How to turn your Purpose into Business (day 5)

By: Kel Amstutz
Keywords: Purpose, Business, Journey of Self Discovery

Hi Ya'll.  

For some of us, being able to make a living from what we feel called to do is the ultimate dream. Ya'll know that this is true for me, as you have watched and read my articles about living a free life! 


The thing is...this can be hard to know where to even begin...and it often stays just a dream. 

TO TURN THAT DREAM INTO SOMETHING REAL...YOU NEED TO CONSIDER WHAT IT IS THAT YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE (your purpose), WHAT YOU CAN EASILY DO (your skills) AND HOW YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO IT (your interests and ideas). 

I have a little exercise below that will give you a simple and clear PLAN of how you can turn your purpose into a business.  

When you create your PLAN you can either implement it (if it's a low risk and easily validated business), or use this PLAN to carry out further research (if it's a business with a higher risk).  And this plan here is super simple- just four steps. 

So, let's get going! 

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1. Write down your purpose

Grab a sheet of paper or open up a new document, and at the top, write your purpose. We’re assuming you already know what your purpose is, and if you do - perfect. Write it down. If not, you’ll need to spend some time figuring out exactly what it is.

CLICK HERE to FIND your Purpose

This is a whole other topic, but some quick points to remember: your purpose isn’t a job or an occupation, and it isn’t your passion/s. Your can bring your purpose to life through your job or passion, but they’re not the purpose itself. Your purpose is like your ultimate life goal. It’s what will gently steer the direction of your life, along any path you choose. There is no one way to bring a purpose to life, but a business is a great way to live your purpose on your terms.  

2. List your skills, commitments and interests 

Under your purpose, add three sections: skills, prior commitments and interests 

• Under skills, you’re going to write down every skill you have; the official ones, the life ones, and the secret skills that no one even knows you have. This includes any qualifications, musical or fitness skills, work skills, people skills. Absolutely everything you can think of.  
• Under prior commitments, list all the bigger commitments and responsibilities you have in your life. This includes your partner, your family, your job, your mortgage, your bills, any roles you hold in your community. This is really important. We all have things in our life that we need to take into account when making big life decisions. And you want to be sure you’re bringing your purpose to life in a way that actually fits where your life is now, so that it doesn’t stay an unattainable dream. Once you have your list, and mark a little cross by any you won’t take into consideration, and a tick by those you will.
• Finally, list all of your interests. Anything from hobbies to lifelong passions and just things you love. You might have an overlap on your skills list, like graphic design or photography. This is fine.

3. Get Creative

Brainstorm everything you can do that takes into account the skills you have (keep in mind you can up-skill or outsource), the prior commitments you want to keep, or the responsibilities you need to take into account, and your interests. Remember there is no one way to bring your purpose to life, so jot down every idea you can think of.

4. Plan and Prioritize

From these ideas, create your plan. You’ll decide what you’ll offer, and in what order. You’ll decide how you’ll reach people - online (1:1, private groups or communities or on a completely open platform), in person through a physical space; like a store or a class - or a combination of these.

And that’s it! Simple, right? To make it clearer, let’s look at some examples.

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The Breakdown:

Let’s say your purpose is to teach children about the importance of nutrition and health. Your skills are strongest in teaching, speaking and cooking. Your prior commitments are that you have a home with a mortgage, but you could rent out your house if you wanted to. And your interests are food, health, business, writing and nature.

Here are a few ways you could turn your purpose into a business:

• Write children’s books
• Write children’s cookbooks
• Speak in schools
• Implement a program around healthy eating in schools
• Create a kids food and cooking channel on YouTube
• Run local school holiday programs
• Host kid friendly cooking/gardening/health lessons
• Write books aimed at parents, teachers and caregivers
• Write a blog or create a website to sell your own and affiliate products

Expand on this as much as you can. What else can you offer that people would be happy to pay you for? EBooks? Videos? Classes? Classroom workbooks?

Now you can narrow your list, prioritize ideas and plan how you’re going to reach people. So you might start off with a blog and website, and local school holiday programs. Eventually, you’ll be doing speaking tours in schools and creating a classroom workbook. Then you’ll create your own eBook packages (for parents and kids) to sell on your website.

Let’s try another example.

