Top 1% Mindset

Optimizing Your Business In 2023

Tue, 10 Jan 2023 19:56:56 GMT

Effective Time Management

Fluctuations between high workloads and idle periods are a norm for small enterprises. Addressing this requires timely and meticulous time tracking. By pinpointing time allocation, businesses can gauge their operational bandwidth. This understanding allows for improved planning and efficient resource deployment. Additionally, precise time logging enhances client trust, paving the way for systematic billing methods and ensuring a consistent cash flow. Remember, time remains the fundamental element to monitor in the journey of business growth, enabling smooth operations both in and out of the office.

Consider these benefits of a mastermind group:

With reliable timekeeping in place, it furnishes a reservoir of data. Managers can then decipher work patterns and optimize resource allocation. Designating realistic project timelines and refining tasks becomes straightforward. As clarity on task requirements emerges, output quality and operational efficiency improve. This exactness is a win-win for the enterprise and its clientele since project estimates become sharper and more competitive. Forward-thinking, facilitated by the right tools, empowers businesses to lead with assurance.

Efficient Invoicing Techniques

Muddled timekeeping often leads to disorganized billing. Some enterprises take an inordinately long time to finalize billable amounts, causing unpredictable billing cycles. Such inconsistencies can result in financial losses due to unpaid projects. Protracted invoicing translates to delayed payments. Proper record-keeping and billing based on accurate data prevent unnecessary losses and ensure businesses claim what they rightfully deserve.

Promoting Accountability

Efficiency is directly proportional to accountability. Effective scheduling, stringent cost control, and understanding key performance indicators set the foundation for expansive growth. Holding everyone in the organization accountable for their contributions and performances transforms business operations. By fostering a receptive environment and championing feedback, it motivates employees to be more involved in the company's success trajectory. Such a climate not only amplifies individual outputs but also uplifts overall employee morale.

Steady Operational Flow

Upon establishing operational best practices, forecasting future work schedules becomes attainable. Leveraging data analytics to pre-empt busy phases and pinpoint expansion opportunities during slower times establishes a proven operational framework. Preparedness, personnel, processes, and product quality are essential components that ready a company for growth and scalability.

Embracing Digital Evolution

In today's technologically-driven age, a business's digital readiness is paramount. This isn't solely about integrating cutting-edge tools but nurturing an organizational ethos receptive to evolution. Periodic evaluations of digital utilities ensure that they meet current needs and are scalable for future demands. Equipping your team with the latest digital knowledge not only bolsters productivity but also solidifies your competitive position. Client engagements, too, need to mirror the expectations of a digital-savvy audience, ensuring every touch point is digitally optimized.

Charting a growth map for your enterprise in 2023 demands a holistic strategy. From impeccable time management to digital agility, each component plays a pivotal role in shaping your business's future. As your enterprise grows and morphs, your strategies and tools must evolve in tandem, positioning you as a frontrunner in the marketplace.

Why Your Business is NOT Growing

Mon, 08 Mar 2021 14:51:49 GMT

Entrepreneurs Need a Mastermind

What exactly is a mastermind group? A mastermind group is a place to learn, teach, receive and give support, and brainstorm. The members of the group also provide accountability to each other. They often have weekly or monthly meetings.

A mastermind group might be industry specific or diverse to draw wisdom across multiple business models. Either way, a mastermind can supercharge your business success.

Mastermind groups are not a new concept; they were originally made popular through

Napoleon Hill, the author of Think and Grow Rich. The Mastermind concept was inspired by Hill’s many conversations with the highly successful businessman, Andrew Carnegie, who attributed his entire fortune and success to his Mastermind group. Jim Rohn once said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with”. Who you spend your time with influences the person that you will eventually become. The same applies to your business, as well.

What to expect in a 90 Min Mastermind Session?

Check-in. Discuss a business highlight or win you’ve had in the last 30 days?
Accountability. Identify what is the most important steps in growing your business and build a strategy to accomplish these milestones. Regular check in on the progress of your goals. Did you do what you said you were going to do at the last session? Are you ahead, behind, or on pace with your number one strategic priority? Success is built on the follow up and follow through…
Perspective. What progress do you need to make on your strategic priority in the next 30 days? What has to happen for that progress to occur? Do you have any blocks? How to overcome your own blocks and see how to safeguard your business from the pitfalls that others are experiencing. A wise man learns from his own mistakes, but a genius learns from the mistakes of others.
Action items. Reverse engineer the process of success. Based on the perspective you received today, what are you going to do and when will you get it done by?
Content. Value. Value. Value. Information and insights to make your business(es) better, faster, and more efficient.

Consider these benefits of a mastermind group:

New ideas. Two heads are better than one. Ten heads can be even better. If you need help finding a solution to a challenge, a mastermind group can be a great help.

● You can also learn from each other. Everyone in the group has something to teach the other members.

● Focus on quality over quantity. Seek a high-quality group with high-quality members.

