2. How A Japanese Washing Machine Reminded Me How To Build An Alexander Technique Business.

Who would think a washing machine could wake me up?

But it did this morning, while I was meditating. It’s been bugging me, but my new Japanese washing machine starts singing an alarm mid-way through the washing cycle. “What’s your problem?!” I demand. “Get just on with washing my clothes will you!”

But it bugged me - why does he do that? So I started to gather information. I discovered why: so I could add fabric softener. Oh.

So this morning, off goes the alarm mid-cycle and I am thinking “I know! You want fabric softener. Well, you’re not getting it!” Then I began to wonder - why would anyone do that? I mean, for thousands of years we managed without fabric softener - why the big deal now?

Then, I started to wonder: what would motivate me to add fabric softener? Hmmmm. Maybe there’s some wonderful benefit that I don’t know about? Maybe there’s something that irritates me about my clothes, that fabric softener would cure? Can I see any benefit?

Benefits. Yes - that is what motivates me, you - all of us. When you have a stressful emotion, and you are told “this will go away if you do this” you get highly motivated to do it. And that spoke to me about yesterdays’ blog post: how to unify the process of building your Alexander Technique business.

It’s all about focus, about purpose, about intention.

Strong intention only comes about when there is a vision of the benefit that will accrue from taking action. So what are the “benefits” that would come to you if you did build a sustainable, Alexander Technique business?

It’s worth taking time to write that list down. As you write it, notice what lights you up, what inspires you. It’s not words on paper that will get you out of bed in the morning - it is emotion. How can you fire your self up? Do you know how? This is number one - seek the passion that would have you do the thinking that would keep you on task day to day in fulfilling a vision you have of your Alexander Technique business/mission.

Have you ever written your life mission? Maybe it’s time you did that too…