Your Personal Brand: Part 2 – Putting Yourself Out There...Thoughtfully

There are many reasons to invest time in your personal brand: to obtain/change a work role in a similar or different field, start or grow a business, or simply because you want to put some conscious effort into how you are “putting yourself out there” as a person and a professional.

In Part 1 of this discussion on personal branding, I focused on helping you answer foundational questions about your core self – how you see yourself, what’s important to you, and how you want to be seen.  In Part 2, I provide a few recommendations that may help to consider as you define your approach and methods for expressing your personal brand. 

Ultimately, you want to communicate who you are in such a way that it is authentic and creates a foundation of trust.  You want to be true to you, while you are establishing credibility, reliability, and intimacy (pieces of “The Trust Equation”).  What you create on- and off-line are a representation of who you are (and say you are) and impact how you are perceived.  Therefore, you will want to be thoughtful (and often strategic) in what you say, do, and what your “artifacts” say and do for you.

“Artifacts” are the various external pieces you create that serve as your expression and how people come to know you.  Examples range from work products, to “marketing pieces” (website, resume, social networking profiles, collateral materials), to your social media and thought leadership (blogs, Tweets, and posts), to your contributions on discussion boards.  This even extends to conversations people have about you in the press, testimonials, or through “word of mouth.” 

While the way you physically present yourself through your appearance, actions and interactions all impact others’ perceptions, your artifacts are an additional (and important) method for helping others to understand who/what you are about.  In this “online world,” artifacts show up when people do a web search on you – so you want to be smart about what’s associated with your name and business.

When “putting yourself out there,” consider these best practices:

Be strategic.  It is important to be clear and intentional about why you are doing what you’re doing.  What are you known for – or want to be known for on a deeper level?  What are you attempting to create or achieve?  These questions (and the foundational work you did in Part 1) will help you zero in on your specific intentions and will continually act as your guide in determining which methods and story will serve you best.

Be consistent.  Take the time to consider your communication plan: messaging, method, and frequency.  Identify your point of view, foundational beliefs/tenets, and key messages so you are clear and focused in what you put out there.  Don’t try to be everything to everyone – keep your focus tight.  You may center around a niche, area of expertise, or content you believe will help establish you as an expert or “go to person” on specific topics.  Consider the best methods and avenues for delivering those messages, and create a schedule for when/how often you will get in front of people (regular intervals like monthly near the 1st, every Monday, 3 times a week, etc.).

Be impeccable.  Do your research, and ensure quality and accuracy in your output (including spelling!).  If you intend to craft multiple artifacts, don’t overextend or dilute by trying to do too much too soon – especially if you don’t have adequate time and energy to give it the attention.  Choose consciously, intentionally, and wisely.  It’s better to do a couple of things really well than to be mediocre at a variety of things.  

Be yourself.  Be sure to show your personality, passion, unique point of view.  Yes, you need to be strategic and tactical...and it is equally important to be you.  Help people get a sense of who you are and what you care about. You are more likely to create connection and trust if what you put out there resonates and feels authentic.  

Be courageous (fear + action).  Don’t be afraid to try things out so that you can tweak, iterate, and evolve to better hone your approach and thought capital.  This post is not meant to scare you into not pulling the trigger or taking a risk.  Rather it is meant to encourage you to invest time and thought before diving in. 

So, go ahead and start that blog, but carefully plan your messaging and frequency of posting.  Create your website, resume, and social/professional networking profiles, but consider the story you want to convey and what you are hoping to achieve.  When you Tweet, post, or comment on discussion boards, remember that people will be reading them and forming opinions about who you are… so you’ll want to be conscientious about what your “shares” are doing for (or against) you. 

Your personal brand is a huge component of your relationship with others – in other words, it is your means for interacting, creating impressions, and having intended and unintended impacts on those around you.  We have always heard from parents and the like that it’s what’s on the inside that really matters.  This is absolutely true.  However, it is equally important to consider the perceptions others have of you. 

Your brand is already out in the world, and it is up to you to consider whether it is meshing up with your inner reality such that it serves as the most authentic representation of you as possible.  Therefore, it’s crucial to be conscious of BOTH who you are and how you’re being seen – for success in both the personal and professional spheres.

Job and Career -- Same or Different?

Last week, I was on an NPR radio program called The Afternoon Shift with Steve Edwards, where we focused on career changes (to listen, click on “Career Shift”).  In the discussion, I made a distinction I have made many times before – the difference between job and career – and thought it was worthwhile to elaborate here.

