The Accountability Coach: Business Acceleration|Productivity

We have all heard that old adage that tells us to ‘work smarter, not harder’. While you probably remember someone telling you this while you helped with chores on the farm, it can sometimes be difficult to employ such wisdom to a modern business. How do you do it? What does that even mean in today’s world? When it comes to modern business, this mentality could not be more useful… but truth be told, it can definitely be hard to fit it in if you are not used to it. So, here are three tips that will show you how to work smarter instead of harder in today’s world, so you too can enjoy an even better quality of life. These tips will not only inspire you to attack your duties from a new perspective, but will also encourage you to use your intellect as opposed to your raw, exhaustible physical effort. Tip #1… Streamline the Process Do you find yourself putting vast amounts of time or effort into activities that are performed on a regular, consistent basis? If so, then streamlining these processes could save you a lot of time and effort. Finding the most time-effective and energy efficient way to get daily tasks accomplished is not only a way to ‘work smarter’, but is also a way to save your business valuable time and money… and if you are the boss, then it is up to you to come up with such methods for the areas you are responsible for! Every team member should have systems and processes for ALL of their respective areas. This can help to reduce training time and the time it takes to replace employees, either on a permanent or a temporary basis. Start by looking at everything that needs to be done and by identifying the areas of the greatest wasted effort or resources. How can you arrange or delegate activities so that they can be completed as efficiently as possible by the best person for each task? One example might be moving boxes from one end of the warehouse to the other. Instead of picking each one up and moving it individually, is it possible to pick up the entire pallet and just move them with a wheeled goose in one trip? Some situations might require some brainstorming, but keep in mind that there are always easier ways to do things… all you have to do to both save your company money and make your life just a little bit easier, is to discover a way to streamline the process, so that you eliminate excess effort. With current technology and continual advancements, you should always be open to new ideas. Tip #2... Use Your ‘Brain’, Not Your Back Try to find smarter ways of doing things, as opposed to methods that are going to cause you literal physical exhaustion. This can mean a number of things, and can be applied to a lot of areas of business. One example might be paperwork. While paperwork might not physically wear down your muscles, it CAN wear you down in general if you get buried beneath an entire pile of it! If at all possible, try to find a smarter way to get it all done so that you are not stuck in the office. One way might be to train someone else to help you with it. Or, you could try to take it with you and do it during odd ‘down times’ during the day. Consider implementing resources like Paper Tiger (http://www.thepapertiger.com/) or tools such as this to help you. Scanning papers into your system so that all of your files are electronically stored is also an option that many have been using for years. Your average day is probably filled with opportunities to use your brain instead of your brawn, so make the most of these opportunities by taking advantage of your intellect and the intellect of those around you… and don’t be afraid to ask for ideas and help from peers and mentors in the process. Tip #3… Set and Accomplish Daily Goals Setting daily goals for yourself can eliminate the temptation to do ‘everything’ at once or in a single day. By focusing your efforts on only the things that matter TODAY, you can save your energy for tasks that truly require your attention and that only you can do (those t

Procrastination is no joke. Putting things off until later can spell ruin for even the most successful businessperson… which is EXACTLY why it is a problem that you should make an effort to continually deal with when you notice it negatively affecting your results. If you suffer from procrastination, then you undoubtedly know that it can be extremely troublesome. You no doubt want to work hard and get things done, but some people find this more difficult to do than others. If you are one of those people, then this podcast is for you! Here are 10 quick and easy tips for beating procrastination. Winning this battle doesn’t have to be rocket science or making it harder than it needs to be. Sometimes, finding a little bit of help (like these tips) is all that you need to tip the scales back to your favor! Tip #1… Get Up and Get Going If you feel the urge to procrastinate coming upon you, then sometimes the best thing to do is to get up and get moving – don’t let yourself put off what you need to do. The minute you start to deviate from what you know you need to be doing is exactly when you need to take a deep breath, and just do it. Stop letting those typical excuses to stop you from getting going! Changing scenery can often change your frame of mind, and you might find that going for a walk, taking a jog, or even grabbing a cup of coffee can help you to clear your mind and get you back on track to getting things done. (Just don’t do it too often, as doing this EVERY TIME you get the urge to procrastinate can actually become procrastination itself.) Tip #2… Wake Up Earlier Waking up earlier in the day can often improve your odds of getting things accomplished. More productive people are generally out and about during the early morning hours, and you will likely find the atmosphere a lot more conducive to productivity than the atmosphere of the early afternoon or evening hours. Get up earlier to exercise, stretch, meditate, and get those juices flowing to immediately tackle your highest payoff activities the moment you arrive at work. Tip #3… Clean and Organize as You Go Sometimes we get so surrounded by clutter and chaos that we end up getting defeated before we begin. Looking around you and seeing a mess is usually never conducive to productivity, which is why it can really pay to keep things clean and tidy as your day progresses. Five or ten minutes spent prioritizing your activities can pay big dividends as the day goes on. Tip #4… Get Away from the TV Did you know that TV is one of the biggest causes for procrastination among entrepreneurs who often work from home? Having a lot of channels and a list of favorite shows is nice, but not if it distracts you from getting everything done that you need to do! Record your favorite shows and only allow yourself to watch them AFTER you have your most critical activities done for the day. I strongly recommend you stop watching the news. There are so many more negative stories than positive ones that it can negatively affect your mood, and who wants to be in a “bad” mood? Tip #5… Schedule Specific Blocks of Time in Which to Get Things Done Setting up a daily schedule can be a great way to stop procrastination before it starts. Having a plan in place will not only give you a sense of direction, but will make your day seem more achievable as well. Do the activities that bring you the best results first is usually a great way to start the day. In fact, Brian Tracy has a GREAT analogy on this subject. “Eat That Frog!” Think about this… what if the first thing that you did everyday was to eat a live frog? It sounds gross. In fact, it would probably be the worst thing that you have to do all day. But, if you ate the frog first thing in the morning, you could effectively say that the worst part of your day was behind you! The point of this analogy is that if you do the worst things first, you will find that your day will get easier and less distracting as y