Support. Do you need emotional support or encouragement? Do you need an expert to help you with something? A mastermind group can provide that, too.
Access to new partners. Maybe you need a business partner or a loan. Mastermind groups often have members that are looking for opportunities.
Social circle of like-minded people. Many of your mastermind group’s members will be just like you. You all have a lot in common. You can add significantly to your social circle by joining a group.
A new level of thinking. A mastermind group can expose you to others that have achieved much more than you have. All of a sudden, your goals might seem a little small and conservative. You will strive for greater levels of success when you are part of a mastermind group.
Accountability. Everyone in the group knows what you’re working on. They’ll hold you to your plans. More importantly, you will hold yourself to higher standards.

There are many mastermind groups already in existence, but it is important to find the right group for you. Take a look around and find the group that meets your needs. Mastermind groups are often hosted by a Mastermind coach or facilitator, and there is usually a cost to join—which is not a bad thing. When there is skin in the game, you are more likely to show up for yourself and your business. After all, “there’s a difference between interest and commitment. When you are interested in doing something, you do it only when circumstances permit. When you are committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results.” Art Turock

Once you establish that level of commitment, A mastermind group can greatly speed up your progress, regardless of your stage in life or business. Get started with one today!

To learn more about Rise Entrepreneurs or The Rise of the Serial Entrepreneur Podcast, check out and subscribe to our podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0zo8zhtJtTWju2DtJZQ7zU?si=_qoju6grTMOlgHy1V39xUA

Avoid Shelf Development; Take Action and become the BEST Version of You.

Sat, 06 Mar 2021 14:23:05 GMT

Self-Development Ideas for Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurs are in a challenging situation. They have to be good at so many things but are strapped for time. Many entrepreneurs have good intentions to grow and learn, but if they aren't careful, they get caught in the act of shelf-development rather than self development.

What does that mean? The entrepreneur spends more time reading and cultivating a library of the latest and greatest business books. Don't get me wrong, reading and learning is imperative, but if the principles learned get left on the shelf and not put into action--my friends, the desired growth does not occur.

Most entrepreneurs have limited time, energy, and other resources available to spend on self-development. Yet, at the same time, entrepreneurs are in a position to gain the most from improving their knowledge and skills.

It’s a tough balancing act, and one that must be managed well.

If you’re an entrepreneur, try these ideas to successfully undertake self-development projects:

Carefully consider what you need to learn. Assess your needs and weaknesses and make a decision about what you need to learn. What will most add to your life or your business? Entrepreneurs are short for time, so it’s important to make a wise decision about how to spend your self-development time.

● Ask yourself, “What would most benefit my life or happiness?”

● Then ask yourself, “What would most benefit my business?”

Selling skills. It’s hard to make money without customers or clients. Selling skills can be among the most valuable for entrepreneurs. If you don’t have all the income you desire, enhancing your selling skills might be a logical choice for your self-development efforts.
Marketing skills. If people don’t know about your business, you’re going to struggle. There are tons of inexpensive marketing choices available today for entrepreneurs. Maybe your business will benefit if you strengthen this important skill.
Social skills. Networking, gaining, and maintaining customers and clients is a big part of an entrepreneur’s job. If your social skills are subpar, your business will struggle. Everyone can benefit from greater social skills, whether they’re an entrepreneur or not.
Public speaking. Depending on your business, this can be a very useful skill. It can build confidence and comfort when dealing with people. Speaking at conferences can be a good way to market and sell your services or products to a larger audience.
Goals. Do you have goals? Many entrepreneurs would benefit from having a set of reasonable and applicable goals to work toward. Setting and striving for goals is a valuable skill to develop. It’s a skill that will be useful in more areas of life than just entrepreneurship.
Focus, discipline, perseverance. These are three qualities all entrepreneurs could use more of. If you’re lacking in any of these areas, consider implementing a program that builds on one or more of these characteristics.

Other qualities to consider include the ability to deal with stress, confidence, and motivation.

Time management. Entrepreneurs are frequently pressed for time. The closest anyone can come to creating time out of thin air is to learn how to manage their time more effectively.
Health. Most small business owners fail to care for themselves properly. Too little sleep, too many skipped meals, poor food quality, and a lack of exercise are serious impediments to good health. Making your health a priority and building some healthy habits might be the best way to spend your self-development time.
Relationships. Entrepreneurs are notorious for having troubled relationships. The time commitment of running a business and the stress that goes along with it can be a real strain on any relationship. Perhaps learning how to reconnect is the best skill you can learn at this time.

Entrepreneurs are short on time, so they must approach self-development intelligently and efficiently.

Decide what area of self-development will best serve your business or life. Do you mostly want to make more sales or to enhance your health? Is managing your time the best skill for you to learn at this time? Take a look at your situation and allocate your self-development hours appropriately.

Master Success One Habit at a Time

Mon, 01 Mar 2021 17:29:18 GMT

Create One Great Habit a Month and Have a Great Year

You don’t need to have 100 good habits to make your life better. Just 12 habits are plenty to completely turn your life around.

