Design Your Best Schedule

Chances are, you are one of the millions out there feeling over-scheduled, under-effective, and worn out.  What to do about it?  First, decide that although it's common, it's doesn't have to be YOUR "normal."  Make a commitment to yourself for the next week to make some improvements.  Can you make 3 simple changes within one week that will help you better support your success?  I hope so!  How are you going to leave a powerful, positive legacy if you are exhausted?

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?

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?

What The Heck Are They Doing?!?

A popular pet peeve for some of us is people not using their turn indicator while driving.  I admit, it annoys me a lot when people don't signal their intent at all, or if they turn on their blinker during the turn (what's the point?).  How many times do we hear ourselves saying in the car, "What the heck are they doing?!?" - or a similar version but chock-full of expletives?  We may say this regarding other people and businesses when we are not in the car too...

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: E-READER

Although many of us still like the experience of reading paper books, the convenience of having a ton of digital books at your fingertips is undeniable. 
Whether you have a Nook or Kindle (or a competing) device, or use one of their apps on your other devices, the convenience factor is phenomenal.

Of course, having your books with you all the time also makes it likely that you will read more, such as when in line at Starbucks or the bank, or waiting for an appointment, etc...

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,

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?)

3 Tips for a Better LinkedIn Experience

I've noticed a trend in helping clients enhance results with their LinkedIn profile and connections, so thought I'd share some of the things I've learned to help people use LinkedIn more effectively.  Disclaimer: This reflects my personal/professional opinion.  I am not claiming to be a LinkedIn POC. There are lots of great experts out there already, but I hope this will be a great place to get started for some, and motivation to tweak something for improved results! 

Stop Apologizing!

STOP APOLOGIZING SO MUCH (unless you really need to.)  How often do you apologize repeatedly for something minor, or for something that isn't your fault, or maybe for just being you?

Stop apologizing when you don't need to!
For example, have you ever seen a colleague be late to a meeting, and after texting "sorry" on the way once or twice, then apologizing 1-2 times when they enter the meeting,

Business Relationship Success: 4 Habits to Master

These are certainly not complex, but for most people "life gets in the way," excuses are made, and somehow these no-brainers take a back seat to daily distractions.  During my daily listening to and reading motivational info from experts in business (an activity I highly recommend for everyone), I was reminded from Dan Sullivan of 4 simple habits when dealing with others in business (and life) that foster more success.  A blatant disregard for these 4 destroys trust, loses respect, and turns off previously raving fans. Most people agree these make sense and are not difficult, but they aren't doing them consistently.  For those that do, success is theirs.

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!

POLL: What's Stopping You?

Which would you say is your primary obstacle to your desired level of business/career success?

Back to School, Back to Business!

It's time for "Back to School, Back to Business!"  You may find yourself appreciating routine more than normal this time of year, and longing for Fall, the winter holidays, or your next vacation.  Caution: Don't wish your life away!  Here are some ideas for making the most of this seasonal transition:

3 Paths to Greater Success Through the End of This Year

Attitude (Success)- The most important thing to remember about attitude was summed up nicely by Henry Ford when he said, "If you think you can, you can. If you think you can't, you can't."  Attitude overcomes cancer, creates inventions, and wins gold medals. 

WOM is the Key to Growing Your Business!

Do you find yourself wondering when all the effort is going to pay off and your business will start overflowing with profit?  Most all business owners in the growth phase feel doubt and fear about where the business is going to come from. The most successful get really strategic and do more WOM.  Just last week, I was sitting near the front in a meeting, and a guy stood up with the mic in his hand and said, "Hi, my name is Shawn. Uh, it's been three years since my last...

Do I Have To Choose: Make Money or Do Good?

Are you among the vast majority that believes you can either 'Do Good' -OR- 'Make Money' - in other words, do you believe that truly wealthy people are not truly good people?  Even if your intellectual self is arguing this right now, there is a very good chance that down in your core you have fallen prey to this conditioned habit of thought in our society.  Yes, some of the very wealthy have prioritized money over people.  However, this is NOT the rule and thankfully when we analyze further we can see that the