Staying in shape while trying to run a business can definitely be a challenge. When you are so busy getting everything done, what time do you have left to exercise or go to the gym? If you are struggling with getting enough exercise to stay in shape or get in shape, then here are some tips that might definitely help you! These tips are easy to implement, take very little time, and will definitely help you to stay in shape as you invest your energy into getting your business to the next level. “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, Fitness Educator Ride a Bike Some people live fairly close to their place of business so that they can be there without spending too much time commuting. If this is true for you, then you could definitely make use of this tip! Start riding a bike to work instead of taking the bus or driving your vehicle. This can give you a regular amount of exercise each day, and may not take you that much longer than your normal commute. You would be surprised at how quickly you can get to work on a bike! Plus, it can save you money on gas, and is also a habit that will keep the planet cleaner by limiting your carbon footprint. It is really a win-win on all fronts! Join a biking group to add a little accountability. Doing exercise with others sometimes helps to motivate you to get out there and get moving. Stand Up A lot of business owners find themselves sitting for prolonged periods of time during the day, which is definitely part of the problem when you start to talk about fitness. Since you, as an entrepreneur, are so vital to the success of your own business, and because your presence might be needed at a desk for most of the day, it can be difficult to find time away from it all to get some exercise. However, even though it is difficult to find the time necessary, you can still ‘tweak’ the rules in your favor with this incredibly easy tip that will save you a LOT of time and that can really help to contribute to your overall fitness… just stand up! When you talk on the phone, go to meetings, or read documents, practice standing up and pacing in your office instead of sitting at the desk. This behavior might seem foreign to you at first, but it is actually a great way to get the blood flowing in during the day. When it comes to exercise, every little bit helps… and this is a simple step that anyone can utilize to get better results out of your time spent at work. You can also quickly and easily do 100 sit-ups and 50 pushups once a day to get your heart pumping. Get Up 30 minutes or an Hour Earlier One great idea for getting in an extra workout is to get up 30 minutes to an hour earlier and use that time specifically for fitness purposes. This can be done once a week, twice a week, or even every day… depending upon how often you want to work out each week to get started. You could use this time to hit the local gym, to take a morning run, to lift weights, or you could rotate your options to mix it up on different days. Getting up earlier is a great option because you will probably find that fewer people will try to bother you or pull you away than would if you tried to work out at a different part of the day. Getting your heart pumping a little harder first thing in the morning can help you start the day in an even better mood. Work Out on Your Lunch Break If your schedule allows, you could take an extended lunch and hit the gym for a half an hour before returning to work. Getting some exercise in and taking a quick shower before hitting the grind for the second half of the day can not only lead to better fitness, but can also lead to you feeling more energized during the part of the day when a lot of people are tired and dragging. Take Up a Sport If you have trouble sticking to a typical workout routine, then you might want to take up a sport. Tennis, basketball, boxing, and soccer are all very ex

Embracing your inner power is important if you want to continue to progress as a successful businessperson, though learning to get past your own self-imposed boundaries can be a challenge. In order to fully understand how we can use our ‘inner power’ to stick to our game plan in life, we are going to first examine what it takes to unlock it. Unlocking your ‘inner power’ You will hear a lot of people talk about inner power, what it is, what it does, where it comes from, and how to unlock it. You will hear a lot of people say that we, as humans, are actually made up of two different parts. There is, of course, of physically manifested body… but there is also the non-manifested consciousness. In theory, humans often hold themselves back because they only gauge and perceive the physical… not what lies beneath the surface. In theory, if you can learn to recognize that you have control over your destiny, you will be able to think, dream, or plan any reality that you want for yourself. It is all about believing in yourself, and about ‘being’ the person that you want to be. Unlocking this ability, generally, requires you to step outside of your typical thought framework and to bypass your own self-imposed boundaries. You need to open yourself up to the idea that you CAN create any reality for yourself that you choose… even if it means taking your already successful business and making it even more successful. If you believe that this will happen, to the point where you don’t really see how anything else is possible, then you will begin to feel what it means to unlock your inner power. To go through life with an attitude so positive that you literally don’t see failure as an option is going to make ALL the difference in the world. In order to unlock this power, you need to stop setting yourself up for failure! Stop being surprised when things work out. Don’t plan on failure… plan on DOING until what you envision for yourself is accomplished. "It is never too late to be what you might have been." - George Eliot Using you inner power to stick to your game-plan If you already have a game plan, then using your inner power to accomplish it will make it far more likely to succeed. First, you need to realize, within yourself, that failure is not an option. You can literally accomplish ANYTHING if you set your mind to it… so don’t think for a moment that your game plan might lead you to a less than ideal outcome. If you have put thought into it, believe in it, and can see it working in your mind, then you are set up for success, IF you do not allow doubt and negativity to creep back into your mind. It is important to remember that setbacks and small roadblocks are going to occur… and many people come to these small problems and give up. They get burnt out, and they believe that the small problems are signs that their plans are not going to work… but this is the biggest mistake that you could ever make! Roadblocks and problems are not really signs of failure… they are signs of opportunity! Every time you encounter a problem and fix or bypass it, you are perfecting your vision and your plan. This won’t change the fact that you are going to be successful; this is just the journey to success that everyone needs to take to some degree. Sticking to your game plan, even when you face roadblocks and problems, is going to feed your inner power. When you can continue to visualize the end result actually occurring, then you can continue to move forward. And when you can stay strong enough to keep doubt from creeping into your mind, then you will finally begin to realize the extent of the inner power within you. To go through each day KNOWING that you, at the end, are going to be an even bigger success than you are now is the ABSOLUTE key to achieving whatever you set your mind to. Also, keep in mind that there is not necessarily anything magical or mystical about your inner power. The simple fact is that most people lack the resolve to k

