In my research for leadership and success tools and tips, I have learned of a few methods of incorporating online and social media (two of my favorite things)!

A few are from Campus Speak‘s TJ Sullivan’s blog (ALL of his posts are amazing–definitely impacting my year helping my Panhellenic council develop greater leadership):

• Become the Master of the Follow-up Email - I will never forget anything (and make sure others are committed) by utilizing this method of emailing ANYONE who volunteers to help out our council (or me) as well as helping me remember my commitments to others. As for the blog, I am going to post a few of my major commitments so that I have to hold myself accountable.
• Using the Social Media to Build Buy-In, Demonstrate Initiative - This post has inspired me to use social media to create change rather than just circulating information. I want my posts to initiate a discussion about things that interest me–creating change in myself, learning about myself and the world, as well as initiating discussions about those interests (serious or silly).

Plus, I am completely obsessed with my latest online find: NY Creative Interns. It already has me buzzing about social media’s influence on my future career! I have taken a few pieces of advice from this site’s post about How to Land an Internship or Job Using Social Media: Notes and PowerPoint Presentation: Twitter lists have been made, profile description has been changed, and followers have increased in the fields I’m looking toward joining.

Now, I am utilizing my blog! Honest College’s Carson Suggs says to write in order to look back on self-development as well. So look forward to many, many posts about my classes and projects, my experiences as Panhellenic president, presenting for the first time at the 2012 AFLV Conference(!), random art findings, and anything I am super excited about in my life. Like this resolution.

To plan or not to plan that is the question.   Success follows on the heels of those who create plans and execute those plans.  Today with the many distractions that can enter each day the best of plans are often nothing more than crinkled up notes in a wastepaper basket.    After a few days of planning and watching those plans go awry it makes sense that planning would end up being a waste of time.

What interferes with the plans that were made in good conscience?   The internet, the smartphone, the unplanned activity, the emergency, the longer than expected time it took to complete the work or getting caught in other distractions.   The best intentions at the days beginning left in ruin and the feeling of disappointment and regret end the day when plans crumble.

We live in an era where more and more information is pushed against our thin skin creating pressure which is often relieved by getting caught in the web of internet distractions, email or something else that doesn’t produce results.

There is hope for those who find themselves trapped in the tool of technology.  Tools that help return focus to the right thing, which is moving your life forward on a success trajectory.

Success Tools:

1. Simpleology – provides resources to manage and balance your day.  Enter in your daily plan, focus and achieve.

2. EverNote –  link you to do lists and other goals

3. Cozi – create links, lists, and schedules.  Link them to others and have mobile to mobile accountability, great for families that want to track results.

There you go, three different tools to help you organize your day , your tasks and bring about better results.   You do want better results don’t you?

Try one of the tools and tell us how it worked for you.  See if you can get more out of each day.

“The person who makes a success of living is the one who sees his goal steadily and aims for it unswervingly. That is dedication.”  Cecil B. DeMille

“I learned this, at least, by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”
~ Henry David Thoreau

Dictionary.com defines success as 1) the favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors. 2) the attainment of wealth, position, honors, or the like. That may be the technical definition of success, but I prefer Thoreau’s notion of success. He indicates that it is about what we might call today “aligning” with your dreams and moving confidently in their direction.

Success can mean anything to anyone. It need not be about wealth and money. Success could be living in a persistent state of joy or giving everything you have away to others or simply being the person you came here to be. You should consider carefully what it means to you so that you can align with your dreams and move in their direction.

Today I am sharing some affirmations written to help you focus your mind and align your actions with your success.