A job is something that provides you with the resources to live your life (hopefully well), while a career may or may not pay at all – but is what you be/do to live your purpose and passion.  This is important to note, as many feel that there is something wrong if job and career aren’t the same thing.  Let’s talk more about the differences.

Job

A job is a role that funds your housing, your lifestyle, your kids’ education… giving you an income, health benefits, and the resources to finance your personal wants and needs.  You may love it, you may like it, or you may willingly tolerate it because of what it provides you.  Of course, you may hate it, but that’s another issue I won’t cover in this discussion.

Career

Career is what you do in life that brings you pleasure, fulfillment, that sense of losing yourself in the flow of the experience, is founded in your values… and you LOVE it (on a deep level).  It may be your craft, your art, your expression, or even expertise you have honed over the years.  But you don’t have to be making money doing it for it to be your career. 

Your job may bring you all of these things, but I argue it’s completely okay if it doesn’t.  The most important thing is you feel satisfied in all areas – career and job.  Sometimes it’s more important to have the job and security while having the freedom to play elsewhere.

With clients, I have them work through an exercise called the Wheel of Life, where they rate their levels of satisfaction along various dimensions like Health, Love, Career, and Money.  I usually end up asking whether their work roles would fit better in their Career sector or in their Money sector.  Some are very clear about their Career sector, while others are taken aback when they realize their work is a job, not a career – and it fits better in their Money sector. 

When separated out, it is possible to have a much richer (and more accurate) conversation.  You may be a doctor, a writer, or a barista – and each could be looked at as a job or career, or both.  It depends on your perspective and how you experience each of them. 

More than one client has come to me saying that they are dissatisfied with their careers when they are really referring to their jobs.  In these cases, we will often focus on both career and job as two separate things.  Let me share an example that illustrates this distinction very well.

The Situation: A client began coaching with the complaint that she was unhappy at work and wanted a change so she could focus on her art. 

The Evaluation: We started by taking a look at sources of her dissatisfaction.  We evaluated how she was approaching her role, the actual work she was doing, and the nature of his interactions and relationships in the office.  Because she had a tendency to avoid conflict, she was not standing up for herself and claiming what she needed to be effective and fulfilled – both in and out of the office.  At work, disagreements and issues with her manager were not being addressed.  In her off-hours, she was not investing in her creative life by carving out time and space for her writing and painting.

The Approach: We worked on her emotional intelligence, communication and organization skills, and she talked with her manager to explore her career development path and possibilities.  In parallel, we found ways for her to engage in creative activities (her art and other things) outside of work.

The Realization: As we dug in, she started realizing that the dissatisfaction was coming less from the role, and more from her.  This desire to leave her work role to do something more creative was only part of the picture.  As she consciously worked on resolving the issues in the office, she actually started enjoying what she was doing more and had improved interactions with coworkers.  The more time she put aside in her off-hours to focus on her art, the more she felt she was getting the creative expression she needed.

The Big Take-Away: She recognized that she wanted both a job and a career, as separate things.  Her work role, which paid for her paints and travel and ability to live, was her job – and she liked it.  But her career was her art, and she realized that she would be miserable and would end up resenting her art if she had to rely on it as her source of income. 

One last story:  There are three bricklayers and each are asked why they do the work they do.  The first says, “I do it for the money.”  The second says, “I do it for my family.”  And the third says, “I am building a cathedral.”  The first two are probably jobs (resources) to these bricklayers, while the third is a career (fulfillment).  I would argue that none is inherently better than the other, as they each serve a different purpose, and each could lead to satisfaction and fulfillment if framed appropriately.  Is your job your career, and does it have to be for you to be happy?

Your Personal Brand: Part 1 – Evaluating and Defining

On Friday, I sat on an alumni panel sponsored by Northwestern University’s MSLOC program as part of a “Brand Yourself” series.  The discussion centered on the panelists' stories and experiences in developing and marketing a personal brand to help achieve our career goals.  To view a recording of the virtual panel, go HERE.  I provided a 30 minute talk, but thought it would be helpful to share some of my insights in a post.

My career story has seen some twists and turns, and has not been without challenge.  Most of the past twenty years have been spent working closely with CEOs and leadership teams (1994-2008), while I concurrently completed three academic degrees and multiple professional certifications (1997-2009), and grew a consulting practice (2000-present).  This was all with the intention of broadening and deepening my expertise and experience in the individual, team, and organizational spheres.

