10 ways to live a balanced lifestyle - deskdemon · in the workplace - the 5 levels of eq and what...
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The Exclusive Online Magazine for Administrative Professionals
May/June 2019
FEATURES:Confidence and Credibility in the WorkplaceHow to Make a Good FlyerVisualization - How to Achieve Your Goals
10 Ways to Live
a Balanced Lifestyle
2
CONTENTSof May/June 2019
AdminAdvantageUS & NORTH AMERICAN EDITION
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ADVERTISING
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BUSINESS STAFF & PR
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10 Ways to Live a Balanced Lifestyle11
How to Make a Good Flyer14
10 Tips to Get the RecognitionYou Deserve18
How to Increase Your Time Management Skills28
Visualization - How to Achieve Your Goals22
Confidence and Credibility in the Workplace - The 5 Levels of EQ and What They Mean to You
6
11
28
18
22
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There is a way to boost your confidence and subtly
build your credibility in the workplace and it’s
based on fine-tuning your #1 predictor in personal
and professional success. And what might that
critical factor in the success equation be?
Well, it’s your level of Emotional Intelligence,
also called EI or EQ. After decades of research
in scientific labs and in offices across the
Ever feel as though your
contributions at work
weren’t fully appreciated?
As though the scope
and quality of your talents were,
let’s just say, underestimated or
overlooked entirely?
Confidence and Credibility in the Workplace - The 5 Levels of EQ and What They Mean to YouBy Crystal M. Jonas
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7 MAY/JUNE 2019
country, biologists and social scientists have
determined conclusively that your EQ, or
“people smarts” accounts for up to 85% of your
success in work and your personal life.
So, what’s this EQ business all about and how
do you go about raising yours?
Good questions. Let’s deal with what EQ is first.
In a nutshell, EQ consists of five levels of intelligence. You want to make sure you master
the first level before you move to the second,
and the second before you move to the third
and well, you get the picture.
At the foundation of EQ is Self-Awareness.
Once you raise your self-awareness, you can
begin to address Emotional Mastery, then
Emotional Resilience. The fourth level is
Likeability and finally, you get to move up to
Social Capital.
Now, let’s look at each level and get some
powerful tips, tools and techniques about how
you can improve each one, and increase your
likelihood of being wildly successful.
LEVEL 1: To begin, you need to be Self-Aware.
What do you need to know about yourself?
Well, start with your values, or what’s most
important to you. Can’t help you with that. You
know better than anyone what’s most dear in
your life and nothing is more important than
your own personal values.
After you know your values, discover your
strengths. Do this before you write down your
goals. If you have goals without knowing your
strengths, it’s far too easy to work much harder
than you need to in order to get your goodies.
You’ve probably had a job in your life that
didn’t allow you to capitalize on what you
do best. I call this being “misemployed.”
Remember the struggle and frustration
involved just to keep up? The problem is,
although there are plenty of below average
people out there, there are also plenty of
people of your caliber who are already good at
that job who, like you, are willing to get as good
as they can in that job as quickly as possible.
And what does this mean to you? You will never
be competitive in a field that doesn’t allow you
to play to your strengths.
OK, so you’ve got your goals written down, and
they are based on your strengths and values.
Now what?
Time for planning. I know what you’re doing.
You’re pretending this part about planning isn’t all
that important, and you can probably just skip it.
Think again. Extensive studies have proven time
and time again that for every minute you spend
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planning, you save 10 minutes in execution.
So, would you spend one minute to save 10?
If you’re business savvy, your answer
is absolutely!
Once you have your plans, now make an action
plan. Not a “to do” list that’s as long as your arm,
but a tight, short list of the Really Good Stuff.
Not sure of what the “Really Good Stuff” is?
It’s the thing you keep putting off.
Want to know why you keep putting it on
tomorrow’s list? Because you put it down as
one item and it’s really about 10 different
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9 MAY/JUNE 2019
steps. If you’d taken the time to plan it out,
you’d know that and be well on your way to
accomplishing that which truly matters most
to you instead of spinning your wheels on
busy items that suck up your time, but get you
nowhere.
Before we leave the topic of Self-Awareness,
let’s address one more issue. Remember that
people only see a small part of who you are.
They don’t really know that much about you.
They see only a tiny fraction of your behavior,
brief little snapshots in time, taken completely
out of context.
And guess when they really notice your
behavior? That’s right, when the going
gets tough.
Remember, no one at your advanced level gets
to brag about behaving when life is easy. It’s
in times of chaos when the world most needs
leadership and to have a level-headed, self-
controlled person to model.
