Why Is The Last 5% So Hard To Do?

Most everyone has those unfinished projects. They exist everywhere from fixing the little things around the house to very important projects at the office. I feel the first 95% is in the choose to range while the last 5% lives in the have to range. Have to lives where you don't like to go. The sticky gooey stuff. The little details. Have to is like work. Choose to is like fun. This is a rather simple observation but a grunt in real life. No one want's to do what they don't like doing.
Where does the answer lie? The smart money knows you do the part you don't like to do first. Once that's behind you it's clear sailing. The very best sales people do this when they have call reluctance. Get those first few calls behind them in the morning. Beware of what happens when you leave it to the afternoon. Your day has become busy doing stuff. Procrastination rarely shows up in the choose to realm.

I believe the best way to approach this is the same whether or not it's working toward your goal or chipping away at the to do list. It's called planning. There are all sorts of experts out there who will help reduce the clutter on your desk, tidy your office and clean up your priority list. All good stuff. Stripped down to the barest what needs to be cleared first is your mind. One must understand why the block is there. If your honest with yourself and take a look you will see what it is. You don't like that part. You are not comfortable in that space. I expect if you study it and get comfortable with it the confidence level will go up. Perhaps you need to seek some outside help. If you look at it from the perspective that all the time spent on getting the first 95% done will go to waste if you do not finish the project. This alone is reason enough to complete the project. Take stock of yourself and learn how to put a value on your time.

You need to turn the "Have To" things into "Choose To" things to get those tough unfinished projects behind you. Just think of how your career will take off. Senior Management will come to you because you get the job done and done well. The most important factor in all this is the feeling of accomplishment. After all, your worth it. Aren't you?

The Badge Of Courage

The Badge Of Courage. What a fitting term. Mr Fisher was indeed referring to City leaders who dared not to be political and to be weird. I happen to live in the being unique camp but the two terms are closely related in my opinion. So how does this relate to business and change management? Closer than you think.
My affiliation with a Change Management company leads me to believe the last thing we want to project to our clients is they could fail. We must all agree there is risk in change but in most instances it's better than not changing. Keeping things as they are is really going backwards. It may be as simple as changing processes within an organization to a complete overhaul of how the company or organization is managed and delivers its services or products. Ether way this takes courage. Mr. Fisher also focused on collaboration of organizations putting the best talent from each company on a team that can add value to each organization taking each company to a higher level. Everyone wins.
I see this in the call centre business here in Canada where a sharing of successes and open discussions of the future takes the industry to a higher level resulting in providing greater service for our customers. Everyone wins. To my American readers I should point out that many of the members of the Canadian Association are in fact American companies. Why do the American Corporations join. It's because we share our successes and not hide it from our competitors. Business in general south of the border is a much more combative stunting growth as the race is to hold a competitive edge leaving the others to play catch up. That being said there are industries such as the cellular and automotive business where competition is fierce and this privacy is fully understandable.
Lets think of this possibility. What could be accomplished if non competitive companies from different business sectors shared their process and talents. This is not a novel idea as this already takes place as owners of small business create their own board of directors through business clubs. They learn from each other. The key ingredient here is they all accept and welcome change.
If you or your company is stuck, it's time you venture out and take a look around. What can you change to make your company more efficient. What can you change to be more attractive to your current and prospective customers. Your customers want you to be fresh and creative. More importantly your staff wants to be challenged to help improve both themselves and the company. Employees do not want to be drones. They want to be valued for what they bring to the company. They want to be part of a successful team. Make change your trusted friend and watch all things around you soar, including yourself.

Are You Spread Too Thin?

Three months have passed since I have written an article. It was not because I did not want to. The truth is I was just too darn busy and over committed. How did this happen? It's easy when we are not careful.
Personally for me it was like the perfect storm of time gobblers. I have aging parents both in their 90's who need my time. I have a very demanding day job that requires immediate action reacting to requests. I am a devoted Rotarian active at both the club level and on the District Leadership Team. I was also traveling on business for two weeks. On top of that I had four speaking engagements over that period requiring allot of preparation. Now you can easily see why I was over committed. Temporary yes, but it happened none the less.
Are you ever awakened at four in the morning thinking I have to get these things done? People are depending on me. If so it's time to shed some commitments and duties. I believe people get burned out from over commitment which causes stress. Two things happen when we are in this stressed state. We make bad decisions and more often than not make no decision at all.
The truth of the matter is very little gets accomplished when we are over committed. The old adage of give it to a busy person and they will get it done does not always hold true if they are over committed. So why do we allow ourselves to get in this space? Uncontrollable things will happen that require our time. Things like family issues that we can't say no to. These things will always appear in our lives. The real culprit is not having the ability to say no for a request of our time and expertise."
Here is what I do when my time gets maxed out.

1. I make an appointment with myself to review my commitments with the object that I am going to drop some commitments. Note, you will need some quiet time for this. No distractions.
2. I write down all my commitments. All of them!
3. I then prioritize my commitments into "have to" and "choose to."
4. I then schedule walking time. This helps clear my head. Exercise helps reduce stress.
5. I eliminate the least important of my commitments.
6. I repeat if necessary.

I consider myself a time management pro and I got caught. We all get caught up in things we are passionate about and say yes. My recommendation is the next time your asked to help or commit either say no or tell them you will let them know tomorrow after you check your schedule. You be glad you did.

Uncomfortable Topics - How to Start a Difficult Conversation

The best leaders don't bring up the fact they are the leader. Successful companies and organizations have many leaders within their walls. The Captain is not always the top scorer or production leader. The best leaders help their team achieve great heights both as individuals and collectively. All this without having to mention their authority. How you ask? It's because it is never about them. Great leaders create trust. Where there is trust there is healthy conversation about performance and outcomes without fear of being judged by those you report to.
The business world is full of buzz words like "Buy In" " Team Effort" "Peak Performance" and yes, " Leadership". The days of " The beatings will continue until moral increases" are long past. Within the walls of business there exists staff who do not live up to their commitments and are not held accountable. I believe one reason is the lack of leadership skills. The inability to have a difficult conversation with a direct report can result in a host of problems within an organization. So whats the trick here? How do you get started with that difficult conversation that will lead to a healthy conclusion and a healthy working relationship.
I suggest you consider the following at the outset of a difficult conversation.

