Morning Motivator - What is Your System?

"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but nor simpler."
- Albert Einstein

The success of a business is the ability to continually process tasks and generate revenues when the driver of the "business" is not engaged. What does that mean? If you are "self employed" - you work for yourself and are also solely responsible for the completion of tasks and revenue generation, such that if you take vacation... your business takes a vacation too. If you own a "business" - your business runs when you are not around... such that you make money, even when you are not the one generating it. So which do you want?

Even if you are "employed" you have the ability to create a business. How so? Detailed planning and process implementation. What does that mean? It means, YOU have a PLANNED strategy for how you will COMPLETE tasks, a proven SYSTEM for completion and the appropriate RESOURCES in place for effective application. Its MAXIMIZING your ability to complete by being prepared. How do I do that? Here's an idea...

SUCCESS STEP: (grab a piece of paper)
To create your system, you will need to:
1. Define your goals - What is the function of your job? What does success look like in your role?
2. Define your work - Make a list of the TASKS that you must complete in order to fulfill your duties.
3. Identify the "next steps" of each task - Understand and be able to chart your work flow
4. Identify key resources for completion - Who or what outside assistance do you require to complete tasks?
5. Layout the work flow and automate - Have a visual of your work flow with consequences of action defined, automate any tasks available and delegate other tasks for completion.

This is a quick and dirty system development. You may be able to save time by working directly with someone trained in this development for your industry. I am able to refer you to assistance if desired.

Make it a great week!!

Cheers,
Zach

Morning Motivator – Why BUSY doesn’t mean PRODUCTIVE

"Dig where the gold is…unless you just need some exercise."
~ John M. Capozzi

Has the following statement ever crossed your lips? "Gosh, I was so busy today and feel like I accomplished NOTHING!" It's OK if so… Many people declare their hard working lack of productivity daily. A majority of those people will also continue the same activities HOPING for changed results in the future (this is a good time to look up the definition of INSANITY).

Now pose this question to yourself: "If I am working this hard and not making any headway, what am I doing wrong?" The answer is pretty easy – you are DOING the WRONG things! There is a great difference between being BUSY and being PRODUCTIVE.

BUSY is a description of effort towards tasks. PRODUCTIVE is a description of the RESULTS of your efforts towards tasks. Quick example: If you are in sales, your role is to generate new revenues. If you spend your day doing paperwork, generating proposals, calling to collect information from clients, doing support calls, etc – then how are you able to GENERATE new revenue? You will FEEL busy, yet ACCOMPLISH very little!

So how do you ensure you are FOCUSED on being productive and limit the amount of busy work you do daily? Here is an application that may help:

SUCCESS STEP:
1. Take a sheet of paper and write your job title at the top. (ex. Vice President of Business Services)

2. Underneath your job title, begin writing out all the activities you take on, manage, deal with, etc. during the day (this would include this such as: make sales calls, send follow up emails, respond to support questions, email friends, take call from husband/wife, etc).

3. Once you have a complete list, circle the TOP THREE (3) activities that are most valuable to your role (this work in personal dynamic also).

4. Those 3 activities should be your daily focus and 1 should be the primary, as it is likely that 1 activity is most valuable.

5. For the REMAINING duties – get an intern, hire an assistant, purchase a computer program or employ something that allows you to delegate away those non valuable tasks and FOCUS on being PRODCUTIVE!

When you FOCUS on being PRODUCTIVE over being BUSY – you will find you work LESS, with less STRESS and increased SUCCESS! Should you doubt the SUCCESS of applying this theory – ask an ATTORNEY, ACCOUNTANT, or PHYSICIAN what they think... They will have their assistant get that response back to you! =)

Cheers,
Zach

Morning Motivator - What's Your Next Move?

"Often the difference between a successful man and a failure
is not one's better abilities or ideas, but the courage that one
has to bet on his ideas, to take a calculated risk and to act."
--Dr. Maxwell Maltz

One of the most powerful acts you are capable of is the generation of unique thought - the ability to create new ideas to better yourself.

One of the most defeating acts of your powerful mind is the inability to naturally prioritize one action over another. Your mind holds tasks in the same value - something that needs completed. Thus "brush my teeth" holds the same cognitive space as "write out my annual goals."

It is your conscious responsibility to prioritize tasks and clearly define the "NEXT ACTION STEP" so your mind can rest and focus on other top priorities. Try it...

SUCCESS STEP:
To open up creative space in your mind and better manage the growing number of projects, begin keeping a Project Log. You will write the project, its value to you personally or professionally, rank it in importance and the DEFINE the next ACTION steps.

You will now be able to visually assess all projects, the efforts required to complete, the value of completion and how to get there.

Cheers,
Zach

Morning Motivator - Investing in Your Future

"May this be the year that we take the time to be friends who don't need to be asked, who teach, who keep dreams alive, who only lift."
- Dale Dauten

Welcome to 2008 and I hope you all enjoyed a Happy New Year. As we start the New Year, I want you to consider your great accomplishments of 2007... And the people that helped you achieve them.

How do you become successful or maintain success? Mostly by focusing on high value activities that you have a naturally superior ability to fulfill. So who does the rest? Your support team of super stars.

Whether its your family, friends, co workers, church family or even pets... Someone is helping you daily to do more and be better. Are you doing the same for them?

SUCCESS STEP:
List out your top 3 biggest achievements in 2007. Next list the people that helped you achieve that success directly and indirectly. Lastly, call them, share your success story with them, thank them and ask them what you can do to support their dreams... Then TAKE ACTION (this is often returned 10 fold)!

Here's to you and the dreams you start fulfilling today!

Cheers,
Zach