LEVEL 2:As we move up the ladder of Emotional Intelligence, we continue on to Emotional Mastery. When you have Emotional Mastery,
you know your triggers. Having weak spots
doesn’t make you a bad person. Everyone has
pet peeves. The point is to recognize this so you
can anticipate how to properly behave under
those circumstances.
You also need to be emotionally literate.
That means you can fairly quickly identify
and articulate your emotions in the moment.
So, for example, instead of saying “I’m angry,”
you recognize that you’re really confused,
embarrassed, or fearful, or whatever you’re
really feeling. The more clear you are about
what your emotion is, the easier it is to address
it and work through the problem.
Emotional mastery also entails impulse control.
The more you allow yourself to indulge your
anger, the more you flood your body with the
chemical influx of the “fight or flight” syndrome.
Since these chemicals stay around even after
you get over yourself, it gets easier and easier
for you misbehave when something minor
happens, since you’ve already got all those
chemicals coursing through your body.
LEVEL 3:At the mid-point in EQ we come to Emotional Resilience. That’s being able to bounce back
from emotional challenges.
The best action you can take is to develop
rituals that allow you to release, relax, and let
go of difficult encounters.
It helps to have a ritual at the end of the day, for
example, where the minute you walk out of your
work building, you think to yourself “Today I did
my best. This is what I learned. (And here you
mention something new you will do tomorrow.)”
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WORKSMART
Interested in more about this topic for yourself or to bring the idea to your company? International speaker Crystal Jonas helps you become more profitable through improved communication skills, emotional intelligence and employee engagement.
Visit her website at http://crystaljonas.com and Sign up for the free newsletters while you’re there.
Call Crystal at 719-291-0366 email crystal at [email protected]
Crystal Clear Solutions for Personaland Professional Success
And then you acknowledge that tomorrow will
be even better.
You will be well-served to remember what
Maya Anjelou wrote: “I did the best I could with
what I knew at the time. When I knew better, I
did better.”
All anyone can expect of you is that today, you
did your best.
LEVEL 4:As we move up the EQ ladder, we are now at the Likeability factor. The most important
point to remember here is that this isn’t about
popularity and how people feel about you.
Likeability is about how people feel about
themselves when they are with you.
See the best in them, even when it’s challenging,
and reflect it back. Inspire people with their
own sense of self-worth and you will have
enduring rapport with them.
LEVEL 5:Finally, on our EQ journey, we reach Social Capital. That’s the ability to cultivate and
maintain powerful, professional relationships.
Remember, it’s not what you know that counts,
it’s not even who you know, it’s who knows you.
As I always tell my coaching clients, “The
universe does not reward hard work it rewards
recognized results.”
The results are for the company, and the
recognition is for you. Remember it’s not
enough to get results, people need to know that
you are behind them.
As you can tell, the idea of cultivating Emotional
Intelligence is such a vital part in your success
that you’ll want to continue to study this topic
and apply what you’ve learned.
Your time and energy will be well rewarded
when you begin to reap the emotionally,
professionally and financially satisfying rewards
of having a high EQ.
11 MAY/JUNE 2019
10 Ways to Live a Balanced LifestyleBy Ahmed Nayel
1: PRACTICE GRATITUDEWhile some may view this as touchy feely, new
age, hippie garbage, nothing could be further
from the truth. The benefits of practicing
gratitude on a daily basis are remarkable and
can significantly improve your life. Take a short
amount of time out of your busy day - 10 minutes
is all that’s needed - to reflect honestly upon
the countless positive things in your life that
you may unwittingly take for granted. Doing so
will give you a more positive outlook, eliminate
stress, relieve tension, improve sleep patterns,
and clarify goals.
2: MAINTAIN HEALTHY HABITSHave you ever noticed that most, if not all,
of the most well-known entrepreneurs keep
a daily workout routine involving running or
lifting weights. Many also boast the benefits of
juicing and eating foods that promote mental
clarity and maintain energy levels. This is no
accident. Healthy habits keep your body and
mind in optimal condition while helping you to
maintain a normal and consistent daily routine.
Such consistency allows for the accumulation of
small amounts of work over time to turn into big
successes.
3: BALANCE WORK AND LEISURESometimes we get so caught up in our goals
that we forget to set time aside to take care of
ourselves and our loved ones. Being balanced
means remembering what all the work is for
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12
in the first place. We can grind day and night
so long as we put forth the necessary time and
effort in not neglecting our health, our significant
others, our children, or our beloved hobbies.
After all, what exactly are you working towards?
Money is only one variable in the equation.
4: KNOW THERE’S ONLY SO MUCH THAT CAN GET DONE IN A DAYMany people are guilty of writing mile-long
“to-do” lists. These lists are generally brought
on as the result of stress or an impulsive burst
of motivation and are made with the best
intentions. The problem is we can only carry
out so many tasks in a given day. Long “to-do”
lists set us up for disappointment because they
can rarely be completed. Narrow down your list
into specific goal-oriented tasks. Cut out the
fat and avoid busy work that will make you feel
productive but doesn’t really get you anywhere.
