Happy New Year: The best time to Network!

And at long last, 2009 is upon us.
Many think 2008 went by quick. But if you take the time to reflect and examine 2008 goals on a monthly basis, you’ll see how long the year was by realizing how much you did each month.

You or your company has undoubtedly already received quite a number of holiday cards, seasonal cards or New Years cards. This officially invites us to our first great opportunity of the New Year: the best time of the year to connect!
Many people find communication difficult when they don’t have something of specific value to share or a hot topic of interest to discuss. The New Year is the single best time, applicable to everyone, to get in touch with friends, colleagues, and clients. You should contact EVERYONE you know in the month of January. Even if it’s just a quick e-mail, a general New Years eCard or wishing everyone great professional success through LinkedIn. Either way, make absolutely sure your name is seen by everyone you know in a positive way. The more time you can allocate the better in customizing the message – but the key is to connect with everyone even if for only a moment. It’s better to drop a quick “happy new year! Cheers to great success in 2009!” to 30 outlook contacts… than not saying or doing anything at all.

Send a “hello” to your people today!

Seasonal Focus: your purpose for success

Without Purpose, there is no Focus.

Without Focus people tend to get distracted very easily.

The problem with distraction is that it typically leads to not getting things done. Creative distraction can be a beneficial use of time when implemented properly. But one should always remember that focusing will lead to getting the things that matter accomplished. In business, when distraction results in no change, no innovation, no growth… it’s not a good thing.

So let’s start with examining the root of focus: your purpose.

Take some time this holiday season to ask yourself (with pen in hand and paper on desk) what is your main purpose for doing what you do Professionally? Personally? Will your purpose change in 2009? What do you live for on a daily basis? What are the people/ values/ memories/ luxuries in your life that you feel you need to protect and/or support?

After you redefine or empower your purpose, think on how this should provide Focus to your situation now. Are you doing what needs to be done for you to support your purpose and reach your goals? Or maybe 2008 has lead to a few more distractions than you may have realized. Take this time to utilize the winter season’s economic conditions to prepare yourself for the spring cleaning and new success that awaits you in the New Year. The time and strategy you do now is a personal investment in your future.

Happy holidays! I know your 2009 will be a great New Year!

Process of Productivity: Are you Results oriented… or Solutions oriented?

Results are as clear as 1s and 0s. But is it really the best method to focus exclusively on results?

I definitely am on the R.O.W.E. bandwagon. Best Buy’s Results Only Work Environment is truly considered Work 2.0.
ROWE is a management philosophy that allows the worker to work wherever and whenever they want. Obviously, depending on your department, there are general meetings to connect and make sure people are on the same page. But studies have shown dramatic increases in productivity with this management tactic.

The core value of this philosophy is in understanding that results are everything. Most employees think they are paid for their time. While most employers think they are paying for results. Miscommunication occurs when the worker feels they’ve put in substantial amounts of effort, and the manager feels the results are not quite up to expectation.
It is of extreme benefit for you to learn this distinction as soon as possible in your career. The sooner you focus specifically on results and on how to communicate these results to your manager/shareholder/board/client/team the more successful you will be.

But there’s more to this concept than just stopping at “results”.
The “results only” concept may frustrate you. We are all human and many of us do not produce tangible successful results every day or even every week… what then? When put on the stand… most of us respond “but I tried”.

Let’s discuss the negative connotations with the word “try”.
The simple fact is that you never “try” to do anything. You build a process and when “trying” you actually start “Doing” and accomplishing many mini goals, until you get stuck… which could result in you again saying “I tried”. And the cycle could continue.
The truth behind this knee jerk reaction is that you just haven’t had enough time to fully accomplish the goal or you haven’t been working efficiently enough (which could be an internal issue or an external issue).

The key is in communication! Next time you feel like responding to a complaint or question with, I “tried” – don’t!
Instead; support what you did do, be proud of how far you got, explain what you believe solutions to the problem may now be based on what you were able to accomplish. Become an asset to your team by taking your attempts or even your so called “failures” and present how and why these have lead to a greater understanding of the process and how you will put them to work in achieving the goal at hand.

