Vickie's Viewpoint

Everywhere I go I run in to people rolling their eyes, unable to look me in the eye, and shrugging their shoulders, as if they know exactly what I’m talking about when I discuss our relationship with money.

A few years ago, The Arizona Republic (the biggest newspaper in the Phoenix metro area) did a page and a half article on me and my work. It was called “Help for the Financially Spent.” The article had illustrations, photos, testimonials, sidebars, and a quiz.

When you got publicity like that back then, they said flood gates would open and people would fly in. Well, I got only about 25 calls from it. And even though everyone confessed they had a problem and promised to come to one of my many money classes, only two ever showed up.

I admit I avoided my own issues with money in the past, and for the last ten years, I have coached countless clients through some sort of problem with money. In all this time, I have come to the surprising realization that most people just don’t want the answers to their money issues – they would rather keep dealing with the problem.

Signs You Want to Keep Your Problem with Money are When You…

1  Avoid thinking about it, justifying to yourself  “ Tomorrow will be better.”

2  Think sleepless nights, the dread of opening bills, or being afraid of asking for a raise are normal.

3  Use your money problems as a topic of conversation year after year.

4  Tell yourself and everyone else you’re going to change things, but never seem to get around to it.

5  Catch yourself constantly putting out fires around money issues.

6  Are jealous of other people’s financial situations.

So why are people so reluctant to get the answers? Why would they rather continue to cope with financial stress? Well, have you ever heard the saying “When you do the same thing over and over, why would you expect different results?” As long as we keep the same thoughts and behaviors, we’ll keep having money issues. It’s that simple. When we decide to change our thoughts and behaviors, we’ll get the answers to all our financial problems.

It’s that simple. When we decide to change our thoughts and behaviors, we’ll get the answers to all our financial problems.

Other related quizzes and articles by Vickie Champion you might be interested in are:

Quiz-Do You Need to Change Your Relationship with Money?

The Miracle Cure for Money Issues

or check out the entire About Money section.

You can also contact Vickie Champion for a complimentary coaching and consulting session.

Are you person A? The Avoider? You have a difficult relationship with a client, boss, co-worker, friend, spouse or any other relationship so you spend much of your day on autopilot. You are desperately trying to eliminate all thoughts and dealings with him or her. Out of sight, out of ear-shot, out of mind, you think.

Or are you person B? The Bad Mouther? You spend a lot of your time thinking about what that person said or did, and, in fact, bad mouthing them to anyone who will listen?

Here are Some More Signs we Really Need to Improve a Relationship…

When we…

• Are scared to tell that person the truth.
• Have verbal arguments.
• Find ourselves judging that person and telling others.
• Go over and over in our minds what we need to do about a situation and how that person will react to it.
• Think it’s easier to give in than irritate that person.
• Pay little attention, if any, to how we’re feeling about the situation.
• Say yes to that person when we really want to say no.
• Depend on the relationship to be successful.
• Start taking that person for granted.
• Notice that person is either avoiding or scared of us.

By taking the time to improve our difficult relationships we can become person C, the Choice maker. It’s up to us, we can continue our difficult  relationship with that person or choose instead to improve it and benefit from it.

Other related articles and blogs by Vickie Champion you might be interested in are:

Why we Wouldn’t Want to Improve a Business Relationship

or check out the entire About Life section.

You can also contact Vickie Champion for a complimentary coaching and consulting session.

The other day I caught myself being defensive about adding color on my website. What would make me go off like that? Any time I’m that adamant, I know there is some hidden treasure I can learn from it.

Here’s Some of the Advantages of Being Defensive at Work…

We can…

• Avoid changing our mindset or behaviors.
• Pretend it makes us a strong leader.
• Hide our doubts and the fear of losing control.
• Take full advantage of using excuses.
• Camouflage our oversensitivity.
• Keep ourselves busy constantly defending our position.
• Save time by not being open to other options or the actual facts.
• Think we are being unfairly treated and our defense will save us.
• Use it as a way to attack others’ suggestions.
• Stay away from getting to neutral and listening to our intuition or gut instincts.
• Focus our attention on being right instead of being successful.
• Stops wasting time and money with research and development.
• Confuse being defensive with being passionate about our work.
• Avoid being a better worker or having a better company.

