Category: Work Life

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Work Life

Best of the Janes: Taking Vacations

Individual business owners must consider their individual needs and desires when planning for vacation. Those needs and desires vary, depending on finances, habits, mindsets and characteristics. However, several considerations should be common to all types of business owners, regardless of situation. This article outlines those considerations and provides tips for handling them thoroughly before a vacation, so that the time away truly provides rest and relaxation.

1. Plan, plan, plan. From scheduling a vacation or retreat for a company’s “quiet”  season, to creating a contingency plan if contact from a team member is absolutely critical, entrepreneurs will find that they can more easily enjoy themselves if they have carefully planned every aspect of rest and relaxation as it relates to their business.

o Decide on availability. If availability is not an option, provide team members with written instructions about exactly what to do during the vacation, and delegate decision-making authority to a specific person. Always provide emergency contact information, just in case. For partial availability, provide contact information only to a limited number of team members, and then check messages or e-mails periodically. Hint: being totally available by cell phone for an entire vacation not only takes away from the ability to relax, but it also takes attention away from traveling companions. Make a vacation a true vacation, and if it’s impossible to keep the phone off all the time, just check it a couple of times per day.
o If bills are due during a vacation, go online and schedule them to be paid when they’re due. Or, get them ready for mailing and ask a team member to send them on the appropriate day. Similarly, invoices can be made out ahead of time and then sent out on schedule.

o If winter is the busiest time of year for a business, reduce stress by planning the vacation for the summer. Similarly, if an entrepreneur is expecting a huge shipment of inventory and knows she’ll need to unpack it and get it on the shelves right away, she should arrange to return from her vacation before the shipment arrives or to leave for the vacation well after she’s had the time she needs to get it settled in. Working around such obstacles will allow the entrepreneur to truly relax while she is on vacation.

o If possible, delay the start of a new project until a few days after returning from a vacation. This provides time to check missed e-mails or phone messages. If that’s not possible, consider making all the preparations before leaving so it is possible to begin immediately upon returning. Ask a team member to help return calls or e-mails so it’s possible to devote more time to the project right away.

2. Take a real vacation. It may sound obvious, but many business owners find it difficult to remove themselves from their work, even for a short time. However, an entrepreneur will function at her best when she is revitalized and energized. Here are some tips for getting the most out of vacationing:

o Keep a notebook handy to jot down ideas that arise during vacation. Once they’re written down, put the notebook away for future use. Use this technique to temporarily “put away” the new ideas without worrying about forgetting them. This way, it’s possible to truly rest – and even if that rest provides excellent brainstorming opportunities, it’s possible to put them away until the vacation is over.
o Retain a positive mindset when thinking about leaving the business behind. Rather than worrying about whether the team can handle things, think of this as an opportunity for them to take responsibility. Rather than worrying about customers’ reactions to the vacation, consider that they’ll admire the strong and capable team taking care of them during the vacation. Notify customers of the upcoming vacation and take care of any concerns before departing.
o As mentioned above, limit availability. Spend time reconnecting with traveling companions, enjoying the new scenery, and recharging. Spending an entire vacation checking e-mail and answering the phone does not allow for true rest and relaxation – and it does not reenergize anyone.

3. Make vacationing a priority, and give it as much importance as every other appointment and obligation. Even if it is not feasible to take several weeks off, or to travel to a faraway location, everyone needs time off – even if it is one day per week. Here are some tips for ensuring that time:

o Schedule “self-time” into the calendar. Literally. Schedule a lunch out with a friend, a pedicure, or a walk on a favorite trail once or twice a week. Make these appointments and stick to them. Even an hour-long break from work and all that comes with it can be refreshing enough to boost productivity and spirits for the rest of the day or week. If longer vacations aren’t possible, these shorter appointments will suffice – but try to plan for a longer vacation at some point in the future, and then look forward to it.
o Fit vacations in with longer-term plans and treat them as important as semi-annual business planning retreats or annual workshops. If something comes up and makes the vacation impossible, be sure to re-schedule the vacation immediately. Don’t cancel reservations – reschedule them. Putting off a vacation indefinitely makes it less likely to happen.
o If a traditional vacation isn’t possible because of time or money constraints, plan a mini vacation somewhere close by to your home or business. It’s inexpensive, requires less planning, and you can vacation for only a day or two if necessary.

Vacations don’t have to be long, far away, or expensive.  But they do have to be. Rest and relaxation provide hard-working entrepreneurs with the time they need to come back to work feeling refreshed and ready to dive back in.

