Goal Setting & Achievement Podcast: Business|Productivity

If asked, what is the one defining quality that sets great leaders apart from their wannabe counterparts, it would have to be their ability to maintain focus on the important issues. Sure, once behind closed doors, even the most successful leaders probably have moments of indecision, procrastination, and uncertainty, but even the sharpest minds need to take a break occasionally. For the majority of us, the power to focus on one task at a time and see it through to completion is not an innate gift. Focus is a learned response, so if we want to achieve the professional, personal and social goals we imagine, we have to first learn how to focus on what we want. We now live in a frenetic, activity-filled, multi-tasking, instant gratification society, so it is easy to get lost in the distractions that bombard us from every angle. How many times have you found yourself on the phone talking to a client, while reading your emails, hitting the “Reply” button and then typing out a response? Where is your focus while you are completing a number of individual tasks at the same time? Focus requires that we learn to differentiate between the “urgent” and the “important” tasks. Urgent tasks are distractions that cause us, subconsciously, to put off or delay the important projects. And it’s the important tasks that lead us to our objectives and goals. Responding to urgent emails, answering the phone, or checking your text messages can all be categorized as urgent tasks. We are conditioned to believe that these urgent tasks require our instant attention because they keep us busy and make us feel important and needed. We think, “This will only take a minute,” when, in fact, urgent tasks can often take a lengthy amount of “minutes” to complete. 11 Guidelines for Helping You to Stay Laser Focused The power of focus lies in your ability to distinguish the urgent from the important; and concentrate your energy on the important. These guidelines will help you to re-direct your focus and prioritize getting the important things done first. 1. Write down the important tasks you have set yourself for the day. These are the results-driven projects that require your complete focus. Prioritize those tasks according to their importance, as they relate to goal achievement, and then plan a strategy for completing the most important task first. Visualize the entire process and how it will look once it’s completed. Keep that image at the front of your mind. 2. Clear your desk of everything except the important project you are working on. If necessary, make a pile of paperwork on the floor. You can always pick it up once your important task is completed. 3. Block out a time in your daily schedule to attend to the urgent matters. Most of us find we are at out lowest ebb early in the afternoon, so this is an ideal time to take care of anything “urgent”. 4. Don’t answer the phone. Imagine you are in a meeting and can’t be interrupted. 5. Turn off your email client and shut down the automatic email notification system. 6. Turn off your cell phone or shift the ring tone to “silent”. 7. Close down any programs on your computer that could cause you to become distracted. Remember to turn off RSS feeds. 8. Close the door to your office. If you work in an open plan space where there is a lot of noise around you, consider buying a pair of ear plugs. 9. Work attentively. If you find yourself getting distracted, re-visualize the project in your head and the action steps necessary to complete them. 10. Take regular breaks. Very few of us can remain laser focused for long periods of time without losing the plot, so take a 5 to 10-minute break every hour. If you sit at a desk, get up, stretch your legs and take a few deep breaths, do some sit-ups, or push-ups or take a walk around the inside of the office. If you have been working on a computer, re-train your eyes to focus on middle to long distance objects. This helps avoid eye strain. 11. When you

If asked, what is the one defining quality that sets great leaders apart from their wannabe counterparts, it would have to be their ability to maintain focus on the important issues. Sure, once behind closed doors, even the most successful leaders probably have moments of indecision, procrastination, and uncertainty, but even the sharpest minds need to take a break occasionally. For the majority of us, the power to focus on one task at a time and see it through to completion is not an innate gift. Focus is a learned response, so if we want to achieve the professional, personal and social goals we imagine, we have to first learn how to focus on what we want. We now live in a frenetic, activity-filled, multi-tasking, instant gratification society, so it is easy to get lost in the distractions that bombard us from every angle. How many times have you found yourself on the phone talking to a client, while reading your emails, hitting the “Reply” button and then typing out a response? Where is your focus while you are completing a number of individual tasks at the same time? Focus requires that we learn to differentiate between the “urgent” and the “important” tasks. Urgent tasks are distractions that cause us, subconsciously, to put off or delay the important projects. And it’s the important tasks that lead us to our objectives and goals. Responding to urgent emails, answering the phone, or checking your text messages can all be categorized as urgent tasks. We are conditioned to believe that these urgent tasks require our instant attention because they keep us busy and make us feel important and needed. We think, “This will only take a minute,” when, in fact, urgent tasks can often take a lengthy amount of “minutes” to complete. 11 Guidelines for Helping You to Stay Laser Focused The power of focus lies in your ability to distinguish the urgent from the important; and concentrate your energy on the important. These guidelines will help you to re-direct your focus and prioritize getting the important things done first. 1. Write down the important tasks you have set yourself for the day. These are the results-driven projects that require your complete focus. Prioritize those tasks according to their importance, as they relate to goal achievement, and then plan a strategy for completing the most important task first. Visualize the entire process and how it will look once it’s completed. Keep that image at the front of your mind. 2. Clear your desk of everything except the important project you are working on. If necessary, make a pile of paperwork on the floor. You can always pick it up once your important task is completed. 3. Block out a time in your daily schedule to attend to the urgent matters. Most of us find we are at out lowest ebb early in the afternoon, so this is an ideal time to take care of anything “urgent”. 4. Don’t answer the phone. Imagine you are in a meeting and can’t be interrupted. 5. Turn off your email client and shut down the automatic email notification system. 6. Turn off your cell phone or shift the ring tone to “silent”. 7. Close down any programs on your computer that could cause you to become distracted. Remember to turn off RSS feeds. 8. Close the door to your office. If you work in an open plan space where there is a lot of noise around you, consider buying a pair of ear plugs. 9. Work attentively. If you find yourself getting distracted, re-visualize the project in your head and the action steps necessary to complete them. 10. Take regular breaks. Very few of us can remain laser focused for long periods of time without losing the plot, so take a 5 to 10-minute break every hour. If you sit at a desk, get up, stretch your legs and take a few deep breaths, do some sit-ups, or push-ups or take a walk around the inside of the office. If you have been working on a computer, re-train your eyes to focus on middle to long distance objects. This helps avoid eye strain. 11. When you