Of course, it’s important to choose effective habits. The right habits put your success on autopilot. If you’re doing the right things each day, good things happen. It’s as certain as gravity.

"Wouldn't it be great to be gifted? In fact... It turns out that choices lead to habits. Habits become talents. Talents are labeled gifts. You're not born this way, you get this way."

~Seth Godin

Use this process to enhance your life one habit at a time:

Know your goals. You can’t choose the best habits to add to your life without knowing your goals. The best habits support your goals and make them much more likely to come to fruition. Make a list of your goals and prioritize them.
Make a list of all the habits that would aid in reaching those goals. Take a look at your most important goals and consider all of the habits that would help you to reach those goals. List every possible habit you can think of no matter how small it might be. We’re not judging them yet, so list them all.
Prioritize those habits. Some habits are far more effective than others. Take your list of habits and put them in order from most effective to least. Take as much time to do this as you need. Be honest with yourself. The most effective actions are often the least enjoyable.
● Choose the 12 habits that will make the biggest impact in your life over the next year. Make sure that you have these 12 habits in a logical order that makes sense for you.
Make a plan. Start with the first habit and develop a plan for how you can implement it in 30 days. Let’s suppose that your first goal is to go to the gym each day for 45 minutes and alternate days between cardio and lifting weights. You might decide to proceed this way:

● Day 1. Find a gym close to the house that is convenient for me and affordable.

● Days 2-7. Go to the gym for at least 15 minutes. I’ll let myself do whatever I want when I get there.

● Days 8-14. Go to the gym for at least 25 mins. At least half of that time must be spent on cardio.

● And so on. Just be sure to be at full speed by day 30.

Start with only one goal. Keep it to one goal. It might seem more effective and much faster to put all the habits into action at once, but it works better, and the results are more long-lasting to do it one at a time. Twelve good habits over a year are life changing.

Put all of your energy and focus on that one goal. That one goal has to be a huge priority. This is your life you’re talking about. Be 100% determined to be successful this time.

Do it daily. Daily actions are easier to turn into habits that things you only do a few times a week.

Plan your energy. People often plan their time without considering their energy levels. For example, going to the gym in the morning is either much better or worse than going to the gym in the evening for you. Everyone is different.

Plan your time, but plan around your energy.

6. Keep your eye on the big picture. These habits might not be enjoyable in the short term. However, if you keep your attention on the benefits you’ll gain, it will make things easier.

7. Track your results. Track your results. You might be tracking pounds of body weight, dollars, pushups, or hours of piano practice. Tracking your results is motivating.

After 30 days, add another habit. Keep going until you’ve added all 12. Just 12 habits will make a huge difference. Instead of trying to change everything about your life at once, try tackling life one habit at a time. Which habit will you choose?

Interview with 8 figure investor & wealth Consultant Wai-yee

Fri, 26 Feb 2021 15:17:30 GMT

8 figure investor mindset with

Wai-yee Schmidt

Wai-yee is an attorney turned multi-millionaire investor with a strongly diversified portfolio of active and passive investments ranging from real estate to equities market to direct investments in several tech companies. Wai-yee is a strategic advisor to algorithmic tech company Boon Logic, Inc. as well as a board member of property tech platform Maxcrowdfunding. Wai-yee is also the founder of Kings & Wealth Consulting LLC, a corporate consulting company, working with leaders and businesses to propel them into their fullest potential in identity, purpose and impact, creating a legacy of sustainability and permanence through business growth and wealth-building strategies. Her background is real estate and has been an active real estate investor since 2010 and has owned a successful flip business remodeling and selling apartments in Frankfurt, Germany.

Wai-yee Schmidt (LLB (Hons))

wyschmidt@kingsandwealth.com

Investor/Strategic Advisor/Business Coach/Bible Teacher

Founder of Kings & Wealth Consulting LLC

https://kingsandwealthconsulting.youcanbook.me

LinkedIn@ linkedin.com/in/wai-yee-schmidt-7b23a6171

Facebook @ Kings & Wealth
Instagram @kingsandwealthfounder

15 Easy Ways to Empower Yourself with Navy Seal Officer Thom Shea

Mon, 22 Feb 2021 16:39:49 GMT

15 Easy Ways to Empower Yourself

Anyone can attain personal empowerment. It depends more on your actions than on the size of your bank account or the title on your business card.

Do you want to be successful and experience more control over your life?

Learn more about the meaning of true empowerment and run down this list of 10 simple things you can start doing today to build your competence and confidence.

General Principles of Self-Empowerment:

Set realistic goals. Small victories provide motivation. Aim for targets that are within your reach. If losing 50 pounds seems overwhelming, start with one diet tweak at a time, like putting less sugar in your coffee.
Strengthen your skills. If you’re willing to keep learning, you can expand your potential. Read self-help books and take online courses on communications or coding. Talk with others about their areas of expertise and teach them what you know.
Manage your emotions. Going beyond your comfort zone can be scary. Acknowledge your feelings while making decisions that serve your long-term interests. When your emotions are intense, think them through or talk with others who can help you sort things out.
Believe in yourself. Challenge the assumptions that have been holding you back. Think positive and focus on what you have to gain.
Gather support. Empowering yourself can enhance your relationships with others. Surround yourself with family and friends who boost your self-esteem. Allow yourself to be vulnerable and ask for help when you need it.

