Category: Success Attitude

Article Contributed by Dr. Joey Faucette

The question du jour from our coaching clients is, “Where did 2015 go?”

Yes, the final quarter starts next week.

The question behind the question is, “How do we have a successful 4^th quarter?”

Here are 3 Strategies for a Successful 4^th Quarter so you increase sales with greater productivity and get out of the office earlier:

Reflect on Reality

A primary leadership function, according to Max Dupree, is to define reality. Ask, “Where are we in 2015 with relationship to our goals?”

Do more than look at bottom-line numbers. Ask yourself and your team:

“What’s positively worked well?

“How can we do more of what worked well?

“Who did it really well?”

These questions focus on the best achievements of the previous three quarters.

Next, ask:

“What can we improve?

“How can we do it better?

“Who will do it?”

These questions focus on growth strategies.

The answers to each set of questions define your current reality, the essential starting point for a strong finish to 2015.

Redefine Reality

With your 2015 reality defined, move to redefining it.

Ask yourself, “Where do we want to be?”

The mental pull of the familiar is magnetically attracted to your current practices. The way you’ve done it in the first three quarters is your default regardless of how you evaluate results. Your inclination is to keep doing what you’ve done even if it didn’t work so well.

Fill up with the jet fuel of imagination to redefine reality. Focus on where you want to be.

Ask, “How can we build on what’s working well?”

Your answer stairsteps success as your mind interprets current achievements as having left the shore of uncontrollable market conditions. You are mentally freer to do more and better.

Reinvigorate Reality

With your business reality defined—“Where are we?”—and redefined—“Where do we want to be?”—the final question to ask is, “How do we get from where we are to where we want to be?”

Here is your growth edge for a successful fourth quarter. It requires you to discover some new action that defies the pull of the familiar shore and casts you out onto the seas of opportunity, sails trimmed toward your destination.

Identify and target positive course changes. Endure the incumbent mutiny.

Dedicate time, energy, and attention to at least one big idea sail adjustment for the dock of increased sales with greater productivity. Implement today three SMART action steps with defined mile markers at October 31, November 30, andDecember 31.

Where did 2015 go? Where all years go…one day at a time.

How can you have a successful 4^th quarter?

Reflect on, redefine, and reinvigorate your reality to increase sales with greater productivity and get out of the office earlier.

About the Author

Dr. Joey Faucette is the #1 best-selling author of Work Positive in a Negative World (Entrepreneur Press), Positive Success Coach, & speaker who helps business professionals increase sales with greater productivity so they get out of the office earlier to do what they love with those they love. Discover the free webinar about the coveted 7 Weeks to Work Positive Coaching Program at www.GetPositive.Today.

Days are getting shorter. It’s dark when I wake up and gets dark earlier. The temperatures are cooler in the mornings. The seasons are changing…

…and apparently no one cares what I think about it because no one called or emailed to ask. I have no control much less influence on the changing seasons.

Ridiculous for me to expect? Of course.

Almost as ludicrous as the conversations I have with business owners about the changes they’re experiencing. Many of us are paralyzed by the virtually daily assault of new realities.

How do you deal with it?

Here are 3 Strategies to Profit from Change:

Believe the Change is Real

Our first reaction to change is usually, “Why? What’s wrong with the previous way?” We crave the familiar. Our brains recognize it and know what to do. Often we weren’t consulted about the need for change or the rationale. “Here is it is. Deal with it” is the usual response to our questions.

Say to yourself, “It is what it is. I may as well make the best out of it.”

Then list the reasons it’s real, i.e., my franchiser said so, that OS is no longer supported, you can’t buy parts for it.

This listing helps you avoid denial, beat back fear, and move forward to believing the change is real. 

Bridge from Familiar to Unfamiliar

Now detail the change by starting with what’s familiar. Most likely the change performs the same basic function as something you do currently, just with enhancements. What is that function? List everything included in the change that you recognize even vaguely.

Next describe and list the unfamiliar aspects of the change.

Now connect the familiar to the unfamiliar. What lines up as similar? Your fear and anxiety diminish with this exercise because your cognitive—think brain—overcomes your emotive—feel gut—in recognizing the familiar. You bridge from the familiar to the unfamiliar.

Build to Support the Change

Finally, ask yourself, “What are the opportunities for profit growth?” Perhaps the technology involved allows you to generate business while you sleep by providing improved customer access. Or, maybe productivity grows which maximizes profitability.

Look at the systemic changes necessary and ask, “What must we do to adapt? Who needs training and development? How do we accelerate revenue growth? How can we best leverage new opportunities for profit increase and diversification?”

These questions focus you on the positive dynamics of the change. Think of them as the features you do have control and influence over.

Then implement your answers so you increase sales with greater productivity and get out of the office earlier to do what you love with those you love. Go Work Positive!