Basically, being overly results oriented could lead to a loss in the process. So I like to focus more on being “Solution Oriented”.

95% of success is just showing up

If you were able to see a macro-view of all the opportunity you currently have access to and how much of it you pass by on a daily basis, your head would start spinning. There is so much opportunity out there because no one is claiming it. In fact, there’s so much… it can’t all be claimed!

Yet people continue to think that there are no jobs for them, no market for which their product or service will sell, or no new clients to communicate with that would care about what they’re selling.
With around 300 million people in America alone… how could you truly think like that?

People think of a good idea, and start to learn how they could launch the idea on the internet, but then they don’t follow through. Why? They shut themselves down; “I can’t, it won’t work, I’ll sink so much money into it, if it can be done successfully - its already being done”…
So untrue.
But in your conditioned choice of not acting… you make it true.

It’s absolutely amazing how often I talk to truly beautiful women that complain about never being approached by guys. Every other month some cover girl on a popular men’s magazine says they’ve never been randomly asked out in public.
Why is that? Too many people look at opportunity and say to themselves “it’ll never happen, why even try”. “She already has a boyfriend, she’s married, she wouldn’t care about someone like me, I don’t have enough money”… I feel I’ve heard it all. Do you know what this results in? The ladies saying “where have all the good men gone, why doesn’t anyone ever ask me out, why can’t I ever find the right man for me”.

The key is in acting. It’s important to ask. It’s important to try. Even if you only get a dinner or two out of the invitation, you have that much more confidence and practice to apply when your future spouse shows up in your life. Same thing with the opportunity for your future career or business. If you ask a fortune 500 company to license or buy your product and fail, what have you lost? Nothing.
If they buy from you, what have you gained? Everything!

One year I was giving a business communications speech at SJSU. There was a small reward for best speech in the category that year. I wasn’t as prepared as I could have been or usually am. But I felt just doing it would give me experience I could apply later. I went and gave a speech that was complemented on both during and after the event. To top that off, I was the only one to show up. I won by default.

I can’t repeat this concept enough. If you see an opportunity, TAKE IT. ACT ON IT. Do something. Even if your results are not absolutely perfect, the value in experience and potential is limitless.

A key to success is not focusing exclusively on the results – but in remembering most of the time the hardest job is just showing up.
And as a bonus: the path you take to get there more than likely will be just as rewarding as the result!

The 3 secret S’s for living a long and healthy life

I was talking with a friend today about the secret to living a long and healthy life.

It seems these days there are 30,000 books published a year on this subject. But the answer is far too simple, that it can tend to get lost among pages of explanation.

So I’ll share them as plane and as simple as they are meant to be.

Studies have shown that the three secrets to living a long and healthy life:

- Smiling

- Sleeping

- and, Sex

Not necessarily in that order.

And not necessarily that concrete. Being happy the majority of the time, resting and relaxing and enjoying relationships all lead to the same goal.

There you have it. I’ve just saved you hours of research.

Drafting your Lifestyle Design

As stated in the previous post, I’m a fan of the art of lifestyle design.
My interpretation of lifestyle design is similar to that of a mathematical equation, a business model or a sense of balance in nature. It’s very unique to every person and should be treated as such. But what is it to design one’s lifestyle?

After setting the stage by charting your short term and long term goals (see previous post), one can begin to tangibly visualize their future lifestyle. Just like a building architect, I suggest sitting down with a large sheet of white paper and a soft lead pencil. Write down bullet points describing where you are in life.

1. Write down your top 5-10 relationships (top 5 being people you see on a daily/weekly basis).
2. Write down your current career or business level, company, one sentence phrase describing what you do for income.
3. Write down where you live, what you do for enjoyment/relaxation, etc.

Now go back and examine each area. Write down in a different section, what you wish these sections would look like.

1. Write down your top 5-10 relationships:Who do you wish you’d spend more time with, how many of these relationships are positive and enrich your life, what type of new people do you wish to meet, how can you build more? Who do you wish you could connect with in your past, but haven’t found the time?
   
