Afraid of Having it All?

By Heather Legge
Is it possible that you've been holding yourself back because you're afraid of REAL success?  I've been a bit surprised by this being fairly common among my clients.  Previously, I would have guessed that more people were afraid of failure. But for driven, talented people --they know they can get things done.  Sure, they don't want to fail, or look the fool in front of others.  But, moreso they are afraid of WHO they will become when they achieve REAL success. 

Toughen Up Buttercup!

By Heather Legge  

While chatting with another woman owner, up came the topic of how most of us achiever-type women (and some men) have a kind of conditioning of "Never Show Weakness".  More than the "never let them see you sweat" concept, it seems to have been adopted not only in business, but 24x7 in every area of life and relationships too, so that the perception is we are simply not allowing ourselves to fail at anything, and to not talk about it either.  

It's not all sunshine and rainbows living this way!  It's too much pressure to keep up a facade of toughness, plus we know what happens over time: in addition to the occasional embarrassing meltdown, we have poor health, severed relationships, end-of-life regrets, and a whole lot of other crap to look forward to.  All of which we might be able to avoid by dialing it down a notch.  It took me about 35 years to figure this out.  

Why Aren't You More Successful?

You work hard, you worry, you're tired--but for all that, why aren't you more successful? 
Chances are, you're not really applying your time, money, or energy in the right directions, or with enough intensity.  Let's review 3 critical, yet simple things the most successful people do differently from the rest:

1- Know what you want
How can you possibly get from A to B if you don’t know what B is? Do you just get in your car and start driving aimlessly? NO, before you get to the end of your street, you know your desired destination. Strangely, most people don’t know what they want. Like most people, I used to spend more time determining where to go for dinner, or making out their Christmas list than determining what to accomplish over the next year. What do you want to be known for?

Blast Through Your Workload in Minutes!

Warning: this post is going to challenge your comfort level and if you try this strategy, you may never go back to working too many hours again.  If you are a gym rat, or into fitness-related media, you have heard of Tabata workouts.  Izumi Tabata is credited with the super-short, intense intervals of 20 seconds of all out effort coupled with 10 seconds of rest, repeated for a mere 4 minutes total for the entire workout.  Lest you think this isn't enough to fatigue all major muscle groups, just try it! *The secret to effectiveness lies in the ALL-OUT EFFORT made in bursts, coupled with shorter rests.* 

How can you apply this to your workload?  In three components: 1) decide on the most important work to be done, and 2) work in focused blocks of time coupled with 3) useful rest periods.

12 Days of Apps: CAMCARD

Are business cards still relevant? It depends who you ask, of course.  I believe they are still very much relevant for today's professional.  It's critical to consider the digital side of what business cards are traditionally used for and not rely only on paper cards to exchange contact information.  That said, I am still amazed at how many business cards I have on my desk at the end of a week or month.  For those of us that are meeting new people at least somewhat regularly, having a system for dealing with all those cards and contacts is critical. 

An important business skill is to create a simple system for translating business cards into data that can be mined when needed.  Having an app with you so you can scan a card and make notes right away is definitely a 5 star option with today's technology.

12 Days of Apps: TIME RECORDING

Where does your time go?  How can you possibly know unless you track it?  Have you done one of those exercises where you track everything for a week, and although useful, you feel like you need "Time Tracking" added to the list because it felt like it took way more time than it should have?  

What if there was an app for that?  What, oh, of course there is!  At least one...in fact there are several.  After taking a sales audit course and realizing I hadn't been doing a good job of tracking how much of my time was spent on critical activities, I searched for an app instead of relying on my usual spreadsheets or a paper journal.

12 Days of Apps: GOOGLE MAPS

You may be surprised that we would include Google Maps in a list of productivity apps for greater success in the new year, but that's partly because this app (and others like it) are under-utilized for making more in less time.  For example, say you have an appointment with someone and don't know where you're going.  

You could use your "spidey-sense" and hope for the best, but when you show up late and explain that you got lost, people are less understanding today given the technology at hand.  For the modern professional, there is simply no excuse any more for getting lost-- unless it's a particularly tricky address or in a GPS dead zone.

12 Days of Apps: MY FITNESS PAL

Nearly everyone has a goal, New Year's Resolution, or maybe just an intention to improve their health in some way, whether it's getting to the gym more often, reducing unhealthy foods, drinking more water, or some other action.  

Even for my business clients, often fitness comes up --because without it, we don't have enough energy to accomplish other goals,

12 Days of Apps: CALENDAR

Using one master calendar that allows you to schedule on the go and reminds you ahead of time where you need to be is PRICELESS for success in business.  

I have been using Google Calendar this past year, but frankly it doesn't matter which one you pick as long as it syncs to everything you need it to.  I also like DejaOffice for this because it works across various Calendar programs and platforms (and Contacts), and lets you organize with Categories and color-code (yes, I'm a total nerd for this stuff!).  

