Tag Archives: small business

7 Simple Ways to Boost Your Productivity Steve Tobak

6 Aug

7 Simple Ways to Boost Your Productivity

Feeling overworked, overwhelmed and overloaded? You have way more control over your time and productivity than you realize.

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We’re always complaining about how little time we have and how overwhelmed we are. We whine about all the interruptions and communication overload. We spend all sorts of time reading books and searching for ways to improve our time management and personal productivity. It’s ironic, I know.

Well, get this. Most of your productivity drain is your own doing. You give in to social media distraction because you crave a quick fix for attention. You spend too much time in your inbox because it makes you feel important. You waste ridiculous amounts of time doing things that don’t really matter because you choose to do them.

You know what you need to do: Work. Provide for yourself and your loved ones. And you know what matters in life: Having fun. Spending time with family and friends. So do all that. Don’t do the other stuff, or at least separate them so you’re aware that you’ve chosen to waste your time.

Here are seven ideas to help you get started:

1. Don’t tweet during the day. I don’t know about you, but for me, alcohol is off limits until after 5. Why? Because it destroys your productivity. Well, guess what? So does social media. Do your tweeting, blogging, posting, status updating, whatever, after work, like while you’re watching the tube.

2. Quit organizing. You know all those different methods for organizing stuff like your emails and files? I’ve never done any of that. Okay, maybe I do a little, but the absolute minimal amount. I have the biggest email inbox you’ve ever seen. It goes back years. So what? You need to find something? Use search. PC isn’t good enough? Get a Mac.

3. Use hard stops. I had a lunch meeting the other day. At the start, my associate announced that he had a hard stop at 2pm. That drove the meeting. And guess what? We were done at 2. It’s called a deadline. Deadlines force discipline. That’s why deadlines work. Use them.

4. Don’t do more; do less. It’s called prioritization. You know, what we all used to do before self help, time management, and personal productivity became big business. Decades ago I learned to classify To Dos as priority A (time critical), B (important), or C (everything else). When your As are done, take on the Bs. After a few years you learn that you never get to the Cs. And you know what? It never matters.

5. Learn to say no and never say maybe. I like getting attention. I like helping people. It’s always been a big motivator for me. When I realized that saying no was a bigger disappointment for me than it was for whoever was asking me to do something, it got easier to say. Don’t know what to say no to? If it’s not a goal, a priority, important, or fun, say no. And never say maybe. That’s just being controlling and self-important.

6. Mute your devices. When you’re supposed to be working and getting things done, close your email application or mute your PC or Mac so you don’t hear the chime. Ignore that tug to respond right away to every request. If you really want to do it right, set aside a small chunk of time the same time every day to email. Also, never answer a call unless you’re expecting it or have time for it. Even if it’s your boss.

7. Work at home. Most executives spend their days in meetings. Carving out significant chunks of time to get any real work done is a challenge. So I got in the habit of doing presentation and budget work at home. A lot of my strategizing and thinking, too. If you’ve got young kids running around, though, that can make it tough.

Here’s the thing. What used to be our priorities, the things that made our careers successful and fulfilling, our lives meaningful and happy, have somehow become optional.

The long term benefits that come from working, playing, thinking, feeling, exercising, eating right, and sleeping, now take a backseat to the instant gratification of distraction, addiction, self-importance, attention seeking, and minutiae.

To fit all that in, our lives have become overloaded and overwhelming. It doesn’t have to be that way. You set the priorities. You make the choices. You have way more control than you realize.

IMAGE: Paul Bradbury / Getty
Last updated: Jul 19, 2013

STEVE TOBAK is a management consultant, an executive coach, and a former senior executive of the technology industry. He’s managing partner of Invisor Consulting, a Silicon Valley-based strategy consulting firm. Contact Tobak; follow him on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.
@SteveTobak

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Fear is Useful

30 Jul

Fear is useful.
(When you know what to fear.)

