore.

And here’s why:  I’m mastering the power of the tweak.   It’s the most liberating success principle I’ve discovered in a while.  When you remember that success is all about tweaks, then you are less likely to get bogged down in self-sabotage.

Stay tuned!  More on tweaks in the next post!

————

P.S.   I went through a massive tweak at BeMyRecordLabel.com. After many people sent me suggestions for how to make the site better, I tweaked it. Let me know your thoughts on the new design!

22 COMMENTS ADD A COMMENT
  • Chiqui Pineda-Azimi

    You got me at fun.
    Tweak = Fun.
    ^_^

  • Christina Cigala

    I spent an entire year tweeking an aspect of my career, although I didn’t know at the time that I was “tweeking it” I thought I was just trying to make things run smoother. I think back on the changes I continually made and was not aware of their impact until someone reminded me of them by asking if I was going to do the same thing again this year. And yes I will, but I have refined them yet again, hopefully with less stress, more smoothness, and greater creativity I will tweek, and tweek and tweek. (Just keep swimming, swimming swimming)

  • Mary

    it’s so cool that you recognized this as an opportunity for change and kept moving forward. very inspirational, really, since i am leaving one of my secure part time gigs to return to full time free lancing at the end of this coming week. it’s a little overwhelming and the reason i took the part time gig was because i had been feeling like such a failure after having to close an ill fated venture that nearly bankrupted me….i will be doing a lot of tweaking!

  • Patty

    How do you manage to look over so many shoulders at once?
    Tweak is a charming, light word with strong implications. I am in the process of learning about the tweak this week (pardon the rhyme). It’s serious play.
    Thanks for sharing your insights, Christine. You’re a breath of fresh air.

  • ChickiePam

    Hi Christine,
    I was just having a conversation with my daughter this morning about sabotage. She is doing it again, and RECOGNIZED it this morning for the first time! Woooo whooooo!!!!! Hehe…I usually point it out to her…. Gently,of course… welllll most of the time, anyway! I will give her the word “tweak” and see how she feels about that. I told her to recognize her self sabotage, know it for what it is, congratulate herself for recognizing it and then make a different choice. She is an old 13 year very old soul and she gets it. She tends toward the drama thing and resistance, and that’s fine when it was about a gym meet. But this is about cancer, so the ante is much higher now.

    Thank you so very much for doing this work (or play!). You touch my life daily with your wisdom and clarity.

    In gratitude,
    Pam

  • Sarah

    Speaking of Tweaking – love the tweaks at Be My Record Label! (it is a fun word 🙂

  • Leslie Ellis

    Tweak. i love it!

    Like tweaking the way you look at men after a most horrible marriage and divorce?

    I think tweaking is like giving yourself permission to have made a mistake; forgiving yourself and then moving ON!!!

    Yes, I like this idea of Tweak!

    Quote from “Eat, Pray, Love”: “Guilt is the ego’s way of thinking it’s making progress”

  • Shama Hyder

    Christine-

    I wrote a post a few months ago addressing the same topic! In today’s world it’s best to become an “Editor”-no matter what else your position is, you are still an editor.

    Learn to edit, to tweak, and stay happy in the process!

  • Christine Kane

    hello everyone – thanks for the additional thoughts and ideas here. (and wendi – i hope you don’t get completely sick of “virginia” by the time the new cd is done! 🙂 )

  • Wendi Kelly- Lifes Little Inspirations

    Christine,

    This is coming at a great moment for me. I have something going on from this weekend that has been holding me up all morning. Thanks…I needed that.

    two more things. I can’t get the last version of Virgina out of my head. It has been bopping along in there all weekend. I think that is a good thing. And…I think the re-desgn of the record label site looks good.

  • Sue

    I love how your friend said ‘that is so huge for you.’ That made me lol b/c anyone who knows us well can point those things out almost before we realize it ourselves. (Think you have done this for me actually.) Thanks for this!!

  • pati

    Hi all,

    I love your post Christine and the comments from everyone. I heard this phrase awhile back: “my imperfect self.” I don’t remember who said it, but I like the thought.

    p

  • Mark

    “The past does not equal the future.” – Tony Robbins.

    That’s one of the best things I’ve ever learned. Even if we screw up 10 times, even if we messed up 2 minutes ago, right NOW we have a blank slate.

    It’s kind of a relief to realize there’s no need to wallow in guilt or self pity over past mistakes. This moment is a clean slate, and we can decide again to move in a better direction.

    Nice post!

  • Deb

    I’m happy for everybody else but I’m hyperventilating over here.

    I’m also working at getting comfortable with the platform “the closed mouth doesn’t get fed.” This is definitely a tweak for me; I was never allowed to ask for anything growing up.

    @iletitgo – I have found there is a difference between “drama” and “messy consequences” which had been tripping me up until I started asking the question “Am I being dramatic or am I working through messy consequences?” I see that process of delineating as a tweak.

    And Christine, that is such a stunner that your previous VA was a chameleon.

  • Emily

    I needed this right now, thanks.
    I’m getting better at the tweaking & imperfection – now if I can just get a handle on tweaking with patience…

  • iletitgo

    I absolutely LOVE this idea! It reminds me of your ‘there is no one right ladder to climb’ post. We are always on the right path, we just may need small minor adjustments-a tweak!–to get more focused. It also removes the drama and the “this is such a major decision, will I make the right choice?” fear factor.
    I’m all for it! Happy Tweaking everyone!

  • Elaine

    …Here’s to the ‘Power of the Tweak!’ – a great post!

  • Colleen

    Hi Christine,

    So often, your posts seem to say exactly what I need to hear at the moment. Today, I’m refocusing on tweaking. Thanks.

    And, lance? I’m with you about tweaking when things are good. We’re going great guns here at the farm but need to continue the momentum – enter tweak!

  • Lance

    Here’s to the power of tweaks! And letting go, and moving on!

    We’ve all been “hung up” on something, and spent way to much time commiserating about it. If we can only realize that if we let go and move on – we get to a happier place much sooner.

    Tweaking – I say we need to do this not only when we’re having some “problem”. Let’s also tweak away when things are good. That’s how we’ll get to great…and beyond.

  • Angelica

    OOPS — I meant
    To
    Work
    Energetically
    At
    KNOWING

    (knowing the Truth of course) >

  • Angelica

    Great article! Great realization!! I’d like to use this in a talk. I played with the word and got
    T = to
    w = work
    e = energetically
    a = at
    t = Truth

    Blessings, Angelica