There is no doubt that things change as time goes by… but never have things (especially pertaining to business) advanced as rapidly as they do now. With technology evolving and changing on a day to day basis, it can be a challenge to keep up. Marketing, communication, networking, technology, infrastructure… all of these are areas that are constantly affected by the metamorphosis of who we are as humans, and how we do business with one another. Keeping up with the business world can be a challenge, but it is definitely possible. In fact, those who are the most successful at business in the long run are usually those who are good at adapting to changes as they take place in the world around them. Regardless of what type of business you are in, you are probably going to be hard-pressed to run it without adapting to new technologies as you progress. Communication is Only the Beginning If anything has changed in the last twenty years, it has been communications. Businesses now communicate with other businesses, employees, and potential clients in ways that were unheard of just a few short years ago. There was a time (and not that long ago, either) when you mailed checks with order forms if you needed a product from a store far away. There was also a time when landline telephones were a primary method of communication. Do you remember the days when the fax machine was a revolutionary way to receive information on short notice? Even these modern-day wonders have been all but replaced by the advent of newer and more effective technologies. Where we used to rely on catching people at home on the landline phone, or leaving a voice mail on the physical voice mail machine, we now all carry cell phones that make us reachable 24/7. Instead of fax machines, we use texting and email to send instant written messages back and forth. Even face-to-face meetings have changed! With services like Skype available to anyone, you can have a face-to-face meeting with your colleague, virtual employee, client, or prospective client from the other side of the world in real time! How can you keep up with these changes? How do you know what is being used and what is just a passing fad? These are great questions, and the answers are not as difficult to figure out as you might think. Staying Current in a Changing World The first thing to remember about staying current is to pay attention to growing and changing trends. Listen to your employees, mentors, and peers. Find out what other businesses are doing. Be active on social media websites and try to get as much information as you can about new technologies. And, surprisingly, listening to your kids or to other younger people is often an overlooked way to hear about newer changes first. Often, the younger generations are more likely to accept newer technologies and quicker to assimilate them into their lifestyle. By paying attention to what younger consumers are using, buying, and communicating with, you can usually stay pretty on top of what the next fad is going to be before it goes main-stream on a major level. In the end, the biggest thing is not being afraid to embrace new technologies or ways of doing things. A lot is going to change as you operate your business. In five years, you will likely not be doing things the same way that you are now. In twenty years, what you are doing now will most likely seem archaic by the worlds standards. What got you to where you are now is not what will take you to where you want to be. By the time you retire, you will remember back to the early days of your business, and the methods that you used to get started will seem quite ancient. The truth is that things are going to change, and unless you can commit to changing with them, you and your business are going to quickly get left behind. What Can You Do? The best way to stay current in today’s business world is to keep your eyes and ears open. Constantly be on the lookout for new things that people ar

Your success relies, at least in part, on you spending your time wisely. As a successful businessperson, you no-doubt realize that time is the most precious commodity that you could possibly possess. You also know that moving to the next stage of success will only be possible if you continue to permeate your life with good habits that will help you to make the most of your time. “Every person who has become successful has simply formed the habit of doing things that failures dislike doing and will not do.” --John Maxwell Good habits are an asset that every successful person has to develop… but doing so is not always easy. Developing great habits can be challenging, especially when old habits threaten to rise up again during times of weakness. Therefore, we are exploring 5 tips for developing and keeping great habits. This list will help to remind you of what it takes to create those great habits, and it will also help you to keep from falling back into your old routines that aren't serving you. 1… Define Your Objective Why do you want to develop a certain habit? What are you hoping to achieve by it? Before starting a new routine, it is always a good idea to figure out exactly what you hope will come of it. Are you looking to do away with a bad habit by implementing a new one? Are you looking to lose weight? Are you hoping to make more effective use of your time during the day? Figuring out exactly what you hope to accomplish will enable you to look past the difficulties that you might face. 2… Visualize Overcoming the Obstacles Every new habit is going to be tempted with obstacles. It is important to visualize exactly what might happen that could keep you from sticking to your new habits, and to figure out beforehand how you are going to deal with them. If you are trying to effectively lose weight through better eating habits, then you are going to have to find a way to deal with how to avoid caving in when your mother sends you a box of fresh-baked cookies, or you not eating desert when your spouse regularly eats it after dinner. If you are trying to develop better workout habits, then you are going to have to plan on saying no when your friends want you to skip out on a night at the gym to watch a movie. The truth is that good habits are not developed completely overnight. It is going to take some effort to implement them, so make sure that you can visualize a way to get through obstacles before they happen. Don't let these 'obstacles' be your excuse to not follow through on what you know you need to do in order to achieve the results you truly want. "View each obstacle in life as a little gift. Open it and see what is inside." - Mother Teresa 3… Stay Consistent Most good habits take effort to implement. Researchers have not really found conclusive results on how long it actually takes to develop a particular good habit, but most of the figures point to somewhere around a month, or even a little bit longer. I believe you can change a habit in 1 second - the second you choose it is no longer acceptable for it to be the way it currently is now. While you are attempting to institute a new good habit, keep in mind that there are going to be times when it is going to get difficult. In fact, there are going to be times when you mess up. If you are trying to lose weight, you are going to break your zero carb habit at least once… but this does not mean that you have to give up. A lot of people give up if they experience a slight weakness and break their new habits, even if it only happens once. It can be easy to lose heart. You can become disappointed and discouraged in yourself, and it is usually more difficult to continue on than it would be to fall back into your old ways. But it is EXTREMELY important that you remain consistent during this time. If you mess up, just move on and make it a point to do better tomorrow. You are not going to be perfect, because nobody is… so just do your best and make it a point to

