©  Rhoberta Shaler, PhD
www.ForWomenEntrepreneurs.com

Some days, I want to scream.  I’m sure you’ve had that experience, too. Perhaps, not for the same reason. I want to scream because I cannot believe the number of distractions people who say they are focused on building their businesses find….AND JUSTIFY! ( Oooo, that’s just put the scream up a few decibels! )

As a business consultant and executive coach, I get the urge to scream far too frequently for that one reason alone. Wonderful, well-intended people hire me to coach them to systematically clarify, construct and grow their businesses. They swear blind that they want to achieve “A”, and are frequently running after the rest of the alphabet, with carefully constructed, elaborately convoluted, reasons why!

How do you determine if you are driving yourself to distraction?

• You are not getting where you say you want to go in a meaningfully measurable way.
• You are feeling overwhelmed much of the time, too many wheels spinning and not enough hands.
• You are always attracted to new, shiny objects when what you were playing with is just becoming pliable, comfortable and useful.
• You vociferously defend your choices to stray from the mission you’ve set yourself and justify the departures loudly.

I know it is difficult to stay generally on the path. Shiny things attract. Marketing language of others beckons. Fear of “losing an opportunity,” or “leaving a stone unturned” paralyzes. Lack of confidence in your intuition and judgment wanes. Others are too ready to share their opinions of what you should do…even if you didn’t ask. There are many distractions. It is up to each one of us to calculate the cost of tempting detours in terms of time, energy, money, frustration and loss.  And, it’s up to each one of us to ‘fess up to the degree of our commitment to our missions.  Sometimes, that’s just talk, too.

One thing I know for sure…and I learned it the long, hard way: I cannot say I want one thing, do another, and hope for a satifying result. Although, I do know a few people so addicted to drama, that they wouldn’t know what to do if they didn’t have a tale of woe to tell. They love distractions, especially when they can make them someone else’s fault.  Go figure!

Thanks for letting me “scream” here!  Is it still a scream if no one is listening?

Rhoberta

Rhoberta Shaler, PhD
Consultant. Counselor. Coach. Catalyst.
Success Solutions for Life, Work & Business

www.Rhoberta.com
Escondido, CA
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©  Rhoberta Shaler, PhD

Have you noticed how easy it is to lose focus, or, am I a lone ranger in this department?   I have a good business plan, a workable marketing plan, a passion for what I’m doing and excellent skills, yet, there are days!!!  So, I had to do something to get me quickly on track the minute I recognized possible derailment.

Across from my desk, on the wall above my monitor, I put a white board. It lists the MUST-DO’s in three columns: daily, weekly, bi-weekly.  That way, I have a visual check-list that keeps me focused.  That helps with the regular tasks. All tasks also pop-up in Outlook and that is where I keep the monthly ones, too.

Now, I had to have a good think about how to avoid distractions.  First, I listed the rabbit holes I was familiar with, the places that drew my attention with no return on investment.

• Ah, yes, let’s consider the magnetic attraction of Law & Order and other things that are “only for an hour.”  OK, keep the covering on the TV during the day.  Check.
• How many times a day do I check email, or Facebook, or Twitter, or…..?   Streamline that to three times a day. Check.
• What is the draw to the kitchen?  I’m certainly not hungry but it beckons. Eat protein and vegetables three times a day with a little…I mean, a little…carb because I know that keeps me out of the cupboards. Check.
• Do I really need to answer the phone WHEN it rings?  No, let them realize I’m busy.  I’ll return calls twice a day. Check.

Hmmmm….now, I’m free to focus on the list of  tasks that build and maintain my business.  Now, that wasn’t so difficult, was it?  All it took was the willingness to pay attention.

What tips can you share about maintaining focus on what matters most to your business?

To your success!
Rhoberta

Rhoberta Shaler, PhD
Consultant. Counselor. Coach. Catalyst.
…Coaching you to create the aligned life & livelihood that fulfills you.
www.ForWomenEntrepreneurs.com

Join my groups, For Women Entrepreneurs, on Facebook and LinkedIn.  You are welcome!

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©  Rhoberta Shaler, PhD

Ah, the siren call of options masquerading as opportunities!  When I begin working with a new mentoring client, one of the first things that is often required is to make that big distinction between options and opportunities.  That requires ongoing vigilance, and, it’s essential and basic to business success.

Especially now as some folks are experiencing fear of insufficiency, marketing language must be carefully deciphered. As belts tighten, I’ve been watching the language in the subject lines and copy of the thousands of emails I get each week. You’ve seen them.  It’s not rocket science to decipher, at all.   Here’s a few examples:

“Due to the amazing popularity of this program, we are holding the earlybird price over for three more days.” Means “We didn’t get enough people to buy it yet, so, we’re taking one more opportunity to engage you.