Work hard on that short list of tasks. Do all
you can to get it done. At the end of the day be
proud of what you accomplished. Recognize your
progress. If you didn’t get it all done don’t fret.
Put it on tomorrow’s list and make it a priority.
5: Celebrate Effort Regardless of the Outcome
People who live a balanced lifestyle understand
that success doesn’t lie in the result of hard
work, but in the work itself. Knowing this fact
makes it effort rewarding even when things
don’t turn out the way we want, and make us feel
accomplished even the case of a less-than stellar
outcome. When we make mistakes or fall short
on execution, we learn from it and do a better job
next time. If we train ourselves to think this way
the real reward - so far as our minds see it - will
come from the pursuit of our goals, and success
will be all but inevitable.
6: MAINTAIN FOCUSKeep your mind and energy focused on the task
at hand. This is easier said than done but with
the implementation of certain techniques it
can be made a whole lot easier. Set aside your
phone or other electronics when needed. Find
a designated work zone such as an office where
distractions are minimized. Give yourself a
deadline to get the task completed. Practice
recognizing when your mind wanders, and tell it
to hold that thought
LIFESTYLE
13 MAY/JUNE 2019
7: BE WILLING TO LEND A HELPING HANDThe ability to put yourself in other peoples shoes
and see things from their perspective is a valuable
one. This not only is helpful in business, but is also
quite beneficial for our emotional well-being.
Being interested in other people makes us more
likely to help when we can. Those of us with big
goals can unwittingly become self-absorbed,
forgetting that the greatest gift in the world is the
gift of giving. No amount of money or success can
replace the satisfaction of helping another.
8: SEEING THE GLASS AS HALF-FULLAnother one that may stand to be called new age
nonsense but again is absolutely true. A healthy
degree of optimism is critical to a balanced
lifestyle. Staying positive is a way to focus on
looking not just at the upside of a given situation,
but also on finding solutions to the problems
we and others face and keeping ourselves on
track towards our goals. Optimists tend be
less tolerant of negativity and will stay away
from people who spend too much of their time
gossiping and complaining, opting instead to
surround themselves with other positive people.
Energy feeds off of energy.
9: REFUSE TO WORRY (TOO MUCH)Worrying about the possible disappointments
or failures of the future is about the biggest
waste of time in the world. So many people with
an abundance of potential are crippled by their
habit of worrying. It is natural that we have a
certain degree of wariness of the unknown,
that is just the minds way of protecting us. If
we allow worry to control us, however, we are
liable to stay in our comfort zones and pour all of
our potential success down the drain. You have
too much to offer to throw it all away based on
imaginary fears. Keep in mind that the majority
of the things (approximately 92%) of the things
we worry about never happen. SO keep yourself
busy, and if you find yourself worrying just
acknowledge it, embrace it and move on from it.
10: LEARN TO ADAPT TO CHANGEThings are bound to happen that are completely
outside of our control. Understanding habits
is to understand how fragile they are. So it is
totally natural to want to resist change, which
often elicits emotional responses such as anger,
depression or withdrawal. As well-balanced
people, we have to learn to make the best out
of whatever situation we are in. Our work ethic,
personality, gratitude, drive and health should
not be dependent on circumstance.
If you’d like to learn more about what we do, read our blog or are interested in personal coaching, please visit our website at http://ahmedandsavannah.com.
Thanks for engaging!
LIFESTYLE
14
Before we get to how to make a good flyer, we have to understand the
strategy behind a high-quality one. Here’s a basic rundown of a door
hanger. As you can see we don’t have much space to work with. This means
we have to choose our words carefully. The first line you see is the largest
and is meant to grab the attention of the viewer as well as qualify them.
WORKSMART
How to Make a Good FlyerBy Ignazio Accardi
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15 MAY/JUNE 2019
Right away the person knows what we’re trying
to sell here. Private Construction Management
services. Right below it, you’ll see a picture of a
house that would look like our target customer.
Under that, there’s a brief description that
reinforces credibility by mentioning the years of
experience with all kinds of projects.
Anyone looking into renovating their homes
will identify with this flyer right away. We ask
them the question “Have a project in Mind?”,
always qualifying them. The next line tells them
what we want them to do, which is to call for a
consultation.
Door hangers work really well compared to
regular flyers. For one, you won’t have to worry
about your message getting lost in the mail. The
direct mail route is often pricey and your ad will
compete with priority mail like bills. On the other
hand, everyone has one front door and your ad
will command their full attention.