Operating at the top of your game and being the very best you can be is essential to being successful. If you can find a way to always give 100%, no matter what you are doing, then you will most likely find yourself in a successful position if you keep at it long enough. But how do you continue to do your best, every single day – day in and day out? How do you keep from burning out? Burnout happens to all of us at some point along the way. We try our best in the beginning, but eventually ‘other’ things start to sneak into our mindset and overwhelm can quickly and easily take over. We allow ourselves to take shortcuts and to lose focus. We get lazy about things that are hard to focus on. We start to let quality drop in certain areas. We start to feel run-down and tired, and sometimes, we even end up losing interest in doing a great job altogether. Now we are going to explore 5 tips for always doing your best. These tips are simple, and can really help you to get on top of your game. And once you are there, they will also help you to stay there! Tip #1-Get Enough Sleep This might seem like a no-brainer, but sleep is essential to doing your best. Having enough sleep is actually so vital that you could find not getting enough of it can actually physically keep you from performing tasks at the height of your ability. A lack of sleep can not only cause drowsiness and the inability to focus, but can also result in impaired cognitive function, making it harder for you to reason and think logically. If you normally stay up late and find yourself drowsy and half-asleep in the morning, you might need to re-think your sleeping pattern. Try going to bed a half hour or an hour earlier than normal, so that you allow your brain the kind of time it needs to wake up on its own. Statistics actually show that many of us go through life sleep deprived. Imagine the difference that you could make in your life if you were fully rested and raring to go each and every day! Wouldn’t it be great if you didn’t wake up wishing you could sleep for another hour or two? Tip #2-Maintain a Healthy Diet Eating right is actually essential to doing your best. Some people have a huge problem with this. Their diet consists of soda, chips, cookies, and anything else they can get out of a vending machine or at the fast-food restaurant. A bad diet saps your energy, makes you tired, and hurts your immune system. Try going on a special whole-foods only eating plan (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, eggs, etc.). The difference can be astounding! You will not believe how much better you will feel, even if you don’t think you feel bad now. Tip #3-Get Enough Exercise By now, you might feel as though you have heard more ‘health’ tips than you care to… but that is actually a good thing! Staying healthy is the most important thing that you can do to get on top and stay on top at work, and exercising is absolutely no exception. Try to get at least twenty minutes of exercise a day, whether it is a walk around the block several times, a run on the treadmill, playing a sport with your friends, or even doing strength training exercises right in your office (sit-ups, push-ups, squats, etc.). If at all possible, try to get outdoors for your exercise, though bad weather might restrict you to the treadmill from time to time. Tip #4-Focus on Individual Tasks Doing your very best can be extremely overwhelming if you look at everything at once, which is why breaking your day down into smaller tasks can really help you. Instead of looking at your entire day, first just think about getting to work and making those revenue generation calls (the ones you may not like making but are critical to your success). Focus first and foremost on the highest payoff activities that will put you in the most advantageous position to achieve your goals. Then you can do your lower payoff activities during what I call, ‘non-prime time’. You still have to do them but they aren’t as important. This

Persistence is sort of like a ‘magic word’ when it comes to success, in my opinion. Persistence is basically the repetition or continuation of behavior, and it is an absolutely essential part of business. As a successful business owner, you no doubt have at least a pretty good idea of what it takes to be persistent, though it never hurts to revisit a subject that is this important. The whole idea of persistence revolves around the fact that motivation has a tendency to wax and wane a bit as time goes by. Persistence is a behavior that can be learned, but it is also a behavior which will render this troublesome waxing and waning of your motivation harmless in the long run, which is why it is so instrumental to expanding your current level of success. However, since persistence is an attribute of longevity, it can take some strength of mind and some psychological fortitude to really believe in it enough to make a commitment to practice it day after day. We are now going to discuss 4 steps to building persistent behavior. Following these steps will help you with the process of more consistently being a persistent person so you can experience even better results. Step #1… Realize That Motivation Is Not Enough Getting motivated is a great way to start your day, but unless you are an enigma with an endless supply of motivation… you are going to experience some downtimes. The sad truth is that, to put it quite bluntly, motivation is GOING to fail you at some point or another. A lot of people will look at a lack of motivation and think to themselves that maybe they are not doing the right thing. They will wonder why they used to be so excited about it, only to now believe that they have lost their excitement forever. This can be a big problem if you do not know exactly what is going on. Motivation, very typically, comes and goes much like the waves on a sandy beach. One day, you might be filled with motivation. You might feel like you could conquer the world. But, as time goes by, you may notice this motivation begin to leave you. At some point, you will realize that the tide has completely gone out. You will feel drained, exhausted, discouraged, and you may even have thoughts about wanting to give up. These are the typical ups and downs that you will experience in business, and this is EXACLTY why you need persistence! Without it, you would be more likely to act on these highs and lows instead of just riding through them and moving forward to persevere. Step #2… Focus on Your Big Goals Persistence will be a lot easier to achieve if you stay focused on your big goals. Think of the upsides to what you are doing. Imagine where you will be when you finally DO succeed at your highest level. You have been working for it, and you are going to have to continue to work towards it… but the good news is that, if you stay persistent and keep going, despite occasional lapses in motivation, you will be MUCH more likely to achieve that next level of success! In fact, persistence is such a HUGE common denominator among successful businesses, that ‘when’ is actually a better question to ask than ‘if’. Step #3… Learn and Adapt Persistence is not JUST about doing what you do without changing. In fact, trying to do the same thing, day after day, while expecting different results is not at all what persistence is about. Being persistent is not JUST about continuing onward. It is also about growing, adapting, and changing to get better at what you are doing. If you are continuing in what you are doing, but NEVER get good results, then you might need to change and/or adapt to better meet the needs of your potential clients. Step #4… Recognize That the Results of Persistence Can Be Long Term in Coming Finally, you need to remember that the results of your persistence might not be evident for a while, especially if you are in the early stages of a project or a new expansion. You need to give things some time to work. For example, being discou