Change is inevitable. In fact, change can occur so frequently and regularly that in many cases we hardly notice it. We change our hairstyles, our fashions, our relationships, our opinion, or we re-arrange the furniture; all with little or no resistance. So, why do some of us react like a nuclear war is pending when we are confronted with change? Familiarity with our surroundings, our friends and relationships and our working environment allow us to reside safely inside our comfort zone. And comfort equals security. However, large changes require us to step outside our comfort zone, adapt to new patterns of behavior and learn new techniques for survival. Change makes us uneasy. Even when a change seems logical and reasonable, we ask ourselves, “Why can’t things remain as they are? I liked it just the way it was.” But that kind of thinking is self-delusional; we all want to change, whether we admit to it or not. Sure, there are people who say they are happy the way they are, but they are not being truthful with themselves. We all want to be better, faster, stronger, richer, more powerful, happier, more fulfilled; the list goes on and on. So, why then do most of us vehemently resist change? Change is a Fact of Life Progress requires change, so we must develop change strategies that reduce our resistance and allow us to view change with a positive and constructive attitude. Although the majority of us initially react to change with feelings of anxiety and disorientation, most of us are able, over time, to respond with a more favorable and positive attitude and mindset. After all, 9 times out of 10, change brings about new opportunities to improve our position, our wellbeing, our environment and our circumstances. Occasionally change is precipitated by destructive, stressful circumstances like divorce, death or natural disasters. When a catastrophic change occurs, most people require time and support to enable them to deal with the grieving process before they can adapt to the new changes that have been thrust upon them. But like our response to grief, our response to change varies, depending on our inherent qualities and attitudes. So, what coping mechanisms can we put in place to ensure we embrace change with a positive attitude and a sense of excitement in the possibilities? 5 Strategies for Change Management 1. Focus on the positives Change generally results in a positive outcome. Rather than focus on feelings you may be experiencing like insecurity, discomfort or anxiety, concentrate instead on how the new experience will enhance your current situation. Imagine yourself once the changes have taken place and think about how good they will make you feel. Imagine yourself feeling re-energized, optimistic, excited and exhilarated. 2. Nullify the negatives Be honest and ask yourself what is it that’s holding you back? What beliefs are you clinging to which prevent you from moving forward? What is the worst possible outcome you could experience from change? Once you take a realistic and logical look at the reasons why you are resisting change, you will find most of them are unrealistic and illogical. 3. Clarify your Commitment Change requires commitment and self-discipline. You won’t always get it right the first time, so you’ve got to find the strength and purpose to get back up and try again. You’ll find the reward is worth it. 4. Look after Yourself Change, no matter how big or small, requires a healthy mind and a healthy body. Change doesn’t have to occur overnight – it may take weeks, even months, to make the necessary changes. Take care of yourself. Eat regularly, exercise, breathe and make time to relax and acknowledge how far you’ve come. 5. Be Flexible Changes don’t always occur the way we imagined. You may encounter curveballs and forks in the road you weren’t expecting. Give yourself enough latitude to readjust for the unexpected. Neal Maxwell said, “It is not the years but the changes

