I hope that your holiday season is going beautifully. Were you thinking of taking the rest of the year off? Here are a few reasons why you shouldn't.
- Your prospects are available.
Most people are enjoying a few days off between now and the new year. If you've had trouble reaching Jack and Jill, chances are, they are taking it easy and catching up on the things that they haven't had time to take care of before. And that's where you come in.
With everyone else on vacation, your prospective client has a moment or two to speak with you. Give them a call and gift them with the solutions that they are looking for this season.
- The focus is on the new year.
It's the end of 2010. Everyone is talking about what they want their 2011 to look like. If you're an event planner, tap into Jill's need to have the wedding of the summer. Are you a fitness coach? Now is the right time to help Jack work out a plan to get into shape before his 40th birthday. People are ready to make a change and take action.
- You have to create your own 2011 plan.
There is nothing worse than sleeping through the holidays and waking up to find yourself ankle deep in a new year with no idea of where you're going or how to get there. Use some of this quiet time to design your own blueprint for success. The better organized and efficient you are in your business, the better you can serve others through it.
Adrienne Adams is an author and business coach. She is passionate about helping women earn an income doing what they love to do -- and are probably already doing for free!
Would you like more information? Visit www.itsnotenoughtodream.com
Monday, December 27, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
Rest! Reflect! Renew!
"Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening my ax." Abraham Lincoln
Seasons Greetings!
I am just back from an absolutely wonderful cruise vacation. Meals, housekeeping, child care, entertainment...my every need was met against the backdrop of clear skies, blue waters, and beautiful sunsets. It was my own little piece of--dare I say--heaven. The pics haven't quite completed their journey from teenager's digital camera to hubby's computer to my inbox, but I'll be sure to post a few next week.
I'd like to encourage you all to take a few days away from doing and just be. It's important that you leave your responsibilities, otherwise, you'll feel inclined to take care of them. This could mean staying at a friend's house for the weekend, checking into a hotel, or sending the kids to stay with auntie or the grandparents for a few days. Turn off your phone and hide the laptop from yourself. I didn't take a computer on the cruise and cell phone roaming fees would have been ridiculous, so I wasn't tempted to take care of any business at all.
Vacations aren't optional. They are necessary. We become dull with use and have to spend some time sharpening ourselves. Be sure to take at least a weekend as soon as you can. Below are some ideas for how you can spend your free time.
Rest.
- I spent the first day and a half of our trip being thankful and just relaxing. Eating. Sleeping. Inhaling. Exhaling. Enjoying my family without having to worry about housework, schoolwork, or a hectic schedule. Don't do anything, just be.
Reflect.
- As entrepreneurs and go-getters,our minds are often on overdrive and there is only so much resting that we can do. Once the thoughts and ideas start to creep in, write them down. If you're inspired to do something new, it's good to jot down an outline or strategy that you can implement when you return. Have you had a particular problem? There were some things that I prayed about and turned over and over in my mind until I received a solution.
Renew.
- Do you desire to be a better person? A better parent or spouse? Do you have business goals that you want to meet? Chances are, you vowed to do something a year ago, or a few years ago, and have fallen off the wagon. Renew your vow! Be true to yourself about what you need to do and then learn more about how you can get it done. I brought along a book and read a couple of chapters each day.
Take some time for yourself and come back sharper than ever!
Adrienne Adams is an author and business coach. She is passionate about helping women earn an income doing what they love to do -- and are probably already doing for free!
Would you like more information? Visit www.itsnotenoughtodream.com
Seasons Greetings!
I am just back from an absolutely wonderful cruise vacation. Meals, housekeeping, child care, entertainment...my every need was met against the backdrop of clear skies, blue waters, and beautiful sunsets. It was my own little piece of--dare I say--heaven. The pics haven't quite completed their journey from teenager's digital camera to hubby's computer to my inbox, but I'll be sure to post a few next week.
I'd like to encourage you all to take a few days away from doing and just be. It's important that you leave your responsibilities, otherwise, you'll feel inclined to take care of them. This could mean staying at a friend's house for the weekend, checking into a hotel, or sending the kids to stay with auntie or the grandparents for a few days. Turn off your phone and hide the laptop from yourself. I didn't take a computer on the cruise and cell phone roaming fees would have been ridiculous, so I wasn't tempted to take care of any business at all.
Vacations aren't optional. They are necessary. We become dull with use and have to spend some time sharpening ourselves. Be sure to take at least a weekend as soon as you can. Below are some ideas for how you can spend your free time.
Rest.