1. Success is the natural outcome of me being truly me!
2. Give me an inch of opportunity and I’ll convert it into a mile of success!
3. Today I am sharing my talents with a world thirsty for what I have to offer. Success is mine!
4. Today my talent and determination are a winning combination for success!
5. As sure as the Sun comes up, my inner winner shows up and brings me to success!
6. I am at the top of my game and success is mine!
7. As I learn to celebrate my successes, they come one after the other!
8. I am a success magnifier! As my success grows, so does the success of the people around me!
9. Today my excuses for failure are replaced by my reasons to succeed!
10. Today I handle my doubt and fears and become the success I know I am!
11. I make as much success as I am willing to believe in. Today I believe big!
12. Today is my day. My successes are expanding and magnifying.
13. I am pushing forward to new successes. Success is now part of my DNA!
14. Right here and right now I am punching my ticket to the top!
15. Failure is not an option for me! I keep pushing forward to new successes!
16. I pursue success! I achieve success! I become success!
17. Today I am bursting through barriers on my way to a successful day!
18. Today I am ready, willing, and able to take my success to the next level!
19. My life is an ocean of opportunity. I am riding the waves to unprecedented success!
20. The winds of hope and determination fill my sails, as I set course for another success!
21. I am determined! I am committed! I am successful!
22. My life is what I make of it and I CHOOSE to make it a successful place to be!
23. When I expect the success, I always get it!
24. Today and every day, I am supercharged for success!
25. I listen to and emulate successful people. As I do, my successes multiply.
26. My thoughts plus my actions equal my success.
27. As I take the lead in my life and act with commitment and determination, success follows me everywhere.
28. Today I bring my best and achieve complete success!
29. My success is a choice not a chance.
30. My belief creates opportunities and I convert opportunities into success!
31. Today I use my failures to fertilize the field of tomorrow’s success!

Follow your bliss! Experience your bliss! Become your bliss!

Ray

Ray Davis is the Founder of The Affirmation Spot and focuses on empowering minds to think positively, achieve goals, and live dreams. He is author of the ebook The Power to Be You and the forthcoming The Power to Be You 2: 1001 Power Thoughts for Daily Life.

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The key to creating a successful business requires:
~ Motivation (ongoing internal fire)
~ Passion (loving what you do)
~ Inspiration (learning from others)
~ Training (understanding your customer’s needs and how to fill them)
~ Perspiration (putting forth your effort)

Like any business it takes the right resources, tools, and knowledge to be successful. There are many inspiring people that have helped me understand what it takes to build a successful business. Many of them are being featured in an upcoming MLM Success Training called:

Breakthrough Telesummit – September 9-11, 2011

This telesummit offers a weekend chalk full of information from some of the most successful and respected marketing and business gurus such as Jack Canfield, Stephen M.R. Covey, Denis Waitley, Doug Firebaugh and 19 other professional trainers and speakers. They know what it takes to succeed!

This telesummit contains 24 hours of marketing and business expertise available from the convenience of your home for a minimal investment of $20 (USD); that’s less than a $1 per speaker. Plus all calls are recorded and you’ll have access to listen to them for 60 days after the telesummit.

Whatever business you’re building, motivation is imperative! Check out the Breakthrough Telesummit and breakthrough your barriers, so you create success!

Image from Buy Cho Young Tea

Capitalizing on many of my talents, I have officially partnered with a friend and started my consulting business, SydneyMalcome. As I pray and work towards a lengthy and global existence for this new endeavor I have experienced considerable success during the start-up phase. I have created the following tips that are sure to help myself, and others keep going during the first leg (and probably longer) of your new project or endeavor. I will be sure to post more as time goes on.

-       Take care of your health- your physical and mental health if your organizations greatest asset.
During the start-up or busy time of your business, it may seem difficult to manage a healthy lifestyle. Now is the time to create morning, midday, and evening routines. Each routine should allow you to analyze your emotional response to the activities of the day, your mental preparedness for what is to come, and to “clear your space” of obstacles you envision affecting your progress. Examples of healthy living during your business start-up or intense project can include:  advance meal planning, updating your grocery list as you think of
household needs throughout the day, or having a relaxing cup of tea.

-       Organize your operations- Effective operations are the foundation of sustainability and allow for you and your successors to make intentional improvements. If you are like me, you may be reluctant to synchronizing your life with technological advances. Although it took me a while, once I began to implement user-friendly automated systems, I immediately noticed improved processes and increased efficiency in my business and personal operations. I am able to quickly share information with others and I feel confident when going on vacation or taking a day off of work. Google docs, google calendar, google voice, and fax to email, are all good systems that help you remain organized on the go.

-       All tasks need a rapid response - Make it a habit to respond to everyone, even if the response defines how many business days it will take to provide a complete or definite answer. Although there is a difference between urgent and important matters, you and the people/orgs you interact with may not see eye to eye on which items are important vs. urgent. Rapidly responding has proven to be respected and
appreciated by a variety of clients and colleagues. Expectations are clear for both parties, and you avoid feeling as if you are being forced to give an incomplete response for the sake of responding.

-       Commit to frequent engagement - Keeping your clients engaged (in communication or with information) serves as the dialogue that helps build your professional personal relationship. Frequent engagement helps build trust on both ends. For example, if I see information about fundraising suggestions, opportunities for start-up businesses, or other information that may be substantial to my clients personal or professional goals, I share it with them. Sharing useful information is often a click away with conveniently located share buttons on almost all internet sources.

