Where Does The Time Go?

If you're not sure where your time is going, tracking what you spend time on is the BEST way to get to any core issues.  Yeah, I know- it's a pain.  But, SOOOO worth it!  You will be amazed - likely you'll be both pleasantly surprised and completely disgusted after reviewing your results.  Importantly, you'll gain insight and motivation to make some changes to you can get more priority stuff done in less time.   Following are tips for tracking so you can make changes and reap the benefits of better time use!

Marvelously Simple, Stupid

“It is always the simple that produces the marvelous.”  

-Amelia Barr

Many people think that in order to dream and achieve marvelous things that marvelous measures must be taken.  And when those marvelous measures are deemed too drastic, they stop dreaming and achieving altogether.  However, I have four little words for you:  Keep It Simple, Stupid.

I say that very lovingly, of course.  What I mean by “K-I-S-S” is that you can continue to dream and achieve the marvelous if you just break things down into simpler steps. 

Want to completely shift careers? 

The Secret to Happiness!

I was having a conversation with a stranger at a networking event where we were partnered up randomly and given a topic.  Halfway into our time he asked me, “What’s the secret to happiness?” and was surprised when I had a confident answer.  A great discussion ensued (and a friendship)!  After 40+ years of serious evolution in terms of my personal happiness and studying this topic rigorously through my business the past 8 years, it’s not an exaggeration to say I have a very strong stance on happiness 'hows and whys.'  I am excited to share some of them with you here! 

80% of Perfect is Pretty Darned GREAT!

Calling all perfectionists and "get it right" folks out there!  If you're anything like me, you have come to realize that being a bit of a perfectionist is both a blessing (I am very conscientious and driven to succeed), and a curse (sometimes I am prone to 'paralysis by analysis').  Being completely honest with yourself, consider how this may be holding you back from your greatest triumphs...

What is it, exactly, that stops The Perfectionist from moving forward at times on some of the things that are important to them? Do a self check:  Do any of the following apply to you?

Build Your Legacy

Building a legacy sounds like hard work.  Until you realize you are already in the process of building your legacy whether it is intentional or not.  

"Remember, no more effort is required to aim high in life, to demand abundance and prosperity, than is required to accept misery and poverty," as Napoleon Hill shared in Think & Grow Rich!

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: TIMER

Welcome to the 12 Days of Apps from Envision Success Inc!  We are reviewing 12 apps this month that we like, and that help our clients, friends, and colleagues be more productive.  

The first is an indispensable product!  Fortunately this is a piece of hardware (or software) that everyone has, either around the house, on their mobile device, and easily accessible at their nearby Target or grocery store:

A Timer
As in, a standard kitchen/household timer...  Yep, this is a critical tool for getting the most focus when you really need it. 

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:

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?)

Hit the "Up" Button

You know how it feels when motivation is flagging, and that task that you said you would complete suddenly seems too difficult and you want to take a break, or quit altogether?  Hit the "UP" button!

During one of my recent workout sessions, the video host said, "You can always hit the UP button" in reference to putting more effort into the task at hand.  Hmmm...I like it! Very motivating.  I have since adopted it a bit as a personal motto. (Thanks to Jillian Micheals)

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 

4 Tips for FUN, Successful Business Planning

Yep, I am aware that Business Planning is most people's "not my favorite" topic, but it is nonetheless a critical component to success in business.  Of course, I like to make it as fun and exciting as possible with my clients- Hey, it CAN be a good time!  I am pleased to share the following specifics you can do during your next planning session to make it your best year yet!

The Five Olympic Attitudes

What I learned during my weight workout this morning, from a video presentation of Dennis Waitley (what perfect timing with the games in London currently!)

5 Olympic Attitudes (for Success):

I. Adapt to Change
A great formula for dealing with change proactively is KASH; continue enhancing in every area-
K nowledge
A ttitute
S kills
H abits

3 Parts to Making Change EASY

Yes, you read that correctly: "Change" and "Easy" can absolutely go together. Most people would agree that change is hard, changing habits is difficult, changing your conditioning takes focus and discipline plus time you don't want to spend on it.  Admittedly, that is true for most people.  However, you

Greater Success Through More Mistakes

Usually we equate "success" with avoiding mistakes.  However, the path to greater success is simple: more mistakes. What? Yes, it seems ironic.

Yet we all have experiences proving this to be true. Consider the times in your life you are most proud of.  I'll bet you they were achievement-oriented where you had to overcome some obstacles.  You made some mistakes, but you pushed on. You didn't let fear keep you from moving forward.  And success tasted sweet. 

What Are You Afraid Of?
There is a state of being that I call "burning fuel on the launch pad."

Business Planning

BUSINESS PLANNING: A Coach's Perspective on the Process

When it comes to business planning, I see a spectrum where on one side are people who love thinking about possibilities, strategizing and analyzing options, often spending hours, days, weeks dreaming about what's to come, planning -- and not implementing. On the other side are people who hate the boring, time-consuming and sometimes paper-work laden process of planning in business and so they procrastinate it indefinitely or participate half-heartedly only when mandatory.