Simple Ways to Empower Yourself:

Respect your time. Treat your time like a precious resource. Clarify your top priorities and devote your energy to them. Limit distractions that would pull you off track.
Protect your privacy. How do you handle intrusive questions? Set healthy boundaries and be assertive about maintaining them. Give yourself permission to end conversations that make you uncomfortable.
Meditate daily. Self-knowledge makes it easier to empower yourself. Observe your thoughts through meditation or other methods like keeping a journal. You could also take personality quizzes online and ask others for feedback.
Practice self-care. Honoring your needs is an important part of valuing yourself. Eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly, and aim for at least 7 hours of sleep each night.
Follow a budget. Putting your finances in order will help you to feel more secure and increase your capacity to take on meaningful projects. Create a sound plan for your savings, spending, and investments. Consult a professional advisor if you need more guidance.
Share housework. Are you satisfied with how you and your partner divide household chores, as well as parenting responsibilities? If you want to achieve more balance, initiate a conversation about making some changes and track your progress.
Gain recognition at work or in business. It may take more than excellent performance to make you visible at work. Keep your boss updated on your achievements and share credit with others to build teamwork and cooperation.
Resolve complaints. How do you handle issues with customer service or your apartment management? Instead of seething silently, ask for the outcomes you want. Be tactful and direct while standing up for your rights.
Use affirmations. Repeating positive statements to yourself can help you to overcome challenges and deal with stress. Visit affirmation websites or use your own wording.
Check your posture. Body language has a major influence on how you feel and how others perceive you. Stand up straight and hold your head high.

Personal empowerment means taking responsibility for your life so you can enjoy more happiness and success. Trust yourself and make positive choices that bring you closer to achieving your goals.

The Business Skill Worth More Than Bitcoin

Sat, 13 Feb 2021 02:54:48 GMT

7 Tips That Help You Make Connections at Work and in Life

Work and day-to-day life are more enjoyable when you have meaningful relationships. It’s nice to have someone to talk to. And, the more people you know, the more likely it is that one of them will be able to help you out in a big way down the road.

It’s not just about who you know, but that’s a big part of it. Who knows you can change your life! If you know the right people, big things can happen. It’s also important to connect with others for social reasons.

Consider how much you would do for a good friend. Your relationships are valuable on multiple levels.

Use these strategies to connect with the people around you:

Be willing to start small. It’s unlikely that the CEO of a Fortune 50 company is going to join you for a burger and beer. However, it is important to reach out and connect, but do so by adding value. For example, participate in a corporate event, network at a industry tradeshow, or volunteer for a charity.
Start by taking one small step. If that goes well, you’ll have the chance to escalate the relationship down the road one step at a time, but practice outreach, often.

● Ask a colleague to join you for coffee.

● Ask a neighbor if they’d like to play golf.

● Start a conversation in line or at a cafe.

3. Take advantage of opportunities. Office birthday parties, the coffee maker, water cooler, someone new moves into your neighborhood, the time before the meeting starts: These are all great opportunities to say hello and start a conversation.

● Most people are waiting for someone to talk to them. You can be that person.

4. Join organizations. Many workplaces have softball teams, volunteer organizations, or a Toastmasters Club. Get involved. Your local community has plenty of social opportunities, too.

● Be assertive and sign yourself up for something that interests you that will bring you into contact with others.

5. Show genuine interest. One of the best ways to grow a relationship of any kind is to show genuine interest in the other person. Use their name when you speak to them. Give them your full attention. Show enthusiasm when you see them.

● Remember the things they’ve told you in the past. For example, if they tell you Friday that they’re going to see a movie, be sure to ask them about it the next time you see them.

6. Use your lunch hour wisely. There’s a common saying in the business world - “Never eat alone.” Instead just sitting there and eating your lunch alone, spend that time sharing a meal with someone.

7. Be approachable. Think about the kind of people you naturally like when first meeting them. They’re probably in a good mood, very open, and smiling. We’ve all seen people that look very approachable. We’ve also all seen people that look very unapproachable. Be the former.

8. Be open and interesting. Have an interesting life and be willing to discuss it. Who wants to hang out with someone that just works and watches TV?

● Ask questions. People like to share. Ask the person you are networking with, what is most important to him/her.

● Find a way to connect deeper than the weather and sports team. Become a person of tangible substance.

When building relationships in business, if you can impact someone's health, wealth, or family, you create value in that person's life. Being a person of value with exponentiate opportunities in business and

Relationships add spice and stability to life. The people in your life can also potentially do a lot for you. It’s nice to have a ride to the airport, be invited to parties, or to be offered jobs that haven’t even been announced. Create connections with the people around you. You never know what might happen.