FLYER HEADLINE EXAMPLES The headline is arguably the most important part
of the flyer. Some people spend the most of their
time trying to choose the right image that’s going
to catch the attention of the customer and dazzle
them with their creativity. It sounds nice. It just
isn’t the case.
The reality is that we have 1 second to catch the
attention of the person we’re trying to reach. We
have to talk about what THEY want as opposed
to what we’re offering. In the example above,
Private Construction Management might not
be an ideal headline. Instead, we could’ve said
something along the lines of “Got a Construction
Project in Mind?”.
It might or might not get a good reception. The
key is to grab attention and eliminate anyone
who wouldn’t buy from us while selecting those
that would. We could write a whole book on
choosing the right headline but adhering to some
guidelines should put you on the right track. The
following are some good headline examples for
flyers or for any ads in general.
How-to Headline: People like to learn and the
how-to headline is found everywhere. How to
hire a good construction management company.
How to make a million bucks in 20 min. You’ve
seen it before. It works.
Question Headline: Just like the one suggested
above. Asking a question engages the reader
and causes them to answer it subliminally
or consciously. Either way, we’ve got them
communicating with us just through the
headline.
Testimonial: Testimonials are great anywhere.
They reinforce your brand and its authority. No
one wants to buy from the new guy on the block.
They want someone tried and tested.
Crazy Offer: A crazy offer can go a long way. A
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really long way. You should always have a crazy
offer on your flyer regardless. If its good enough,
it should be the biggest and first thing they see.
CHOOSING THE BEST IMAGE FOR FLYERS As we said previously, finding the perfect image
for your flyer isn’t as important as some people
might think. A funny or creative image will get a
positive response, but it won’t necessarily get us
the exact response that’ll bring us sales.
Our picture should flow well without our
headline and service. If we’re advertising for a
taekwondo school, you might use a picture of
children wearing their G.I uniforms.
A picture like that will help people identify
quickly what your service is and if its for them.
The image should be able to work independently
from your headline, and vice versa.
THE ELEVATOR PITCH Flyers have limited amounts of space for words
and pictures. We want to get in as much as we
NEED to, not as much as we CAN. This is where a
lot of people go wrong. They design their flyer to
include every single detailed explanation of what
they do.
You should remember that the flyer shouldn’t
serve as an alternative to your website. Your
website is where your customers will go if they
want a more in-depth understanding of your
company and services/products.
The next section you should include in your flyer
is a short description of what you do and why
they should choose you. In short, it’s a small
elevator pitch about your company.
“We manage construction projects for
homeowners and have been doing it for over 20
years”. Simple, yet effective. At this point, we have
a headline, a photo, and a small elevator pitch
that’s going to help us land the knockout punch.
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HOW TO MAKE A GOOD FLYER OR OFFER How to make a good flyer is based on the offer
you give. An amazing offer has a time limit and
simply cannot be passed by. These flyers receive
upwards of 8-10% success rate. You really must
be able to give tremendous value, or you won’t
get too many replies.
A simple flyer with no offer can expect a 1%
conversion rate. This means that we’ll turn 1%
of the people that see our flyers into paying
customers. You send out 10,000 and you get
back 100 customers. Pretty simple stuff.
If you put a great offer, you can see 800-1000
customers out of 10,000 flyers. Suddenly, it makes a
lot of sense to give away a great offer. Restaurants,
for example, would benefit greatly by offering a free
appetizer. They might lose out on some short-term
profit but they’ll win in the long term.
STRATEGIZING A FLYER CAMPAIGN A good design is useless without a good strategy
for distribution. We know flyer advertising is
a numbers game and so we have to choose our
target customers carefully. A restaurant might
benefit better from delivering to homes instead
of street promotion. That isn’t to say that a
restaurant shouldn’t use street promotion as
part of their campaign. However, if you don’t
have enough foot traffic near your restaurant
to justify it, you’re better off just targeting the
homes in the neighborhood.
These customers are going to be your loyal
regulars. The cost of acquiring one of them is
inconsequential to the value that they’ll bring
as a lifetime customer. For homes, door hangers
work best. The reason is that other flyers have
to be stuffed in other places near the home.
They might be stuck on the mailbox or squeezed
between the door frame. On the other hand, a
door hanger is going on the doorknob. Basically,
to get into their home they’re going to take it off
the door and they’ll look at it for about a second.
They should be able to see exactly what you’re
offering, how much, and what they have to do to
redeem the offer. For example, you’re advertising
a pizza restaurant. A really good flyer for this
type of strategy would be “Get a free pizza
slice with an order of a pizza and a soda”. The
customer picks up the flyer and sees that they’re
getting a free pizza slice and all they have to do is
to go buy 1 and a soda.
