Vision is seeing the future you are creating.  It doesn’t matter what your current reality is, at least not for this exercise. The truth is you will create whatever you envision. So, see something good!

Begin with this simple vision process:

1. Imagine for a moment you are sitting down to coffee with a friend, someone that you are willing to open up to and share your biggest successes. It’s 1 year from today. (You can choose any time frame you desire but I recommend one year or less.)
   
   
2. Speak your biggest successes that have come to pass. Speak as if these things have already happened.
   
   
3. Focus on the feelings. Focus on the joy and the excitement. As Mike Dooley says, "do not get lost in the ‘cursed hows’". You can share details as long as they excite you and help you imagine it is real.

A few things to remember:

• This is not a laundry list. It is a vision of your future! You will create the reality you envision. If you envision something dull, or if you assign upset, sad or frustrated feelings to it, you will create that reality. 
  
  
• This is an opportunity to see a life that is bigger and more fabulous than what you had previously expected. There are no constraints on your imagination. Don’t artificially put them there, and don’t censor yourself.
  
  
• I find it helpful to start with, “I am so excited  to share all that has happened over the last 12 months. This year has been tremendous…”
  
  
• Stand up, speak out loud and feel the emotions in your body.
  
  
• When you are finished, write it down. You will be pleasantly surprised when you review your vision after a time and see what you have created. Often, what you create happens faster and better than your original vision.
  
  
• Spend 16 seconds to  2 minutes a day creating your vision. No more!
  
  
• Pull one idea from this vision that you can make a reality now.  One phone call, one email, one book to read, something. Do it!
  
  
• Be the person in the vision. Dress, speak, smell, live like the future you. Do as much as you can without going into debt to do so.

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See the future you are creating.  
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Vision.

Today's message comes from Ryan McShane, of HRevolution, LLC. Enjoy!

When you vibe with someone, the relationship interactions have the characteristics of being natural, flowing and complimentary.  When you’re not quite “vibing” with others the interactions are forced, uncomfortable and typically lead to more confusion. This brings us back to the article’s title, “How can you put more vibe in your tribe?”

Work can be one of the most fulfilling undertakings in life! When alignment of skill, passion and environment (culture) occur, one is most likely to be fully engaged. Fully engaged employees will apply every effort to obtain defined results, while unengaged employees will only provide as much effort as will enable them to be compliant and fly under the radar. Interestingly, active dis-engagement literally creates sabotage amongst the workforce. Actively disengaged employees must be identified and addressed immediately to avoid significant financial and relational harm across the workforce.

However, when we are vibing with our tribe, we operate as a synergistic team, whereby each individual makes a contribution to the whole and each contribution is complimentary to others within the team and to the designed purpose or overall objective. Simply put, the tribe that vibes, accomplishes more!

We can put more “vibe in our tribe” when we identify and address 3 engagement factors across our workforce: Focus, Motivation and Energy.

Put More Vibe in your Tribe with:

1. Focus: Create greater focus by ensuring all roles within the team or organization have a thorough understanding of how their respective duties and relational interactions impact the purpose and mission of the organization. Each position from bottom to top in the hierarchy needs to see the connection between their role and overall accomplishment of purpose. Otherwise, the role begins to lack meaning; resulting in a lack of focus on details and outcomes.  

Note- the younger generations of talent are highly altruistic, seeking to work for organizations making a difference in the lives and wellbeing of others. Focused engagement of talent requires continuous alignment of function to organizational purpose. Where these are aligned and well understood, great focus and engagement typically exist!

2. Motivation: By identifying the extrinsic and intrinsic motivators of your workforce leaders are able to guide staff to operate productively, efficiently and aligned with organizational values and purpose. Some may be motivated by money, titles or perks, while others are motivated by autonomy, flexibility, alignment of passion to purpose and other “feeling” based or intrinsic motivators. 