Maybe your purpose is to help new MOMS to reconnect, relax and rejuvenate through yoga. Your skills are graphic design, basic web design, and yoga, obviously! Your prior commitments are your partner and two kids, your family home and small portfolio of local websites you update and maintain. Your interests are yoga, spirituality, health, and personal development.

You could turn your purpose into a business by:

• Hosting local yoga classes
• Selling yoga videos online
• Develop a program or class that you license to other yoga instructors
• Creating an eBook
• Creating a website and blog to host your products and others to sell
• Developing a line of products such as clothing, yoga mats and equipment
• Creating a membership site where people can follow along online - each class is live for 24 hours
• Create a 1:1 service for new mums that’s part yoga, part health coaching, part meditation
• Or, offer the same yoga/health coaching/meditation service in small, exclusive groups

So you might decide that you’d prefer to go primarily online, as that would fit around your day-to-day life. Again, you might start off with a website and blog, but your main priorities are to get videos up and an eBook together. 

You might also decide to up-skill by studying as a coach to increase what you can offer to new moms.

And as a final example, let’s say your purpose is a little more open ended.

Maybe your purpose is to bring a little fun, magic and whimsy to people’s lives. 

How do you make a business out of that?  Again, focus on your skills and interests to come up with potential plans. Let’s say your skills and interests are around food and cooking, everyday magic and making people smile. Maybe you turn your purpose into a beautiful boutique baking business. 

You could build and expand this business by:

• Baking to order from a commercial kitchen
• Having a physical bakery
• Hosting baking classes
• Making online videos to promote your work
• Creating a published cookbook
• Creating a self-published eBook

The priority here is a kitchen - whether you use a private one or open up a physical store. A web presence is always a good idea, but rather than focusing on a blog, you might have a simple website and put your focus toward Instagram and Pinterest.

So after you go through this exercise, you’ll have a clear plan of what you want to do, and how you’re going to do it. It takes into account your prior commitments and responsibilities, and the skills you already have (or are excited to acquire!). And it’s in line with your interests - it’s easier to stay motivated when you’re actually interested in what it is you’re doing.

And this is perfect...From here you can move into the phase of research and putting your plan into action.  

Connect with your Spirit Guides (Day 3)

By: Kel Amstutz
Keywords: spirit guides, self discovery, team, purpose, eternal friend

HOW TO CONNECT WITH YOUR SPIRIT GUIDES

Learn how to connect with and assemble YOUR TEAM.

Think and Imagine having someone by your side, an eternal friend, someone who is always there for you, someone who is genuinely passionate about encouraging YOU to keep following your dreams, to find your calling, and to live your life with YOUR purpose.  Someone who has intuition, foresight, hindsight, and even a higher knowledge about YOU, about the world in which we live and everything that is present in it.  He/She can guide you, advise you, and even help you in any way that you want or might need. 

Awesome, right?

I don't think that you even realize it, but you have people who want to step into this role right now, with you.  Multiple beings who are ready to be that eternal friend for you just as soon as you reach out and invite them in.

They are ready for you when you are ready. 

So...Are you Ready?  

These steps below will help you finally welcome these eternal friends and help you connect with them to create your spiritual tribe. 

1. ASSEMBLE YOUR TEAM.

To begin, it is very important to establish the terms and beliefs that you feel comfortable using when describing this friend.  Whether you choose to see it as your higher self, your spirit, the Universe, God, energy, a guardian angel, or your intuition, take the time to fall upon a word that resonates with you. 

Who or What do you want to connect with the most? 

2. INVITE THEM IN.

Once you have determined who or what you want to communicate with, invite them in. Let them know that you want them around and you are listening to their messages, accepting of their guidance, respondent to their inspiration and keen on their intuition. 

Take a moment to do this when you are in a quiet environment and your mind is relaxed.  Close your eyes. Imagine this eternal friend you are speaking with and tell them that you are ready.  It doesn't matter if you say this aloud or just think it. Focus and it will get through. 

3. TAKE THE TIME TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEM.

You should feel free to call on your team whenever you need guidance.  There are many quiet points throughout your day that are great for this sort of connection, perhaps during meditation, while working out, or going through your nighttime routine.  There is honestly no right or wrong way to call on your guides.  You just need to take the steps to do what feels comfortable to you, and each of us might have a different approach and that is OK. 

You can talk directly to them by asking questions or presenting your problems. This will evoke their guidance.  Invite a dialogue. Listen. I want to remind you that these conversations can be aloud or in your mind. 