A limiting belief is a belief that holds you back from realizing your full potential. They can be hard to spot, but for those who suffer from them, they can be very debilitating and troublesome. So how do you identify them, and how do you change them? The first thing that we will talk about is how to spot them. How to Identify a ‘Limiting Belief’ A limiting belief is almost always a negative thing. It usually manifests itself as a sub-conscious thought that keeps you from trying something. Most of the time, such a belief causes you to give up before you try, simply because you believe that you are no good at. An example could be math… if you have a limiting belief that you are ‘bad at math’, then you may not even attempt to comprehend an in-depth math problem. Limiting beliefs usually have roots in our past experiences. Perhaps someone once told you that you were bad at it, and hearing that really affected you? Or maybe you attempted it once long ago, and failed… so now you believe that you are inherently ‘bad’ at whatever it is you tried. Maybe you took a class on it in school, and failed the class… so you believe within your own mind that there is absolutely NO way that you could ever be good at that particular subject. Maybe you have always received 1-2 referrals every time you asked so you believe that is all you will ever get when you ask. Identifying such a belief is not always easy, but it is essential to be honest with yourself. Anything that you believe is not worth trying is usually tied to a limiting belief, and you usually believe the way you do because of something that happened in the past. How to Get Past It Getting past such a belief can be mentally challenging, because odds are good that you have spent a great deal of time avoiding it or putting yourself down about it or haven't ever thought outside the box and beyond it. Getting past such a mental roadblock can definitely be accomplished, but you have got to use logic… and you are often going to have to bypass your emotions or feelings of inferiority in the process. Begin by thinking about WHY you have this belief. Is it because of something that somebody said? Is it because of something that someone has done? Is it because you have failed at it in the past? Is it because you kept getting the same outcome you now don't expect more is possible? Any number of these things could have happened, but it is important that you do not let these things define who you are or what you can accomplish. When faced with something that you do not believe you can achieve, it is important to think about WHY you feel the way you do. Once you isolate the reason for your limiting belief, you can generally figure out whether it is all emotional, or whether it has any basis in fact. Here are some questions to ask yourself as you continue through the process… • Why do you feel like you cannot accomplish this? • What has happened that led you to limit your own ability to succeed in this area? • Is this belief based on actual facts, or mostly on emotion? • If you are not able to accomplish it now, what would it take to get you past it? • Being as logical as possible, do you believe that you could overcome this limitation if you gave yourself a few good chances, educated yourself, and practiced? • If you expected more, could you get more and be more? • Who can help you identify limiting beliefs you don't even know you have? Limiting beliefs are almost ALWAYS grounded in our emotions, and usually have little logical basis. The simple fact is this… there is almost NOTHING that you cannot accomplish if you… 1. Set your mind to it 2. Determine within yourself NOT to give up 3. Learn as much as you can 4. Expect a different, better, and bigger outcome 5. Practice until you get it right Why Is It Important To Get Rid Of Them? The biggest problem with self-imposed boundaries like this is that they can definitely hinder you from doing your best and reaching your true potential.