   
2. Current career or business level, company, mission statement:
   Define your passions in life, both hobbies and actual actions. Which of these interests can
   you combine with your career or transform your career into?
   
   
3. Where you live, what you do for enjoyment/relaxation, etc.
   What hobbies or passions do you wish to explore? Have you ever thought of traveling or living somewhere else? Where, for how long and when?
   How do you unwind at the end of the day? How do you greet the beginning of the day? How do you want to change or improve upon these greetings?

By defining what it is you wish your life to be in detail, you realistically set ideals that allow your mind and the energy you put into life to guide you towards these self-improvements.

In general, my take on success management is that many people advise the same thing (that some feel is common sense), but in a different way utilizing unique delivery methods. Different people take in information, education and motivation in different ways. Thus it’s important to seek inspiration and understanding from a variety of different sources until you find the one that fits you best.

What do you Really want?

Many complement the web 2.0 movement. Many start to complement healthier lifestyle marketing and the Green movement. Today I salute the movement towards the importance of Lifestyle Design. There are many teachers and mentors in this field. Besides the industry - Family or friends may take on these roles as well.

My interpretation of lifestyle design (as I consider it an art, subject to the speaker’s interpretation) is that to start, you need to know what you want in order to receive it.
Many people don’t think about this in great detail, or it’s very general and vague because they either don’t want to commit to the desire, it’s not the core of what they truly want or by nature they are afraid of it. In order to live a better more enriching life, “I want to win a million dollars”, “I want a new job”, “I want a new life”, “I want to lose weight”... all of these desires are too general and cannot be accurately measured. All big desires require some sort of commitment, sacrifice and change. Three words that many people cower from. But why?
You already commit, sacrifice and change every day!
Why not start doing it in the direction You choose?

First: Decide what you want
Sit down, today, right now if you can, with a note pad (harder to erase and dismiss than a computer file) and let’s have a conversation. What is it that you want? What could change in your life granting you a more fulfilling lifestyle? Write 3 main desires. Be specific and detailed. Instead of writing “I want to be rich”, write “I will to own ten million dollars in the next five years”. Instead of wanting to spend more time with your husband/wife, write “starting next week and for the next month, I will spend an extra hour every week with my special someone just talking about passion/hobbies/interests,” etc.

Later on when you have more time I would suggest having a formal Goal setting session.
This is when you would set goals for each of the four main categories in life:
1. Your health and wellness goals
2. Your family and friendship goals
3. Your passion and success goals
4. Your career and financial goals

Second: Decide how you will tackle and measure success?
After determining what you want, set down a few large necessities for accomplishing said goals.
For example, if you wish to own 10 million dollars in the next five years, a change in career or starting one’s own business may be needed. To spend more time with your family, you may need to negotiate getting off an hour earlier on Friday. For long term goals; two macro-view check points usually help. For short term goals; indicate the one main factor that needs to change to obtain said goal.
Once these tent pole checkpoints are set, writing a simple timeline for your goal is a good way to stay on track.

Third: Decide first/next steps
This is arguably the most important step. Do something to start moving in the direction of your goals Today!
It can be a little step or a larger step - but take the step today. It’s best to take steps towards your goals every day. The momentum will keep you motivated and positive.

The secret here is to recondition your thinking and your daily habits to a more positive goal driven lifestyle that improves your moral on the day to day level. You start with the end goal in mind… but what really counts is how you feel on a daily basis. The improvement of that feeling, the increased motivation, the more positive outcome – is the actual key to realistically reaching your goals! Live in the moment – for your future! And, Start Today!

The art of Self Promotion

Depending on what industry you are in, a publicist brings information and news to the public regarding your product or service. People who present, entertain, or perform their talent for money typically hire a publicist to promote them and build a name for themselves within their market.

Something many people forget, especially in business, is that You can do the same for Yourself! Even if you’re not a musician or an actor. By utilizing the internet, outsourcing and taking advantage of other resources (your network, capital, leverage), you can become your own publicist (at least until you can afford to hire one).

