HOPE is Not a Strategy

***After you read this post, be sure to visit me at my new home here.***

Hope is not a business growth strategy.

Hope is not a strategy for anything.

What you need, as a professional, is certainty. The certainty that comes from having a solid plan with goals that inspire you to get out of bed every morning. The certainty that comes from taking the right daily actions. The certainty that comes from making measurable progress toward your goals each and every week.

"Never give up!" and other lessons I learned from Diana Nyad

Diana Nyad

***After you read this post, be sure to visit me at my new home here.***

I will admit I hadn't closely followed Diana Nyad's four previous attempts to swim from Cuba to Florida, but when I saw this news alert on my phone, 

CNN: Diana Nyad, 64, is about 2 miles shy of finishing her swim from Cuba to Florida, a goal she's persued for 35 years.

and I saw messages of encouragement on my Facebook timeline, I knew I needed to tune in.

I tend to stay away from the news, because rarely does it inspire me to be a better person, go for my dreams, or think bigger. This is one news story I can't get enough of, and lessons abound from watching Diana's interviews this morning on The Today Show and CBS.

Here's what I've learned from Diana:

• Age doesn't matter. As I'm enjoying my 40s, I have had some thoughts in the back of my mind that I need to get stuff done now while I'm still able. No more! I jokingly said last summer that I want to do the Ironman in Kona when I turn 70, and my training officially starts tomorrow. Tune in in 2040 or better yet, be waiting at the finish line with some chocolate covered macadamia nuts for me.
• It's always about the team. Diana talked about how her team helped her to avoid dangerous currents, animals and deal with hunger, thirst, and swallowing too much salt water. Without her team, her success wouldn't be possible. It's true, there's no such thing as a self-made person. We all go farther and faster {and have more fun} surrounded by people who help us and cheer us on.
• It's better with music. Diana has a playlist with 85 songs. She sang Neil Young's The Damage Done to herself at 2 a.m. to keep going. Find some tunes that literally rock your world and keep you going when the going gets tough.
• There will be obstacles. Find a way through them. When Willie Geist asked Diana what made the fifth attempt successful, she said, "I resolved to get through the jellyfish. It's their world, but this time I had to get through them." She also had to deal with swallowing lots of salty sea water and sea creatures wondering what the heck was happening in their world. She had to just keep going. It doesn't matter what tries to stop or delay you, you can persevere and succeed.
• You must set your intention and be committed to it, no matter what. Diana had been dreaming of completing this swim for 36 years, and had made four previous attempts. Don't quit until you've reached your objective, completed your dream, and hit the goal.
• Stay focused. Willie noted there were other swimmers with her toward the end, but she didn't notice them ... she was too focused. When you're attempting to achieve a new level of success, or catch the brass ring, you must have blinders on and become oblivious to anything and anyone who can cause you to lose focus.
• There's the yin and the yang. For every thing that didn't go perfectly, there were several things that went great. This time, the current and tide were in Diana's favor and she was so grateful. There will always be some bonus miracles that will happen to let you know you're on the right path.
• Never give up. No matter what. Diana means it. I mean it.

 What did you learn? What would you attempt if you knew for sure you would succeed? Start today.

YOU MAY ALSO WANT TO READ:
Make a Bold Move and Set Yourself Free {Honorée}
Control Your Mental Real Estate {Honorée}
Challenges, Schmallenges {Honorée}

How to Double Your Income in 6 Easy Steps

***After you read this post, be sure to visit me at my new home here.***

Is this the year you'll double your income? Is this the year you'll take time to enjoy your new-found abundance?

Is that resistance I feel from you? Are you about to start your story with how that's not possible with your current income restraints, the economy or some other constraints? If so, this post is not for you. If you're in, read on ...

• Decide. Decide you want to double your income. Brainstorm, strategize, and be open to the possibilities. The formula for results is 100% intention (begins with a decision) plus 0% mechanism. Decide and then take the next step that occurs to you. From there, you'll be able to create a workable plan.

• Discipline. Have the discipline to follow through on your plan. Success is a result of your daily habits. You make your habits, and eventually they make you. Get in the habit of taking those crucial steps each day in the direction of your dreams.

• Determination. Determination makes all the difference. When you're determined, it's not if something will happen, but when.

• Delegate. I may sound like a broken record, but stop doing anything and everything you could hire someone else to do, so you can do the things that will make your dreams and goals a reality. You don't get rich, or richer, by doing what you've always done. It's time to do something new! Start by creating what will become your team by hiring one person to do those tasks that need to get done, but not necessarily done by you.