Some important features to consider of any decent mobile calendar app are as follows:

12 Days of Apps: AUDIBLE

How many people do you know that have a goal to read a book a month?  Or maybe to get through ONE book in a year?  How many people do you know that are in a book club?  And how many people do you know have a regular commute that is essentially wasted time?  Ah-ha, there is a solution here, and it's called audio-books.  A favorite app for this is Audible.  Basically, it rocks.  My clients, colleagues, friends, and I use it to listen to great book content we would otherwise probably not get to.

12 Days of Apps: HOOTSUITE

My clients are probably sick of hearing me rave about Hootsuite, my social media dashboard, aka "lifesaver."  I mean, who has time to post decent content 3 or more times a day on 3 or more social media accounts while they are trying to run a business? Hootsuite, both via desktop and mobile app, allows me to create one message and post it to any combination of 5 different places. 

12 Days of Apps: DROPBOX

Ross was having lunch with a referral and was hoping to close the sale.  They seemed very interested and asked if he could email some documents that same afternoon to a colleague.  Fortunately, he had them available via Dropbox and was able to send the message with attachments immediately.  They were impressed, and he got the deal.  Ross had previously lost valuable time with prospective clients because he had to wait until he got back to the office hours later,

12 Days of Apps: EVERNOTE

What happens when you are driving around and have a killer idea that you want to get down before you forget?  

You could:
1. Pull over and make a note-- but oops you're on the freeway and the next exit is miles away
2. Try to remember-- and then chastise yourself later because it slipped your mind
3. Scribble it on a gum wrapper or gas receipt-- which may be discovered later under the seat with illegible smudges

Hit Your Goals Before the Holidays Hit!

Most businesses have some cyclic nature and seasonality.  Many industries, companies, and people find their business tapering off around Thanksgiving and not picking up again until after the New Year.  Although some people start putting off decisions and actions in the Fall, don't make the assumption that nothing is happening.  Plenty of transactions are still happening! Especially for those out there that still want to achieve some big goals in the quarter, right NOW is the time to hussle.

Following are my Top 5 Don'ts for making the most of business leading up to the end of the year:

What I Learned in 7 Years in Business

OK, seriously, I can't possibly cover everything I've learned as a business owner over seven years in one post!  However, I wanted to share some of the highlights with others out there-- especially newish business owners, aspiring entrepreneurs, and those on the fence.

1. Make sure you like what you're going to be doing.  If you aren't sure yet, find some resources to help you figure it out.  Don't fall into the money trap.  The sayings are true: the money will come much more easily when you are contributing in a way that's enjoyable to you, and that others find valuable.  After 7 years, I have no "itch" to do anything else...
2. It's better to fail than to be afraid to make a move!

Negotiate: Don't Just Say YES!

Whether in sales or job hunting, and any other time it matters, don't accept the very first thing!  I was in a conference yesterday presenting on Negotiating skills when a very important point came up: When you are offered a job, it's important not to accept the offer exactly as they make it, but to ask for something that you want, and allow them the compromise.  Think about it: let's say you're out shopping and find a street vendor who has something you want.  You offer a price, and they gleefully accept quickly, money and goods change hands, and as you walk away you can't help but feel a bit deflated.  Yes, you got the item you wanted, but it seems obvious you paid more than needed, and you wonder about the quality. 

When Is Planning a Waste of Time?

As they say in carpentry, "Measure twice. Cut once." We've all experienced what happens when we didn't plan [measure] correctly, and there wasn't an easy fix. Hopefully the frustration or embarrassment was enough to learn the lesson that adequate planning for success is important.  In addition, most of you reading this will be familiar with the concept of "Q2" or "Important, but not Urgent" activities like planning & strategizing, and specifically how these typically need to be a higher priority for most people in business to be more successful.  HOWEVER it is hypercritical to realize that TOO much planning is akin to paralysis by analysis.

Risk of Summer Plateau?

I call it "Summer Mode" and I see it every year with clients, professional connections, and yes- myself.  It usually manifests as a combination of decreased focus and productivity, increased procrastination, and even some laziness.  My theory is that it stems from the school year we were conditioned to; it's so ingrained in us and our culture that we take a break, that we deserve time off, plus we want to be outside soaking up the sunshine.  This tendency, coupled with more outdoor social gatherings like graduations, golf tournaments, and sporting events, means lots of us are spending less time in the office. Are you at risk of a summer plateau?  (Do you care right now?)

Rational-Lies?

While driving the other day I got to thinking about a particular goal of mine...with a jolt of disgust, I acknowledged I haven't been fully committed to that goal for awhile.  Worse yet, I realized that I have been attempting to convince myself that it is OK if I do NOT achieve the goal!  WTH?  How did this happen? 

Plan in the FUN!

Why not have some fun with strategic planning?



To your continued success,
Heather A Legge
Coaching in Business to Change Habits and Boost Results-Envision Success Inc