The Business of YOU!

Create Balance That is Right for YOU!

Being an entrepreneur takes a lot of effort.

It requires so much from you. Add to that the role of a parent 
and/or spouse and your responsibilities increase exponentially.

It can be quite overwhelming.

Learning to create balance and manage everything effectively is a huge 
challenge at times, if not most of the time.

You have some many priorities, people who depend on you, and a multitude
of duties to tend to.

For many, attaining balance in any small amount seems far in the 
distance, if attainable at all.

Here’s the thing, there is no “one-size-fits-all” solution to creating 
balance in life.

Each person is different. Each situation is different.

What’s important to one person may not be a priority to another.

Now, I am not here to tell you the RIGHT way to create balance. What I 
can do offer is a guideline that you can create a sense of balance that 
fits YOU and your lifestyle.

There's a Movement Happening. Do You Know About it?

Happy New Year!

If you've been in business for sometime, you may agree that virtually
every aspect of how business is being done today must change. The
present business model is not working. The rewards, the results, are
far too little for far too many.

Abundant opportunities to live a quality life are not present for many.
The chance to be a vibrant and willing participant is not inclusive.
The path to a limitless future must be open to all those who desire it
and are willing to make the effort.

One of my client, Doug Bowers, created a company that is Transforming
the Way Business Does Business.

Break Free From Habit Hypnosis

We are such creatures of habit. Sometimes we get caught up in what I call “habit hypnosis.”

Think about your morning routine. How much of what you do is consciously decided versus done out of habit? Think about the way you take your shower, the way you brush your teeth, or what you eat for breakfast.

Think about your business routine. How much of what you do in your business actually serves your ultimate goal – to grow the business? Think about how you market your business, the way you serve your clients, or the way you schedule your day.

Now, I am not saying that having a system or a habitual way of doing things is all bad. In fact, having a great system allows you to do more and get better results.

We create our lives around systems that generally serve us. However, what tends to happen after some time is that we get so caught up with our system, our way of doing things, that it takes a jolt to snap us out of this “habit hypnosis” state.

Wanna Get Married?

Yesterday, I had a fabulous guest on my monthly Success Chat, Lara Galloway. During our fun-filled and content driven call, our chat was centered around how we can all figure out what our clients really want from us.

In her work, Lara has eloquently coined the phrase, Engagement Marketing.

I just love how she defined these words to us during our chat. What she explained was how getting married and going through the engagement process is very similar to a successful marketing process.

Brilliant!

 Think about it. When we first start dating a person, a firm commitment to being life partners or even dating exclusively has not been made. No loyalty. The truth is, we are still feeling things out and assessing the person to see if they meet our needs.  We are seeing if this person is right for us and if they will be “the one” for life. We think…there are still other ‘fish in the sea’ who might be a better catch.

If Only I Had More Hours in the Day!

Have you ever said to yourself, ‘If I only had more hours in the day!’?

We don’t need more time. We have plenty of time.

What we need is to fill our time with the things that matter the most; those things that will get us where we want to go and eliminate the rest.

Recently, I had a “reality check” of my own about this very subject. 

I found myself caught up in the busy-work and not being very effective.

On the surface it looked like I was working very hard trying to grow my business and increase cash flow; along with taking of my family; taking the kids to school, cooking dinner – well most nights – helping with homework and chauffeuring each kid to their various activities.

As a business owner, mother and wife, I often times feel the mountain of responsibilities begin to weigh me down and exhaust my energy – leaving me ineffective for anyone, especially myself.

Magnetize Your Social Media Marketing

How To Build a Loyal Following of Ready-to-Buy Fans

By Nancy Marmolejo
http://www.VivaVisibilityBlog.com

Social networking gives entrepreneurs the unprecedented opportunity to get in front of big audiences in relatively short amounts of time. With such easy access to prospects and leads, you must have a firm understanding of why you're there and how you'll accomplish your goals.

When you take time to focus on relationships, you’ll magnetize your marketing and create a loyal following of ready-to-buy fans!

Understand Why You're There

Interestingly enough, many professionals haven't clearly defined why they are getting on social networking sites. "Because everyone else is" isn't a good enough reason. There's nothing wrong with signing up on several sites and learning as you go along, but it's more important than ever to understand your reasons for showing up.

Here are a few examples of why professionals use social networking.

Are You Leaving Money On The Table?

  I don’t have to tell you how important networking is to building your business.

I know you know the values of building relationships and how those connections can open up doors of opportunities that would not have otherwise been open.

But, are you are leaving money on the table?

You attend a variety of events to grow your business and to meet and network with new people, and that is great.

