Have you heard some of these expressions:  “You’ll never know unless you ask”, “There’s nothing wrong with asking”, “Even if the answer’s no, you’re no worse off than you were before”, “What’s the harm in asking?”

As someone who teaches people to ask for what they want…because after all, “You’ll never know unless you ask!” I often find that most people are not afraid to ask for what they want, that’s not the real issue.  The real issue comes when we don’t get what we want!

So how do we overcome that?  The key is in not getting attached to the outcome.  So, in other words, it’s fabulous, amazing, great when you get what you want, but you’re ok with the situation if you don’t.  Don’t get me wrong, that’s not to say that you can’t feel disappointment or frustration initially, but when you depersonalize the outcome…it becomes much more tolerable.

I know…it sounds weird and crazy, but let me explain.  All of your success is based on scientific principles (it is whether you think so or not!)  One of the principles is based on the Law of Detachment.  Now this does NOT mean that you give up the desire, the intent, the manifestation of what you want.

BUT what happens is that you start to become anxious, fearful or insecure when your desires don’t manifest immediately or when you think they should.  You begin to become anxious and attached to the outcome, you then start to send out those negative vibrations attached to that outcome.  This is what the Universe and energy pick up and what is reflected back to you.

You start to focus on the lack rather than the abundance of what you already have.  You must immediately stop that thought process and get back on track to abundance, not scarcity.  Remember that the outcome may have a different path to get there then what you initially thought.

The final piece of the puzzle is to step back and look at what you’re asking for.  Is it truly in alignment with your core values and your authentic self?

The Universe is listening…make sure that you are clear on what you’re asking for…

What do you think?  I’d love to hear your thoughts and comments!

OK, let me preface this post by saying I’m all for taking action…as often and as quickly as possible.  I also believe that imperfect action is by far better than no action at all…

Now that being said, I also believe that the action you take must have some forethought and a plan.  You hear all the time “Take  action, take massive action, nothing will happen unless you take action.”  Well unless you have some sort of plan for where that action is going to take you, to me that’s just mindless, wasteful energy.

I don’t know about you, but quite frankly, I don’t want the surgeon to cut me open just to “take action.”  He better well have some sort of plan in place and a goal in mind before he starts slicing and dicing.

It’s important to understand and distinguish between impulsive actions and deliberate actions.  I have a tendency to take impulsive action (much to my chagrin!) :-)  However, what I have learned from that is to surround myself with people who can “ground” me and help me change impulsive actions to deliberate actions.

It’s equally important to listen to your intuition.  If it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t.  If you are second guessing an action that you are planning to take, review it with a trusted advisor or mentor.  I suggest finding someone who will remain objective rather than a friend or family member.

Make no mistake, it is imperative to take action in order to grow and move forward, but make sure that the actions will serve your objectives and goals.

We have come down to the last piece of the puzzle in our F.O.C.U.S.
series…”S”.  To tell you the truth, I have a love/hate relationship
with the letter “S” (well not the particular letter…I think “S” is
quite nice..lol); HOWEVER it stands for one for the most challenging
aspects of F.O.C.U.S. and that is having a SYSTEM in place.

S=SYSTEM

Now I have a love/hate relationship with systems
because while I have a deep appreciation and understanding of the need
for systems both in your professional and personal life, it’s not an
area that comes easily for me (and I suspect for a lot of you!); BUT it
is absolutely crucial in order to use your time efficiently and
productively.

So what are some things that can be systematized?
Well, it can be as simple as batching your errands on a weekly basis.
Some tips for systematizing:

• Look for patterns in your daily routine that can be grouped
  together.  As I mentioned, batching your errands all in one day; taking
  client call for a block of time each day, or only one day of the week.
• Create checklists for tasks so you can see a beginning, middle and an end.
• Inventory what processes are in place now and where the weak points are.
• If you’re an entrepreneur, create templates (such an emails, contracts) for often used forms to streamline the process
• Delegate tasks that can be done by someone else…yes as I said before, it can be difficult~you need to get over it!
• Create task analysis procedures when work is delegated so there are clear expectations

Having systems in place is like having a well put together outfit.  Everything is well coordinated, fits well, and makes you feel like a million bucks!

