Archive for Effectiveness
Makin’ the Law and Takin’ the Leap
Posted by: | CommentsSteps:
1-Identify the Obstacle
What unjust “law” is blocking your progress?
What belief, expectation, thought is holding you back?
2-Identify the Path
The new belief: the truth.
3-Decide/Choose to Believe
4-Identify the Actions (leaps of faith)
IF you believed this, knew it to be true in every cell of your being, what would you do?
What are the actions that are opposite of the fear or opposite of what you’re doing or not doing now.
5-Recalibrate
add these actions to your strategic plan
6-Gather Support:
Spirit
Core strength
Inspiration/affirmation
role models
backers
team
7-Implement – take action (test it out, practice and play)
8-Celebrate (track and record evidence that supports the truth/new belief)
Progress
Gains
Learnings
Miracles
Blessings
Accomplishments
Positive feelings
Breakin’ the Law
Posted by: | CommentsFor those of you who do better with the written word, here are the two quotes from the audio:
One who breaks an unjust law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for law. Just remember that everything Hitler did in Germany was legal.
- Martin Luther King
King was talking about breaking unjust civil laws. In today’s message I’m talking about “laws” that we are taught or have created in our own lives that keep us from freedom and achieving our dreams. We’ve developed mindsets based on rules, beliefs, expectations, shoulds, obligations culture, conventional wisdom, etc. that we have decided are “law” and therefore means we cannot operate in any other way – that’s how we get stuck going around the same mountain. A “law” is in the way; it’s like a barricade on our path that is often the cause for detours. Celebrate those and follow their energy to create new mindsets that are aligned with who you are and where you are going so you bypass the obstacle and move to the next level.
Like King said, you need to be willing to “accept the penalty of imprisonment” when you do this and risk being called crazy, risk not pleasing people, risk making a mistake, etc. Like Rosa Parks, if you have the courage to stick with it, you’ll not only experience your own victory, you’ll make it possible for others too.
My version of the MLK quote:
One who shifts a longstanding mindset because Spirit, your gut, or your heart tells you that it is unproductive, limiting and untrue even though it was originally given to you or created by you as law and who is willing to accept the consequences of breaking the stronghold of law to create a new mindset in order to fulfill your dream, your purpose and your impact in the world is hitting the mark and is making it possible for others to do the same.
- Ginny Victory
Next time, I’ll give you tips for how to make the shift…for today answer this question: what laws, beliefs, mindsets, shoulds, obligations or expectations are holding you back?
Strategic Planning: Test, Recalibrate, Celebrate
Posted by: | CommentsI’ve got one word on my mind.
Every year, I like to pick one word that I’ll use as a focus point for my life and my business. My word for 2012 is implement.
Say it with me, “implement.” It‘s key to you achieving your vision of victory.
Why is implementing hard for some of us? We’re afraid. We’re afraid of doing it wrong, of making mistakes. Of putting ourselves out there only to realize we are the emperor with no clothes. But when we don’t implement, we stagnate.
I want to share a different approach with you. Rather than being paralyzed by perfection, or waiting “until”, just take action. Start with your 90 day goals. But here’s the difference: don’t worry about doing it right; instead think of every action as practice and play. I promise, it’ll take the pressure off and be so much more fun!
Test
Think of implementation as practice and play for you. Test out your new idea, your approach, your policy, your product, your delegation…your bold action.
You will make mistakes. You will feel foolish. You will get negative feedback.
You’ll bump up against the mindset that needs to shift, the idea that REALLY wants to be manifest. You might discover that you need to redesign how your family operates or whom you’ve got on your team.
Get comfortable with being uncomfortable ~ you’ll build momentum, feel more alive and be delighted by the victories. Because there will be victories!
Recalibrate
After you’ve taken action, you may discover you need to recalibrate.
Ask yourself, what went well? How would I like to do that differently next time? Where do I need to stay committed/faithful? Where do I need to make a change? Which little victories will I carry forward? What will I stop doing? Start doing?
Just pick up to 3 questions that are meaningful for you and use those to help you know what to tweak.
Note that implementation means that you will run up against new obstacles, some that point to adjustment of the plan and others that you need to face head on, embrace and keep going because you need to learn something or that’s just what it takes to get to where you want to go.
Just know that a strategic plan – any kind of plan is not set in stone, it is a living document and it will grow and change as you do.
Make the adjustments on the fly or with deliberation, and keep implementing.