Increase Your Success With Conscientiousness

Fri, 29 Jan 2021 03:02:09 GMT

Conscientiousness is one of the most reliable predictors of success. There are plenty of intelligent and talented people that struggle with life. However, an average person that possesses a high level of conscientiousness can be incredibly successful.

Conscientiousness is the quality of doing what needs to be done, when it needs to be done, and doing it well and thoroughly.

Using these strategies will help you to be more conscientious:

Start by planning your time. Make a schedule for yourself based on the most important tasks that need to be done. The crucial things will get done, and you’ll be much less likely to waste time.
Schedule your life maintenance tasks. Being conscientious means taking care of your personal business. This includes all of those like maintenance tasks like paying bills, laundry, cleaning, shopping, and mowing grass. Have a schedule for all of these responsibilities and stick to it.
Have a grooming routine. One pretty reliable way to determine if someone is conscientious is to look at their grooming and wardrobe. Maybe you can’t judge a book by its cover, but you can tell a lot about a person by their appearance. If you tend to look a little on the disheveled side, create a routine.
Only wear clean clothes that fit and are in good condition. Get rid of the rest. You don’t have to be known as the best dresser at the office, but it may help to be in the top 25%.
Declutter. Scale back on your possessions and ensure that everything that’s left has a place. Put everything back in its place when you’re done using it. This is enough to remove all the clutter in your life.
Be on time. Conscientious people are aware of time and stick to their plans. They don’t make other people wait. Be prompt and courteous. Show yourself and others that you’re in control of your time and your life.
Finish what you start. Those at the low end of the conscientious distribution have a habit of failing to finish what they start. You can’t win if you don’t finish. You can’t accomplish anything until you complete something. Develop the habit of seeing things through to completion. You can do this with any task in your life for practice.
Go to bed and get up at the same time every day. Have a bedtime and stick to it. Get up at the same time every day. This takes a little discipline, but it’s worth the effort.
Learn to control your impulses. Poor impulse control and conscientiousness do not go hand in hand. Conscientiousness is doing what needs to be done, when it needs to be done, regardless of whether or not you feel like doing it. Following an impulse is doing what you feel like doing regardless of any other concern.

We all know that person with all the intelligence and talent that anyone could ever hope for, but for some reason they can’t live a successful life. The most common reason is a lack of conscientiousness.

This can be a challenging quality to develop if it doesn’t exist in you naturally, but the benefits clearly outweigh the time and effort it takes to develop it.

The best first step is to schedule your day and follow your schedule. Keep to the schedule no matter what. You can become a conscientious person! An easier, less stressful life is waiting for you.

Are You Afraid of Success?

Mon, 25 Jan 2021 15:17:12 GMT

The idea that someone can be afraid of success sounds odd to many people. Fear of failure is easier for most people to comprehend, but a fear of success? It sounds preposterous.

After all, who wouldn’t want to be more successful? Perhaps you!

Fear of success is a common obstacle to consistent and lasting success. People are often masters of achieving 90% of a goal, only to throw it all away at the last moment.

Fear of success has multiple components and symptoms. Read on to see if a fear of success is an obstacle for you.

The fear of success has more than one cause:

Fear of change. Humans are programmed to avoid change. This is true even if your life is in the pits. Why would this be? Because, even if you’re highly displeased with your life, you’re still surviving.
Your brain is concerned about what might happen if your situation changes. As far as your brain is concerned, alive and miserable is better than possibly happy and dead.
Fear of greater responsibility. Success brings more responsibility. In many cases, you have to become more responsible to experience more success. When you’ve become successful, people expect more from you.

Starting a business and experiencing success is great, but now you might have employees that rely on you.
Building a real estate empire sounds great, but now you have tenants, debt, and complex taxes to deal with.

Fear of standing out. Some people love attention, but many do not. People notice when you’re successful, and many will dislike you for it. Jealousy and feelings of mediocrity can bring out the worst in others.

There are people that would prefer to just blend into the background than stand in the spotlight. Perhaps you feel this way, too.

Those that fear success show several of the same symptoms:

Self-sabotage. Everyone has experienced that before. You’re doing well and making great progress. Then, it seems like the wheels just fall off. You make silly mistakes. You make poor choices. This is easy to see in others but can be challenging to identify in yourself.
Changing goals. You get close to achieving success and then suddenly decide to change your mind and do something else instead. If you keep changing direction, you’ll never make any real progress. Choose an appealing goal and stick with it.
Procrastination. A sudden lack of motivation is a common sign that you’re afraid of success. Procrastination is a primary killer of progress.

A fear of success can be managed. Try these techniques:

Determine the cause. What are you actually afraid of? Determine the cause of your fear, and you’ll have a chance to work around it. You can’t defeat the enemy you can’t see.
Notice how that fear changes your thoughts and behavior. What does that fear do to you? What are the symptoms of your fear of success? How are your thinking and behavior altered by this fear.
Face, rather than avoid, your fears. Avoiding your fear leads to failure. Develop a strategy for working around your fear. Become more resistant to fear. Give yourself a pep talk or enlist the help of a friend. Do whatever you need to do to continue making progress.