Change is inevitable. In fact, change can occur so frequently and regularly that in many cases we hardly notice it. We change our hairstyles, our fashions, our relationships, our opinion, or we re-arrange the furniture; all with little or no resistance. So, why do some of us react like a nuclear war is pending when we are confronted with change? Familiarity with our surroundings, our friends and relationships and our working environment allow us to reside safely inside our comfort zone. And comfort equals security. However, large changes require us to step outside our comfort zone, adapt to new patterns of behavior and learn new techniques for survival. Change makes us uneasy. Even when a change seems logical and reasonable, we ask ourselves, “Why can’t things remain as they are? I liked it just the way it was.” But that kind of thinking is self-delusional; we all want to change, whether we admit to it or not. Sure, there are people who say they are happy the way they are, but they are not being truthful with themselves. We all want to be better, faster, stronger, richer, more powerful, happier, more fulfilled; the list goes on and on. So, why then do most of us vehemently resist change? Change is a Fact of Life Progress requires change, so we must develop change strategies that reduce our resistance and allow us to view change with a positive and constructive attitude. Although the majority of us initially react to change with feelings of anxiety and disorientation, most of us are able, over time, to respond with a more favorable and positive attitude and mindset. After all, 9 times out of 10, change brings about new opportunities to improve our position, our wellbeing, our environment and our circumstances. Occasionally change is precipitated by destructive, stressful circumstances like divorce, death or natural disasters. When a catastrophic change occurs, most people require time and support to enable them to deal with the grieving process before they can adapt to the new changes that have been thrust upon them. But like our response to grief, our response to change varies, depending on our inherent qualities and attitudes. So, what coping mechanisms can we put in place to ensure we embrace change with a positive attitude and a sense of excitement in the possibilities? 5 Strategies for Change Management 1. Focus on the positives Change generally results in a positive outcome. Rather than focus on feelings you may be experiencing like insecurity, discomfort or anxiety, concentrate instead on how the new experience will enhance your current situation. Imagine yourself once the changes have taken place and think about how good they will make you feel. Imagine yourself feeling re-energized, optimistic, excited and exhilarated. 2. Nullify the negatives Be honest and ask yourself what is it that’s holding you back? What beliefs are you clinging to which prevent you from moving forward? What is the worst possible outcome you could experience from change? Once you take a realistic and logical look at the reasons why you are resisting change, you will find most of them are unrealistic and illogical. 3. Clarify your Commitment Change requires commitment and self-discipline. You won’t always get it right the first time, so you’ve got to find the strength and purpose to get back up and try again. You’ll find the reward is worth it. 4. Look after Yourself Change, no matter how big or small, requires a healthy mind and a healthy body. Change doesn’t have to occur overnight – it may take weeks, even months, to make the necessary changes. Take care of yourself. Eat regularly, exercise, breathe and make time to relax and acknowledge how far you’ve come. 5. Be Flexible Changes don’t always occur the way we imagined. You may encounter curveballs and forks in the road you weren’t expecting. Give yourself enough latitude to readjust for the unexpected. Neal Maxwell said, “It is not the years but the changes

Living your life without practicing The Power of Focus, is like trying to hit the bull’s eye of a target you can’t see. You can spend hours launching arrows, only to miss the target entirely. You become exhausted and frustrated when your repeated efforts don’t show the results you are trying to achieve. This is what it feels like to operate without The Power of Focus. To get to where you want to be, you must hold clear in your mind what you most want. Your subconscious mind is a powerful, goal-achieving machine, but it can’t lead you to your desired goal, if you don’t provide it with a specific target. If it doesn’t have a clear and specific target, it can’t get you there. As Stephen Covey would say, you must begin with the end in mind. The Power of Focus is the practice of focusing on the ‘right’ tasks at hand, while minimizing distractions that take your focus away from your goals. It will improve time management, professional and personal performance, task efficiency, overall life balance, and provide your mind the information it needs to get you to the bull’s eye. When you focus on the ‘right’ activities that lead to ‘big’ goal achievement, you will succeed. A client of mine set a goal she was afraid to set because she had never been successful at achieving it before. We brainstormed a list of what we thought were the ‘right’ activities she needed to do in order to achieve this particular goal. She got focused on these activities, did them, and exceeded her goal! The same thing can happen for you when you focus on the ‘right’ activities. Step 1. Create a Long-Term Goal List What are your Long-Term Goals within the next 3-5 years? Within 10 or 20 years? They can be anything you want - but they must be what you really want. Your Long-Term Goals should go far beyond your comfort zone and how you would ideally like to see your life. Asking to retire rich isn’t specific enough - you must include as many details as possible along with the date you would like to achieve each goal. A date includes a month, day, and year for each goal. Step 2. Create a Short-Term Goal List. What are your Short-Term Goals? Within one week? Within 3 or 6 months? Whatever they are, include specific dates down to the month, day and year. Prioritize your short-term goals and put the goal that is most important to you at the top of the list. When you finish the most important things, move them off your list and do the next one, then the next one. It isn’t the one that is the easiest to do and the one with the least amount of discomfort. It is the one that is the most important to do first that will have the biggest impact on your overall success. Maybe there is a goal you would like to achieve, but you’re not totally convinced you can do it. How do you know if you don’t try? The mind is a goal-achieving machine and can help you do more than you think. Hang your Short- and Long-Term Goals up where you will see them frequently, even many times throughout the day. Remain mindful of your goals as you go about your day and read them aloud every morning and every evening before going to sleep. Your goal lists serve two purposes. First, it uses The Power of Focus to help you concentrate on what you DO want so you can work on making it a reality. Secondly, they serve as positive reinforcements. When you can cross off a goal because you achieved it - you feel good! Then you have room to add new goals. Step 3. Create a Daily Task List At the end of each day, create your Task List for the following day. Prioritize your tasks in order of importance, with the most important being at the top of the list. The following day, start with the number one item and work your way down the list. At the end of the day, you will have completed your tasks with improved organization and efficiency. This is the part where most people run into trouble - they hate making a task list! And that’s OK, you don’t have to like it - but it is necessar

