Chris Salem Makes $800,000 a Year. He Journals and Meditates. Do You?

A Conversation with Joseph Warren and Chris Salem

A few months ago, I had serious pain in my back. It was affecting my mood, relationships, and business. The chronic pain was wearing me down. Before the pain, I was excited to put in that extra hour growing my spiritual coaching business. But with the pain, all I wanted to do was lay down and sleep it off.
 
I went to a spinal specialist. Here’s what he didn’t do. He didn’t give my a prescription for hydrocodone and say, “Good luck!”
 
NO WAY. That would be treating the symptoms, not the issue below the surface. Even if I didn't feel the pain, my spine would have still been jacked. When you go to a specialist, you expect them to address the root of your health problems. My spine specialist didn't treat my pain, he realigned my back.
 
SO WHY DO WE TREAT OUR BUSINESS PROBLEMS WITH PAIN KILLERS INSTEAD OF SURGERY? An example of business hydrocodone is saying, "I just need more revenue and then I'll turn a profit" or "If my partner was competent, we'd be in the black."

Sorry to break it to you, but 99 percent of the time these aren't the true problems. The problems lie inside you, and it's time to get to work.

In my podcast episode with Chris Salem, Chris shares his three tips for doing the inner work and making $800,000K a year.

Meditation and Journaling
 
So many business problems exist in your head and your heart. Need new clients? Move past your anxiety and start cold calling. Shrinking profit margins? Cut back on “treat yourself” business expenses. These are personal issues, not operational issues.
 
Meditation and journaling help you get out of the problem and into the solution. Putting your thoughts on paper helps you step back from your emotions to see your situation clearly. Mediation stops the mental treadmill and allows you to focus on what truly matters.
 
Formulate a Strategy
 
We all have that friend with the business ideas. It seems like every week they’re telling you about a new crowdsourcing app or pet grooming business. Except they never follow through!
 
At some point, we’re all that friend. We have big dreams for our lives but then the ideas don’t become reality. That’s because YOU CAN’T ACT ON AN IDEA. You can’t “build a business” in one step. But you can open that new bank account. That’s a step. You can call your supplier and order that new part. That’s a step.
 
Formulating a strategy means breaking down the big idea into action steps. Chris lists a few examples: “getting up early, making your bed, going to the gym, read a book. Get focused on the priorities that matter.”
 
Trust the Process
 
As a control freak myself, I love Chris’ advice to “Let go what you can’t control.” 
 
You can control whether you pick up the phone to call your next prospect. But you can’t control whether your employees are doing exactly what you want. You can’t control industry trends and economic dips.
 
This lack of control is normal. Release control of things bigger than you. Trust and surrender to God. He is your higher power. Run your business with an open hand because as Chris says, “Give without expectation. Receive without resistance.” 
 
Trust me, being a control freak will make you miserable (and a less effective business owner). Startup Nation, it's time to do the inner work and reach your first $100K (or next).
 
Key Takeaway
 
Don’t treat the symptoms, treat the root issues. Most business problems are a result of personal problems. Focused reflection can reveal true clarity for how you can become the best business owner possible.

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Startup Nation, don't wait any longer.

It's time to get started on that inner work. If you ask yourself, "How do I grow my business so it can run without me?" and "How do I make more money so I can spend time with my spouse and kids?" and "Why am I still plagued by self-doubt?" then you should register for my free entrepreneur email series.

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