1. Ask for a meeting with the individual in person quietly and not in front of other staff members.
2. Make every effort not to have the conversation across your desk. Configure your office or space that creates a conversation and not a you work for me feeling.
3. Spend time considering how you will open the conversation with out challenging the employee creating a defensive atmosphere.
4. If the employee missed a deadline there is a usually a valid reason in their mind. The employee may have had too much on their plate but were unable say no "I don't have time" or This will impact the out come of another project I am working on. In short find the best way to have them explain why. This will allow the two of you to find a common solution.
5. Ask open ended questions during the conversation avoiding questions that can be answered in yes or no.

There can be hundreds of reasons why staff members under perform, miss deadlines or behave badly. There is no cookie cutter solution as each situation will have it's own set of circumstances. The key is to create a feeling of trust from both the leader and the staff member. Where there is trust there will be honest conversations and both parties have a willingness to help each other reach their common and personal objectives.

You Don't Have To Be Large Corporation To Outsource Your Customer Service

Companies spend thousands upon thousands of dollars trying to attract customers to their business. Radio, TV, Newspapers and of course the internet are the most common form of attracting customers. You build expectation of grandeur only to be greeted by a machine when the prospective customer calls your business. The most frequent greeting is "We appreciate your call. In order for us to serve you better please listen to the following options" Then we expect this potential customer to take another minute or two to listen to all the options.

Well guess what. 80 % of these first time callers to your business hang up. I find it bazaar that the most important part of that being a conversation with the customer is being discouraged. Automated phone attendants are disrespectful of peoples time. It adds a layer between you and your customer. This is where marketing and sales don't work as a team. I expect the decision to go with an automated attendant is left with accounting folks. Well guess what. The accounting department does not want the sales team in their department. The sales department should feel the same way about accountants being in their department. Humans talking with customers is a cost of sales and not an administration expense.

In short, successful companies understand the importance of human contact with their customers. These companies understand if you wanted to communicate with a machine the potential customer would email their business. That seems understandable. They also understand that when a customer phones their business they expect a human to answer the phone. Hello!

You don't have to be a big corporation to make this happen. It's rather simple actually. You out source your phones to a contact centre. Any contact centre worth their salt has the technology to answer the phone as if they are sitting inside your front door. It's a shared service that you only pay for when the call center works on you behalf. This of course after a modest base monthly fee that includes customer care services. It's all scalable. No calls get missed. Every opportunity is captured.

So how do you do the math to see if a contact center is a solution for you?

• Calculate how much it costs to obtain a new customer. This is easily calculated by the number of new clients you obtained last year divided into the total cost to capture new revenue. Advertising, Sales Staff. Sales Staff Expenses.
• Calculate how many prospects it takes to make a sale. This will bring you the cost per contact.
• Contact your phone company and ask for the total number of inbound phone calls in a particular month. Also ask them the most important question. How many abandoned calls with in 10 seconds of the auto attendant answering the call. Remember that 80 % hang up and move on when greeted by voice mail or an automated attendant.
• Take the closing ratio ( prospect converted to customer) and divide that into the number of abandoned calls. This should give you a feel for the lost opportunities.

I expect you find that the cost of the contact centre will be covered by new business generated. Add to the mix the increased customer experience of your existing customer base and watch the sales grow. Do the math. Include your contact centre as the front end of the sales team. Watch your customer satisfaction and sales numbers soar.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7714354

There Is No Fast Train To Success

If you're looking for the fast train to success it does not exist. You see the fast train makes fewer stops. It's during the stops that we gain knowledge and experience. We get to reflect and to measure our progress. I believe if your in the hurry up and get there mind set there will be more bumps in the road. Yes it can be said the bumps are lessons we need to learn however if they could have been avoided, it means you were better prepared. I also believe there is allot to be said for enjoying the journey. The most important thing is for you to determine what success means to you. Once you know that, you can chart your course.
What do you picture in your mind when you think of success? Does it make you smile and feel all warm inside. If it does you are very fortunate. Much of today's society is wrapped up in want's adverse to goals and aspirations. A dream will always be a dream until you act on it. "The best dreams you can have are with your eyes wide open". Inspiring words from one of the worlds best business authors, Harvey MacKay.
The train always has to work harder going up hill. Hard work does not have to be filled with struggle and disappointment. I suggest you find a way to make it smart work that will increase the fun factor. Many success seekers get caught up in the planning process and their train never leaves the station. They live in fear of what happens when the train starts rolling down the tracks in the wrong direction. If you have never jumped off a train before it's exhilarating. The slow train is upon reflection easier to stop or to switch rail lines.
So why the train analogy? I like analogy's because they create pictures in your mind that cement the thought and help get a point across. You see I was more than a passenger on a fast train once. I was driving that fast train years ago. I could not wait to get to what I deemed to be success. I was driving at full speed to a financial number that I did not achieve. I came up just short before the train left the tracks. The best advice I can give you in your pursuit of success is do it with a purpose. The error in my judgement was if I had the money I could do what I wanted. The irony was I did not know what I wanted. My goal was singular. It was all about the money. It was not until later in life that I discovered what I really wanted. When I stopped chasing money, the money found its way to me. Wisdom does not travel on the fast train. That's why they say that wisdom is earned.

Are Things As Tough As You Perceive Them To Be?