Remember the Boogeyman? And how he came every night whether you saw him or not? Or Freddy Kruger and Jason? These guys scared the bejesus out of me when I was real young, and many of you too I bet.
See fear is a natural occurrence. We need it. Some people say they are fearless I say that’s foolish. Fear can ruin your life or build your drive to succeed and its simply a matter of whether you master it or not.

-What is fear?
Fear is a response to external and or internal factors and actions. Most of us are afraid of pain. And pain is simply your body warning you to certain permutations and facts. As a recipient of a few broken bones and surgeries I know first hand that at times fear can paralyze you. However if you seek the calm point in you it is an ally. Fear is basically your response to things. Nothing else. However fear can cripple and incapacitate or build and renew.

-Know what to fear.
So we touched on fear being useful. Fear is useful, it is the beginning of wisdom says the Bible in the book of Proverbs and there is truth to that. Being afraid to die can give you a certain center that will enable you to not make ignorant choices. However you have to know what to fear. Fearing red ants is pointless. Fearing success is as well but many people are too afraid to take the steps that lead to pure, unbridled success. If you are afraid of meeting new people, building connections, and or closing sales- don’t quit your day job. Being your own boss comes with a huge magnanimous serving of failure. However when you fear failure you don’t SUCCEED. The key here is to fear not reaching your potential.
You should fear not rising to your potential. You should fear not giving back because you didn’t meet your level. We all have the ability to rise. And while we won’t all be olympic medals we are all entitled to and I dare say required to be our best.
What do you fear?
Why do you fear it?
Conquer your basic fears and move forward.
Can you imagine still being afraid of the dark? You’d get nowhere.
Afraid of the dentist?- I bet you go though because the potential downside is horrendous. And if you avoid the dentist now he will see you more later- CONQUER!

-Harness the power of fear.
In life I’ve been scared of roller coasters, heights, girls, and success. And I had to harness that fear to beat these things that scared me. For rollercoasters I simply let my brother in law shame me until we got on every ride in the park! And after I yelled like a little girl I learned that I actually liked rollercoasters. For heights I beat that by accident. I had to climb a rope ladder repaeatedly when a wild animal almost attacked. While I dislike heights now I won’t lose due to fear. As for girls when we were younger one of my closest friends and I made a deal that we would take turns talking to every pretty girl we saw on our troop home. And it worked! We not only beat the fear but conquered it and realized how easy it was. And for the younger fans and readers- the girls are just as nervous.
When it comes to success I simply force myself to do it. I won’t be in a j-o-b forever. And I make a point to tell people my goals. Not to brag but to hold myself accountable. That way if I say two days it has to be less- otherwise I hear the junk and look inefficient. And I refuse to be less than I am. Do you feel the same?
Conquer People!

#thriveorsurvive.

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You cannot lose unless you quit.

4 Jul

Keeping it simple today folks.
You cannot lose unless you quit.

Life doesn’t become any easier to grasp and implement. A loser is someone who quits pure and simple. When you commit to an action you must follow through.
You may not come in first place.
You may not reach your sales goal.
You may come in third.
Did you give it your all? If so you won. Really folks- If you quit when you saw you weren’t going to get to the top this go round- you are a loser. A lot of life is simply showing up and participating. So if you do those two things to the full measure of your abilities you are a winner.

-Sales is a numbers game. All business is.
Even Obama needs the votes. Its how it works. So if you are aiming to reach the pinnacle and commission like heck- do you quit? No. Because when you do you breed failure and that skews the numbers in their favor not yours. Also when you quit you set a bad example for your team. Why work with a quitter? He/she can’t teach me anything is what people will think. You will lose future sales and recruits as well once people see that you aren’t the winner you claimed to be on facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. So why quit and then multiply that loss by an exponential amount. The same exponential loss can be exponential gain. Speak on the lesson you learn in your blogs and social media outlets. Besides adding authenticity to your journey it shows people your human and these people will join you. They will buy from you. There is potential to grow when we lose because failures make winners. It is akin to a baby learning to walk. We’ve all seen it and smiled. They stand then fall on their bottom. They rise and take a few steps. Then use your leg to cheat. Then they fall. Yet as time progresses. They gain balance and a sense of what they are doing- so will you. Also their muscle memory increases and learns. And then they are in their groove. The same applies to you. Success, winning can be habits. If you let them. So turn everything into victory.

