Mary Cravets

New Year’s Resolution

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I’m reading a book I recommend highly, The Power of Full Engagement by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz. This book poses the idea that you must manage your energy – not time – in four key areas (physical, mental, emotional and spiritual). Less than 50 pages in, I read a story that made me stop short.

The story described a man, William, who was at his peak mental energy in the mornings. To take advantage of this high-performance time of the day, he would work with high intensity non-stop until midday. He estimated he got 70% of his work done before his midday break. But by early afternoon, his energy was spent and he had little ability to focus. By the end of the day, he dragged home and had no energy for his family in the evenings. His fatigue was so pronounced that he went to see a doctor to see if there was a medical issue, but all tests came back negative.

I read that example and identified – big time! And that draggy feeling in the afternoon? It’s a self- perpetuating cycle. My peak time is in the morning, so I cram everything in, which leaves me depleted for the afternoon, which tells me I better cram everything into the morning… and on the cycle goes.

The authors reflected that William was experiencing the most common performance barrier they encounter in their consulting business. Here was their solution:

“In the aftermath of his work with us, William made one relatively simple change in the way he worked. He began taking a break every 90 to 120 minutes, during which he ate something, drank some water and took at least a brief walk. Based on this change alone, within two weeks William estimated a 30 percent increase in his energy in the afternoons.*”

I love simple solutions, and this one was perfect for me. And because I’m shifting gears in my business so dramatically next year, I realized that I absolutely must master this new rhythm ASAP. In 2012, there are going to be so many unknowns, that all I could think is that I had better get a jump start on this resolution thing while I have the time to really incorporate it into my life.

Not to be an overachiever or anything, but I’m starting this New Year’s resolution now. As a matter of fact, I started last week and am already feeling better about my work rhythms and focus.

The moral of the story? Don’t put off until the New Year what can benefit you today! (and get a copy of The Power of Full Engagement!)

* Excerpt taken from ThePower of Full Engagement by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz, copyright 2003.

Guest Blog: Are You Ever Stressed?

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Thank you to Cindy Caldwell who contributed today’s excellent blog!

Did you think “Duh!” when reading the title of this article?

Of course, we all encounter stress. And in the business world, for many it has become more pronounced than ever before. Today I want to provide you with an alternative and a new perspective.

A young lady confidently walked around the room while leading and explaining stress management to an audience. With a raised glass of water, everyone knew she was going to ask the ultimate question, ‘half empty or half full?’ She fooled them all.

“How heavy is this glass of water?” she inquired with a smile.

Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.

She replied, “The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you’ll have to call an ambulance. In each case it’s the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.”*

Most of us know that holding onto stress isn’t good. Being sure to get a good night’s rest is very helpful to managing it. Yet in the fast paced world of business, even after a good night’s sleep, often the stressful moments can get the best of us.

Go here to read another approach to managing stress moment by moment – when the boss drops a bomb on you – or any time the moment changes from normal to stressed.

Have comments? Go to the Elegant Inner Guidance Facebook Fan Page and share your comments and insight.

*Excerpt from an email shared by my friend Jean M.

Cindy Caldwell is  an Authentic Happiness Coach/Consultant helping the heart-centered business woman who loves her job but not the corporate world to create a career that resonates with her soul.

Get a FREE 15 min. consulting session at www.ElegantInnerGuidance.com.

But What About the Sand?

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I’ve been a bit tense lately. Four events in two weeks, and working on a training program to launch speed networking nationally at the beginning of next year. A lot of what I’m working on amounts to invention – brand new stuff that I have no experience with.

I said to my husband Adam, “I feel like I’m about to jump off a cliff”.

To which he responded, “Throw down some sand.”

Thrown by the seeming non-sequitur, I articulately replied, “Huh?”

“Like in Indiana Jones,” he said. “When he sees that great gaping chasm and then steps off to find it was an optical illusion, and a path was there all along. Throw down some sand and you’ll see it’s not a cliff at all.”

As you can imagine, that stopped me in my tracks.

I love this mental picture, but am struggling a bit to complete it.

If the chasm is my fear of the unknown, and the path that is the optical illusion represents the unseen solutions that are available to me, but what about the sand? What does the sand represent?

I’d love to hear your ideas!

Determine, Engage, Ignore

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So last week, I talked about that feeling of having One Foot On the Gas, and One On the Brake, and I promised this week to include some ideas on how to survive that gear-grinding feeling.

It boils down to this: focus on the things you have control over. And the things you have control over are your ACTIVITIES, not your results.

You have no control over the state of the country’s economy, or someone saying no to you, or whether or not people return your phone calls. What you DO have control over are things like MAKING phone calls, WRITING articles, SENDING emails, ASKING for business, ATTENDING networking functions. All of these things are 100% within your control.

I’m going to give you a simple 1-2-3 to make your business activities more effective, easy and profitable.