About the Author:

Michele DeKinder-Smith is the founder of Jane out of the Box, an online resource dedicated to the women entrepreneur community. Discover more incredibly useful information for running a small business by taking the FREE Jane Types Assessment at Jane out of the Box. Offering networking and marketing opportunities, key resources and mentorship from successful women in business, Jane Out of the Box is online at www.janeoutofthebox.com.

Categories
Work Life

Sales Coaching Tips: 5 Reasons Why Sales Professionals Need A Vacation

In a 2009 International Vacation Deprivation Survey from expedia.com:

One in three employees do not use their allotted vacation days each year, even though they said they are more productive after returning from vacation.

In the sometimes grueling world of sales, the negative impact of not taking vacations could be even greater.

Sales professionals are becoming less and less productive as they push on without vacations. They often feel compelled to keep working without vacations, to be available for every client call, and for every lead that may come their way. They don’t want to miss a beat. They end up “over working” and hurting their progress.

Here are 5 reasons why sales professionals should take all of their vacations days each year:

Avoid Burnout: We all need a break. Think about how refreshed and motivated you felt after your last vacation. If you keep going full force without a break, where are the rewards for all your hard work? Once you reach the burnout stage, you will often feel out of control and even less likely to take a vacation. Sales results will suffer and motivation will be lacking.

Reduce Stress: We all know stress can literally be a killer and no one is immune to stress. However, vacation can be one of the great ways to reduce stress and rejuvenate your energy and spirit. The bad stress won’t stop building until you give yourself some time to recover.

Increase Quality of Life & Work: We remember experiences more than anything. Science has even shown that material objects do not provide the lasting joy or happiness that positive experiences can create. Vacations are often all about experience and help to increase the quality of life. When a person experiences a greater quality of life, it is often the case that their quality of work will improve as well.

Creativity Boost: When we are constantly living on a schedule going from one task to another, it is hard to have the space and freedom to be creative. Think about when some of your best ideas came to you? Most likely, you were not at work. You were probably not even thinking about work at all, and were in a relaxed state. Those are the moments that creative genius can strike. But, it can’t strike if you are always on the go!

Productivity Spike: Think about what happens on a Friday when you have planned to leave early or take a half day. Ever notice how you get so much done in less than 8 hours? Funny how that works, but tighter deadlines and looking forward to something can sure help you get more done faster. Use the vacation as something to get excited about and to work very hard up until your last day at the office. This will increase your productivity prior to the vacation. And, after relaxing for a week, when you come back, you will be energized, stress free, and ready to make a huge impact.

Don’t wait any longer. Plan and book your next vacation now!

About The Author:

Sales Coaching Expert, Jeremy Ulmer, has helped hundreds of sales professionals, sales leaders, and business owners just like you overcome sales challenges to increase productivity and win more clients faster.

For 100’s of unbeatable, sure-fire ways to increasing your sales results, subscribe for your free sales tips or request a free sales coaching consultation at: http://www.SalesCoachingHabits.com

Categories
Work Life

Job Hunting Mistakes: Why Passion May Be a Problem When Finding New $100K+ Executive Opportunities

Anna is a client of mine who, after 25 years in her field, is tired of the work.  It is boring and just doesn’t get her juices going.  She wants to strike out onto a new path or she wants to do something important and make a contribution.

“Karen, I just want to be passionate about what I do.  I am so tired of working so hard and not getting any recognition,” she exclaimed.

Can you relate?

Often we use the word “passion” to describe what we want in our next position.  Usually we use it as a code word to say we want to do something interesting in our next role.

And that’s where I begin to have a problem.

Since 2002, I conduct close to 300 free, no obligation, 30-minute Strategy Sessions in a single year.  I really enjoy doing them because each situation is unique and different.  Together, we brainstorm about how to approach a career or job search with fresh and insightful ideas, always looking to significantly improve your results right away.

But when someone, like Anna, says that they now want to pursue their passion in life, I get knots in my stomach.

Why?

Well, to be honest, pursuing your passion is NOT presenting your potential!

3 Reasons Why Your Current Thinking About Passion Should Change When Looking for New $100K+ Executive Roles

1) Passion is not something you pursue; it is something that you have.

Passion is applied to something that you are interested in.  It is not a beacon of light in the darkness that will tell you that you’ve arrived at your destiny.  When I talk to someone who is trying to find their passion – out there somewhere – I know that it will be a long time before they find it.

2) Passion is a result of success; not something you get when everything lines up right.

Passion is basically a follow-up emotion created when you are doing something you are good at.  I never thought I would start and run an executive coaching firm.  But as I got really successful at it, my passion came and now I love what I do.

3) Passion is the energy to persevere whenever we are challenged; it is not the momentum that propels you to a destination.

