Archive for the ‘Self Improvement’ Category
It's no secret that work life can be stressful, especially for entrepreneurs who are often solely responsible for their own and their family's livelihood. When stressful business situations arise, a few simple steps can keep the stress at bay and help you keep your cool.
First, identify the source of your stress. Are you worried primarily about a rude email you have just received, or about the presentation you have due tomorrow? Try to pinpoint what is really bothering you.
Next, choose your response. Even if you are powerless to change the source of your stress, you can choose how to respond to it. You can face it head on or ignore it, depending on the answers to several questions:
- Does it matter? A potential bankruptcy could haunt you for years, but you will soon forget about the idiot who cut you off in traffic. Consider how much the stressor will affect you in the long term.
- How much control do you have over the situation? You cannot control a traffic jam that's causing you to miss your meeting, but you can control the quality of the report you're writing.
- Is the stress's source in the past, present, or future? Let go of stressors rooted in the past, respond to present stressors, and prepare for future ones.
If the situation is beyond your control, you need to find ways to shake it off. Try one or several of these calming methods:
- Practice deep-breathing exercises: inhale deeply through your nose, count to five, and exhale slowly as you again count to five. Repeat until the pattern feels comfortable.
- Redirect your thoughts: think about something that makes you happy, such as your family or a vacation you have planned. Or concentrate on your plans for the day.
- Visualize relaxing things: imagine a beautiful beach or mountain view. Picture even minor details of the scene, and imagine yourself there.
- Escape the source: If you can, put physical distance between yourself and the stressor. Go somewhere else to gather your thoughts and put things in perspective.
- Get some exercise. Take 10-20 minutes to run, stretch, do calisthenics or yoga, or simply to walk around. Go outdoors if you can. Getting plenty of exercise can help you respond better to stress in the long term, too.
Now when you're finally ready, face your stress head on. Procrastinating will only prolong or intensify your stress. Facing it is the only way to shake it off or resolve the situation. If you can change the situation, overcome your fear by taking action as quickly as possible. If you feel paralyzed, start first by making a plan for tackling the situation. Include attainable goals and a time line for reaching them. Then take them on - one step at a time.
If your stress continues because you cannot seem to achieve your goals, revise your plan and lower your expectations. If you can't, the situation falls into the uncontrollable category. Learn from your experience and let it go.
Most important in alleviating or avoiding stress is looking at the big picture. When you find yourself getting bogged down in the negative details, take a step back and think about what really matters: your family, your faith, and other intangibles you value. A broader perspective will reveal how little a daily stressor really matters in the grand scheme of life.
Deanna Maio, Business Development Strategist & Speaker, teaches women business owners how to grow their business significantly while still having time to live a great life. For FREE tips on how to get more results without working harder, attract more clients, and grow your profits, visit http://www.savvygals.com/
We all feel stress sometimes. Stress is the natural response of our body to help us deal with difficult situations. Without it, we would be unable to survive. The problem is that nowadays, most people have too much of it. This can not only be detrimental to your health, it can also hurt your business. That’s why it’s a good idea to figure out what stressors are causing you problems in your business and lessen them so you can be more productive and effective.
If you are having trouble losing weight, doctors will often recommend you keep a food diary. If you are having stomach issues, they’ll have you record food and digestive symptoms. Pain problems? Again, record your pain and anything that might trigger it. If you’re having trouble with getting stressed, why not keep a stress diary? This can help you figure out not only what is causing you stress, but also what the most effective way to deal with it is. Your doctor or other health professional can often provide you with a stress diary. There are also many journal templates available for you to download online. If you don’t want to bother with these journals, or can’t find one you like, you can simply make your own using a binder or notebook. Just remember to include a few key variables.
What stressor you have faced
- How stressed you are
It’s usually recommended to use a number scale instead of descriptive words. This way you can easily compare different stressors and their effectiveness.