Simply stated - everyone needs to promote themselves to see results. I know, “Who has the time” right? Wrong. Did you brush your teeth today? (less cavities) Eat breakfast? (most important meal of the day) Getting in your 20 minute exercise? (add 20 healthy years to your life) Promote yourself to the world?... wait? Did you miss my previous post (Who do You work for?) Promoting yourself (internally and externally) is just as important as doing your day job. Especially in today’s economy. The best job security is to establish a demand for YOU – before you actually need it.

Start by reading my previous Digital Networking post below.

Now think for a moment: companies all across America spend millions upon millions of dollars in PR, promotion and publicity for their products. This is no secret.

You are the most important product in your life. You sell yourself to other people, your company, your boss and your clients – everyday – all day! Don’t you think you should be investing in a publicist or some PR to promote yourself?

This can be as easy and low maintenance as just actively having conversations with coworkers about what you’re doing, what they’re doing, how it connects and why it matters. It can also be as in-depth as launching your own full on marketing campaign.

Here are a few tips for promoting yourself:

Start performing publicist tasks such as contacting print/online media and pitching your own thoughts, content, articles, interviews, etc. (outsource these tasks to someone else [elance.com] if you don’t have the time). Get your word in print/online somewhere externally to establish credibility. Sounds weird huh? Just picking up the phone and calling men/women’s health to submit and article about lifestyle suggestions? You’d be surprised how much real-estate they have that isn’t used up every month (and unlimited online!). When remembering that their job is to provide value and content to their readers… you shouldn’t feel nervous offering it to them for free! (and later after you have a name that fills the first few pages in a google search, you can easily start charging the media outlets for your content!)

Create your own Case Studies based on major annual tent pole successes. Build them in the form of a low file size PDF (to look professional and established) and send them to media outlets or even just through your network. You just scored a strong media buy for your company? Write the case study in terms of ROI so as not to disclose confidential information from either your company or the media company cutting you a break! Went a step further and built an online banner campaign to support the print? Start building this into a larger campaign profile. Also, think about what you want your case study to say about you and your success – then let that energy fuel your motivation to do even better at your day job!

Resume Advertorial ~ the fun adobe version

Why do you only send out your resume when you need a job? Why not create a creative version of your success with a little more design and send it to contacts within your industry. Remember to always provide value first – meaning send the promo piece written in the tone that you want to help or supply value. “This is what I’ve done/my company has done this year, can I/we do anything more for you?” or “this is what happened, this is what I did, this idea might work for you too!” Don’t think of it as a resume or a newsletter, rather an e-blast of advertorial information pitching you as a valuable asset to your industry by raising a question or solution regarding challenges the reader may already have.

Give a Speech! Volunteer experience AND building content.

Presenting papers, giving a speech, or supporting an organization with content or value all has both social benefits and professional benefits. Most of all, remember that as you think about a topic, learn about a topic, talk about the topic and teach that topic – your mind opens up and starts to think and develop in ways it didn’t before when you were just sitting at your desk.

There are many different locations and outlets to give content and speeches. Starting with local schools and city programs will get things moving.

Remember to let other people know what you’re doing. This will create conversation and can result in receiving ideas for other methods or outlets.

Become a #1 Resource

Why do I say “a #1”? We know there are hundreds of #1s in your field, they’re all over the world. BUT they can’t and won’t service all the demand for your talent! There will always be someone better than you, someone that has a better product or service than you. Investing time in the core aspects of your strengths will result in you becoming a unique expert in your field. Present and promote those niche unique aspects and “the next guy’s” talent/service won’t matter. Be able to communicate your custom value and make sure people know you’re a unique expert. Then watch a push demand (you selling your talent) become a pull demand (people requesting your talent).

Utilize resources to shorten amount of time needed to obtain desired results. Doing it yourself isn’t always the solution and paying an agency isn’t either. There are millions of ways to promote yourself, just as there are millions of ways to exercise. The point is to do a little bit as often as comfortably possible AND measure results. Don’t let it interfere with your day job, but remember who you are ultimately working for…

Who do You work for?

