Share
Read
Top

Archive for November, 2010

Share

Work Less, Do More

November 22nd, 2010 by Sara Pencil Blumenfeld

I recently had the pleasure of reading “9 Steps to Work Less and Do More” by entrepreneurship and productivity expert Stever Robbins (www/steverrobbins.com). What a fun book!  I love books where I get taught and tickled at the same time. Tons of useful and unique information. I’ll briefly share 3 of the 9 steps and then encourage you to check out the blog, articles, newsletters and more on Stever’s webiste.

Step 1: Live on Purpose

Our life is made up of primary goals (like be successful, be happy) which consist of many subgoals, which breed even more subgoals. Living on purpose means always making sure your sub-goals align with one of your primary goals. If they don’t, and you work on them anyway, you will frustrate yourself and waste time and energy. Start by creating a Life Map of what a full, satisfying life is for you, then use Goal Ladders to make sure you stay on course. A Goal Ladder shows how your actions and subgoals link to your larger goals.

Step 3: Conquer Technology

Technology is meant to be an aid, not an anchor. For many, computers have become and extension of us, like another appendage. Must time is wasted by having it as the center of attention on your desk, always beckoning you.  How many times have you gotten sucked in to looking something up quickly on the Internet, and two hours later you wondered where the time had gone?  Stever suggests moving your computer off your desk, so it is not calling to you every moment.  Schedule the tasks that require your computer, go to the computer at your scheduled times and do those tasks and return to your desk.

Step 7: Optimize

Be willing to change from the familiar to something more effective. One way to do this is to listen to feedback from others—what it means to you rather than the words coming from their mouth. Look first at your feelings. If you feel defensive you feel there is some truth in what was said.  Take a minute to identify what you felt right before you felt defensive. Perhaps you felt attacked or misunderstood. Is there, or was there, a time when that was true for you—you were misunderstood? Notice it, and decide if there is something you would like to change to be more effective.

As Stever says at the end of the book, “Everything really boils down to knowing why you’re here, orienting your life around that, and not sweating the small stuff when you wander off the path.”  Clarity of purpose, and better use of your time and resources, leads to more happiness and fun!

Tags: , ,
Posted in Book Reviews, Business, General, Mindset | No Comments »

Share

Accountability for Your Message (Part 2)

November 17th, 2010 by Sara Pencil Blumenfeld

(Read Part 1 posted on Nov. 14 before proceeding)

Probably the most important aspect people miss when attempting to complete a project is failure to acknowledge the feelings behind the action.  You have probably heard that to be really successful you have to have a big “why.”  The “why” that people share is often things like “to provide for my family” or “buy my parents the dream house they always wanted” or other things.  That stops short of the real driver, which is the feeling those things bring.  So the “why” is not the final answer, the feeling behind the “why” is.

This is a vibrational universe.  Science has proven that everything is vibrating at different speeds. Things of similar vibration are drawn together. Everything you want to create has a vibration that you can more easily align with by identifying what emotion describes how you will feel when you accomplish your desire or complete your project.

Anything you want is because you think you will feel better once you have it than you feel without it. What you really are reaching for is that feeling.  When you identify the primary feeling you seek, then you realize there are many experiences that can generate that feeling. Here are some possible feelings you may be reaching for by completing the project you selected: creative, confident, appreciated, inspired, empowered, recognized, free, respected, relieved, validated, giving, connected.  Make a list of all the possible emotions you are seeking by doing this project, and then select the main one.

Let’s say the main emotion you will feel when you complete this project is creative. When you understand the emotion behind why you want something, it is much easier to be accountable and see it through to completion. In order to focus your energy on this project, bring more of the end feeling into your life throughout the project by doing these 4 things:

Number 1: Each morning, and whenever you are working on your project, declare “I am creative” (substitute your main feeling word for “creative”). This reminds you that you are enhancing a feeling you already have by working on this project.

Number 2: Make a list of times in the past when you felt creative. Remember how good it felt to be creative. Remember the positive affect you had on others with your creativity.

Number 3.  Think of a very simple thing that you can do today that easily gives you the feeling of being creative. Then do that thing and really pay attention to the wonderful feeling of being creative.  Do something easy and simple each day that gives you this feeling.

Number 4:  Think of a simple thing that you can do for someone else that helps them feel creative. Then do that thing for or with someone else and really pay attention to the wonderful feeling of helping someone else be creative.  Do something easy and simple each day that gives you this feeling of helping someone else feel creative.