Physical symptoms of stress
- What you did to ease your stress
- How well it worked
Once you’ve kept your stress diary for a while, you can then start analyzing it by looking at your stress and looking for patterns. It might help you figure out what stresses you out the most or what coping technique works best for you. You may also find things you didn’t think you would, for example that you are less stressed in the evenings or around meal time. The key in using a stress diary is actually doing something with the information you learn. If you’re lucky, you will find a simple solution, like using a coping method to stressors that seems to work better than others. Then you can simply use this method and reduce your work stress.
While it may seem to be a bit complicated, stress diaries are fairly simple once you get the hang of them. This will not only help you work more effectively, it can also improve your health and even save your life. If you are having trouble finding patterns and useful information in your stress diary, you might try taking it to a doctor or psychologist. They can not only help see issues, they can also help recommend more effective coping techniques for dealing with your stressors. Once you figure out what causes you stress and how to best deal with it, you’ll find yourself working and feeling better.
Deanna Maio, Business Development Strategist & Speaker, teaches women business owners how to grow their business significantly while still having time to live a great life. For FREE tips on how to get more results without working harder, attract more clients, and grow your profits, visit http://www.savvygals.com/
If you have no other reason for self-development, technology is it. Technology is changing constantly, and if you’re not up to date, you’re probably going to be left behind. Even if you choose not to use what’s available, you need to be knowledgeable to keep up with your marketing methods and to figure out how to get ahead of those who are using these technologies.
An important part of being a small business owner is staying connected to other people. You generally need people to work with, and you don’t just need to meet them, you also need them to think you’re knowledgeable and worth working with. Going to classes and seminars not only helps you meet business contacts, it also helps you gain knowledge so you can sound like you know what you’re doing and people will want to give you business.
If you own your own small business, you probably are well aware of the rush you get when you take on a new project or come up with a new idea or new way to get things done more efficiently. Gradually, however, that initial push wears off and you sink back into the same old plodding-through work. Now imagine if you were learning about a cool new product or idea every few weeks, or even every day. You could keep that energy burst going and going. That’s one of the biggest benefits of self-expansion. It keeps you excited about work and wanting to learn more and do more. And in the end, you get more done. If you’re working on your own, you don’t have a boss to constantly offer to send you to meetings and conferences to expand your horizons. That means you have to find them yourself. There are all kinds of options out there for self-expansion. Here are just a few general categories but the list goes on:
- E-books
- Seminars
- Local classes
- Online courses
- Newsletters
With all the options available, it’s may be hard for you to figure out which direction you want to go. There are thousands of programs, newsletters, seminars, ebooks, and all kinds of products out there to help you expand yourself and your business.
Before you try to find ways to develop yourself, you need to figure out what you want. This means setting your priorities and business goals. Do you want to make lots of money? Do you want to help others? Or do you just want to have a career your can balance with your already full life? What you want is the most important thing and should be your starting point. Once you have a vague direction, talk to other people with the same interests and ask for options. Starting with things like newsletters and message boards are great because they’ll probably help you find more information for self-expansion. The key to staying successful is to never stop learning.
Deanna Maio, Business Development Strategist & Speaker, teaches women business owners how to grow their business significantly while still having time to live a great life. For FREE tips on how to get more results without working harder, attract more clients, and grow your profits, visit http://www.savvygals.com/
For many people, running a business out of the home can be a great opportunity. You can spend more time with your family, control your own workload and income, and have a lot more flexibility to fit your life. But before you quit your job and get started, you need to consider some of the downsides of working from home and how they could affect you and your family.
One thing many people don’t consider when making the decision to work at home is loneliness. Even if you work hard, if you’re at an office, you have a lot of human interaction. We all need to interact with other people on a regular basis to stay happy and healthy. If you’re starting a home business, be sure to schedule in plenty of social activities with friends, even if it’s just a phone call during the day.
While the normal office includes a variety of distractions, it also includes a supervisor and deadlines to help you keep on track. A home office has more distractions and less threat to keep you focused. If you’re someone who’s easily distracted by things like computer games, television, or other things in the home, this could be a problem. While you’ll need self-discipline, it also helps to have a dedicated office and specific work hours to help you focus. Many people bring their work home from the office, but it’s a whole lot easier to do this when the office is in your home. Many moms decide to work from home so they can spend more time with their families. But after a while, they see their families less because they’re working on weekends and until all hours of the night.