Living your life without practicing The Power of Focus, is like trying to hit the bull’s eye of a target you can’t see. You can spend hours launching arrows, only to miss the target entirely. You become exhausted and frustrated when your repeated efforts don’t show the results you are trying to achieve. This is what it feels like to operate without The Power of Focus. To get to where you want to be, you must hold clear in your mind what you most want. Your subconscious mind is a powerful, goal-achieving machine, but it can’t lead you to your desired goal, if you don’t provide it with a specific target. If it doesn’t have a clear and specific target, it can’t get you there. As Stephen Covey would say, you must begin with the end in mind. The Power of Focus is the practice of focusing on the ‘right’ tasks at hand, while minimizing distractions that take your focus away from your goals. It will improve time management, professional and personal performance, task efficiency, overall life balance, and provide your mind the information it needs to get you to the bull’s eye. When you focus on the ‘right’ activities that lead to ‘big’ goal achievement, you will succeed. A client of mine set a goal she was afraid to set because she had never been successful at achieving it before. We brainstormed a list of what we thought were the ‘right’ activities she needed to do in order to achieve this particular goal. She got focused on these activities, did them, and exceeded her goal! The same thing can happen for you when you focus on the ‘right’ activities. Step 1. Create a Long-Term Goal List What are your Long-Term Goals within the next 3-5 years? Within 10 or 20 years? They can be anything you want - but they must be what you really want. Your Long-Term Goals should go far beyond your comfort zone and how you would ideally like to see your life. Asking to retire rich isn’t specific enough - you must include as many details as possible along with the date you would like to achieve each goal. A date includes a month, day, and year for each goal. Step 2. Create a Short-Term Goal List. What are your Short-Term Goals? Within one week? Within 3 or 6 months? Whatever they are, include specific dates down to the month, day and year. Prioritize your short-term goals and put the goal that is most important to you at the top of the list. When you finish the most important things, move them off your list and do the next one, then the next one. It isn’t the one that is the easiest to do and the one with the least amount of discomfort. It is the one that is the most important to do first that will have the biggest impact on your overall success. Maybe there is a goal you would like to achieve, but you’re not totally convinced you can do it. How do you know if you don’t try? The mind is a goal-achieving machine and can help you do more than you think. Hang your Short- and Long-Term Goals up where you will see them frequently, even many times throughout the day. Remain mindful of your goals as you go about your day and read them aloud every morning and every evening before going to sleep. Your goal lists serve two purposes. First, it uses The Power of Focus to help you concentrate on what you DO want so you can work on making it a reality. Secondly, they serve as positive reinforcements. When you can cross off a goal because you achieved it - you feel good! Then you have room to add new goals. Step 3. Create a Daily Task List At the end of each day, create your Task List for the following day. Prioritize your tasks in order of importance, with the most important being at the top of the list. The following day, start with the number one item and work your way down the list. At the end of the day, you will have completed your tasks with improved organization and efficiency. This is the part where most people run into trouble - they hate making a task list! And that’s OK, you don’t have to like it - but it is necessar

Persistence is to success as excuses are to failure. Never, never give up - there is always a way. Jim Rohn said, “If you want something, you will find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.” And he should know. A college drop-out, and in a rut, in debt and unable to see his way out by his mid-twenties, Jim set out to achieve more. And he did. His persistence paid off and by age 31, he was a millionaire. If you want more, you WILL find a way, because there always IS a way. With persistence and consistent action, you will make it happen. If you don't believe me, keep listening. Did you know that Thomas Edison had over 10,000 failed attempts to create the light bulb before he was successful? His persistence was as valuable as his invention. 10,000 failed attempts and look what he created! Even if you’re not out to change the world, what could you create with an unresolved persistence? Allyson Felix made it to the Olympics in just over one year. With an intense training schedule of five to six hours per day, her persistence paid off. By the end of her training season in 2003, she had broken many records, including one set by Olympic Gold Medalist, Marion Jones. At the 2004 Olympics, she won the Silver Medal by running a 22.18 in the 200-meter race. Amazingly, she did all of this while being a high-school senior and a freshman college student. Persistence always pays off - and sometimes big time! It's a known fact that more business deals are inked when one of the parties is persistent. Now, being persistent is not the same as being pushy; rather, it is voicing your ideal fit and expertise to someone that may not be aware of the benefits they will receive working with you. They will appreciate your persistence and the benefits - but you have to make them known. You’ve probably heard of Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, and their best-selling book series, Chicken Soup for the Soul. Did you know they marketed the original books to over 130 publishers, over a two-year period before a struggling publisher agreed to publish it. That's two years of phone calls, foot-peddling and persistence that started a best-selling book series. The authors knew the value of the book, it came down to making it known to the right publisher. Once the publisher saw the value, they knew what the benefits would be. Their first book went on to sell 8 million copies in 39 languages. And to date, the series has sold more than 100 million copies in over 45 languages. At one point, JK Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter book series was on welfare and so broke that she wrote her story on pub napkins. She could have easily given up on writing, but she was persistent in her passion. She finished the first Harry Potter novel, found a literary agent and went to work marketing her book. Today, she is one of the wealthiest women in the world, with a net worth of about $1 billion dollars. There are thousands of examples of ordinary people achieving extraordinary goals; these are just a few examples of how persistence paid off. Achieving your goals requires you to take consistent action, be persistent, and maintain a resolve to simply not give up. Let’s explore 5 steps you can take today, to get you closer to achieving your goals. 1. Take Measurable Actions - Every Day! Persistence takes action. Take at least 3 actions every day that support goal achievement. If you need funding for your venture, then get on the phone and find an investor. If you want to lose weight, then eat well and exercise. If you want a new job, then take steps to make yourself a prime job candidate for the right company. Consistent action and persistence pays off. 2. Keep Showing Up If you believe in what you’re doing, just keep showing up. You never know when your break-through opportunity will appear, so bring your best to every situation. When the right opportunity appears, you’ll be ready! 3. Remain Objective About Your Obstacles