1.  Determine which activities (the ones you have 100% control over) lead to the results you want.

Look over your newest 10 clients, and determine which activities led them to your door. Do you see a trend between making phone calls and receiving referrals? Sending an e-newsletter and making sales?

2.  Engage in these activities consistently.

Decide how many times you’ll engage in these activities, and do them consistently. For instance, when I was in real estate, my activities were: 1 mailing to my database a month, 1 client lunch per week, 5 phones calls per day, and 3 note cards per day. This consistent activity led me to triple my business in one year.

3.  Ignore the stuff that is beyond your control.

It’s almost like you have to put blinders on to block out the loud, insistent negativity and fear that comes with all of the things that are beyond your control. But do it you must if you don’t want to go crazy!

And guess what happens when you decide, engage, and ignore?

  • You feel more relaxed, knowing you’re investing in the highest return on investment activities
  • You have more time in your day
  • New clients seems to come out of nowhere

Sounds too easy, right? Well, it tripled my real estate income one year, so easy or not – it works!

If the above concepts seem like good ideas, but you just can’t wrap your head around how to get them integrated into your business on a consistent basis, please contact me, and we can talk about how I might be able to help. I offer short-term (often just one session) business training that lets my clients establish simple action plans that yield consistent results.

One Foot on the Gas, and One on the Brake

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While visiting my husband at his real estate office in Sedona recently, I saw a woman walking across the parking lot, lugging a box of stuff toward the nearby coffee shop. She was had a tired air about her, yet a fluidity to her walk – almost a carelessness. Something itched at the back of my mind – what was this quality I was witnessing?

Then it hit me- she’s an entrepreneur.

I saw a beautiful stubbornness that I could immediately relate to: the absolute commitment to do ANYTHING in order to avoid being tied down to working for someone else.

Soul sister!

I have a special place in my heart for entrepreneurs, especially those who are taking their first wobbly steps towards working for themselves. I sigh with almost motherly pride when I see an entrepreneur set up an information table at a coffee shop, or in front of the health food store. My heart aches with joy when I see a man at a restaurant present his “30 second commercial” to his waiter. It makes me laugh – the inexperience, the tenacity, the enthusiasm. It’s all just such a strange and wonderful combination. We put our pride, our hearts, and our hopes on the line in pursuit of freedom.

And yes, I realize I am romanticizing. Along with my sighing and the aching, I know the shadow side. Sleepless nights from both success highs and failure lows. The ups and downs of income. The skepticism of family and friends who think we are completely nuts. On the down days, we suspect they might be right.

It’s no wonder we entrepreneurs often feel like we have one foot on the gas and one on the brake.

So how do you manage this sometimes gear-grinding feeling? I recommend having a laser focus on, and consistent engagement in, the things you 100% control over. To be continued next week…

Cornered!

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Scenario #1: You’re at a business networking event, and are approached by an enthusiastic woman. She says to you, “You really need to try my vitamins. You’ll feel healthy, more energetic, and get more done every day. When would you like to set up an appointment to meet?”

Scenario #2: You’re at a business networking event, and are approached by an enthusiastic man. He says to you, “You know a lot of people, right? Here are 5 of my business cards for you to give out to people you know.”

Scenario #3: You’re at a business networking event, and are approached by a man. He says to you, “Have you ever heard of my company? It’s been around for 24 years and was founded in a small town in Northern California where the trees are tall and the land is wild. It’s in this wilderness that a new vision was born, a vision of prosperity, a vision of hope, a vision of endless possibilities. Our founder was born in 1965 in a small town in Massachusetts. How did he get from Massachusetts to California? I’ll tell you the whole story…”

If you’ve ever been to a networking event, it’s likely you’ve encountered at least one of these scenarios. So how have you dealt with them in the past? Often, we just let these well-meaning folks monopolize our time, which leaves us feeling resentful that we spent all evening with a self-absorbed bozo who never even asked for our card.

Sometimes we cut them off and walk away. Not a bad solution, but it still defeats the purpose of networking, which is to create connections.

Try the following responses the next time you’re cornered.

Scenario 1. “I don’t need your product now, but if you can be specific about the kind of client you’re looking for, I’ll definitely keep my eye out for them. Give me one of your cards so that I’ll have your information when I cross paths with good referrals.”

Scenario 2. “I really love referring the people I know to the services they need, but would need to know more about who your ideal client is. If you can be specific about the kind of client you’re looking for, I’ll definitely keep my eye out for them. I’ll keep one of your cards so I can send them your way.”

Scenario 3. (interrupting them) “Let me stop you for a second, if you don’t mind. I do want to know more about what you do, and what would be most helpful to know is specifics about the kind of client you’re looking for, so that can keep my eye out for them. Give me one of your cards so that I’ll have your information when I cross paths with good referrals.”

You’ll notice a common thread through them all, of course. Each of them positions you as the expert networker, someone who is interested in connections and service, even when approached in a less than professional manner.