Posts Tagged ‘idea’
Planning an event can be tremendously stressful for some. I have had clients stress over Christamas to the point where complete sabotage and failure are guaranteed. So how can we plan for an event and ensure that we don’t miss anything important?
We can write a list – what to do, what to buy, when to do it. This list can be in the form of chronological importance or priority importance. So let’s back track a bit and assume you are already struggling with ideas and the basic plan, not to mind the where, when, why and how-to?
Very often, someone wants to plan a surprise or event for a friend or loved-one. This can prove an almost debilitating exercise for many; so what I want to to is look at ONE possibility that can help your life to be easier, less stressful and ultimately organised. This will ensure that you enjoy the event as much as the person or people you are organising it for.
Because we are now over the indulgence of Christmas, and have embarked on a journey of resolutions and lying low for January, we do need some indulgence to get some spark back. Read the rest of this entry »
I was watching a Song Thrush recently collecting twigs and grass for its nest. I was thinking it was quite late for her to start, but I am sure she will catch up lost time, and speed up the process of having and raising a family before the summer is over. In fact, she could have 2-4 clutches of eggs.
Why was this song bird so picky about her pickings? It’s all to do with foundations. If we do not built a strong foundation, then the structure on which it stands, will not stand the test of time.
We have seen this in Ireland over the past two years. The structure that was our economy and public services was all built on a promise, not exactly a sound foundation on which to survive.
We know now that it would never last. We seemed to think that it would. So as I manage my business, I think of the initial work I put into the foundations laid down. It takes time to set up a business, that time varying depending on the type, size, shape and location – just like a nest!
So what needs to be in place, for the business to stand the test of time? Read the rest of this entry »
I was recently introduced to a great band called Mumford & Sons. They sing an interesting song called ‘The Cave’. The scenes of the video that accompanies the song uses themes and content from two famous bands of old: The Beatles (Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band) and The WHO (Quadrophenia). The video continues with a connection between the new band and the old favourites.
I am also reading a book called ‘Made to Stick’ by Chip & Dan Heath. The books discusses how to make ideas stick, and how some ideas stick more than others.
The fascinating thing about both the song and the book, is that a great idea does not need to be an absolute original. The Heath brothers discuss the meaning of experience, Read the rest of this entry »
The average small business owner can be found renting an office or office space in a town (urban) or on the town’s periphery (rurban). Another type of business owner is the entrepreneur working from home in a rural [an undeveloped or lightly developed and sparsely populated area] setting, perhaps using a virtual office. They may have their incoming phonecalls and mail “processed” by a service provider whilst dealing with the outbound selling and administration themselves.
Working in Rural Ireland can feel isolating
Despite a thriving business, the small business owner can often work in isolation. Read the rest of this entry »
How does it work again? Oh yes, you begin with a subconscious dream, it then moves into the consciousness (light bulb! time) and we suddenly realise a great idea. What happens then? We imagine the idea, then imagine no one else will think it’s a good idea. Or worse: they will laugh at, begrudge or reject the idea. So we keep it to ourselves and it never sees the light of day.
Now imagine how many excellent ideas are locked up inside people’s heads, never to see the light of day, never to be shared and realised. It begins to sound very sad. It makes me sad just writing those words.
So what is the answer? Read the rest of this entry »
I would like to take this opportunity to wish all my clients, readers and supporters a very happy Christmas and the very best of wishes for the next decade, but especially for the year 2010 ahead.
It has been a year of change and diversity for me, and like all good things, we can embrace the tough times and use them to either work on our business, or take some time out to spend with the things that were put on the back burner for the past few years.
Some of my personal and professional positive experiences this year were: Read the rest of this entry »
I was listening to a great Coach speak at the Limerick Bizcamp over the weekend, Anna Presso, and I began thinking about goal setting – something I have let go by the wayside recently, but her words resonated with me and I felt I should tell you about the beauty of Goal Setting.
What is the difference between a goal and a wish?
General Wish: “I would love to write a book some day”
General goal: “I want to write a book.”
Specific goal: “I want to write a book on time management that is at least 200 pages in length and have it done by April 16th. I’ll commit myself to writing at least 2 pages every workday until I reach completion.”
Watch your language. If you are not specific with your wording, then you are giving yourself permission not to succeed. Other goal killers are words like “I’ll try”, “I’d love to, but…”, “I wish I could do that, but…” I am sure you know where I am coming from with this.
Goal Setting is a process, and a skill that can be learned and practiced (so no excuses, right?)
Firstly, you need a SMART goal
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Timely
Specific - A specific goal has a much greater chance of being accomplished than a general goal. To set a specific goal you must answer the six “W” questions:
I keep six honest serving-men (They taught me all I know):
Who: Who is involved?
What: What do I want to accomplish?
Where: Identify a location.
When: Establish a time frame.
Which: Identify requirements and constraints.