Was there a strategy in the series that resonated with you?  A particular strategy that works for you that you’d like to share?  Maybe you need a little more help in putting the pieces in place…if so, I’d love to help you!  Fill out the form at the top, download my free report and you’ll be signed up for my zine. Toolbox Tips!

Warmly,

Danielle

Thought I would take a mini break yesterday in our 5 part series on F.O.C.U.S. to let you regroup and digest the first 3 strategies.  Now we’re back at it with what I consider the most important component in the F.O.C.U.S equation and that is…..”U”!

And I mean that literally…U=YOU.  You are the most important factor in F.O.C.U.S.  Your ability to apply the F.O.C.U.S. strategies, your mindset, your motivation…all of these factors are critical and must be aligned for this to work.

There are way too many facets of “U” to discuss here, so here are a few tips to help you F.O.C.U.S.

1. U must accept responsibility for the choices you make.  You can’t complain about not being focused if you have the TV on, the door open where people can interrupt you, and all of the 1001 other things that can distract you.
2. Without prioritization, U will have an incredibly difficult time F.O.C.U.S.ing.
3. Develop a sense of urgency about what you’re doing…it’s important; that do it now attitude will set the tone!
4. Get an accountability partner…better yet, a COACH:-) who will “hold your fire to the fire”
5. Manage your interruptions..get down to doing what you’re doing and hold yourself to it (Remember the “Golden Hour” rule!)
6. Get out of your own way!  The dialogue that you have with yourself is crucial; work on aligning your thoughts with your actions.

OK, that is alot of information to digest and is a book unto itself.  Think about how your limiting thoughts, attitudes, and beliefs are keeping “U” from F.O.C.U.S.ing and get started on changing those patterns!  What can be learned and also be unlearned!  Replace old habits with new ones!

Last chance!  Tomorrow is our final strategy in F.O.C.U.S….if you guess the “S”, you will receive a complimentary strategy session with me!

What are some ways that you focus?  Let’s talk about it!

Warmly,

Danielle

Today is Day 3 of our 5 F.O.C.U.S strategies and by process of elimination, you probably have already figured out that we are letter “C”.

Now the letter “C” could really stand for any number of F.O.C.U.S. words..clarify, change, create; however for the purposes of task focus we are going to go with….CHUNK (it)!

C- Chunk It

In the simplest form, chunking information or tasks is simply dividing the task into manageable pieces or steps to avoid overwhelm and procrastination.  Chunking information is somewhat like goal setting (so I am a HUGE fan of it!) with specific actions that are completed before the next set of information or tasks are presented.

Often when we are presented with a large project or task, it can seem like a huge jumble of information, but when we start to organize and group the input, we can recode it so that we understand it much better.  Think about how we learn a phone number…the numbers are arranged in a certain way and if someone messes with that accepted system, how difficult do you think it would be to learn that number?  It reminds of a comedy bit that Kevin James did about the phone number ritual….hilarious and TRUE!

• Tips for chunking information:
• Try not to group more than 7 pieces of information, numbers, etc. at a time (this is based on scientific research…the 7 + or - 2 theory)
• Look for patterns in the information or task presented
• Group or classify information accordingly
• Use of graphic organizers or mindmaps

Using these tips will help you stay on track and keep you F.O.C.U.S. ed!  Have a guess for tomorrow’s tips using the letter “S”?  Leave a guess and qualitfy for a complimentary strategy session with me!

Have some tips to share?  Please share your thoughts:-)
Warmly,

Danielle

Today is Day 3 of our 5 F.O.C.U.S strategies and by process of elimination, you probably have already figured out that we are letter “C”.

Now the letter “C” could really stand for any number of F.O.C.U.S. words..clarify, change, create; however for the purposes of task focus we are going to go with….CHUNK (it)!

C- Chunk It

In the simplest form, chunking information or tasks is simply dividing the task into manageable pieces or steps to avoid overwhelm and procrastination.  Chunking information is somewhat like goal setting (so I am a HUGE fan of it!) with specific actions that are completed before the next set of information or tasks are presented.

