The Successful Dilettante
August 20, 2007 - Issue 28 - ISSN 1935-48866
Editor: Susan Henderson, coach@susanhenderson.com
Visit our website at: www.susanhenderson.com
In This Issue
1) Greetings/News
2) Susan's Musings - Until One is Committed
3) Featured guest: Janet Gomez
Learn how this creative multipreneur from Switzerland serenely juggles her life and career in a healthy and peaceful way, while helping others to do the same.
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Greetings/News
Hello my friends and colleagues.. Welcome to the 28th issue of this ezine. As a typical dilettante, I was worried that I might lose interest in producing a twice-monthly ezine beyond a year. Not a chance. I have been so blessed to have met amazing "dilettantes" from all over the world, many who have become featured guests here generously sharing their stories with us. This has been and continues to be a great ride. So glad to have you aboard.
Announcements
Power of Five Mastermind Groups
Now accepting applications for two new groups launching September 6th (Thursdays) and September 11th (Tuesdays). Act fast, as these groups will fill quickly.
http://www.susanhenderson.com/mastermind.html
Also, if you haven't had a chance yet to sign up for my ecourse, Five Secrets to Making a Living as a Creative Multipreneur, hop on over to www.creativemultipreneurs.com to learn more and read some testimonials.
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Susan's Musings - Until One is Committed
"Until one is committed
there is hesitancy,
the chance to draw back,
always ineffectiveness.
Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation),
there is one elementary truth,
the ignorance of which kills countless ideas
and splendid plans:
That the moment one definitely commits oneself,
then Providence moves, too.
All sorts of things occur to help one
that would never otherwise have occurred.
A whole stream of events issues from the decision,
raising in one's favour all manner
of unforeseen incidents and meetings
and material assistance,
which no man could have dreamt
would come his way."
~ W. H. Murray
Hugs,
Susan
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Featured Guest: Janet Gomez
I met today's guest this past April in a ten-week teleclass series about online marketing. This class met at 8:00 pm EDT and Janet participated in every single call. What's so amazing about that? She lives in Geneva, Switzerland where it was 2:00 am! I was very impressed with her dedication to learning and growing her business, as well as with her helpful posts on a message board where we both are members. When forming my own mastermind group, I invited Janet to join. It has been a true pleasure getting to know this creative multipreneur who delivers her messages about health and nutrition in such a way way I finally get it.
SH: Janet, how have you come to enjoy your life as a creative multipreneur?
JG: While on a holiday in Ireland some years ago, I was inspired by a man who had given up earning a high salary in the city when he realised that he was “paying” for it with his health. At that point I decided that life was too short to carry on doing something I didn't find very stimulating any more.
Soon after that I started a Diploma in Naturopathic Nutrition. That was just the start. I qualified as an Ayurvedic nutrition advisor while doing that course and then went on to train as a yoga instructor. I certainly enjoy what I do professionally and I feel I'm lucky to have achieved this type of success in life. However, it requires a lot of discipline, which I'm still acquiring. Any life path has its good and not-so-good parts. I've learnt to take the rough with the smooth and to go with the flow.
More recently I've been learning how important the art of delegation is to lighten the load even in areas that I really enjoy. I'm also learning how to share and ask for help. I've recently joined a Power of Five mastermind group. It makes such a difference to my professional progress having people who I can bounce ideas off and also make myself accountable to. All of this means I get some “essential” free time to recharge.
SH: When did you realize you would be happiest engaged in a multitude of interests?
JG: My interest in eating healthily and the power of nutrition for good health goes back to my teenage years. I even translated articles about nutrition from German for my MA thesis in translation. I also worked as a staff translator in the field of patents for many years. People invent some weird and wonderful things (as well as perfecting the more mundane stuff!) so the subject matter of my translation work was usually pretty varied and required a great deal of thorough research. In my last post I developed more of an interest in the medical applications as well as moving towards terminology and web design work.
Although I left that full-time post I still do the odd bit of freelance translation work but aim to work in fields that I'm passionate about i.e. those of nutrition and wellness. I think that's why I enjoy the different roles I have – they are all interlinked to cover fields that form the basis of my life. In addition to my work teaching clients how to use nutritional tools to improve vitality, I teach yoga exercise classes and offer Reiki sessions. I also still get to use my web-design skills for my own professional website and my language skills with clients on a regular basis.
SH: What systems, tools, or practices work best for you in juggling your life as a creative multipreneur?
JG: My daily yoga practice is very important to start my day as I mean to continue it. It helps remind me that there can be stillness and peace even when I'm juggling.
A friend also recently forwarded me a link to a peacepulse (www.peacepulse.com), which encourages you to stop every hour and take a moment out. I think this is going to be useful to help me take breaks when I'm completely absorbed in my work on the computer.
Eating properly is also an important part of my day. I love cooking and eating good food. So I make sure I have plenty of fruit and vegetables in to prepare myself fresh yummy balanced meals every day.
SH: How do you manage your time? Do you make a plan?
JG: I have a diary, where I note down all my appointments and an annual wall chart where I mark my activities so I can see them easily when I'm talking to someone on the phone I also use a daily handwritten list divided into “have to”, “should” and “would like to” sections, which has made me realise how few things I “have to “ do each day. Most things are “should”. I have also devised a weekly plan on which I have defined my availability according to hypothetical “store hours”.
SH: Have you had any mentors, books or people, who have influenced you?
JG: Yes, everyone I interact with has had an effect on my life as it is today so I thank them all. However, if I am to name a few I would say that more recent key ones include:
- Alicia Forest, who even though I've never met her, has had a profound effect on how I run my business by showing me how marketing can be fun and done with integrity;
- Dr Shanti Kamlesh, my first teacher of Ayurvedic nutrition, whom I respect and admire;
- Fiona Gibson, my naturopathic nutrition teacher, a successful business woman (multipreneur) and a true inspiration of the healing power and vitality that can come from nutrition work;
- and my German tutor at college who told me many years ago “you have the ability to do anything." At the time I didn't quite realize what those words would mean to me .
One of my favourite DVDs is “What the bleep do we know”. I feel that it is a great reminder, in particular, of the power of thought in your own development.
SH: What advice or tips would you share with our readers in their quest to become successful dilettantes?
JG: There are definitely easier career paths but they’re probably less fun. If you've got many interests know that it's absolutely fine to take a multi-tasking approach to life. Variety in life truly adds that extra bit of spice to it – well, that's how I feel anyway! You can get real satisfaction from what you've achieved. I'd also add that an active mind benefits from a healthy and active body so remember to nourish it well and take time out!
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Janet Gomez was born in London, UK but now lives in Geneva, Switzerland. As founder and director of Nutri-Jyoti, she enjoys teaching busy professionals who struggle daily to manage their energy and stress levels how to use nutritional strategies to achieve a good level of vitality. If you feel ready to learn how to use nutritional strategies to manage your energy levels, sign up for her free e-course "5 Nutritional Keys to Vitality in your Life" at http://www.nutrijyoti.com.
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Shameless Marketing Plug
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