Radical Acts of Spaciousness in Business

NOTE: This article originally went out via my newsletter and was posted on my blog.

On increasing the spaciousness in your business and your life.

Sunday night, as we were walking out of the beautiful evening at the spa, stars shinning, full from days of deep conversations, I said to Andrea (my girlfriend):

“I think after weeks of chocolate cake and celebrations and spa visits and amazing food and snowshoeing and conversations and the like, I’m officially ready for my birthday season to be over.”

The picture above is from the Riverbend Hot Springs in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. One of the gifts I enjoyed the most was a weekend here from Andrea that launched the celebrations for my 50th birthday celebration season. It was a weekend of relaxation, good food, and reconnection with a sense of spaciousness. And things then went on in a deep celebration that lasted for over 3 weeks.

It was the best birthday of my life.

2017 was an intense year for many in the world of coaches, consultants and social entrepreneurs types that I tend to attract. The political climate in the US and around the world has raised big questions for many. And the online marketing world feels faster paced and more relentless than ever.

So for 2018, I did what is increasingly feeling like a radical act.  I chose spaciousness as my word of the year.

Two of the strongest values you – my readers – have are:

1. living life with awareness and
2. enjoying quality time in meaningful relationships.

And yet, many of my clients and colleagues are feeling like the to do list is longer and more full of crucial things to attend to than ever. Where is the time for practice? How on earth do I tend to the relationships in my life with things being so busy? How do I grow my business without falling into the mainstream entrepreneurial trap of always being in “the hustle”?

In August, one of the biggest changes in my life in a long time happened. My daughter left home to do her senior year of high school in Germany. My life changed radically. Though we email, WhatsApp and video chat regularly, we haven’t been in the same room – not even on the same continent – since August.

One of the main organizing principles in my life – showing up as a dad, an engaged Jewish dad – was radically altered. I couldn’t keep being who I was. It wasn’t available to me. I was shaken much more than I was prepared for.

A theme came back into my life that had been undernourished and underexplored for 20 years. Spaciousness.

And as soon as I began this inquiry, I started to notice how much nonspaciousness was in me and around me. 

Ways I was feeling overwhelmed. Clutter in my home. How much my clients and colleagues try to squeeze into their lives.  This inquiry of going deep with spaciousness has begun to feel like a truly radical act.

So as I enter my 6th decade on this planet, I want to share …

 3 tips that can help you find more spaciousness in your life

1) Reduce clutter.  In the context of a full life – parenting, running 2 businesses, cultivating a relationship, etc – my physical space got more cluttered than is typical for me. It is so easy for this sneak up on us in a culture that’s constantly cranking out new gadgets. One of the big supports for me to help return a sense of spaciousness to the physical space I live in has been The Minimalists podcast.

2) Reduce expenses. One of the reasons we feel so rushed is working to meet our economic commitments. As a result of this inquiry re: spaciousness, I’m buying less stuff. No lack, no deprivation. It’s a natural outgrowth of a spiritual inquiry. And when I do really want or need something, I’m finding ways buy it for less. One of the best resources I’ve found for this is Ebates, a cash back portal that includes top brands like The North Face, Prana and Samsung.

3) Use social media mindfully.  As many of you know, I’m a big fan of social media for business growth. And, this inquiry showed me that I was investing time in some ways that weren’t serving me and making different choices that are freeing up time. I highly suggest a social media inquiry to anyone who’s wanting more spaciousness.

 The spacious gift of recurring revenue

Lastly, I want to put a plug in for recurring revenue – income that comes in month after month. Some of you know that I offer mastermind groups – and they are almost always full without a lot of marketing. And starting last fall, my social impact venture Awarepreneurs transitioned to a membership model.  At the time I write this, we have 149 patrons contributing each month. That number keeps steadily rising.

The combination of being more mindful about my needs and desires, reducing my expenses and increasing my recurring revenue is having a very significant impact on the quality of my life. It’s getting more spacious. I’m happier.

I’m wired such that I can’t NOT want this for you as well.

My gift to you

NOTE: All the gift sessions have been claimed

Again, in the context of what’s happening in the larger culture, spaciousness feels like a radical act. So I’m developing an offering to help other conscious entrepreneurs leverage the power of recurring revenue. To practice and polish my systems for this offering, I am giving away THREE Strategy Session Packages focused on increasing the spaciousness in your life by better leveraging the power of recurring revenue.

These packages usually go for $500 and I will give them to the first 3 people that reply to this email with a few sentences about your current business situation.

Also, if you want ongoing support to design a business that feels spacious, I have one opening in my Early Development Wisdom Mastermind Group. It’s one of the most affordable high support small group (never bigger than 6) programs for conscious entrepreneurs I know of. And we don’t have an opening very often.

With appreciation,

Paul