How to Get a True WIN in 2010
By · Comments
If you’re getting wound up as the year winds down, chill out and change your approach before the clock strikes midnight.
My end of year goal to plan my ENTIRE 2010 calender was inspired by my fantastically supportive husband, cheerleader, and friend Darrell.
He challenged me to treat 2010 like an important assignment or a big project, rather than an event (which comes and goes, and is often less exciting than you’d imagined)
Time and money are “measuring sticks” worthy of being acknowledged and respected, however as the calendar turns I encourage you to embrace the New Year more practically than emotionally
Break it down into manageable pieces (HINT: Post It Notes help…)
Long lists of things-to-do scribbled out on large legal pads are a sure recipe for stress. Assigning each goal, task, idea it’s own “space” (i.e. Post It Note) allows you to see things as they are, rather than how you’d ideally like them to be.
This exercise has helped me to do 2 things (I hope it’ll do the same for you):
1) It forces me to “discover the truth” about how much I can really expect to effectively and efficiently get done even with advance planning, and in the best case scenario a team to support me.
It’s a completely humbling experience to see ALL your New Year’s goals written out INDIVIDUALLY as you realize you’d have to work 18 hour days and try to squeeze whatever is left of your life in the remaining 6 hours in order to complete every task.
BUT, it’s much better to know this UPFRONT and manage your expectations than to get to the end of yet ANOTHER YEAR and wonder what in the heck happened?!
2) Empowers me to create real results rather than wishful resolutions, by actively addressing the things I need to focus on rather than getting distracted by “bright shiny objects” I get predictable outcomes and start to see progress throughout the year.
It might seem easier said than done, but you already know the alternative – at least I do…
You have a choice.
You can either…
a) Get hopped up on hope that 2010 is going to be different/better and continue to list out ALL the things that are left over from 2009 that you’ll tackle in 2010 – which probably won’t get done.
OR
b) Individually list your desired goals (I chose different color Post It’s for each category) then determine what REALLY needs to happen to bring that goal to life.
The best way to do this is to:
1. Identify the type of goal it is (i.e. business or personal is a good barometer)
2. Determine the specific steps that need to be taken to achieve the goal (i.e. do you need to learn a new skill, will you hire someone to do it for you)
3. Estimate how long each step will take to complete (i.e. while you can write a book in 17 days - you have to get clear about what amount of time do you need allocate for the cover designer, editor and printer!)
It’ll probably take more than a day to do this (it took me several), but don’t be governed by clocks and calendars, remember this is a practical approach to planning for a true win in 2010.
What you’re likely to discover is many of the things will fall away simply because you will see that they are either not that important, or have more parts and pieces than you are prepared to coordinate.
Don’t wimp out, be sure to choose goals that will stretch you. But also be honest with yourself and be OK with moving things from your “someday” list to the “never gonna happen” file (aka the trash)
Once you’ve chosen the goals you are committed to completing and are clear on the actions you need to take – you can approach every opportunity, offer, or obstacle that comes your way with the question, “Is this getting me closer to or further away from what I want to be?”
Knowing immediately whether something will support you in reaching your goals or serve as a distraction will allow you to resist the “bright shiny objects” syndrome that sidelines you from success.
That’s how to get a true win in 2010.
Finish strong!
Sanyika
Success cues from Crickets
By · CommentsEvery year a group of Crickets gather under my
office window to “sing their song.”
If you’ve ever had the “pleasure” of listening to the
prolonged chirp…chirp…chirp… of a Cricket you
will undoubtedly question you sanity.
Especially if you can’t seem to find the source of
the noise – only hear it.
Today I have a full plate of coaching calls, things-to-do
and goals to meet so when the familiar sound started
first slowly and then reached it’s fever pitch I was
annoyed.
Then I paused myself and asked a different question,
what if there was something to learn from these creatures…
Watch this quick video and see what we can all learn from
the 3 core characteristics of a Cricket…
May you continue be be like the Cricket as you strive to be:
C – CONSISTENT
R – RELENTLESS
I – INSISTENT
Finish strong!
What S.T.A.T.E. are you in?
By · CommentsYou might have heard the phrase, “you’ve got to get into the zone”
or be in the right “state” (Tony Robbins) of mind before accomplishing
something big.
For the last few weeks I’ve been working on a long list of things associated
with the release of my upcoming book, Give Yourself Credit.
Generally I work from my home office; I really love my space and I get a
lot done. But for the last week or so I haven’t been nearly as productive
as I knew I could have (and quite frankly needed to be) to stay on task and
get things done on time.