- I spent the first day and a half of our trip being thankful and just relaxing. Eating. Sleeping. Inhaling. Exhaling. Enjoying my family without having to worry about housework, schoolwork, or a hectic schedule. Don't do anything, just be.
Reflect.
- As entrepreneurs and go-getters,our minds are often on overdrive and there is only so much resting that we can do. Once the thoughts and ideas start to creep in, write them down. If you're inspired to do something new, it's good to jot down an outline or strategy that you can implement when you return. Have you had a particular problem? There were some things that I prayed about and turned over and over in my mind until I received a solution.
Renew.
- Do you desire to be a better person? A better parent or spouse? Do you have business goals that you want to meet? Chances are, you vowed to do something a year ago, or a few years ago, and have fallen off the wagon. Renew your vow! Be true to yourself about what you need to do and then learn more about how you can get it done. I brought along a book and read a couple of chapters each day.
Take some time for yourself and come back sharper than ever!
Adrienne Adams is an author and business coach. She is passionate about helping women earn an income doing what they love to do -- and are probably already doing for free!
Would you like more information? Visit www.itsnotenoughtodream.com
Monday, December 6, 2010
Business & Balance
At our monthly tea this past Saturday, we had a great group discussion sharing the business habits that we are going to carry into 2011 and searching for alternatives to the things that we'd rather leave behind.
In a room full of women, with most of us being job-and-household-and-family-and-business juggling moms , it's no wonder that we spent some time discussing how we can better balance it all in the new year.
Here are a few tips to keep all of the balls in the air at once.
Define your new normal.
Accept that your situation has changed. If it used to take you twenty hours a week after working your day job to take care of home and family and now that you've started your business, you only have five hours a week...something has to give. Maybe you can use the crockpot and paper plates a few times each week to cut down on a messy kitchen. Perhaps hubby can get the kids ready for bed at night and fold the laundry. This new season of your life calls for a new plan.
Set limits.
It's very easy to renege on the schedule that you set for yourself. "I'll just finish cleaning up this room," or "I'll just make a few more phone calls" can easily turn into moving all of the furniture around in the house or working very late into the night. These extreme actions in one area leave you lacking in another and scrambling to make up for it the next day. Learn how to complete the task, be satisfied with the accomplishment and move on to the next thing. Between family and friends, there will be enough pressing issues that get you a little off track from time to time. Maintain the schedule when you can and it will help in the long run.
Live in the moment.
You are more effective when you are focused. Reading emails while watching a movie with the family takes away from the family time. What would it be like if everybody in the room was doing it? Inform close friends of your at home "work" hours. You can't talk to them any more after work than you could during the day. You're busy. Give your company the respect that it deserves. Multi-tasking is not always a good thing.
Happy Holidays! May your upcoming year be 2011 times better than your last!
Adrienne Adams is an author and business coach. She is passionate about helping women earn an income doing what they love to do -- and are probably already doing for free!
Would you like more information? Visit www.itsnotenoughtodream.com
In a room full of women, with most of us being job-and-household-and-family-and-business juggling moms , it's no wonder that we spent some time discussing how we can better balance it all in the new year.
Here are a few tips to keep all of the balls in the air at once.
Define your new normal.
Accept that your situation has changed. If it used to take you twenty hours a week after working your day job to take care of home and family and now that you've started your business, you only have five hours a week...something has to give. Maybe you can use the crockpot and paper plates a few times each week to cut down on a messy kitchen. Perhaps hubby can get the kids ready for bed at night and fold the laundry. This new season of your life calls for a new plan.
Set limits.
It's very easy to renege on the schedule that you set for yourself. "I'll just finish cleaning up this room," or "I'll just make a few more phone calls" can easily turn into moving all of the furniture around in the house or working very late into the night. These extreme actions in one area leave you lacking in another and scrambling to make up for it the next day. Learn how to complete the task, be satisfied with the accomplishment and move on to the next thing. Between family and friends, there will be enough pressing issues that get you a little off track from time to time. Maintain the schedule when you can and it will help in the long run.
Live in the moment.
You are more effective when you are focused. Reading emails while watching a movie with the family takes away from the family time. What would it be like if everybody in the room was doing it? Inform close friends of your at home "work" hours. You can't talk to them any more after work than you could during the day. You're busy. Give your company the respect that it deserves. Multi-tasking is not always a good thing.
Happy Holidays! May your upcoming year be 2011 times better than your last!
Adrienne Adams is an author and business coach. She is passionate about helping women earn an income doing what they love to do -- and are probably already doing for free!
Would you like more information? Visit www.itsnotenoughtodream.com
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