“My boss told me that it is time for generosity, so, we’re going to make it easy for you.  We’ll let you bring a friend for the same price as one admission. Two for one!” Means:  1. If this message was the first you received for this program, it could be a genuine offer.  2. If this message was the first you received, the price may well have been significantly increased so the company is still well-compensated. 3. If you receive the message after an intial message, registrations are way down and they are desperate to fill the room.

“Honestly, we’ll teach you everything you need to know to be making money hand over fist in fifteen minutes or less on the very first day.” Well, that one doesn’t need much explaining.  (And, if it does, you need more than a mentor to create a viable business, and I’ve got great refrigerators you can sell to Eskimos!)

So, I was thinking about this today because of a comment left on another blog entry here “How refreshing…”.  I know I’ve been pulled off my path repeatedly over the years by distracting offers that look like opportunities.  I’ve even engaged in this kind of thinking that you might even recognize:

“If I just do this twenty-four hours a day for a month or two, I’ll make money to invest in my real business. It will be a great income generator on the side when I return to my own business plan. ”

I don’t know if that kind of thinking worked for you. I’m sure it is possible. But, for me, I learned that whatever that was that looked like an opportunity was only an option, and, definitely a distration.  It certainly took me away from by business and marketing plans, and brought my “real” business to a halt.  But, I could justify it, right? It was an iron-clad “opportunity.”  It was worth throwing my plans aside for the promise of a quick influx of cash.  NOT!  Why? Because the influx never happened. The time was wasted. The distraction was  confusing. I kicked myself thoroughly afterward. AND, I still had to return to my business plans and I was now further behind.  Not good.

It has been a few years since this last happened. I’m not going to ever let it happen again.  Is there any chance you’re chasing an opportunity that is really only an option…and, maybe, a mirage at that?

The best opportunities are the ones you make yourself by creating great relationships, staying on task and on point, and believing that success come from aligning your values, vision, beliefs and purpose with what you do every minute.  That’s what I’ve learned!

To Your Success!
Rhoberta

P.S.  You can connect with me on LinkedIn, Facebook & Twitter. Look for ‘RhobertaShaler’

Rhoberta Shaler, PhD
Consultant. Counselor. Coach. Catalyst.
….leading you to the life & livelihood you long for

Founder, www.ForWomenEntrepreneurs.com & Sow Peace, www.SowPeace.com
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© Rhoberta Shaler, PhD

Now is the time to stick to the knitting!   When Tom Peters and Robert Waterman wrote “In Search of Excellence” in 1982, they offered some excellent advice that still applies today…and keeps that book at the top of the charts even now!  One of their eight common themes they posit are responsible for business success is:

“Stick to the knitting – stay with the business you know.”

For some people this seems to come quite easily. They pick an area of interest, expertise and experience and simply stay doing it, improving it, enhancing it…and sticking with the knitting.  For others, this is difficult. There is always a new idea, a new path, a new interest that seems exciting, but, always seems like the right next thing that needs immediate attention.  I fell into the latter category for a long time and have had to work diligently to balance my nature to stick to the knitting when the pattern is good and the garment needs finishing.  I used to be the person with a million unfinished projects. Now, not so much.  So, I think this gives me some insights to share with my clients.

We need a balance between the two and, it’s called a business plan. I’ve written about it a couple of times before here, and, I’ll no doubt keep on about it.  Why? Because it is so easy to say, to pay lip service to, but most folks I work with begin without one. How about you?

• Do you know what garment you are knitting and why?
• Do you know “who it is for”–your ideal customer and target audience?
• Do you know when you want to have it finished and why?
• Do you know what you have to give up to finish it?
• Do you have a sense of how you will feel when it is done?
• Can you see the value of finishing it?
• Is that value of greater important than leaving the unfinished garment in a bag under the bed and running after another pattern, wool or needles?

These are important considerations. What you are currently doing right this minute needs to be thought through. If it is carefully chosen to match your values, vision, beliefs and purpose, and you believe in it, pick it up and keep knitting.  If you have not looked at the pattern in a while, re-visit it.  If you realize the garment is too small now, or inappropriate, carefully choose a new pattern.

I know that I have to ask myself the questions above frequently, and re-assess the way I use my time, talent and money often. The problem is obvious: if we don’t “stick to the knitting,” we’ll never have a garment.  So, if you are in search of excellence, choose the pattern, the yarn, the needles and the size thoughtfully, and then JUST KEEP KNITTING!

I knit and crochet, making shawls for folks who have big changes in their lives and could use what I call a “perpetual hug.”  So, this metaphor works for me.  If you don’t knit, you get the picture anyway, I’m sure.  What are you making?

To Our Successes!
Rhoberta

P.S.  My new book, Prevent Free Fall: Pack Your Own Parchute, is now available and filled with tactics for taming tense times in life, at work and in your home.  Very practical and a quick-read.  Get it now for only $8.97 at www.OptimizeShop.com It’s also available there as an e-book.

Rhoberta Shaler, PhD
Consultant. Counselor. Coach. Catalyst.
www.ForWomenEntrepreneurs.com

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