One of the reasons why, after landing, 80+% of executives become discouraged and disheartened within six months is because they are thinking incorrectly about “passion!”   Many are looking for the employer to give them “passion” while doing their job.  Within weeks of starting a new job, most realize that the new employer only wants a lot of hard work, doesn’t appreciate their experience and gives them very little recognition for what they know.

Passion can be a “dangerous delusion.”  It sounds right, but it is oh, so, wrong.

Opportunities are being fought for vigorously by many, many others who want that job as much as you do.  Making an emotional decision as to whether a position is right for you by using “passion” as the barometer, is a great way to extend your search, stay confused and/or get more stuck than before!

Now, I suggest you look at the pursuit of you next position by identifying your economic “potential.”

How to Use Your Economic Potential To Find Great $100K+ Executive Opportunities

Answering these 5 tough questions can identify your potential…

*  How you are meeting what the market demands today (not yesterday)?
*  Why would someone want you as opposed to someone else?
*  When will you provide a return on investment for the company?
*  What latent potential do you have that is of value to the employer?
*  How are you presenting yourself – as a luxury, top-end item or a commodity?

If a potential employer sees some of these elements in you, then you have an opportunity to plug into your passion. And once success is yours, it is a-m-a-z-i-n-g how this fuel called “passion” shows up on the scene.

For more tools and information about how to land an $100K+ executive role, read my bio and click on the link to my website: www.MarketOneExecutive.com or my blog, www.ExecutiveActions.blogspot.com

About the Author:
$100K+ Executive-Level Career Coach Karen Armon prepares leaders around the world for their next move. Her popular book, Market Your Potential, Not Your Past is a hit among executives who want a clear-cut, systematic game plan that drives careers forward. Now get her new FREE eBook, “Ten Micro-Trends that Impact Executive Careers Today” at http://www.marketoneexecutive.com/ebook.asp and take a critical look at today’s marketplace

Categories
Success Attitude Work Life

Fear of Failure? Are You Saying No To Who You Are Meant To Be?

We all know that Thomas Edison invented the light bulb.

Did you know he also invented the stock ticker, the electric vote recorder, the automatic telegraph, the electric safety miner’s lamp, fluorescent lights, the motion picture camera, and the phonograph?

While struggling with the light bulb, he replied, “I have not failed seven hundred times. I have not failed once. I have succeeded in proving that those seven hundred ways will not work. When I have eliminated the ways that will not work, I will find the way that will work.” From the book, “The Power of Patience”, by M.J. Ryan

Do you have a fear of failure?

Do you cringe at the thought of making a mistake?

Do you expect the worst to happen rather than the best?

Fear of failure is a common reason people hesitate to say YES. For many, the attachment to doing something that leads to an expected or desired outcome often determines whether an experience is viewed as positive or negative. It’s only good if it goes the way you want.

I was doing a presentation a few years ago and one woman said, “Failure would be devastating. I know I would be so disappointed with myself for a long time.” To her, it was one of the worse things she could do. OUCH!

If you do something that does not lead to the outcome you desire or hope, how do you use that experience to help you positively? Do you see it as a learning opportunity or a reason to beat yourself up?

I have a good friend who is a health professional. Years ago we worked briefly together to expand his business. He talked about wanting to offer workshops, sponsoring speakers, perhaps creating some products… his eyes lit up with passion as he talked about his desire to reach more people beyond his local area. He’d been talking about expanding his business for quite some time and he was stalling. He joked about being a big procrastinator and wondering if he’d be able to break through his fears of failure.

Whenever he got close to pushing through his resistance, he’d back away by saying, “My business is doing well. Maybe I should be grateful for what I have”. He admitted that his parents often settled for the status quo because they feared the unknown and their fears made a powerful impact on his view of risk and expansion.

After a few months of working together, he quit. He was too afraid to push through his blocks and go the distance. In the next few years he sponsored a few workshops and now he focuses strictly on his practice. Is he happy and content? He seems to be. Or perhaps he has convinced himself to want less than his soul is asking of him to be? Who knows? This is his life journey.

Being successful in any area of your life includes a learning curve. That means making mistakes and experimenting with decisions and actions to create the life you are here to live. Accomplishments can be defined as the completion of an action. ANY action. I encourage you to be willing to recognize and appreciate your courage to both succeed and fail, which is all a success, really)!

Do you think Donald Trump was a huge success on his first attempt?

How about Oprah? If you look at where she started and who she has become, her rise to becoming a powerfull influence for women has soared over the years because she has had the guts to set a new standard for talk shows and the willingness to be a transparent model of authenticity to people worldwide.