Leaders are charged with understanding how their employees are motivated and reach each single person, as well as motivate the whole workforce under their charge. While we know one size does not fit all when it comes to motivation, it remains necessary to identify just what does motivate each and ensure those elements are present for each. Relationships developed through 1-on-1 meetings between supervisor and subordinate are a great way to uncover motivations and values and begin using these personal motivators to leverage talent’s capabilities and impact to organizational purpose.

3. Energy: Staff will provide as much discretionary energy in equal relation to the amount of engagement felt individually and collectively across the organization. In other words, energy corresponds to engagement! The more engagement the more energy may be released conducive to contributing to achievement of individual and collective goals.  

One of the single best ways to engage (and therefore focus energy on achievement) is to provide flexibility in how accomplishments are achieved.  Providing a “say” in the “how”, enables employees to take ownership in the “what” of what is achieved.

When the tribe vibes, members are focused, motivated and energized to achieve their purpose.  

A clear focus, understanding of motivations and attention to energy are 3 simple steps to avoid confusion, lack of commitment and most detrimental, lack of accomplishment.   

Want to put more vibe in your tribe?  

For support in team building, effective supervision, leadership, on-boarding, recruitment and selection, leadership development, career support and more contact your local HR small business resource, HRevolution, LLC at 410-688-5054 or RMcShane@HRevolutionllc.com.

The truth is, it’s impossible to focus.

You may have experienced this. You have a need or desire to think deeply on a subject, but interruptions from all sides keep your focus and attention at surface level. You may also find that it takes you a long time to reach that deep focus state and that you are disoriented if you come out of that deep focus from unnatural causes (like a phone ringing).
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Focus is a precious gift and is hard to come by. Whether working from a home office, private office or in a busy workplace, interruptions are constant. We have trained our brains to operate on a surface-only level. In spite of overwhelming evidence, we continue to try to ‘multitask’, getting less and less done in longer amounts of time. 

At the most recent National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO) Conference, I attended a session by Certified Professional Organizer Debbie Rosemont entitled, “Multitasking Makes You Stupid”. Debbie led the group in an exercise where we wrote down the numbers 1-26 alternating with the letters of the alphabet. 
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I am really fast at writing. I thought I would “win” this contest, and in a way, I did. The time it took me to complete the task was shorter that most others in the group. But, then Debbie asked us to write down consecutively first the numbers 1-26 and then all the letters of the alphabet.  When I FOCUSED and limited myself to one task at a time, I was able to write the sequence TWICE AS FAST! What!? I truly did not expect that result.

I wondered, where else am I splitting my attention in such a way that my efforts are significantly slower than if I simply focused? In sports, the difference between winning and losing is often a fraction of a second. We never even hear about the athletes that cannot focus. But what about in life? What are you missing out on? What race are you not even a part of because you are constantly training yourself to switch gears, making your efforts take twice as long?  Even at your fastest you are still slow.
Research shows that the more we switch between tasks, the less we are able to focus such that we have to re-train our brains for focused work. 

But, it can be done.  

It starts by giving yourself time and boundaries to focus on one task at a time. That means turning off the phone, shutting off notifications, letting people know you are unavailable and giving yourself 20 minutes to get a task done.  

Unfocused tasks take you twice as long OR MORE to complete. Do you really want to be working on that proposal for 3 hours? Or would you rather knock it out in 1 hour and still have time to follow up with 5 people?
The truth about staying focused is that it requires establishing intentional boundaries against distractions so that you can actually create more time in your day.   

We could all use a bit more of that especially when it means we can rest and enjoy life more.

Today's blog post was written by my good friend, Jennifer Flynn, of The Business Maven. Enjoy!

What would it take to get more from your business?

For some business owners, this is a bit of a conundrum because they are often already feeling overworked and under-rewarded. Being an entrepreneur is not for the faint of heart. People often assume that business owners have more freedom than those that are in an employee situation. More often, the truth is, you don’t clock out….EVER.  Your business is always on your mind. If you aren’t hustling then business isn’t coming through the door and mouths don’t get fed and roofs aren’t over head, clothes aren’t on backs …you know the story. Perhaps more accurately, ‘the story that we tell”.

Is it true?

How do you know?

What if it doesn’t have to be this way?