YOU are the most important asset in your life… live as though you work for yourself!

We should all remember often that ultimately we work for ourselves.

Even if we are working in order to support others; we’re still benefiting ourselves first. This ties into the fact that we must help ourselves before we can truly help others.

Let’s discuss some thoughts regarding how your life relates to a 24 hour – 7 day a week job:

Where’s the Carrot? – have a daily reminder moment

Some people meet with their team or boss daily or weekly at their day jobs. Remind yourself everyday when you wake up – why you woke up. What are the positive things about today that will lead to success? Sure there are always challenges, but enter into the equation with a positive outlook and you’ll be surprised how great you’ll feel when faced with adversity. Remind yourself how much closer you’re getting to your goals on a daily basis and you will be successful!

Captain on Deck! - Personal rundown meeting

I love Sportsnight. Great TV show on a few years back. Even if you have no interest in sports whatsoever, you’ll get something out of this show. I love their witty daily rundown meetings. The character’s in the show are in production; so they need to rundown their list of events daily to make sure the entire team is on the same page in order to produce the night’s news cast.

Do this with yourself. Do this for yourself. Have your own weekly rundown meeting. Ideally set sometime early in the week (example: Monday). It doesn’t have to be long. Go to Starbucks with a notebook. Check both your work goals and your life goals. What can you delegate? What can you do today to make the week more manageable?

The Review - Perform your own biannual and annual yearly review

This refers to my session on goal setting. You need to have goals. You need to measure your performance in order to achieve success. An Olympic runner does not say to themselves “ I am going to run faster next time”. They’re specific. They set goals. You need to too!

With this in mind, set up reviews. What have you succeeded at so far this year? What areas could use a little more time and support? Write this down in your personal development journal.

You can even take it a step further and make the review more of a retreat! Set aside a day to have a relaxing lunch while processing your review. Then end by going to the Spa afterwards.

Time out! - Vacation is not a luxury – it’s a necessity

As much as we all like to think of ourselves as god-like machines that can burn through anything – even the most successful of athletes know they need to rest. Our bodies need maintenance, relaxation and rest in order to function properly. Depending on your lifestyle and conditioning, the type and necessary rate of rest and relaxation differ, but the principle is still the same. Take your vacation time!

Reward Yourself first! – Automatic savings

The best of financial advisors suggest paying yourself first, even if you have debt.

Set up and automatic savings accounts with your bank. Consider Certificate of Deposits and other “untouchable” financial saving resources including 401K and IRA retirement accounts (remember certain accounts are tax free!).

The Budget – Build the personal budget

Speaking of reward, make sure to take all things in moderation. Keep an eye on discretionary spending habits and overly rewarding yourself on a daily basis. If you don’t have a budget, you need one! Even if you’re living check to check. Also be sure to include a budget section for self development. Continually invest in your own wellbeing, health, education, learning experience and professional development. Ask your tax advisor about how you may be able to write off that wonderful Success Symposium DVD set or my Digital Networking book as a personal or business expense.

Coworker Appreciation Day

Never forget how far a card or flowers go when sent at the most opportune times, or even just for fun.

If you have a significant other; a note, flowers, tickets to a show, a dance lesson or session – all these things go a really long way. If you don’t live near the family, send word home at least once a month. These people put up with you for at least 18 years of your life, they deserve to know where their investment went. For friends and family alike - add holiday, birthday and anniversary cards to your outlook calendar and email list reminders. Make sure you never forget those key dates… and they will never forget you!

Self-Promotion – PR for U

In this day in age, you need to promote yourself. Typically speaking most of us only promote ourselves when we need a job. That’s when we take out and dust off the old resume and spend countless hours “writing” and updating reasons why an employer would want to spend thousands of dollars on having us in their office five days a week…

Let’s change that reactive fight or flight process into a proactive creative influence! Promote Yourself today!

Read tomorrow’s post for specifics on self promotion. Until then, here’s to a relaxing and productive day!