No matter what I seemed to try I couldn’t quite “get a rhythm,” instead
of staying focused I’d find a to take the dogs outside, given them a snack,
or check the mail.
I cleaned my email inbox, allowed myself to be distracted by texting
friends on my cell phone and just about anything else I could do – to not do
the things I needed to do!
Sound familiar?
Watch this quick video to see how I changed my S.T.A.T.E. and got more
done in 48 hours than in the last 4 days!
When you change your S.T.A.T.E. you change your life, get a better outcome
and feel great!
Today, be mindful of your…
S – Surroundings
T- Total Focus
A – Attitude
T – The Zone
E – Energy
I hope this inspires you to change your S.T.A.T.E. and live fully today!
Plan Now So You Don’t Panic Later
By · CommentsMy morning was spent at New Broadcast Network in NY where
I completed 7 radio interviews in 3 hours to bring awareness to
consumers about the new Sears and K’Mart “Christmas Club Card.”
One of the radio hosts asked me why would anyone be thinking
about holiday shopping so soon, I said, “…you’ve got to plan now
so you don’t panic later.”
It was one of those great “in the moment” kind of comments, but
later as I thought about it. I realized that planning for major
milestones in your life, your business and your finances can mean
the difference in being a success or feeling like a failure.
The reality is, if you haven’t planned for IT (whatever that IT is)
you’re probably going to panic and that’s never a good thing.
That got me thinking about the importance of planning (even if
it’s something that most of us – including me – procrastinate about)
and how to do it efficiently, effectively (aka EASILY).
Watch this quick video for some of my insights and some good
information you can use to plan for what you want – right now.
When you “begin with the end in mind,” like Stephen Covey suggests you
have a much better chance of reaching your goals and desired destinations.
Michael Hyatt’s blog post on “Creating a Life Plan” that I mentioned by in
the video can me found here:
http://budurl.com/scblifeplan
You can also follow him on Twitter @michaelhyatt
Danger of disempowering questions
By · CommentsQuestions are the food that the mind chews on and just as certain
foods are good for us adding nourishment to our bodies and providing
us energy and stamina.
There’s also “junk food” that has the total opposite effect, it generally
makes up sluggish and bloated and feel yucky.
The same is true with the questions we ask. Watch this video to
find out why and what types of questions you should be “feeding”
your mind instead.
Unconscious or not your thoughts are simply a series of questions
that you ask when you are seeking to find solutions, answers, clarity
and direction in any area of your life.
The questions you must be mindful about are those that are disempowering,
they are the questions like:
* “Why does this always happen to me?”
* “Why can’t I seem to ever get things right?”
* “Am I really that dumb?”
* “When is this ever going to turn around?”
* “What’s wrong with me?”
* “Why does so-and-so seem to have a better business
than mine…I’m better at ____ than they are…”
You get where I’m going here right?
Well the truth is that asking yourself these questions will actually ensure
that you’re going nowhere.
Not only will your mind seek to find answers to them, but it’ll actually
give you reasons why all these things are “wrong” in your world.
These questions are the equivalent of mental “junk food”and they’re
keeping you from reaching your full potential, from moving to the
next level of your life.
The best way to get out out the continuous loop of negativity,
sluggishness, bogged-down-by-life feeling is to ask better questions!
Empowering questions like:
* “How can I add more value to the people I serve and support?”
* “What is the lesson that I can learn from this experience to grow
my business and improve myself?”
* “Who do I know that has had success in this area that I can model?”
* “What must happen in order for me to make this goal reality?”
* “What must I do to improve this situation?”
* “How can I be a better me today”
WOW…can you see the difference?
Your mind will start to find the answers you need to take the steps
necessary to have the things that are important to you.
And better yet, asking empowering questions will provide the
answers you need to move forward with focus, clarity and
momentum towards the life you want.
Ask a better quality question, get a better quality answer, LIVE
a higher quality life!
A lesson in seasons
By · CommentsHave you ever gotten “stuck” in the “stinking thinking” mindset that where you are right now is where we’ll always be?
I have…
And the truth is…it’s not true!
Using extremes like, “I’ll never get out of this mess…” or asking dis-empowering questions like, “will this ever end?…” aren’t going move you to the place you really want to be.
Instead, take a lesson from the seasons. When you stop to notice that after winter must come spring, you realize that no matter what “season” your business or life is in right now, a new season is coming….welcome it – wait for it!
Turning My Mess Into My Message
By · CommentsYou may have heard the expression, “turn lemons into lemonade” a few times on your journey through life, well that’s exactly the thought behind the phrase “turning my mess into my message,” which a mentor of mine suggested to me years ago.