What if you could get more out of your business so you could get more out of your life? It’s part strategy and part mindset. You have to have a clear plan of action and a clear belief that it is possible and be willing to tell the story of the outcome you want even if it goes against the grain and is the road less traveled.

What if you had a crystal clear personal vision that was in alignment with your core values and allowed for all your hopes and dreams? Your business is the vehicle by which these hopes and dreams come true. So often we get caught in the rat race of being a human ‘doing’ vs a human ‘being’ that we forget to really live. We get so bound by the work that we fail to enjoy its fruits…or even remember they exist.

I have a personal mission to help business owners get more out of each day in their business. Your day is simply your life in miniature. How do your days look? Are you counting the blessings and the joys of the accomplishments or looking at the to-do list and feeling like you fell short?

With the right systems and structures in your business you can have more freedom, more fun AND more profit. That’s right I used ‘structure and systems’ and ‘FREEDOM’ all in the same sentence. Structure is what will provide you freedom. It is the systems that give you time and energy back so you have freedom to do more. More things that make an impact, more things that bring you joy, more things that give back to the world, more things that get you closer to your personal vision and the lifestyle you want to lead… MORE EVERYTHING!

It is always my sincerest hope that people are doing things they love to earn a living or grow a business around and that you get joy in your work days. The reality is it can’t all be work. Even for those of us who can’t tell the difference between working and playing because we love our work so much…we still need time unplugged to recharge and connect with friends and love ones.

“A master in the art of living draws no sharp distinction between his work and his play; his labor and his leisure; his mind and his body; his education and his recreation. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence through whatever he is doing, and leaves others to determine whether he is working or playing. To himself, he always appears to be doing both.” —Lawrence Pearsall Jaacks

Everyone should enjoy that which he describes. It is my personal favorite quote.

Most often business owners simply lack the tools to get the most out of their bank of time and energy each day, week, month and year. Check out this FREE tool I created for you to master your time and productivity and harness the power of your business….so you can get more freedom to lead your life by design. If you want to take the implementation deeper, check out the free masterclass that comes with it.

I asked a lot of questions here…ponder them. Share in the comments below. What did you come up with? Where do you need the most support?

​I know you are busy. You are probably looking at the calendar and wondering where the year has gone.

I planned an event for you on Monday, July 23 to help you take back your time, reset your goals and make a plan to knock the rest of your year out of the ball park.  BUT...

You don’t need to come and here is why:

• Traveling right now is just going to add stress, time and money to your already supersaturated schedule
• You are already booked (er… double booked??)
• You are on a much needed vacation and I am not going to pull you alway from the pool.
• Your kids, spouse and significant others need to see you, at least once in a while.

I will make this super, super easy.  You can take back your schedule, get the support you need to get out of overwhelm and not only create a plan but start implementing it right away...

Here is how Sappari Momentum Works:

• You fill out a short application so that we know exactly where your challenges exist.
• From this information, we begin connecting with you daily via Facebook Messenger or your preferred method to ask important questions that help you focus
• When you have a struggle, feel lost, overwhelmed, tired or spinning your wheels - you have a connect at your finger tips to move you forward
• Once your path is clear, your goals are not only possible it is almost impossible you will not reach them.
• But you will have stumbling blocks, so you will meet with your productivity coach once a month.
• And, we want you to keep centering around your biggest goals, you will be invited to Visualize and Strategize once a month.

It's a program valued at $1997 but it brought to you for only $397/month and until Wednesday, you can receive it & the Launch Reset  for ONLY $333/month...(unless you would like to wait and pay the higher price).    

I can't wait to help you reach your biggest goals.

Today's blog comes to us from from Amanda Hinman, of Hinman Holistic Health Institute. Enjoy! 
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Ah, the lazy days of summer!

Have you been looking forward to the relaxing mornings of summer?  No morning routine of homework and rushing to get out the door for school, or maybe just knowing you get to leave the house in sandals and a tank top!
I’m in the same place and it feels good to think about having more time to relax and enjoy yourself.