-How you lose is winning.
Its true. If you lose a race and throw a tantrum people will disdain you.
If you spit on the winner or break your trophy you reek of ignorance and contempt.
What you do speaks volumes so why let your actions speak pure failure and disgust.
As I’ve said before- ACT AS IF. Act as a winner. Act as a king. Act out your success even in defeat and there is no loss.
If you come in second and the race was close and it was down to the wire- people will remember you. They will cheer you and even your opponents will be drawn close to you.

You cannot lose unless you quit.
Point blank period. There is nothing to think about. Every action and result is a victory if you make it. Every time you are bested teaches you something. Anytime you learn you win. For example you pitched your heart out. To ten ppl today. And the day before. And the day before. And you didn’t get one bite. However if you look at your results you will find answers. You will learn what you should do. You will discover what you didn’t. wrong. It may be the time you asked. It may be who you asked. It could be anything. But these little details allow you to craft your pitch. They allow you to emerge victorious in every instance. So the only question is will you find the victories that exist in every loss or will you quit?

#thriveorsurvive.

From @ronkarr: The way you position yourself at the beginning of a relationship has profound impact on where you end up #sales #smbiz

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#thriveorsurvive

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Mondays!!!!

3 Jul

So this didn’t post because the attached media is unrecognized-but the theme is the loathing people have of Mondays- However perception still trumps all.

You see I like Mondays. I like getting into the groove at work. Perception and mindset can dictate success or failure so its important we start the day on the right page. If you think Monday dictates torture you will awake to that feeling.
You will have a persistent fear of a day that is guaranteed similar if not easier than the four that will follow it.
My opinion is you have five days to be excellent- So why let any ONE day be less than a stellar example of the greatness that lies within you…

Mondays are the beginning of a new week so if you hate your job, no biggie. You owe it to yourself to excel at it anyway. The way I see it is anything you do should get 110% no matter what. Why? Why would you give less than your best? And I know you aren’t supposed to answer a question with a question but it seemed perfect in this situation. (Apologies to the literary geniuses. ). You see I find no value in doing less than I can. Everyday I’m excited to simply exist. And yet I still aim to thrive not simply survive-(get the hint?). In life your only competition is you so aim for the gold.

Another reason to give 110% is people are watching. Always. People are curious to see how you do. Especially if you have pitched them a venture or product. Your vitamin biz gives you pep, but you slack?!- fail.
Your new venture gives you financial freedom but you sag in your office chair looking distressed and over-drafting simultaneously- fail.
These aren’t the marks of success.
People won’t perceive the winner within if you hide him behind Mediocrity.
Did you catch that? Its crucial folks.
We all have greatness in us. Its an innate characteristic. But you have to cultivate it and or simply let it loose. Arnold Schwarzenegger had to fight to be Mr Olympia and do so repeatedly. And we know how his life has turned out right?
Napoleon had to cultivate his courage. And we see his chain of victories.
What they did and what we all must do is cast mediocrity and fear aside and be the best. When we do all the people waiting on the sidelines will not just consider joining but will come in droves and bring teams upon teams. People want to be inspired. They want to be led.
So don’t let a case of the ‘Mondays way lay you on the road to victory. Be the leader you were born to be. Give it your all. You won’t fail. I guarantee that. However, if you did- don’t you want to go down swinging?

#thriveorsurvive.