Most moms have become pretty good at multitasking - to run a family you pretty much have to be - but working from home takes multitasking to a whole new level. Not only is the baby screaming while the dinner is cooking and the laundry is being put in, but now you have a work deadline to meet as well. If you want to work from home, you’ll need to learn to be an expert multitasker.
Normally, people who work outside the home are paid hourly or are salaried. While you may have variable hours, usually it provides a fairly steady income. Depending on what work you’re doing at home, your income is likely to be much more variable, especially at the beginning when you’re establishing your business. Make sure to have savings or a backup plan to help you out when your income dips.
While there are a lot of problems people may encounter when working from home, they are all manageable if you’re prepared for them, so try not to let them discourage you. Working from home offers many benefits as well, including flexible hours, more control over the kind of work you do, more time for your family, among countless other things. Ultimately the choice is up to you and your family.
Deanna Maio, Business Development Strategist & Speaker, teaches women business owners how to grow their business significantly while still having time to live a great life. For FREE tips on how to get more results without working harder, attract more clients, and grow your profits, visit http://www.savvygals.com/
While working from home is a great way to spend more time with your family while still making a living, you tend to lose out on time with your friends and co-workers. Even if you have a business that lets you interact with other people, it’s often through the internet and that isn’t really what you need to stay happy and healthy. Here are some ways to help avoid loneliness:
Sports
We all need exercise to stay healthy. Instead of working out in your basement or at the gym, join a local sports team. You can get a workout and some social interaction at the same time.
Play groups
This is not only a great way to socialize for your kids, it’s also a great way to socialize yourself. Set up time for the kids to play while the moms enjoy activities of their own.
Date night
It’s great to find other people to hang out with, but don’t forget your own partner. Every so often, it’s a great idea to find a babysitter and treat yourself to a night out (or even a night in).
Online
There are plenty of ways to meet new people and maintain friendships online. Just remember that nothing takes the place of good old face-to-face conversations.
Professional organizations
You can combat loneliness and propel your business forward at the same time by joining professional organizations. You can join local networks, or even attend seminars around the country or even the world. And, you’ll be making the kind of friends that can help you be more productive and profitable at work.
Find a hobby
If you have something you love to do, or have a hobby you’ve always wanted to try, find a group of people who will do it with you. You can find groups for anything from crocheting to juggling or even watching a certain soap opera.
Classes
Many local organizations offer classes where you can socialize while learning a new skill or trade. You can take classes related to your work, learn a new hobby, or just take a class on something that interests you. Classes are a great way to meet friends to hang out with as well.
Pets
While social interaction with people is great, interacting with animals can be a great substitute when you just can’t get out. They not only provide social interaction, they can also help you get out and exercise, and have even been shown to extend your life span. Just be sure to research the kind of pet you want before you buy it so you know you’re getting a friend you can care for properly.
These are just a few ideas of how to get out there and keep yourself happy and healthy. If you find yourself still missing the work environment, you can always get a part-time job that will give you the interaction you need without taking you away from your family for too long.
Deanna Maio, Business Development Strategist & Speaker, teaches women business owners how to grow their business significantly while still having time to live a great life. For FREE tips on how to get more results without working harder, attract more clients, and grow your profits, visit http://www.savvygals.com/
Stress can wreak true havoc on your life, both personally and professionally. Symptoms of extreme stress can take both emotional and physical forms. Some common physical symptoms include aches and pains, diarrhea or constipation, nausea and/or dizziness, chest pain, rapid heartbeat, loss of libido, and frequent colds. Emotional symptoms may include moodiness, irritability or short temper, agitation or inability to relax, feeling overwhelmed, a sense of loneliness and isolation, and depression or general unhappiness. When feeling overwhelmed by stress, it's important to try to identify specific stressors and to examine how you cope with them. You can then work to avoid, alter, adapt to, or accept the stressors in your life.