WORKSMART
If you’d like to learn more about flyer strategy, check out this in-depth guide we have here.
If you’d like to learn more about flyer advertising or need a company to handle your marketing campaign, visit http://www.thinkflyers.com to learn more.
18
10 Tips to Get the Recognition You DeserveBy Stephanie Naznitsky, OfficeTeam
Everyone deserves to be recognized for their hard work and achievements,
yet all too often, administrative professionals don’t get enough kudos. You
may chalk it up to overextended managers or lack of a formal strategy, but
regardless of the reasons, it doesn’t feel great to be overlooked — and your
job satisfaction is at stake.
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CAREER
19 MAY/JUNE 2019
An OfficeTeam survey found only 43 percent
of senior managers think their company is
very effective at recognizing employees for
good performance. There’s clearly room for
improvement – often a lot – among most
organizations.
Whether or not you’re at a company that would
rank positively, are you receiving the recognition
you personally deserve? Does your boss know
how much you do? How can you let him or her
know without coming across as boastful or
insecure? Here are 10 tips to ensure you receive
the praise you’ve earned.
1. Know yourself. The first step to
feeling fulfilled is deciding what sort of
acknowledgment you need. Maybe you prefer a
thank-you from your boss and affirmation that
you’re doing a good job. Or perhaps you’re after
more public praise. Knowing what you want is
important for getting it.
2. Take advantage of your regular meetings. Is it likely your manager doesn’t know every
project you contribute to? Do you find it
uncomfortable to talk about your achievements,
worried you’ll seem like you are tooting your
own horn? Do you tend to downplay your
successes or the amount of work you take on?
Many people would probably answer yes to at
least one of these questions.
Providing regular status reports, including in
CAREER
writing, during one-on-meetings with your
manager can address each of these concerns.
Through this process, you’ll show the heavy
volume of work you undertake, highlight
different ways you’ve helped your organization
and colleagues, and create opportunities to
discuss new projects and how you’ve made
them successful.
During these meetings, also ask your manager
about his or her top-three priorities and discuss
if there have been any significant updates or
changes in the business. Use this opportunity
to learn about your manager’s focus areas,
and offer assistance with new projects or help
provide planning support for future initiatives.
By being proactive in these discussions, you will
likely have greater opportunity to be assigned
projects that best showcase your specialty skills.
3. Share your accomplishments. When
administrative professionals do their job well,
everything runs as it should, which may result
in your great work sometimes going unnoticed.
As part of your regular discussions with your
manager, highlight your achievements rather
than saving them for your performance review.
For example, if your sharp eyes noticed a
misspelling in a report, fix the error and let your
manager know you helped ensure the project
went off without a hitch.
4. Recognize others. Contribute to an
organizational culture of recognition by
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acknowledging coworkers’ contributions.
You’ll be demonstrating teamwork,
leadership and self-confidence – and
boosting morale for yourself and your
teammates. It’s also a positive feedback
loop: When you’re generous with
praise, others are likely to call out your
achievements.
5. Find a role model. Is there someone
at work who seems to garner a lot of
praise? If so, keep an eye on how they do
it. Maybe they understand the unwritten
rules of the workplace and how to navigate
office politics. Or they’ve mastered the
art of keeping their boss updated on their
achievements without coming across as full
of themselves. Follow their example.
6. Suggest a formal program. Many
organizations don’t have an effective setup
for showing staff appreciation throughout the
year. Here are suggestions you could make:
• Have managers recognize one or two
outstanding staff members each month,
with reasons for choosing them.
• Start a peer recognition program where
colleagues nominate each other for
exemplifying the company’s core values.
• Acknowledge milestone work
anniversaries during the annual
company party, and say something
positive about each honoree.
CAREER
21 MAY/JUNE 2019
Stephanie Naznitsky is executive director of OfficeTeam, the nation’s leading staffing service specializing in the temporary placement of highly skilled administrative and office support professionals.
OfficeTeam has 300 locations worldwide and offers online job search services at roberthalf.com/officeteam.
Connect with us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and our blog.
7. Specialize. What skill are you particularly
known for at the office? One of the best ways to
get noticed on the job is to do at least one thing
so well you become the go-to resource for it.
Perhaps you’re a whiz at Excel or PowerPoint.
Maybe you have a golden touch with difficult
vendors. It could be your social media savvy, or
the way you have a knack for event planning or
an eye for graphic design. When you’re an expert,
you’ll gain recognition at the office.
8. Increase your in-house networking. It’s nice
to be acknowledged by someone other than
your boss. At the same time, it’s hard to be
appreciated when people don’t really know who
you are or what you do.