You have a bit of a conversation, get their card and chat about how it would be great to connect later.

Only to get back to your office, return to your hectic agenda and the cards end up getting set aside and later forgotten about. You may be able to send out a quick email reaching out, but that’s where it ends.

The value of connecting with new people is not what happens at that event; although, I know of some major business that has happened at live events. I have even had that happen for me, but it is not the norm.

Why I Don't Want Balance!

 

Balancing your life is not an easy task, is it?

We are super busy with growing and managing our business. We have our personal lives to attend to, as well. If you have growing kids, like I do, you know it takes creative time management to fit in all the extracurricular activities on top of everything else.

Over the years, I have found that the idea of creating balance in my life was unrealistic. The more I tried to balance my life, the more it felt out of reach.

It then dawned on me…  

You know the scales that have a dish on each side?

When the weight is the same on both sides, the dishes are even. When one side is heavier than the other, one side moves up while the other moves down.

Think about it.

The only time the scale is in motion is when the scale is out of balance. When things are balanced, nothing moves.

Putting Yourself First Without The Baggage Of Guilt

Putting yourself first without feeling guilty is one of the most challenging for many busy entrepreneurs.

We women are notorious for putting other’s needs continuously before our own. You have responsibilities to your business, to your customers, to your family, and on and on.

Having the time to nourish and take care of ourselves has a tendency to take a back seat to all the other responsibilities we juggle. We naturally want to serve and be available to those we love.

However, it often leaves us drained, tired and sometimes sick when we don’t stop to recharge our own battery.

As a mother of 3, a wife, and business owner I, too, struggle with carving “me” time into my very full life. After hitting the proverbial “wall” a few too many times, I have learned that the more I “unplug” and take time for me, the better my whole world flows.

You are like a coffee cup.

Look at your life like a coffee cup and saucer. You are the coffee cup. Taking time for you equates to the yummy coffee (or tea) that fills that cup. The saucer represents your world and the people you serve in it; your kids, your special someone, your clients, your friends, etc. When you take time to fill yourself up with what nurtures you, you begin to fill that cup up to a point that it eventually overflows. The saucer catches your overflow. This is the ‘juice’ that you serve your world with.

When you don’t regularly fill your cup up, yet still serve your world, you use up the wrong ‘juice.’ This drains you of what is left in the cup and gradually it becomes empty. You end up out of ‘juice’ for everyone; you and your world.

Carve out “me” time without the guilt.

Guilt is a common demon for many women entrepreneurs.

We feel guilty for not bringing in the income we desire for our family; and we feel guilty for the business taking time away from our family. It is a never ending, self-sabotaging cycle.

Any thought of taking time out for “me” begins to seem like a fantasy.

It doesn’t require a lot of time, nor money to re-fill your cup.

The thing to realize and understand is that the best thing you can do for your family and your business is to be the best “YOU” you can be.

It does not serve anyone if you are exhausted, frustrated, unhappy, and/or sick from the lack of self-care. Remind yourself that by taking time for you, everyone wins – guilt free!

Vacation is NOT vacation for Mom!

From the time I was a child, I always loved vacations. I loved getting away from home and work and being with family. It was always a great way for me to relax, unwind and have fun. I would come back from vacations refreshed, reenergized and ready to get back into my life.

I have come to realize after several family vacations, that, as a mother, vacations are not vacations for me. While yes—I get away from work and my home—I am still a mom. It is not always relaxing and reenergizing for me.

John is a very “hands-on” dad—but let’s face it; most of the cooking, cleaning up, organization of the family care-taking and activities, etc. lies on Mom.

While I still love to vacation with my family; family vacations are not my type of “recharging” activity that fills my cup.

So, I have learned to design several “me” treats that I incorporate in my schedule that continue to nurture me while I balance my world of family, finances and business.

Now, as you know, time will not just appear available for you. You MUST schedule it in your day. However, you do not have to chunk out large amounts of time. Some treats may only take a few minutes.

The key is to do things that YOU enjoy, that nurture YOU and re-fill your cup. Remember, the little things count.

Here are a few ideas that work for me.

• Grab breakfast/coffee with a good friend before I start my work-day.
• Take the afternoon off and see a movie.
• Write a note or send a card to a dear friend or loved one.
• Get a manicure/pedicure – splurge on the deluxe service.
• Take an hour or so in my day to read a good book.
• Call a friend I haven’t talked to in a while.
• Take a nap during the day – especially when tired. ;-)
• Dance to inspirational music – play it loud!
• Not opening my computer for the ENTIRE weekend.
• Buy a bouquet of flowers and put on my desk.
• Have lunch at a park – sit and swing for a while. 

