I am so glad to share this journey with you. Going it alone stinks. But, thankfully, neither you, nor I have to do it on our own. Everything that I teach and talk about comes from lessons I have personally learned. Being in business for fifteen years and on this planet for a lot longer, will do that to you, if you are open to it.
The reality is that sometimes, even on the greatest journey of your life, you will get stuck. I imagine, that like me, you will find these ‘stuck’ points to yield the greatest returns, even if it doesn’t feel like in it. I really don’t know anyone who has ever said, “I am so glad I am stuck.” This is what I have learned, I hope it speaks to you today. Remember who you are. What makes you great at what you do? Why are you the best Widget Maker on the planet? What do your customers come to you again and again? When things aren’t working, we tend to think that means we are somehow flawed and no longer worthy or valuable. It’s not true. These times are actually a stripping away of everything we are not so that we can show ourselves (and then the world) who we are. When you are stuck ask yourself, "Why am I a great…?" or "What makes me the best…?" Surround yourself with people who speak truth to you. You don’t need people to give you unnecessary compliments but you do want people around you that can recognize what you do well and feed it back to you. You also want people who call you out when you are not acting like yourself. If you feel like you are surrounded by people that do not see your light, then find even one person who recognizes your contribution. If you think this is easier said than done then check out Victoria Whitfield’s Visionary Shaman Circle, a business networking group, a church or a volunteer organization. When you are stuck find somewhere where you can be appreciated for your contribution. Be real. It takes a lot of effort to, ‘Hold it all together”. I know how it feels. You don’t want people to know how messy your office is, how overwhelmed you feel, how many times you have tried and not reached your goals. More often than not, the people who you are trying so hard to impress are struggling equally with something they don’t want you to know either. But imagine if you were to honestly state what is working and what is not. You could actually receive support and move forward. When you are stuck share honestly your situation in order that the solution may be revealed. This is what Momentum is all about. It’s about asking questions, gaining clarity, being focused on the right activities, receiving the support you need to move forward. It’s about growth, success, truth and taking action. It’s about small movements to greater results. If you are not there yet, it’s ok. Let’s find a time to talk: https://sappari.as.me/StrategyCall
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Productivity is not rocket science. But, when you set goals and don’t reach them, it can feel just as impossible as receiving an advance degree in a foreign language.
We all have the tools available to us to be successful goal setters AND achievers. For some, these tools come from within and naturally. It’s true that some peoples’ brains are just wired for seeing the vision, breaking down the tasks, assigning deadlines, and meeting those deadlines without procrastination, overwhelm, panic, or any of the other feelings that the remainder of the population feels. The beautiful thing is that even if the tools you need do not come from within, you CAN access and use them! You may have set goals for the New Year already. If not, I highly recommend that you do! You can at anytime sit down and think about where you would like to go. If you would like support in doing so, check out Launch, a semi-annual, strategic planning intensive. Your next step is to ensure that your goals actually come to fruition. Here are the 5 tools you need: 1 - Set the Time to Work On Your Goal - Your second step after the creation of ANY goals is to grab your calendar and find space to work on it either daily or weekly. Google Calendar, iCal, your paper planner. Write it in. Block out at least 1 hour a week towards your goal. If you don’t yet have room in your schedule for goal work then something else will need to shift. 2 - Turn Off Distractions While Working - There are apps to help you with this but the basic idea is to turn off all the things that go beep or pull your attention away for the entire time you are working on your goal whether that is 15 minutes or 1 hour or a full day at a time. Even when you think you can move seamlessly from 1 focus to the text, that context switching is slowing you down by at least twice the time if not more! That means, that BIG goal you have this year, won’t get finished until NEXT year. It’s worth it to turn off Facebook Messenger and shut your office door, don’t you think? 3 - Give Yourself Accountability - If a star sticker on a calendar works for you, then use it. Every day find a way to track your progress and ensure that you are using the time you set aside for goal work. This could be a sticker chart, a reminder on your phone, a checklist app on your phone, an accountability buddy or an Accountability Coach. Did you know that for less than $6/day you can have personalized accountability? 4 - Visualize Your Success - You don’t have to know how you are going to achieve your goal but you do need to know what success looks like. Otherwise, how will you know when you have achieved it? Take time daily (16 seconds is enough!) to imagine your end result and how you will feel. Journal or keep a video diary or even post on Facebook Live as you talk about your success. This step adds clarity and energy to your work. 5 - Create An Environment That Supports Your Goals - Like making time in your schedule, you need to make room in your space to work on your goals. A cluttered environment can make it difficult to focus on the work at hand. Even if you simply package everything up to give yourself a clear space to work, it is worth it (Someday you have to go back and sort out what you put away!). Your environment is more than just things. Think about the messages in your space and the people, too. Are they supporting your work? Right now, achieving your goal may feel like wishful thinking but with these 5 tools you will be unstoppable. What would it be like for you to say, “This is the year that I used the tools I had available and I achieved my goals”? If you would like support in getting there? Let’s find a time to talk: https://sappari.as.me/StrategyCall Right now, Momentum Accountability Lite is taking applications. The program will be full at 30 registrations. Give yourself the support you need to get your biggest goals done. https://www.sappariconsulting.com/momentumlite.html I am not sure why we designate spring as the time to clean. I understand in the past, you would want to throw open the windows after being cooped up in the house for the long cold winter to bring fresh air into a space, but there is another kind of cleaning and letting go that MUST happen now, before the warm weather of spring. Spring is great for ‘refreshing’ for breathing new life and energy into your work. That new life cannot take shape IF you have not allowed room for it. Winter is the time to clear out the underbrush. To clear your spaces, to let go of the past to be ready for all that is coming. From a logistical standpoint, I am much more fond of going through papers and work while cozied up to a fireplace when I’d rather not be outside than in the spring when it’s warm and I’d like to be out and about! How do you apply this to your work? For me, everything comes back around to figuring out how best to do the things we were put here on this planet to do. Here is a 4 step process to use this winter time for wiping the slate clean:
1 - Gather - Bring the stuff, the thoughts, the experiences, the good, and the challenging from the last 12 months all together in one place (a journal works well for this!) 2 - Reflect - Spend time thinking about how it all worked together (or didn’t) and write down the lessons you learned from these experiences. Which ones do you want to take with you? Which ones will you let go of? 3 - Plan - What do you want to create? It doesn’t have to be right now but over the next three months or more, what do you want to create in your life? It could be a bigger business with more clients. It could be time in your schedule to pursue a hobby. It could be a warm, welcoming environment. Decide. 4 - Carve it Out - You cannot create where something already exists. This may have been your problem in the past. Today, you are going to clear the decks and make room. In organizing, one method, is to clear everything out of a room and put back only what you use or want. If you were doing this same exercise on your schedule, your office space, or with the programs/products that you offer, how can you clear it all out? Next, what would you return into your “space”? If you cannot do this exercise all at once, it is OK to break it up into multiple steps or days. Keep in mind, what you are letting go of need not be broken or of no value. What you are letting go of is making room for what you are creating. If you need help in this process, let me know. I am happy to support you. All you need to do is schedule a time to talk. The Momentum Accountability Programs are designed specifically to help you with this and more. For more information go to MomentumAccountability.com |
AuthorBeing an entrepreneur and business owner is hard! Once you have your business up and running it's not uncommon to hit a few snags: scalability, staff retention, launching growth projects, getting enough sleep! Archives
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