If you’re not sure why success seems to elude you, consider the possibility that you’re afraid of success. Do you have any of the symptoms? How successful do you think you’ve been to this point in your life? Are you underachieving?

A fear of success makes sense when you consider the source of that fear. However, what makes sense isn’t necessarily the most desired option. Overcome your fear of success and achieve the greatness you deserve.

Mental Fitness: Interview with fitness Expert and Entrepreneur Jillian Michaels

Mon, 18 Jan 2021 18:00:14 GMT

7 Brain Hacks That Boost Productivity

Productivity is important because it relates to income and time. The more productive you are, the more money you can earn in many situations. You can also save time. That time can be spent on anything you like, including making more money.

There are many obstacles to productivity, such as a lack of focus, a lack of intention, a lack of stamina, and too many distractions, to name a few.

Hack your brain and increase your productivity with these strategies:

Set an intention. Most people can’t focus because they’re not truly clear on what they want to focus on or for how long. Give yourself a fighting chance by choosing a specific task for a specific amount of time.

For example, you might decide you’re going to work on your tax return for 30 minutes. Set a timer and do your best for those 30 minutes.
Your brain will do its best to give you what you want if you give it clear instructions.

Meditate. Meditation helps to build focus and calm your mind. Meditation is incredibly popular right now, so there is plenty of free information on how to meditate effectively. Educate yourself and get started. It’s simple and effective.
Take regular breaks. Experiment with break frequency and duration. The best option for most people is either 25 minutes of work and a five-minute break, or 50 minutes of work and a 10-minute break. Discover what works best for you and then stick with it. Timers can be powerful tools.
Avoid giving in to temptation. Most of us give in to the temptation of distraction far too easily. It’s a very difficult habit to break. We quickly go from feeling bored or stressed to amused. It feels good to check email or read a text.

The most productive people are able to overcome the urge to break their attention from their work task.
It’s important to avoid these distractions during your breaks, too. It’s too hard to get back on task, and your breaktime magically extends from five minutes to 25. Learn how to say “no” to your urges.

Alternate high and low-focus tasks. Many people report greater productivity when they alternate between cognitively intense activities and those that require less intellectual effort. It’s similar to interval training in the gym.

Lower-level activities might include returning calls and emails, or other routine work. The lower-level activities give your brain a rest and the chance to recover. Soon, it’s ready for another round of more intense activity.

Drink plenty of water. Most people are partially dehydrated. The solution is to drink plenty of water. That doesn’t mean you have to be chugging 20 ounces of water every hour. But, a 20-ounce bottle of water every few hours would be beneficial to most.

So many metabolic processes require water that you’re not at your best if you’re dehydrated.

Develop a positive mindset. A positive outlook on life makes you more productive. Studies show that mindset affects productivity. Work on having a positive outlook and you’ll accomplish more each day. You’ll also be a lot happier.

Productivity should be important to everyone. Time is your most valuable asset, so do what you can to maximize it. We can all be more productive, but it doesn’t happen by magic. It must be a priority if you want to see real results. Dedicate yourself to maximizing your productivity.

Give your brain every chance to be your ally on this important journey.

Increase Momentum: 11 Tips for Overcoming Laziness and getting things done

Wed, 13 Jan 2021 18:00:14 GMT

2021 has been challenging to say the least; work from home has offered its own share of distractions. Moreover, stress, anxiety and boredom can manifest itself as lack of motivation--or worse, laziness.

Laziness is frustrating. There are things that you know you should be doing, but you simply don’t feel like doing them. Everyone has been in this situation more than once.

A lazy day isn't an issue on occasion, but chronic laziness can cause a lot of short and long-term challenges in your life.

Learning to deal with laziness in an effective manner is an important tool in your life skills toolbox.

If laziness is negatively affecting you, try these techniques to curb it:

Start with the hardest task. Many people find that there’s actually just one task that’s preventing them from taking action. If you could just put that task in your rearview mirror, everything else would be a piece of cake. Try doing your most dreaded task first and watch your productivity rise!

Start with the easiest task. On the other hand, if you could just gain a little momentum, you might find yourself motivated to continue. Try doing the shortest or easiest task first and see what happens.

Reward yourself for taking action. A little reward can go a long way. Tell yourself that you can have a cup of coffee after you work for 30 minutes. Or, let yourself read a chapter from your favorite novel after putting in a couple of hours of work.

Get organized. A cluttered workspace increases the amount of resistance you feel. Whether it’s a messy desk, a dirty kitchen, or a bunch of toys in the yard that are standing in your way, spend some time tidying things up.

Force yourself to do the task you’re avoiding for just two minutes. Many tasks are easy to do, but it can be hard to get started. Force yourself to work for just two minutes and you might find that it’s easy to continue for much longer.

Get more sleep. Perhaps you’re just tired. More sleep is the answer.

Visualize the task already completed. Close your eyes and see yourself completing the task. Notice how wonderful you feel. Use that feeling as motivation to get busy.