You do not have to do something extravagant or expensive to create moments of “me” time. The secret is in doing something.

Decide what will bring a bit of joy in your day, schedule it and do it – regularly.

© 2008-2010 The Business Of You, Inc.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE?
You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Entrepreneur, Coach, National Speaker and Author, Jo Della Penna publishes The Business of You E-Zine with over 1,500+ subscribers. If you're ready to jump-start your business, make more money, and have more joy and excitement in your life, get your FREE tips now at www.TheBusinessofYou.com.

Resolutions That Get Results!

We are all familiar with the tradition of setting annual resolutions as we enter in a fresh New Year. As the past year closes, we look forward with hope that this year is somehow different, where it happens and we get the results we desire.

However, setting goals should be a regular exercise throughout the year, not just at the New Year.

I never quite understood why people wait until New Year’s to begin to move towards their goals. All we have is today, so if there is something that you desire, start working towards getting it now – don’t wait!

No matter if you are setting the typical New Year’s Resolution or setting goals at some other time of the year, here are a few basics that have helped me not only achieve my goals, but often times surpass them.

In one of my previous articles I wrote, I shared how to decide what you really want. You can review that article here.

Deciding what you really want is the first crucial step to achieving anything.

What is a stumbling block for many entrepreneurs I coach is they feel overwhelmed with all the things that they want. They feel like they have to find a way to fit it all in their already overly busy schedules.

Follow these simple steps and you will learn to set resolutions that get results, without being ove rwhelmed.

Pick the Top One:

After you have listed all the things you desire, pick the top one that is most important to you, the one that you want more than any other. This should be the one that will have the most positive impact for you, when it’s achieved.

When we try to accomplish many things at the same time, we end up getting nowhere fast. We run around in circles, often accomplish little or nothing at all and we exhaust ourselves in the process.

Pick one, once you accomplish that, you will pick the next – and so on – so don’t worry.

Write that one goal on a separate piece of paper and paint the picture of it already accomplished. Describe how you feel, what your surroundings are like, what does it smell like when you see yourself having reached your goal. List as much detail as possible. If it helps, find a photo or words that represent your goal.

Make sure you write it in the positive state and in present tense as already accomplished. Put it on a card so you can have it with you everywhere.

I often state, “I am so happy and grateful now that…,” before describing my goal.

Daily Review:

Now, this is a very simple and extremely powerful, yet often an under-utilized step.

At minimum, take a moment each morning and each evening to review your goal. Read the card aloud and as you read it, visualize yourself having reached it. Feel the feelings, smell the smells, hear the sounds.

Do NOT think about the “how” it will happen. The “how” will present itself as you progress forward. The fact that you desire to have your goal is indication enough that the way to achieve it exists.

To speed up the process, take a moment several times during the day to review your goal.

As W. Clement Stone stated, “What the mind of a man can conceive – and believe – it can achieve.”

Setting your sights on your goal and reviewing them daily, you are programming your mind to conceive and believe, which will ultimately lead you to achieving!

Follow your Promptings:

After you have decided on what you want to achieve and now you are reviewing them daily, there is a final step that many miss in the process.

Following your promptings requires less logic and more listening. Listening to your intuition, your gut, or as I often call it, your "div ine guidance.”

I found it most difficult for me, because I tend to think too much. I would be caught up in analyzing all the reasons I should or should not act, all the “what-ifs” and many times, talk myself out of stepping forward.

Over the years, I have sharpened this skill with the help of my coaches and mentors. Getting help to overcome your negative mind-chatter is one of the biggest benefits of hiring a coach or mentor.

As a result, amazing things have shown up to help leap me forward towards my goals. Many times, they would be unforeseen and unexpected scenarios.

It may show up in thinking about someone you feel compelled to call, that turns into a fabulous business opportunity.

It may be an associate calls you last minutes to attend a business function that you end up being introduced to someone you have been wanting to interview for your next book.

Or, and this happens to me often, you get an email from someone needing a speaker for their organization whose previous speaker canceled, where you end up picking up more speaking engagements and a new client or two.

So, this year, instead of writing a laundry list of goals you want to achieve, pick one – the most important to accomplish first.

Focus on that one goal, review it daily and follow the promptings along the way. You will be astounded at how quickly you see results and what you will be able to accomplish by the end of this year!

© 2008-2010 The Business Of You, Inc.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE?
You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Entrepreneur, Coach, National Speaker and Author, Jo Della Penna publishes The Business of You E-Zine with over 1,500+ subscribers. If you're ready to jump-start your business, make more money, and have more joy and excitement in your life, get your FREE tips now at www.TheBusinessofYou.com.