Connect With Your Abundance

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie Headland) — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 14:57:00 +0000

Ignite Your Mental Pilot Light

We woke up one morning last week to find that our central heating wasn’t on. We had very fierce winds during the night and the draught whistling through the keyhole had blown out the pilot light on our boiler. No pilot light meant that there was no heating and no hot water. I hate cold showers!

Your mind is blessed with a similar mechanism, a mental pilot light called The Reticular Activating System (RAS). Your RAS is ignited by your goals - goals that are written down clearly and that you strongly desire.

Written goals are catalysts for change and growth, success and achievement and act on your RAS by providing it with focus. This focus ensures that your RAS will identify opportunities to manifest your goals and desires and increase your successes.

In other words your RAS is a mental pilot light that powers up your brain and turns on the connections between your conscious and unconscious minds. This enhances your ability to focus on the important activities, people, events and opportunities that will drive your goals forward.

Everything you see, hear, smell, feel and touch is a message entering your brain. Your RAS filters these messages, decides which ones should get your attention and communicates these to your conscious and unconscious minds. This makes it easy for your conscious and unconscious minds to recognise and then alert you to opportunities you might otherwise have missed.

The RAS brings to us the people, places, and things that we focus upon, for example:
· Buy a new car and you’ll suddenly start seeing more of the same car.
· Someone will say something in passing that is exactly what you needed to hear.
· You’ll be introduced to someone who knows (or knows someone else who knows) how to get or do the one thing you’ve been seeking.
· While flipping through a magazine you suddenly find the answer to a problem.
· Entrepreneurs will find opportunity popping up in the unlikeliest of places.

All of these things were there before, but because you did not activate your RAS through proper goal setting and focus you never noticed them. As a result you missed out on so many wonderful opportunities.

How much of the abundance of this universe are you passing by every day because your brain has been filled with unimportant or even limiting ideas and pictures instead?

Focusing on your goals switches on your mental pilot light, which in turn sends a powerful signal to your brain: "Wake Up, Pay Attention, Don't Miss This Detail!" Once you write down a goal, your brain will be working overtime to see that you get it. It will alert you to the abundance of opportunities that were there all along but you never noticed before.

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie Headland) — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 15:53:00 +0000

Change Management Lessons From The Wilderness

Staying with the biblical mood for a moment. I don’t know the source for this one, if you do please let me know so I can acknowledge it accurately.

Even a great leader like Moses faced a trying test of his leadership when managing change. But he was up to the test, so take note of some of his methods:

Magnify the plagues
To make the old system (i.e. Pharaoh) ‘let go’ of his people, Moses called down plagues – and didn’t stop until the old system gave way. During change, problems are your friend. Don’t solve them, because they convince people that they need to let go of the old way.

Mark the ending
What a symbolic ‘ending event’ Moses had! After his people crossed the Red Sea, there was no turning back!

Deal with the ‘murmuring’
Don’t be surprised when people lose confidence in your leadership during change: Where are we going? Does he/she know the way? What was wrong with Egypt anyway? In periods of transition, look for opportunities to have contact with the people in transition, distance will be interpreted as abandonment. Show your concern for them by engaging them in conversation about the issues most on their minds, you may think there are more important things to talk about, but they don’t think so.

Give people access to the decision makers
Moses (aided by his OD specialist, Jethro) appointed a new cadre of judges in the wilderness to narrow the gap between the people and the decision makers.

Capitalize on the creative opportunity provided by change
It was in the wilderness, not the Promised Land, that the big innovation took place: the Ten Commandments were handed down. It will be in the change that many of your biggest breakthroughs will occur.

Resist the urge to rush ahead
It can seem at times as though little is happening or changes are not happening quickly enough, but transformation is taking place. Don’t jeopardize it by hurrying.

Understand that change leadership is special.

Moses did not enter the Promised Land. His kind of leadership matched the time of change, where things are uncertain, confusing and fluid. But it was Joshua who could lead in the more steady state of the Promised Land. A literal new leader isn’t needed, but a new style of leadership is. Establishment of a new beginning requires a much more logical approach with an appeal to people’s understanding, while the fluidity and ambiguity of the change zone makes an emotional connection between the leader and the people more critical.

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie Headland) — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 15:50:00 +0000

Everything I Need To Know, I Learned From Noah's Ark
(With thanks to my daughter for this one.)

1. Don't miss the boat.

2. Remember that we are all in the same boat.

3. Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark.

4. Stay fit. When you're 60 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big.

5. Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done.

6. Build your future on high ground.

7. For safety's sake, travel in pairs.

8. Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs.

9. When you're stressed, float a while.

10. Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie Headland) — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 15:24:00 +0000

The Power Of Thought Part 2

In Part 1 of this article I attempted to counter some of the criticism levelled at the message conveyed in recent movie The Secret i.e. that thoughts become things. I shared scientific evidence of the power of thought to turn possibility into reality. For many critics of such concepts the problem is that that their existence cannot be proven.

There’s a lot more to reality than the material world we are able to see. We cannot see gravity, but firsthand experience teaches us not to attempt to defy it.

In the book The Universe in a Single Atom The Dalai Lama sums it up well when he says, “There is a fundamental difference between that which is ‘not found’ and that which is ‘found not to exist.’ If I look for something and fail to find it, this does not mean that the thing I am seeking does not exist. Not seeing a thing is not the same as seeing its non-existence.”

The first thing you need to know is that twenty-four hours a day, nerve cells in your brain are generating electrical impulses that fluctuate rhythmically in distinct patterns called brain wave patterns, or energy that closely correlates with your thoughts, your emotions, your state of being, the functioning of the various systems of your body, and, in essence the entire quality of your life.

Scientists have conducted numerous studies of how the brain works when generating thought. It has been found that brain neurons fire when thoughts are created and that when we concentrate on a single thought for some time up to 100 billion neurons are fired. That’s one heck of a lot of energy.

It therefore stands to reason that if you are able to tap into this infinite power source, your own power is theoretically unlimited. And if your power is unlimited, it logically follows that you should be able to have a great deal of control over what you attract into your life.

Harv Eker author of Millionaire Mind outlines the Process of Manifestation as follows:

T-> F-> A-> R

Thoughts lead to Feelings.

Feelings lead to Actions.

Actions lead to Results.

In other words if you want to change your results you will need to change your thoughts.

