Except when you don't feel jolly, what do you do about that?

The single, biggest obstacle facing you as an entrepreneur is your emotional condition. Energy doesn't arise out of a mind that is defeated - without hope, there's little action. We have CEOs and CFOs and CMOs but who is the CHO, your Chief Happiness Officer?

That would be you.

Except it comes without a title, salary or any training. You are expected to know how to find the energy and gusto to get everything done, while inspiring those around you to join in.

How do you manage that?

Some mornings I wake up feeling low and wonder: why do I do this?

The worry, the constant need to stay ahead, the relationships that need time, attention and care - it feels simply exhausting and I wonder if there is really any benefit for me in all this…

Ever had a morning like that?

I get them occasionally, and each time I ask myself the question:

Why?

Why do I this instead of anything else I could be doing?

Some people have already jumped on board for next month's workshop on teaching that is marketable. Joining today (Oct 27th) gets you an extra month's membership for free.

Those of you who follow my blog are familiar by now with my mantra - niche, niche, niche. This is easy to say, vast to implement. It's not just a marketing thing - it is a service thing, it's how you teach, how you implement in your lessons. Many companies spend vast amounts of time and money simply developing new products, and Alexander Technique teachers are not exempt from this law of the market place.

I watched his bowing arm as it moved across the strings. Something happened. I couldn't quite catch it, but it seemed out of place. So I asked him:

"Have you got some idea of transitioning your arm as you stroke down?"

"Yes! Oh yes, yes, yes. How do you know that?"

I saw it. And I guessed that he was thinking something, overriding natural movement with a pre-conceived notion - I must control this moment, I must do something. I was teaching a group class in BodyChance.

Susannah Keebler is an Alexander Technique teacher living in Mallacoota, Australia - a small town in Victoria whose population fluctuates between 972 and 8,000, depending on the time of year. Where she lives is odd enough, but the life and work she is creating makes that seem mundane. Her story has the potential to challenge your own idea of what you can do with the work. Are you interested in people who climb out of the box in order to change the world? Then you must be interested in Susannah's story…

***

I was on a Skype with one of my mentoring clients yesterday, and the topic came up about how to use your time effectively. Over the years, I have learnt many ways to analyse this task, but the most useful of all was to ask a simple question…

Is this activity putting me into contact with new students?

Of course, I are talking about your time in the business, not your time with family, friends or in conscious rest. When you are "on" what are you "on" to? There are so many tasks required to build a business, and one way to categorize them is like this:

In our secret Facebook club – I challenge you to find us – I have 32 Alexander Technique teachers and students who have one thing in common: getting serious about creating a full-time, financially sustainable career as a teacher of Alexander Technique.

Is that something you aspire to? Then perhaps you should consider joining us…

Following bad advice almost cost me a lifetime friendship.

I am an advocate of using mentors, a seasoned professional you might say. I am also a mentor to others. But be careful who you pick, and be careful how you listen.

Pick your mentor because they have already done what you want to do, and because you intuitively feel that they know something you don't know.

However, once you pick a mentor and start listening, here's one lesson I have learnt with great pain: ensure you are congruent with whatever advice you act upon.

Congruent?

A year ago today I sat down to start a new adventure.

It all began in print, starting with this daily blog, based on the advice of my mentor and business coach Paul Lemberg. After hearing my story he remarked "Jeremy, if you have woken up crying every morning for a year, it's time for you to change something." He was talking about Japan, and my need to situate my life in an English-speaking environment.

"It's simple" he coached "Open more studios overseas."

However, for that you need partners.

On September 26th, 2012 I decided to start blogging.

I didn't decide then to do it every day, but in my enthusiasm to communicate, that's what happened.

It took up time, a lot of time, but I loved doing it. I also realized, that I was carrying around in my mind a vast amount of information that was unique: how to power a business that was solely based on Alexander's Discovery. That's what I have been doing all my life: figuring out a business model for Alexander Technique teaching.