-       Schedule free time- Scheduling free time leads to a better work-life balance. YES, I do schedule my free time. To clarify, not every single moment of free time, but boundaries or slots that allow me to have guilt-free leisure time. Many people work a day job and then spend their evening hours pursuing their goals, including starting their own businesses. Therefore, I often have to adjust my consulting schedule to meet the needs of my clients. With this being the case, I plan out my days atleast 24-36 hours in advance. This allows me to create a schedule that I am comfortable with while limiting the addition of last-minute meetings or activities. Last-minute additions can add a lot of stress and headache that I aim to avoid.

-       Don’t skimp on the preparation period- When possible, take an extra 10 minutes to do the thing that you are telling yourself can wait until tomorrow. Yes, I do try to avoid last-minute additions to my schedule, but at times they are unavoidable. Also, the last-minute add-ons are not always business, they may be family/friend emergencies, relationship emergencies, or even burn out. Over this past weekend I had intentions of completing a lot of business work, but I was invited to fun outdoor events that delayed my work. Fortunately, I was able to wake up this morning and still post this blog entry, having already prepped and prepared for success!

Like it or not, your personal practices and business practices both have a major effect on your life. By accepting this, you can create systems and routines that allow you to be in control of your life and your future success.

Please share some of your tips for success when starting a new project or endeavor.

Below is an article about that provides some tips on remaining focused while trying to reach your goals.

http://www.articlesbase.com/wellness-articles/5-tips-to-increase-focus-and-concentration-to-help-you-reach-your-fitness-goals-940382.html

Related articles

• Success Formula: Leading Lady Larvetta Loftin (ashleyscwalls.com)

This does not mean that the secret of success is just around the corner, what it means is that without a plan it will take you much longer to reach it.  Just like when you enter an address into a GPS and it maps out your route, you must also write out your plan to reach success.  By doing this exercise you will be able to see your strengths and weaknesses which will allow you to make any necessary adjustments (detours) that you may find on your road to success.

There are a couple of ways you can go about creating your plan to uncover your secret of success.  I will list a few but there are many ways to reach the other side of town the important thing is successfully getting there.

1. List your goal(s) and use mind mapping to clearly connect the dots.  MindMeister is a great tool.
2. List your goal(s) at the bottom and list things you must do to reach them.
3. List your goal(s) and list what you already have and then what you need in order to reach them.

There are numerous ways for you to accomplish this but the important thing is to create a plan for success.

When you create your plan then you must take action.  You must work towards reaching success every single day.  Jack Canfield has a rule of five, do five things everyday towards your goal.  For example if you want to lose 10 lbs in 60 days.  What are five things you could do daily towards that goal?

1. Work out according to your schedule
2. Eat according to your diet
3. Drink require amount of water
4. Stay away from foods that are not on your diet
5. Envision your future body every morning before getting up

You ever wonder why so many people are not successful, simple no plan = no success.

This is what was done:

1. We wrote out specific job changes/responsiblity changes so that sales could be a larger part of the owner’s daily activities.

2.  We did some work on numbers to see what kind of sales numbers need to be reached in order to actually make a profit.

3.  We combined both of these in a month by month sales number along with the evolution of the responsibilities.  This included hiring new employees.  Yeah job creation!

4.  I then wrote up a month by month scenario that we refer to on a weekly basis to ensure we are on track.

In January we hit our sales goal!!!!!  

We also have hired a new employee!    That is right we have hired someone.  So for those of you sending your jobs or manufacturing work overseas we are keeping it here.  Contributing to our community and economy.  We love our Country and want more than anything for it to prosper and flourish.  We hope this little contribution will help.

For some, narrowing their focus and declaring their life’s purpose is a daunting exercise. For those that may be struggling financially or are fighting depression coming up with a Big Why may be next to impossible. Instead you may choose to come up with a theme for your life, just for now. Choose a word and let that be your “theme” for the week. Your theme could last for the month or even the year. My coach shared with me yesterday that a friend of ours chose “Activity” as her theme. She chose this for a few months. She wanted to slim down for her wedding. Without dieting or going completely mad at the gym, she removed 10 pounds from her body by just doing everything on her schedule with, “Activity.” My coach chooses a theme for each year rather than making resolutions. Last year her theme was “Self-care.” She chose to listen to her spirit and her body and be more kind to herself. She shared with me that it was the most successful year of her life financially. I don’t believe it’s a coincidence.  When we pay attention to our inner spirit or to our gut instincts we always flourish. That doesn’t mean everything will come easy. We still have to work at it. What is interesting though, is how much lighter our efforts feel when we are inspired. Find what inspires you and live with passion and purpose.

