"You may think your actions are meaningless and that they won’t help, but that is no excuse, you must still act."
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

"In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins – not through strength but by perseverance."
H. Jackson Brown

International Women’s Day honors the work of the Suffragettes, celebrates women’s success, and reminds of inequities still to be redressed. (Suffragettes campaigned for women’s right to vote. The word ‘Suffragette’ is derived from the word “suffrage” meaning the right to vote.) The  first International Women’s Day event was run in 1911. 2011 was the Global Centenary Year.

While it might be too late to create an elaborate event today, you can support other events, post reminders about this day on your social media sites, and perhaps offer some type of last-minute special to your clients. Of course, just because today is the official day, you can still do things for the next week – or even throughout the month in honor of International Women’s Day.

Visit the official site to get inspirational ideas, post the initiatives you or your organization have in place to support women’s advancement, promote specific activities and events you are sponsoring in support of this day, and find out the latest news and information.

Last week I put this announcement in my Marketing Mastery email service and I’m going to post it on my Social Media sites right now. I’d love to hear your ideas on how you are promoting this day or your plans for next year.

I use the following areas of priorities: career, health, social life, relationships, education, finances, home environment, spirituality, creativity, and joy. Currently, my main areas of concern are career, health and joy (finances are tied in with my career). I have been on a concentrated health regime for the past 6 months. I invest approximately 4 hours per day on my wellness (exercise, meditation, meal planning, getting weekly massage and acupuncture treatments, doing affirmations, etc.). This has taken top priority over everything else in my life.

One of my conflicts has been the time I’ve been devoting to volunteer activities. This brings me joy (most of the time) and ties into my big-picture goals I have associated with what I want to see happen in the massage therapy field. The time I spend in these activities would be manageable if I didn’t have other important things in my life.

Because of my commitments to my well-being and my volunteering, I have been putting my own business on the back burner. This is not wise for financial security. Luckily, I have a better rhythm now.

I’ve decided to review my business plan, and categorize my goals by what is vital to my long-term success, what needs to be done immediately (or the near future), and what I would like to accomplish (but isn’t critical). I haven’t finished this yet, but I am making headway. Next, I plan to highlight which goals could be done by someone else, revamp my goals into more manageable chunks, and reprioritize the goals. I will most likely change some of my target deadlines (thank goodness for computers and the to cut-and-paste functions). I will also assign some of my tasks to my staff and outsource a couple of my projects. I am already feeling less stressed and overwhelmed. I am confident that I will more comfortably fit in all of my career, health and volunteer activities.

Sometimes we have to make difficult choices when one aspect of our lives requires additional attention. There’s a phrase I’ve been saying for a long time, and while some might think it’s about procrastinating, I think it’s about keeping prospective. The phrase is: There’s no such thing as a bad goal, just a bad deadline. (Perhaps some day that will become an “official” quote).

If you are feeling overwhelmed, I invite you to take a few deep breaths and remind yourself about your big picture.

If you’re gonna play the game, boy
You gotta learn to play it right,
You’ve got to know when to hold ‘em,
Know when to fold ‘em,
Know when to walk away,
Know when to run,
You never count your money
When you’re sittin’ at the table,
There’ll be time enough for countin’
When the dealin’s done.

Even though the song is about gambling, I relate to it as an analogy of my whole life. It’s important to choose what you do and learn the rules (be it knowledge about the technical aspects of your profession, how to run a business, or work well as an employee, laws, regulations, and expectations from your profession and clients). (“You gotta learn to play it right.”)

Discretion is important in life. Particularly in this field, it relates to upholding confidentiality. Also, this discretion equates to being slightly reserved in business negotiations. I come from a Win/Win philosophy in life and tend to lay all of my cards on the table. If both parties like the terms then all is well. Unfortunately, many people like to haggle a bit. I had to train myself to adapt many of my proposals to leave a little room for the other party to adjust the contract. (“You’ve got to know when to hold ‘em.”)

It’s also important to react appropriately. Sometimes circumstances change and it’s just not worth the effort or it might be impossible to create your ideal environment under those conditions. In that case, it’s time to move on. (“Know when to walk away.”)

I have achieved most of my major career goals and am currently evaluating what I really want to do professionally. Part of my dilemma is that I am not sure I want to do some of the key things I know need to be done to foster business growth (knowing the rules). These past 2 weeks have been a good time for reflection. My birthday was at the beginning of the year, and it’s been cold, grey and drizzly here (somewhat rare for Tucson). Inspiration hasn’t struck, yet I am still clarifying the specific aspects of my business that I want to continue doing. (“There’ll be time enough for countin’ / When the dealin’s done.”)

I encourage you to identify what needs to be done to create your desired level of business success and decide what tasks you don’t want to do. Next, determine if you can hire someone to do those “unwanted” tasks. If you can’t delegate those tasks, re-evaluate your goals. It could be time for a change…. (“Know when to run.”)