One eyes can play tricks with your mind regarding what goes on outside your own world.  Visions of nice cars coupled with vacation advertising that whisk you off to far away exotic places all create a false sense of desire. Your credit card balance continually grows to an uncomfortable balance .  The polish may have fallen off the apple in the relationship with your partner.  It goes on and on.  It's easy to allow yourself to get caught up in the life is better on the other side of the street.  To much TV will do that to a person. 20% of the time in front of the television is watching commercials.  This is where the illusion that all is well with everyone else but me, sneaks into your life. You become consumed with the notion that life has dealt you a difficult hand. No wonder you feel you have been short changed.

Pleasantville and not the movie is actually closer than you think.  I expect your living it and you don't know it. Perception can be reality just like the saying says. I suggest you perceive you already have abundance. If you don't it will soon come to you. I suggest to you just about every individual on the earth has issues that bring them stress and sadness.
So how can you get back to a mindset of abundance. How can you make that perception a reality.  Here are some ideas that have worked for me.

• Start a gratitude journal.  Yes I know what your thinking. Do it. Take a minute to write to paper all the wonderful things you have in your life. Concentrate on the non material things. Write until you can't think of any more.  Now do it every day.  You will most likely find you already have abundance.
• The best way not to have buyers remorse is not to buy it. Trust me. It urge will go away. I have never seen a trailer with all your worldly possessions being pulled behind a hearse.  Have you? You can not take your possessions with you when you die but you get to take love and your memories.
• Spend more time with your friends that are not into showing off possessions.  Remember Will Smith's famous saying. " Too many people spend money they have not earned yet to buy things they don't want, to impress people they don't like."
• Eat healthy and exercise. Exercise helps clear the clutter from your mind. 
• Create a new habit that will change your outlook on life. It may be as simple as writing in your gratitude journal. Do it every day for 30 days.

We all have heard, in our lives, that money can not buy happiness. I say money can but only if your mentally grounded and not driven to impress like Will Smith told us. Money can provide you with financial security. Spending it on material things will only bring you temporary happiness.  I suggest you first come to the understanding that love of friends and family is earned by who you are. I expect you already have it and did not know it.

Find Success Using A Balance Of Goals And Resolutions

With the new year just around the corner it's a great time to reflect and to set new goals. Business typically starts to wind down over the holidays and I suggest you start now with your planning for the coming year. Starting this exercise the second week of January will have a negative effect on your end result. Planning takes time and reflection. Planning is tough to do when your buried in the day to day part of your job.
What is the difference between a resolution and a goal you ask? A goal is about achieving something. For example. I am going to earn so much money. A resolution it's something you keep. You own it. When you change a habit like eating less, that transforms into weighing less. Eating less would be considered the resolution. The goal is weighing less. We can use words like intentions and habits too when comparing them to goals and resolutions. All of these words however point back to one word. Change. We all want to improve ourselves for various reasons. The net result is to make your life better. The thing that gets in the middle is change. Change can make you feel nervous. However deep down you know you need to change. That little person in the back of your mind keeps showing up saying. "Why do this, when every time you have tried, you have failed." Quite simply you gave up after just a few days because you found it to hard to change. Your not alone. It is estimated, that some where between 80 and 90 percent of all New Years Resolutions fail after just one week. You ask yourself. Why bother?
There is no single recipe for success. Here are some techniques that will help you identify what you want to resolve yourself to do. Success will soon be within your grasp.

• Don't rely on motivation alone.
• Concede to the fact that change can be and usually is difficult.
• Write down what you want to accomplish.
• Write down how you will feel once you have achieved your goal. This is a critical step as this will add emotion and it will come from your heart.
• Provide yourself with a bonus for the achievement.
• Break your resolutions and goals into daily tasks that are steps toward the end goal and result. As they say "By The Inch It's A Cinch".
• Little weekly victories add up to achievement of your goal.
• Share you resolution with someone who will hold you accountable. It's no fun telling your accountability partner you didn't do it because of some lame excuse.

I believe by using the suggestions above you will not become a statistic. It's good to have lots of goals. Many of these goals can be on your wish list or often referred to as a bucket list. I personally have a long list of goals with completion dates that are two to three years out. It's the resolutions which require change now that are the toughest to achieve. It takes 30 days to break a habit. It also takes 30 days to create a new one. Imagine what you can accomplish having removed what is holding you back from success. Prepare yourself now to take flight in the new year. Have fun.

Does Your Positive Attitude Run On Automatic

Recently while attending a Rotary District Leadership weekend, I found myself in a room full of people with high energy and positive attitudes. People who want to effect change and make the world a better place both at home and in countries in need. It's one of the many reasons I belong to Rotary. My article this week is not about Rotary but it's the people of Rotary who planted the seed for this weeks positive attitude article.
I find personally that I focus on the positive result and not the act of being positive. Spend the energy on the result. The only way to obtain the positive result is with a positive attitude. This means that you are already in the positive attitude mindset. Say good-bye to that voice in the back of your mind saying, " I have to be positive, I have to be Positive". Do you see what I mean by this? One of the keys to getting to this space is to be cognitive of your thoughts. If your thoughts are positive outcome based, it's about the outcome.
I often refer to myself as the opportunity salesman. Do you suppose you can be the best you can be with a limp attitude? I don't think so. Do you want to go through life without becoming better than you are today? I would hope not. The human race is evolving. Do you suppose that evolution is taking place because of the doubters and negative minded types. I don't think so. The can do positive minded individuals are leading the charge. To use an analogy. Many of us in North America are disgruntled with politics and politicians. So what happens. We vote leaders and governments out. All the energy is spent combating the other political party. I ask you. What do suppose would happen if all were pulling in the same direction? I expect the social and business agendas would be met. That's why I don't watch the news. It's counter productive. I get my news from the Internet. My reading includes business news and good new stories. There is no room for negativity in my mind. Yes I would agree that we can not go through life with blinders on however I prefer to spend time in the space that I have some control over.
Here are some simple tips that will certainly get your head in a positive state of mind.

