Blog ~ Page 12 of 37 ~ Committed to Your Success Coaching & Consulting

January 20, 2020

Routines and Discipline Are the Key to Get the Results You Want

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Several years ago, a former business client of mine had been very frustrated that her online business was not going the way she had wanted. When she sought out my services, she reported that she felt confused as to why her business was not going the way she wanted it to; she had some clients but found that her customers were not consistent in their spending and buying habits. She wanted to gain more revenue and expand her online services.

However, as we assessed her business framework, it became apparent that a big part of the inconsistent results she was finding was due to her lack of self-discipline as a business owner. While she wanted her business to grow, her activities were lacking, meaning that she did not have her own personal “system” in place that would keep her focused and motivated to build her business. See if these “mistakes” you are guilty of and the solutions to get you on the right track:

No Written Focus – this can be your mission statement or the “why” of your business. While my client had great ideas for her business, she did not have many of them written down. Without a mission focus, you won’t know how or where you want your business to go. You will be aiming but not towards anything specific and it will take you twice as long to grow.
No Written Plan – without a written plan for your business, you are doomed to fail. The business plan is your road-map that lays out all parts of your business and how you plan to market your services.
No Systems – everything you do is a system; how you gain leads to how you close the sale to how you develop your programs and services. Knowing the steps you take in each area of your business will save you time and money as you take the same steps with each client. A system also shows your clients that you are customer-service focused and a valid business entity.
No Personal Discipline – having all of the above is effective for your business but if you don’t take it seriously, you will see slow or poor results and become frustrated and disillusioned. Self-discipline behaviors include: waking at the same time in the morning; having clear daily task lists and staying focused until they are completed; setting financial goals and balancing the books; setting daily, weekly and monthly goals for the number of clients you want/need to contact and your results; not checking emails or iPhone until the most important tasks are done; taking rest breaks to ensure you are refreshed and recharged to do your best work.
No Commitment – like my client, you might have the best intentions and are taking action but your efforts are rather noncommital. It’s like you are “half-in/half-out”, as some days you are full-on while at others times you feel ambivalent and willing to take the status-quo. Being committed means that you fully believe in what you do and are willing to do what it takes.

Once my client recognized these negatives, she was willing and able to correct and overcome them. We refined a new vision and mission for her business and wrote a simple plan that consisted of clear goals and activities that would help her accomplish them. She recommitted to her business with renewed passion and excitement and mapped out how she was going to spend her days. There was no ambivalence or questioning where her business was going. A year later, she is doing well and her life and business are thriving; she developed the discipline habits that made it happen. You can, too!

Your Weekly Action Plan

Begin this week to assess your commitment and self-discipline for all areas of your life, such as your business, your career, your finances, your eating or exercise habits, and your mindset. See where you can commit to improve and implement at least one positive step. Write those down and focus on them daily. Monitor your progress at the end of each day and reaffirm your commitment.

I hope you have a successful week – If you need help gaining clarity on your business or career goals, or in developing your action plan, why not get some help – stop the struggle and call today to get started. I’d love to help you build the career and business of your dreams!

January 13, 2020

Monday Success Tips: Feel Stuck? Use the Rule of 10-10-10

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Ever feel stuck? When balancing work and life, keeping the focus on your newly set goals and desires – all the things you truly want – can be a bit frustrating in trying to keep them in your awareness and in being reachable. It seems that we get programmed to think more on what we don’t want and we use language that speaks to this:

“I don’t want to have to struggle paying my bills each month”

“I want a new job but no one is hiring right now”

“I don’t like how I feel – I’ll start working out later”

Using words that are negative and detrimental to the psyche only will keep you down and doing the very things you don’t want to. Here is a very easy exercise to get you out of the “muckies” and get you leaving them behind. If your situation(s) are truly frustrating you, then the answers should wake you up.

This is called the 10-10-10 Rule; think of your issue and the ‘pain level’ of not working on it, and ask yourself the following questions:

If I don’t work on my current issue, will it make a difference in 10 minutes?
If I don’t work on my current issue, will it make a difference in 10 months?
If I don’t work on my current issue, will it make a difference in 10 years?

For example, if you are really unhappy in your job, and the pain level brings you sleepless nights, anxiety, anger, etc. asking these questions should help you to decide that even 10 more minutes of experiencing these symptoms is detrimental to your health and you will make the decision to look for a new job. If you didn’t any action, do you want to be in the same place in 10 more months or 10 more years?