Often when we are presented with a large project or task, it can seem like a huge jumble of information, but when we start to organize and group the input, we can recode it so that we understand it much better.  Think about how we learn a phone number…the numbers are arranged in a certain way and if someone messes with that accepted system, how difficult do you think it would be to learn that number?  It reminds of a comedy bit that Kevin James did about the phone number ritual….hilarious and TRUE!

• Tips for chunking information:
• Try not to group more than 7 pieces of information, numbers, etc. at a time (this is based on scientific research…the 7 + or - 2 theory)
• Look for patterns in the information or task presented
• Group or classify information accordingly
• Use of graphic organizers or mindmaps

Using these tips will help you stay on track and keep you F.O.C.U.S. ed!  Have a guess for tomorrow’s tips using the letter “S”?  Leave a guess and qualitfy for a complimentary strategy session with me!

Have some tips to share?  Please share your thoughts:-)
Warmly,

Danielle

Alright…onto Day 2 of the 5 day F.O.C.U.S. plan.  To recap, yesterday’s tip was to: Find the Time.  If you don’t schedule specific activities for specific times, you are going to have difficulty right off the bat focusing.

Today’s F.O.C.U.S Tip: (drumroll please…)

O-Overcome Overwhelm

It sounds soooo darn easy, doesn’t it?  When I first started my coaching business I was still teaching offline, running teenagers around, trying to learn and build a business, continue to learn in my areas of expertise….have you felt that way?  Trying to learn how to manage the Overwhelm Ogre is an incredibly challenging task for most of us.  One of the best ways to do it is a strategy that I will discuss in the last step of F.O.C.U.S. (the “S” step…giving out a BIG hint there!)

OK, so let’s talk about some practical tips you can use right now to get out of overwhelm and into control.

• Develop a daily action plan-this is crucial in getting out of overwhelm.  In fact, I have clients write down everything they do in a week and we work backwards from there.
• Identify tasks that can be delegated…(yea I know it’s hard to give up control…you need to get over it…seriously).  I spent an hour and a half with a client the other day and we finally discovered that she could give up doing her autoresponders and save herself a boatload of time and aggravation.
• Identify resources that will save you time….things like online, automatic bill pay, batching phone calls, errands, etc.  Little things like that can save you an enormous amount of time and energy.
• Prioritizing your activities-what are the highest value activities (determining that can take some time, so don’t discount the importance of it).
• Cut yourself a little slack; you can’t possibly complete it all in a day, so take a step back and look at all you did accomplish for the day.
• Consider time your friend, not your enemy….spend it wisely.

These are some quick, effective tips that can help you get control of your “overwhelm”.  Come check out tomorrow’s post….what you “C” is what you get!

Don’t forget if you guess the “C”, you will receive a complimentary 30 minute session with me:-)

Have some overwhelm tips of your own?  I’d love to hear them; I promise not to correct your grammar or spelling;-) (little teacher humor!)

Warmly,

Danielle

The Toolbox Teacher

Last night I returned from a weekend conference (JVALERT LIVE), which was really fantastic in terms of the quality of speakers, the connections and the learning opportunities.  One problem I find however, is that I get overwhelmed with the amount of information that is tumbling around in my head!  YES, even the “experts” experience overwhelm at times!  This week’s theme is going to teach you some steps that I use in order to be more productive and efficient.

I LOVE acronyms…I just do.  Can’t help it, I think it’s the probably the teacher in me.  So, for the purposes of this week’s post we are going to use the acronym F.O.C.U.S.  Today’s tip will focus on the “F” word….(pun definitely intended!)

F is for Find the Time- Finding the time is the critical 1st step in using your time productively.  And what I mean by finding the time is a purposeful use of your time.  This means creating some goals about what is going to occur, how long is it going to take and what will the end result look like.

When I got home last night, I sat down for 15 minutes, created my “big picture” plan for the week and then started working backwards on what the details of the plan would look like day by day.  This means figuring out what tasks are high priority or “high value” and how much time you are going to carve out for each one.

This can sometimes be difficult as if it’s a new task or something we are unfamiliar with, we’re not sure how much time we need to allot.  I like to use the “Golden Hour” rule.  This means that 1 hour gets devoted to one particular task.  This is easier for some tasks than others.