As I focused intensely on my own personal and professional development, I was learning a great deal about how to present and position myself to best navigate through my career.  Both unconsciously and consciously, I was creating what has become my personal brand.

When thinking about personal brand, what comes to mind?  Is it your resume, or your online presence?  Is it how you portray yourself to colleagues at work or at networking events?  Is it how your friends and family see you?  Is it how you express your values on a daily basis?  The answer is YES to all of these questions, and more.

The thing to remember is: your personal brand is already out there, whether you like it or not.  Google yourself and see what comes up.  Those are the things that hiring professionals will view when they inevitably investigate your online presence when considering you for a job.  Your Facebook posts and LinkedIn copy all say something about you, and it’s the reader who decides who you are to them (perceptions are their realities).  So, it’s important to do an audit to see what’s currently out there, and consider whether it aligns with how you want to be perceived.

I’ve extensively discussed the importance of starting with your core for everything you want to be/do/have.  Developing your personal brand requires the same process, but has both strong internal and external considerations.  It’s about who you are, and what you’re about, as well as who your audience(s) is and how you want to be seen.  Let’s look at some key questions to ask yourself:

INTERNAL

•       Who am I and what’s important to me?  Consider:

–      Purpose (What/Why)

–      Passions (What/Why)

–      Values (Why)

–      Strengths (What/How) – innate and able to be developed

–      WIIFM – What’s in it for you?

•       What impact do I want to have?  For whom?  This is both short- and long-term.

•       What do I want to be known for?  By whom?  This may be about developing expertise or leaving a legacy.

•       Where am I blocked?  This may be about fear that stops you or derailers that get in your way.

EXTERNAL

•       Who is my audience / target market?  Consider both personal and professional, depending on your business.

–      WIIFT – What’s in it for them?  What can they gain?

–      What do they want? 

–      What is needed “out there”?  Is there a gap I can fill?

•       How can I best represent myself?

–      How do I see myself?

–      How do others see me?

–      Where is the disconnect?

–      How do I want them to see me?

•       What is my story?

–      What story am I currently telling?

–      What do I want to tell?

–      How might I reframe or alter the story?

The last part focuses on your story.  When I refer to that, I’m not suggesting it’s about a tale you spin.  Rather it’s your authentic truth and how your life, work, and life’s work have unfolded – and how you give a narrative of that journey.  It’s about putting into words and actions your core self, manifesting something in the world.  This is what will show up as your personal brand. 

As Michael Port says, your brand will look, sound and feel like you, and will be easily recognizable as your essence.  You will want it to be clear, authentic, meaningful, and consistent.  This will help make it feel real and memorable for others, prompting them to say, “Oh yeah, [name] is the person you want to reach out to for help with [expertise].”  Or, “[Name] is my go-to person if I want deeper insights and guidance about [topic].”  Or, “If you need really good [product/service], you will want to check out [name].”

To get there, you will need to do the upfront introspection, conduct an audit of what currently exists, determine your intentions, and set a strategy and plan for how to be intentional about designing your personal brand.  You have to consider what you are about, what your offer is, and how you will talk about you/it.  Determine:

• Who you are at your core, what you stand for, and why you do what you do
• The specific, topics, issues, or problems you focus on (and solve?)
• Who your various audiences are and who you impact (or intend to)
• The results you achieve – both tangible and intangible
• Why people should work with you or buy what you’re selling (literally and figuratively)

Put some time into working through these questions and areas to consider, and evaluate what you define your personal brand to be (or want it to be).  Remember: It’s already out there. It’s up to you to determine whether it is an accurate, authentic representation of who you are and how you want to be seen...and what you want to do about it. 

In Part 2, I will discuss some tactics and specific approaches to personal branding I have found to be effective.

Reflect, Celebrate, Create Anew

2011 has been quite a year – for everyone I know.  It has been challenging on every front, but has also been a year in which we have learned a great deal about ourselves, and our wants and needs.  And there has been a large string of wins. 

We can get so caught up in the go-go-go of the holiday season, and the pressure that comes with “wrapping up,” we forget to take the time to authentically pause (not just rest) and reflect on all the successes and lessons we have experienced.

REFLECT

Every year, I do the comprehensive "Looking Back, Looking Forward (LBLF) exercise".  And 2011/2012 will be no different.  Rather than rehashing it for you, I’ll let you click over there yourself and run through it.  Instead, I want to focus on some key points. 