1. Start a gratitude journal and write in it every morning. You will discover you have much to be thankful for.
2. Review your goals. To do lists are good however they are activity based and not big picture. I caution you not get your to do list and goals mixed up. You may find that if your trying to change a habit that is related to a goal you will need to put this on your to do list until it becomes automatic.
3. Look for a couple of inspirational web sites and save them on your favorites list. Read a few of these each morning.
4. At the end of each business day write down what you will do first thing in the morning. Open your email second as that creates reacting to external forces. Yes you will have to deal with these emails but you should deal with them on your terms.
5. Look for positive minded new friends whether they are social or business.

It is my belief the can do people are those who have their positive attitude in automatic. All their energy is focused on the end result. The bonus is, that it's one heck of allot more fun to do than grinding through things you deem a pain in the butt. How are you going to start your day tomorrow? I know how I am going to start mine.

Life Lessons In This Message

We as humans generally become more risk adverse as we mature. Why do you suppose that happens? I believe there are two answers to that question. With age one has less time to recover from a set back, financial or otherwise. The second is that we have become conditioned to react from certain events because we have been there before. I will share some of what I have learned from both my successes and my failures. Making sound decisions should be a process whether you are young or old. This is where the study and reading part plays a role. Knowledge can be learned through study, while wisdom for the most part is earned.
Quite simply it shapes up this way. I have been broke twice in my life and lived to tell about it. Yes, this builds character but it should not have to be that way. Both set backs were a result of bad decisions. In both instances I was owner of bricks and mortar businesses. Yes industry consolidations played a large role in the failures. But, to be perfectly honest some impulsive decisions in my personal life played a big part as well. You will notice on my Linkedin Profile that my education is a Masters In Common Sense. I can honestly say I gained this degree the hard way. I grew up with a strong family background that included decency and work ethic. The common belief in our home was this is a land of opportunity and you have loads of talent. I did not formally go to university however I was continually taking courses in business as well as attending personal development workshops. I was heavily engaged in personal development long before it became in vogue. Being an ADHD I knew I must invest time in this area, as it would help me be more cognitive of my decisions. I believed it would help me make more rational decisions. For the most part it did. ADHD's are emotionally charged and running with your heart is not always the best practice. This life course has brought me to where I am today as a coach to business owners. I have learned that many entrepreneurs get so emotionally involved it often clouds the decisions they must make.
One of life's toughest experiences came during a period when I owned a small business with a staff of 12. It was a successful business for 9 years followed by 2 years of a living hell. A consolidation in the industry coupled with a large life style left myself and the business with little wiggle room during a down turn in the economy. I lost everything including my pride. I managed to hold on to our house with the help of family. Through these times I lost my self-esteem and confidence. I hit rock bottom. I wondered. Could things ever get better? I can assure you they can.
This is where the lesson part comes in. I felt I always took the responsibility for my actions. For the most part that is true but it is easy to blame external forces. I also blamed these external forces as a form of personal denial. Taking responsibility for your actions is only half of what is required for you to move on after such events. One must make changes in how we approach the next steps. More of the same way of doing things will produce the same results. You need to understand why things went wrong. Were these events things you had control over? If that is the case it's time for some real soul-searching and understanding of yourself. Ask yourself. Is a change required of your habits and the way you do things? You have to peel back the layers of the onion and see what's in the middle. Often there is a smell associated with this exercise. It takes courage to look that deeply inside ones inner self. I did it and I moved forward.
Lessons can also be learned from our successes. I believe time should be taken to reflect and learn from our success. It's only natural to take success for granted. Success and victory feel great and do not carry the anguish and pain that comes from failure. You should take a step back and look at what took place to reach your goal. Was there pain, or were there roadblocks that you over came? What I have learned from my success as a businessperson is that I work well with people. I love to grow business and relationships. I am good at letting staff be the best they can be and to allow them to learn from their mistakes and to grow. What I am not good at is too much structure and repetitive work. I hate being managed. I need things to be fresh and engaging. I like strategic thinking that is solution based. I like projects because they have a beginning and an end. I ask many of my clients. Whats your end game with your company? What's your exit strategy? Many do not have an exit strategy. You should build your life or business plan around that outcome. That was one of my toughest lessons in business. I had an opportunity to sell my business at it's height. The irony is that three years later the business collapsed. You can not begin to appreciate the pain associated with that decision. But I learned from that.
Yes the toughest lessons come from failure. It is through your failures that you are able to have bigger success in the future. Success is rarely easy. You see, even in success we often say to our selves "I would do it a little differently next time".

Achieve Success Through Giving

We hear time and time again. Just give. It always comes back. I believe this to be so. The part about giving that many people do not understand, is that you can not just give once or twice and wait for it to come back to you. You must continually give. You can give your time and your expertise as the gift will come back to you in a different forms that you expected. Lets call it giving in kind as you rarely have to pay for it.

During a recent tel-conference interview hosted by success coach to authors and speakers Steve Harrison he asked the world's number one success coach Jack Canfield what he did to help get his book Chicken Soup for the Soul published. Jack told us he and his co author Mark Victor Hansen were out public speaking at no charge and they joined business clubs and public service clubs for the purpose of giving. Mr. Canfield added that by doing this it was about the audience and not about himself. It was however in the power of the message that opportunities came following his presentations. Offers to do seminars and corporate trainings with good financial rewards often followed these presentations.

If your not convinced, the challenge for you will be taking the leap of faith that this will work. This is not about religion. It's about human understanding and core values. This method is about giving a benefit to the listeners, attendees and readers. For example this is the beauty of Ezine Articles. Advertising in your articles is not permitted. Self promotion is restricted to our resources boxes. If the publishers of Ezine Articles do not see the value in your articles or you are attempting to self promote the article will not be approved. I suggest to you that if there is value in your message first time readers will go to your personal website to find out more about you. The purpose is value to the readers.