So what are you defending at work? Maybe it’s a procedure or system or your expertise in that area. Perhaps it’s a boss, customer or co-worker. Or it might be like me, a marketing strategy.

If you are ready to stop being defensive, contact Vickie Champion or call her at 480-838-9866 PST  for a complimentary coaching and consulting session.

Are you one of those who want to be right at all costs? Maybe you get your thrills from always having problems to deal with. Or perhaps you think all this woo-woo is nonsense? Then I don’t need to tell you the benefits of ignoring your intuition or gut instincts. You probably think this list is NORMAL and the way LIFE IS. I know — I use to be you.

This blog is for those of you exploring other ways to live, like I did several years ago.

Here Are Some Benefits of Ignoring Your Intuition:

You…

• Need not worry about how to fill your time because you stay so unbelievably busy struggling to accomplish everything.
• Get lots of alone time because you are unpleasant to be around.
• Live a life full of adrenaline rushes because things with you are a matter of life or death.
• Don’t have to take responsibility for anything because you can find someone or something to blame for the situation.
• Don’t have to waste time and money pursuing your dreams because you don’t know what they are.
• Get your exercise by tossing and turning in bed at night.
• Connect with others by getting them to take your side.
• Can hold onto addictions and bad habits as an excuse to relieve stress.
• Inflate your self-esteem by constantly one upping everyone else.
• Have a good reason to spend hours on end on Facebook, in front of the TV, or tweeting every move you make.
• Get plenty of attention by focusing the conversations on your problems.
• Earn your reputation for being a very disciplined person by forcing yourself to do things you hate to do.
• Save lots of energy, money and time because you are afraid of change.

If you identify with some of these points, know that there is an easier, more successful way to live if you choose. Trusting your intuition or gut instincts can free you from the unnecessary hardships, struggle, and give you the knowledge that nothing is impossible.

Other related articles and blogs by Vickie Champion you might be interested in are:

Benefits of Using Your Intuition

Signs We are Feeling Unsafe

How to Feel Safe in These Crazy Times

How to Feel Safe During Uncertainty

Defining Intuition

Great Ways to Awaken Your Intuition

Signs We’re Releasing Fear

Signs we Might be in Fear

9 Ways to Get Rid of Fear

38 Ways Fear Can Harm Us

or check out the entire About Intuition section.

You can also contact Vickie Champion for a complimentary coaching and consulting session.

Over the last few years I have had the opportunity to coach many solopreneurs.  Now, more than ever, the most common topic we discuss is how to attract more clients.

I advise them that now the best way is to increase their website traffic and convert them into clients. They tell me over and over, “I just don’t know where to start, nor do I have the time or desire to learn how to do it!”

So for some of my current coaching clients, I act as their Internet Marketing Manager, helping them attract clients by improving their online marketing campaigns.  Now seems like the right time to introduce this new aspect of my business.

What is an Internet Marketing Manager?

As your Internet Marketing Manager I will implement your online marketing plan.  That means taking care of all the details to improve your website and social media strategy.

How it works:

1. We start with a coaching session to develop or clarify your vision. Then, we will break your goals into simple changes that can get you quick results.
2. I implement your improvements, working with my internet marketing team to make changes.
3. As you focus on your now growing business, I continue to manage the ongoing website operations that attract clients and increase your exposure.

Wow, this is just what I need!

Some people have asked me why I am adding this focus to my business.  The answer is simple:  If solopreneurs don’t continue to improve their website and online marketing they will have a harder and harder time finding clients.

In the last four years I have learned so much about the process and have a great team in place to advise and implement my online marketing. I want to share it with my clients to help them in their business too.

As always, I am listening to and trusting my intuition and right now that tells me this is the right thing to do.  If your intuition tells you to work on your website, please call me today, 480-838-9866.