Your thoughts dictate the quality of life you manifest. How you think works like a magnet. What you must be consciously aware of is that like attracts like. In other words negative thoughts create negative energy and attract negative things into your life. And positive thoughts create positive energy and attract positive things to you.
So the golden rule is – manage your thoughts. Become consciously aware of how you think and the kind of self talk you engage in. If your thoughts and self-talk aren’t positive make some changes fast. Then watch as more of the positive stuff flows into your life easily and consistently.

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie Headland) — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 22:18:00 +0000

The Power Of Thought Part 1

Have you seen the ground breaking movie The Secret? The Secret shows how we can easily create abundance in our lives by learning to manage our thoughts. I purchased a copy of it shortly after it was launched and was so impressed by its powerful message that I have subsequently bought copies for family members.

As the popularity of The Secret has grown, there has been some criticism of it in the press and on various websites/blogs in recent months with critics appearing to share 2 concerns:

1. The message is simplistic

2. Disbelief that thoughts become things

What really bugs me about many of the critics is that they are not satisfied with questioning the message but feel compelled to attack the ‘gurus and experts’ who have shared their knowledge, experience and wisdom with purchasers of the movie and then go on to suggest that those who have purchased The Secret are stupid and gullible. This type of derision is not uncommon in the UK where it has become something of a national pastime to denigrate those who are successful.

I would like to add my two pence worth in response to these criticisms and to include some thoughts shared by others whose knowledge and expertise of things metaphysical are without question.

All that we are is the result of what we have thought.” Buddha

In 1993 the renowned author Deepak Chopra wrote a small and easy-to-read book entitled Creating Abundance. In it he describes the nature of the quantum field - that realm that physicists have discovered beyond the atom and even subatomic particles:

"Physicists tell us that as we go beyond the realm of subatomic particles into the cloud of subatomic particles which makes up the atom, which makes up everything in reality, that when we try to examine and understand these particles - which have fancy names like quarks and bosons and leptons, and so on - these particles are so small that we can never measure them. In fact, they are so small that we can only think about them.

Now, there is another very interesting fact about these particles: they have never been seen. So, if you can't observe these subatomic particles, if you can't see them, how do we even know they exist? And the answer is, we know they exist by the evidence of the trails they leave behind in particle accelerators. In places where they are doing research on subatomic theory, one can see - and even photograph - the trails that these particles leave behind. And by looking at the trails, one knows that they did, in fact, exist. But there is another very interesting facet to these particles, and that is that they come into existence only when we observe them.

So, if we are looking at a quantum field, every time we look at it these particles (in the cloud of subatomic particles) blink into existence. And every time we turn our attention away from them they disappear into a void. They blink on and off like little lights in a dark room. The dark room you can imagine as infinite, unbounded space, and the particles that blink into existence do so by the mere fact of putting attention on the field.

When you put your attention on the field, then they come into existence. When you're not putting your attention on the field, they are just a probability amplitude in the field of all possibilities."

In other words the things we think about are scientifically capable of turning possibility into reality. And likewise, when we get distracted from what we want and fail to pay attention to our dreams and goals, they become simply "a probability amplitude in the field of all possibilities". The real magic happens when we keep our thoughts focused on our dreams and desires and consistently use the power of our attention to literally bring our goals and our dreams into existence.

In The Power Of Thought Part 2 I’ll be discussing the power of thought and the energy to attract and manifest that flows from it.

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie Headland) — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 19:25:00 +0000

Feeding Your Roots And Your Heart

Be patient as I share a recent experience with you, because it led to one of life’s amazing coincidences – as always the universe provided me with an amazing and insightful solution to a dilemma I faced and a quest I started earlier last year.

I have a confession to make…I try to write poetry. In 2005 I wrote the following piece:

TORN

Britain, my birth country

Part of my DNA

My roots are here

But not my heart

Africa, you fostered me

Nurtured me

My heart is here

It beats to your rhythms

I am incomplete always…

All ways.

In the months after writing this poem I began writing a number of articles on the 'Get Connected' theme. I never consciously made the connection between the poetry and the articles. Then the universe intervened...

Last year I went on a fabulous nostalgic holiday in South Africa and Zimbabwe. Although I was born in the UK, I grew up in Zimbabwe and my return after twenty years was a very emotional one. We had a fabulous guide called Pius, who looked after us during our stay at Victoria Falls. He is a member of the Cindebele tribe from the Bulawayo area, where I lived for a number of years in the 1970’s. One evening we were chatting, and I remarked that being born in one country and growing up in another led to a sense of never being complete in either place. Pius told me that in Cindebele culture a person’s roots would always belong in the place where their umbilical cord was buried but that their hearts would choose their places of belonging. ‘The wise person’ he said, ‘learns to feed both the roots and the heart for without either they must die.’

For a couple of seconds it felt as if the world fell silent to allow Pius’ words to seep into my consciousness. I realised that the universe had just presented me with a challenge – to find ways to feed my roots and my heart.

Ever since this conversation, my head has been bursting with exciting ideas - one of which is to run a ‘Get Connected’ event in Africa. I plan to run an ‘ Africa Connects Seminour’ – a combination tour, retreat and seminar. I love Africa, and would enjoy taking others to the places that feed my heart and soul and guiding them to reconnect with the things that feed their roots and hearts.

For those of you who have dreamt of visiting Africa, make a plan to do it this year and block out the period from the 6^th – 14^th May in your diaries. Then take a look at the teleseminars and events page on this website.

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie Headland) — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 16:58:00 +0000

Loyalty

Loyalty is one of those word that sounds old-fashioned and rather passé, but nothing could be further from the truth. Loyalty encompasses truthfulness, faithfulness and integrity, values that are as relevant today as they were in the past.

Perhaps the reason we don't hear very much about it is because we're not entirely certain we really aspire to it, or don't want to be held accountable for disloyalty?

Loyalty is an unswerving allegiance, faithfulness and fidelity to a commitment, person, nation, organisation or a cause. It provides the gold standard for relationship excellence. It's steadfast in good times and tested in bad.

Loyalty is found in what you do and what you say. It is willingly given, with a person's whole heart and soul. Loyal people are faithful to their word, and demonstrate this in action, service, and sometimes through sacrifice.

Where do your loyalties lie? How do you demonstrate your loyalty? Is that demonstration consistent in both good times and bad?

The absence of fidelity, loss of reputation, lack of trust, cynicism, loss of peace of mind and self-worth are the terrible consequences of disloyalty. Ask yourself: "What would it cost if I choose to be disloyal?" The answer is: your integrity, your ability to be authentic. It's not only what you take away from the other party, but also what you steal from yourself when you choose not to be loyal.