“As soon as you truly commit to making something happen, the “how” will reveal itself.” 
~ Tony Robbins

Thoughts? Concerns?
Questions? Think I’m wrong?
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Image 2 Jul

Funny picture but perception still trumps all.
You see I like Mondays. I like getting into the groove at work. Perception and mindset can dictate success or failure so its important we start the day on the right page. If you think Monday dictates torture you will awake to that feeling.
You will have a persistent fear of a day that is guaranteed similar if not easier than the four that will follow it.
My opinion is you have five days to be excellent- So why let any ONE day be less than a stellar example of the greatness that lies within you…

Mondays are the beginning of a new week so if you hate your job, no biggie. You owe it to yourself to excel at it anyway. The way I see it is anything you do should get 110% no matter what. Why? Why would you give less than your best? And I know you aren’t supposed to answer a question with a question but it seemed perfect in this situation. (Apologies to the literary geniuses. ). You see I find no value in doing less than I can. Everyday I’m excited to simply exist. And yet I still aim to thrive not simply survive-(get the hint?). In life your only competition is you so aim for the gold.

Another reason to give 110% is people are watching. Always. People are curious to see how you do. Especially if you have pitched them a venture or product. Your vitamin biz gives you pep, but you slack?!- fail.
Your new venture gives you financial freedom but you sag in your office chair looking distressed and over-drafting simultaneously- fail.
These aren’t the marks of success.
People won’t perceive the winner within if you hide him behind Mediocrity.
Did you catch that? Its crucial folks.
We all have greatness in us. Its an innate characteristic. But you have to cultivate it and or simply let it loose. Arnold Schwarzenegger had to fight to be Mr Olympia and do so repeatedly. And we know how his life has turned out right?
Napoleon had to cultivate his courage. And we see his chain of victories.
What they did and what we all must do is cast mediocrity and fear aside and be the best. When we do all the people waiting on the sidelines will not just consider joining but will come in droves and bring teams upon teams. People want to be inspired. They want to be led.
So don’t let a case of the ‘Mondays way lay you on the road to victory. Be the leader you were born to be. Give it your all. You won’t fail. I guarantee that. However, if you did- don’t you want to go down swinging?

#thriveorsurvive.

“As soon as you truly commit to making something happen, the “how” will reveal itself.” 
~ Tony Robbins

Thoughts? Concerns?
Questions? Think I’m wrong?
Let’s chat.
Need ideas?
Want to learn how to invite?
Let’s chat.
Want a mentor or maybe the guy who will bounce ideas back and forth with you?
Let’s chat.
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(Source: http://www.sevenfiguremastermindteam.com/tony3nyc/109307_)

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YOUR JOB IS WORTHLESS.

2 Jul

YOUR JOB IS WORTHLESS.

No seriously. Your job will not get you to a comfy retirement let alone a great income. Now I’m sure many of you are going elsewhere at this very moment insisting to yourself and anyone who will listen that Tony has gone nuts! However let’s go through the facts.

-You fund Your retirement now.
My father has a defined benefit plan. His job offered a retirement based on pay grade and years in service and such. Nowadays this is being attacked as well. My point though is much scarier. Companies and municipalities alike are require more of your income to fund your retirement. And they chip in at most two percent. Wow. Nice. Maybe you get a match of up to six percent but that’s peanuts. You have to fund your retirement now out of your meager incomes and its not helping you that much once inflation and health costs get factored in. The sad fact is you are losing and you agreed to it. Now some of you are savvy investors. I try but I bet my readers blow me away in this category. The sad point here is you are now your future and if your present requires much cash you are stuck.

-Your Healthcare plans are trash now.
Healthcare is under attack no matter what side of the debate you are on. But its safe to say we will all lose something in this shake up. I have excellent care. What they call a cadillac plan. And no matter what happens in the next year and a half or so I’m sure I will lose something. My co-pays are up and my quality of service is down. Not what I signed on for. And your hmo?

-Maternity leave in America is a joke.
Always has been always will be. You can’t change this unless you leave the country or try one simple solution we will discuss later. We get six to twelve weeks. Wow. Thanks. Some countries give two years at full pay per parent. That’s four years to rear your child’s most important developmental stages. Not getting that here I bet.