“What the New Year brings to you will depend a great deal on what you bring to the New Year.” This is a great quote by Vern McLellan, I think. We all have 365 days in a year. The only difference between the successful people and the mediocre is what we do with each day. We spend every second of every day doing something. Are those things moving you forward or keeping you where you currently are? Oprah Winfrey said: “Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.” To show my appreciation for you, I’m giving you a Jackpot of New Year Gifts. These are complimentary Business Accelerator Resources to Help You Achieve Your Goals in 2020 and beyond. To take advantage of all or any of these gifts, make sure to get the link from the show notes, or write it down as I say it. Go to bit.ly/2s57A4h and claim your gifts. Make 2020 your best year ever, and let me know how I can help you. Claim Your Free Business Accelerator Gifts to help you make 2020 your best year ever by going to http://bit.ly/2s57A4h or https://www.accountabilitycoach.com/complimentary-business-accelerator-resources-to-help-you-achieve-your-goals-my-jackpot-of-gifts-to-you. If you are getting value from any of Podcasts, please take a minute to leave me a short rating and review. I would really appreciate it, and love to hear from you and requests for topics you would find of value. Aim for what you want each and every day! Anne Bachrach The Accountability Coach™ The Results Accelerator™ Get your daily Accountability Minute shot of a single, simple, doable idea, so you can start your day off on the "right foot", subscribe to it based on your country. The Accountability Minute on Amazon's Alexa in the USA: https://www.amazon.com/Accountability-Minute-Anne-Bachrach/dp/B07F5H2KGB The Accountability Minute on Alexa in Canada: https://amzn.to/2MpvUmx The Accountability Minute on Alexa in Australia: https://amzn.to/2vQqI4i The Accountability Minute on Alexa in UK: https://amzn.to/2MayU9v To help you stay focused and on track to achieving your goals, check out these other high-value resources. - Subscribe to my YouTube channel with business success principles (https://www.youtube.com/annebachrach) - Subscribe to my high-value Blog (https://www.accountabilitycoach.com/blog/) - Anne’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/TheAccountabilityCoach) - Anne’s Linked-in page https://www.linkedin.com/in/annebachrach - Connect with me on Pinterest (https://pinterest.com/resultsrule/) - Connect with me on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/annebachrach/) Take advantage of all the complimentary business tips and tools by joining the Free Silver Membership on https://www.accountabilitycoach.com/coaching-store/inner-circle-store/. Check out all the great free high-content training web classes, by going to https://www.accountabilitycoach.com/free-articles/free-webinars/. Go to https://www.accountabilitycoach.com to check out for yourself how I, as your Accountability Coach™, can help you get and stay focused on you highest payoff activities that put you in the highest probability position to achieve your professional and personal goals, so you can enjoy the kind of business and life you truly want and deserve. As an experienced accountability coach and author of 5 books, I help business professionals make more money, work less, and enjoy even better work life balance. Check out my proven business accelerator resources by going to https://www.accountabilitycoach.com/coaching-store/. Author of Excuses Don’t Count; Results Rule, Live Life with No Regrets, No Excuses, and the Work Life Balance Emergency Kit, The Roadmap To Success with Stephen Covey and Ken Blanchard, and more.

Happy Holiday! Claim Your Business Acceleration Free Gifts! I’d like to take a minute to thank you for listening to The Accountability Coach Podcast, sharing my podcast with others you think would get value, and for leaving me ratings and reviews. To show my appreciation for you and for this Holiday Season, I’m giving you a Jackpot of Gifts. These are complimentary Business Accelerator Resources to Help You Achieve Your Goals in 2020 and beyond. To take advantage of all or any of these gifts, make sure to get the link from the show notes, or write it down as I say it. Go to bit.ly/2Rt2FVd and claim all your free gifts. I’m wishing you and your family the very happiest of holidays. Continue to let me know how I can be of service to you, and if you have any special requests for topics. I’m always happy to hear from you. Claim Your Free Business Acceleration Gifts to help you make 2020 your best year ever by going to http://bit.ly/2Rt2FVd or https://www.accountabilitycoach.com/complimentary-high-value-resources-to-help-you-accelerate-your-2015-results-my-new-year-jackpot-gifts-to-you/. If you are getting value from any of Podcasts, please take a minute to leave me a short rating and review. I would really appreciate it, and love to hear from you and requests for topics you would find of value. Aim for what you want each and every day! Anne Bachrach The Accountability Coach™ The Results Accelerator™ Get your daily Accountability Minute shot of a single, simple, doable idea, so you can start your day off on the "right foot", subscribe to it based on your country. The Accountability Minute on Amazon's Alexa in the USA: https://www.amazon.com/Accountability-Minute-Anne-Bachrach/dp/B07F5H2KGB The Accountability Minute on Alexa in Canada: https://amzn.to/2MpvUmx The Accountability Minute on Alexa in Australia: https://amzn.to/2vQqI4i The Accountability Minute on Alexa in UK: https://amzn.to/2MayU9v To help you stay focused and on track to achieving your goals, check out these other high-value resources. - Subscribe to my YouTube channel with business success principles (https://www.youtube.com/annebachrach) - Subscribe to my high-value Blog (https://www.accountabilitycoach.com/blog/) - Anne’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/TheAccountabilityCoach) - Anne’s Linked-in page https://www.linkedin.com/in/annebachrach - Connect with me on Pinterest (https://pinterest.com/resultsrule/) - Connect with me on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/annebachrach/) Take advantage of all the complimentary business tips and tools by joining the Free Silver Membership on https://www.accountabilitycoach.com/coaching-store/inner-circle-store/. Check out all the great free high-content training web classes, by going to https://www.accountabilitycoach.com/free-articles/free-webinars/. Go to https://www.accountabilitycoach.com to check out for yourself how I, as your Accountability Coach™, can help you get and stay focused on you highest payoff activities that put you in the highest probability position to achieve your professional and personal goals, so you can enjoy the kind of business and life you truly want and deserve. As an experienced accountability coach and author of 5 books, I help business professionals make more money, work less, and enjoy even better work life balance. Check out my proven business accelerator resources by going to https://www.accountabilitycoach.com/coaching-store/. Author of Excuses Don’t Count; Results Rule, Live Life with No Regrets, No Excuses, and the Work Life Balance Emergency Kit, The Roadmap To Success with Stephen Covey and Ken Blanchard, and more.