It may be time to raise your profile. Get to know
people from other departments. Volunteer for
company-outreach committees. Speak up during
meetings and offer your opinion. If you email
certain people all the time but rarely have face-
to-face conversations, ask them if they’d like to
grab lunch or coffee with you.
9. Accept appreciation. Have you ever noticed
that it’s difficult to praise someone who deflects
it at every turn? When recognition comes your
way, whether formally or informally, accept
the compliment with grace. There’s no need
to downplay your achievements. Don’t say, “I
really didn’t do that much,” or “I could have done
it better if I had more time.” Your reply should
be along the lines of a simple “Thank you. That
means a lot to me.”
10. Say “thank you.” When you express gratitude
to others for praising your efforts, you’ll show
how meaningful recognition can be, which can
make them want to highlight the work of their
colleagues — including you — even more.
You deserve regular recognition — not to
boost your own ego, but to be rewarded
for your myriad contributions and advance
your career. Speak up, don’t be shy
and advocate for yourself.
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22
Goals give you a compass
in order to direct your
path through life. Goals
focus your thoughts
and actions on areas that have
precise purpose and meaning.”
- Catherine Pulsifer
Visualization - How to Achieve Your GoalsBy Antony Stagg
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23 MAY/JUNE 2019
Visualization is the process of imagining a
desired outcome in your mind. This is a technique
that has helped me and others, not just people I
have worked with, but it has been clearly evident
in sport in particular.
Reading about Jack Nicklaus, I became
fascinated about how he visualized every
shot, both in practice and the real thing. He
commented “I never hit a shot, not even in
practice, without having a very sharp, in-focus
picture of it in my head.”
Look at his playing career, he holds the record for
the most majors and is the most successful player
in the golfing history. I think what separates him
in many respects is that golf is a mental game.
If you have ever swung a golf club at any level
you will know that when you are standing on
the tee, there are a number of swirling thoughts
going around your head, particularly if you are an
amateur, such as:
1, Don’t miss!2, I hope people don’t laugh at me if I mess this up!3, Am I holding the club right?4, Don’t go out of bounds!You’re naturally nervous anyway but if you look
at those points I have raised, you will see they
are all negative! The same happens not only in
sport, but in work environments too. Think about
a time when you go to an interview, start a new
job, do a presentation or deal with a difficult
customer. You may have been fearful, scared
of messing up, not getting the job, or saying
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something stupid.
So look at the Nicklaus example, his thoughts are
1, Focused on landing the ball on a certain spot. (Where he wants.)2, Visualizing in vivid detail his swing.See the difference in the way of thinking from
a person who is professional and focused on
what they want to that of an amateur. The
professional is in control of his or her thoughts.
Where the amateur is thinking about what can
go wrong.
HOW TO VISUALIZE“Picture yourself vividly as winning and that
alone will contribute immeasurably to success.
Great living starts with a picture, held in your
imagination, of what you would like to do or be.” -
Harry Emerson Fosdick
It can be difficult at first like anything! Find
yourself a quiet spot to practice. Good times
are early in the morning or later in the evening,
but really it depends on you as you may have
different shifts patterns, family commitments,
the key thing is to take action and enjoy it.
1, Pick an object to focus on, it could be a photo, a cup, an item in your office, look around you, what do you see?
2, Focus on that item for 30 seconds. Look at
the detail, the curve, edges, colors and any other
things you notice, it could be the smell, or taste
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or feeling that the object resonates.
3, Close your eyes now and visualize that image
in your mind. Really focus in on every detail - Do
this for 30 seconds.
Once you have done this, see if you can do this
for longer, aim for:
1 minute 2 minutes 3 minutes 5 minutes per session per day. You may want to
do this 3 times a day.
Remember this is a bit of a game at first, as our
mind can wander. You start trying to visualize
and end up thinking about something else so it
can be frustrating, but achieving your dreams
and making progress is not easy or everybody
could do it without any hassle.
TOP TIP - Remember visualization is excellent
to keep you focused and calm on what you want.
Visualization + Action = Results.
Now think about your goal and follow the same
steps!
A goal properly set is halfway reached.” -
Abraham Lincoln
1, Think about what it is you want. What is your goal?2, Picture it in vivid detail, every tiny aspect. Are there images you can get off the Internet
to help you? Or you may have held an image in
your mind from a child or a recent experience
such as a holiday.
While doing this forget any troubles, doubts,
CRAP, you can and will do this, as this is your
time to dream.
Again the first objective is
1 minute Achieved?
2 minutes Achieved? 3 minutes Achieved? 5 minutes per session per day. You may want to
do this 3 times a day. Achieved?
How did you feel when you were visualizing
the goal? Use the space to write down the
words that come into your mind. Are you feeling
calmer? Happier?