Without loyalty we lack a moral centre in our lives. Loyalty is a universal good, which binds people to a moral order and to one another. Hence, a conflict of loyalties is disastrous. It is like a civil war waging in our souls.

Loyalty, like trust, is a two way street – you have to give it to get it. We know instinctively that healthy relationships are built upon both a conscious and unconscious commitment to loyalty. It's an organic ingredient of healthy human chemistry. Think of your abiding friendships and most intimate relationships – aren't faithfulness and loyalty essential?

If friends and family meet in times of comfort and prosperity but leave when hardship and difficulty strike, it is clear that their friendship and love are not true. It is not fair, right, nor admirable to benefit from someone's company in good times but abandon them in times of hardship.

Remaining true to our deepest commitments is life-long work for us individually, as it is for every organisation of which we're a part. Yet, loyalty often takes a back seat to the less noble virtues of convenience, profit, expediency and self-interest. As for us individually, this fickle loyalty to our highest purposes is one of our greatest vulnerabilities.

Loyalty is a word that should remind all of us to honour our commitments to others and to ourselves. It is the rudder of life, giving it meaning and direction. Without a robust commitment to loyalty our lives and credibility are greatly diminished.

Our society is increasingly becoming characterised by unfaithfulness and disloyalty. We need to demonstrate greater strength, loyalty, and cohesiveness in our relationships to others and ourselves.

As a virtue, loyalty is sometimes complex and elusive. Its complexity is due to the fact that the value of loyalty depends both on the constancy of one's commitment to something or someone, and to some extent on the value of that to which one is faithful.

Chicken meets egg. Is it that people are disloyal? Or is it that people don't engender loyalty? The answer to both is yes. We need to give serious consideration to how can we both demonstrate greater loyalty while earning the loyalty of others. This is a question for every business and individual to ponder.

Loyalty is also elusive in our rapidly changing culture, and in the unfolding of our lives as well. Our alliances and allegiances change over time, sometime because of their nature or ours, but not always or only because we lack the virtue of loyalty.

We all become weakened by defections among customers, employers, employees, friends and family. If the primary objective of any relationship is trust creation, then we must never betray nor neglect the virtue of loyalty as trust builds loyalty and loyalty builds even greater trust. Each of us has to choose – either loyalty or hypocrisy - there is no middle ground.

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie Headland) — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 22:58:00 +0000

What A MARS Bar Taught Me About Goal Setting

My brother is crazy about MARS bars – actually one of the things that I find most annoying about him is that he eats 1 or 2 a day and remains as thin as a greyhound, I’ll probably put on 10 pounds just writing about a MARS bar! But I digress...

You have probably guessed by now that I am a big fan of setting goals and writing them down. As a speaker, trainer and coach I spend a great deal of time talking to people about the importance of goal setting and have often used the SMART mnemonic to remind myself and others of the qualities of effective goals:

S = Specific
M = Measurable
A = Achievable
R = Recorded
T = Timebound

At a recent leadership development workshop I discussed with the delegates the how to’s of holding a goal setting meeting with a team member. We had gone through all the SMART qualities and then I said, ‘Don’t forget the motivational aspects of goal setting.’ This lead to a discussion about what makes a goal motivational, particularly in a work setting where goals are often driven by organisational needs rather than individual needs.

Motivation is key to goal accomplishment. Your motivation is the answer to why. Why do you want to achieve this goal? As I explained to the delegates, it’s the answer to WIIFM – What’s In It For Me’?

Remember W I I F M? It’s the smallest radio station in the world but the one with the most powerful signal.

How do you and your team members benefit by achieving work goals? What’s in it for you and them? Why should they invest time, energy and effort into accomplishing organisational goals? (By the way, if you don’t know much about motivating your people, get on a course ASAP and find out – don’t fall into the trap of thinking that money is the key, it’s not!)

Our motivation drives us to take action. Action is another key to goal achievement. Having goals, even when written down, is not enough. You must take action – big and small actions – if you are to achieve success.

Your goals also have to be relevant for who you are. What is the relevance of your goals to you? What is the relevance of work goals to your team members? When you understand the relevance of your goals you are able to make far better choices and decisions. You will choose and decide on those things that drive your goals forward. You will also more easily identify opportunities for driving your goals forward when you’re clear about their relevance to you.

So there you have it Motivation, Action and Relevance = Success. Or MARS for short. Now you also know what a MARS bar can teach you about goal setting.

Pick up a copy of my workbook Greatest Year, New Pathways and learn how to develop inspiring life and career goals and action plans for the twelve months ahead and every year of your life thereafter.

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie Headland) — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 20:26:00 +0000

The Biggest Obstacle To Your Success

Before you read this article, take a minute and quickly jot down the things that you believe are barriers to success.

My brother recently started his own business, The Handy Man. He has been talking about it for years but always felt he had a good reason for not starting up. He ran through the list of usual reasons that many of us use and that prevent us from catching our dreams: I need more money, I need to do more research into the market, I might fail. This last reason is a classic response and really means, “I’m scared to give up the security of my existing job. Sure it’s boring and mundane, even soul destroying at times, but hey, it pays the rent!”

I always responded to his fear of failure/need for security by asking, “What price your soul?” (Not very empathetic but I am his big sister after all. Big sisters are always bossy – but in a very loving way.)

Before I launched into my first business in South Africa I attended a ‘How to start a business’ course at the local university. I always remember how we all raised the ‘What do we do if we fail?’ issue with the lecturer. He said that this was an interesting question that everybody posed when starting up their own businesses but what he found even more interesting was that very few people considered what they would do if their businesses were to succeed. He asked us, ‘How would you cope if you’re business was to suddenly take off in a big way, beyond your expectations?’ A stunned silence was the response he drew. He then went on to explain that a lack of consideration to managing success was very often a cause for failure in start up businesses.

I believe that the single biggest obstacle to your success and happiness is your limiting thoughts. Let me explain…

How much of your potential are you fulfilling? Can you honestly say you've claimed and achieved anywhere near your full potential? NO?

Have you ever wondered why that is so? Why some doubt still lurks in the deep recesses of your mind -- in spite of the fact that you are COMMITTED to making your life (or business) totally successful and satisfying?

Scientific studies have shown that negative thoughts have a tremendous limiting impact on peoples’ lives. They most certainly do damage your ability to achieve your goals!

You are not limited to the life you now live. You have accepted it as the best you can do at this moment. Any time you're ready to go beyond the current limitations in your life, you're capable of doing that by choosing different thoughts.