The more you experience the feeling you seek to achieve by completing the project you selected, the easier and more fun it will be because you are enjoying the feeling all through the process, not just at the end.

If you’re serious about your growth and about sharing your message, you must have an accountability partner to keep you on track and moving forward in your most important areas.  If you have ever experienced having a strong accountability partner, you know the difference it made in achieving your goals.  If you could do it on your own, you would have done it already.

You are here with great purpose. Value yourself and your work enough to invest in your growth and success. Go to www.thecreationcoach.com and click on the tab marked “accountability.”

In summary, the steps to success with accountability are:

  • Decide on a specific project or program you want to be held accountable for
  • Why is it important to you?
  • How does it help you spread your message or fulfill your mission?
  • How does it add value to others?
  • What is the end result you expect to achieve?
  • What are the specific steps involved?
  • What are the possible internal and external obstacles?
  • What can you do to overcome these?
  • What is the strongest feeling you will have from accomplishing this project?
  • What simple thing can you do daily to experience that feeling?
  • What simple thing can you do daily to help someone else experience that feeling?
  • What specifically do you commit to do during the next week to move this project forward?

You have a message to share, a gift to give, or some other contribution to make to the world.  The people who are longing to hear your message, receive your gift, or benefit from your special contribution are praying you care enough to take action.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Business, Coaching, General, Life Mission, Mindset, Spiritual Growth | No Comments »

Share

Accountability for Your Message (Part 1)

November 14th, 2010 by Sara Pencil Blumenfeld

You have a message to share, a gift to give, or some other contribution to make to the world.  You can feel it, and you know that no one else can share that message or give that gift or make that contribution to humanity like you can. It’s an awesome responsibility.  Look inside your heart, get quiet and listen, and follow your spirit.  There is something important for you to do, or you would not still be here, and your heart knows what it is. Follow one small urging of your spirit, and you will find it easier to feel the next one.

Your life is an unfolding path, and accountability is a tool to help you keep moving forward, instead of getting stuck along the way. Accountability means: subject to the obligation to report, explain or justify something.  Basically, you promise you are going to do something, and promise to report to someone else that it was completed, or explain why it was not. Right now you may only be reporting to yourself.  How’s that working out?

When you are accountable to another person, they are there to help and encourage you, to keep showing you the bigger picture.  It’s so easy to give up on yourself. When you agree to be accountable to someone else you give them permission to hold a mirror up to reflect back to you what you said you wanted and why you said you wanted it. They cheer you on, and believe in you even when you don’t believe in yourself.

STEPS TO SUCCESS WITH ACCOUNTABILITY:

Step 1: Identify the project you want to focus on

Step 2: Write down why this project is important to you. What will you learn by doing this project? What will it mean to your business or personal life?  What personal or business goal is this project helping you fulfill? How does it help you spread your message or fulfill your mission?

Step 3: Write how this project adds value to others. If you think the project you selected is personal and so does not add value to others, realize that the more you honor yourself and do things that make you feel good, the more others will benefit from your more positive outlook and example.

Step 4: Write what the completed project looks like.  How will you know that it is finished?  Also, if the project will take longer than 4 weeks, what is the specific end result you expect to achieve in this first 30-day period?

Step 5: Write the specific steps involved.  Write as many steps as you can think of now, realizing that more will become evident along the way.

Step 6: Write what obstacles you anticipate in completing any part of this project.  Include external obstacles, like someone else failing to give you some information. Also include internal obstacles such as not knowing where to go for help or limiting beliefs that keep screaming “you can’t do this, you’ve failed before, you don’t have time” in your head.

Step 7: Write what you can do to overcome these obstacles.  List each obstacle and then list at least two ideas for overcoming it. What can you delegate? Who might be willing to help?

Step 8: Write what specifically you commit to do during the next week to move this project forward (break it down into days and put it on your calendar).

It’s entirely possible, especially if you have been studying business success or personal development for a while, that you have heard these concepts many times but not acted on them consistently.  Trying to do it on you own is difficult. You have the best intentions yet still find excuses to let yourself give up on your dreams when the going gets hard or uncomfortable.

Do you know what the most important aspect of completing a project is?  Put your suggestion in the comments below and check back on Wednesday for my answer.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Business, Coaching, General, Life Mission, Spiritual Growth | No Comments »