Here are some additional ideas and benefits to giving that will bring you rewards for years to come. It's not just for authors and speakers. It can be in support of your business or your way of life. 

• Be the quest speaker at free to attend speaking engagements. This will help you hone your skills in presenting and public speaking to an audience.
• If you are starting out as a life or business coach you may wish to consider taking the odd client for a reduced fee or no fee. If you have been able to help them then they will send you referrals.
• Get your articles or blog published in local news papers or magazines for no charge. Writing no fee articles will help you get the message out about who you are and what you do. Lets call this free advertising. Yes and it was a gift! How good is that.
• Join a service club. It is a wonderful way to get in touch with the community and to meet new and interesting people. Give first and the opportunities will appear in ways that you least expect them. I have been a Rotarian for 20 years and I can not begin to tell you what a huge impact this organization has had on my life. Relationships, travel, new business customers and the joy of helping and watching others grow. Wow, is all I can say.
• Get involved in a mentorship program. Help an immigrant get started. Help a small business owner gain the confidence to grow. The joy of helping others grow will be payment enough. The benefits to you will receive will be nothing short of astonishing.

Multiple gifts will often bring return gifts of two or three times more than you gave. When you as one person give to a group more than one person in the group will give the return gift. The key to giving is to expect nothing in return. If you looked at it in any other way it would be doing someone a favor to which you expect to collect later. The best and only way is to give without obligation. Give from your heart and be genuine. Others will then want to give to you. It has happened to me so many times over my life I can sum it up in three words. I am blessed. You see success comes in many ways as it is different for all. When your passion produces the gift the return gift fuels your passion. True success is when others want to send you their business because you gave and give value. By giving, good things will come to you. I am living proof.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6928360

Success Takes Energy And Focus

Staying focused on our goals can be very difficult when our energy levels come and go. This thought came to mind this morning as I am out of town on business and feeling this desire to just loaf the day away. I have a lovely hotel room overlooking the harbor and it has put my mind at ease. I have been on a great run with business this pass year. I have also been busy writing my book and planning my Executive Coaching business. The tug of war is on. Relax or get at it. The pace I have been going at has robbed me of some energy. I find when the energy level drops, so does the focus. The two are very much connected.

So my challenge today is to write an article on success then complete a presentation I am presenting as a guest speaker on Tuesday morning. I am presenting to an executive team tomorrow morning on a large project our company is proposing to a client. I have in my brief case a book and CD for an exercise and weight loss program I want to start. I also have some reading and studying to do for my coaching business. My website needs some updating. It looks like today is not a day for procrastination. Loafing is out of the question. I am focused. I could feel overwhelmed but I am not. I am just not sure my energy level is there. It's time to create some energy. I will be back.

So I now have some renewed energy. It came from going to the Hotel Health Club and hopping on the tread mill for 45 minutes. Yes exercise can and will increase your energy level. I ran out to the supermarket and got some healthier food. A salad, apples and soda water. I am certain a lunch full of carbs would have me taking a long after noon nap. So here I am, back at it.

Before you say don't bore me with all this Paul, ask yourself how often does this happen to you? You just blow off the day. Exactly. If this is what you do, tomorrow is going to be a day that controls you. Why? Because you are not fully prepared. You will be rushing and reacting. You will be exhausted at the end of the day and not certain of the outcomes from your day. What an awful place to be.

So here is the process that went through my mind this morning. It's about making a deliberate decision.

• I created a list of the have to do, followed by choose to.
• I prioritized them.
• I looked at the time I had to complete them.
• I reminded my self that I will be sailing to Bermuda and taking two weeks of in June.
• I reminded myself that I am going to Australia for three weeks this September.

The decision became easy. I was going to have a ton of what I call "gliding days" coming up. So as you can tell I have finished my article and I am now getting to work on Tuesday's speech which is already written in my head. I just need to get it to paper. Next I will get at my website. Make some necessary changes. Then have a half hour nap. I will then do some studying while I watch the golf. I will review tomorrows presentation this evening. The diet and exercise program will have to wait. But wait. I did get my exercise in and I ate healthy. Not a bad result for a winter Sunday in a hotel room.

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Fly Past The Road Blocks To Your Success

How does one manage to stay upbeat when life throws challenges at you faster than you want? Are you ready for the challenges when they come? How do you react to these challenges? You can't live life in the "what if" frame of mind and we certainly can't live with our heads stuck in the sand.

How does one plan for these road blocks? I believe the mastery of this is related to understanding your goals and what your success of the goal means to you. You know the car will need repairs at some point. You know the proposal you have worked so hard to prepare will face some objections. Here in lies the key. If you know what the potential road blocks are to anything you attempt you can plan ahead for them. For some positive-attitude people this is a breeze. But if you are a fear for the worst type, this is all very difficult. To repeat one of my favorite quotes by Mark Twain. "I spent much of my life worrying about things that never happened" My spin on that is when they do, be ready. The important thing to understand is you don't live in the fear of it happening. They usually appear for a reason.

The following are some first steps that will help you stay focused on your goal.

1. Make sure you are fully committed to the goal.
2. Write down a list of possible road blocks to your goal.
3. Write down how you will respond or act once faced with the road block.
4. Once you have dealt with the road block ensure there is closure to the road block so it does not appear again.

Mental toughness can be a learned talent. An important thing to remember once a road block appears to be certain you understand what the objection is. There may be some validity to the objection. If that is the case you may need to adjust your plan or goal. The good news is your plan or goal is now stronger as you have fine tuned it. All good would you not agree? Approaching road blocks with blinders on can be deadly. Charging down a path that has no certain end is fool hearty.

When road blocks occur we must look at them with a purpose. They appeared for a reason. There are usually two main reasons for objections.

1. You have not explained your goal or plan clear enough.
2. There are real issues regarding the validity of your goal or plan.

