Do your goals sometimes get in the way of your completing a project? If your goals are too lofty, they can paralyze you and cause you to procrastinate. Take your large goal and break it into smaller, more easily attainable goals and you’re more likely to complete it and feel a sense of accomplishment.
Take your large project and work on it in 15 minute increments. The progress you make will spur you toward completing other goals. Chances are, when you set a goal to work on your project for 15 minutes you’ll get more done because you’ll be more focused on it. If you wait until you have a block of time that’s five or six hours long, it will be more difficult to find and you’ll just keep pushing the project back and it will remain on your to-do list longer than necessary.
Taking time to make affirmations is a great way to keep you on the path toward your goal and may also have the benefit of bringing good things your way. It’s been shown that whatever individuals focus on will come to them. Do you have an affirmation for your 2013 business goals? You could affirm that, “I’ll bring in two new clients a month,” or “This year I will network three times a week,” or
“I will mentor others to help them achieve their goals.” Be specific in your affirmations.
Make certain your affirmations are specific. Write them/it down and post it in a spot where you’ll see it every day.
It’s been said, and you probably believe it, but words matter. Using the incorrect words can close down a business deal. Words used improperly can convey messages you never meant to send. Consider the words: Anxious and Eager.
When you’re sitting with a colleague or potential client do you find yourself saying, “I’m anxious to get started.” Do they mean they’re nervous about it? Worried about how they will complete the project? If you say “anxious” you could be sending the wrong message — even if it’s subliminally. What you probably mean to say is, “I’m eager to get started on your project.” You’re eager to perform the service they’re meeting with you for. You’re eager to show how your expertise will benefit them.
Consider the language you use when you’re meeting with potential clients to make certain you’re conveying the correct message.
Working as a team is something that all business people need to learn how to do, even if you work as a solopreneur (chances are you will work with outside service providers). There are a few steps managers can take to foster a team atmosphere and propel the team toward excellence.
Working in a corporate environment means you need to have a team that actually works well together, or one that at least can cooperate toward the completion of a project. As a leader, there are a few steps you can take to foster an environment that is conducive to productive team members, they are:
Communication. If you can’t or don’t communicate with your team how will they know whether they’re performing at the level you’re expecting? Share information and foster open lines of communication between yourself and the team.
Coordination. Chances are, your team is comprised of individuals of varying talents, coordinate with them so they can work at their peak of efficiency. Use action plans to coordinate the outcomes of a project.
Cooperate. Disagreements between team members can be healthy and lead toward a more indepth project. Don’t allow team members to blame one another — make certain they understand it is a team effort and everyone will succeed, or fail, as a team.
Collaborate. Foster an environment where your team feels free to toss ideas around, brainstorm and choose the part of the project in which they will excel, they will take more ownership in the outcomes.
Confidence. Show your team you have confidence in their ability to complete the task at hand.
Are you fostering an environment of cooperation and teamwork?
Studies have long shown that individuals have about 40% control over their mindset. If you feel you’re not in control or if your 40% isn’t positive, there may be ways to retrain your brain, through your actions, to enhance a more positive attitude. Here are a few steps to take toward a sunnier outlook on life:
Make time for yourself. You need to step away from your business and your daily stressors as a way toward a happier outlook. If you can take a ten-minute “you” break, you just might be happier. If possible, go outside for your ten-minute you breaks.
Count your blessings. In times of stress it’s easy to look at what you don’t have or what you wish you hadn’t lost. Take some time at the beginning and end of each day and count your blessings on what you do have, what you accomplished and what you have to look forward to.
Push yourself toward greater heights. Challenging yourself and taking initiative helps you feel more in control of your life and your business. It’s also found that pessimists tend to sit back and wait for things to come to them or to happen and this leads to dissatisfaction. Raise the bar at work and home and then reap the rewards of your hard work.