Did you know January 23rd 2012 heralds in the year of the Water Dragon? Even if you’re not the superstitious type well-versed in Fengshui, you could draw some business insights from the magical dragon in Chinese folklore. If you are curious about the qualities and forecasts ascribed to the new year of the Water Dragon and wonder if they will apply to the economy and your own business, read on…

The Dragon is the only mythical creature in the Chinese zodiac, so it’s going to be a special year by all standards. We are all familiar with Dragon’s Den; let’s see if Chinese business Dragons are anything like their Western counterparts:

Here are some excellent examples of Dragon qualities ascribed to those born in the year of the Dragon, worth having in any Entrepreneur or business venture starting up this year.

• Charisma & Leadership – Dragons prefer leading to being led and have a flamboyance or attractive quality to their dealings that make them stand out from the norm or the normal way of doing things.
• Creativity – Dragons need ventures or professions that allow them to express their creativity such as: inventor, engineer, architect, broker, and sales person. In a business, Creativity has got to be one of the essential qualities at a time of great change and crisis in the economic sphere.
• Commitment – Dragons enjoy others who are intriguing, and when they find the right partners, they’ll usually commit for life.
• Hardworking – Dragons get stressed and suffer from periodic tension/headaches, because they take so many risks. Dragons could benefit from incorporating mild healthy exercise & activity into their lives.

The year of the Water Dragon brings with it the cooling effect of water to a Dragon’s fire which is considered a good thing.

What Does Water Teach Us?

• Adapt – The fluidity of water is always worth emulating in business especially as we live in very interesting times and need to react fast to the changing landscape. Being able to adjust our modus operandi, thinking and be quick to respond are worthwhile qualities.

• Consensus – Rather than create discord by being confrontational, it’s time to pool together your resources, compromise and see things from other points of view. You don’t always have to be right. Your decisions, if well-researched, are usually better and more sustainable since they allow others to become involved and have legitimacy.

What Kind of Year Do They Forecast for Us in the Business World?

By the way, East Asian businesses do take heed of these descriptions. It’s worth bearing in mind then, if you want to impress your Asian business counterparts. Let’s take a look:

• According to the BBC, it is thought the Year of the Dragon will be characterized by economic & political Uncertainty, Transition, & Change. Witness the potential financial upheaval in the scramble to save the Euro, consider the impending presidential elections in the US and France, as well as leadership change in China. So be Prepared.
• Tempestuousness is a quality of the Dragon so it is thought there will be flare ups everywhere – globally, politically and in your own dealings. Therefore at a time of big change or crisis, exercise Caution and aim for Reconciliation when things go out of kilter.
• It is said the year of the Dragon is always a successful year for business due to their Flamboyance & Exuberance. However, it is also thought dragons are not careful with their money and it will also be very easy to splurge in 2012. So time to watch your pennies and save regularly. Sound familiar? But new ventures will mostly flourish.

Take it or leave it, it still is a little nugget of folkloric wisdom to tap into. The great takeaway from this glimpse into Chinese Astrology is that there are universal qualities; be it in our personal and business lives, that’ll stand us in good stead during moments of great change, crisis or upheaval.

Many people are familiar with the Four P’s of business success (Planning, Passion, Processes and People). The authors of this newsletter take it to the next step by advocating that if you follow the 4 P’s well, they inevitably come together to create the Fifth P, Profit.

I encourage you to explore these topics and ask yourself the big questions:

• Am I doing what I really want to be doing?
• Why am I doing what I do?
• How do my processes support my business?
• What is my commitment to customer service and how do my clients know it?
• What specific things can I do to better serve my clients?
• What is the role of my support staff and what improvements can I make?
• How can I improve my marketing strategies?
• What can I do to increase my bottom line?

I wish you great success and balance in this new year!

I still set goals—particularly for business, but my personal life is not so much about the “doing” any more. I don’t have many goals (specific, measurable). My life is more concentrated on the beingness of life and I’m not as attached to the specifics of what that looks like. My life purpose has always been about service ever since I can remember. Many years ago, I honed the wording to: I am a catalyst for positive change. I have decided that my theme for 2012 is: I live each day in harmony. I am happy and appreciate the blessings in my life. My health continues to increase each day. I express my love and graciously accept love from others.

I will probably set some specific goals for ways to manifest my theme, but for right now, I plan to let that theme soak in and see what unfolds.

If you haven’t clarified what your life purpose is, I encourage you to do so. It’s the umbrella for everything else in your life. Purpose is very general—it’s a direction, a theme. You can never actually complete a purpose; it’s an ongoing process. Take a moment and think about what is really meaningful to you. Is there a common thread—one statement that encompasses your ideals, values and dreams? Once you have clarified your purpose, then it’s much easier to set goals and make appropriate life choices.

Happy New Year!

She is famous for her quote of, “You can’t turn back the clock. But you can wind it up again.” And she did that for almost 98 years. She will be missed by millions.