If Not Now, When?

This is the best time of the year for you to get some momentum going and to set yourself up for next year.

How are you doing?

Here are a few things that I always do, every year it is getting easier and easier. If you haven’t been doing these things, it isn’t too late to start – the best time is now.

Here’s what I do…

CLEAR MY PLATE for a minimum of 2 weeks, even more if I can. Since my business is in shipping physical products I post my holidays and TAKE them.

Sounds logical but I didn’t always do this, in my early years I thought I was being smart by working through them (as in keeping the order fulfillment operation open – which was me!) but really all it got me was a BIG MESS. Why?

 Because I wasn’t taking time to organize and catch up on loose ends – and they all added up over the years.

 So now I stop all the presses (or is that pressure) and take this time to do those kinds of things.

 Today I am sorting papers in my office. This is an annual event although I have gotten better at it and do it more often these days so it isn’t quite so bad. I have gotten rid of a good part of the stuff that I will never use and now I am on to the second stage…

FIND A HOME. I have a binder that I am calling ‘My Money Book’ which is really a personalized business manual. I have kept only the most important papers and have created a section for them in the binder.

Some things I have condensed to notes or put in an envelope to do later – it’s the kind of thing that can be done during empty tv time and a way to consolidate all those little pieces of paper.

Of course there’s also the waste basket – the more that goes in there the better because that increases my chances of ACTING on what I do have left and leaves less paper to handle the next time I sort.

CATCH UP. This is the time to make your business plans for the next year and to complete things like your bookkeeping, updating your website design/organization to make it more functional for your customers and income producing for you, take a look at your inventory and decide what things are working that you can expand on and what things you are taking too much time on that aren’t producing for you – plan what you need to tweak, expand and create to make it work or get rid of it.

HOW TO. Decide how you will accomplish your plans. Create a schedule that works for you and a platform that you will use (calender, planner – online or pen/paper, white board system, notebooks – the system you will USE).

I use a combination of all of these – some more frequently than others.

WHAT TO. Decide what changes you need to make – what do you need to add – what do you need to subtract to make it work for you and to find the balance you will need to thrive in the coming year.

WHO TO. Decide who will help you. If you’ve ever had a good idea from a friend that made your life easier, or shared a task that made it go twice as fast and a lot more fun, then you know that the saying ‘two hands are better than one’ to be true. The downside to this is that I’ve often found that the investment of time is often high – communication and distraction often adds up to get me off of the right track. So I have become quite drawn to simplification and minimalist thinking. As I go through a lot of my old time management course papers etc I see how ‘heavy’ they are. So many forms to fill out, so many questions that I already knew the answers to and on and on. I’m thinking that a really simple system is the best and would like to share mine with you.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO STAY ON TRACK THIS YEAR?

 I am taking an informal poll here to see if any of you are interested in a monthly membership club where you will receive all of the tips and tricks that I use in my own business.

I am talking about a very simplified approach – an at a glance system where you can sit down and know what you need to do at a glance and get to it – every day. I want to start out simply and will add on services as we go along and we see what you can use to help you to take it up a notch if you choose – or you will be able to stay where you are – any additions will be completely optional.

MOMENTUM

I’m thinking to call the program Momentum and since this will be the beta version you will be getting in on the ground floor opportunity which means $ savings for you if you jump in now. Pricing to start now will be $7 per month. You will be able to quit anytime.

The main goal will be to help you to stay FOCUSED and ON TRACK in your business FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR and also to help you to balance FAMILY, BUSINESS AND YOU which is a passion of mine, and should be a top priority for you too.

I have been on the fence to do this for years (going through my notes I have outlines for membership plans made over 2 years ago). I mention this to let you know

• #1 – we are a work in progress – all of us…
•  #2 - it’s never too late. Sometimes it’s just a matter of timing.
• #3 – don’t over think. Keep it simple and DOABLE.
• #4 – don’t let fear stop you. Jump in! It can’t hurt to try and who knows, it could be great!

If you are interested in joining me to simplify your approach and stay on track and beyond with your business, you can sign up for more information, to be notified when it’s up and running and find out how to join by filling out the form on the sidebar.

Hope to see you there. We’ve got a fresh new year to begin!

Related posts:

1. File It Friday – Ending The Paper Nightmare
2. Moving Ahead with Your Home Business Focus
3. How To Create a Mission Statement for Your Business
4. Organizing Paperwork

When I started my home business 10 years ago I was not prepared for the work load or the work at home balance issue.

I still see women struggling with it today. Of course, it’s a HUGE issue, maybe it is THE issue when working at home, especially when your children are young.

One of the main reasons for many of us want to work at home is to be able to have an income/do our ‘thing’ AND be there for our kids.

Then one day we wake up and find out that we are here in body most of the time, but in reality ‘we’ are here for our kids even less than if we were working out of the home – and maybe making less money to boot.