Article Contributed by Colleen Slaughter

Sometimes the simplest tools can lead us to our biggest breakthroughs. Here are three tips that can help you achieve the vision you have for yourself.

Visualize Your Way to Success

If you have a pair of scissors, some old magazines, glue or tape, and some sort of poster board or canvas, you can make your own vision board. You don’t need to be a talented artist – you really don’t even need to be particularly creative – the purpose is to make your vision come alive through meaningful images.

You can cut out pictures, single words, and entire quotes – anything that you can dream of! Choose images that really resonate with the goals you have. You can create multiple boards if you’re the type of person who loves organization – for instance, one board for your personal goals, another for business oriented ones.

To get the most out of this exercise, I recommend setting aside about an hour where you’ll be undisturbed. Remember, there is no right or wrong way to create your board – have fun with this!

A Secret Productivity Tool

Journaling is an excellent way to discover more about yourself – but did you know it can actually be a powerful productivity tool? In a Forbes.com article called The #1 Productivity Tool You Aren’t Using, author Dorie Clark cites Harvard Business School professor Teresa Amabile who says journaling is one of the top strategies for enhancing your professional performance over time.

Keeping a journal can help you record little victories you might otherwise overlook. And, you can “leverage the progress principle and allow yourself to get that boost from realizing you are making progress”, explains Amabile. You can also write down setbacks that happen in your life so that you can become more aware of how you might eliminate what’s stopping you from achieving the progress you want.

If journaling is new to you, I suggest starting small – give it a try for a month to determine if it’s a good fit for you. Try to journal at the same time each day to make a ritual out of the practice – the key is to remain consistent.

Create the Space You Need to Think

“Clutter gets in the way of being able to see the life you want.”

-Warren Talbot

If you think the only purpose of de-cluttering is to have a neater, more organized home (and maybe so your husband will stop nagging you to get rid of some of your shoes!), think again. De-cluttering is a powerful tool you can use to create some space in your life to finally achieve the clarity you need to get your goals in order, and ultimately, achieve them.

In a Forbes.com article, author Laura Shin shares the story of Betsy and Warren Talbot, a couple who decided to spend the remainder of their lives travelling. It took them two years of selling before they actually embarked on their worldwide voyage. Now living their vision of a “dream life”, their journey inspired them to pen several books.

Warren Talbot explains that one of the steps they took to achieve their goal was de-cluttering. Clutter, says Warren, keeps us tied down and makes it that much more challenging to actually envision the life that we really want to achieve.

Here’s my tip to get the best results: Think simple, five-minute changes at a time. This way, you’re less likely to fall victim to feeling overwhelmed. As it can easily happen. Set aside just 5 minutes a day and commit to taking a few steps toward de-cluttering – sort a portion of your closet, 1 or 2 drawers, a few files in your desk…

About the Author

Colleen Slaughter, Your Big, BOLDER Life Mentor, is a speaker, coach, author and founder of Authentic Leadership International. She is passionate about providing ambitious women entrepreneurs with the courage, confidence and clarity they need to stop selling themselves short, to claim what they really want in business and in life and to go for it! Colleen’s perspectives have been featured in ABC, NBC, CBS, Enterprising Women and the Woman’s Advantage® Shared Wisdom Calendar for 2012, 2015 and 2016.

Article Contributed by Colleen Slaughter

“A goal is a dream with a deadline.”
–Napoleon Hill

Have you been looking for ways to achieve newfound clarity and freedom in your business – and your life? If you have, one of the most important first steps you can take is to organize your goals.

As Forbes.com contributor Samantha Smith asserts, “Setting goals isn’t something you should do because it’s a new year. Goals should be continuously created as you think of them and revised quarterly if not after changes and other impactful moments.”

Let’s talk about why you need to organize your goals and what you can do to get started today.

Why Organize Your Goals?

If you’ve ever been in a disorganized, cluttered space, you might have found it a challenge to concentrate. Just as it’s tough to focus in disarray, the same can be said about your goals – if they lack organization and clarity, it can be near impossible to actually achieve them.

For instance, if your goal is to “eliminate stress and feel free again”, what does that really mean? It might translate into “I want to cut back on the number of hours I spend in the office so I can free up my time to be with my family more.” For you, it might mean something different, and that’s why it’s so important to be as specific as you can.

Once you figure out what it is that you want to achieve, it’s time to get your goals in order. For instance, is your goal a personal goal? Is it related to your career or business?

Don’t stop there – once you identify what area of your life your goal falls into, narrow down the category even more. Is it a goal related to your personal relationships…a financial goal you want to make happen in your business…a goal that is designed to increase your personal development?