To avoid unnecessary stress, learn how to say no
Know your limits and stick to them, in both your professional and personal lives. Whenever possible, steer clear of people who cause you stress. Take control of your environment - if scary movies make you anxious, for example, don't watch them. Stay away from hot-button topics like religion or politics if they make you upset or cause conflict. And finally, pare down your to-do list. Separate the "shoulds" from the "musts" and drop anything that is not truly essential.
To alter stressful situations you can't avoid, express your feelings rather than bottling them up
If something is bothering you, convey your concerns openly but respectfully. At the same time, remain open to compromise. When you ask someone to change their behavior, be willing to do the same so that you can find a happy middle ground. In addition, be assertive and deal with problems head on, doing your best to anticipate and prevent them. And finally, manage your time better. Don't stretch yourself too thin and end up running behind.
If you can't avoid or alter the stressor, you can adapt to it
Learn to view stressful situations from a positive perspective. You can reframe a traffic jam, for example, as an opportunity for some reflection time. Also, look at the big picture of a stressful situation. Ask yourself how important the stressor will be in the long run and whether it's really worth getting upset over. If not, refocus somewhere else. Adjust your standards as well. Don't set yourself up for failure by demanding perfection from yourself and others. Focus on the positive by thinking about all of the blessings in your life, including your positive qualities and gifts. A third way to deal with stress is to accept the stress you cannot change. Don't try to control the uncontrollable - a category that encompasses many aspects of our lives, including other people's behavior. Focus instead on things you can control, such as your reactions to problems. Again, look for the upside when facing major challenges and try to see them as opportunities for growth. When the stress gets to be too much, confide in someone you trust. Expressing your feelings can be cathartic, even when you're powerless to change a situation.
Last but not least, learn to forgive - yourself as well as others
Accept the fact that we live in an imperfect world, and people make mistakes. Let go of anger and resentments and move on. Remember that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, so take time to relax and have fun when you detect symptoms of stress in your life. Set aside to time to rest, spend time with positive people, and do something you enjoy every day. And most of all, keep your sense of humor - including your ability to laugh at yourself.
Deanna Maio, Business Development Strategist & Speaker, teaches women business owners how to grow their business significantly while still having time to live a great life. For FREE tips on how to get more results without working harder, attract more clients, and grow your profits, visit http://www.savvygals.com/
When starting your own business it’s often easy to get yourself started, but a lot harder to keep yourself going when things get a bit more tough. Here are ten tips to help you stay committed.
1. Set goals
Without goals, there’s really not much reason for you to be in business. If you want to stay connected to your business, it helps to make yourself realize why you’re in business to begin with.
2. Keep goals in mind
You started your business for a reason. You need to keep that in mind so you don’t get weighed down by the day-to-day of your work. Keep little pictures or other memorabilia around that remind you of why you’re doing this is the first place.
3. Be flexible
There’s not a one-size-fits-all method to success; you might have to try a lot of things before you find what’s right for you. The key is to be flexible and willing to try new things when things aren’t working for you.
4. Be persistent
While you may want to change when things aren’t working, you can’t give up on everything so quickly. You have to be willing to keep trying and keep going even if things don’t go well.
5. Make it fun
We all want to do things that are fun, and shy away from things that aren’t. Make sure the avenues you pursue are not only profitable, but enjoyable to you. If you have stuff you need to do that isn’t as fun, try turning it into a game, just like you probably do with your kids to get their chores done.
6. Find supportive people
It’s a lot easier to stay committed to something if there are people on the sidelines cheering you on. Take time to talk to people who are supportive of your business. If you don’t have many, try finding people like you online and at local classes so you can encourage each other.
7. Get help
If you’re like most people, you probably think you can get your business going on your own. And if you’re like most people, you probably can’t. Starting your own business is a big job, and it’s perfectly normal to need a little help or guidance. Try to find a mentor who has already been successful in your area to guide you and give suggestions. They will also be a constant reminder that what you’re trying to do is achievable.