Celebrate
No matter the outcome of your action, there is ALWAYS something to celebrate. (Sometimes it’s as simple as the fact that you finally took action on something that you’ve held in your head or heart for too long.)
Progress, not perfection, is how you’ll bring more success and joy into your life
What’s celebration-worthy? In addition to tangible, quantifiable successes, like more revenue, keep your mind open for ‘ah-ha’ discoveries, revelations, and breakthroughs. One of my clients just celebrated that she said “no” to a $5,000 client who didn’t fit her ideal client profile. It was a bold step that she hadn’t dared to take previously, but has freed her time and energy for opportunities that are aligned with her vision.
You’ve been given a Spirit of power and love and wisdom – so start now. Implement. Act. Like Goethe, I know that boldness has genius, power and magic in it.
Miracles await…
Strategic Planning: 90-Day Goals that Rock
Posted by: | CommentsLast week, we went really deep into your three year vision for your life. Now that you know what you want for 2014, it’s time to lay out what you need to do in the next three months to get there.
Turn on some music, drive out to the lake, gather a few friends/colleagues, or whatever gives you joy and have some fun with these strategic planning steps! Be sure to pray or meditate first too!
Here are a few guidelines to create effective goals. Set 90 day goals that are:
- a balance of short term needs and 2014-focused
- a mix of business and personal objectives
- specific and measurable
- completely unique to you (unconventional, quirky, weird, basic, fun)
- realistic
- on the calendar
~balance short term needs with 2014 vision
Go ahead, make a list of anything and everything that you want to achieve in the next three months that will move you toward your 2014 vision.
But then go further – what is urgent or important today, this month, this year? Add those, too.
You may find there is tension between the two – good – holding tension and getting comfortable with it is one key to success. Addressing immediate needs while taking action toward long-term goals means that you’ll find peace today and freedom tomorrow.
~include personal objectives in the mix
Be sure to include your personal aims as well. You don’t operate a business in a vacuum, so add your life goals to the list. By including goals from all your areas of focus, you’ll reap the rewards of leverage and integration. Are you familiar with the concept of compound interest? It’s when interest is added to the principal amount, so that the interest that has been added then also earns interest. It’s a powerful way to build a nest egg.
Well, the principle works for goal achievement, too. When you can integrate your goals from your business and your personal life, you’ll compound the progress, by accelerating your results!
~be as specific and measureable as possible
When you’re determining your goals, include numbers wherever you can. Numbers are a benchmark and guide. They tell your story and mirror to you where you are on the journey to achieving your vision. Quantify everything you can; be as specific and measurable as possible.
You can even make desirable states, like positive emotions (gratitude, peace, love) quantifiable. Here’s how: on a scale from 1 to 10, note where you are now on the scale and where you want to be in 3 months. (You’ll need to define for yourself what each demarcation on the scale means.) With this method, you CAN measure the intangible, and track the spiritual.
~choose the goals that make you smile (or smirk!)
Now go back and take a look…do the goals resonate with you? Are you inspired? Will you be having fun as you implement? Some goals or “to-do’s” show up on our list because it’s what we’ve been told we “should” do or what an expert advised or what a “good girl” or “smart entrepreneur”, etc. does. Select from your pool of resources the ones that fit you! (If you don’t know yourself well enough or you struggle with the courage to walk your own path-call me, I’d love to help you recognize the unique facets of your core and support you in authentic implementation.) Be bold, be brave! Eliminate the “shoulds” and include the goals (and their related methods) that make you smile.
~do a reality check
One more run through now to weed out the “wishes” and their subsequent feelings of failure and disappointment. What do you WANT to do by 3/31/12? Why? What is realistic and attainable? Fine tune your goals and put them in order of priority accordingly.
~get it on the calendar!
Finally, turn this list of goals into a PLAN. One-by-one, determine who will do what and by when. (Keep in mind, it doesn’t have to be you! Continually ask yourself, “Who can help me get this done?” “What other resources or options do I have?”)
Now you’re ready to rock! It’s a little scary to have a clear path…and exhilarating too! So buckle up and get ready for next week’s ride…
Strategic Planning: Begin with the End in Mind
Posted by: | CommentsClose your eyes. Imagine that it’s December 31, 2014.
Yep! Go three years out. Start with the facts. How old will you be? What grade will your kids be in? What’s true about your significant other?
Next, open your mind. Let your intuition speak to you. In your ideal life, where will you be living? What will life be like?