Hopefully, the answers will lead you to see that you need to make some big changes; looking at the ‘dark side’ of your situation will no longer be an option. You now have the decision to do something about your life and the direction you want it to go. 10-10-10 is a simple but powerful tool to move you forward and get the end results you want in your life.

Your Weekly Action Plan

This week, list all the things you don’t want (job, finances, relationships, health, etc.) and assess them for importance; assign a number for the level of pain – how frustrated you are – to them. Now, apply the 10-10-10 questions to see which one(s) pains you the most. Write out exactly what you DO want in clear terms and what steps you need to take to get it – put a date to start and to achieve. When you feel tempted to give up because ‘it’s too hard,” keep the 10-10-10 questions in mind – they should help you remember the pain and spur you to keep taking action,

I hope you have a successful week – If you need help in your leadership role, or for your team, why not get some help; stop the struggle and call today to get started. I’d love to help you get the confidence you need and create a culture your employees will love.

January 6, 2020

Monday Success Tip: Beating Resistance on Goals

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Happy Monday! Now that the holidays are over, today feels like the ‘official’ start of the new year. This is typically the time to start taking action on goals that are set. Getting- and keeping – motivation is the key to following through on those set action.

But, motivation can ebb and fade. It all comes down to resistance, which can look like a time when you had a project that you needed to complete but you procrastinate, or you don’t return a phone call or, worse, not pick up the phone. There is something going on in a deeper level that is blocking you from doing the things you either want or need to do.

It really comes down to change and moving away from the comfort zones we get into; when we want to move out of this ‘zone,’ the brain and body have a way of trying to pull you back into safety which means you will continue to think and behave the way you have.

All this does is sabotage your mood, your thinking, and your success. Eventually, it will take a toll on your money and your relationships; it’s like a vortex you go down and, without addressing it, you might not get out of.

So, how do you stop and reverse this bad habit (yes, habit)? Here are three ways to do so:

I would recommend taking time to sit in deep reflection as to what you are thinking, feeling, doing when it comes to your work (it could be any task) – do you worry you won’t have enough time, money, support; do you think it won’t be ‘good enough’ or will be rejected; are you doing this task because you think it’s important or for someone else. Answering these will get to the root of the matter – now you can do something about it
Changing your mindset is critical in order to change your conscious thinking; I encourage you to write down your belief and then ask yourself if you absolutely know it to true (ala The Work). Challenging your negative beliefs will help you to see that it is your belief and not that of others. If you didn’t have that thought – what would you be?
Rewrite any negatives into a positive so it becomes more motivating, compelling, and easy for your brain to accept. By bringing the unconscious thought to consciousness, it loses its appeal and opens you up to coming up with all kinds of possibilities to deal with it.

I have been using these techniques and can tell you they are effective. I also would add to put some downtime – self-care and fun – in the mix as this will also open up your creative mind and level of happiness. Both are essential to moving forward and being accomplished.

See change as positive and focus on the benefits you will received when you have that goal. This is a great way to move past any resistance and develop the habit of embracing changes in your life. Doing so makes you unstoppable.

Your Weekly Action Plan

Begin this week to take stock of any tasks or projects, or times, that you find you are hesitating/procrastinating/avoiding doing. Use the steps above to figure out “why” and do the exercises to stop any bad habits and begin to develop ones that will lead you to the life you desire.

December 31, 2019

Choose Your Power Word(s) for 2020

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Choose your words tiles

Welcome to 2020 and Happy New Year’s Eve! I hope have some plans to ring in the new year and that they include time with family and friends. How you end the year can determine how your year plays out. Starting with a good mindset is key to moving your forward and keeping the motivation high

As I’ve done in the past, it is time to choose a word to set the tone and direction for how I want my year to go; I have to admit that this year was a bit harder for some reason.

In the past, these are words I have had:

Determined – as opposed to intentions, I am determined to work on the goals I’ve set, both personally and professionally. Being determined is way more powerful than intending to do something so I want to send the ‘right’ message to my brain; this way, it will act on what I’ve chosen to focus on much more powerfully.
Inspire – my mission is to inspire individuals to choose to be the best they can be; I see so many of my clients (and my students) who have no idea how awesome they are and that is why I want to bring their self-awareness into clarity so they can go after everything they want in their lives.
Believe – I’ve written on this before, which is the concept of self-efficacy; if you don’t truly believe that you can accomplish all that you say you want and desire then you have no chance of fully getting them done in the way you intended. Having full belief impels you taken action.