So, what is your Big Why for 2011, or what will your “Theme” be?  I want to hear from you!

Dana Whittaker

Certified Business & Life Coach

Happiness at Work
Be Resilient, Motivated, and Successful – No Matter What

Author: Rao, Srikumar
ISBN-13: 978-0-07-166432-5
ISBN-10: 0071664327
©2010 | 1st Edition | 256 pages , Hardcover
Pub Date: March 2010
Price: US$ 22.95
Book Excerpt |   Learn More

Learn to create resilience and happiness no matter what’s going on in your life

In these tough times, there are few people who are completely happy with the current conditions. From business executives to the everyday Joe or Jane, everyone seems to be going through a rough economic and personal crunch. But acclaimed business school Professor Srikumar Rao says that we can learn to create joy no matter what else may be going on around us.

Rao shows you that it isn’t the negative thing that happens to you that causes your unhappiness, it’s how you see it. Happiness at Work is a thought-provoking new title that moves the mind away from negativity and forces you to resist labeling situations as “bad”, but rather seeing them as neutral.

Happiness at Work provides:

• Surprising ways of looking at change and problem-solving
• Exercises that shift one’s perspective

Learn the vital wisdom necessary to achieving a joyful, successful life as you define it through greater resilience and a strong inner core. Get it now with The Happiness Choice.

About the Author

Srikumar Rao, Ph.D. (Commack, NY) is currently an adjunct professor at London Business School and the Haas School of Business at the University of California at Berkeley. He received his Ph.D. in Marketing from the Graduate School of Business, Columbia University. He has a M. Phil. in Marketing from the same school in addition to an M.B.A. from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. His undergraduate training was in Physics at St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University. He conceived the pioneering course, Creativity and Personal Mastery, the only business school course that has its own alumni association. He and the course have been extensively covered in the media including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the London Times, the Independent, Time, the Financial Times, Fortune, the Guardian, Business Week and dozens of other publications. These articles can be found at http://www.areyoureadytosucceed.com. He has done pioneering work in motivation and helps senior executives as well as teams and groups become more engaged in work and discover deep meaning in it. Many who have been through his program report quantum leaps in professional and personal effectiveness

Dr. Rao’s previous book, Are You Ready to Succeed, has sold well internationally and has been translated into many languages. He has conducted workshops for and spoken before executives of Microsoft, Google, Lehman Brothers, McDonald’s, Chubb, IBM, United Airlines, Allstate, Johnson & Johnson and dozens of others. He has served as a marketing advisor to the national board of MENSA. He has been a contributing editor for Forbes and writes regularly on management practices, leadership and about the impact of technology on business processes. He also writes for other national magazines such as Inc., Business 2.0, Hemispheres, Beyond Computing and Training and was a contributing editor for both Financial World and Success.

Dr. Rao was an executive with Warner Communications, Continental Group, Data Resources and McGraw-Hill, and has consulted with such companies as RCA, Reuters, Citicorp, GTE, Pan Am and Diner’s Club. He has been a seminar leader with the Institute for Management Studies and the American Management Association. He is an expert on marketing strategy and has taught in the corporate programs of companies such as Verizon, Northrop-Grumman, Symbol Technologies and General Instruments as well as in the executive programs of London Business School, Columbia Business School and the Haas School of Business at the University of California at Berkeley.

Publicities

(1) Book review on MediaCorp Radio 93.8 Live –  Talking Books on 27 April (Tue) 6.40pm / 8.45pm (Encore). For more detail, please click HERE

(2) Author interview on MediaCorp Radio 93.8 Live - Passion People on 28 April (Wed) 2.20pm / 9.20pm (Encore) and encore on Saturday, 1 May at 8.40a.m. For more detail, please click HERE

(3) Author Srikumar Rao was mentioned on CNN Money.com’s popular “Ask Annie” column on 20 April. To read, pleaase click HERE

(4) Huffington Post ran Rao’s bylined column, which went live on Friday, April 16. To read, please click HERE

(5) LocalTechWire posted an article on “How to be happy at work – And to deal with that jerk boss” on April 10. To read, please click HERE