Move through your day, starting from the moment you wake up. What’s the first thing you see, hear, sense? The next?
What’s going on in your business? What are the numbers – your revenue, profit? Who’s on your team? What are you doing? Who do you work with? What’s the impact? What are you known for?
What is the most important thing to you? Why? What does it feel like?
The bottom line with this exercise is to get a clear picture of what you want. And then to capture it – this is your vision. Make it as specific, detailed and emotion-filled as you possibly can.
Record your vision in whatever format is meaningful for you: writing, song, poem, vision board, video, graphic design, etc. Really use your creativity and imagination. Capturing your vision in a way that speaks uniquely to you will keep you inspired and focused to make it happen.
Imagining your ideal life three years into the future will help you balance immediate demands with your long-term desires, so that you can make decisions that meet your needs and take you where you want to go.
Last week I shared that abundance and gratitude are the foundation – and the path itself, if you will; this week you can see that long-term vision lights the way; next week I’ll show you the markers….
Strategic Planning: Setting the Foundation
Posted by: | CommentsBefore you begin your strategic planning process for 2012, start by laying a strong foundation. Track all of your progress year to date – anything and everything. And do it in a way that resonates with who you are – write it, draw a picture, create a Success Board, go wild!
Here are the rules: no critiquing, no explaining, no justifying, no confessing. Just pure recognition and celebration of every last thing that’s moved you even a millimeter forward. (Even if it’s that mistake you learned from or got blessed by.)
What else?
Be sure to count all the ‘ah-ha’ discoveries, the revelations, the breakthroughs. These are important! They represent movement, momentum and learning.
Next, track the tangibles: what are your revenues? Your profit? By what percent did things increase? Or change? How many people did you impact? What are their results? What other numbers are relevant to your business?
….and quantify the intangibles. Did you create more enjoyment and energy for yourself in your business because you finally hired that bookkeeper? What did it free you up to focus on? How did that impact you being of service and generating revenue?
Figure out how to quantify the value of your renewed attitude, increase in space, clarity of mind, etc.
Don’t forget to add all of the personal achievements as well…go through the above again, now for your life.
And then, celebrate – dance, call friends, post it on facebook. I’d love to give you a wooo hoooo, too.
Next week: I’ll share a piece of strategic planning that many entrepreneurs miss, but it’s absolutely essential to reach that big vision you have for yourself and your business.
Would you do me a favor? As I’m implementing shorter more practical posts, I’d love to address what’s most relevant to you. Could you please post a comment on the blog, on Facebook or shoot me an email and let me know what you need in your business in 2012? Thanks so much.
What’s Your Type of Capitalism?
Posted by: | CommentsOne of the definitions of profit in the dictionary is: “the income or reward accruing to a successful entrepreneur and held to be the motivating factor of all economic activity in a capitalist economy.”
Notice the last part of the sentence “and held to be the motivating factor of all economic activity in a capitalist economy.”
I added the bold for emphasis….”held to be” says mindset – it is a belief we’ve come to collectively hold about profit. And that belief is that profit is THE motivating factor of ALL acitivity…
No wonder we struggle as entrepreneurs, even employees and consumers as a part of this system. In what ways do you struggle with this? In what ways do you resonate with this definition of profit? What else comes up for you around this topic?
Rabbi Lapin in his book: Thou Shall Prosper shares this from the oral tradition of the Torah: (p.141)
God expressing this refrain to humanity: “I have created…you with almost limitless yearnings and desires, but I have placed you in a world with apparently limited resources. It may seem that there is not enough for everyone. However, if you follow my rules of ongoing and constant cooperation, there will be more than enough for everyone”
That sounds very similar to the good purposes of business I shared last month
1. to serve
-provide goods and services for the community to flourish
-provide meaningful and creative work for people (you and others)
2. to do no harm
-create relationships that are sustainable and restorative
3. to generate profit to continue your contribution to
the (local/global) community through the above
The oral tradition goes on to say: “Should you decide to try it on your own, you will condemn yourself to a constant struggle for survival. “ Is this you? Struggling? Exhausted? Trying to survive? Or just stuck in mediocrity and not thriving?
They key is cooperation, community, connectedness – all things that are natural for women. As the Jewish oral tradition emphasizes: “You are going to have to cooperate with one another, and you are going to have to understand that interpersonal economic interaction through Ethical Capitalism is good and pleases me [God].”
