I’m not sure how to begin this post, because my heart is so full.

Did you see the comments on last weekend’s post, Are You A Mother And An Entrepreneur? Did you see how many women (and the ones who love them) showed up and poured out their marvelous stories?

I realize that I don’t usually focus on women in business specifically, because obviously we are a happy mixture of men, women, single, married, child-free, unschooling, traveling, stay-at-home entrepreneurs. I do know that a lot more women are starting businesses lately (according to the statistics cited in this Forbes article, women are starting businesses at 1.5 the national average).

I also know that as women, we hold so many talents inside that we often don’t even see.

We don’t value our time, our energy, our wisdom.

We don’t place a premium on our internal resources because we multitask them.

We don’t realize that the very act of starting a business is a bravery so awe-inspiring that most people will never try it.

But look at us. Just for today, look at us. Look at yourself.

Look how amazing you are. Look what you do every day.

Look how you love the ones you nurture. Look how you learn and question and grow. Look how you take criticism as an opportunity for positive change.

Look at your kindness, your strength, your utterly breathtaking ability to get up when life pushes you down.

Some of us went to the best schools and hold hard-earned diplomas. Some of us learned the ropes early, from the school of hard knocks, without finishing high school.

Some of us saved up money to break our fall gently when we escaped the cubicle. Some of us started with less than nothing, because it was either this or live in a cardboard box.

All of us have what it takes to succeed at what we aim to do. Even if not all of us believe this, it’s still true.

I believe in you.

And I always will.

Stay tuned for the project I’m going to do with all these marvelous stories, and some of these marvelous mothers. And thank you again for participating.

Yesterday, the ineffable Michael Martine posted my first guest blog over at his place.

Here’s a teaser:

“Hey! Yeah, I’m talking to you, over there, reading blogs instead of working on your business.

I need to tell you something important, and I need you to pay attention.

Ready?

STOP PRETENDING YOU DON’T HAVE A BRAND.

And while you’re at it, stop pretending that your Thing isn’t a Business. Because it is.”

Go ahead, read the rest. I know you want to. ;)

Consistency! It's the new procrastination.

Lack of apparent forward momentum means that you need to keep doing it. Keep doing it until you see that it is working or it is not working.

Lack of apparent forward momentum does not mean it is not working. It just means you have not been doing it long enough to see and understand what is happening when you do it.

Try being consistent for a week, for two weeks, for a month, for six months. Be consistent and see what happens.

Consistency gives you the metrics to determine, with real data, whether or not your attempts were successful.

Consistency is the metric by which you measure WIN or FAIL.

Repeat after me: lack of apparent forward momentum does not mean failure. Lack of consistency, however, is almost certainly a tactic that will doom you to a life spent wondering whether anything you did made any kind of difference whatsoever.

Stop wandering through your business (and/or your life) feeling lost and confused. Choose to be consistent instead.

This kick ass post is courtesy of Andy Hayes, who was so inspired by my video post that he insisted on writing this. So I let him!

Last week Rachael told us a story. (And then she had an anniversary. Talk about a tough act to follow.)

If you haven’t read the post, go back and read it. It’s brilliant. (Go ahead, I’ll wait.) Okay – so are you a frog, toad, froad, or tog?

Here’s a little secret: it doesn’t matter which one you are. We ALL have a hard time juggling our priority lists. We tend to think we’re the only ones that struggle, but in talking to my fellow entrepreneurs as well as some of my small business coaching clients, the reality is that nobody does this perfectly.

Knowing full well that perfection is unattainable, I thought I’d suggest to you the three ways that I review my priority list. Each perspective may make you feel a bit toadie or a bit froggy, but keeping these things in mind will help you figure out the right things to be working on right now.

Prioritize…by Money.

Sometimes, you’ve got bills to pay. NOW. And if you need cash right NOW, then its best to work on whatever tasks put you one step closer to the moolah.

Now, my caffeinated darlings, may I suggest to you that you don’t get yourself into this situation next time. So if you know you’re going to have a big expense coming up, or you’re just finding yourself running low on funds, then it’s time to shift your focus from your longer-term tasks towards finding the moolah. Not always fun because sometimes it means a delay to your juicy, long term (and potentially lucrative) projects.

Prioritize…by your Dream Customers.

Trying to decide whether to launch a new Facebook page, setup that forum, create that fun new email series, rollout the second newsletter, add on that snazzy new eBook, work on a new guest post series, film a new video blog post… okay, you get the idea. There is never a shortage of “new, fun, shiny things” to work on.

How about asking your Dream Customers (you at least have one, right?) what they want? Don’t just tweet about it. Email them. Ask them for specifics. Struggling with traction? Then pick up the phone. Or go to a networking event. Find those customers – even the ones who are holding onto their money until you build ‘just the right thing.’

Prioritize…by Ship Date.

One problem that I’ve gotten myself into, and I am sure you have to, is getting backlogged on far too many projects. Strike that, it usually is just the small stuff: tons of bits and bobs and little strands that pile up until you get cross eyed, angry, and feel like heading for the bar would be the best course of action.

In our attention-drenched world, it is inevitable that your to do list gets backed up. (Kind of like those dust bunnies that collect under your bed. Uhm, ok, maybe it is not like that at all, but anyway…) What I like to do is once a month, I spare a day to just ship. Clear off stuff that is lingering and I can just hammer it out.

Next Steps

How are you going to reorganize your frogs and toads on your to do list this month? If you’re really struggling, I recommend you check out Charlie Gilkey’s free planners – no matter if you’re in money mode or dreaming of the future, these are structured templates to track your time.

Tell us in the comments what you’re doing to wrangle your frog-or-toad productivity!

Andy Hayes is a kick ass small business coach, helping people get started in small business. He also has a small business magazine called SHERPA that is so good you could lick it. Get one, get both, get going!