THE FIX

I thought about this and what, in hindsight – which is 20/20 of course, would I have done differently through those years when my children were young and I was struggling (and not making much progress) to create balance.

in a nutshell…

If I could go back I would start by penciling in a schedule all the things I thought I should be doing.

This is very effective because very quickly you find out how much extra ‘stuff’ you are trying to do and how impossible it would be for anyone to actually do it all – at least today or even this week.

The issue of balance becomes obvious. Although you may have been living it all this time, seeing it on paper in front of your nose has the effect of allowing you to make a plan.

it’s simple math…

To create balance you need to either add or take away to acheive balance. That means you need to either add help or get rid of the extra if you are finding your life unbalanced - it may not be easy to decide what needs to go, if it was you probably would have already done it.

Or it could simply be that you haven’t taken the time to think about it and make some decisions. Take the time now. It could be some of the best time you’ve spent – in a long time.

It could mean prioritizing, focusing on one or two things, completing them and coming back to add another later or getting help.

Getting help could be as simple as trading with a trusted friend or relative a few hours or mornings/aftnernoons a week, releasing a little control and taking your inlaws or parents up on spending some time with the kids on a regular schedule (that is important if at all possible - or planned ahead at least weekly, not the evening before) or paying someone to come in and help for a few hours a week.

If it seems like you can’t afford it, I can tell you it will be money well spent if you are sure to spend the time productively.

That means getting the important things done that are on your list – the things that will give you results or the things that are nagging you that no one else can do – and then spending the time that you have saved or focus gained in maintaining the balance.

Here are the 3 big ones although your needs may be different -

• being present with your kids because you had time to work – even if you didn’t get it finished – finish it next time.
• taking 30 – 40 minutes per day to maintain your home
• spending a little time every day on your self. Think of yourself as the key.

Believe me, if you do these things, 10 years from now you may or may not have a successful business, but you will feel good about your choices and will not have lost precious time with your kids and helping them to grow to be happy and productive people. Think carefully on that concept now while you are in the position to do something about it. Later is too late.

It will be well worth the effort even if it seems like pushing on and working a little harder, doing it all yourself seems the easy way right now. It isn’t.

ACTION STEPS

• Get rid of what ever you can – declutter, declutter, declutter. That means your schedule and responsibilities as well.
• Get someone on your side. Make a list of possible alies who you can trade off with or hire.
• Create a solid work schedule around your new environment.
• Be a mom when your ‘mom hat’ is on and work when your ‘work hat’ is on.
• TAKE time for yourself when you are making your new schedule. You are a big part of the equation.
• TIP: Be realistic and pencil in plenty of white space to avoid burn out. That takes the fun out of it!

MORE WORK AT HOME BALANCE

If you want more ideas about work at home balance and working at home with kids and to read about my story, you may want to also read the whole series. Be sure to take the information and put it into practice, otherwise just get up right now and go spend some time with your kids :0)

WORK AND FAMILY BALANCE – Your Top Work at Home Priority

Related posts:

1. Work and Family Balance – Your Top Work at Home Priority
2. Work at Home Employment – (a rant)
3. Your Biggest Work at Home Challenge
4. Creating Business Focus – 4 Keys

I’ve pondered many times what it is that makes some people successful and some people not so successful – people who work just as hard… sometimes harder… but just can’t seem to achieve the success they have dreamed about, wished for… sweated and cried for.

I had a breakthrough this summer. It was no big surprise but as I applied it to my own life and began to see miraculous strides – be they in baby steps – I knew that I was on to something big never the less.

Have you guessed it yet?

What’s the invisible wall that may be holding you back, even slamming you full force backwards on your fanny when you have been running your hardest in the right direction? Picking yourself up you feel sick inside because you know that YOU will never break through, even though you see lots of others do it every day.

What’s wrong with me, you may even ask.

THE INVISIBLE WALL

There is nothing wrong with you, that’s the irony.

But there is something holding you back, in every decision you make. Every time you take the easy way, possibly without even realizing it.

Enough mystery. You may have guessed.

The answer is fear of course.

Deep inside yourself, popping to the surface at the most inopportune times. Maybe daily. Maybe when you are on the brink of the opportunity you’ve been waiting for.

First you should know, you are not alone. Everyone feels fear. Some people just know better what to do with it.

HOW I DEAL WITH FEAR THESE DAYS

This has become my new mantra and it has literally changed my life and opened opportunities I passed by many times before.

Anytime I feel myself  ‘freezing with fear’, you may know the feeling, I ask myself this question.

“Do I want to feel the fear or do I want the experience?”

Today I choose the second option.

To make it work even better, put it in this context.

When I die, do I want to look back at a lifetime of regret for the things that I didn’t do, the things I let fear steal from me, or do I want to have this experience to look back on. To at the very least be able to say… “I Did It.”

Don’t let fear be a thief, stealing your very life and possibly your business out from under you.