Persistence is to success as excuses are to failure. Never, never give up - there is always a way. Jim Rohn said, “If you want something, you will find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.” And he should know. A college drop-out, and in a rut, in debt and unable to see his way out by his mid-twenties, Jim set out to achieve more. And he did. His persistence paid off and by age 31, he was a millionaire. If you want more, you WILL find a way, because there always IS a way. With persistence and consistent action, you will make it happen. If you don't believe me, keep listening. Did you know that Thomas Edison had over 10,000 failed attempts to create the light bulb before he was successful? His persistence was as valuable as his invention. 10,000 failed attempts and look what he created! Even if you’re not out to change the world, what could you create with an unresolved persistence? Allyson Felix made it to the Olympics in just over one year. With an intense training schedule of five to six hours per day, her persistence paid off. By the end of her training season in 2003, she had broken many records, including one set by Olympic Gold Medalist, Marion Jones. At the 2004 Olympics, she won the Silver Medal by running a 22.18 in the 200-meter race. Amazingly, she did all of this while being a high-school senior and a freshman college student. Persistence always pays off - and sometimes big time! It's a known fact that more business deals are inked when one of the parties is persistent. Now, being persistent is not the same as being pushy; rather, it is voicing your ideal fit and expertise to someone that may not be aware of the benefits they will receive working with you. They will appreciate your persistence and the benefits - but you have to make them known. You’ve probably heard of Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, and their best-selling book series, Chicken Soup for the Soul. Did you know they marketed the original books to over 130 publishers, over a two-year period before a struggling publisher agreed to publish it. That's two years of phone calls, foot-peddling and persistence that started a best-selling book series. The authors knew the value of the book, it came down to making it known to the right publisher. Once the publisher saw the value, they knew what the benefits would be. Their first book went on to sell 8 million copies in 39 languages. And to date, the series has sold more than 100 million copies in over 45 languages. At one point, JK Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter book series was on welfare and so broke that she wrote her story on pub napkins. She could have easily given up on writing, but she was persistent in her passion. She finished the first Harry Potter novel, found a literary agent and went to work marketing her book. Today, she is one of the wealthiest women in the world, with a net worth of about $1 billion dollars. There are thousands of examples of ordinary people achieving extraordinary goals; these are just a few examples of how persistence paid off. Achieving your goals requires you to take consistent action, be persistent, and maintain a resolve to simply not give up. Let’s explore 5 steps you can take today, to get you closer to achieving your goals. 1. Take Measurable Actions - Every Day! Persistence takes action. Take at least 3 actions every day that support goal achievement. If you need funding for your venture, then get on the phone and find an investor. If you want to lose weight, then eat well and exercise. If you want a new job, then take steps to make yourself a prime job candidate for the right company. Consistent action and persistence pays off. 2. Keep Showing Up If you believe in what you’re doing, just keep showing up. You never know when your break-through opportunity will appear, so bring your best to every situation. When the right opportunity appears, you’ll be ready! 3. Remain Objective About Your Obstacles

Today we are going to talk about 5 Key Principles to Business Success and How to Utilize Them. Understanding common keys to business success is essential to any business owner who is looking to move on to the next level. A lot of people don’t understand that almost all successful businesses have a few things in common. Figuring out exactly what these common denominators are and how to use them in your business can provide you with some very valuable insight as you seek to increase revenue and enlarge your profit margins. Principle #1… Be Organized Organization is key when it comes to business. If you can’t take care of your desk, then how do you plan on taking care of your company? Keeping everything organized, from paperwork to personnel, will not only eliminate confusion, but will set a good example for everyone in your firm. How to Utilize Organization for Your Business Utilizing this principle begins with YOU. To start with, never leave an area without making sure that you have organized it. If you have papers on your desk at night, organize them and put them away before you go home. On the same note, make sure that employees keep their areas neat and tidy. Never allow clutter or chaos to rule your workspace. If you have several people doing the same job, you can take a picture of the ideal workspace and how to organize it for maximum effectiveness. Add this photo to the procedures manual so everyone has access to it. Principle #2… Do Research Neil Armstrong once said “In much of society, research means to investigate something you do not know or understand.” When it comes to business, it is extremely important to investigate before taking a leap, and this investigation is exactly what research is. How to Utilize Research for Your Business Use research to test any theories that you might have before taking decisive action. Are you thinking of carrying a new type of product? Then do some research and find out if your clients/prospects would buy such a product. Decisions that are not researched thoroughly beforehand can end up failing, especially if you happen to guess wrong about factors that could have been tested and investigated beforehand. Principle #3… Be Passionate Being passionate about what you are doing is a must have if you want to move ahead. If you are not passionate about what you are doing, then odds are good that you are going to get burnt out and sick of it. The most successful businesses in the world were founded by people who were so passionate about what they were doing that a day never went by that felt like work. That is exactly what you should be looking for! How to Renew and Utilize Your Passion for Your Business Rediscovering your passion can sometimes be difficult, especially if you have been going through hard times. If work is starting to feel a lot like WORK, then rediscover why you loved it in the first place. Talk to mentors who are in the same business. Figure out what it is about your business that you love, and then channel that into your efforts. What is the emotional and financial payoff you will experience? Principle #4… Be Fiscally Responsible Every successful business owner knows that running a business responsibly is the only way to run one the right way. Knowing when to budget money and how much of it to budget are skills that will keep you from making dire mistakes and losing money, or having to close your business. Making sure that you know how to keep a balanced budget is going to be of monumental importance. How to Achieve Fiscal Responsibility When it comes to money, it is all about knowing what is going on. Keep on top of the books. Budget everything. Know how to intelligently use lines of credit. Know how good you did last month in sales, and figure out where you can improve. Know what your expenses are and where you might be able to cut or reduce expenses. Principle #5… Maintain an Entrepreneurial Mindset This last principle is critical to the success of any b