Capitalism is noted for several things: private ownership, moving property, money as a medium of exchange, value. All in and of themselves good things. It is people and their character (or lack thereof) which has created the distortion of the system and the resulting cultural mindsets.
It will be you and me and every other business owner to reshape our individual and collective thinking. And as Dave Ramsey says…BE the recovery….of the economy.
Rabbie Daniel Lapin suggests a new mindset of Ethical Capitalism: a system of interlocking obligations rather than rights. In a free, transparent, and honest marketplace, you cannot make money without first benefitting other people. It is based on trust.
Sir Richard Branson suggests a new mindset of Gaia Capitalism: all processes work in concert to maintain an environment conducive to life as everything is a single integrated organism. Combined with capitalism he is basically saying that private entities (a person, an entrepreneur, a corporation, etc.) are first concerned about the good of the whole while operating in the free market and generating profits and returns on investments.
Jeff Van Duzer suggests Shalom Capitalism: he doesn’t say this directly as the other two do in their books. It’s my conclusion based on the principles he shares and in some ways combines the previous two definitions. The word Shalom is Hebrew and means to be safe, sound, well, healthy, prosperous, complete within and without and has a component of vigor and vitality. And includes a sense of holistic restoration to oneness. Complete. Whole.
What would you suggest?
What type of capitalism will you propose and operate from?
Pick your word, your type of capitalism and share it with us on the blog …name and definition too!
If you really believed in this type of capitalism, what new action would you take?
By When?
Business Is Very Good
Posted by: | CommentsWhat’s your reaction to the article title this month? Business is Very Good
Just notice….your thoughts, your emotions, your body….
Rabbi Daniel Lapin’s book: “Thou Shall Prosper”; Sir Richard Branson’s book: “Business Stripped Bare” and Jeffrey Duzer’s “Why Business Matters to God” show that capitalism and business are good. Next month I’ll write about Lapin/capitalism; this month our focus is business/Duzer-Branson. They say (in their own unique ways) that business exists for three main purposes:
1-To serve. To serve the common good by providing goods and services that enable the community to flourish and by providing meaningful and creative jobs for people
2-To do no harm or in other words pursue sustainable relationships: with the earth and its inhabitants, with other organizations/institutions, with investors, vendors, employees, communities, etc. for the good of all
3- To make a profit. In the context of and for the purpose of the other two.
Business’ reputation has been tarnished over the years by executives and their organizations shooting ONLY for profit at the expense of all else. By the few exceptions noted in the media, business as a whole is now considered bad or wrong and so is capitalism.
It’s no wonder that we struggle as entrepreneurs both wanting to be successful and not wanting to condone or be a part of such an evil. The collective mindset is holding many of you back.
By now you know that tracking progress and celebrating are important to your success, so pull out a piece of paper and give yourself some credit. Go back to each of the three purposes for business and write down:
1-In what ways are you providing goods and services that enable the community to flourish?
In what ways are you providing meaningful and creative jobs for people?
2-What sustainable relationships do you have? (with the earth, other organizations, employees, vendors, etc.)
What’s the blessing of each one?
3-What is your business profit?
Profit is all of your business income less all of your business expenses. I’ll be speaking on financials this fall so check out the schedule below if you don’t know how to answer this question.
You probably thought of things you could be doing too – so go ahead, delegate, extend your reach, sign that contract, make some money….
I want you to know that your business is very good. And encourage…exhort you even to continue to grow your business so that the local, national, or global community benefits from your goods and services; so that your business provides meaningful and creative work for others to do what they love; you and your company create sustainable relationships that not only do no harm, they restore harm already done; and to make a profit, make money and keep lots of it so that you have a sustainable business that helps sustain the earth, our community, your family and your life.
Share thoughts and revelations below.
Trust Others ~ Tips for Peace, Productivity and Profits – Part 3
Posted by: | CommentsAnother 12 minute audio again.
The final installment of the Trust Others core strategy series. Like the others, it is PACKED with more principles and tips on the Trust Others core strategy.
So take a listen and then listen again! And then go apply what you’ve learned….practice, play and replay.
Please share your thoughts and experiences below.
Trust Others ~ Maximize Energy, Productivity, Community Part 2
Posted by: | CommentsAn audio again. And guess what? It’s longer….about 12 minutes.
It’s PACKED with more principles and tips on the Trust Others core strategy. So take a listen and then listen again! And then go apply what you’ve learned….practice and play.
Please share your thoughts and experiences below.