(6) TechCrunch posted an article about jerky bosses which went up on this popular website on April 10 and in a day it was retweeted over 560 times and reposted on Facebook over 190 times. To read, please click HERE

Endorsements

“Follow Srikumar Rao’s instructions and you will enjoy the journey to more happiness and meaning in your life, no matter what!”
–Marshall Goldsmith, author of What Got You Here Won’t Get You There

“Happiness at Work brings new understanding of the essential role happiness plays in workplace learning and performance. Srikumar Rao’s guidelines for our journey to leadership include aspects rarely explored and newly significant.”
–Frances Hesselbein, chairman and founding president, Leader to Leader Institute/Drucker Foundation for Nonprofit Management

“This book is a treasure chest full of wisdom. Each and every one of its 34 chapters introduced me to or reminded me of a very important principle for living a happy and successful life.”
–Jack Canfield, co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul® series and coauthor of The Success Principles

Book Review
– By blogger Wilfrid Wong

By now, I have joined the workforce for a decade and a half and I consider myself – after years of learning and finding my way - pretty happy at work.  I manage to maintain a good level of work life balance, I have built good rapport with my colleagues, and I take pride in my daily work that contributes at an organisational level.  OK, there are ups and downs.  But overall, I am contented.  So what can “Happiness at Work” possibly teach me?  It turns out that there are more than I have anticipated.  And throughout my working life thus far, I have met friends who are more prone to feeling angry, envious, afraid, exhausted, disgusted, drained, anxious, betrayed, confused, cheated, frustrated, guilty, humiliated, impatient, inadequate, vulnerable, manipulated, embarrassed, neglected, heartbroken, trapped, fatigue, victimized, resentful, or worn out – borrowing the descriptions from the book.  I sincerely wish that they could take some time, read this book, and make a positive change to their lives

Reading “Happiness at Work” is a journey.  The author has divided the book into bite-size chapters filled with parables and advice.  The materials are largely derived from his experience of conducting workshops to corporate executives on this very topic.  Some of the parables and ideas, I observe, are based on Indian tradition or Buddhism so they could be familiar to some, intriguingly foreign to others.  Depending on your background and level of experience (or shall I say how unhappy you are at work in reality?), be prepared to be confronted and you may find yourself denying or not wanting to accept what the author says……. Read MORE

Author’s Interview

1. Q&A on Businessweek.com

2. Benergy

In these tough times, there are few people who are completely happy with the current conditions. From business executives to the everyday Joe or Jane, everyone seems to be going through a rough economic and personal crunch. But acclaimed business school Professor Srikumar Rao says that we can learn to create joy no matter what else may be going on around us.

RED Bash 2010 in New Orleans

Family Reunion 2010, Keller Williams Realty International’s “Main Event” was an incredible journey. The JOY has returned to New Orleans. The city welcomed us with open arms, gave us lots of beads, fed us heartily, entertained us ’til late and provided a beautiful location and a tremendous staff for our education.  

Here is my Top 10 List of Tips, Action Items, and Memories from Family Reunion. This really is the best of the best (just from what I witnessed–multiple events occured simultaneously–from the 60 pages of notes I took.)

10. The “bad breaks” don’t have to define you. Everyone gets one–or several. You do not succeed your way to success. Everyone fails. YOU decide your success. –Gary Keller 

9. Hang out with top producers. Do what they do. Pursue your passion relentlessly. –Pat Matthews, award winning artist

8. Don’t even think of letting up or quitting. Nothing changes unless your beliefs do. Courage is what happens at the height of fear. Get clear on your Big Why and embrace it. No excuses! –From a panel of agents surviving life threatening illnesses with thriving businesses 

7. Create a LOT of urgency when it comes to going after your goals. By the time you’re 70% sure of something GO FOR IT. Don’t wait for 100%, you’ll never get there. –Warren Mac Donald, World class rock-climber, author, double  leg amputee

6. Do what matters: 1) Lead generate. 2) Convert leads. 3) Negotiate great deals for your clients. 4) Feed your database. This is your job. –Gary Keller

5. There’s a bad guy in our town. If we don’t get the business he will. Kurt Buehler, Mega Agent, on his motivation

4. Don’t be a jack of all trades. Master one thing at a time. Stop procrastinating. Make decisions now. Eat properly and exercise. Get in touch with your spiritual side. Hug everybody you love. –Gary Keller