How about you? Are you the same person you were five years ago? If you’ve been growing yourself and your business, the answer would be no. Even if you haven’t put a lot of time and energy into personal growth, it is impossible to remain the same indefinitely. We are either moving forwards or we are moving backwards.

We use past experiences as a barometer to measure future experiences and projected outcomes. We can hesitate to say YES because we believe, “If this happened in the past, I fear the same experience will repeat in my future”. We can use past experiences as excuses to take risks and take quantum leaps. To expect the past to repeat itself exactly is impossible because we aren’t the same people today that we were then. The potential for themes and patterns to recur is probable if you haven’t done the inner work to clear limiting beliefs, resolve past pain, and self-sabotage.

In fact, we can manufacture any reason to avoid doing anything we don’t want to do. The more evidence we collect to prove our reasoning, the better positioned we are to make our case to ourselves and to others. And we can become brilliant in our defense to avoid stepping out of our comfort zones or retreating back when the going gets tough. Enlisting others to support our case makes things a whole lot easier to avoid.

Common beliefs regarding failure:

  • I have to get it right (perfect)
  • I don’t have what it takes
  • If I say no, people won’t like me
  • I have nothing valuable to offer
  • If I’m really “me” people won’t like or love me
  • Things don’t usually turn out well for me (self-fulfilling prophecy?)
  • It’s too hard
  • Success happens for other people not me
  • I’m not good enough, smart enough, lovable enough..
  • I’m not ready
  • I won’t be able to handle….
  • I’ll lose…. (fill in the blanks)  and that would be devastating  (Is that really true?)
  • Maybe what I have is enough and I should be happy with the way things are and not want more

Which ones do you relate to?

Self-fulfilling prophecies give us even more ammunition to prove why something doesn’t work out well. Wikipedia’s definition of self-fulfilling prophecy is “a prediction that directly or indirectly causes itself to be true”. If we are resistant, expecting something to go poorly or fear it might go well (fear of success), you can bet we’ll find ways to sabotage ourselves so we can prove we’re right. That gives us permission to come back and say, “I told you so!” to ourselves and others because we didn’t really say YES!
It is through the trial and error experiences that we develop our unique formula for happiness and success.

When I was an addictions counselor we talked about trusting the process and the journey of moving from one place to the next. The challenge? Having the patience and tolerance to go the distance without getting discouraged or scared. “I want it to happen NOWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!

There is a difference between failing at an effort and taking on the identity of a failure.

There is a difference between making a mistake, and identifying with result

Do-ing something and Be-ing something are two vastly different truths!

Yes, you will minimize the chances of too many costly mistakes in your life by doing your homework, making informed decisions, and creating solid strategies to implement. Remember, that even with the best plan that includes anticipating possible outcomes; life will still bring you the unexpected. When you include failures and mistakes as part of your strategy to success and outlook on life you will rebound more quickly to each situation as it arises so that you continue to move toward your destination.

Getting things you may not want will help you get that much clearer about what you do want. In that way, your commitment to your dreams and goals become more compelling.

To explore your attitudes about failure, consider the following twelve questions. Take your time in answering them:

1. What is your definition of failure?

2. What does failure mean to you? What does it look like, feel like?

3. What fears, concerns, or assumptions do you associate with failure?

4. How are your fears and beliefs about failures affecting your life? Constricting you? Inspiring and motivating you? Some people use their fear to break through barriers and create amazing lives.

5. Is it possible that your fears and beliefs about failure are fundamentally false, even if you have evidence to back it up?

6. If you fail at something, does that define YOU as a failure?

7. What specific experiences would you define as failures?

8. Can there be success in failure? (Remember Thomas Edison’s quote!) Is it possible that any every failure you ever had was really a success? (Gotcha thinking, don’t I?)

9. Do you use your past failures as learning experiences or do you use them to beat yourself up?

10. If you appreciate past failures as growth and healing opportunities, what value have you taken from them to enhance your life?

11. If you could not fail, what would you be doing? Who would you be?

12. Would be saying YES to who you are meant to be?

We are human beings! We react, respond, screw up, and do things brilliantly.

My philosophy?

Here are several:

  • Every situation offers a growth and healing opportunity. Look for the gifts and blessings in each experience that challenges you and invites you to be more than you are, especially when it is undesired.
  • Approach life with more self-love and compassion for those times you judge yourself to be less than your best.
  • Aspire to see yourself and others through the eyes of love (if you aren’t already there!). And when you have those moments when you slip into your humanity rather than your Divinity, forgive yourself and use the experience as an opportunity to heal and grow.
  • Don’t take yourself so seriously. Remember to laugh and have fun.
  • You are a powerfull Creator. At every moment you make choices that will either bring your joy or misery depending on your attitude. What will you create today?
  • Experiment with new things and learn all you can from each experience regardless of the outcome.