Relax. The ultimate reason we don’t take action is this: We think about performing a task, and it doesn’t feel good. Notice where you feel uncomfortable when you think about doing that unpleasant task. Relax that area, breathe deeply, and the feeling will dissipate.

Think about something that gets you excited. What is something you love to do? Think about that for a while, and then quickly get started on the unpleasant task.

See yourself as someone that gets things done. If you see yourself as someone that struggles to complete your tasks, that’s how you’ll behave. Instead, convince yourself that you are someone that takes care of business. Validate this belief by noticing the many tasks you do.

Schedule breaks. When you have a break to look forward to, it’s easier to get to work. Promise yourself that you can do whatever you want for 20 minutes after you work for two hours.

Just because you feel like being lazy doesn’t mean you have to actually be lazy. Take control of the situation and get yourself to take meaningful action.

Everyone feels lazy from time to time, but successful people are able to move past this temporary emotional state and get themselves moving again.

Give yourself the occasional lazy day but avoid allowing yourself to be lazy on a regular basis. When you get to work and complete your tasks quickly, you can take more well-deserved time off to relax and do those things that are more important to you. Your life is waiting for you!

Say Goodbye to Procrastination and Perfectionism

Wed, 18 Mar 2020 17:00:12 GMT

Now is not the time to sit on your laurels and binge Netflix. Lean into your business and your strategy. Sharpen your skillset, strategize, and plan. You can still make 2020 the best year of your life and your business. While others panic, position yourself to be first out of the gate when we come out on the other side of the social distancing. If you don't, you will fall behind. Lead. Step into your power. Rise up.

Procrastination is something we all face at one time or another – and likely have since our school days. However, given the pace that the world operates today, you will only fall behind your competitor if you allow procrastination to rule your day. So how you do avoid it? It’s simple. Stop, and just get started, no matter how boring, tedious, or painful the project may be. Reward yourself by crossing each step off your to-do list.

Many small business owners also fall victim to perfectionism, which can be paralyzing. The fear that there isn’t enough time or resources to “get it perfect” will sometimes stop you dead in your tracks. Perfectionism can also hinder your ability to delegate and say no to tasks you believe no one else can complete “better”. Do the best you can with the time and resources you have – and just get started. Done is better than perfect.

Where Does Your Time Go?

Thu, 12 Mar 2020 14:39:14 GMT

Manage Time More Carefully Than Money

Tue, 10 Mar 2020 14:47:44 GMT

The wealthiest people on the planet understand this one simple secret: You can always make more money. You cannot create more time.

Why did you get into business for yourself? Was it to be your own boss? Choose your own hours? Have more time with the family? Spend more time doing what you love? Chances are, you answered yes to all these questions.

These days, you probably wonder where the time went. Why you spent 12 hours at work and barely make a dent in your to-do list. We already know that time is a key resource for you and your business, but it’s also a key resource in your life. Harnessing and leveraging time is the only way to enjoy life, and have a profitable business at the same time.

Most business owners carefully manage their financial and personnel resources and pay due attention to their performance. Marketing plans and budgets are created, people are hired and fired. What most business owners don’t realize is that time – and the time of all employees – requires the same attention and diligent management.

Time will never manage itself. The decision to make a pro-active effort to manage your time must come from you. Once you have committed to taking ownership of your own time management, there are a host of tools available to you. But first, you must understand how much your time is actually worth, and where you are currently spending it.

Fortunes are made in the Follow Up and Follow Through

Tue, 25 Feb 2020 16:58:11 GMT

Kick Start Your Marketing

Today I’d like to teach you about the three most important start up marketing tools you need to get and keep new customers.

In person: It’s essential you meet with customers/clients in person whenever possible. This shows you respect them and take the time to work with your clients to give personal attention to each of them.
Follow up letter: Always take a moment to send a follow up letter about what you talked about, new agreements or partnerships made and to thank them for taking the time to meet with you. Likewise, you should always send thank you letters or small gifts to partners you find success with.
Phone call: Use a telephone call to follow up with them to talk again about the matters you talked about in your meeting and offer any assistance you can to help their business run smoothly and more successfully.

None of these will work if you don’t have a quality product/service to back you up!

Here are the key steps for putting together your start-up marketing tools:

Research potential customers, buyers, competitors and their preferred methods of distribution.
Talk to potential customers. Take a hard look at your product from a customer’s perspective and see what it needs to be successful.
Follow up with your 3-step process from above.
Develop systems for contact follow through, quality control standards and customer service.
Develop post-sale follow up system to keep lines of communication open is customers and build on your current relationship which increases future purchases.

“Marketing and innovation produce results; all the rest are costs” Peter Drucker, management consultant

Here’s another one I love from an icon:

“If there is any one secret of success, it lies in the ability to get the other person’s point of view and see things from that person’s angle as well as from your own.” Henry Ford, Founder of Ford Motor Company

This lesson has offered you the tools to put together a start-up marketing plan that can be used over and over again to help your customer base and business grow in a manageable way. The tools offered in our FREE test drive offer these very same things.