Goal-Setting Mistakes to Watch Out For

In a Forbes.com article, author Ron Ashkenas talks about what he calls the “seven deadly sins of goal-setting” that leaders sometimes make. In truth, we all make these mistakes, so here are a few to watch out for:

1. The goal is unclear or distant. It’s hard to take a goal seriously – and even harder to actually work on achieving it – when we don’t define a time frame for completing it with measurable steps along the way to mark our progress. If you have a long-term goal that you want to complete within the next few years, you must organize the small steps along the way to give yourself the best chance at success.
2. There are too many goals to focus on. We all do this sometimes, especially at the beginning of the year when say we want to lose weight, run in a marathon, make more money, get more free time…you know how it goes. When we fill our plate with an overabundance of disorganized goals, the initial zest and motivation we feel to achieve them can quickly lead to frustration and overwhelm.
3. The goal isn’t authentic. Or, as Ashkenas says, “…the goal is just an exercise to convey the appearance of progress, but there’s no hope of achieving it.” When your goals aren’t aligned with who you really are – your core values – it’s a challenge to muster up the energy you need to organize them, and virtually impossible to ever actually achieve them.

Give yourself the greatest chance at success by organizing your goals first, making sure to watch out for these so-called “deadly sins” along the way!

A Blueprint for Greater Clarity

I want you to set aside some time to answer – and reflect upon – the five questions below:

1. As you think about all the goals you want to achieve, what are your top 3 for this year?
2. Why is it important for you to achieve these goals – in other words, what will it mean for your business and/or your life when you accomplish them?
3. What roadblocks do you see that have prevented or might prevent you from achieving these goals?
4. Now, think about the goals you’ve accomplished in the past. Write down some of your top achievements.
5. When you think about your previous successes, what did you learn – what did you do, specifically, to accomplish the goal?

The objective of this exercise is to help you deepen your insight – in your own words – about the goals you want to achieve.

True freedom in your business and in your life starts with a series of well-organized goals, so get started today on putting yours in order.

About the Author

Colleen Slaughter, your Big, BOLDER Life Mentor, is the founder of Authentic Leadership International. She is passionate about providing women entrepreneurs with the courage, confidence and clarity they need to claim what they really want in business and in life. Making “Bold Moves” has enabled her to create a life and business she had only once dreamed of. If you want to reach the higher levels of success and fulfillment to which you are called, Colleen can help you get there.

What happens when you hit a roadblock…what do you do? Below, I’ll talk about what keeps us from moving forward – and how to navigate to higher levels.

Be Honest With Yourself

One of the strategies I often recommend to help you achieve your goals is decluttering. This is a great first step you can take to create the space necessary to actually organize your goals, prioritize your life, and move forward with your vision.

Now it’s time to go deeper…Are you de-cluttering just because you think you should? If so, you’re more likely to give up because you’re not associating the practice with a tangible goal you have. Instead of going through the motions of this or any exercise simply because you think it might be effective, figure out why you’re doing it – try to tie it in with a goal you have.

For instance, if your friend finally convinces you to try yoga, ask yourself why you really want to do it. Will it help you reduce your stress levels and ultimately contribute to greater wellbeing? Is greater flexibility or a toned body a fitness goal you have?

Don’t do anything because someone thinks you should – or because you believe someone thinks you should – do it for you. You’re far more likely to succeed at achieving your goals when you know why you’re doing it – and that “why” has real meaning for you.

When the unexpected happens

You’re moving right along, making great progress towards achieving your goal, when out of nowhere, the unexpected happens. Sound familiar? Most everyone is faced with this scenario, because change is perhaps the one constant in our world.

Things change; life happens. We can plan all we want, but sometimes, life throws us a curveball. It’s how we deal with it that counts. If you’ve been caught off guard, take a time out to become “present” again. This will allow you to give your full attention to the situation so that you can consider possible solutions.

In a Forbes article, author Paolina Milana recalls the sudden death of her sister and how she dealt with grief at the office. She says that death, especially when it’s unexpected, “has a way of wiping away the filters we’ve put on our lives and giving us a fresh perspective about where we are and where we may be headed.”

Gain a Fresh Perspective

No matter who you are or where you’re at in your journey, you will face unexpected events that put a temporary stop on your plans. Some will be minor – a conflict at work, a squabble with your kids, trouble with your car.

Others will rock your world and leave you questioning the meaning and purpose behind life – the sudden death of a loved one, as Milana experienced, a serious illness, and a tragic accident.

Instead of letting resentment, anger, or hate build up and take over, see the experience as an opportunity for learning and growth. Accept whatever it is that you’re feeling in the moment, but understand that like everything, it’s only temporary and will change.

Have an honest, supportive conversation with your mentor or even a trusted friend or colleague. Talk about your feelings and be open to a fresh perspective. The new perspective you gain might be better than you could have ever imagined, and what you once saw as a roadblock might prove to be one of the most transformative experiences you have.