8. Review what you’ve done
If you’re feeling like you want to give up or just feel beaten down, take out a pen and paper and write down what you’ve accomplished since you started your business. Even if it’s just little stuff, write it down. By the time you’re finished you’ll probably feel better realizing how much you’ve accomplished. Then keep the list and review it and update it every so often to keep yourself going.
9. Expand yourself
You’ve probably found that when you have a new idea or project, you get very excited about it. Try to constantly expand yourself by going to seminars, reading ebooks, getting newsletters, and doing other things to keep yourself coming up with new ideas and getting new projects. The more new things you do, the more excited you’ll be about just doing your work.
10. Stay positive
A positive attitude goes a long way in keeping you motivated.
Take steps to keep yourself looking on the bright side of life and work and it will be easier to keep yourself going.
Deanna Maio, Business Development Strategist & Speaker, teaches women business owners how to grow their business significantly while still having time to live a great life. For FREE tips on how to get more results without working harder, attract more clients, and grow your profits, visit http://www.savvygals.com/
Working on your own is a great way to gain freedom and flexibility, but finding self-motivation can be one of the biggest road blocks. The key to succeeding as your own boss is that you have to act like a boss. You boss is someone who gets you on the right track and keeps you going. Here are a few tips on how to be your own motivator.
Make goals
It’s pretty hard to stay focused on work if all it is to you is work. To keep yourself motivated you have to have something to work towards. If you’re starting to get yourself motivated, the first thing you need to do is set goals. It might be a business goal, a financial goal, or something you’ll be able to do once you get your business going (like sending your kids to college). If you’ve been going for a while, remind yourself of what you started working for. And don’t forget to write down your goals so you have them right there with you.
Don’t forget
Once you set your goals, be sure to find a way to keep them in your mind. Keep a written statement of your goals somewhere you can see them often, or post pictures on the walls of your office of your family or things you want to do when you make the money. Anything that will remind you of what you’re working for will help.
Get help
If just having goals isn’t enough to keep you on track, why not try going to a professional. You don’t have to spend all the money to hire a life coach. There are plenty of courses and systems available with methods to help keep you on track. The key is finding the right one. Why not find successful people you know and ask them to point you in the right direction.
Think positive
While positive thinking is a hard skill to master, it’s one of the most beneficial things you’ll ever learn. It can not only help you achieve your goals, you’ll probably find yourself happier and more satisfied in your personal life as well. You can try things like positive affirmations or even meditation.
Stay healthy
A healthy mind is fueled by a healthy body. You don’t have to be a pro athlete, but if you eat a sensible diet and get regular exercise, you’ll probably find yourself feeling better and working better too.
Take breaks
If you feel like you can’t concentrate, take a break and get yourself back in focus. The same thing applies long term. If you’re feeling burnt out and just can’t get yourself going, why not take a few days off. You can go on a vacation, or just take a stay-cation and rediscover what’s in your own back yard. Once you go back, you’ll feel re-energized and ready to take on any challenge.
Deanna Maio, Business Development Strategist & Speaker, teaches women business owners how to grow their business significantly while still having time to live a great life. For FREE tips on how to get more results without working harder, attract more clients, and grow your profits, visit http://www.savvygals.com/
In life, there is one constant: change. Around us the world is constantly changing. Everything is in a constant state of flux: fashion, architecture, technology, and most of all - business. While some people have been successful by sticking with the same old thing, it’s a pretty short list.
If you look at yourself and what you know and do, and compare it to all the knowledge and opportunity available in the world, it’s probably a pretty small chunk. There are so many new avenues in business that are open to you; you just have to be open to them as well. While most people resist change, you may find that a lot of these avenues will not only make you more successful, you may just like them more than what you do now. Willingness to change makes you a better investment to customers and clients. If they only see you as a one-trick pony, they may come to you for that one thing, but that’s about it. But if people see you as adaptable, they’ll have more faith in your ability to keep up with the changing world and be more likely to take a chance on you, or come to you with new business opportunities that might be something you haven't tried before.
