Arboresque Coaching

What Does Success Mean to You?

Do you find yourself frustrated and overwhelmed with your current business situation, struggling to figure out what to do next? This is a common dilemma amongst independent professionals who juggle so many roles in their professional life and then try and do the same in their personal life. Chances are your vision may have become a bit cloudy (or - gasp - you never really created a solid vision that integrates your business into your life).

One approach I’ve used to begin creating a crystal clear vision is to define what success means. Too often we get wrapped up in how others define success, and we forget that our priorities and needs are unique to us.

My own personal vision has become sharper and sharper over the past year, and I recently sat down and did this exercise I am about to share with you. It was a powerful experience and has had an immediate, positive impact on my life:

• I’ve recognized what really matters to me at this time in my life (let’s face it; our priorities are different in our 40s than they were in our 20s or 30s!)
• My “hamster wheel” has slowed down and gotten smaller
• I say “no” to requests that distract me or that don’t directly benefit the important people who occupy my vision
• I feel more at peace and “present”

When was the last time you had a good old-fashioned heart-to-heart with yourself? Try this out for yourself and see what happens.

7 Steps to Defining Success On Your Terms

1. Choose a block of time (at least 30 minutes) where you are typically creative and focused.
2. Remove yourself from all distractions (no email, social media, television, etc.) - some people find inspiration with nature sounds or classical music playing very softly in the background.
3. Grab your journal and a pen - it’s best if you don’t use a computer for this exercise, as there is less temptation to edit yourself as you go.
4. At the top of the page write “What Does Success Look Like to Me?” Or choose a similar heading that resonates with you. The idea is to capture what success means to you - on your terms.
5. Close your eyes and take three deep breaths while forming a picture of you living your vision of success.
6. Now start writing! Think about all the elements that make up success for you (people, activities, and work that you love; money coming in; money going out; your physical health; your surroundings; your emotional well-being; how you look, act, and feel; etc.).
7. When you are done writing go back and see if you have certain themes that emerge. Try to come up with a Top 10 List of factors that clearly define what success means to you.

Using this exercise as a starting point, try writing a story of you living a perfectly successful day. The more you can connect with this vision the easier it is to then align your activities so they are strategic, giving you the best possible opportunities to bring the vision to life!

I recently read a book that my mentor, Lisa Sasevich, sent to all of us in her mastermind group called “The War of Art” by Steven Pressfield.  This fabulous book deals with identifying and dealing with resistance that comes along when we endeavor to create something new in our lives.  One of his methods to beat resistance is to “turn pro” – his assertion is that “Resistance hates it when we turn pro.”  What does professionalism mean to you?  How closely do you measure up that definition?

Here are five of my top strategies for confidently displaying that all-important professional image to yourself and others.   

Make Sure Your Business Card is Current

Does your card have the correct phone number, email address, and website listed?  I recently met someone at a networking event, and she gave me her card.  We spoke about getting together to explore the possibility of becoming referral partners.  When I went to follow up with her, neither the email address nor the business phone number was current.  If you are going to a networking event and your card isn’t current, try printing some small labels with the current information and place them on your existing card (it’s not elegant, but it will work in a pinch).  

Use a Professional Email Address

Now there’s nothing wrong with having a personal email address like cutiepie405@….com, but it’s probably not the most professional!  Purchasing a unique domain name and at least one email address is easy and inexpensive.   Sometimes, however, it’s not practical to have your own domain name, or if you are an independent consultant for a direct sales organization, you may not have the ability to use the company’s domain name.  In these instances just make sure you are using your full name.  Additional hint:  check to see how your name appears when others receive your emails – make sure they see your name in “from” section rather than your email address and make sure your name is capitalized. 

Schedule Appointments for Specific Work Activities

If you are a solopreneur you already know you have to wear many hats throughout your day and week.  Set specific times in your schedule for the various activities required to run your business (marketing, sales, producing and delivering your products/services, bookkeeping, planning, professional development, meetings with staff, etc.).  You will find it harder to “cancel” a meeting – even if it’s with yourself – if it’s blocked off on your calendar.  Communicate these appointments with others as necessary to help you stay on track and ward off distraction! 

Hang Out with Other Professionals

We’ve all heard it said that people do business with people or organizations they know, like, and trust.  Part of that trust factor relates to how professionalism is displayed and carried out.  When you hang out with other professionals your credibility is enhanced and opportunities are more likely to come your way.  If you aren’t already doing so, try joining a professional association, your local chamber of commerce, or a referral networking group.  If you are so inclined you can even start a group of your own within your industry or geographical area.  I highly recommend investing time, money, and energy in a mastermind group where you can elevate your professionalism. 