-Taxes are killing you every check.
Every hour you work a third or more leaves your pocket. And yeah yeah, I know it funds our cities and armies and trash collection- but I’ve seen nothing but government wanting more. So the job being done costs more but the workers are taxed less and like we spoke about- are paying their own retirement. Yikes! Why pay? Because its jail if not. You lose spo much money before you even see it. My good readers I believe you would settle up with Uncle Sam annually and I further believe that you could use said funds better up font to soothe the loss they add up to. Shame Uncle Sam doesn’t trust like I do….

-Your income tax return is a joke that you fund and draws less interest than you could get elsewhere.
You get a few grand if you are lucky. I’m not. I have debt and no home to claim or kids to claim. So Uncle Sam loves me. But I owe every year about two hundred bucks. Why? Because I put my funds to better use and I refuse not to control my dollars. I claim more upfront and as such my cost of living is up and I have less day to day pressure on my cashflow. Are you getting the same or licking your chops at a few bucks that are yours in the first place being given back on someone else’s schedule?

-80 is the new 60.
Aka retirement ages are rising. If I stay at my job I won’t retire until I’m 67 they say. Economy is slowly dying so I bet 80. And so do many economists. Google it people. Do you want to work that many years? I started at 11. Ouch. Yeah we really want to work just to retire. I want to work for enjoyment and a legacy- you?

Now that we’ve covered the bad would anyone like to know the solution to this fiduciary nightmare?
Start your own business. Live your own life.
Its the only way folks. You dictate your terms or you give up. Starting your own business part time is the solution. It will solve every issue we have covered. Increasing your tax returns frees up income. Writing off daily expenses through your business building increases this factor as well. In fact your quality of life can increase immediately by transferring liabilities and wants to your business. The business can pay for trips and automobile leases et al. Also stop using your credit. Why risk it when a business not only does this for you but can shield you from potentially costly losses. And you can get low cost loans and grants to do this! The government encourages it and subsidizes it. Some 60+ percent of all jobs are created by small business. So you are not only securing your freedom but in theory helping your community and country. Sounds perfect right? Also that maternity/paternity leave- if you were the boss you could be there for every first step, word, and kiss. All the soccer games and recitals. Maybe you don’t want kids- fine. Enjoy working your schedule as you see fit. Retire? Why would you. A mentor of mine is approaching 70 and has twin eight year olds. He makes his hours and does every Thanksgiving in Hawaii. He’s my hero. He does as he pleases. Now he’s no slouch, get it right. But he has raised a self made millionaire and has two little ones who are benefiting and seeing first hand what a dad who is free can do.
What are you looking for. I want choices. Freedom. And a Ferrari. I won’t lie. But working for someone else rarely gets you there. Let’s work together to live our dreams and supply dreams for the less fortunate.
You with me?

#thriveorsurvive.

I Have Seen To Much Victory To Believe That Defeat Is Going To Have The Last Word
-REV AL SHARPTON

Thoughts? Concerns?
Questions? Think I’m wrong?
Let’s chat.
Need ideas?
Want to learn how to invite?
Let’s chat.
Want a mentor or maybe the guy who will bounce ideas back and forth with you?
Let’s chat.
Looking for a side project?
I can help.
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@changeinadvance
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(The one thing your missing) in your business…

2 Jun

Do you have a mentor?

So you started a business, and your excited.
You’ve got a good business, great compensation plan, a long list of leads, and you know your why.
So the basics are all in line. You’re on fire to learn and you actually believe in your product- and the tax breaks afforded Americas small business owners are pretty nifty too (more on those later).
So we got through the amazing list and I have a small question-
Do you have a mentor?
If so congratulations. If not have you considered it?
A mentor is an untapped resource for many people. And one many of us cannot afford to miss out on.
Entrepreneurs, especially those that are still young have a tendency to seek business advice from their friends. And while this may be comforting and reaffirming you daily- its the last thing that is needed. See, a friend is always going to say what you want to here. In business a mentor is a better bet- they will tell you what you NEED to hear. That one advantage is tremendous. As the mentor isn’t close to you or part of your direct circle they are less likely to hold back. You may dislike the answers you get, heck you may hate some- but they will work.
So I bet your asking- well fine. You’re right buddy- but who do I get as a mentor? What would work? Better yet who?