You can set goals until you're blue in the face but in the end it's your thoughts and beliefs that determine what you will (or will not) actually achieve. We each earn the income we do today because that is the amount we have limited ourselves to earn. We could easily earn 5, 10, or 20 times more if we did not limit ourselves through the thoughts we maintain. You don't believe that's true? Surely you know people who earn much more than you who don't have your education, or your skills, or your intelligence, or your talent. So why do they earn more than you?

I love the story of George Dantzig that Cynthia Kersey wrote about in Unstoppable. As a college student, George studied very hard and always late into the night. So late that he overslept one morning, arriving 20 minutes late for class. He quickly copied the two maths problems on the board, assuming they were the homework assignment. It took him several days to work through the two problems, but finally he had a breakthrough and dropped the homework on the professor's desk the next day.

Later, on a Sunday morning, his excited professor awakened George at 6 a.m. Since George was late for class, he hadn't heard the professor announce that the two equations on the board were unsolvable mathematical mind teasers that even Einstein hadn't been able to answer. But George Dantzig, working without any thoughts of limitation, had solved not one, but two problems that had stumped mathematicians for thousands of years.

Simply put, George solved the problems because he didn't know he couldn't – he didn’t have any limiting thoughts about them or his ability to solve them.

Most of your limiting thoughts are based on childhood ‘programming’. Many of us followed career paths that our parents directed us towards because they believed they offered security. A large number of our values and beliefs are inherited from our parents and other parent figures in our young lives. My parents never had the opportunity to go to university, nor would they ever have considered starting up their own businesses, much too risky! Our parents’ strongest desire is to keep us safe and many of our limiting thoughts derive from this need. Unfortunately this desire frequently keeps us safe but small and we never fully live or achieve our potential.

From my personal experience I have found that anytime I have overcome my limiting thoughts, and decided to take a risk and change my life, the universe sends all kinds of help my way. People who can help and advise me, magazine and newspaper articles that direct me towards the resources I need, etc.

Bob Proctor tells us to "keep reminding yourself that you have tremendous reservoirs of potential within you, and therefore you are quite capable of doing anything you set your mind to. All you must do is figure out how you can do it, not whether or not you can. And once you have made your mind up to do it, it's amazing how your mind begins to figure out how."

Many years ago I read about one of the great Spanish bullfighters who had this to say about life: "To face a bull when you know you'll win is nothing. BUT ... to face a bull when you know you're taking a chance ... now THAT is something! That is putting a lion in your heart!"

How about installing a lion in YOUR heart ... and unleashing your true natural genius, incredible creativity, unstoppable self confidence, focused drive ... and a whole new level of passion! Start to manage your limiting thoughts and put a lion in your heart today.

Now that's worth thinking about!

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie Headland) — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 10:55:00 +0000

Strengthen Your Business With One Word

This article appeared in Bob Cialdini’s monthly newsletter Inside Influence and I thought you might find it interesting. It was written by: Noah Goldstein

Imagine that you are in line to use the photocopier. As you start to use the copier, a stranger approaches and asks, "May I use the Xerox machine?" What is the likelihood that you would comply? Ellen Langer and colleagues conducted a study using this procedure, and found that roughly 60 percent of those approached in this way agreed to allow the stranger to use the copier. However, when the stranger added a single word, more than 90 percent of those approached responded in the affirmative. What was this one word, and what can it do for you business?

The simple word was because. When the stranger followed her question with a reason (e.g., “May I use the Xerox machine, because I’m in a rush”), 94 percent complied. This kind of boost may not seem very surprising. After all, providing a solid reason for the request justifies her asking to jump ahead. Yet, the stranger attained the same elevated compliance rate even when the reason was completely meaningless and tautological in nature (e.g., “May I use the Xerox machine, because I have to make copies?”)

The Langer study demonstrates the unique motivational power of the word because. But what can the word because do for you business? Long-term customers of yours may have gotten used to working with your firm over the years, and with each passing year, the actual reasons for sticking with your company may have become less salient, or even worse, entirely forgotten. Consequently, your business can be left vulnerable to competitors.

How can you strengthen your business ties and your clients’ confidence in your company? One effective way to do it is to have the decision makers at your clients’ firm generate reasons for using your business. This could be accomplished through formal or informal feedback surveys, in which the clients are asked to describe the reasons why they like doing business with your company. Research by Gregory Maio and colleagues suggests that this procedure will strengthen your clients’ commitment to your firm by making it salient to the clients that the continued business relationship is rational rather than simply habitual.

As a final example of the power of because, consider the kind of reputation the Wizard of Oz garnered with songs like this:

We’re off to see the Wizard
The wonderful Wizard of Oz
Because because because because!
Because of the wonderful things he does.

The lesson? Get your clients to say because, and in no time, they’ll be singing your praises, too.

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie Headland) — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 10:42:00 +0000

Subject Line Messages

I read this tip on an on-line forum and was so impressed with the beautiful simplicity of it that I decided to share it with everyone I know. Unfortunately I didn’t record the details of this forum so apologies to the author – if he or she is reading this please let me know who you are so I can publicly acknowledge your wisdom.

How often do you send colleagues or friends short, one-line email messages? Something along the lines of: "Staff meeting in my office at 3:00 today" or "Great job on the proposal, go ahead and send it."

Here's a trick for saving them some time when they receive it:

Place your entire message in the Subject line of the note and follow it with "- eom" like this: "Staff meeting in my office at 3:00 today - eom" or "Great job on the proposal, go ahead and send it - eom".

The acronym "eom" stands for "end of message." When a message like this shows up in your recipient's inbox, they'll see "- eom" in the subject line and know they don't need to waste time opening it. The entire content of the message is right there in the Subject line.

N.B. You will need to explain this time-saver to your audience, at least the first time, in case they don't know what "eom" means.

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie Headland) — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 10:40:00 +0000

A Bit Of Fun

A little something to lighten your day...

I love the Muppets! Do you remember their mahna mahna song? A friend sent me this link a little while ago COLLEGESLACKERS.COM - Mahna Mahna – I was transported back in time as I watched it and had a smile on my face for the rest of the day.

A word of caution – this song stays in your head, you find yourself humming it all day long. Enjoy!

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie Headland) — Sun, 14 Jan 2007 17:03:00 +0000

Parable of the Donkey

This is a great story. I've read it in a number of publications and heard several speakers use it in their programmes. Nobody seems to know where it originated. If you know, let me know and I'll tell the world - or at least the readers of my blog and subscribers to my newsletter.