3. We are online two times more than TV. 32% of our time online is on Social Networking. 67% of emails are answered on Facebook or Twitter now. 94% of 24-44 year olds shop online for a home. Don’t try to separate your business and personal profiles. Protect your image and your brand. Tell people you’re helping others. –Ben Kinney, author of Soci@l, with Jay Papasan

2. Get a Coach. Every single person that spoke on stage, or on a panel, said the same thing. We can not hold ourselves accountable. Hire a coach. Let them push you through the breakdown until you have a breakthrough. –Gary Keller, Holly Perry, Gene Fredericks, Kurt & Darla Buehler, Leslie Thomas, Dan Harker, Kathy Togue, Ben Kinney, Mary Tennant, and Mark Willis    

1. Be NICE–to everyone, no matter what, especially to co-op agents. Always take the high road and, “Do the right thing.” You never know what the future may hold for you. Protect our legacy of culture. –Mo Anderson

This could be the best year of your life! Don’t leave it to chance. You CAN have it all. I want to help. Call me. 

Get in the Game!
Dana Whittaker
Certified Advanced Professional Coach
702.300.7653
E: Coach@DanaWhittaker.com
B: www.CoachWhittaker.com

Dana's Vision Board for Business

From a very early age I began clipping images and words from magazines that moved me. I tore out pictures of animals, homes, furniture, jewelry, families, beaches, rainbows, waterfalls, mountains, cities I wanted to visit and more. Really anything that caught my eye. I made small collages and hung them up in my room or my locker at school. Back then I did it for decor. We were fairly poor and I liked looking at nice things. Never in a million years did I think I’d ever go to any of the places I’d seen in my magazines or own any of the luxurius things I liked to dream about.

After I got into real estate back in 2000 and hired my first coach one of our first assignments was to create a Dream Page. We were told to cut out pictures of things we wanted. We were to tape them to an 8.5 x 11″ piece of paper, put the paper into a clear plastic cover and carry it on your keychain for 90 days. I did. By the end of that year, most everything on my keychain had “magically” appeared in my life, from golf clubs to a Gucci watch to a Jack Russell Terrier. Back then I was pretty pre-occupied with “things.”

The office where I first hung my real estate license in Las Vegas, NV offered a Leadership program that came around about once a year. It was an intense 90 day program where we made a call to our coach every single morning. The facilitator, Chuck Morrison, still one of my favorite people in the world, lead us through a Vision Board exercise. Vision Boards have become very popular with the attention John Assaraf got with his on The Secret. Mr. Assaraf was showing an old Vision Board he’d made to his son when he realized that the house he was living in, that they’d just completed renovations on, was the exact same house he’d taped to his board years before.

The reason Vision Boards can be such powerful tools is because they help us to visualize they way we want our lives to look. Zig Ziglar said, “If you can dream it, then you can achieve it.” Some of us, myself included, need constant reminders of our dreams and our goals. We need help to stay focused on the Big Why: the reason we became entrepreneuers and wanted to create wealth, leave a legacy and contribute to our world. We need those reminders when we get pulled into repititious boredom some days and when we hit obstacles in order to keep pushing through.

I recommend collecting three to five different types of magazines. Buy a large poster board, any color. Grab scissors, tape and/or a glue stick. Set aside an hour of time where you can do this with plenty of space to spread out and play some upbeat music. I like enrolling a group of people to create boards with me.

Get excited!! Set the timer for 20 minutes and cram through each of your magazines tearing out pictures, images and words of anything that “moves” you. Think about the different areas of your life: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. What do you want? What do you want to do? Who do you want to become? Where do you want to go? Who would you like to meet? What do you want to look like? What experiences would you like to have?

At the timer, close your magazines. You have all the pictures and words you need. For another 20 minuntes trim the images and the phrases and start arranging them on your poster board. Make quick decisions about placement and what you have room for. What stays and what goes? Adhere everything you’ve chosen to the board. Stop when the time is up.

Very important: sign and date your Vision Board. This now becomes like a contract to yourself for how your dream life is coming into being. Clean up the mess for the final 10 minutes and have your board laminated if you can. Also very important: hang your board somewhere where you will see it every day and where people who see it will support you in your vision. Many agents that I coach hang their Vision Boards over their desk. I have always hung mine in my bathroon. I know others that hang theirs on the garage door leading into the house so they see it everytime they come and go.

When your board is complete set it across the room and look at it. What do you notice first? Are there any prevalent colors or patterns? What do you think that means? Did you create your board to hang like a portrait or landscape? What do you notice about the relationships that show up? What do you notice about the spaces in between? Often times those spaces end up being the most important or telling areas of our Vision Boards.