In today’s business market, technology is one of the best resources you can have. And the technology available is changing at a remarkable rate. It used to be that if you were out your business for ten or twenty years, you’d get behind and probably couldn’t go back without learning a lot of new stuff. Now, if you’re gone for just six months, you could be totally out of date. While you don’t need to get the latest or most expensive gadget, you do need to make regular changes and upgrades to the equipment you’re using.
Some of us are just more resistant to change than others; it’s just engrained in our DNA. But just because you don’t like change doesn’t mean you need to be left behind. Small changes can make big differences too. Instead of turning your life upside down, just start by looking in different directions. Attend a seminar about new ideas or technologies, subscribe to a new newsletter that you didn’t before. By themselves, these are pretty small changes, but when you do them, you might find options of bigger changes that won’t be too hard either.
Don’t change too much. Warren Buffet is one of the world’s richest men. He got there by being fairly resistant to technological change. He invests mostly in stable businesses like insurance and food, rather than more unstable things like dot-coms. The reason? Just because something is new, doesn’t mean it’s good. It’s always a good idea to research anything before getting involved with it, and to never put all your eggs in one basket - no matter how big an opportunity it is. If you change smart, then you’ll likely find yourself in a better situation.
Deanna Maio, Business Development Strategist & Speaker, teaches women business owners how to grow their business significantly while still having time to live a great life. For FREE tips on how to get more results without working harder, attract more clients, and grow your profits, visit http://www.savvygals.com/
Stress can kill you. Most people think this is stretching the truth a bit, but it is not. Stress causes unhealthy changes in your body. Manage stress before it gets out of hand with these three simple techniques. Stress is our response to outside forces exerted on us. It sounds like a lesson in physics class. If someone makes us angry, how we handle it affects our entire life. Some people hold it in which puts pressure on their mind. Others let the anger dissipate in order to keep it from affecting their lives. You want to be the latter. Have you ever noticed that you get headaches when dealing with certain situations? How about that stomach-ache that comes on when your boss walks in the room? Learning to manage these stressful situations makes all the difference to your body and your health.
Technique #1 – Take a time out
No, we are not talking about sitting in the corner facing the wall. Time out means distancing yourself from the situation in order to get a fresh perspective. People have many different ways to take a time out and you can choose a few that work with your schedule and lifestyle. Go for a walk. If you work from home, going for a walk can break up the work of the day. Getting fresh air and sunlight, as well as exercise, increases the oxygen flow to the brain. Working an exercise session into your day on a regular basis is the perfect time to sweat out all your problems and increase the feel-good endorphins in your system. A body in good shape can combat physical changes due to stress. In fact exercise reduces stress levels.
Technique #2 – Communicate with others
Some stressful situations are caused by what we perceive to be the truth. We do it all the time. Interpreting a look or a gesture without verbal confirmation leads to trouble. If you think your boss is unhappy with you, go and ask him. He may be having a bad day which has nothing to do with you, but you are getting a stomach-ache because of a faulty assumption. When you are offended or have a problem, talk it out with the appropriate person. Clearing the air goes a long way to clearing the mind of toxic thoughts and the body from harmful effects of those toxic thoughts. Also communicate positive words to others to create a sense of well-being for yourself.
Technique #3 – Spend time doing something for yourself
Every person needs to have time to pursue their own interests. Maybe you like to sew, read or paint. Whatever your passion, it is an important part of who you are and it is important for maintaining your sanity. When the pressure gets to be too much, making yourself the number one priority can soothe your soul.
Stress is manageable with a few techniques. Before you head towards the deep end, keep stress under control: communicate, incorporate “me” time, and keep your body healthy.
Deanna Maio, Business Development Strategist & Speaker, teaches women business owners how to grow their business significantly while still having time to live a great life. For FREE tips on how to get more results without working harder, attract more clients, and grow your profits, visit http://www.savvygals.com/