Promote Yourself

Letting people know that you are, in fact, in business and how to do business with you is absolutely critical.  You can have the best products or services, a great website, or a killer newsletter, but if no one knows that you’re open for business, it’s all for naught!  Find the methods that work best for you, but make sure to let people know what you’re up to.  Regular communication with your prospects, clients (current and past), referral partners, and even friends and family can contribute to your ongoing prosperity. 

Now it’s your turn.  Take stock of your professional image – does it need a tune up? 

Spring has sprung!  I put an update on my Facebook page a couple of weeks ago alerting my non-California friends that I could tell Spring was on its way.  Of course not long after that, we were hit with a winter storm causing all kinds of havoc.  As I write this there are birds and bunnies hopping across my back lawn, and the sun is shining brilliantly.  It’s time to clean up the BBQ and hose off the patio furniture to enjoy outdoor dining again.  

Spring cleaning is all about shedding the clutter that doesn’t serve us anymore.  This includes your business as well!  Special thanks to my friend Cyndi Fine in Wisconsin for suggesting this wonderful 15-minute Spring Fling Boogie idea.  

15-Minute Spring Fling Boogie

Your mission:  take 15-minute chunks and fling, clean, toss, and rejuvenate!  Sometimes the task at hand can seem rather large, but taking these small chunks of time can be both fun and productive. Here are some ideas for you to tackle in your 15-minute blitzes:

1. Clean out your purse/briefcase/laptop bag
2. Delete non-essential emails
3. Create folders for emails you want to keep and file them
4. Pick a file drawer and toss out anything you don’t need (I just did this - it’s amazing the stuff I was keeping hold of that I didn’t need!)
5. Identify your top clients and make a plan to reach out to them to say thanks
6. Clean up your desktop (your actual desk and your computer’s desktop)
7. Dust off your bookshelf and pull out a professional development book you haven’t reviewed in a while
8. Discard marketing collateral you are no longer using (I keep one or two samples as reminders and toss the rest)
9. Review your processes - where can you streamline your efforts?
10. Toss anything that represents negative energy (or store it elsewhere if you must keep it) - I did this with emails and physical files, and it’s so nice not to have the reminders hanging around!

Enjoy flinging, tossing, and dancing into Spring!

Greetings from breezy Southern California!  I must apologize for the amount of time that’s gone by since I last wrote to you.  Suffice it to say, I’ve had an amazing few weeks filled with learning, laughing, and letting go.

Back in October I joined an incredible mastermind group, and with it came the opportunity to participate in jam-packed programs for furthering my business education specifically for marketing and speaking.  My office has been a beehive of activity, and I feel like I’ve gone back to school and joined an awesome on-campus club. That’s the learning part…

At the end of January we had our first retreat, and it was so fantastic to finally meet, in person, with all of the people with whom I’d been communicating and brainstorming within our online forums and on the phone.  On our last morning (very, very early in the morning I might add!) a few brave souls took on the Zumba craze.  That’s the laughing part…

Now for the letting go part.  I’ve finally let go of (some!) of my administrative tasks and have retained the services of a team of virtual assistants!  And, on a more personal note, my youngest son turned 16 and now has his driver’s license.  These two acts of letting go are the inspiration for this edition of “The Sprig.”

The Art of Letting Go

Letting go is tough!  Whether it’s watching your child walk through the classroom door for the first time without you (or drive away in YOUR car with his newly-minted driver’s license), or delegating work you once held near and dear to your heart.  The art of letting go and delegation requires patience, clarity, gratitude, and tough love.

Mistakes happen that wouldn’t occur if you were the one doing the work, and you need to be prepared for this inevitability.  It’s a good idea before delegating responsibilities to keep in mind the following tips:

1. Recognize that you are delegating responsibility and outcome and not just tasks.
2. Be really clear on the desired outcome and relate whenever possible how the activities relate to the big picture.
3. Check to make sure the person taking on the new responsibility has the tools and resources needed to complete the job.
4. Be available to answer questions and provide direction if needed.
5. Be generous in giving well-deserved praise.
6. Recognize that the person helping you has great experience and probably has suggestions on improving your processes - this is a good thing!
7. If a mistake happens - address it as soon as possible.  Check to see how to ensure the mistake doesn’t happen again, and let it go!
8. Lather, rinse, repeat!

By mastering the art of letting go, you empower others to help you build a thriving
business and bring your vision to life.

This Week’s Words of Wisdom

“The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it.” ~ Theodore Roosevelt