Are You In Control – 3 Steps To Getting In Control

I read an interesting article the other day.  It really got me thinking about my life both personally and professionally. 

The author made a statement which I arrogantly skimmed over, believing I was not one of “them”.  The statement was…  “Whoever is controlling your mind is controlling your life”.  I was so sure I was in control of my life.  I didn’t think anyone else or any other factors contributed to who I was.  I challenged myself to peel back the layers of the preverbial “onion” and take a deeper look.

I thought about what and who besides me could possibly control my life.  So much of what we see and do are not a result of who we are but of those who communicate to us.  It’s not just the ads we see, read and hear.  It’s the flood of messages we get everyday from:

• Email
• Spam
• Pop-ups
• Billboards
• News headlines
• Text messages
• Commercials
• Radio
• Commercials
• Friends
• Family
• Health providers
• Webinars

Everyone one who contacts you regardless of your relationship with them or the vehicle they use, wants to influence YOU and how you operate.  Think about these situations and how you are influenced by them:

• Your boss and job performance
• Your spouse and money issues
• ME; right now, you are reading my post and I am hopeful that I will influence you to make your personal and professional life the best it can be.

Use these 3 steps to STOP others from controlling you:

1. Determine the areas in your life you are aware you haven given up control on (eating habits, health choices, brand awareness, etc.)
2. Identify how those areas left your control (media influences, social influences, etc.) – be keenly aware of this in your day to day life to prevent this from happening again
3. Make a list of what YOUR values, standards and morals are.  Operate to that list and stay true to it.

If you are completely aware of who you are, you will operate with confidence that you are doing what is best for you, your family and your business.  Don’t allow others to compromise what you believe is right.  You know when you are being asked to compromise – it will be even clearer to you when you list it on paper.

Your Business & New Year’s Resolutions

As a kid, I hated to write New Year’s Resolutions.  As legend would have it, my father used to make my brother and I sit down and write 12 resolutions  for the upcoming New Year – one for every month of the new year.  He would arbitrarily pick a day towards the end of December and announce that it was New Year’s Resolution Writing Day.  The groans and protests that came from me and my brother could be heard in the next school district.

 

It was so frustrating to write 12 whole Resolutions.  How many things could I possibly write about?  Each year the following resolutions always made it on my list:

1. Get along/be nicer (depending on what kind of a year it had been) with my brother
2. Study harder
3. Do more chores

Those were a no brainer.  But, it got tougher as I got older.  As I grew older, I realized it was the stuff that made up my character, personality, compassion, empathy, etc. that I really needed to change.  That’s a tough pill for a ‘tween to swallow.  You actually had to admit, on paper that you needed improvement in certain areas. 

The one thing my father always made clear was, New Year’s Resolutions were private.  We didn’t have to share them with any one.  Whew!

As I look back on why my father had us write New Year’s Resolutions, I believe he had us do that for various reasons:

• Illustrate how we can always better ourselves – there’s always room for improvement
• Teach us the power of goals and watching them come to fruition
• And finally, to get us out of his hair for at least one hour during Christmas Break (ok, as good as the other two points were, I think this was the main reason)

As we approach the closure of 2008 and prepare for 2009 it always brings back childhood memories of writing Resolutions.  This year as I plan to write my Resolutions, I will not only work on me personally but my business as well.  If handled correctly, New Year’s Resolutions can work for you and and your business.  Think of your Resolutions as a 12 month business plan for 2009.  How amazing is that?  You have an awesome opportunity to  look at:

• What failed in 2008
• The areas of your business needing extra attention
• Strategies to help you get there

The power behind New Year’s Resolutions for business can propel you into a totally different realm.  Think what it could do for your personal life.

I can’t wait to get started on 2009’s resolutions.  So many great things to work on.  Are you stuck for ideas on what your resolutions should be?  Try starting with these:

1. Create an overall goal for the year
2. Create a goal for each month
3. Create a new and improved marketing plan
4. Work smarter, not harder

Good luck writing your 2009 New Year’s Resolutions…

Rules For Success

Are you working too hard to become successful?  Take a look at my top 10 Success Tips!

1. KISS – keep it simple, simple! 
2. Work smart, not hard
3. Identify what works in your industry and then DO IT BETTER!
4. Avoid analysis paralysis – executing is what gets the job done
5. Stay focused – what is the main goal and stick to it
6. Have fun at what you do!
7. Do you have a goal?  Write it down!  If you don’t have a goal, how will you know where you are going?
8. Review your goals daily (psst.  this helps with #5)
9. Surround yourself with positive influences
10. Evaluate everything you do – does it help you achieve your goal?

Delegate all that you can, allowing you to move forward more quickly and FOCUSING on your GOALS.  When you look at these 10 Success Tips, you will see how helpful outsourcing your projects can be in attaining what you have outlined as most important to you.

How can I help YOU achieve your goals starting today?