I’ve made my share of mistakes in business and in life, and when I’m open to it, each one has the potential to be an opportunity for growth and advancement.
My interview with Jonathan Gunson of TrafficCafe.TV reminded me of that, watch and enjoy, there are lots of “nuggets” inside!
Love and money can go together nicely but it requires having an open communication policy which is not only smart…it can be sexy too!
Watch this video as Financial Fitness Coach Sanyika Calloway Boyce and Relationship Expert Donna Barnes discuss ways to strengthen your relationships, handle money without headaches, and offer simple but sound tips that will bring couples together and their finances from falling apart.
http://www.sanyika.com
How To Be SMART:
Why Regular Goals Aren’t Good Enough
By
· Comments
I don’t want to alarm you, or cause a panic but I do want to ask you a very serious question,
“How do you plan to make this year better than the last?”
Your answer to that question is deeply rooted in how you’ve set your goals.
While it might be your intention to do something different, it will take more than hope and positive thinking for what you want to match what you get out of the passing days, weeks and months remaining in the year.
Quite simply, you need a plan. Both for your business and your life.
A set of action steps that will propel you to the next level when you’re feeling confident and pull you forward when you’re feeling weak, tired and scared.
If it’s undeniable that you MUST have an action plan to achieve your desired outcomes, than how do you convert your goals into a step-by-step action plan that will help you make this your best year yet?
There are three simple things that you can do to turn your goals into reality:
1. You must recognize that your goals need to be S-M-A-R-T
2. You need to write them down or document them in some way
3. You need to get someone or something to which you can be accountable
I’ll focus on the S-M-A-R-T acronym because it spells things out in very plain language that makes goal setting easy to do – and most important- easy to follow. Here’s what I mean:
The ‘S’ stands for “Specific” – Whenever you take the time to make something specific – especially a goal – it has a much greater chance of coming to life.
One surefire way to set a specific goal is to answer these six “W” questions:
- Who: Who (or what) is involved in reaching the goal successfully?
- What: What exactly do I want to accomplish?
- When: When will I accomplish this goal (set a date, day and time)
- Why: Why is this goal important to me? (Give specific reasons or benefits)
The ‘M’ stands for “Measurable” – Determine the benchmarks and milestones you’ll establish to measure your progress toward the achievement of each goal you set. When you measure your progress, you are better able to stay on track, reach your deadlines, and best of all gain the momentum and confidence necessary to reach your goals.
To make your goals measurable, ask yourself:
- How much? - As in, how much do I need to make or do, to know that I’m going in the direction of my goal?
- How many? – As in, how many do I need to sell or use, to know that I’m going in the direction of my goal?
- How will I know when it is accomplished? – As in, what will achievement look like, feel like, be like?
The ‘A’ stands for “Attainable” – Before setting goals, it’s important that you first figure out what it’s honesty going to take to reach them. This is not the time to be Pollyanna or pie-in-the-sky. You must take note of any limitations, deficiencies or self-sabotaging habits you have that could cause a serious threat to your goals. It might even be necessary to make a goal of working on what’s likely to hold you back.
Your goals can be as BIG as you’d like them to be. Just make sure that you break them down into manageable steps that will allow you to see and celebrate the progress you’re making along the way. The bigger the goal, the smaller the steps you’ll need to reach it.
The ‘R’ stands for “Realistic” - To check on how realistic your goal is, ask yourself what conditions would have to exist to accomplish this goal. Then determine if you are truly willing to make the adjustments and sacrifices to create the conditions necessary.
The size of the goal has nothting to do with how realistic it is, on the contrary – it should be a large goal. Just understand that a large goal will cause you to stretch. It’s the need for growth that will often challenge your perception of how realistic it is to achieve it.
The ‘T’ stands for “Timely” - Goals need set time frames and parameters in which to be achieved. Without them there’s no sense of urgency, no real reason to get it done – in that case, ”Someday” will do…
However, if you want to make your first sale, book for your TV appearance, or pay off your credit card debt – by when do you want to do it? You need to choose a date in the future and work backwards toward it.
Making the declaration, “I will do ______ by July 31st” gives you something to which you can be accountable and a way to measure with each day that goes by if you are getting closer to where you want to be. Plus, it will allow your unconscious mind (which is where we operate from) know what you’re going after so that a plan can be set in motion to reach the goal.
If you haven’t set yourself up for success in reaching your goals, I strongly suggest that you use the SMART model of goal setting so that you can get closer to reaching your desired destination.