But what happens when two weeks into the summer break you feel frustrated or overwhelmed?  Maybe it’s because you’re tired of breaking up arguments between your kids or responding to complaints about being bored.  Perhaps it’s because the chauffeuring around and unorganized routine doesn’t allow time for you to focus on your business.
I used to say to myself:

“Why is it that even when life is supposed to be easy, there’s always some issue?  Is something wrong with me?

Until I figured out why I always had new problems popping up and how to eliminate them.  

Years ago, I would find myself in exactly this place.  I’d go to a BBQ and see a friend who’d seemed to be so content and at ease enjoying the summer with her family while also telling me about some new project she was excited about, and I’d feel…

Defeated. Frustrated.  And yes…a bit envious.

I was spending my summer either chauffeuring around, breaking up arguments or feeling overwhelmed at work.  

As much as I was glad to be free of the morning routine during the school year, I realized that having organization to our days was helpful in many ways too.

Have you experienced this too?  It’s actually quite normal.

I share exactly why it is that they have experienced ease when perhaps you haven’t, even though life during summer is supposed to be easier.
It comes down to how you use your most precious resource: time
Even more specifically why the first 10 minutes of your morning routine sets the stage for the day ahead.

Each morning provides an opportunity to tune yourself for clarity, ease and appreciation in your day ahead.  Creating a simple habit to connect with yourself and your priorities allows you to set your energy in a place that is beneficial for you and for anyone you interact with.

My favorite way to connect with myself in the morning is through journaling.  For some people it happens during quiet pondering on a morning run or while enjoying a cup of coffee.  

These three things provide focus on clarity for your day.  Ask yourself:

• What do I intend to enjoy today?
• How will I choose to spend my time?
• Who do I appreciate and why?
  
  

Once I began to understand this, I stopped thinking that something was wrong with me, but rather, it was a choice that I could make.  Which I did.
After all, you can’t create different results by continuing to do the same things.

How will you choose to connect with yourself in the morning?  

P.S.  Enjoy time saving strategies for busy moms with my free Vibrant Child Starter Kit here.  

Being part of the program you just refocus every day, and make a person accountable. Because you know you're going to get that text or you're going to get a phone call, and you're going to ask - what are you doing today to meet that goal? You're the one that sets the goal. You don't set the goal.


Nettie:  No, I don't set the goal.


Jolene:  Right.


Nettie:  I don't even have to know what you do.


Jolene:  Right. But the encouragement on a daily basis is not something most people even get from a boss at a job.


Nettie:  Right, that's true.


Jolene:  Because you have some ultimate schedule of things that you take care of during week's time frame, and you may have this long-term goal for a quarter or the year. And I know I wanted to look long-term, but you have to step back and make those small steps or you never get to the long-term because it feels it's too overwhelming.


Nettie:  It is. It's a big thing too. Even if you're setting out 90-day goals, 6-month goals you get in front of what you're specifically doing right now to achieve that and it can still be overwhelming.


Jolene:  And I think some people might say, "Well, I can't afford to do it." But I honestly think that you probably can't afford not to.


Nettie:  Yeah, be responsible.


Jolene:  If you're stuck, if you really feel like - I'm not accomplishing things. Because all the little things that you're not doing are costing you money, I mean, in a lot of ways I wish I had moved sooner but I probably was ready, so the timing was right. And even when I did move I debated it - should I take both spaces or just one? And I mean, honestly it was like, "Well, I've already come this far. Let's just go outside my comfort zone a little bit more and just take both." And it made all the difference.
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 Registration now open for Launch2018.com RESET.  Register now to receive 3 months of Momentum included in your conference ticket. (expires July 7, 2018)

Mentors, Coaches, Accountability Partners, Master Minds are all great ways to help ensure that you will succeed in the goals you set. Having someone to be accountable to means that you do not carry all the pressure of getting your goals done. You have someone checking in to ask, “Hey! Did you do that thing you said you would do?” Most people want to honor their relationships and to impress the person they are accountable to, and so they will work to complete the set task on time.