In either case if you go back to the above two points you will find the solution. Correct it and be on your way with a stronger and well thought through goal.

Life is all about learning and putting into action what we have learned. Wisdom is earned. The will to succeed is the most important part of goal setting. I believe even more so than the goal itself. It is your commitment to success that will see you to victory. Starting out knowing in your heart you will become a success is paramount. The road to get there will be a joyous journey well worth taking. Let's get started.

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Achieve Greatness Through The Power Of Thought

This past week I read the "Science of Being Great' by Wallace Wattles. It has been an interesting read as it follows the line of his book "The Science Of Getting Rich". Once again the emphasis is on the power of thought. Wattles believes that we must work and focus on greatness but we are not to rush. For if we are shallow and unprepared people will not seek our advise. If we are boastful others will not seek your advise and in fact likely avoid you. Wattles believes and I agree we can become great by reading, understanding life's experiences, thinking and through your actions. Wisdom is in fact earned and gained through experience. No one is born with wisdom. The key is that we are truly judged by our actions. Words are just that. Words unless supported by actions.

The book "The Secret" is perhaps the most widely read book of the past decade. "The Secret" is in fact about the power of attraction. Each chapter in the book is written by experts in the fields of the law of attraction and the power of thought. The books purpose was really to bringing about what you dream about and think about. This all makes perfect sense. For example it is unlikely we do not end up as a doctors if we dreamed or envisioned being a fireman. This I believe is all gained through a thought that became planted in our minds. How good we become at it, is how well we thought it through. That what we visualized in our mind does in fact become reality. Lets call this thought, the seed. From there it grows. However we must fertilize the seed with thoughts of completion. I believe the teachings in "The Secret" to be actual fact. The thoughts that we truly believe will become truths. This can all take place no matter if your rich or poor. The first step toward greatness starts with a clear vision.

A dream is just a dream if you do not act upon it. I believe this to be the most important part that many of the authors left out of "the Secret". It is critical to your success that you remove all doubt that it can be achieved. For if you doubt your thoughts, you are not committed to achieve it. You must fill your mind with positive thought. Thoughts that will carry your dreams and aspirations to reality. Greatness does not fall out of the sky. The eureka moment will appear because you brought that action toward you. The eureka moment is really a crystallization of what you believed would happen. The eureka moment becomes the proof that you can bring about, what you think about. This is also the title of a great book written by Eddie Lemoine. " Bring About What You Think About"

This thought process can be hard to grasp when your stuck in the dreaming stage. You must narrow down your thoughts to small details. Dreams are really what we wish for. A wish is just that. A wish. The last time I looked, The Silver Bullet was a beer commercial. There is now fast and easy way to achieve greatness just like there is no Silver Bullet. Success in becoming great comes after you take the thought from your mind into acting it out in real life. From the Morning and Evening Thoughts of James Allen's book "As a Man thinketh". "Calmness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom. A person becomes calm in the measure that they understand ones self as a though evolved being."

To become great you must believe you are in fact, great. This is accomplished from starting with a positive attitude. However, it is from deep thought and a true belief that you will achieve greatness that you will in fact, achieve greatness.

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Personal Growth Is Key In Building Your Success

Most people get up in the morning and work on improving their position at work or on their companies. It is only natural that we get caught up in what has to be done to move a project forward. Activities I call working in your business instead of on your business. These activities have you working in your job and not on your job. Activities that are task related and will keep you in a worker bee mode. Who really has time to do more?

We as humans also need to work on what makes us efficient and happy. I can not over emphasize how important it is to do a personal check-in on a regular basis. When you do not book or scheduling ME TIME you can soon lose track of your dreams and goals. When you are submerged in task related activities you lose the ability to look around the corner. Successful business people often employ personal coaches. They know the importance of personal performance. You may think successful leaders are already at their pinnacle, but intelligent leaders know they need to be constantly improving. When you are the front-runner and innovator you set the standard for all others to follow. When you set the standard it is not about price. Your competitors and followers will have to compare themselves to you to market their products.

In one of my favorite books "The Science Of Getting Rich", Wallace Wattles the author insists that to become truly rich you must live life on the creative plane and not the competitive plane. For if you earned it on the competitive plane you can also lose it on the competitive plane. When you create you have the opportunity to improve the life of others without the haggle of price. Wattles expresses the importance that the purchaser's life has been enhanced by more than the price of the product or service you sold them.

The importance of personal growth will do the following things for your life.

• Personal growth will create an ability for you to be unique. You are creating the opportunity to stand out. If you walk and talk like the rest of the world you will have to earn your way in what I call "Hand To Hand Combat". That is the competitive plane. Your life will ebb and flow as does the market you do business in.
• When you take the time to make yourself better you will start to work smarter. Yes the early bird gets the worm. Be cautious not to be just doing just more of what you are doing for burnout will soon follow.
• Through personal growth you will get to know your strengths and weaknesses. You can improve on the weaknesses you have or find someone to work with who has strengths in that area.
• When you take the time to study and improve on yourself you will become a thinker. When we think, we are creating opportunities that become indelible on your mind. Opportunities that will set you apart from the field.

When you take the time to work on you, the picture becomes clear. You now have in your mind the way to move forward in a positive manner. Those thoughts of second guessing your decisions will vanish. You will create a confidence in yourself that will be visible by all you interact with. When you express yourself in that manner it removes question of your knowledge and capabilities. Things will begin to flow your way. Invest the time to make yourself better. By doing so you will be in control of your life instead of life being in control of you. Book an appointment with yourself today. You will be thankful you did.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6689532

Do You Fix A Problem Or Create A Solution?

This past week I attended the National Convention for Call Centers in Montreal. The name of the organization is CAMX. I have met over the years at these conventions some amazing people who have become very successful in our industry. My article this week is about a comment made by John Ratliff, the CEO of Appletree during a presentation he made to the convention attendees. John asked this question during his presentation. "Do you fix a problem or create a solution"?