There was once a farmer who had a donkey. And one day, the farmer's donkey fell into a well. The animal cried pitifully for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, the farmer decided that the donkey was old and that the well needed to be filled in anyway, and that it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the animal. So, he invited all his neighbours to come over and help him. They each grabbed a shovel began to shovel dirt into the well.

At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. But then, to everyone's amazement, he quieted down. After a while, and many shovelfuls of dirt later, the farmer looked down into the well and was astonished at what he saw.

As every shovel of dirt hit his back, the donkey did something amazing. He would shake the dirt off his back and take a step up. As the farmer's neighbours continued to shovel dirt upon the animal, it would shake it off and take a step up. After a while, everyone was amazed, as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off.

The moral:

Life is going to shovel dirt on you.... all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a stepping-stone. We can get out of the deepest wells by just not stopping, by never giving up. Shake it off and take a step up.

OK enough of that bull…

The donkey later came back, found the farmer out in the field, and kicked the heck out of him. He then went to each of the neighbours, in turn, and kicked the heck out of them for helping the farmer.

The REAL moral:

When you try to cover your ass, it always comes back to haunt you.

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie Headland) — Fri, 29 Dec 2006 12:34:00 +0000

New Year, New Beginnings

The New Year is often the time when we decide to make changes to our lives. We may decide to lose weight, get fitter, find a new job, start our own businesses, end a relationship, move home or take a year out and travel, or to change any number of other things in our lives.

Some of us even take the trouble to write our desires for change down and give thought to how we can manifest these changes. And for some of us that’s where it all ends – nothing happens and this time next year we’re back at the same place.

And that’s the problem – nothing happens! Wishing and hoping, intending, and desiring are useful ingredients in the recipe for change, but until you act to begin the change, nothing will change.

Everything hangs on you taking that first step to bring about change. It’s not enough to know that you want to change, you have to begin.

The New Year reminds us that the time for discussion and deliberation are over. We must take action now to begin the journey towards the changes we desire if we are to manifest them in our lives.

Let 2007 be the year you act on the truth you have known for a long time but were not ready to call by its name until this time. Take the first small step towards the person you long to be and watch as a generous universe conspires with you to bring your hopes, wishes and desires into being.

Happy New Year, Happy New Beginnings!

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie Headland) — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 21:31:00 +0000

Putting Your Dreams Into Play

I bet you have some dreams for your business, career, or life. I wonder though, do you have goals to help you turn those dreams into reality? Have you consciously chosen to take action in line with those goals? Do you notice what happens after you’ve taken action, appreciate your progress, adapt to a turn of events, and keep going no matter what?

In her book God Is No Laughing Matter, Julia Cameron writes, "Life is not linear. We are faced less with lessons than with opportunities, choice points, tiny and large.”

Barbara Winter says that our challenge is to choose consciously, to be responsive as well as responsible, to be innovative and intrepid, to listen to the still, small voice that whispers, 'Go this way. This might work.' Sometimes that voice eggs us on into unknown territory. We abandon the known and set sail in the direction of our dreams.

Andre Gide says, 'One does not discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time.'"

Right now I bet you have some goals and dreams of what you’d like to have happen in your business, career, or life. Instead of thinking about all the hard work to “make” your dreams happen, I encourage you to shift your mindset and decide to put them into play. Everyday fill your mind with your goals and everyday take steps in that direction. Notice what happens, appreciate progress, adapt to any unexpected turn of events, and keep going.

When you take the time to set goals, you put your dreams into play and attract an abundance of opportunities. You are also able to choose consciously and confidently those you will grasp and to step away from the shore bravely and with eager anticipation. Eventually, you achieve your dreams and they’re often even better than you imagined.

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie Headland) — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 14:08:00 +0000

8 Rules for Professional Business Communication

Technology has expanded and enhanced our ability to communicate with one another. However, while the range of communication options has expanded at a rapid rate, many people seem to be unaware of how best to use the devices they now have. It is essential to develop an awareness of how to use technology to avoid negative outcomes for employees, clients and the workplace in general.

Take Email for example; stories frequently appear in the news about how the misuse of this medium has led to the demise of many an employee’s career, from the highest executives to the lowliest of clerks. They didn’t seem to realise that electronic communications are frequently permanent. Even text messages can be stored and retrieved.

These people were intelligent and knew that potentially career ruining information should not be sent indiscriminately, it’s just that they don’t know how to use electronic communication in a polite and professional way.

Technology does not give us permission to be rude and ill-mannered. Nor does it mean that we can be less professional or give less consideration to how we communicate with others.

Here are 8 guidelines for communicating in an effective, professional and respectful manner:

1. Don’t use your mobile phone at inappropriate times, in inappropriate places, or in an inappropriate way. This invades others’ privacy and peace, and disrupts their ability to concentrate.

2. Don’t invade other people’s personal space when using your laptop. There are times/places when it’s okay to connect and use your laptop and there are times when it’s not.

3. Turn off your pager and/or mobile phone in situations where it could be distracting.

4. Always call the person or business before sending a lengthy fax, to ensure that it’s a good time.

5. Before using a speaker phone always make sure the person you are talking to does not mind.

6. Never send e-mail that contains inappropriate or sensitive material (as some business people have learned the hard way).

7. Don’t allow the ease of email to erode relationships. From time to time call the people who you communicate with by e-mail to maintain the personal touch. Even in this modern age, we like to do business with people we know and like. Email only relationships are sterile and do not build any sense of connection with the other person.

8. Avoid calling, paging, or faxing people at home, after hours, or when they’re on leave unless it is vital that you do so. This is the ultimate invasion of privacy and demonstrates little regard for the other person’s need to relax and unwind.

Technology has greatly enhanced our ability to communicate and increased our options of how, where and when to communicate. However, even in this modern age it is essential to follow the old-fashioned tried and tested rules of communication etiquette and good manners. Respect and consideration for others are essential components of good relationships both on- and off-line.

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie Headland) — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 17:22:00 +0000

Learning Is Life

I have always loved learning, and have been fortunate to live in a time when opportunities for learning abound. I am constantly scanning for lessons from what I see, hear and experience.

I have found that even mundane activities provide lessons. Sometimes they remind me of something I already know and at other times new insights and understandings are delivered. The important thing to remember is that knowing or understanding something is not enough; I must use and apply what I learn to other situations. When I don’t apply new learning life will keep on sending the same lesson to me over and over again until I take notice and act.

Do you face the same problems or difficulties over and over again? Do you respond to them in the same old way time and time again? Take a step back and ask yourself: “What is the lesson I have to learn from this? What am I ignoring? What do I need to do differently? What do I need to stop doing? ”

In his book, Hug An Angry Man, Sean Casey Leclaire recounts the story of a long-standing AA member called Rick who used meetings to bemoan his dreadful childhood and constantly used it as an excuse for his unwillingness to curb the drinking habits that he knew would change his life. After many months a wise mentor, called Jim, shares his equally awful life history with Rick and reached across the table and said very softly to him, “Shame on your father for making you the way you are, son. And shame on you for staying that way.”

You’re intelligent; you know it’s the height of stupidity to keep on doing the same old things over and over again and hoping for a different outcome, don’t you? Hoping and wishing won’t change anything. You must act.

The good news is that life does not send us any challenge or hurdle we are not capable of overcoming. Sometimes we have to dig deep into ourselves to find the right answers. And sometimes those answers require that we take actions that are painful or that we make difficult choices.

This is similar to visiting your doctor when you are in pain and finding that the cure will cause you even more discomfort in the short term. The decision to go ahead with the treatment is a no-brainer. The period of discomfort leads to healing.

Many years ago I decided to leave an alcoholic husband who I loved dearly. I had struggled with this decision for years before finally acting on it. It broke my heart to leave, but the fracture in my heart allowed light to shine into my life again.

Life’s lessons can be painful, but once learned and acted upon, will cleanse you of toxic relationships, behaviours and situations that have been harmful to your well being.

Are you willing to face the challenges life’s lessons offer and take the actions required no matter how fierce the pain or difficult the choice? Will you take action and allow your healing and transformation to follow?

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie Headland) — Sun, 26 Nov 2006 20:21:00 +0000

IS THERE A TYPICAL DAY IN THE LIFE OF A SELF BOSSER?

Broadly speaking self bossers experience two types of ‘typical’ days.

The first is the day taken up by the important activities that establish client relationships - arranging appointments, visiting prospective clients and discussing their challenges and needs, writing proposals, and making follow up calls. The development of client relationships is an exciting process because you are being given the opportunity to work with that person or organisation and their unique goals, needs and issues.

Then there are the activities that build and strengthen client relationships. In my training and coaching practice these include the facilitation of workshops or projects with client teams, and coaching sessions with individual clients.

Other ‘typical’ activities that appear in my diary are the development of training materials and preparation for workshops, marketing activities, administering psychometric tests and writing up reports for clients, chasing up outstanding payments and general administration to keep my accountant and bank manager happy.

In the almost eight years of being self-employed I have learnt a great deal about running and growing a business and even more about myself. Going solo gives you full responsibility for you. As your span of control diminishes so your circle of power to influence others expands. Starting with your family, and widening to include your bank manager, the small business body you approach for help and advice, your accountant and clients.

Self-honesty, self-discipline and self-leadership tested me to the core. Having the courage to stand up for my dreams and make a success of things on my own terms was challenging and even horribly frustrating and terrifying at times. BUT I have never regretted going solo.

I would recommend the self-employed route to any who are budding entrepreneurs. I hope that my Going Solo articles have ignited the self bosser passion in your soul. Turn your business castles in the air into reality. Start building the foundations for your brilliant business now!

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie Headland) — Sun, 26 Nov 2006 19:14:00 +0000

MORE ABOUT MARKETING YOUR BUSINESS

I talked about marketing a little in my previous article Dealing With The Ebbs and Flows Of Your Business. However, marketing is such an important business growing activity that I thought I would share a few more of the lessons I have learned.

My time spent in the corporate world and the help I receive from others enables me to effectively manage my business. However nothing I had ever done previously, prepared me for the challenge of marketing - attracting and securing work from unknown prospective clients.

The primary objectives of your marketing activities are to create awareness and generate business leads. I could not afford to hire someone to do this for me, nor did I have a large pot of money to spend on glossy brochures or adverts. (I subsequently learned that this is not necessarily the most effective marketing method.) I didn’t have a clue where to start and finally stumped up the money to attend a one-day workshop that provided me with a basic understanding of the ‘marketing mix' and exposed me to more effective ways of marketing my services.

Some of the lessons I have learned are as follows:

Marketing your own business is an on-going long-term activity.
Marketing activities you undertake this year may only bear fruit next year or the year after. Business plans and budgets are developed in annual cycles and time spent with clients or information you send to them today may not result in any profitable business for months to come.
Mental toughness is an important prerequisite for marketing.

I have had to wait for up to three months for some clients to decide to go ahead with a proposed activity. During this time it can be very difficult to raise them and frequently they do not respond to attempts to contact them. All my insecurities rise to the surface and I’m left wondering: “Do they like my proposal? Have they selected another trainer or coach to deliver the work? Are they not calling because they think I’ll fall apart if they tell me they are not going to use me?”

Then out of the blue they will call to say they want to go ahead and can it be next week please! (Have I mentioned the need for patience and forbearance? I find repeating the poem, Hiawatha, helps!)

Perseverance and self-belief are important. A lack of immediate response does not mean that your promotional efforts are not working. A relationship takes time to build and prospective clients want to know you are here for the long term and serious about attracting their business.

Marketing need not be expensive. I publish a quarterly newsletter that includes articles such as ‘Does Success Cause Failure’ or ‘How Good A Boss Are You’ and that offers hints and tips on activities such as goal setting, networking and public speaking. The purpose of the newsletter is to create awareness in an entertaining and informative way, generate serious interest from prospective clients and keep in touch with existing clients. I had absolutely no response to the first three newsletters I published, but subsequent issues have resulted in enquiries that led to business and my subscriber list grows daily.

Use case studies to showcase your skills. I send out regular mailers that suggest ways in which my skills can benefit clients, I always add a mini case-study that show how others have already benefited.

Word of mouth is still the most powerful form of marketing. Ask customers for referrals. It is much easier to gain access to a prospect when you can tell them that someone they know and trust has suggested you might be able to help them too. Ask for testimonials and use these in your marketing materials and on your website.

Networking is to self-employed people what oxygen is to life. The life of a soloist is often a solitary one and networks provide support, opportunities for marketing, for gaining useful information, for learning and idea sharing, and they give you access to new clients, joint venture and business development opportunities. Take a look at my book, Magnetic Networking here http://jackieheadland.com if you want to shine as a networker.

Professional associations, your local Chamber of Commerce, Business Networking Groups etc all offer regular opportunities for networking. Offer to be a speaker at their meetings to really raise your profile in the local business community.