Specifically, accountability partners have a cooperative relationship with each other. In a partnership that works well, each person is giving equally to the relationship over time even if it is not the same amount on a daily basis.

Having an accountability partner can truly launch you towards your goals, as you are no longer isolated with your mind and your schedule, plodding along. But being a partner is equally rewarding. Paired well, you will find someone that challenges you in all the right ways, holds you to your goals and provides feedback and insights by asking good questions. It’s worth the time investment.

I have been in an accountability partnership about 10 times. Some were great; others, not so much. Here are the key ingredients:

• Set clear expectations around WHEN you are going to check in. It could be daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, quarterly. Whatever you decide, put it on the calendar and in your phone as an alarm.
• Set clear expectations on HOW you will check in. You can text, FB Message, or have a video call or phone call. If you are checking in frequently (such as daily) keep it simple and short. Text and other messenger services are great. You don’t want your check in to take over your day!
• Spend time thinking about what you want support on. Do you have personal or business goals you are trying to reach? Be clear about WHERE you are going and WHAT you need so that your partner can be a good support to you.
• Ask questions. Ask the same questions to your partner and capture their answers on a notecard or your phone so that you can help them keep those goals top of mind.
• Show up! You have this fabulous opportunity to practice being committed, consistent and present for your partner. It’s a skill you can use in all areas of your life :-)
  
  

Spend an hour at the beginning of your accountability partnership to address the items above and you will set yourself up for success. This all works best when you are equally matched in your commitment.

I provide that support daily to my Momentum Program participants.  If you would like to learn more, let’s set up a time to talk.

Looking for more on the power of accountability? Check out these articles:

https://theartofsimple.net/the-value-of-accountability-for-achieving-your-goals/

https://medium.com/@craftwrites/the-immeasurable-value-of-accountability-partners-in-entrepreneurship-be9b893540d5
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https://www.uscareerinstitute.edu/blog/why-you-should-consider-an-accountability-partner

Here are your next steps:

1 - Read the permission slip (print it if need be and post it on your wall)
2 - Schedule a time to take inaction :-)  

Here are a few ideas of things probably not on your to-do list that will not help you pay the bills (they will but that is another post!) Bath, journal, long walk in the woods, sappy movie with popcorn & wine, cry, nap, talk on the phone to a friend, massage, yoga, run, dance (naked in the rain for bonus points!), belly dancing, read a beach novel.

3 - Add breaks to your schedule. Saturday morning, ‘me’ time or whatever works best for you. Put it on the calendar. Non-negotiable.

You cannot go and get things done all the time. You cannot be stuck in ‘on’ position. But sometimes what we are stuck on is ‘not feeling’. Allow yourself permission to relax, let the emotions flow and get back to your ‘to-do’ list after.
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You can also check out The Balance Maven® for more tips on how to carve out time to care for yourself. My friend, Jennifer Flynn, is a pro at teaching busy entrepreneurs how to balance work and play. She is a business and lifestyle strategist who specializes in helping overwhelmed entrepreneurs and small business owners end the war between work and play.

As the owner of The Balance Maven® and creator of its signature program Balance YOUniversity™ she supports clients with both her Balance Maven Business™ and Balance Maven Life™ platforms. It is her mission to show you that you CAN have both personal and professional fulfillment. From tangible processes to achieve what you want, to creating superior time and money saving business strategies; she helps you build effective systems to streamline for efficiency and end overwhelm, one step at a time. In maximizing productivity you will create more free time with profitable results leading to a healthier business and a happier you. You were born to have your cake and eat it too! 

Visit her website and take her Balance IQ quiz to see how well YOU protect your "me" time. 

Having a fulfilling career and a happy, well-supported family life, while feeling energetic and focused IS possible.
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It’s open enrollment time in the Momentum Accountability Program.  This is where YOU get the support you need to get your big goals done and the reminders you need to take care of yourself in the process.  With all that you are seeking to achieve, doesn’t it make sense, to be fully supported in the process? Find out more and apply today. (Applying is free however space is limited. Applications are reviewed ensure this is a good fit for all!)
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