To me the answer was easy however I also needed to ask the question why to fully appreciate its intention. It's understanding the question where the solution lies. There are loads of problem solvers out there who love to fix things. It's human nature. Very gratifying. To John's point though getting something fixed is not permanent. It can break or go wrong again tomorrow. Creating a solution to the problem brings you closer to making the problem go away indefinitely. Here in lies the game changer.

John really got my attention when he threw this out. What an interesting perspective. My interpretation from a success point of view is it brings us all closer to removing things that repeatedly get in the way of our personal success. At the most simple level when we fix a problem we are reacting to an event or thing that went wrong. When we create a solution we are both fixing the problem and insuring that the problem does not keep returning. Problem solvers are working in their business and solutions driven individuals are working on their business. Simply put. When you work in your business you are just a cog in the wheel. When you are working on your business you are the one who tunes the engine.

I my opinion the most difficult part of making the change to the solution approach is to schedule the time to fully understand why the problem occurred. We must also understand that creating a long-term solution takes planning. Once we find the solution we must prepare a policy or instruction manual on how do deal with the issue should it arise again. The purpose being that someone else can deal with the problem and not just one person. In business, if there is more than one person who can address the problem then we have removed the weakest link. Mr. Ratliff had insisted that one must ask the "why" question five times to really start to understand why this happened. Asking the question why is the first part to creating the solution.

When we create a solution to personal problems and issues we are better able to focus on things that will take us to greater heights. What we want in our pursuit of overall success is to remove the things that keep us in a state of limiting beliefs. Our lives can be easily controlled by reacting to obstacles. If we remove the reoccurring obstacles we have created a solution. This will allow us to spend more of our time doing proactive activities that will bring us success. Success lives in the activities we do toward making us grow.

Six Networking Tips To Use On The Road to Your Success

Your journey on the road to success has many choices on how best to apply your talents and knowledge. We work on our changing our habits that increase our chances of success. We should also be working on changing those have to things into choose to things. You should also apply time to Network Your Way To Personal and Business Success.

Much of the business world is spending time trying to attract customers so we can grow our business. That can be expensive and very time consuming. There is a great way to get exposure at a very little financial cost to you. It's called networking. Before you go and say "I can't stand to be in a room full of pushy sales and business people", you need to look at this from a different perspective. I would suggest that you drop the what's in it for me attitude. Other people in the room will sense you out if that is your agenda. Here are Six Networking Tips to Use On The Road To Your success.

1. I personally feel that you first need to make it fun. Just imagine you are at a cocktail party with a room full of people you may not know. Now this group is after all a group of people from different walks of life who have a story to tell and so do you.
2. I have learned several ways to break the ice that I find effective. Scan the room and try to find a person alone or a group of three or more. One should at first avoid cutting in or imposing on a one on one conversation.
3. Find a person standing alone in the room can win you big points and an opportunity should you go and introduce yourself. A good opener is " This is my first time at an event with this group. Do you mind me asking if you have been here before?" If it is their first time you have broken the ice. If it is not their first time then you would ask " Well it's mine and I don't know a person in the room." Take note this is you who is asking questions and looking for advise. This will then lead to other questions you may ask about the other individual. Who there are. What they do etc. In my opinion the best way to continue is to make the conversation about them. Don't worry they will start to ask questions about you.
4. Be sure you are genuine. It is key to be listening to what they say. If your thinking about the next question your going to ask or say something about you while they are talking your done. As they say you only have one chance at a first impression.
5. Find a good way to move along to another person or group once the conversation gets difficult or stale. Hand over your business card and ask for theirs.
6. Tomorrow you should drop them an email and say how nice it was to meet them. If there was a business fit you can try to move it along to a future business meeting. If it was not a fit and they liked and trusted you there is an opportunity for them to be a referral for potential customers.

There are many things one must do to achieve success. Using networking as a source for referrals is fantastic. It might take a little longer than the direct sales approach. I call it pulling business instead of pushing business. It's fun to.

How To Deal With Setbacks To Your Success

Do you sometimes feel that there is always a road block that is holding you back from achieving success? In my opinion the path to success is often the road less traveled. The road less traveled is not the well beaten down path you can travel with your flip flops on. No, it's the path that you need to wear your hiking boots. There are tree roots, puddles of water and large boulders to work your way around. That's why we wear the proper equipment. Life is also much like that to. We prepare ourselves for the obstacles that may come before us.

What do we do when the path we are on has a dead end or lengthy detour. This is the test to your real commitment to achieving your goal and ultimate success. We all face challenges in life. That's why the self-improvement business is so huge. Heck, I know. I have been a supporter of the industry most of my adult life. I have learned so much from what I have read. I have attended numerous personal development retreats. I have hired coaches to help me through some challenging times. Most importantly are the lessons I learned from my failures. It is very important to push past them. Failures can leave us scared and condition our minds to avoid making the same mistake as they most surely bring pain if we go back there. This in my view where many people lose hope. They give up when success is just a few inches or minutes away. There are many things we tackle in life that are totally dependent on getting it 100 percent right. 95 percent just wont cut it. But hold on. With out doubt most of us would be happy to be in the top 5 percent of our industry. The top 5 percent of income earners. To be the best golfer in our club. To be the best you would have been at 95 percent at some point on the way up. My advise is don't set your self up for failure. Life is about the journey.