Why: Specific reasons, purpose or benefits of accomplishing the goal.
General goal: “Get in shape.” –
Specific Goal: “To lose 7 lbs and tone up, I will join a health club/gym in ****** and workout 3 days a week until Easter. I will take a weekly inventory of my diet to identify problem areas. I will walk 30 mins on good days, and exercise inside when weather is not good. I will enroll my husband to keep me accountable. I will be fit enough to run the mini marathon in June.”
Measurable / Manageable – if you cannot measure it, you cannot manage it. Establish concrete criteria for measuring progress toward the attainment of each goal you set. When you measure your progress, you stay on track, reach your target dates, and experience the exhilaration of achievement that spurs you on to continued effort required to reach your goal.
To determine if your goal is measurable, ask questions such as…
How much?
How many?
How will I know when it is accomplished?
General goal: “I want to be rich.”
Measurable goal: “I want to generate $100,000 in passive income within 5 years from this date.”
Attainable / Achievable - When you identify goals that are most important to you, you begin to figure out ways you can make them come true. You develop the attitudes, abilities, skills, and financial capacity to reach them. You begin seeing previously overlooked opportunities to bring yourself closer to the achievement of your goals.
Goals that may have seemed far away and out of reach eventually move closer and become attainable, not because your goals shrink, but because you grow and expand to match them. When you list your goals you build your self-image. You see yourself as worthy of these goals, and develop the traits and personality that allow you to possess them.
Non-Attainable: “I want to lose 12 lbs in the next 2 weeks”
More attainable: “I want to lose 2 lbs in the first week, and then 1 lb a week for 11 weeks”
Realistic / Relevant - To be realistic, a goal must be do-able! It must represent an objective toward which you are both willing and able to work. Your goal is probably realistic if you truly believe that it can be accomplished. Additional ways to know if your goal is realistic is to determine if you have accomplished anything similar in the past or ask yourself what conditions would have to exist to accomplish this goal.
Unrealistic Goal: “Within one year, I want to become a warlord and have many loyal soldiers who will commit acts of terrorism on my behalf.”
Realistic Goal: “By the end of the year, I want to build a philanthropic foundation that helps feed the homeless.”
Timely – A goal should be grounded within a time frame. With no time frame tied to it there’s no sense of urgency. If you want to lose 12 lbs, when do you want to lose it by? “Someday” won’t work. But if you anchor it within a time-frame, “by Jun 1st”, then you’ve set your unconscious mind into motion to begin working on the goal.
Untimely Goal: “I am going to do this project.”
Timely Goal: “I am going to finish this project by 8pm tonight and I’ll achieve this deadline by spending one hour on each subject.”
T can also stand for Tangible – A goal is tangible when you can experience it with one of the senses, that is, taste, touch, smell, sight or hearing. When your goal is tangible you have a better chance of making it specific and measurable and thus attainable.
So now your goal is SMART, where do we go from here?
1. A goal gets you from HERE to THERE. Imagine the THERE – picture it, feel it, sense it, use your senses to experience it.
2. Decide what you want to BE, DO, and HAVE with relation to your goal. Some people have a stigma around being great, doing great things or having great things. Let’s talk about money. Some may perceive money as evil – the ruination of many a nation. Money itself is not a bad thing. It’s what you do with money that makes it good or bad. So if your motivation is to earn more or get more money, that is a good thing, and totally up to you what you do with it and how you treat or mistreat it. Anna Presso used the analogy of a knife. A knife in itself is an innocent thing. It’s what we do with the knife that matters – do we butter bread with it or do we stick it in somebody?
3. Ask yourself WHY you set that particular goal.
- Ask yourself what you will gain from achieving this goal – make an extensive list (when you think you are finished, list 5 more)
- Ask yourself what you will lose by not
achieving this goal – again make a list (stretch your imagination again on this one)
4. Internal motivation is the only lasting motivation – ensure this goal belongs to you and you are not setting it to keep or make someone else happy. Ask yourself if this goal is in tune with your reality, your visions, your values and your belief system. Ask yourself will achieving this goal make you happy, will you feel good?
5. TEST your goal – does it stretch you – will you grow as a consequence. Your answer here should be YES, if not refer back to point 4. Read it aloud to yourself and observe your emotions and reactions when you read it. If it gives you butterflies in your tummy, then YES, it is on track with you.
6. Stick to your goal and don’t change it, unless altering a portion the goal will improve the outcome for you. Changing is a consequence of distraction or procrastination, both detrimental to achieving goals.
7. Give your goal time to grow, be patient with it, become it’s friend and advocator. Watch out for shortcuts and shortfalls.
8. Plan your actions – probably the toughest part of goal setting – is acting. ACT now!!! Don’t bother waiting for the perfect time or conditions, because they will never arrive. Waiting for the perfect time is the perfect excuse for doing nothing!
Happy Acting!
Elaine