Educate Your Customers

Thu, 20 Feb 2020 17:20:21 GMT

Educate them about what, you may be thinking. Well, consider this, many businesses focus solely on attracting new customers, but you NEED to spend a good chunk of your time retaining current and former customers. These are people you already know to be a good sales potential…they’ve already bought from you!

Take the time to market and sell new products to your old customers and less time trying to sell old products to new customers and you will see a drastic change in your sales, customer quality and branding position.

Here are a couple of key elements to use to retain your current customers:

Stay in contact: This means by phone, email, e-newsletter, in person-by pigeon if you have too!
Post-Purchase Assurance: This means you need to follow up with customers. Your customers need to feel like they are being supported for their purchase and with the item they purchased. How many times have you purchased a product, then felt completely abandoned? Something as simple as a Thank You note with your contact or customer service information can go along way in retaining a great customer.
Deals & Guarantees: Always offer your current customers the best deals and guarantees you have. Show them you appreciate their business or even come up with a club specifically to reward loyal customers. You can also do this with a preferred pricing option.
Integrity: Using good business practices and simply upholding integrity, dignity and honesty go along way with customers. Let’s face it, there’s a lot of swindling and crap out there and the safer and more confident you make your customers feel, the more they will trust you and that makes for an amazingly supportive and loyal customer.

There are three cornerstone ideas to a successful business:

Quality product/service
Offering useful products/services that solve a problem for or enhance the life of a customer
Offer subjects your customers find interesting

Use this approach of educating your customers and offering them real information and insight and you will be rewarded with loyalty and success.

Stop wasting all your time on new prospects while your current customers fall by the wayside!

As Jay Abraham says, “Your best prospects are your existing customers. If you’ve been putting all your marketing efforts into acquiring new customers, stop and diverts some of your resources into reselling, upselling, cross-selling to those same customers. In every ways possible – through package inserts, regular mailings, special offers – stay in touch with those customers and get them used to buying from you.”

So, there it is! Remember, our FREE test drive can help you put together the resources and tools to do exactly that. We can help you educate your customers and you can watch the benefits pay offer many-fold.

Stop Wasting Your Resources

Thu, 13 Feb 2020 17:24:16 GMT

Today you’re going to learn how to find a target market of potential customers so you aren’t wasting precious resources on blitz marketing. So, the two questions you have to ask yourself are:

What do people really want to buy from me?
What related products are they already buying?

Once you figure this out you will know who is more predisposed to purchase your products/services. Then, you find other businesses with the same customer base who you can customer share with. Come up with an incentive and great arrangement to encourage both of your customer bases to shop at both of your stores.

The basic concept is this:

You want to find existing businesses who have the customer profile that you are looking for to market your products/services to.

Then strike up a relationship with those business owners to work out an incentive for customers to purchase from both businesses.

As a result, you have an audience to market to and they generate an added value from their current base.

So, how do you figure this out? There is a great formula from Jay Abraham you can follow with great success.

LV = (P x F) x N – MC

Here’s what it all means:

LV is the life time value of a customer
P is the average profit margin from each sale
F is the number of times a customer buys each year
N is the number of years customers stay with you
MC is the marketing cost per customer (total costs/number of customers)

Once you know how much you need to spend to attract a new customer, you will know how much of an incentive you can offer to a business to help attract new customers.

So, here’s your step-by-step process:

Find companies who already have the customer base you are looking for.
Negotiate an incentive for them to share that customer base with you.
Focus your marketing resources to this group of predisposed customers.

If you need help working through this process, check out our FREE test drive for the most comprehensive system of marketing tools and resources. For more info visit 2 Part Series – The Most Brilliant Marketing Strategy I’ve Ever Seen – Action Impact Success .

Entrepreneurship: Business or Hobby? What it takes to go PRO

Sat, 08 Sep 2018 16:28:33 GMT

Reports find that an average family can spend $20,000 a year on activities surrounding youth sports. Between league fees, camps, equipment, training and travel, families are spending as much as 10% of their income on sports, according to survey research from Utah State University . Out of Varsity High School players, only 3% play in college, and fewer than that ever go Pro. Overwhelmingly, the role of the coach, or series of coaches, have a direct impact on the success and career of a player.

Ironically, many small business owners open their doors with a dream to succeed....yet, 50% of all small businesses fail within 5 years. Why? The answer is simple. Many owners don't practice business. When asked about the early days at Apple, co-founder Steve Wozniak credits the success that he and Steve Jobs achieved directly to the business coaches they had from the very beginning. What would happen if small business owners would commit any percentage of their time and revenue annually to coaching and business development? Well, it is happening, and those are the businesses that succeed, excel, and grow. Even the top executives from any industry - Bill Gates, Robert Kiyosaki, and Tony Robbins, all have a coach (or few) to thank for their successes. The question any business owner must ask is "Do I want to play, or do I go Pro?" When business owners take their company's growth as seriously as Saturday morning soccer; then, success becomes child's play.

Melissa Glossup, Certified Business Strategist, Action.Impact.Success