Life as an entrepreneur is rewarding AND meaningful. You take great pride in what you have envisioned, breathed life into and created for the world at large. It feels good! And yet…. it’s not quite how you thought it would be.

Problems still abound. Now you have to deal with all the business relationship complexities, business decisions and strategies that aren’t fun or sexy. And to make matters worse, things at home are even more of a challenge now, not less. You should feel fantastic and in many ways you do, but there is still something missing. If this describes you and some of what you struggle with, you are not alone. It may be time for a deeper dive with someone familiar with the OPPORTUNITY COSTS of social, medical, private and edupreneurship.

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WHO IS SYDNEY?

Sydney Ashland is an entrepreneur, medical practice consultant and personal transformation expert with 25 years experience impacting personal & professional lives. From launching businesses, independent practices to helping hospital CEOs, CMOs, and hospital chiefs of staff, Sydney has started hospitalist programs and successful tech companies with her entrepreneurial experience spanning the full life cycle of a company from start-up to scaling to reorganization to exit.

-Sample Worksheet Below-

Resistance, Distraction and the Saboteur
The Path to Identifying Your Patterns

Resistance—Read THE WAR OF ART

Resistance is protective energy that often derails us before we even really get started. It can be experienced from within OR without. It is an energy designed to keep us safe. Much like gravity keeps us from careening into space with some half cooked or dangerous plan. Resistance is a Universal Law that keeps us grounded in what we know. But, it not only protects us from moving too fast with something that hasn’t been tested, it often sabotages our plans to move forward with something exciting, new and invigorating.

1. How is resistance showing up in your life right now?
   
2. Is it internal or external?

The best strategies to move through resistance involve acknowledging its protective role and even THANKING it for showing up. If it is in human form, thank the human resisting your idea or playing devil’s advocate. “Thank you for caring for me enough to be concerned. Thank you for trying to help and keep me from some negative outcome. I will certainly keep this in mind as I move forward.” You are putting external resistance “on notice” that you see it for what it is and are continuing to move forward with confidence.

1. Do I need to slow my progression?
   
   
2. Am I moving too fast?
   
   
3. How can I modify, slow or speed up my plan in order to move through resistance?
   

Distraction—

When we look at our lives honestly, we can often identify patterns of distraction that help us avoid what we most need to do next. If you are driving and become distracted, you increase your risk of experiencing an accident. The same holds true in our personal and professional lives. Distractions are:

1. fueled by the energy of urgency. I MUST attend to this first, or some catastrophic thing will happen to me.
   
2. fueled by the energy of the inner critic. What would it look like to others if I stayed on course? I really must attend to this OTHER thing first, or others will judge me.
   
3. fueled by the energy of fear. Am I really ready? Maybe this distraction showed up and is a sign that I shouldn’t move forward.
   
4. fueled by the energy of survival vs. thriving. It can appear to threaten our financial security and ability to take care of ourselves.

Distraction is chameleon like. It can take on the energy of a true crisis, a way to reward ourselves, a warning of some kind. Distraction gives us permission to avoid our dreams, our truth, our internal knowing that says, “STOP. Don’t do it. You are about to sabotage your dreams yet again.”

Saboteur—

Are you self-sabotaging your best plans? Do you want to enjoy your profession but continually find yourself job hopping into environments that disrespect you and undervalue your contributions? Do you feel nothing you try is working and your life is passing you by? You may be in a cycle of behavior that continually recreates exactly what you DON’T want. Many who want to do it differently sabotage themselves by recreating toxic work stress even in their next entrepreneurial venture. We so often consciously or subconsciously undermine what we claim we want to achieve in our lives. Are you at risk?

1. Do I live my life in a cubicle that’s too small for my personality & goals?
   
   1. Do I react impulsively instead of responding creatively to my struggles?
      
      
   1. Do I continue to make fear-driven decisions in my life?
      

Identify your pattern of distraction:

            Resistance

            Distraction

            Sabotage