4 Phases of human behaviorYou don’t have be a scientist to figure this
next bit out, but I speak to people about how
the mind works, and they get that light bulb
moment where they figure out that they spend
most of their time thinking about things that
either don’t matter, or that are negative.
What you think determines the way you feel.
Think about a time when you have bought
someone a present, particularly someone who is
closest to you to. When you think about buying
the present are you thinking positive? When
you think of ideas, you are thinking about how
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you want to surprise them or make their day. If
it’s children it’s the expression of joy on their
little faces when they rip of the wrapping paper.
Phase 1 = ThoughtsSo you are in phase 1 when you are thinking and
visualizing about this, but as we have already
said thoughts = feeling. So when we are thinking
about buying the present, it evokes emotion in
our mind which is:
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Phase 2 = FeelingWe feel excited, happy and feel love for that
person, and can’t wait to see them. When you
think someone or something it makes you feel a
certain way
Phase 3 = ActionThen we are moving into phase 3 when we
give them the present, this is the result of the
action we have taken in buying the present in
the first place. Action is about doing and is the
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most important part of visualization and goal
setting. The vast majority of people don’t follow
through with their actions, which means they
only think about it. Make sure you don’t fit
into that category, act today no matter
how small you feel that action may be and
build momentum.
Phase 4 = ConsequencesThe consequence of buying a present is the
delight from the other person, and it’s the love
they and you feel. You feel great because you
have contributed to their happiness and likewise
they feel appreciated and loved.
Now I would say that would be an example
of positive feelings and emotions for all
parties involved.
The problem with most of us is we concentrate on
negative things, or we don’t focus at all and we drift
through day-to-day, not clear on what we want.
By visualizing and focusing on what we want,
such as buying a present for someone, we
become, excited, or by setting a financial goal
we become motivated, hungry and determined
to achieve.
You must be aware however of negative
emotions, and this is where we can lose focus
and let things get to us as we discussed before.
I have been working with a number of young
people recently and it’s really interesting to see
how they think. Bare in mind they are young
people without work, or many qualifications but
again thoughts = feelings.
1, Thoughts2, Feelings3, Actions4, Consequences
One was telling me why he got sacked from his
previous job. He didn’t get paid as much as he
thought and so:
THOUGHTS1, His thoughts were that his boss was trying
to pay him less. He thought he was being taken
advantage of, so his thoughts became about
revenge, and as he was telling the story you
could see he was thinking about it!
FEELINGS2, So what do you think he was feeling? Spend a
few seconds as to what that might be? Well you
guessed it, anger, frustration and bitterness.
ACTION3, So the action he took what he was his to tell
the boss what he thought of him, take money
out of the till!
CONSEQUENCES4, The consequences of that action is he got
sacked, and rightly so, because he blamed
someone with out any facts and regardless of
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that acted inappropriately.
All because he took money out of a till, as he was
put on a wrong tax code and thought the boss
had taken advantage of him.
This while a little more extreme way of thinking,
many people have thoughts that are negative,
or thoughts about nothing. Worrying about
what is happening in a local TV programme,
or thinking about something you have seen on
Facebook or Twitter. Negative thoughts and
distractions are guaranteed to set you back
again if you let them!
Visualization has always been around; we
visualize things each day, some good things
some bad things, but again what visualization
does is keep you focused. I not a believer that
because I visualize something it will turn up
at my door step the next day, but I am a firm
believer that visualizing keeps you focused on
what you want and when used in combination
with a the plan together that is written down
such as GOSPA you have a powerful model
which will push you forward to your goal.
TOP TIPUse visualization and get the following benefits:
1, Keeps you focused and excited!2, Provides a great discipline and calming nature to your personality.3, Gives you greater clarity4, Think more positive because you take control
of your thoughts.
VISION BOARDAgain similar to the aspects of visualization, vision
boards are a great tool for clarity and focus. So
what is a vision board? A vision board is a collection
of images you choose that relate to a specific
goal you are targeting. Think of a vision board as
a collage of images, I personally use the desktop
on my computer. I have seen other people have
a smaller copy they put in their wallet, and again
many people have them on their walls at home.
There are millions of examples if you use one of
the search engines on the Internet. Obviously
type in the term vision boards to locate
additional support.
Like with visualization you can use these
techniques to help with the vividness of what it is
you want, because for many creating an image of
what you want can be difficult.
Like anything it can take time but it is exciting
because you are creating your future! It can be
really fun looking and searching for images of
things you want.
TOP TIP - Set yourself an action to create a vision
board! Use the desktop idea or create on your
computer and print out. Put it in the most visible
place in your home or office. If you don’t have a
computer or Internet access then use magazines
and your imagination.
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I was recently asked how in the world I manage to do everything I have to do on
any given day. I have multiple companies, at least seven independent brands, and
of course, personal responsibilities and commitments to my family and friends.
