Miranda Christopher

I was delighted to be invited to write a regular article for you and would love to share how I put into practice the success education I teach. And this month it’s about creating space.

Following some changes in my personal life, I really had to remind myself of one of the particular tools that I teach my clients. Especially pertinent for those who struggle with being too busy. It’s so simple to do yet challenging at the same time.

Maybe you are one of those people who find inspiration comes to them in the shower? You are enjoying the moment under the jet of the water and “pow” it is obvious what you need to do. Well, it’s like that but without water.

It’s called creating liminal space. Liminal space is the space between “what is” and “what is next”. I invite my clients to take a business and life prescription; three times a week take ninety minutes out of your day, go to a place that refreshes and inspires you. For me, it’s either sitting on a favourite bench in a local park or grabbing a coffee sitting at the window seat in a café watching the world go by. I then ask them to just notice. Nothing else. They are not there to figure stuff out, it’s a time to be. And then I ask them to write down in their journal what is obvious to them.

As you can imagine, I hear many objections to this simple activity. “I’m too busy to do this”, “My head is just full of thinking of stuff I need to do”, “I’ve got the kids to see to and all my housework”. You maybe having a similar reaction.

My Obvious Next Step...

Yet, those clients that choose to implement this technique in their lives are able to more than double their revenue whilst reducing their working hours or, turn a six figure income to seven whilst spending more and more time with their families.

As a young person I used liminal space in a particular way, without realising what I was doing. I would lie on my bed next to the window and look up at the clouds, wondering about life. I could spend hours like this, I called it my ‘wonderland’ time.

As I said, life has recently given me challenges and, at a time when my tasks were mounting, I went to Leyland Park sitting in my favourite spot, had a coffee sat watching the world go on the promenade at Fleetwood and a took a trip to one of my favourite places in Lancashire, Brockholes. Other times I have sat in my conservatory just noticing the birds flying in and out of the trees.

In noticing what I noticed, a number of things became obvious to me. By taking that time out, I’ve designed a new mobile app for business and made much needed refinements to the structure of that said business. I’ve also been able to introduce much more harmony into my personal life.

When I created my MINERVA Manifesto™ workbook, I took myself off to an Airbnb® in Silverdale for a few days. It’s a similar concept to the 90 minutes however, I went with the intention of having the workbook ready for the designer and editor. Starting from scratch, in just four days the workbook was ready for them.

When we suffer from the epidemic of busyness we are playing according to the rules of our hidden rulebook. One such rule is “you have to work hard to make money”. Now think about that. Why would anyone consciously choose to work hard over easy? Using my “sitting with it” approach and just noticing, I become aware of these life limiting beliefs and am able to neutralise their power over my life.

So many people start their own business to move away from working long hours, eliminating frustrating commutes or to increase the time with loved ones. Sadly, too many implement their employment ways of working as their business way of working, leading to working even longer hours, often bouncing around seeing as many people as they can. A former client of mine, who is also a coach, described how, when she started her business, she drove 40,000 miles driving in her first year, just networking. She did do some business but subsequently recognised that there were much smarter ways of operating. The way she was working in those early days reflected the role she had in her employment. Implementing my simple prescription meant that she was able to access insights that opened up a whole world of possibilities for herself; doing business (and life) on her own terms.

As you are reading this, you may be thinking that this is obvious. Well, on one level it is. Yet, we all have blind spots and are operating under our unconscious rulebook that creates blinkers to the obvious. We get stuck in a groove of “this is how life works for me”. Simple tools, like this creating space tool, helps you to step out of the groove and see that there is a whole other way of being and doing things in life.

Even though all the tools and techniques that I share with clients are simple, their implementation may feel challenging to start with. We all experience resistance when it comes to changing the way we operate in life. It does take will and focus to go for what you truly want.

In 2009, I was at a cross roads in my life, I used to sit on a bench on a hill that overlooked a reservoir, dare I say in Yorkshire. The scenery was breath taking. In sitting with the tension in my life, I was finally able to see my next obvious steps, which back then was to leave a relationship that was making me very unhappy.

And the good news is, the only investment you have to make is the time to take a step out of the day to day.

Are you ready to take that time and create a life you love?