Are you feeling overwhelmed, unfulfilled, empty and just t-i-r-e-d?
Have you taken some real quality time to rest, reflect and reevaluate what you want and need to feel better and make this a year for you to move forward with your intentions?
Many people answer No to this question, then go on to answer that they are just too busy to take time for themselves.
THERE ARE 1,440 MINUTES IN EACH DAY FOR EACH OF US. HOW ARE YOU SPENDING YOURS?
When I ask what was accomplished during their “busy time”, people find it hard to measure.
I know that things always come up that are out of our control, however, busy does not necessarily mean productive.
Accomplishments and taking time for yourself are requirements to living a happy and productive life.
IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO LOOK AT WHAT HAS PREVENTED YOU FROM ACCOMPLISHING THOSE THINGS THAT YOU CONSIDER IMPORTANT AND MAKING SOME SMALL ADJUSTMENTS.
I hosted an Ask Marsha H. webinar in February discussing how to get on track with your goals by setting realistic intentions and I noted some small, simple strategies to get on track.
If I can be of help to you in this regard, book a 15-minute Discovery Call with me to see how we might work together.
We have all heard the phrase “New Year, New You” but what does this mean to you?
DECIDE WHAT’S NEXT IN YOUR LIFE & STRATEGIZE ON HOW TO GET IT
If you have not already done so, now is a good time to reflect on where you are in your life journey and where you would like to be.
Some would suggest that making New Year resolutions is not worth the effort, but others like myself, believe that setting a realistic roadmap helps to guide you to move forward with your intentions.
Setting your intentions is like setting your GPS to map out where you want to go. There may be detours along the way, but your GPS will help to reroute you and get you back on track.
Reflect on and consider answering these questions:
What am I feeling called to do?
What will I keep doing?
What will I start doing?
What will I stop doing?
What has worked for me in the past? What lessons have I learned from my successes and my missteps?
What are my stressors, barriers and my internal and external challenges?
What are some self-sabotaging habits and beliefs that may be getting in my way?
Who or what distracts me and how can I better control my attention?
What do I consider to be important to my success and can I commit to and focus on them?
MAKING A PLAN THAT IS ACTIONABLE IS HELPFUL WITH KEEPING YOU FOCUSED AND ON TRACK… USE IT AS YOUR GPS
Be honest with yourself.
Here are a few tips to get you started:
Reflect on the past few years and write down what worked well and what did not go as expected.
Identify and document the gaps between where you are now and where you want to be by this time next year.
Look at the barriers that may have stalled you and how they can be avoided or at least minimized.
Set realistic, actionable small steps that you can take consistently. (Lose 10 lbs. this year by working to lose 1 lb. per month).
Look at what is needed to move forward, then track your progress and celebrate your accomplishment.
Set realistic deadlines for each step you are willing to take.
Change will only happen when you are consistent.
Don’t be afraid or ashamed to ask for guidance and support along the way
IF YOU KEEP DOING WHAT YOU ARE DOING IN THE SAME WAY, YOU ARE LIKELY TO GET THE SAME RESULTS. HOWEVER, MAKING A CHANGE, NO MATTER HOW SMALL AND CONSISTENTLY APPLYING IT, CAN CHANGE YOUR TRAJECTORY AND YOUR END RESULT.
Determine what you want your future life experiences to be, then let your future desires drive your current behavior.
Happy New Year!
Please let me know if you can use my support in the New Year to help you Move Forward with Purpose.
As an employee, there is no good time to be out of a job.
Also, as a business owner, there is no good time to eliminate jobs.
However, recently, we have definitely seen some inappropriate extremely wrong and uncaring ways to handle the downsizing of employees.
As an employee, what can you do?
PREPARE
You should definitely expect for opportunities to come your way and enthusiastically prepare for them.
However, you should also prepare for unexpected tough times and bumps in the road.
Preparing means taking stock of what you can control: that means your attitude, your behaviors and your budget.
It concerns me that some of the same people who say they cannot afford self- development opportunities, spend many $$$ on holiday shopping and plan and take part in “Black Friday Sales”.
COMMUNICATE
Rekindle and create connections. You should not wait until you need something from someone to meet them. Rekindle connections with those that you know and connect with those that you want to know without asking for anything.
A simple “thinking of you” or “happy holidays” is a good start.
REFLECT
Think about and document your successes and all you have accomplished.
A quote I live by is:
With this in mind, I encourage you to take some positive action over this holiday season and the year going forward.
“HOPE IS NOT A STRATEGY, AND SOMEDAY IS NOT A TIMEFRAME.”
Please let me know if you can use my support in the New Year to help you Move Forward with Purpose.
There is no bad time to connect with people that you want to build a relationship with, but contacting people only when you want a favor is definitely inappropriate and will send the message that you are a “user.”
Remember that networking is about building and maintaining a relationship and there is never a bad time to do this.
Just checking on people who have helped you along your life journey is a good place to start.