The Internet provides some useful networking opportunities. Use these to expand your networks, but remember that face-to-face is by far the most powerful networking method.

Some useful websites are:

http://www.ecademy.com/ - an excellent international on-line networking forum, I highly recommend that you join Ecademy.

www.alodis.com - offers advice and support for self-employed professionals.

http://gmarketingcoach.com/index.html - a site offering a free weekly newsletter sharing marketing strategies and tips.

One final thought: time is of the essence when attending networking events so develop an ‘Elevator Speech’ and be able to describe in 30 seconds what you offer to clients. (See the book Crafting Your Compelling Elevator Speech at http://jackieheadland.com)

When I first began my solo career and met people who asked what I do, I used to mutter some words that included management development, training and coaching. It was a wonder that I got any business at all!

My elevator speech is short and brief, ‘Hi, I’m Jackie. I’m a trainer and coach and I help people to shine.’ Some other examples of elevator speeches are:

“My company helps small businesses to streamline their systems and processes so they reduce their costs and increase their profits.”

“I work with individuals to help them discover how they can create and live an abundant life.”

“My name is Joan Danvers, I can provide you with the perfect gift at the perfect time and for any occasion without you ever having to go shopping."

A well crafted elevator speech will always get people to ask the magic question, "How do you do that?" Bingo! They want to know more about you and your busines and have given you the opportunity to ask them some questions so you can highlight how your products or services exactly meet their needs. From contact to hot prospect in 30 seconds - now that's what I call marketing your business!

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie Headland) — Sun, 26 Nov 2006 09:54:00 +0000

CREATING YOUR BUSINESS PLAN

As a trainer I frequently remind trainees that ‘failure to plan is planning to fail’ and I offer this same advice to you. Planning is crucial before starting up your business and in order to build, grow and maintain it.

A business plan precisely defines your business, identifies your goals, and serves as your firm's CV. Your bank manager will want to see your business plan before opening your business bank account.

The basic components include a current and pro forma balance sheet, an income statement, and a cash flow analysis.

Your business plan helps you to allocate resources properly, handle unforeseen complications, and make good business decisions. Because it provides specific and organised information about your business it is a crucial part of any loan application. Additionally, it informs you and others about your operations and goals.

Before you begin writing your business plan, consider the following questions:

What is it that you want to do and achieve?
What service or product does your business provide and what needs does it fill?
Who are the potential customers for your product or service and why will they purchase it from you?
How will you reach your potential customers?
Who are your competitors?
How will you make your skills/products/services so attractive to prospective clients that they will choose you over your competitors?
Where will you get the financial resources to start your business?
How are you going to develop your business for the next year? For the next three years?
Where do you see your future work coming from and will you have the resources (people and money) to handle it?

Whenever I'm coaching start-up self-bossers they always ask, “What will happen if I fail?” I always point out to them that one of the major reasons for failure is that entrepreneurs rarely plan for success.

How would you handle landing a large contract that cannot be accomplished by you alone?
What would you do if your business were to suddenly burgeon beyond your wildest dreams?

It is critical that you invest in preparation and planning before launching ‘You plc’. There are a number of organisations and people who can help you. I found my bank manager, the local Enterprise Trust and Small Business Gateway to be extremely generous with time, information, advice and services. There are some excellent business coaches out there too. Ask around and find out who other self bossers go to when they need help and advice.

My accountant gave me useful advice when setting up my business and meets with me every three months to give financial guidance for an affordable annual fee. In addition I have used a business coach, a website coach, and a life coach when I felt I needed extra help.

Join business groups and associations where you can learn from more experienced entrepreneurs and share experiences with them. Your local Chamber of Commerce or Business Network Association are good places to start. Again ask other self bossers where they go to get help and advice when they need it.

You can find a number of useful articles/resources to help you with your business plan at http://www.businesstown.com/planning/creating.asp

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie Headland) — Sun, 26 Nov 2006 09:40:00 +0000

DEALING WITH THE EBBS AND FLOWS OF YOUR BUSINESS

Are you comfortable with periods of insecurity? Is your significant other similarly comfortable?

Ask any self employed person and they will tell you that a solo career is a lot like Pharaoh’s dream about cattle: sometimes fat and sometimes lean. I either have so much business that I work till all hours to keep up and neglect my family and friends in the process, or have very little going on. I have not yet managed to get to that blissful state of consistently having exactly the right amount of work, nor have I met a soloist who has. (I am getting better though, read on to find out more.)

In the early stages of my solo career I became full of self-doubt and anxiety during the lean times, driving myself and my family crazy in the process. I have learned to plan for the lean periods, both financially and by pursuing other activities during these times.

I set aside some of the money I earn during the good times to carry me through the quieter periods. I have learned to market my business, pursue other interests and build additional income streams around them, so that I continue to satisfy my worker bee instincts and my needs for achievement and some semblance of financial stability.

It can be useful too to use the quiet times for your self-development.

What are you best at/worst at in your present job or business? How will/does this affect the running of your business? Are there skills/knowledge gaps you need to address? How will you develop them? Who can help you?

You may not be able to afford hired help in the early stages of developing your business. Are you willing and able to do the mundane administration and other ‘routine and perhaps boring’ tasks that keep your business on an even keel and growing?

I am not crazy about administration, and knew very little about sales and marketing or the tax and financial aspects of running a business when I started out. I have learned to 'just get on' with the administration and I use experts to help me with those lesser known but crucial to success aspects of building and managing a business. For example I pay an accountant to look after my bookkeeping, financial and tax affairs and website design experts to develop and help me promote my website.

Marketing was my biggest weakness. I had never had to market a business before I started my training and coaching consultancy. Jay Conrad Levinson of Guerilla Marketing fame and Ellen Britt of Marketing Qi are two gurus I learned a lot from and would recommend to marketing newbies and experts alike.

Learning how and where to network effectively was another of my key development needs. I got pretty good at this, and now most of my work comes through networking and word of mouth contacts. (Take a look at the book, Magnetic Networking, in the Products area of my website.)

I discovered that marketing was a great deal of fun and that if I did it intelligently it didn't cost a fortune or take up an inordinate amount of time. I experimented with the various ideas and suggestions offered by the gurus and found the tactics and strategies that worked for me and my business.

I didn't always get it right but I quickly learned which activities built my credibility and my business. You can too - just find the gurus and tactics that work for you and then get out there and build your business.

The self employed ocean is terrific, please don't wait too long before you dive in and start having the time of your life!