There is a zone in the middle where business people explore possibilities, create a plan, implement the plan, achieve goals, and reap the rewards. How can you participate fully in business planning so you experience these valuable gains without wasting time? It's actually pretty simple.


GREAT EXPECTATIONS

From my perspective, the most important facets of business planning are

Getting Started: From Intention to Reality

So you want to make a change.  The "pain" of your current situation has caused you to want something different.  You may exclaim, "That's IT!  Something needs to change with this.  I am going to______."

Congratulations, you just initiated a new goal! Even if it's not new.  What counts is that you feel motivated and intend to do something to change your current situation.  Yep, it's that simple.  You said you wanted to change, but do you really think of it as a goal?  Probably not- until you've written it down, talked about it with a few people, maybe posted it on Facebook, or acknowledged it as something you want -it doesn't feel like a "goal."  However, realize that you told yourself and anyone in earshot that you have an INTENTION.  You can choose to make it a goal (or not).  Why did you say it, if you didn't really want to make a change on some level?  So now what?

That spark of motivation, no matter how small, can be leveraged to pull you through the first couple of challenges...but to make it all the way you must ensure first that you set the right goal for YOU, for right NOW.

Do You Really Want It?
There are some key differences between goal setting and goal ACHIEVING.  The most critical difference is that Goal Achievers have set the right goal: not just any random intention becomes a goal worthy of focus and effort.  Do you really want it?  When you think about actually achieving your goal, it should scare you a little bit, and excite you a lot. If it's not the right intention-come-goal, then don't worry about it.  Think about what you DO want.

Partners in Business: from the Good, the Bad, & the Ugly –to Great!

How to profit from and enjoy each other’s personal and professional strengths in business.

Choosing a partner in business is just as important as choosing the right marriage partner, yet many people “fall into bed with” someone in business and "wake up" later wondering what happened. It starts innocently enough, as a fun idea over drinks after-hours, then suddenly it can take on a personality of its own and can overwhelm a friendship or other relationship with all the sticky details of running a business. The stress builds and soon the partners can hardly stand each other, from the varying ways they prioritize business activities, different approaches with clients or employees, and annoying personal habits they bring to the office.

We all know roughly the statistics on marriages that break up citing financial reasons…is it any wonder that most business partnerships end for similar reasons?  However, most often financial problems are symptom of relationship problems or partnership “personality” challenges.

Creating Great Partnerships for Great Business:
I. Choose the right partner; this critical step is often flubbed up. Take time for discussions about many aspects of the business, go through what-if scenarios, and expectations.

II. Create the partnership business plan and agreement together before the business really takes off.  Both of these are best when kept simple but usable.  Hire an attorney familiar with partnership contracts, and actually go through the process of discussing and agreeing. (I believe this step alone could prevent as much as 50% of future partnership dissolution.)

III. Check to see if you have the same dream, as far as what the business provides. Are you assuming early retirement and moving to the Caribbean, when your partner is planning to work in the office daily until they pry his cold, dead fingers from the desk? What about the vision for the business? Maybe one partner is expecting to expand into new markets, while the other feels it ruins the integrity of the business to grow beyond one location. It takes conversation and brainstorming strategically (and sometimes a facilitator or coach) to be on the same page. And agreement; what may seem like a grudging compromise can grow into a solution where both partners are truly happy.

IV. Establish policies, guidelines, or protocols for doing business and handling common activities.  What criteria do you use in decision-making? Do half your employees follow one partner’s guidelines, and half the other’s? Do your staff members feel they get caught in the crossfire? Consider how this affects the work environment, the clientele, the bottom line.

Many partnerships go through “the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” phases and sadly most that get to this point break up. Some come to another end, hopefully with an arrangement that allows them to resume their former camaraderie without financial strain. Some partners buy the business, others agree to switch to silent/investor-only/limited partnerships and let the more business-talented partner act as business owner, and others form a custom arrangement that allows for win/win.

Then again, some partners (the few, the proud) work out their differences, get their purpose, mission, and goals aligned, and become Great Partnerships, running Great businesses. Yes, it is worth some consideration. After all, you were attracted to the idea of working together once upon a time…

ACTION: Answer the following questions separately, and then discuss together.
*What made the partnership such a great idea back then?
*What are the top 3 things your partner brings to the partnership?
*What do see as the top 3 things you bring to the partnership?
*How can you work together to create more positive business results?

SPECIAL OFFERS
Through the end of June 2010: SWOT Analysis for Business Owners. Up to three partners, same price as one owner. Only $350.


Also great for Partners: “Purpose, Mission, Goals” 3 month coaching program, only $1500.  Focus is on where all the time, money, and effort goes, and specifically what long- and short-term results are expected.  What results would you like to change first?