Of course, reflect on the year and consider these questions:

• What did you accomplish that you intended to accomplish?
• What did you accomplish above and beyond what you intended?
• What didn’t you accomplish that you intended?

However, I want emphasize the many lessons you’ve had.  In the face of challenge, you either meet them head on, avoid them and deal with the consequences, or suffer through the experiences.  In any case, you always come out the other side having grown in some way.  For each instance, I invite you to focus on:

• What actually occurred
• What you did to address the issues (or not)
• Who you were (or not) that brought you success (or not)
• Who/what you choose to be/do going forward

Reflect on what you did and did not do, but take the time to identify what you learned.  If you are not yet clear, reflect on that and come to some understanding so that you can acknowledge your strength, perseverance, and capacity for handling the many bumps that life presents to you along your journey.

CELEBRATE

It took something for you to push through, to walk through the fire, to come to some new realizations about who you are and what you want/need.  Celebrate that.  Even if the outcome was not what you were hoping or expected, remember that these experiences were custom created by and for you so that you can learn some important aspects about yourself and life that are essential for your future. 

Learning and growth are important, so don’t forget to celebrate this.  And of course, don’t skirt over the many accomplishments and successes you’ve had over the year – no matter how big or small.  Each are wins, and it is essential that we give ourselves credit and snaps for every step that got us there.  They are not just items you are ticking off your “to do” lists.

CREATE ANEW

Be sure to do the LBLF exercise now.  Don’t put it off, as you want to start the new year off with clarity and power.  Leave 2011 in 2011, and design your 2012.  This is not a series of New Year’s resolutions, as I don’t believe in fixing and correcting.  Rather, I believe in creation and commitment based on your core values, your heart’s desire, and what you know you want for yourself and your life moving forward.

Again, this is about what you want to be/do/have in the coming year.  This is also about what you want to learn.  Just like creating a development plan at work, consider what you want to focus on in your own life and put some SMART goals in place so that you can make them happen. 

Clearly, life will throw new experiences at you and you will need to allow the river to carry you where it will, but you will find that if you place some emphasis on growth and development as a goal, it will be less stinging when something unexpected shows up.  You can say to yourself, “Ah, here’s an opportunity for me to expand who I know myself to be,” and look for where you can bring the very best of you to the table. 

One final thing I like to do is create some themes for myself for the year – in other words, setting some specific intentions.  For 2011, I created three key themes that I defined at the end of 2010:

1. Phoenix – completion à rebirth à growth à expansion
2. Opening of self to other realms of thought, heart, and spirit
3. Abundance and freedom

Because I set those intentions, I am able to see that is exactly how 2011 went down. It puts it all into a context I remind myself of – both as I went through the year and as I wrap up 2011. I am formulating my 2012 themes as we speak, but I know they will include digging deeper, expanding capacity, and building.

As you consider your 2011/2012, remember to return to your core by defining/honoring your values, incorporating both successes and lessons, and celebrating how beautiful your life is/has been.  You made it happen.  And will continue to do so, whether you do the LBLF exercise or not.  However, the more clear and intentional you are, the richer the experiences in 2012 will be.

Allowing the River to Carry You

There is an art to the act of surrender.  It requires a belief that all will work out for the best (successes and lessons), and having trust and faith in ourselves, others, and/or something larger than us.  This is no simple feat, yet it can be much easier than we make it if we “allow” it to be.

I am a master of scenario planning.  When faced with a decision, challenge, or even a possible situation, I identify and examine all the potential outcomes I can imagine.  With that, I work backward and distinguish the issues that might arise, the resources I have and may require, and what choices I will need to make – all the way up to the immediate moment.

While this might sound like intelligent strategizing and preparation, it can be maddening and a source of worry and stress.  Particularly when these scenarios are only possibilities, or when I only have limited information.  I can put myself on a hamster wheel, turning the thoughts over and over looking for holes and missing pieces to the potential outcomes and courses of action.  I recognize that while there are unknowns, I can make some reasonable assumptions and plan accordingly. 

This vigilance (or hyper-vigilance) is useful to a point, but it is also detrimental.  It takes away from being present and fully able to objectively see all points as they arise.  If our minds are directed toward a particular course, set of criteria, or potential warning signs and triggers, we are more likely to see only that.  There is a need for certainty and a sense of control, attempting to be adequately prepared for most any situation. 