For example, this morning I devoted exactly 1 hour to article writing.  Some days I can write 5 articles in 1 hour, sometimes 2 is a struggle! (Quick tip: templates can make this job MUCH easier and there are lots of free ones out there.)  But the point is 1 hour is all the time I’ve allotted for that task.  Set a timer so that you are aware of when the hour is up.  Reward yourself with a stretch or a cup of coffee, a Hershey kiss, whatever for 10 minutes before moving onto the next task.

STOP trying to multitask!  Most entrepreneurs have a difficult time with this concept.  You will be much more productive if you see one task through to completion OR within a certain time frame rather than trying to write articles, answer email, the phone, tweet…etc. you get the idea.

That’s it for today…tomorrow is the “O” factor!  Any guesses on what the “O” stands for?  If you guess correctly, you’ll win a 30 minute complimentary call with me to discuss where you need help focusing:-)

Warmly,

Danielle

The Toolbox Teacher

The other day I posted a tweet that got retweeted several times and I knew that it would make a great blog post.  So here was the tweet:  “You don’t need to have a degree, certification, seal, stamp or whatever to be an expert in what you love doing…go for it!”                                  

I talk with so many people who are waiting….waiting for the time to be right, waiting to take that class, waiting to “become” something, waiting to move forward, waiting until they are “certified” in something.  My question to you is WHY?

I have found that people who love what they are doing, and I mean they are passionate and feel that they are in total alignment with their beliefs, values and who THEY truly are when they are doing their “thing”…don’t NEED any of that stuff.

For me, I feel most in touch with my true self when I am teaching.  I love it and can’t think of anything on this earth that I would rather do.  Seriously…put people in front of me and I will teach them something…I can’t help it.

Now clearly, there are some careers that the law has mandated you must have a degree or certification.  To teach for the state I live in, I had to have a college degree; BUT there were things I needed to learn in order to be an effective teacher (particularly in the realm of special education).  Consider this though, ANYTHING that you truly love to do, you’ve had to learn how to do it well (despite your natural talents or abilities), and you pretty much enjoyed every minute of the learning because it has moved you closer to your vision and goals.

But if you’re starting a business to live your passion….what are you waiting for?  Step out of the comfort zone and just DO what you love, I promise you the other pieces will start to fall into place!  Learn as you go, chalk up mistakes as learning experiences and keep moving forward.

What do you think?  Leave me a scribble below and I PROMISE not to grade you on penmanship or grammar:-)  (Just a lil joke between us;-) )

Warmly,

Danielle

The Toolbox Teacher

Today as I was driving in town for a doctor appointment, I noticed that there seemed to be an awful lot of buggies out on the road….(if you aren’t aware, I live in a part of the country where there are a heavy population of Amish, who use horse and buggies as their mode of transportation).

As I was weaving my way around about a bazillion buggies (ok, maybe not THAT many, but it sure seemed like it!), I was counting how man of the horses had blinders on (how half, in case you were wondering).  The reason for the blinders is so that the horse looks neither to the right nor to the left, but is focused straight ahead in order to eliminate distractions.

As I was keeping myself occupied by counting the blinders, it occurred to me that most people could benefit from wearing “success blinders”.  One of the biggest time wasters in your pursuit of success is lack of focus.  People who achieve and experience the most success are basically wearing “success blinders”.  They stay focused on the goal in front of them and are not distracted by things that are in their peripheral vision.

So what are some tips for putting on your “success blinders”?

• Take the time to plan your day…seriously that 10-15 minutes will do amazing things for your productivity!
• Prioritize your tasks (what will benefit you or your bottom line the most today?)
• Write your plan down!  I cannot emphasize this enough!!!! (notice the exclamation points)
• Look at your most challenging task and figure out why it is so difficult (lack of information, fear) and confront those issues head on.
• Recognize that you and you alone are responsible for how your day turns out
• Recognize and be willing to pay the price for success

What do your “success blinders” look like?  What are the tools you use to stay focused and productive?  I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Warmly,

Danielle
The Toolbox Teacher