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie Headland) — Sun, 26 Nov 2006 09:34:00 +0000

BEFORE YOU GO SOLO

There are a number questions about you and your business that you should answer before you take that leap into the unknown.

Why do you want to be a self-employed coach? Are you moving away from something or towards a long cherished goal?

Whatever your reasons for wanting to go solo give very careful consideration to how serious you are about it. Is it a way of escaping an unhappy job or something to do between redundancy and finding a ‘real job’. Do you see an independent coaching consultancy as an interim step or a new career?

Do you have enough money or the means of making enough to finance your business and sustain your lifestyle while growing your business?

It’s great if you land a big contract to start your new business but you should begin looking around for the next assignment well before work on the first one is completed. My first deal was a sizeable piece of work that gave me an income while I worked at expanding my client base. Even though the original client continued to ask for more I was concerned about relying on them too much. My concerns were confirmed when their US parent went bust and the UK operation was put into administration. Fortunately I had two other small pieces of work that gave me some income but I had to draw on savings when this lean period extended over almost four months.

Are your significant others supportive of your entrepreneurial ambitions? Will they lend a hand when necessary?

The support of the important people in your lives is crucial when you go solo. You need their encouragement when things go wrong or when you experience self-doubt. You need their help when tasks threaten to overwhelm you. My husband and daughters have typed, stuffed envelopes, put together workbooks, and acted as the telesales team whenever necessary – I would not have achieved half as much as I have without their willing hearts and hands.

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie Headland) — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 19:44:00 +0000

AN INTRODUCTION TO GOING SOLO

You may have thought about being a self-employed from time to time, it may even be one of your long-term goals. Some reach a stage where corporate life no longer offers a big enough challenge, others become weary of the politics and resent the creative energy that is wasted in corporate game-playing. Whatever the reason, the pull of being your own boss is strong and more and more frequently you find yourself wondering what it would be like to go solo and be your own boss.

Going solo conjures up images of adventure and people like Ellen MacArthur the lone yachtswoman, or Ranulph Fiennes the explorer. Heroic people, who continuously face their fears, test their limits and achieve extraordinary results. I made the choice to leave a successful training career with a large organisation and go solo almost eight years ago. I never imagined that working for myself would be anything like sailing around the world single handedly. After all, I was an experienced trainer and coach, I had worked in large organisations for most of my adult life, and I knew the territory, what was there to fear?

I was soon to find out!

Most of us start thinking about running our own businesses when we reach a level of professional and technical expertise that is acknowledged by others and which gives us a great deal of self-confidence and self-esteem. However it is important to recognise that these factors alone do not equal an aptitude for successful self-employment. Understanding the technical and professional aspects of a job does not mean that you know how to run and grow a successful business.

In future postings I will offer suggestions so that you can thoughtfully plan for your journey to a rewarding and successful career as a solo entrepreneur.

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie Headland) — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 17:04:00 +0000

Defy Your Past and Build A Bright Future

We are frequently taught that we should consider the past when planning the future. Sometimes this can lead us to believe that the past dictates our future. But even though the past can be one indicator of the future, it does not dictate the future.

There are many examples in sports, business and politics where past events were not the slightest indicator of events that followed. For example, Amelie Mauresmo has been dogged by her nerves for much of her tennis career. She did not allow her past to dictate her future though and in 2006 she won her battle with her nerves and claimed her first Wimbledon title.

When we rely on our past history as an indicator of our future we build an invisible barrier to our dreams and creativity. You will find it difficult to imagine or create new ideas or ways to your desired future if you believe in the myth that your past dictates your future. It is important to remind yourself that this is just a myth and only has power as long as you hold it true.

This does not mean that you should ignore your past. The past is a valuable learning ground. However, don’t fall into the trap of confusing your past with your future. Such confusion can lead you to giving great power to your patterns of the past. This power drains you of your creative spark and energy and your goals and dreams are stillborn.

"Live out of your imagination, not your history." Stephen Covey

Refuse to allow your past history to constrain your actions today. Look for examples of people who have achieved what you desire. Find out what they did and learn from them. Ask yourself, ‘If I knew I couldn’t fail, what is the first thing I’d do to get me on track to achieving this goal? And what would be next? And next?’ Then take those actions and celebrate each small success on the way to the bright new future you’re creating.

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie Headland) — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 17:04:00 +0000

Three Steps To Controlling Your 'Success Jitters'

Debbie was full of enthusiasm as she built her business plans and was finally ready to launch her catering business. She had been catering ‘informally’ for years, mostly for important events held by friends and colleagues. She had reams of testimonials from very satisfied customers. There was no doubt that she was a talented caterer.

However, as she got closer to the launch date signs of trouble started to appear. She ‘forgot’ to drop off information for her brochure at the printer and delayed returning calls from a prospective client she had been pursuing for months.

I asked Debbie if she was aware of these patterns of behaviour. She thought for a moment and then said, ‘I know I’m a good cook but every time I think about officially launching my business my stomach churns and my palms sweat. ‘ She laughed nervously . ‘I find myself doing crazy things like questioning whether I should spend £50 extra for colour brochures. How crazy is that?

There was no doubt in my mind what was going on – Debbie had the ‘success jitters’. You’ve probably experienced them too – the sudden attack of nerves that wrap your courage in a vice-like grip when you start turning your dreams into reality

Suddenly your perception shifts. What started out as a testimonial from a satisfied client now sounds like you’re being boastful. You think, ‘Perhaps I’m not that good after all. Perhaps that client was just being kind.’ Your self-belief is being eroded by your self-doubt and the success jitters leap into action.

How can you manage your success jitters?

1. Face your fear and do it anyway.

It’s perfectly naturally to feel scared when you take on new challenges. Accept fear as natural, it nearly always goes hand in hand with success.

2. Keep your eyes on the dream.

Get connected to the passion you felt at the start. Look forward to the freedom of being a self-bosser. Taste the joy that helping others will bring. Feel the pleasure of doing something you love and are brilliant at. By reconnecting to the passion your energy remains high and the success jitters under control.

3. Take a success step every single day.

A "success step" is any action that is difficult for you - it could be starting your business plan, writing an article, or calling someone for advice and direction. If you do something scary each day - even just a tiny something - you'll fuel your courage to take on bigger risks. For example, Debbie scheduled her presentation to the prospective client far enough in advance so that she would have plenty of time to practice. Her daily success steps build her confidence and keep the success jitters at bay.

What is your success step for today?

One of the secrets of life is to make stepping-stones out of stumbling blocks. ~ Jack Penn