However, there needs to be a balance.  The motto of the US Coast Guard has always resonated with me – semper paratus (“always ready”) -- and I have lived much of my life by that.  However, as I’ve witnessed all the stress and worry I inflict upon myself over the years, I am finding it equally important to cultivate this idea of “surrender.”  Let me share a metaphor that helps me visualize this act of “letting go.”

Imagine yourself in a small canoe on a wide, powerful river.  You have a pair of oars and are paddling madly, attempting to direct yourself upstream.  You are struggling and sweating to row against the current, fighting to move in the opposite course from where the river is taking you.  You suffer and stress for fear of what’s around the bend and are doing your best to resist, defend, and survive.

Now imagine that this river is life, a journey, and your situation.  That there will be many twists and turns ahead that you can’t quite see, but the river is your friend.  Any waterfall or jagged rocks you meet are there for you to navigate around and through, and you get greater experience and wisdom with each encounter.  You and your little canoe are safe, and  you can trust it will be a wild ride that can be fun if you let it be.  But also know this: the river is going to take you there whether you like it or not.  You can struggle and suffer and fight the current, or you can take a different tack. 

Take a deep breath, mustering the strength and courage to have faith and trust in you and life.  Picture yourself pulling your oars into your canoe, surrendering and allowing the river to carry you, whatever may come.  This does not mean that you can’t consider the “what ifs” and potential scenarios and make some preparations (steering the canoe with your oars).  But it will allow you to let go, relax, and pay greater attention to the scenery as its occurring.  Calm and focus will better allow you to effectively respond to whatever arises than you having your head down with your arms frantically paddling against a powerful force.

I might say carpe diem (“seize the day”) as a Latin companion to semper paratus, recognizing that there is a balance between being prepared for the unforeseen future, while drinking in the now and relishing its fragrant bouquet.  However, I think I’d prefer to close with a quote from the 1986 film character, Ferris Bueller: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”  If you keep focus on fighting the current, you’ll miss out on not only life, but the many signs along the way that can help you navigate your journey.

Life’s Challenges Expand Your Capacity

Life will throw a lot at you, sometimes more than you believe you can handle. However, it’s an interesting journey to discover how much capacity you actually have to manage and push through the challenges that cross your path. Walking through the fire is hard, but trying to walk around it is ultimately harder (and more time/energy consuming).

When we are faced with challenges in life, it is our opportunity to pay attention. Whether we choose to look, listen, and continue to ask the questions is up to us. We are presented with opportunities to either play victim and bemoan our fate or to learn how our choices impact our experience.

We ultimately create the situations in which we find ourselves. At times, we can feel like life is being done TO us, that we are a victim of the world “out there” and of our circumstances. The truth is: life is being done BY us. We make a series of choices that lead us to this point -- both internally and externally -- when we choose a certain perspective or course of action.

I have said before in another post: you are exactly where you are supposed to be because that is where you are. Consider what you are meant to be learning right now. Take an objective look and evaluate how and where you may be the source of your suffering or situation, and what actions (or non-actions) brought you here. What are you discovering about yourself, your values, your desires and passions, and what you do and don’t want in your life? What is important to you and where do you want to go next?

If you are unclear, start paying attention to the breadcrumbs and follow those until you get find greater clarity. If you know where you want to be/go, take some baby steps to allow you to inch your way little by little toward your objectives. The key thing is to get clear, make some choices that are in alignment with who you are and want you want to be/do/have, and take consistent action (no matter how small).

The final piece is to cultivate gratitude for these experiences, these opportunities.  They are being delivered to you for a reason, and it is up to you to make the most of them so you can push forward powerfully into the next chapters of your life.  Say thank you, even if you feel frustrated or discouraged, and allow yourself to surrender to the larger forces at play.  Surrender does not imply giving up.  Rather it is about letting go of fighting the current, and allowing the water to carry you.

Through this process of living life, we discover that the Universe/God/Life gives you only as much as you can handle. By observing, releasing the garbage that we put in our own way, and cultivating some faith in ourselves and something bigger than us, we realize that our capacity is much larger than we ever knew. Look back 10 years ago and you’ll likely see how far you’ve come. And 10 years from now, you will reflect on this time and recognize how important it was for your journey and development.