So how do we deal with the set backs? One of the best ways is to have a support system in place. If you are truly committed to be the best you can be, you most certainly would have a mentor you can turn to for advise. Perhaps you have a life or business coach. These individuals will hear you out and provide some suggestions to go over or around those obstacles. We should not go through life saying that was a waste of time. An NLP coach I spent some very valuable time with a few years ago always used to say to me, "keep your eyes on the horizon". Isn't that where we are headed? I am a sailor so Bob got my attention. I also love to use sailing metaphors. We have no control over the wind and the weather so don't focus on that. So imagine you are here and the horizon is out there. Between you and the horizon are large waves. Often the wind coming in the wrong direction which means we have to tack up wind and not take the direct route. What we need to do is focus on the horizon. If we do this we are not looking at the huge waves that seem to endlessly toss us about. We wear foul weather gear to keep us dry and sea-boots to keep our feet dry and warm. If you can see it, I suggest you don't give up on it. "Keep your eyes on the horizon". Thank you Bob, very powerful words. You ask why would you go out there and do that Paul. It's simple. I don't leave the dock on a nasty day unless time dictates we do so. Under normal circumstances I wait for the weather to clear. My point is that the weather can change while we are out there. Be prepared.

We know we need to have the support people in place but we also need to have a plan. Like on a sailing adventure we plot our course. If the wind changes we make adjustments. You see a plan is just that. A Plan. With out one you have no starting point. No destination. The destination by the way can change to. This is why it is so critical to enjoy the journey. We discover along the way things, ideas and places that motivate us while bringing us joy in the process. Self improvement is a natural thing that lives inside us all. I believe society is becoming more accepting of us showing our feelings and sharing our dreams and aspirations. Life is hard work if your putting out signals of being a rock solid individual when there are things within us we are afraid to share. These fears will catch up with you. Just remember this. If you are always true to yourself and always tell the truth you don't have to remember what you said. Yes, we evolve but we do have a say in how that happens. The joy is in the journey.

How Your Habits Will Determine Your Success

Humans are born with the ability to self diagnose. The earliest forms of this become evident in our conscience. What is right from wrong. Things our parents began to tell us at an early age get molded into our fiber. But at some point as we grow older we are tested as views from a world outside our home start to creep into our lives. So what does all this have to do with habits and self diagnosis you ask. Without the proper direction from our parents it becomes very easy to become conditioned to take the path of least resistance. A constant amount of don't touch. Don't say that. Stay away from there, sets our conditions that later create habits we wish we could change.

Changing habits creates fear in the unknown. Change is usually not immediate and can take some time. What impact will change have on my relationship with my spouse. Change is hard work. We also know that hard work is usually rewarding. So why do we continue to slide along the same old way and not make those changes to our habits we know are holding us back. Good habits will lead you to success in your personal life as well in your working life. But it's so hard to do. How many of your New Years resolutions have gone by the way side?

So how do we go about insuring we make changes to our day to day habits? We know if we make the changes they will bring success into our lives. The most common habits we think about changing are to quit smoking, to eat less,spend less money and exercise more. The fast recipe are the following. Step One, My suggestion to you is write down why you want to make the change and how you will feel after having made the change. Step two is to write down what you will do day by day to effect the change. Step Three is to have a date that the new habit will have taken full root and you no longer have to think about your new habit as it is now part of your every day life. Step Four is to share your goal for your habit change with someone who will help you keep on track. Stand fast to these steps and you will be on the road to success.

For those of you driven to really make a big change there is a book by Stephen R Covey called The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Powerful Lessons in Personal Change. 15 million copies in print will convince you that there are millions of people out there who want to effect change in their lives. I must tell you in my opinion this book can be as dry as cotton batten. I tried numerous times to push through it and had to put it down. What I did not realize back then is that I was pushing back change.

Covey's Seven Habits are as follows:

1. Be Proactive Move from dependence to independence.
2. Begin with the End in Mind Self discover your character values and life goals
3. Put First Things First (I personally like this one. You can't build a house without a set of plans.)
4. Think Win Win If all sides of an arrangement are mutually beneficial every one wins
5. Seek First to Understand, Then be understood
6. Synergize Creativity comes from cooperation
7. Sharpen the Saw Covey Calls this, Principals of Balanced Self-Renewal

Very Powerful Habits. Very Powerful Personal Intentions. Intentions that change the whole way we think and approach everything we do. Follow these 7 fundamental character changing habits and success will surely be in your grasp.

I can share with you that when you are committed to such changes your mind becomes all consumed and for a period of time will effect your sleep. This is natural and as uncomfortable as it sounds is a good sign that you are pushing through the old habits. Your embracing change and acceptance to be a best the best you can be will be worth a few nights of restless sleep. Like your old habits those sleepless nights will soon forgotten.

How Do You Measure Success ?

Success can be measured in many ways. Sports, relationships, personal achievements and of course the one most consider. Financial success. All humans have different motivators. We drive toward things that make us feel good. Many studies have indicated that money can be as low as 3rd or 4th on the priorities of a good job. Accomplishments, personal satisfaction of being the best you can be, as well as an opportunity for advancement are commonly placed ahead of money when it comes to your job.

So why should I write about success. For many years my life was motivated toward financial success. I chased it for many years. I personally have owned three companies. I lost one to bankruptcy. I folded one of them before it got ugly and I sold one. I have held several senior management roles including an international corporation and a multimillion-dollar not for profit. I have been fired from a senior level executive position and I had been out of work for as long as six months on a couple of occasions. During many of those months I have purchased Internet business opportunities. Many books and self help programs. I want to share some of these experiences through my writing and hope that my readers will find out what truly makes them happy.

Success has come to me in many ways. One of the great joys in my life is being a volunteer having served on the front lines and acted as Chair or President for many organizations. The most gratifying of my successes did not come from making money. As a result of these activities money found a way to me. If money is your motivator you want to explore some of what I have learned, I have meet many financially successful people on the Internet. Many of my life friends are millionaires and I enjoy their company because most of them have an interesting story. Over the coming weeks and months we will explore finding a life or business coach. Finding a mentor. We will review motivational books and CD programs. We will take an in depth look at personality types and locate some wonderful questionnaires that could help you understand your personality and tendencies. The Internet has a wealth of information and opportunities. Finding the juicy stuff is where the challenge comes in.