A few others include Carpe Diem and Do It Now! I actually have little whiteboard easels that I write on and have near my computer so I can be inspired while I work.

This year, as I mentioned, was a struggle but I’ve decided on the work ‘Emerge’ which, to me, means coming out from under any shadows I’ve hidden behind; this means doing videos (which scare me), starting a podcast, and upscaling my business.

Emerge means “to move of or away from something and come into view; to become apparent, important, or prominent” (Oxford Dictionary). I want to be all of those descriptions.

One other I would add is ‘Be a Disruptor,’ meaning to shake things up and do things differently. My desire is to reformulate how work is done – moving away from the traditional ways and going more towards happier and higher performing workplaces. Considering engagement levels are still low, around 34% (Gallup, 2019), something needs to be done.

So those are my words for this year – now it’s time for you to set yours (if you haven’t done so). Doing this exercise will really ramp-up your motivation and effort so let’s get started!

Your Weekly Action Plan

If you haven’t, take time to sit and reflect on a word, several words, or a phrase that has deep meaning and that you would like to reflect how you live your days in this new year. Some examples include: “no excuses;’ ‘Carpe Diem (Seize the Day);” “Truth;” and “Monetize.” Once you determine your word(s) and direction write and post it where you can focus on it daily as a reminder. Keep focus on them by saying or writing them loudly every day – soon, you will have them embedded in your brain and they will become a positive habit you won’t have to think about. But your results will be extraordinary. In life, mindset matters. Be safe out there tonight!

If you need help gaining clarity on your business or career goals, or in developing your action plan, why not get some help – stop the struggle and call today to get started. I’d love to help you build the career and business of your dreams!

December 30, 2019

10 Job Search Resolutions to Set for 2020

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10 Job Search Resolutions to Set for 2020

As we are ready to ring in the New Year, this is a time of renewed hope and planning for areas that we want to either improve upon or to alter in some way. Perhaps it is to lose weight, run a marathon or take up skydiving. Others may want to start a business or to get a promotion.

For a majority out there, it means becoming employed, which can include finding a job, changing jobs, or getting a promotion. Despite the unemployment rate being low, there is still a lag time in hiring with finding the ‘right’ candidate and competition for jobs.

Here are 10 career resolutions to make – but set them intentionally so you will keep at them and succeed:

Set the intention – decide on finding a new job, keeping your current one, moving up the ladder or being a better employee
Commit – make the commitment to the process, to doing the work, to finding the tools and resources you need to help you on the journey. Realize it can take a while to find the right job so stay the course
Assess – write down your skills, talents, abilities, etc. and the type of organization you want to work in; it will help you to have a clearer idea on what you have to offer and where you want to make a difference
Research – get on the internet for job boards, news briefings, etc. for information on who hires for the position you want and then research the company to determine their culture and the state of the industry; talk to people who work in those jobs or organizations to gather more information
Set career goals – writing your specific goals will help you to get clearer, focused and motivated. Write the type of job or position you want, the salary you want to earn with an end-date to accomplish
Action Steps – develop those daily activities you will commit to that will get you to your goal. Some examples include: spend 60 minutes on job boards, attend 2 networking meetings, set-up 3 informational interviews. Having these specific and measurable will drive you to complete them
Develop a job-search strategy – these are the daily job activities you will use to find your next job, and include: job boards, published positions, unpublished positions, networking, professional associations, alumni associations, friends/family, direct contacts, news events, recruiters/headhunters, chat sites, company websites, trade journals, and social networking sites (LinkedIn, Facebook, Connections, etc.)
Set up an activity log – this is your tracking system of how your time is spent in job-search mode and the results of these activities
Self-care – looking for a job can take an emotional toll so be sure to schedule time on activities that will help you to keep your emotional level up, such as exercise, meditating, gardening, or reading industry-related professional journals or motivational books
Develop a support system – find people who will support you during this time, such as family, friends, a career support group, or a career coach

With effort and a positive mindset, you can land that perfect job and start the new year off right.

If you’re ready to rev-up your success factor and make 2020 the best for you, or your team, call today for a free discovery/strategy session to learn how.