You can also use a journal and write down questions that you might have.  Use a different pen and allow answers to flow through you onto the paper- there is no questioning, no second-guessing or editing here. Just let your hand write. Let is write what it wants. 

HOW WILL YOU KNOW IF THEY ARE LISTENING?

I know that you are expecting some educated answer here and honestly, you aren't going to get it. The truth is you will just know.  When some times passes you will start to get signs or feelings that will be clear and you will notice.  Once you recognize the sign for the very first time, you will notice that it is easier to spot in the future.  Be open to what they say.  You might end up totally surprised by the message that you get, but this is a great discovery.  If not what you expected to hear, I bet it is something that you needed to hear. 

SOME SIGNS THAT YOU MIGHT RECEIVE:

• You might get a flash of inspiration or intuition or a sudden idea. 
• You might see an image or get a clear picture in your mind.
• You might feel emotionally lighter.
• You might get a physical reaction, like a gut feeling or prickling on the back of your neck. 
• You might just know. This is one that I get a lot, and it is very hard to explain to others. If you get it, too, you will know exactly what I mean here.
• You might see a sign or signs in real life, like synchronicities, symbols, or experience deja vu. 

Just remember to thank your guide and express your gratitude when you do get feelings that your guide has a hand in. 

Try to communicate with your guides for a solid month and keep notes on what happens.  You never know who will be on your team. 

22 Journal Prompts to Uncover WHO you are... (Day 2)

By: Kel Amstutz

Keywords: Self Discovery, Find your Purpose, Journal Prompts, Creative Design, Mindfulness

Use these Journal Prompts to uncover more about 

WHO you are!

Do you Journal? 

The art of journaling has so many wonderful benefits – it helps evoke mindfulness, it clears your mind of all the clutter, it can help you reach goals, solve problems, stimulate creativity, and improves your communication skills.

It’s also a great tool to deepen your self-knowledge when you ask mindful questions that you may not have consciously considered before.

Pick a prompt that jumps out at you and let your answers flow raw and unedited for as long as you feel like writing. 

You might be surprised at what you uncover!

Let’s get started. 

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1. Something I thought about a lot as a child was…

2. One thing I’ve always wished for is…

3. If I received $10,000 that I HAD to spend on myself, I would…

4. One thing I know I need to work on is…

5. I’m most proud that I…

6. In the next year, I really want to…

7. If I could ask any person just one thing, it would be ____ and I would ask…

8. A silver lining in a not so good situation that happened recently is…

9. The skill I’ve always wanted to have is…

10. A sentence that stopped me in my tracks and changed my outlook was…

11. The ways I’ve grown over the past 5 years are…

12. Something I’d like to achieve one day is…

13. The best bit of advice I could give to a younger me is…

14. A book that I always re-read is _____, because…

15. One thing I’ll never regret is ______, because…

16. The quality I admire most in others is…

17. If I could be a go-to person for anything, it would be…

18. If I could go to any point in the past or future, I would…

19. The thing that I’m most afraid to tell people is…

20. The thing that I’m most thankful for is…

21. When people first meet me, I hope they feel…

22. Something that I’d love to do today (that I can easily do!) is…

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Finding your Purpose (Day 1)

By: Kel Amstutz

Hi ya'll.  I wanted to start a series of Blog Posts for the Summer as I engage deeper in my own personal JOURNEY as I continue to look for the joy and find my own personal purpose.  I wanted to share some of the research that I have done, as it relates to my life's path, in hopes that it might help ya'll find your own purpose and path. 

How to find your purpose

We all have a purpose in life. I strongly believe this. There is something each of us is meant to do in our lives, and it’s something that only we can do. Hence, YOUR STORY. Others may share a similar purpose, but the way you bring it to life is unique. 

Unlocking your true purpose will spark a change in your life that you can’t help but follow. Your purpose is meant to be fulfilled, and by doing so, you not only fulfill your purpose - you inspire others to do the same. This is how you can personally have an impact that reverberates throughout the world, something that many of us seek. 

There are three stages to finding your purpose:

• The first stage involves having a clear understanding of who you are and what you want.

• The second stage identifies what might be holding you back from finding your purpose and, once you’ve addressed any/all roadblocks, you begin to understand what your purpose is.