Several suggestions I make to clients include:
SEND A NOTE To rekindle a relationship, send a note to let a person know that you are thinking of them. Although no special reason is required to keep in touch, a congratulatory email, a thank you note, a birthday or holiday wish or an articles that may be of interest are good ways to build relationships.
Emails and text messages are convenient ways to keep in touch; however a hand written note or a personal phone call from time to time, can and usually will set you apart.
Sending a note telling someone that you’re thinking of them, thanking them for their support, guidance or their friendship will always be well received.
If you know the person reasonably well, think about something they have told you about themselves that you can add to the note showing that you have been paying attention.
You might also include an article, a book or some other small area of interest or token of appreciation. For example, if you know someone likes cooking, send an interesting recipe or a link to interesting cooking gadgets. This small token allows you to be a resource without asking for anything. Your note might just say, “I saw this recipe and thought of you and how much you enjoy cooking new dishes. I hope all is well. Please let’s keep in touch and catch up sometime soon.
You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by reaching out to those that you admire.
REACH OUT TO PEOPLE YOU ADMIRE You may have to step out of your comfort zone for this one, but sending a note to someone who you admire whether personally or professionally can be a good way to expand your network.
Reach out to someone who is successfully doing some of the things that you would like to do or learn more about, with you offering a compliment, not asking for a favor.
Let the person know what you admire about them and why. You might be surprised at how much your positive words will be appreciated.
I also suggest you have a few talking points prepared so that you are ready if the opportunity to speak with them personally presents itself.
It should be noted that when sending email or social media messages, online etiquette is mandatory.
There is nothing more annoying that getting a generic LinkedIn message (I call this the “lazy LinkedIn message”) from someone you don’t know, asking you to be part of their network with no indication of how they know you or why you should connect.
START A MASTERMIND GROUP The sharing of ideas with others who have ideas to offer is another great way to build a network. A mastermind group allows participants to learn from you and from one another. Participants may be of a different age group, race or gender and the group may be structured as formally or as informally as you like. Meetings can be in person or virtual and can be held as often as decided. This exchange of ideas allows for great networking relationships to be formed.
ATTEND EVENTS Although technology makes it easy to stay in touch, it is also important for you to be visible. Therefore, don’t rule out attending events, when possible, where you can meet like-minded people. This means attending events that are not only within your work field, but also events within your other areas of interest like MeetUps.
When attending an event outside of your work area but an area that you know and care about, you may be one of a kind and able to demonstrate your genuine interest and uniqueness.
NIX THE NETWORKING HANG-UPS The biggest reservations people express about networking is that they are uneasy about contacting people because it feels like they’re asking for a favor.
My response is: Don’t ask for anything, share something instead. Make it a point to build relationships and then make a habit of following up.
The best time to develop your network is when you don’t need anything. Now is a great time to start.
CONSISTENCY To act with uniformity and regularity in a way that becomes a pattern, routine or habit.
A consistent success and happiness strategy really starts with understanding yourself…who you are and what you want out of life. We are all so busy these days, but we need to remember to take time to review our strengths- what we want, what we do well and what we enjoy. We also need to recognize those things that we don’t do well and get clear on if these are things that we need to improve upon, learn from or delegate.
Most people want to learn how to better control their behaviors, but it can be difficult to stick with routines long enough for them to develop into good success habits. Consistency is necessary.
I dare say that most of us are not living up to our full potential.
Most of us want to move forward and we dream of living better, being happier & more successful. However, this dream is often followed by “someday”.
But I ask you, is it Skill or Will that is preventing you from moving forward?
You never know how much you are capable of until you try.
Yes, I know you are busy, but busy is only worth it when it is aligned to your vision.
So … do you have a vision?
If so, are you consistently thinking about and developing your vision?
Is your vision one that you can articulate clearly?
Is it specific and measurable?
Do your routines and habits align?
Have you written it down?
Do you review it often and make adjustments as needed?
If you have not answered YES to these questions, you need to take some time to begin putting your success and happiness strategy in place. If you are a self-directed planner, think about the challenges that may be holding you back from moving forward with your life plan.
Schedule time – I like to schedule daily 15-minute intervals, to write and review goals, objectives, ideas and to-do tips in a (PLN)* Personal Leadership Notebook as they come to mind. Your PLN is for ideas and strategies, not grocery lists ☺
*You can read more about developing a PLN in my book, The Little Black Book of Success: Laws of Leadership for Black Women. –
If you are feeling overwhelmed or have trouble sticking to a plan, ask for help.
A friend, a coach or an accountability partner can be helpful
Make an appointment with yourself- put time on your calendar like you would for any other appointment.(I label these appointments TTT = Time to Think)
Make A Choice to Step Into Your Power BY Developing Your Success Habits It is never too late to develop new routines that become habits. Start by taking small intentional steps to Move Forward with Purpose.
It is natural to gravitate toward doing the things that you do well and put off the things that don’t play to your strengths. However, to be consistent with your self- development, you must step out of your “comfort zone”.
Resources If you want some insight into identifying your strengths and helping you identify where to focus your time and attention, check out some of these:
