Plan or Pray?

As Spiritual Entrepreneurs, there can be a struggle between acting from a place of faith that it will all work out well and actually planning your business right down to the last detail. Where do you take matters into your own hands and when do you leave space for Divine Providence, the magic, God or whatever else you call that Universal Power.

As I work with amazing entrepreneurs from all walks of life, in all different businesses and negotiate my own business, I get asked and also ask myself this question constantly: Do I plan or pray?

Since the phenomenal success of the movie, The Secret, many people
wonder: When does the Law of Attraction kick in? When do I stop “doing” and start “manifesting”? Can I really just wait for it all to happen?

I don’t promise to have the ultimate answer to this one but here is what I have discovered that seems to work for the majority.

I always remember the proverb, “Pray to God and then tie up your camel”. What does that mean? I take it to mean that we act prudently and wisely with all of our God-given common sense, and then we act from a place of trust and faith that our best is good enough. What does that look like in everyday business affairs?

Let’s say that you are launching a new product. Common sense would dictate that you already know that you have a market for the product. That means you have done the market research, you know your ideal client and you feel confident that you can make money launching the product. This is pretty basic but many entrepreneurs do not do the critical market research and simply act on a wing and a prayer that the inspiration that hit them at 2:00 a.m. was God speaking directly to them. Then when the business fails, they wonder what they did wrong.

Common sense says that you have adequate product that is excellent value
prepared at the best price possible. Negotiating and researching is all part of the plan.

Common sense means that you have either lined up your team, your Joint Venture partners, or your affiliates to help you with the success of the launch of your product.

Once you have done everything that you know how to do, asked for help where you have felt inadequate, then is the time to relax in a place of trust and faith that exactly what needs to happen will happen.

However, common sense continues to prevail. You watch your launch carefully with non-judgmental eyes. That means that you don’t beat yourself up, feel like a failure, a disaster, and that nobody wants you if you don’t sell a million products out of the gate.

You listen to your intuition, the “voice of God” and you follow its guidance. You turn to mentors who are wiser in this area than you are and you determine according to your values and priorities in life what feels right and what doesn’t. Then you take the appropriate action in line with those feelings. You continue to tweak and adjust or sometimes do a major overhaul.

So do you do a business plan or a marketing plan? You certainly can. Some of my clients thrive on the details, the numbers, the Excel spreadsheets, and thrill to the excitement of the projections. They should do a business or marketing plan without fail and love it every step of the way. Go for the gusto! Just remember that a business plan is only the first step. You then need to take action as a necessary component to your success.

Others will shudder, feel nauseas and overwhelmed at the idea of planning a year or two out, never mind five. Are they bad or wrong for feeling that way? No, that’s okay too. However, they can sit down with a journal or with a friend or coach and talk about what they want to see in their business. They can describe the feeling of achieving their dreams, what they want to do with their business, where they can see it going and discuss different ways to achieve those goals. They can then operate from a place of daily intuition and divine guidance as they move toward those goals.

I’ve done it both ways. I personally don’t get excited about Excel spreadsheets. Projections don’t keep me awake at night in anticipation of the millions of dollars. What does keep me in a place of abundant joy, inner peace and incredible fun is knowing where I see myself four years from now (when I’m 50) and watching each and every day how the Universe guides and directs me to what I want or something better. I love being open to the difference in my way of doing things and God’s. I have fun watching my resistance to how it’s all happening “not even remotely the way I planned” along with gratitude for the ease and grace with which it is happening.

My coaching and healing practice is a perfect example of that. I am committed on many levels to residual income but the business that takes my personal time and energy flourishes effortlessly. But it’s not residual income I argue. Yet I’ve tried to do it my way and it’s been an abysmal failure. So I have decided to listen to the magic of what is happening and see what incredible things unfold. In the meantime, I use common sense and spend less than I earn so I can invest, take action where it feels appropriate, and come from a place of trust and faith every day.

Do you plan or pray? Do some of both. Most importantly, learn to get in touch with what feels right because when you do what you love, it’s almost miraculous to see the good things that happen.

Have fun this month with the magic that you create.

To Your Outrageous Success!

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