In Your Mind’s Eye: Positive and Negative Thought

We live in a world where resources seem scarce, where time and money (and the list goes on) appear to be the reasons why we can or cannot be/do/have what we want. We crave, we plan, we strive, and we sometimes get it and sometimes we don’t. Or at least that is how it appears. The reality is: we more often than not get what we place our attention on. If we freely dream without attachment, somehow it makes it to our doorsteps. When we focus on all the reasons why it’s not possible, or on all the things in our way, we often run into exactly that – all the constraints, and challenges.

This is an old idea, borrowed from the en vogue conversation about Law of Attraction, which loosely states that “like attracts like.” What is meant by this is our positive thinking manifests positive physical results, and our negative thoughts attract its likeness, namely impediments and negative outcomes.

This is a great concept, but it’s not as clear cut as the idea implies on the surface. We don’t usually think in individual positive and negative thoughts separately, but think of them concurrently. We may wish for something (positive), but at the same time think of all the perceived reasons, past history and experiences, and problems (negative) that stand in our way from having it. So, these two battle themselves out, with the negative thoughts usually being much stronger than the positive ones – winning the argument and ultimately resulting in struggle and/or negative results.

Some Examples

Romance

• Perceived positive desire: “I want to be in a romantic relationship.” 
• Contrasting negative thoughts: “I have not had luck with this, and I can’t seem to ever meet anyone worth being with…I try and fail and this is going to happen again…Why do I always have to be alone? Why do I always meet jerks?” And on and on… 
• Result: The negative thought is really strong and you end up meeting people that are not a match, or struggle to meet anyone at all, or worse, you never put yourself out there to begin with… resulting in no relationship. 

Money 

• Perceived positive desire: “I need money so I will no longer struggle to survive.” 
• Contrasting negative thoughts: The thought above has both a positive desire and negative thought combined. 
• Result: This thought is coming from a place of lack and poverty, not from a place of strength, abundance, and a wealthy state of mind. So, what you attract is more of the same. 

These are just a couple of simplistic examples, but you can likely see how these may show up for you in a variety of forms. And they can be applied to career, health, relationships, and anything else that you may want in your life.

Now What?

What is needed is an opportunity to get into your mind’s eye, into the heart of the desire, and to give yourself permission to think freely about what you want. To dream, to let go of attachment to the end result, and to hand it over to God/Universe/Whatever to align you with your desire. And key to this is to get out of your own way by resisting thoughts about all the impossibilities and historical “failures.” I know that sounds really “woo-woo” and New Age-y, and that’s okay. What you have been doing up to this point has had limited success, so it may be worth a try.

Suggested Path

1. State it. Formulate your desire into a highly positive form that feels good to you. Resist “need” or “fix-it” language. The more specific the better. For example, “I want a loving romantic partnership” or “I have more money than I know what to do with.” Pretty inspiring right?
2. Dream it. Think freely about all aspects of having that desire fulfilled. DO NOT think about the “how” or any of the reasons why it’s not possible or can’t happen. Give yourself permission to imagine yourself standing in that place of being/doing/having whatever you are wanting as if it existed NOW. Imagine that partnership, and how you feel, what you are doing together, what your life looks like. Imagine having a full bank account and no needs unmet. The richer the picture, the better. Collage it, write it out, brainstorm with a friend, fantasize.
3. Play Nice. This is the hard part: manage your inner critic (the liar!). Resist the urge to cut it down to something more “realistic,” as well as to cut yourself down with statements like “I don’t deserve it” or “I won’t ever get that!” Just keep focused on your statement and on your dream.
4. Leave it Alone. For a time, don’t go to the “how” or to “doing” unless something shows up that feels like a natural action. If it’s useful to you, give yourself a time frame for it, like: I will focus on my positive desire for a month without focusing on “how,” then do that.
5. Pay Attention. As you keep focused on your desire, you will see things popping up, both positive and negative that reinforce or detract from the possibility of what you want. Just notice them and let them go. If the positive ones feel worth investigating (like: your friend invites you to a networking event), go for it. If the negative thoughts draw you in (like: “my credit card debt is out of control”), notice what they are about and see if there is something you need to address. Sometimes the perceived negative thoughts are your path to positive results. Otherwise, follow step #3 when it comes to the negative.
6. Follow the Breadcrumbs. When you are ready to take action, read this post to push forward. 
7. Be Open. Lastly, don’t be attached to the final outcome. It may not look like you originally intended, but it will be necessary for your journey. And you will learn more about yourself in the process. 

What you put out there is what you get in return. Focus on the positive, and manage the negative, to be/do/have what you want in your life. It sounds simplistic, and it really is if you can get out of your own way.