• Do. Nothing happens until you take action. So, take action. Right action equals right results. Get moving and keep moving. Until.

• Dump. Let go of and stop striving for those things that don't move you in the right direction. Dump, or eliminate, anything on your to do list that isn't crucial and important.

You can start a "new year" on any given Monday or first of the month. It's up to you whether a year from now you will have doubled your income from the same time this year. What will you choose?

I Call Bullshit Series: Excusa Numero Tres

***After you read this post, be sure to visit me at my new home here.***

In this three-part series, I listen patiently to the reasons you think you can't achieve your BHAGs (Big Hairy Audacious Goals). Then I call bullshit, and give you the reasons you can achieve them. 

Excusa Numero Tres: "My current situation (job, marriage, status) makes it too hard."

Excusa Numero Uno: "I don't have enough time."

Excusa Number Dos: "I'm too old, young, smart, stupid, orange, under-educated, over-educated, married, or single."

1. Your current situation means nothing. If you decide it means nothing, that is. If you keep selling yourself on why you can't do "it" (whatever "it" is), then you're absolutely right. No-one committed to their outcome can be stopped by someone or something less committed. Period.
2. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. It matters what you think. If someone dares to rain on your parade, get a cute umbrella and some wellies. Seriously, a spouse, friend or relative that doesn't support you needs to be replaced. Or at least proven wrong. Do what you want to do, in spite of what anyone else is telling you.
3. You're too young? Not a chance. The days, weeks, and years will pass, so get started today and by the time you're "old enough" you'll have a ton of experience. Too old? That means you've got tons of experience and can use that to your advantage. Married? Single? Unemployed? Too-employed? Give it up, none of these hold real water. Turn your excuse into your secret weapon.

I've countered all of your "reasons" for not going after your BHAGs, so the only thing you can do now is get started. Right? Start by repeating after me: 

Related Articles:

Forbes Up-and-Comers {Forbes}
Watching is not Doing {Seth Godin}
Your Current Economy is Up to You {Honorée}

Shift and the World Shifts With You {Honorée}

No More Excuses: How to Make an Extra $100,000 in the Next 6 Months {Tim Ferriss}

A Dangerous Activity Trap {Paul Castain}

Tall Order! is a book that gets to the point. It helps you pinpoint what is going to get you the results you want, starting right now. Jeffrey Gitomer says, "Don't let the size fool you -- this book is compact dynamite! Buy this book!"

Honorée Enterprises, LLC. turns service providers into rainmakers, average producers into rock-stars, and dreams into reality. For more information on how we can specifically help you or your organization, click here. You can read all about Honorée here.

Get Your Goals

***After you read this post, be sure to visit me at my new home here.***

It's the beginning of the year and you can't read a newspaper, magazine or watch a morning talk show without hearing about New Year's Resolutions and goals. Why do they work? Why don't they work? How do you set them? What worked for this person or that? Do I keep them in my head or do I have to write them down? Most importantly, what is going to make the goals you set become the goals you achieved?

Let's review what we've heard about goals:

1. Most goals that are set are never reached.
2. That there was some study at an Ivy League university that is evidence we should write them down
3. If you do set a goal you want to reach, make sure it's a SMART goal.

First, the bad news. Most of the goals that are set are actually not achieved. They become goals that are set over and over, and eventually given up on because we just can't take repeated attempts that end in failure. I personally believe goals that are not achieved are goals that are not set and attended to properly. It's not the goal that doesn't work or isn't possible, success or failure lies in the goal-setters ownership and stewardship over their goal.

Next, the interesting news. Research has revealed that there was never a goal study that revealed that written goals yielded way better results. Even Tony Robbins tells the story of the Harvard Class of 1979 Harvard (or was it the Yale Class of 1953?) in Personal Power I & II: ... "the 3% that wrote their goals down achieved more than the other 97% combined!" This oft-told story is actually urban legend, but wait! Before you feel like you're off the hook and don't need to write down your goals, read on.

Psychology Professor Dr. Gail Matthews' curiosity was piqued when she saw an article in Fast Company citing just that study and upon discovering there never really was a study, decided to do her own. You can read about it, but I'll cite the "what you need to know" here:

Matthews recruited 267 participants from a wide variety of businesses, organizations, and networking groups throughout the United States and overseas for a study on how goal achievement in the workplace is influenced by writing goals, committing to goal-directed actions, and accountability for those actions. Participants ranged in age from 23 to 72 and represented a wide spectrum of backgrounds. 

Participants in Matthews’ study were randomly assigned to one of five groups.  