• The third stage is about bringing your purpose to life and how to do it in a way where it is brought into your life right now.

Right now, we are going to work through the first stage. Ready? Let’s get started!

Ask yourself: How do you like to feel?

In life, we are usually guided in regards to our achievements. These achievements are a mix of what we need for basic survival (ex: food, shelter, and sex) and society-based achievements (ex: career, home, and family).

Your purpose is meant to be fulfilled, and by doing so, you not only fulfill your purpose - you inspire others to do the same.

Most of us aim for these achievements, although the details around them can differ, such as the type of home you choose, your income level, or your career is replaced by a certain business or self-employment. These goals are great. However, we’re often left with a feeling that there is ‘something’ that is missing. We are unfulfilled. This feeling can be hard to articulate but can result in feeling restless, lost, despondent, or even slightly depressed. After achieving these goals, there can be a feeling of confusion. These goals don’t make us feel how we thought they would.

We get to this point because we have essentially jumped into life without knowing how we want our lives to feel.

This is the first aspect of ‘know thyself’ that we need to identify within ourselves. So, the very first place to start is to understand and establish how you like to feel rather than what you want to achieve.

This is a journey and you need to remember this.  

I would like for you to stop here.  Make a list of HOW YOU LIKE TO FEEL, right now, not how you would like to feel, we will get there, but for now think about the question.  Do you like to fee Free? Valuable? Connected?  Build off of this main feeling and break it down into 3-5 core feelings. 

We are going to think about breaking down our life purpose into a simple, clear and practical way to uncover the layers. 

What Are Your Themes?

The next area to uncover about yourself is your themes. Your themes are made up of two elements: tangible themes and intangible themes.

Tangible themes can be described as your passions, your interests, your hobbies, or the constants in your life. What do you daydream about doing? What would you spend every waking moment on if you could? What are the things you don’t have much time for right now but wish you did? Some examples include writing, photography, art, music, and travel.

Intangible themes are interests that are mind or personality centered. You wouldn’t describe them as hobbies, but they form an integral part of your life. Examples of intangible themes include spirituality, discovery, learning, adventure, and freedom. A love of learning can be a large theme in your life, just as much as a passion for tennis.

The themes you uncover will help you narrow down how you can bring your purpose to life.

I would like for you to stop here.  Make a list of your THEMES and break it down to 3-5 MAIN THEMES in your life. 

Uncover Your Motivations

When you’re incredibly passionate about something, it can be hard to distinguish between a life calling or being a hobby.

You need to get down to the core of a passion, or what exactly it is that hooks you.

Think about this, when you are living your purpose you aren't on the clock and you don't feel like you need to check in... because you aren't chained to anything.

You need to uncover your WHY. Start by asking what you love about __________, then ask WHY. Why do you love __________? What is it? How does it make you feel?

I would like for you to stop here.  Use the questioning strategy above for your themes and your core values and dig deep to get into exactly what it is that motivates you. This is important. 

Please keep in mind, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that because you enjoy something you should do it full time, especially if you’re particularly good at it. It’s almost harder if you’re particularly good at something, as many other people might expect you to turn it into something bigger.

Not every passion is meant to be followed, and not every opportunity is meant to be taken. There is nothing wrong with keeping hobbies as hobbies!

What Are Your Values?

The final section that I am going to cover in getting to know yourself is to know your personal values.

Your values are the qualities that you deem highly important in life, within yourself or from others.

Your personal values act as a sort of character guide, similar to your personal morals. Although you might not do so consciously, you make decisions based on your personal values.

Your values will influence nearly everything you do, as well as who you spend your time with.

Disagreements or conflicts with others can usually come down to a clash or misunderstanding of values. A person who values honesty above all else may feel deeply hurt by a white lie told by a friend - more so than that friend ever expected or intended. We tend to hold our values as a measuring stick for those around us.

Knowing your values forms a personal guide and helps keep you on the right path. Your decisions, interests, friends, and social groups will be loosely based on your own values.

I would like for you to stop here.  Go ahead and make a list of your Core Values and start narrowing it down.  Think about respect, honesty, compassion, openness....

At this point you should have a clear picture of who you are and what truly drives you. This is the first stage UNCOVERED! 

As for the next stage; your purpose is built around what you have written. Your answers will give clues to what your purpose is, and how you can bring it to life in your own unique way.