I’ve heard people describe me like the old “Energizer bunny.” My ability to do so
much in a day has often impressed people. The reality is much more straightforward. I
prioritize my time to ensure that I’m spending it well. I know I can’t do everything.
How to Increase Your Time Management SkillsBy Wayne Elsey
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I get the same seven hours of sleep as most people, but I
prescribe to the reality of early to bed and early to rise.
I’m awake most days around 3 am or 4 am EST, and while
everyone is sleeping, I have the opportunity to quietly
catch up and plan everything I need to get done that day.
I also have the time to get in exercise or even a message
and take a look at what’s happening in the news.
I think it’s fair to say that if I didn’t know how to manage
my time well, there’s no possible way I would be able to
have everything. One of the most often asked questions
I get from people who are
looking to begin something
new is what tips and ideas I
have for time management.
In case you find yourself in
a situation that you don’t
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30
seem to have any time to get done what you
want to do, here are some thoughts for you to
improve your time management.
• Time Audit: A great thing to do so you can
see how you spend your time is to do an
audit, and if you have a smartphone, there are
plenty of apps that will help you keep track.
Make a notation of the time you spend daily
on each activity, and you’ll begin to gain the
necessary insight to see how you’re spending
it. You may realize how you’re spending a lot
of time on an activity that doesn’t serve you
well. Remember, how you spend your time is
a reflection of your priorities. After you have
done an audit, reallocate your time according
to your real preferences.
• Adaptation: An essential skill that I think
is often taken for granted is the ability to
adapt. People are creatures of habit, and so
you have to work with that idea. And in a
world that is continually changing rapidly,
one of the best things you can do for yourself
is learning to live outside of your comfort
zone and be flexible. If, for example, you see
in your audit that you are spending way too
much time processing each situation, then
you have to begin to give yourself deadlines,
even if those self-imposed goals are not
comfortable, so you don’t end up in a case of
paralysis of analysis.
• Time Limit: Sometimes you have projects or
tasks that you have to do, but they may take
a lot of your time. For instance, let’s say you
want to start a new business and you want to
get some research done. Instead of spending
hours and descending into the rabbit hole,
give yourself a time limit for each research
session helps with time management.
Perhaps you spend an hour a day doing the
research. Setting time limits will allow you to
do more because you’re not “over-spending”
your time on specific tasks.
• Forget Multi-Tasking: The brain is not made
to multi-task, and studies have shown
that although we like to think we are so
productive by multi-tasking, the reality is
that the mind should be focusing on one
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task at a time. Multi-tasking decreases your
efficiency and slows you down because your
brain has to shift gears between tasks. If
you focus intently for a specified period one
activity and then move onto the next goal,
you will get what you need to get done more
quickly, thus giving yourself more time to do
other things.
• Plan in Advance: I often spend my quiet
Sunday time planning for the week ahead.
Planning instead of doing things on the fly
helps you refine your focus and priorities,
thus saving you time. Any planning you can
get done for a meeting or scheduling will
help you save time. And, once you’re in the
thick of things for the week, if you planned
only one hour for a meeting or task, stick
to that period. Once you begin to go over in
the allotted time, everything else you have
planned will start to suffer.
• Pareto’s Principle: Pareto’s Principle is the
80/20 Rule, which is that 80 percent of your
results are going to come from 20 percent of
your actions. Think about it. The majority of
your success and time efficiency will come
from 20 percent of your efforts. Each day
you’re planning your time, think about the
20 percent of activities that will provide you
with the most significant results. Then focus
on spending the most time on those activities
and limiting the extraneous and wasteful
time spenders.
• Do Not Disturb: Again, we live in a world of
constant distractions and interference. For
you to be able to succeed in achieving what
you want, you have to minimize distractions.
For some, that may mean switching their
smartphones to “Do Not Disturb” so they can
get a good night’s restful sleep. For others,
that will mean placing a sign in the office
or via email that you will respond to emails
within 24 hours. Whatever it is, protect your
time since it’s precious.
Time management is one of the essential life and
professional skills necessary. To “find” time, it’s
a matter of prioritizing what you think is critical
(and understanding it before-hand), eliminating
wasteful distractions, and focusing when you are
in the process of doing an activity that’s essential
to your success. And, on the rare occasion you
find yourself waiting for your turn, say at the
office or when traveling, take the opportunity
to use the time to catch up on emails or answer
telephone calls. Finally, make sure that you get
relaxation each day since it will keep your mind
from getting burned out.
Author of “Not Your Father’s Charity: Grip & Rip Leadership for Social Impact” (Free Digital Download available at http://notyourfatherscharity.com/free-resources/ )
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