For more information or to send me a photo of your Vision Board, email me at Coach@DanaWhittaker.com. I’d love to see them. My Vision Boards have helped take me to Europe, helped me recognize the man of my dreams, get my dream house and create a loving family.

Pay attention when things from your board make an appearance in your life. As you live with your board, you’ll notice you “need a new one” about every year. As you get more skilled with bringing your dream life to reality you may create a new board every six months. Keep your old boards to track your progress. Have fun!!

Dana Whittaker
Productivity Coach
Las Vegas Nevada
www.DanaWhittaker.com

Are you stalled an important area of your life?

This has truly been the best year of my life. I have had major breakthroughs in all areas: relationship, business, spirituality, community, family, health, fitness, sex, fun and adventure.

At many points I have had no idea how to proceed. This is just the nature of living a life committed to high achievements an accelerated growth.  I get all this energy urging me forward but with no direction to apply it in.  Stalled, I feel heat and pressure building. Frustration, anxiety, even anger.  Fear that I’ll never breakthrough.

This week I have given my word that I will launch my new e-newsletter-The Difference Maker. I’ve put out newsletters in the past, but I’ m ready for the next level: a newsletter that empowers and inspires Difference Makers to prioritize their wellness in order to take their contributions, achievements and fulfillment to the next level.

I’ve been painfully procrastinating without a clear plan of action.  Of all that I have to offer, what exactly will I write about?  What do people really want to read and learn?  What will the format be? How much of myself should I share?  How can I promote my events through my newsletter in a way that people don’t feel is too pushy?

Luckily, my coach, colleague and friend Seth Braun taught me the “Mind Map,” which has become one of my most powerful tools for breaking through in just these sorts of situations.   I use it now at the beginning of every visioning and planning session- business and personal- especially when I am unsure of what I really want and/or how to get there.

Needless to say, I broke through just days after setting my intention and getting stuck, and just an hour after beginning the mind mapping process.  Compare that to the many people who spend a lifetime stuck in certain areas of their life- never moving forward, stuck and frustrated.

If you want to see the power of Mind Mapping, sign up for my e-newsletter-The Difference Maker. I’m confident it will make a difference for you and that you will be able to tell that I am having a blast writing it.

While you are at it, create a breakthrough for yourself!

1. Choose an area that you would like to grow, expand, move forward in.
2. Spread a huge sheet of paper out in the biggest room of your house
3. Set a timer for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
4. Have no expectation other than to stay engaged with your subject during this time without any distraction or interruption.
5. Using color markers or crayons brainstorm on and around the issue:  draw, free write, doodle, make lists, diagrams, whatever…
6. Explore all possible directions and desirable outcomes.
7. Look at obstacles and paths around those obstacle.
8. Periodically, stand up and take it all in.
9. What do you notice?  What is most inspiring you?  Where are you still feeling anxious or frustrated or unclear?
10. End your session when the timer goes off.
11. You may need to revisit the mapping process several times or you may have gained all the clarity and inner freedom that you need to move forward.  Congratulations!

Mind Map Special Tip: Dance Party!

At points when your body, mind or heart needs a break, turn on your favorite dance music and dance like crazy around the room for 2-5 minutes.  Dance in celebration of any new clarity and of your future achievements and victories.  Dance out fear and frustration. Cultivate a lightness around the issue.  Have fun.

Effectively Manage Your Time

Rookie agents and seasoned veterans come to me for strategies on managing their time better on a daily basis. Admittedly it is something I struggle with too. As independent contractors we make our own schedule, punch our own clocks, and set our own appointments to the betterment or detriment of our business. I’m about to renew my license for the ninth year and time management is a fundamental skill I’ve been committed to mastering for at least that long, and as I mentioned earlier, it doesn’t come naturally—effectively managing my time is a choice I make every day.

Our peers, including my personal hero, Dave Jenks, tells us we must do the things we don’t want to do, the things that stir up fear and emotion in us. I’m a spontaneous, fly by the seat of my pants kind of gal. Long ago though, I developed a vision and a passion for my future and I had to make a paradigm shift: in order to have more free time and play time, I have to be more rigid with my schedule. I must commit to the actions that take me to the principles I value and my dollar productive items so that I can support my aspirations.