Time management is an art that a lot of successful entrepreneurs have mastered, and for good reason. Since time is your most precious commodity, it would only make sense that you would put effort into using it as efficiently as possible. Time is an interesting resource because everyone in the world really has the same amount of it each day. Some of us choose to use it one way, while others choose to use it in different ways. As a successful professional, you have no doubt realized that time management is essential to getting everything done, but do you know that practicing efficiency in this manner also has other benefits? Using your time wisely can offer you a lot of positives that will help you in other ways, which is exactly what this Podcast is about. We are going to explore four ways in which time management can help you as you progress to the next level of success. You might be surprised to learn how beneficial it can be to ‘watch the clock’ while you go about your day! "We cannot waste time. We can only waste ourselves." -- George Matthew Adams 1. Time Management Principles Give You Control Over Your Life Time management actually allows you more control over your life. By planning ahead and figuring out how you are going to fit everything in, you are allowing yourself more control over what actually gets done. Prioritizing the things that you planned can help you to get them out of the way quickly and easily, thus making more room in life for the things that you would rather be doing. A lot of people fail to remember that time is going to get used up every day, no matter what you do. Whether you get a lot done or not, you are STILL going to have 24 less hours than you did the day before. This is why it is so essential to make sure that you are controlling your own destiny by mapping out how you want to get things accomplished. Moving on to the next level of success is going to depend on you being in absolute control of your life. If you cannot even control your time, how do you think that you are going to be able to control anything else? Time management principles can DEFINITELY help with this! "A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life." - Charles Darwin 2. Time Management Principles Allow You to Be Even More Productive By looking ahead and managing your time effectively, you will surely begin to notice that your productivity level will increase as well. Putting time management principles into place will not only help you to make the best use of your time, but can also allow you to get a LOT more accomplished! As you efficiently manage your time and organize your tasks in order of importance, you will be able to focus on the most important and maybe the least favorite things first. This will eliminate the temptation to put important things off, and will, as a result, cause you to get more done in the allotted time. "Time is more valuable than money. You can get more money, but you cannot get more time." - Jim Rohn 3. Time Management Principles Allow You to Be More Successful As an established, successful professional, you undoubtedly have a taste of what it is like to get results from your ideas… but there is ALWAYS another level to conquer! Using time management principles on a consistent basis in your life will give you an advantage as you navigate your next serious set of goals and objectives. Having a certain amount of time to work with each day means that using your time wisely is of EXTREME importance… but the good news is that, to those who DO enact time management principles on a CONSISTENT basis, success usually doesn’t loom far behind. "Always concentrate on the most valuable use of your time. This is what separates the winners from the losers.” - Brian Tracy 4. Time Management Principles Give You a Sense of Personal Fulfillment At the end of the day, one of the best things about effective time management is how good it makes you feel about yourself. Wi

When it comes to business, consistency is absolutely a key to success. Becoming and staying as consistent as you need to be to achieve your goals is not always easy, but it is a behavior that anyone involved in business would do well to learn and apply. The truth is that more businesses fail than succeed. Statistically, the odds of any new business actually 'making it' and becoming profitable enough to sustain itself are slim. But how can you overcome the odds? What can you do to propel your business to a place where it can not only be successful, but also grow and prosper? To accomplish success on this level, you need to embody several behaviors and habits, but one of the most crucial of these is consistency. If you can learn to be consistent, then your talent can be fully realized and your ideas can be given a fair chance of working. You would be amazed at how many businesses, started by talented and intelligent people, fail because they neglect to continue in their good habits, day in and day out. A lot of factors come into play, but there is no substitute for being determined, reliable, and consistent. Becoming the ‘Model of Success’ One of the key concepts to understand, as it relates to consistency, lies in the idea that you need to 'become what you desire to become'. In other words, don't just hope that your business will succeed. Instead, start living it on a day to day basis. Embody your ideas to the point where you make them real. When you believe in you and in your business enough, you can only succeed! If your company was really busy and successful, then you would most likely need to do things a certain way to generate that result and outcome. But for a new start up, for a business that has not grown to that point yet, or even for a business that is older but hasn't grown a whole lot in past years...a lot can be accomplished by, for example, showing up to work and putting in the hours that you would be required to put in if your business were incredibly busy and successful. Being consistent in a way as simple as showing up to work, day in and day out, is often overlooked. Many people do not realize how much good a consistent presence on their part can do for their business, even if they have employees who can manage things while they are not there. For example, showing up to work and having little in the way of business actually going on might seem like a waste of time, but you can utilize down time to further your ideas in other ways, which in turn can help to expand and increase your success to the next level – and we all have a next level. For example, you could work on networking or marketing to grow your client base. You could also get into social media marketing or do more in this area, and utilize that to reach out to possible new clients who can use your products or services. There is also a need to be consistent in the areas of marketing and advertising, especially as they relate to any online ventures. Consistency in these areas has, time and time again, tied itself to successful businesses. In fact, a lot of successful people have said that it is not actually talent or a natural affinity for leadership that sets a profitable businessman apart from one that is not. The only real common denominator among those on incredibly successful levels is the fact that those who remained consistent in their endeavors, and stuck it out when things got tough, often ended up creating a more profitable business. Overnight success stories might sound fun, but you would be AMAZED at how much went on behind the scenes that the public will never know about. A lot of 'overnight success stories' were only made possible because the businesses involved remained consistent in their day to day activities, even when things were not going so well. The Benefits of Consistency By remaining consistent, you will be ready to jump at any opportunity that might come along. The restaurant owner, for example, who consistently st