Today we are going to talk about 5 Key Principles to Business Success and How to Utilize Them. Understanding common keys to business success is essential to any business owner who is looking to move on to the next level. A lot of people don’t understand that almost all successful businesses have a few things in common. Figuring out exactly what these common denominators are and how to use them in your business can provide you with some very valuable insight as you seek to increase revenue and enlarge your profit margins. Principle #1… Be Organized Organization is key when it comes to business. If you can’t take care of your desk, then how do you plan on taking care of your company? Keeping everything organized, from paperwork to personnel, will not only eliminate confusion, but will set a good example for everyone in your firm. How to Utilize Organization for Your Business Utilizing this principle begins with YOU. To start with, never leave an area without making sure that you have organized it. If you have papers on your desk at night, organize them and put them away before you go home. On the same note, make sure that employees keep their areas neat and tidy. Never allow clutter or chaos to rule your workspace. If you have several people doing the same job, you can take a picture of the ideal workspace and how to organize it for maximum effectiveness. Add this photo to the procedures manual so everyone has access to it. Principle #2… Do Research Neil Armstrong once said “In much of society, research means to investigate something you do not know or understand.” When it comes to business, it is extremely important to investigate before taking a leap, and this investigation is exactly what research is. How to Utilize Research for Your Business Use research to test any theories that you might have before taking decisive action. Are you thinking of carrying a new type of product? Then do some research and find out if your clients/prospects would buy such a product. Decisions that are not researched thoroughly beforehand can end up failing, especially if you happen to guess wrong about factors that could have been tested and investigated beforehand. Principle #3… Be Passionate Being passionate about what you are doing is a must have if you want to move ahead. If you are not passionate about what you are doing, then odds are good that you are going to get burnt out and sick of it. The most successful businesses in the world were founded by people who were so passionate about what they were doing that a day never went by that felt like work. That is exactly what you should be looking for! How to Renew and Utilize Your Passion for Your Business Rediscovering your passion can sometimes be difficult, especially if you have been going through hard times. If work is starting to feel a lot like WORK, then rediscover why you loved it in the first place. Talk to mentors who are in the same business. Figure out what it is about your business that you love, and then channel that into your efforts. What is the emotional and financial payoff you will experience? Principle #4… Be Fiscally Responsible Every successful business owner knows that running a business responsibly is the only way to run one the right way. Knowing when to budget money and how much of it to budget are skills that will keep you from making dire mistakes and losing money, or having to close your business. Making sure that you know how to keep a balanced budget is going to be of monumental importance. How to Achieve Fiscal Responsibility When it comes to money, it is all about knowing what is going on. Keep on top of the books. Budget everything. Know how to intelligently use lines of credit. Know how good you did last month in sales, and figure out where you can improve. Know what your expenses are and where you might be able to cut or reduce expenses. Principle #5… Maintain an Entrepreneurial Mindset This last principle is critical to the success of any b

