New Year, New You?

 The New Year is here and all those resolutions you made are waiting to be filled. You remember the ones about losing a few pounds and spending more time with family, ah yes. We all want to be a better person and that takes change in our attitudes and behaviors. Today is the 1st day of the rest of your life. Major life changes like losing weight, being a better parent, saving money, etc. are all worthy goals and you probably have a few more you want to tackle. 

     You might find small incremental changes in your behavior and starting slow is best for you, while others might dive in and stop the jelly donuts and calorie laden drinks in one day. Find what works for you and stick to your plan, it takes time for good habits to set in. Don’t be discouraged if you have a bad day, pick yourself up and make tomorrow a better day. Changes will only come about if you want to change yourself. No amount of coaxing will lead to the results you desire if you do not want change yourself. Your health and changing your eating and exercising habits is probably my favorite resolution because a healthy and fit you is more productive in all areas of your life.  Please consider throwing out the word “diet” you are not dieting, you are making a lifestyle change, for the better. Exercise is important, but more important is what goes into your mouth. I have heard that the percentage of attention should be 80% focused on what you eat versus 20% exercise. A moment of pleasure and those good endorphin's from eating something will long be forgotten when your blue jeans spent to “much time in the dryer” and shrunk.  A few helpful tips that have worked for me that you might consider if weight management is one of your goals.  Consider keeping a food diary. Writing down what you eat will open your eyes as to what you are consuming. Perhaps a phone app like MyFitnessPal might work for you. It records calories eaten and if you exercise it records that as well. Resolutions are nothing more than pledges waiting to be fulfilled. 

     No matter your goal whether simple or complex, you have to be the one to bring on the change for a better you in 2016! To your SUCCESS.

Focus Your Energy On What Matters To You

Getting Organized

Yikes, the end of the calendar year is near. Now is the time to make those calls, finish that project and prepare for the coming year. As 2016 closes in it is a time to reflect where you have been but more importantly where you want to go! I find the time between Christmas and New Year ’s Day is usually unscheduled time as folks are either returning un-wanted items, travelling or just plain taking some time for themselves. Start with the clutter not only on your work spaces, but your phones and tablets as well. If you have not touched that hand out you got at a seminar in April, you do not need it. It is liberating to free yourself from clutter that accumulates over the year. You might consider the acronym of TRAF when something comes across your domain. TRAF stands for TOSS, REFER, ACT, and FILE. This works and avoids the buildup of clutter. Get out your 2016 calendar and look over the months and fill in events in your life that are already scheduled, birthdays, travel and other life events. Planning is important and by using a calendar you get the big picture and that can assist in your organization. Avoid procrastination, you know you have a major project coming, why not start working on it now? Get cracking on your plan as time does not wait. Make 2016 your best year ever! To YOUR Success!

 

December 2015 Holiday, Special and Wacky Days

We wish you everything Merry and Bright. Enjoy this festive time of year! 

December 21st is Look On The Bright Side Day

 

December 23rd is Festivus

 

December 24th is Christmas Eve and National Chocolate Day

 

December 25th is Christmas Day

 

December 26th is Boxing Day

 

December 26th-Jan 1 is Happy Kwanzaa

Happy Kwanzaa

Surround Yourself With Good People

“In the counsel of many there is wisdom”.  True words; consider adopting them for your own use. The world is a busy place, with everything we have to grapple with today both personally and professionally, you just can’t always have the answer. I have noticed that some people don’t seem to have any trouble when it comes to giving their opinion. Personal advice dispensed freely about the car you should buy, where to vacation and what movie should be on your list to watch. Matters of business are a different issue and you are expected to always have the answers. No one in business that we have ever met has had all the answers. The eye opener for me came a couple of decades ago when people whom either came into our world through employment, other business owners and clients (yes, clients) would show an interest in our business. I learned to nurture these relationships and these folks often had good advice about a business matter. Carefully cultivated relationships allowed me to seek counsel on challenging issues. Our business grew by leaps as I had surrounded myself with good people. Ultimately you have to make the decision and live with the results. Trusted employees can be your best source as they are the ones doing the work, on the front lines as we say. Consider having an advisory board, a small group that would meet once a month. This is informal and the folks are not paid for their time. They are generally warmed that you value their opinion. Topics of discussion can be sent a few days before the meeting to allow folks time to digest and offer some solutions to your challenges. Sometime last week you were talking with someone and you said “that’s a great idea” and you wondered “why didn’t I come up with that?  As previously mentioned, you are in the moment, taking care of the needs of the moment. A great leader surrounds themselves with good people and is open to suggestions and comments. Surround yourself with good people.

 

 

Waiting For A Different Result May Be Costly

Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result? Some say this is the definition of insanity. Does this sound like your business? When we are consulted to assist a business get back on track, we ask tough questions. We will inquire as to why it is done this way and often we hear “well, this is the way we have always done it.” Sometimes that answer makes perfect sense as this is a best business practice and it works. Other times there is room for improvement in the way a business functions. The goal of every business is to make money; I think we can all agree here. We all get busy and we know there are issues that are impacting our business. From a distance the business works and it seems profitable. Only upon a closer inspection do we realize the need for change. We are creatures of habit and get comfortable in our worlds and change is not easily embraced. I am confident this has already happened as having had to inform staff of changes in policy or procedures is not often popular. Done with care and compassion these changes can be realized as a good thing. This rings true especially when staff work and attitude is improved. In growing your business, what do you do over and over and hope for better results? Is there a process in your business that takes too much time and doesn’t yield good results? Are you staying with the same way of selling because you can’t find the time to make the changes you know are needed? How much are you paying for goods and services your business consumes? Just as important as increasing sales is reducing costs which can get out of control if not watched carefully. Change only comes about when you have a deep desire to make it happen. Take action today with a small, incremental change in your business and build on that success. This is a great read and I refer to it often. Dr. Spencer Johnson has many good business books that are short and right to the point. As a busy business owner, this is exactly the type of read for you.