The feelings of time passing at lightening speed without you knowing where the day went and being overwhelmed by all the things you have to do will be greatly reduced when you know where you want to go, and you have a specific plan for how to get there.
You’d be SMART to set your goals this way.
Clutching Crutches:
A Lesson in “How-Not-To” Grow
By
· Comments
At first glance they are useful, necessary, and even temporary – but crutches can be obstacles to your success.
Crutches can be obstacles to your success
Little by little they rob you, deplete you, and leave you for dead. Ok, that last one might be a bit of an exaggeration. What’s true is that crutches can become an enemy of growth by blocking us from moving forward with any type of momentum or consistency.
Technology has always been something I’ve convinced myself that I don’t particularly like learning about. Nor do I want to be bothered with the particulars of figuring it out. However I thoroughly enjoy the benefits of it and even like to use gadgets once they’re all set up for me.
I’m the person that the phrase “plug and play” was created for. Beyond pressing the “ON” button I don’t want to have to do anything else. If it is not blatantly obvious to me at first glance how to make something technical work, then my usual response would be to instantly wait for someone else to do it.
Now I am the first acknowledge the necessity of outsourcing, Virtual Assistants, and even having a person proficient in IT on your team – but what I’ve come to discover in business and in life is that; if you don’t have a basic understanding of the thing that you pass off to someone else to do for you, you create a “crutch” scenario and in some cases a hostage situation.
The concept of a crutch is a very useful one, the idea that you can lean on something (or in some cases someone) to support you in being mobile until you can fully function on your own is a comforting and often necessary reassurance.
But when the very thing that was supposed to be a temporary support on your way to self sufficiency becomes the thing that stunts your growth it is not a good thing. When the word crutch is used as an excuse not to engage in normal business building and life enhancing activities then it’s a problem that you’ll have to address if you ever want to grow.
Over the 5+ years that I’ve been a full time entrepreneur, I’ve had ample opportunities to slowly learn some of the basic things I need to know to be more knowledgeable regarding technology but instead I chose not to, shrugging it off as something that I’d do “later,” or figuring I’d just get someone on my team to help me the moment I needed it if I had a problem.
This mindset and behavior seemed to be working very well for me until the other day when I had an idea that I wanted to implement immediately, but I had no one to help me bring it to life. I knew what I wanted to do. I just didn’t know how to do it.
To make matters worse (or so I thought) I had been informed at the beginning of the year that all technical requests would take at least 24 hours to be reviewed or addressed – so much for immediate.
While I understood it practically, I hated these new restraints because they were inconvient to me and reminded me of my deficiency which made me hate even more the feeling of being helpless. How frustrating it was to “know” the thing I needed done was something basic that most savvy business owners knew how to do – just not me.
I called a friend who I admire for her ability to absorb technical things and got her help with what I wanted done. Still I was unsettled by the thought that if she were not available, I couldn’t move forward with my plan. So I asked her, “How is it that you learned and retained all of this tech stuff on top of all the other things you’ve got to juggle?”
She said, “It’s funny because most people think that I love technology. The truth is I’m more a pencil and paper kind of person. But what I love is the end result so I take the time to learn the most efficient way to get the results I want – even if I’m not always the one doing the thing that needs to be done.”
Being restricted from moving forward in this way made me realize that the crutch I’d been holding on to was no longer serving or supporting me, instead it had stunted my growth.
After this experience, I can assure you that I have no intention of becoming the next Steve Jobs or Bill Gates. But what I have committed to becoming is more knowledgeable of this aspect of my business. So, one of the things I did over the past weekend was to learn a few basic HTML codes that will empower me to make small changes to my website, create a squeeze page, or adjust the size of an opt-in box whenever I want.
This may not even be a big deal to someone who can read their newspaper in code, and yes someone else can do it for me. However what this situation taught me was the power that I unwillingly gave away by not having the basic knowledge for myself.
What's your crutch?
What’s your crutch?
Maybe technology is your “thing,” but accounting and bookkeeping are the things that get pushed off to someone else without you really understanding the basics of how they work.
You don’t have to change your likes or dislikes about a particular aspect of your business, but what must change – that is if it’s an area you want to grow in – is your understanding of it. We tend to shy away from the things we fear and that fear has a tremendous power to hold us hostage.
Right now, choose one aspect of your business that you know in your gut you need to better understand. Next define the best way to learn just a bit more than you currently know about it. Your goal may not be to master the topic, but rather to have more control over your rate of progress and success.
Go ahead, get rid of the crutches – it’s time for you to exercise your business building muscles!