Many professionals agree that, while learning to deal with certain situations in certain ways can be beneficial, the true nature of successful behavior really begins within. In other words, you can study individual problems and how to deal with them, but the only way that you are going to be FULLY equipped to handle any situation is if you learn effective and efficient behavior patterns that literally change the way that you are and how you think. In this episode, we are actually going to discuss four different behaviors that you can take upon yourself to learn. These behaviors are sure-fire ways to change your perspective when it comes to your business, and can equip you with the tools that you need to move onto the next level. Behavior #1…. Being Proactive Humans are a unique type of creature in the way that they REACT to stimuli in an intelligent way. Unlike any other creature in the world, humans have the ability to decide for themselves how they will react to a particular situation or circumstance. Unlike humans, animals do not possess this ability. They respond to situations more like a computer program. They follow their instincts. But as humans, we have a choice. Being proactive is a very human trait, and it is an especially prevalent behavior among very accomplished and professional businesspeople. In essence, to be proactive means to be the opposite of reactive. You need to move forward, always aware of your destination and of problems that might impede you. Once you get there, you will react accordingly. You might try to go around it, you might ask someone to fix it for you, or you might try to fix it yourself. Being proactive, however, is quite different. If you go through life being proactive, then you will actively be aware of anything that could potentially slow you down or hinder you. You will also prepare yourself to deal with such problems before they arise, and will often find ways of turning them into opportunities. You will also be constantly aware of what is going on around you, and will be able to take appropriate action before the need to do something is thrust upon you. By acting quickly and before you must, you will often find that the advantage will belong to you, which is another HUGE benefit to being proactive. To be proactive in life, start by looking around you at any possible problems that might be lingering. How can you use these problems to create new opportunities for yourself? That is what being proactive is all about! Behavior #2… Begin Your Journey with the End Goal in Mind Learning to think of the end first will allow you to set clear, defined goals as you journey towards a state of increased success. In a lot of ways, thinking about where you want to end up will give you a true, definable sense of purpose. To start with the end goal in mind, visualize where you would like to end up eventually. Where do you want your business to be? Where do you want to be as a person? What kind of house do you want to have? Then work backwards to create a specific game plan with the steps you need to take to achieve those end goals you desire. Behavior #3… Prioritize Putting the most important things having to do with your business first is, apparently, better advice than you might think! Did you know that putting ‘first things first’ is a behavior that many of the most successful men and women in the world have in common? Doing the most important, high payoff tasks first might be more difficult at times, but it pays off in the long run. It raises morale, ensures that the critical functions of your business will remain intact, and also helps you to utilize the most effective part of your day for the most vital aspects of your operation. To start utilizing this behavior, make a list of things that you need to accomplish, starting with the most important item and ending with the least important. Every day, make it a point to work down this list in order. This will ensure that you get the most i

Many professionals agree that, while learning to deal with certain situations in certain ways can be beneficial, the true nature of successful behavior really begins within. In other words, you can study individual problems and how to deal with them, but the only way that you are going to be FULLY equipped to handle any situation is if you learn effective and efficient behavior patterns that literally change the way that you are and how you think. In this episode, we are actually going to discuss four different behaviors that you can take upon yourself to learn. These behaviors are sure-fire ways to change your perspective when it comes to your business, and can equip you with the tools that you need to move onto the next level. Behavior #1…. Being Proactive Humans are a unique type of creature in the way that they REACT to stimuli in an intelligent way. Unlike any other creature in the world, humans have the ability to decide for themselves how they will react to a particular situation or circumstance. Unlike humans, animals do not possess this ability. They respond to situations more like a computer program. They follow their instincts. But as humans, we have a choice. Being proactive is a very human trait, and it is an especially prevalent behavior among very accomplished and professional businesspeople. In essence, to be proactive means to be the opposite of reactive. You need to move forward, always aware of your destination and of problems that might impede you. Once you get there, you will react accordingly. You might try to go around it, you might ask someone to fix it for you, or you might try to fix it yourself. Being proactive, however, is quite different. If you go through life being proactive, then you will actively be aware of anything that could potentially slow you down or hinder you. You will also prepare yourself to deal with such problems before they arise, and will often find ways of turning them into opportunities. You will also be constantly aware of what is going on around you, and will be able to take appropriate action before the need to do something is thrust upon you. By acting quickly and before you must, you will often find that the advantage will belong to you, which is another HUGE benefit to being proactive. To be proactive in life, start by looking around you at any possible problems that might be lingering. How can you use these problems to create new opportunities for yourself? That is what being proactive is all about! Behavior #2… Begin Your Journey with the End Goal in Mind Learning to think of the end first will allow you to set clear, defined goals as you journey towards a state of increased success. In a lot of ways, thinking about where you want to end up will give you a true, definable sense of purpose. To start with the end goal in mind, visualize where you would like to end up eventually. Where do you want your business to be? Where do you want to be as a person? What kind of house do you want to have? Then work backwards to create a specific game plan with the steps you need to take to achieve those end goals you desire. Behavior #3… Prioritize Putting the most important things having to do with your business first is, apparently, better advice than you might think! Did you know that putting ‘first things first’ is a behavior that many of the most successful men and women in the world have in common? Doing the most important, high payoff tasks first might be more difficult at times, but it pays off in the long run. It raises morale, ensures that the critical functions of your business will remain intact, and also helps you to utilize the most effective part of your day for the most vital aspects of your operation. To start utilizing this behavior, make a list of things that you need to accomplish, starting with the most important item and ending with the least important. Every day, make it a point to work down this list in order. This will ensure that you get the most i