First thing Monday morning, I sit down with my 411, a Keller Williams goal setting tool. I re-read my yearly goals based on my Business Plan. I review my Vision Statement—my Big Why. I look at what I need to accomplish for the month in business and in my personal life. I look at the goals I set for the previous week and I check off everything I accomplished. I create my “Must Do” list for the next week for business and personally on the 411. Next I sync my Blackberry to my Outlook calendar. I time block all the items on my “Must Do” list from the weekly portion of my 411. I time block when I will lead generate, when I’m teaching, my meetings, all of my appointments, my administrative time, my work-outs and my play time with my family. I plan to achieve my goals. If it’s not on my calendar it doesn’t happen. Then I take out my “Perfect Week” template and lay it next to a printed version of my calendar for the week. I make sure they match in the way of the values I’m committed to. I double check to make sure I haven’t left something out, the actions I take that keep me in alignment with my Vision Statement. I print a fresh “Weekly Accomplishment Sheet” and I carry my printed calendar and the Accomplishment sheet with me everywhere I go. I ask myself where I’m spending 80% of my time. I ask myself what I’m earning per hour.

Everything I do is online, however since most human beings are visual creatures, I print my tools to keep in front of me. I need to see the week laid out to track my progress regularly. I’m constantly adjusting my course to stay on track, like a pilot that is off course 95% of the time that lands exactly where they are supposed to.

Life happens. By the end of the week my calendar and Accomplishment Sheets are a mess. They are scribbled on and activities are crossed out and there are arrows and reminders everywhere. If I erase, I replace. I enter these things to my Outlook calendar and sync my phone again so I always have a back up. I save my past weekly calendars in a binder so I can account for my time. If I’m satisfied with my results, or if I’m not, I know why.

This set of activities takes me about an hour each week. It’s one of the most productive things I do, checking in with my CEO (myself) and working “on” my business, taking an accurate reading of my progress. I used to dread this time when my coach suggested that I begin my week this way, filling out all the papers and the blanks, because I’m not an analyst by nature. I do it anyway because I like how the end result feels. I know what’s working and what’s not. I know where I’m going.

If you would like some more insight or coaching to be more time efficient, organized and focused; or if you would like editable versions of my tools, send me an email or give me a call.

Dana Whittaker 
Real Estate Coach
702.300.7653
www.DanaWhittaker.com

“This year I am absolutely committed to being the person I came here to be.”
(This is the official TAS affirmation for 2009. Click the affirmation to hear the mp3 version)

What you believe about you, your life, and the world impacts your experience of them. Your beliefs inform your thoughts and your thoughts generate your actions. And, of course, your actions create the world where you live. It’s very important to be aware of your beliefs.

Are your current beliefs fully conscious to you? Or, is your self-perception stuck in yesterday? Do you know what you believe today? Of course, the quick answer is “yes”. Do you really?

Just as a once- thriving river bed slowly dries up and changes course your beliefs can subtly shift over time almost without your knowledge. You don’t notice it day to day, but over years the change can be dramatic.

Life is an ever-changing adventure, but sometimes your self-perception and the perception of others does not keep up with who you are today.

You and the people around you may have an outdated idea of who you are.

Have you had the experience of really advancing in your professional or personal life only to have your family not recognize the change? You go home for the holidays and your mother still sees you and treats you like you’re 13. It can be very frustrating when others fail to recognize the strides and leaps you have made in life. Their perception of you can become locked in time.

When I was 25 I became seriously ill and spent several weeks in the hospital. One of the best internists in the city took my case. He became my personal physician for several years. He was a gifted and talented doctor, but he never let go of his vision of me as that sick person lying in a hospital bed. Finally, I had to move on and find a new doctor. His belief about who I was didn’t keep up with reality.

While frustrating when other people do this to you, you often do it to yourself. Has your perception of who you are kept up with the reality?

Here is an idea to help you get in touch with who you are today. Complete a Belief Inventory.

Take each of the following dimensions of your life (feel free to add your own) and write a brief description of your belief on that area of your life.

Don’t jump the gun. Give it some real thought. Really capture your true beliefs on each of these topics.

Belief Inventory

• Personality
• Relationships
• Career
• Body image
• Future
• Spiritual life
• Life
• Politics

Here’s the punchline. Now that you better understand where you really stand on these aspects of your life you can map a strategy for self-development based on where you really are instead of where you thought you were.

If you’re really bold, share it with family and friends and have them complete one on you. The feedback could be interesting and you will get a sense of who they think you are.

Have fun with your Belief Inventory and I’d love to hear how it comes out.

Stay inspired!

Ray