START SMALL

I did. I started very small. Some of you may laugh, I started so small.

I remember the first day well. The day I choose to experience instead of fear.

I took my car to get the tires changed.

I had a flat tire and needed to use the car for a longer trip, so the mini compressor wasn’t going to do the trick.

Normally I would have cancelled the trip and waited for my husband to take it. I kid you not.

The tire place is small. You have to wait in a small office while they do the work.

Make conversation with the secretary and the owner/head mechanic. The kind of thing that makes me uncomfortable. And I even had to find the place (which is commical as well – it’s out in the country, a beautiful drive about 1/2 hour from here, we’re not talking downtown Detroit.

But I asked myself, do I want to let fear get the best of me or do I want the experience of going on the trip, of handling the situation myself like an adult. Or do I want to let fear control me and make me behave like a child?

I choose to behave like a capable adult and never looked back.

DO I STILL FEEL FEAR?

Yes I do. But when I ask myself ‘the question’, it always makes it feel smaller.

Then as I proceed, it fades away and soon is replaced by a feeling of accomlishment and self confidence.

WHAT IF?

One of the greatest holds that fear can have is the ‘what if’ question.

If you have fear, you often have this scene playing in your head.

What if this goes wrong? what if that goes wrong?

The fear mounts and soon becomes a feeling of panic.

And then you know what happens.

You hit the wall, having not even gone anywhere – except in your head.

 The invisible wall that leaves you frozen in your tracks and throws you back were you started from.

But ‘what if’ you turn that question around?

Start asking yourself…

‘What if it goes right?’

Go a step further and feel it. What WILL happen if it goes right? Even a little bit right?

You can even accept the fact that SOME things might go wrong. A lot of things COULD even go wrong.

But what if SOMETHING goes right?

And what if you do the same thing the next time you feel fear?

How many of those right things are going to start adding up in your life?

How many times are you going to feel GREAT instead of afraid and like you have failed – again.

I’ve found that the above things really have made HUGE changes for me, I’ve done things and experienced things lately that I never would have. And yes, most of them have gone amazingly right. Some of my best days have been the result of things I chose to experience rather than pass on because of nagging fear.

ON TO BIGGER THINGS… BIGGER FEARS

It’s the natural progression that you will find yourself amazed with as well. But as I push myself to face bigger challenges, I still find myself becoming overwhelmed, I find it harder to resist the urge to give in to the fear.

But I’ve found myself with a stronger desire to move forward because now it seems possible.

Brian Tracy says it best…

You probably already know that the most successful people have incredible levels of self-confidence.

They’ve accomplished great levels of success and happiness in their lives and seem to be unstoppable in everything they do.

I can see that clearly, so I’ve made it a priority in my life.

I see it as a scale. On one side is fear, on the other self confidence and strength.

As you take away the fear, the strength grows stronger and then anything is possible.

Brian Tracy is probably my favourite speaker. I have many of his programs and they are the ones that I listen to over and over.

So I decided to go ahead and order his program “The Science of Self Confidence Training Kit” which deals very much with how to overcome fear in your life so that you can make the decisions that will make you feel like you are living, rather than hiding and waiting for the ‘safe’ things to come to you (which are few and far between).

It’s a comprehensive package of 6 CD’s, shipped to you so that you don’t have to download anything and can just grab a disk to take with you.

And of course it comes with bonuses, Brian’s products almost always do.

Here they are…

When you buy The Science of Self-Confidence training kit, you’ll receive 3 special surprise bonuses worth $127.70+ absolutely FREE.

You’ll Receive:

• The Science of Positive Focus DVD
• Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life Audio CD
• Science of Self-Confidence PDF Workbook
• Unshakeable, Rock-Solid Self-Confidence!

Even if you decide to return the program, you can still keep your value-packed bonuses as my personal gift to you. That’s right; it’s yours to keep—forever.

And with my 365 day Guarantee…You won’t be obligated in any way.

That’s right! Take one full year to examine my program and use all the proven confidence building techniques. Imagine your life taking off for the better as your self-confidence soars. Feel the power as you become Unstoppable!

Please Read:

I paid for my own copy because I truly see the value in it as a foundational education that I will be able to use for the many challenges in almost anything I do – business or personal.

 I want you to know that I will receive a commision from Brian if you buy from my link. I’d like to thank you upfront, your purchase is directly helping me to spend time sharing with you here instead of schlepping donuts at our new Tim Hortons in town (seriously) and also let you know that should you have any questions or like to discuss it, you can leave a comment here and I would be thrilled to discuss it with you.

Don’t let fear pull you down another day. Whether we like it or not, our days are limited, lets pull forward starting today.You have an entire year to give it a shot, but I would say try to make changes inside of yourself the first week – the first day - and you will see the true power of it.

Related posts:

1. Success Factors – The Best Decision I Ever Made