Group 1 was asked to simply think about the business-related goals they hoped to accomplish within a four-week block and to rate each goal according to difficulty, importance, the extent to which they had the skills and resources to accomplish the goal, their commitment and motivation, and whether they had pursued the goal before (and, if so, their prior success).

Groups 2-5 were asked to write their goals and then rate them on the same dimensions as given to Group 1. 

Group 3 was also asked to write action commitments for each goal.

Group 4 had to both write goals and action commitments and also share these commitments with a friend.

Group 5 went the furthest by doing all of the above plus sending a weekly progress report to a friend.

Broadly categorized, participants’ goals included completing a project, increasing income, increasing productivity, improving organization, enhancing performance/achievement, enhancing life balance, reducing work anxiety, and learning a new skill.  Specific goals ranged from writing a chapter of a book to listing and selling a house.

Of the original 267 participants, 149 completed the study. These participants were asked to rate their progress and the degree to which they had accomplished their goals.

At the end of the study, the individuals in Group 1 only accomplished 43 percent of their stated goals. Those in Group 4 accomplished 64 percent of their stated goals, while those in Group 5 were the most successful, with an average 76 percent of their goals accomplished. 

“My study provides empirical evidence for the effectiveness of three coaching tools: accountability, commitment, and writing down one’s goals,” Matthews said.

Here's what I take away: Write down your goals. Create a plan that includes benchmarks and time-lines. Write down why you're committed to achieving your goals. Share your goals with those who will encourage you and hold you accountable and give them a status update every single week.

Here's what I'll add: Review your goals every.single.day. 

Coach's Call: The only thing standing in between you and your goals is you and how you treat those goals.

"What gets attention, gets accomplished."

Tall Order! is a book that gets to the point. It helps you pinpoint what is going to get you the results you want, starting right now. Jeffrey Gitomer says, "Don't let the size fool you -- this book is compact dynamite! Buy this book!"

Honorée Enterprises, LLC. turns service providers into rainmakers, average producers into rock-stars, and dreams into reality. For more information on how we can specifically help you or your organization, click here. You can read all about Honorée here.

1%-er Actions for Market Domination

The top 1% most successful business people have specific, intentional actions they take on a regular basis. Most of those actions are simple, straight-forward and the best news is they work. Following are the ones I shared at a recent presentation for Network in Austin: 

They Have Excellent Attitudes

 

While I have done several posts on attitude (such as here, here and here), I always begin my presentations with at least a few reminders about how important a great attitude is and how you can get one. Let this be your reminder that your attitude makes all the difference in your life, your career and how successful you are long-term.

 

They Communicate with Confidence

Top achievers are clear about: what they offer, how much they charge, and why they are the logical choice. They are confident that they are adding value in excess of what their prospective clients are looking for, and they aren't afraid to say it! They don't waffle on their fee, or take what they can get. They're terrific at what they do, they know it and show it. Get clear about what makes you unique, special, and extra-qualified to serve your client. Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) is actually your Unfair Selling Position! Unfair to your competition, that is.

They Laser in on Their Top Prospects

The top 1% identify their absolutely perfect ideal client. Learn how to do that here. You'll know you're talking to an actual good prospective client when they meet the following 8 criteria:

1. You like them.
2. They like you.
3. You know, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that you can help them with your products and services.
4. They desire what you're selling.
5. They require what you're selling.
6. They have pain you can get them out of, or help them avoid.
7. They have the power to decide to pay you.
8. They have the cash to pay you.

If any of these criteria are missing, move on. You're sorting through everyone you meet to find those that are ready to engage you now, or to find those that have a high potential of engaging you later. It's a waste of everyone's time when you try to fit someone who doesn't fit, just because you want to make your numbers or are "settling" for who is in front of you.

 

They Narrow the Gap Between Prospect and Paying Client

The best of the best are committed to staying in the relationship-building (sales) process until ... until their prospects: die, go out of business, send them a cease-and-desist-letter, or hire them. That engagement might takes minutes, months or an entire decade. But when you are absolutely certain someone would benefit greatly from buying what you're selling, you owe it to them to stay in touch. Remember, you're sorting. Someone is engaging someone just you like right this minute -- is it you? Would you like it to be? Then drill down your target market and then target those folks and only those folks.

So, how to stay in touch? Develop a “touch funnel” (or system) for prospects based on: who needs to hear from you, what do they need to hear, and how often do they need to hear it? You can send them a monthly ezine, handwritten note, a book by your favorite author, an article you've written, or about a million other things. The point is to be clever, informative, interesting, consistent, and friendly two to twelve times a year. Until.