Today we are going to talk about 5 Steps to Identifying and Channeling Your Motivation. Motivation can be a powerful tool, but many people struggle to ever identify, nurture, and channel it properly. In fact, if we go to the dictionary, we will see that motivation is derived from its root word, ‘motive’. So, to be motivated, you need to have a motive, which is… “Something (as a need or desire) that causes a person to act.” –Merriam-webster.com. As we see from our dictionary description, motivation is, basically, a motive that is going to cause you to act. All of us have motivations for doing what we do, but rarely is this applied to its maximum effectiveness. The truth is that a lot of people struggle to get motivated. They get in a slump, they stop trying, and eventually, motivation does not cause them to move forward… it simply serves as a hibernating survival mechanism that keeps them from falling apart. “Self-motivation is the power that raises a person to any level he seeks.” --John Maxwell But as a successful businessperson, you no doubt know that motivation plays an important role in the life of any successful person… and you should also know that learning to identify and channel your motivation can be a huge driving force that can carry you to the next level of success. But how do you use it? How do you identify it, and how do you channel it? We are doing to explore five simple steps that will give you everything you need to get started. Step #1… Identify your singular goal A lot of people fall into slumps because they are trying to do too many things all at the same time. We all have different goals in life. That cannot really be avoided… but identifying your one, true, singular goal can REALLY help to ground you and bring you back to reality. What is your purpose? What do you want to achieve? What matters more than anything else? These are questions that can help you to identify your most important goal. Once you figure out what that is, you will be well on your way to figuring out what to do next. To download my complimentary 6-page Values Clarification Exercise to help get you started on defining and getting clarity on your singular goal and your values, go to https://www.accountabilitycoach.com/values-clarification/. Step #2… Get Inspired If you have been having trouble getting and staying motivated, you might need a little bit of help in the inspiration department. Arming yourself with inspiration before focusing your energy towards what motivates you can be a great way to build momentum, belief in yourself, and faith in what you want to do. It can help to neutralize doubt and to put you in a position where you really believe in yourself. Once you are inspired and firmly believe in what you are doing, it is time to move on to the next step. Step #3… Get Excited If you are not excited about what is motivating you, then find a way to get excited about it again. Try to revisit what it was about your goals that first caused you to get excited. Try to figure out what killed your excitement, and work to neutralize it so that it will not hinder you again. Being motivated, inspired, AND excited all at once is a VERY powerful combination… and once you are at this point, you will be ready for the next step. Step #4… Get Started Whether you plan to begin moving forward today or on a date further ahead in the future, it is important that you make the leap. Now that you are motivated, inspired, and excited, it is time to use this energy to hurl you to the next level. Always remember to make a plan and stick to it, and remember that your plan should always lead you towards what is motivating you. This will make you far less likely to give up. Step #5… Be Consistent Motivation, like inspiration and excitement, can very well come and go with time. There will be times when you will feel very pumped about what you are doing, and then there will be times when you will feel like you don’t want to continue. But al

Communication is critical to every aspect of interaction with others. As a successful businessperson, you have no doubt realized the importance of communication. You know that productivity can only be achieved when proper communication has been as well. You know that nothing gets accomplished efficiently unless those in charge communicate with one another. To put it quite plainly, nothing gets done if communication doesn’t happen! But how do you communicate effectively? How do you maximize the effectiveness of your words and correspondences so that you will see RESULTS instead of wasted time and effort? That is a great question, and that is EXACTLY what we are going to talk about in this article. Why Is Communication Necessary? To understand how to get results through communication, it is important to realize why it is so necessary. When people work together on a project, for a company, or towards the same goal, they will most likely be doing different things that are related. But in order for their actions to be helpful to one another, communication needs to take place. This is, basically, what it is all about. “If you just communicate you can get by. But if you skillfully communicate, you can work miracles.” --Jim Rohn Learn To Listen Listening is a key factor when it comes to communicating effectively. I once heard that our brains naturally begin formulating a response to what is said to us after an average of about 15 seconds of hearing someone else speak. That is usually not enough time! Make sure that you are controlling both your ears AND your mouth when someone is speaking to you. Once they are done, you can answer their question or react accordingly. This not only shows respect, but will also keep you from missing information and giving uninformed instructions. Effective communication can only be accomplished when both parties are open to listening to each other. Don’t Withhold Information Sometimes, as a leader, it can be tempting to task someone to do something without giving them as much information as you have available. You might think, in your mind, that there is no reason for them to know any more than the absolute minimum. Or, you might think that their job is not to ‘know’ what you know, but rather to blindly ‘do as you say’. While this is an understandable frame of mind, to a point, you will doubtlessly find that you will become a better communicator if you tell your subordinates as much as possible as it pertains to what they are doing. By providing clear and accurate information, you are not only motivating them and helping them to understand the situation, but you are effectively filling them in on exactly WHY you are saying what you are saying… both of which are fantastic advantages to have when you are attempting to communicate effective instructions to someone else. Be Courteous Yes, you might be the boss… but that definitely does not give you a reason to be a jerk to your subordinates. Being courteous and polite is, by far, the best way to get results from those around you. If you find it incredibly hard to be nice to people, then you might want to re-examine your priorities or delegate out the task of dealing with others to someone else. Being courteous will get you results… being a jerk will not. Subordinates who are treated without respect or decency usually end up resenting those in authority over them. This can lead to them, in general, not caring whether the job is done right or not. Subordinates who are treated with respect, on the other hand, are usually much more apt to do their best. Seek To Understand Others One of the biggest mistakes that most people make is in not taking the time to understand the person who they are trying to communicate with. Whether it is a disgruntled employee, an angry client, or a bewildered colleague, it is of the utmost importance that you make sure to understand the point of view of the person in front of you before you try to make yourself unders