For a second I was living “out of integrity,” but this too seemed to elude me.  I mean, I knew something was off, but I just couldn’t put my finger on it.  Then I picked up the book by Michael Port, Book Yourself Solid, to browse through it for the third or fourth time, and I came across this paragraph.   

Have you compromised yourself or watered yourself down in any area of your business?  For example, have you been in a business situation where you walked away feeling like you settled for less or compromised your integrity?  You may be thinking, “I don’t sell out.  I’ve never compromised or sold out.”  If you haven’t, you are unique.  It’s completely normal to compromise yourself or be out of integrity from time to time.  We all are.
Instantly, I knew what I had been doing wrong.  I had moved into the passenger seat.  This lack of authority on my part had started dripping over into other areas of my life and business.   I felt completely out of control and simply forgot that I could (and should) be driving.  If I didn’t take control, nothing else would matter.

For me, driving means a lot of things:

1. Keeping a daily journal so that I start regaining my clarity,
2. Exercising and eating better so that I have more stamina,
3. Getting more organized so that I don’t feel so scattered,
4. Getting a handle on my time so that I accomplish the most important things, and
5. Getting a handle on my business so that it moves in the direction I want it to go.

The first few things keep me physically able to drive , and the last one is like my map that keeps me moving in the right direction.

This week, I’ve been re-routing my trip, since I seem to have gotten off course.  I’m deciding exactly which way I want to go with every aspect of my business.  Fortunately, I have a trusty navigator helping me (Thanks, Betsy!).  Together, we’re mapping out the best possible route to my destination.

In doing so, I have to keep one thing in mind, the visual image of what I want from my business and from my life.  I also have to remember who I am and mold my business to fit me and my style and personality, instead of the other way around.  That means, I may have to turn away some business, and I may have to tell someone no, but that’s okay.  Another quote that stood out to me from Michael Port’s book was this:

“The greatest strategy for personal and business development on the planet is bold self expression.”
That means, I’m going to drive in my kind of car, going where I want to go, playing my kind of music on the radio (and loudly, I might add). 

I have to stay in the driver’s seat. 
Sometimes, I may have to pull over and check the map, but that’s okay, too.  In the end, I’ll be where I want to be, still driving down the road, and hopefully enjoying some nice scenery.