 

They Develop Strategic Alliances to Create a Full Business

Not having strategic partnerships is the kiss of death in business, you must have them if you want to live in the enviable position of having referral business. I did an 8-part series, start with Part I here.

Becoming more successful - even a 1%-er - doesn't have to be complicated or mysterious. Success comes from executing these and other time-tested fundamentals. Make it a point to add them into your daily routine and soon you'll be more successful than you dreamed possible.

It's Your Year to Finally Get Everything You Want

It's estimated that 40% of people set some pretty amazing intentions and goals at the beginning of each year, only to have abandoned, forgotten about, or let them go within a few weeks. It's not that we don't want what we've said we wanted, it's that we didn't set ourselves up for success.

Here are five no-fail strategies for making 2012 2013 the year you fully and finally finish what you start - and get what you want!

1. Name it to claim it. Be clear, concise, and specific about what you want. You want to lose weight? How much? What do you weight now? How much will you weight when you're at your goal? What will you look like? Create that mental picture and the outfit that goes on that new body. Is it about the money? (Of course it is.) How much do you want to make? What are all of the ways it can come to you? Be open, there are always new ideas and opportunities just waiting to cross your path.
2. Build your belief. Only when you truly believe you can do it will it happen. Make a list of all of the reasons why you know you can do it, and why you deserve the end results. Then post that list where you can see it all day, every day.
3. What's your reward? I don't think it's enough to "just" achieve the goal. We all like a good present and there's nothing better than a self-selected, self-earned reward for a job well done. So, what is it? You're making your first million, so what will you be driving to the bank to make those deposits? You've lost 25 pounds, and chances are what's in your closet won't fit so well anymore...you'll need new duds so get your Nordstrom's personal shopper ready to help you show off that hard-earned tiny rear-end!
4. Speaking of help: get support! No, not the kind you've had in the past that says, "You're already thin, eat the cheesecake!" The real kind of support! Find someone with the same or similar goals and hold each other accountable. Even better: form a mastermind. You can find out all you need to know about the power of the mastermind in Napoleon Hill's Law of Success.
5. Make a plan and include: your vision, clear objectives, and potential pitfalls. There are always challenges that come up, pretty much right after you state your goals. These are designed to make sure you're really committed, that you really want what you've said you want. If you're ready for how you'll handle sickness, setbacks, and anything else that gets you off-track, you'll be ready to (a) handle them and (b) get back on track.

This is your year if you're really ready for it to be your year. Best wishes ~ the best is yet to come!

Sample Sunday: Tall Order!

Following is an excerpt from the book Tall Order! Seven Master Strategies to Organize Your Life and Double Your Success in Half the Time.

“Every business person is looking for the BEST way to get to the next level. This book tells you how to do it – short, sweet, and NOW! ~Jeffrey Gitomer, author, The Little Red Book of Selling and The Little Red Book of Sales Answers

Coach’s Observation: Here’s what happens when you take control of your environment, including everyone and everything in it:

• You’ll suddenly have tons of more energy! Things will happen faster, easier, and better than ever before.
• You will be much more creative!
• You’ll create synergy with the old and new people in your life, which will automatically take you higher.
• You’ll have much less stress! As you streamline the details of your life, you get rid of the old baggage and create more room for new and exciting opportunities.

In coaching, we talk a lot about “tolerations.” Tolerations are those things that zap your energy, annoy you, and drain away your effectiveness, happiness and success. They make you less attractive to yourself, and therefore, less attractive to others. You have three choices with tolerations: change them, eliminate them, or accept them.

Your environment, including the people in it, is crucial to your success or failure. Think about each person in your life: are they supportive of your vision? Your goals? Do they ask you empowering, and if necessary, tough questions? Or do they predict failure, doom or worse? Be aware of what your friends, family, and associates bring to your life. If they are not empowering you to be your best, perhaps its time for them to go! You won’t need to necessarily usher people out of your life, just keep your distance. Look at it this way: there are many people you want to stay in touch with, people you admire … Those relationships that are no longer in your best interest can be allowed to fade away. It’s that easy.

Is your home your sanctuary? Do you feel comfortable, relaxed, creative and alive there? If not, make it the way you want it to be. Again, it is your life!

By taking control of your immediate environment, you reclaim your personal power and set a healthy focused foundation for your future.

“Surround yourself with people who are going to lift you higher.” ~Oprah Winfrey

Honorée has dedicated her life to being a positive force for good. She writes personal and professional growth books for professionals, and The Successful Single Mom books series. As an executive coach and corporate trainer, she turns service providers into rainmakers, average producers into rock-stars, and dreams into reality. For more information on how she can specifically help you or your organization, click here.