Fear of success and fear of failure are two sides of the same experience.  By definition, success and failure is perceived from multiple viewpoints. Both results offer opportunities for self-discovery and change.  It is through the process of succeeding and failing that we come to know more about who we are. We learn about our unique talents, skills, and gifts through the opportunities we create that invite us to shine.

“When we come to the edge of all the light we have
And must take a step into the darkness of the unknown
We must believe one of two things
Either we will find something firm to stand on
Or, we will be taught to fly.” –Patrick Overton Copyright © 1975 The Leaning Tree

Categories
Work Life

Shifting From A Victim of Circumstance To The Hero of Your Life Story

“When we come to the edge of all the light we have
And must take a step into the darkness of the unknown
We must believe one of two things
Either we will find something firm to stand on
Or, we will be taught to fly.”
by Patrick Overton Copyright © 1975 The Leaning Tree,

Have you ever heard the phrase, “Life happens when you’ve made other plans?” How often do you set your sights on a specific objective and goal, only to have your best intentions go awry? Things don’t always go the way you planned or hoped. Life…

When things seem to hit bumps or create undesirable experiences, how do you respond? Do you roll up your sleeves and focus on how to best dance with the situation to learn and grow? Or do you begin a downward spiral into your victim, feeling fear, overwhelm, a sense of defeat or depression?

I’ve always considered myself to be an optimistic, upbeat person. And yet, when life throws me an unexpected curve, my initial response can dip into the negative pretty fast especially when it requires me to do things I have never done before. I hear my small inner child cry, “I can’t do it! It’s too hard. I don’t know how. I don’t want to. What if I fail?” I can feel myself shifting into feeling like a victim in seconds.

Breathing, getting present, re-centering, and using my healing tools helps me to shift my energies and focus so I can feel my courage and power return.

We all have the capacity to shrink from our courage and power when we forget who we are. Our minds race in with worse case scenarios and what ifs as our imaginations run wild. Our egos create elaborate stories and dramas that cause us to feel at risk and frightened. We believe what we imagine as if it were real and certain. We collect evidence from the past as proof that life is unfair, unsafe, and painful. We expect the worst rather than expecting the best.

When we are in the throes of panic and dread, it can feel like you’re on a runaway train or drowning as you struggle to “get rid of the thoughts and feelings”. The key is moving through the experience rather than trying to avoid the pain and discomfort or taking up residence and making that situation the story of your life!

Every life experience offers a healing a growth opportunity. What you resist, persists.

Life is a journey of courage. Each day brings new experiences that create opportunities to say YES to who we are meant to be.

A new favorite mantra of mine is, “I am always safe. It is only change.”

No matter what is happening, one power you always retain is how you choose to show up to life. Your attitude is entirely up to you. In every moment, you choose your attitude. If you think you don’t, that’s where your victim steps in.

What makes identifying with a victim so compelling?

Some of the benefits of being a victim

  • Feeling owed or entitled to something
  • No personal accountability, responsibility or expectations
  • The right to blame, complain, judge, and criticize
  • “Poor me” gains support, pity, and sympathy
  • Don’t have to show up
  • Use of excuses, rationalizations, and reasons to avoid life situations
  • Deny your potential to play small and hide out from life experiences
  • Illusion of safety from hurt and upset

The irony is that staying in our victim causes us to experience a life full of pain and constriction. It’s a way many people become spectators of life rather than active participants and deliberate creators. Desiring more and feeling imprisoned by old fears, beliefs and habits that keep us stuck in the past while we long for a brighter future.

Who are your heroes?

Are there people in your life who model courage?

They may be people you see as heroes with qualities you wish to emulate. They might be people you personally know, public or historical figures that are alive or dead, religious or spiritual representations….

Consider the qualities they possess that you admire and respect: natural abilities, values, strengths, skills talents and gifts.

  • What qualities do they have that you might be denying in yourself?
  • In what ways are you suppressing or denying your own inner hero?
  • How would you and your life change if you embodied your inner hero?
  • What qualities do you share that you are open, ready, and willing to embrace within yourself?
  • What innate qualities and abilities would strengthen your faith, trust, and courage?

During the course of your life, you will take on many roles and identities that become part of who you  believe yourself to be. You might view certain parts of yourself with disdain and others with positive appreciation. Each part has served you in ways to help you thrive or survive.

Your life is a journey of faith, trust and courage; to claim the life you were born to. To be whole, you must embrace all parts of yourself with love and compassion, inviting the best of who you are to emerge and integrate as you awaken and evolve.