Owning and running a business is no easy task as we already know. There is a lot to do every day, and odds are good that you find yourself feeling overwhelmed from time to time. With everything that needs to get done, it can be very easy to get bogged down. Looking at a to-do list for the month might discourage you, especially when you consider the fact that there are simply a LOT of things on that list that nobody else can really help you with! So, what do you do in situations like this? How do you go from being overwhelmed to easily accomplishing everything that you need accomplished? That is a very good question, and it is the exact topic that we are going to cover today. Let’s now explore the 5 simple steps that you can use to get from the ‘overwhelmed’ stage to the ‘easy’ stage. Some of these tips might sound familiar to you, but I’ll bet that if you try these steps in order, you will find your over-filled to-do list MUCH easier to deal with! Step #1… Break It Up Breaking your to-do list down into smaller sections can often make it much easier to handle. Instead of looking at the entire list at once, make it a point to separate it into smaller sections. For example, instead of having a week’s worth of tasks written down and marking them off as you complete them, try breaking this week into days. This will make it that much easier to avoid getting overwhelmed. Your list should always be in priority order with the highest payoff activities at the top. Step #2… Get Organized Once you have broken your task list down into smaller sections, it is time to get organized! Make sure you have allocated appropriate time on your calendar to complete your tasks. At the beginning of every new task, take a minute to gather what you will need to begin the next task on the list. Getting everything together in the beginning will streamline the process and keep you from having to take breaks to fetch things. Spending the time to completely prepare will pay for itself in the short and long run. “Discipline is doing what you know you should do at the time you should do it, even if you don’t feel like it.” – Rowena Szeszeran-McEvoy Step #3… Determine Whether or Not to Delegate As a business owner, you undoubtedly have employees who can help you to perform some tasks. While some things on your to-do list might be exclusively for you to tackle, take a minute or two each day to evaluate what you might be able to delegate to others. Delegating can save you time if it is done right. It can also give you the opportunity to get more accomplished than you could if you tried to do everything by yourself. Delegate parts of a task or a whole task with clear instructions and an agreed to due date for completion. Just keep in mind that delegating can also work against you. Make sure that your employees know what they are doing, and make sure that they are all committed to getting the job done right. You should also check up on them to find out how the project is progressing, especially if it is an important project that would be difficult to fix it were not done right. To help you be even more effective and efficient, so you can achieve your goals at an accelerated rate, you can delegate even more to your team members than you have or might think possible. Stop holding on to things that can be done by someone else and do only those activities that you can do and can’t be done by anyone else. Stop doing revenue generation / business development avoidance activities and delegate more! Successful people are excellent delegators so work at being an even better delegator and be even more successful. Download a Free Delegation List Sample to help you identify more activities to delegate, by going to https://www.accountabilitycoach.com/delegation-list-sample/. Step #4… Make a Plan Regardless of whether you are going to delegate or not, make sure to make a plan before jumping in. Try to look ahead to any obstacles that may get in your way, and make

Owning and running a business is no easy task as we already know. There is a lot to do every day, and odds are good that you find yourself feeling overwhelmed from time to time. With everything that needs to get done, it can be very easy to get bogged down. Looking at a to-do list for the month might discourage you, especially when you consider the fact that there are simply a LOT of things on that list that nobody else can really help you with! So, what do you do in situations like this? How do you go from being overwhelmed to easily accomplishing everything that you need accomplished? That is a very good question, and it is the exact topic that we are going to cover today. Let’s now explore the 5 simple steps that you can use to get from the ‘overwhelmed’ stage to the ‘easy’ stage. Some of these tips might sound familiar to you, but I’ll bet that if you try these steps in order, you will find your over-filled to-do list MUCH easier to deal with! Step #1… Break It Up Breaking your to-do list down into smaller sections can often make it much easier to handle. Instead of looking at the entire list at once, make it a point to separate it into smaller sections. For example, instead of having a week’s worth of tasks written down and marking them off as you complete them, try breaking this week into days. This will make it that much easier to avoid getting overwhelmed. Your list should always be in priority order with the highest payoff activities at the top. Step #2… Get Organized Once you have broken your task list down into smaller sections, it is time to get organized! Make sure you have allocated appropriate time on your calendar to complete your tasks. At the beginning of every new task, take a minute to gather what you will need to begin the next task on the list. Getting everything together in the beginning will streamline the process and keep you from having to take breaks to fetch things. Spending the time to completely prepare will pay for itself in the short and long run. “Discipline is doing what you know you should do at the time you should do it, even if you don’t feel like it.” – Rowena Szeszeran-McEvoy Step #3… Determine Whether or Not to Delegate As a business owner, you undoubtedly have employees who can help you to perform some tasks. While some things on your to-do list might be exclusively for you to tackle, take a minute or two each day to evaluate what you might be able to delegate to others. Delegating can save you time if it is done right. It can also give you the opportunity to get more accomplished than you could if you tried to do everything by yourself. Delegate parts of a task or a whole task with clear instructions and an agreed to due date for completion. Just keep in mind that delegating can also work against you. Make sure that your employees know what they are doing, and make sure that they are all committed to getting the job done right. You should also check up on them to find out how the project is progressing, especially if it is an important project that would be difficult to fix it were not done right. To help you be even more effective and efficient, so you can achieve your goals at an accelerated rate, you can delegate even more to your team members than you have or might think possible. Stop holding on to things that can be done by someone else and do only those activities that you can do and can’t be done by anyone else. Stop doing revenue generation / business development avoidance activities and delegate more! Successful people are excellent delegators so work at being an even better delegator and be even more successful. Download a Free Delegation List Sample to help you identify more activities to delegate, by going to https://www.accountabilitycoach.com/delegation-list-sample/. Step #4… Make a Plan Regardless of whether you are going to delegate or not, make sure to make a plan before jumping in. Try to look ahead to any obstacles that may get in your way, and make

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