A mentor doesn’t have to be from your line of work or business niche. They could be a realtor to your silver business. A mentor in your chosen niche is a great thing but not always the mentor you need. Any mentor that will put in the time is worth it. Most of the possible mentors you will seek out will be business people and odds are they will be entrepreneurs. Better yet, they SHOULD be Entrepreneurs. They may be professional entrepreneurial advisors or just the local rich guy who fought to the top. The mentor can fill in the gaps and point you in the direction you need and helps you see what you might be missing. We all miss things, hey we are human. And a seasoned vet that can get you to see these is like a gold mine in your backyard.

A few more key points:
-Make sure your mentor is literally successful. Not the guy who talks circles around people and sounds real smooth.
– Be sure that their personality matches yours. You want to be able to pick up on how they get it done and if your way too different, it won’t work.
-Make sure they have the skill set too match as well. If they don’t have the skills you need or a way to refine the ones you have its likely you’re wasting their time and yours.
-To find the mentor you Need, fan out. Ask your friends and coworkers for advice. Attend your businesses get together’s and industry events. There’s a great chance the mentor you need is right in front of you and you.

Thoughts? Questions? Concerns or opinions?
Let’s chat.
Looking for a mentor? Let’s chat.
Want more on this topic? We can chat.
Changeinadvance@gmail.com
@changeinadvance
OR simply reply to this post.

“We would accomplish many more things if we did not think of them as impossible.” Vince Lombardi .

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(The one thing your missing) in your business… Do you have a mentor?

1 Jun

Do you have a mentor?

So you started a business, and your excited.
You’ve got a good business, great compensation plan, a long list of leads, and you know your why.
So the basics are all in line. You’re on fire to learn and you actually believe in your product- and the tax breaks afforded Americas small business owners are pretty nifty too (more on those later).
So we got through the amazing list and I have a small question-
Do you have a mentor?
If so congratulations. If not have you considered it?
A mentor is an untapped resource for many people. And one many of us cannot afford to miss out on.
Entrepreneurs, especially those that are still young have a tendency to seek business advice from their friends. And while this may be comforting and reaffirming you daily- its the last thing that is needed. See, a friend is always going to say what you want to here. In business a mentor is a better bet- they will tell you what you NEED to hear. That one advantage is tremendous. As the mentor isn’t close to you or part of your direct circle they are less likely to hold back. You may dislike the answers you get, heck you may hate some- but they will work.
So I bet your asking- well fine. You’re right buddy- but who do I get as a mentor? What would work? Better yet who?

A mentor doesn’t have to be from your line of work or business niche. They could be a realtor to your silver business. A mentor in your chosen niche is a great thing but not always the mentor you need. Any mentor that will put in the time is worth it. Most of the possible mentors you will seek out will be business people and odds are they will be entrepreneurs. Better yet, they SHOULD be Entrepreneurs. They may be professional entrepreneurial advisors or just the local rich guy who fought to the top. The mentor can fill in the gaps and point you in the direction you need and helps you see what you might be missing. We all miss things, hey we are human. And a seasoned vet that can get you to see these is like a gold mine in your backyard.

A few more key points:
-Make sure your mentor is literally successful. Not the guy who talks circles around people and sounds real smooth.
– Be sure that their personality matches yours. You want to be able to pick up on how they get it done and if your way too different, it won’t work.
-Make sure they have the skill set too match as well. If they don’t have the skills you need or a way to refine the ones you have its likely you’re wasting their time and yours.
-To find the mentor you Need, fan out. Ask your friends and coworkers for advice. Attend your businesses get together’s and industry events. There’s a great chance the mentor you need is right in front of you and you.

Thoughts? Questions? Concerns or opinions?
Let’s chat.
Looking for a mentor? Let’s chat.
Want more on this topic? We can chat.
Changeinadvance@gmail.com
@changeinadvance
OR simply reply to this post.

“We would accomplish many more things if we did not think of them as impossible.” Vince Lombardi .

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