In my last post, I shared that years ago I really struggled with getting things done. What made it most frustrating is I HAD the time, but was getting bogged down in the voices in my own head! Yet I’ve had people for years comment about how amazed they are at all the things I do. But, it’s only really been in the last year and a half that I can still accomplish the things I want to accomplish AND take real time off to enjoy life WHILE witnessing my income increase AND witness my clients achieve great success.

I’ll share again that today I live in Northern Arizona and am able to hit the hiking trails 2-3 days a week, on a consistent basis. And my business continues to grow! This will be the second year I hit six figures and a big reason for that success is that I’ve become very focused and targeted in how I go about my business and how I GROW my business. Today I walk into my office with a plan, and I’m able to shut down the distractions and focus.

When you’re able to control your time the way you WANT to, you’re able to better control the revenue that flows to you.

Today is Step #2 of three simple time success strategies that I cover more deeply elsewhere, but they can really can make the difference between working all the time, and feeling you would NEVER really want to grow to 6 or 7 figures (because then you wouldn’t have a life) or enjoying a thriving business, while playing and having tons of fun with family and friends, and feeling fulfilled because you are not only successful but ALSO are a living model of balance for your clients.

Step #2: Control your email
Again, there’s not enough space to go into this as deeply as I’d like, but this will get you started.

1) Create folders and filters (sometimes called ‘rules’) for your email.

2) Empty your main inbox every day.
If you need to come back to something, create a new folder called something like “@important to read.” Then get into the habit to FIRST look at that each day. However, only go back to something once. If it’s something you have to respond to someone but don’t want to get rid of that first email, create a new folder, maybe called “@waiting for response.”

3) DELETE, DELETE, DELETE!
Unless it’s an email with password info, or legal info you need to keep, most emails can be deleted after even a month (or less). Look at your listserv email: If any are over 3 months and you haven’t read it or taken action on it, you can delete it! Trust me, if you need the info, you can find it! If the email included a link, open that link and save in your ‘favorites.’ We won’t discuss organizing your websites; I will assume you’ve already done so.

Stay tuned for Step #3, but meanwhile, work on implementing Step #2, so that YOU can make more money AND have a life through this first time success strategy. If you missed Step #1, be sure to go back to read “3 Simple Time Success Strategies for Wellness Professionals: Step 1”.

Margie
MEG Enterprises, Inc.

Do YOU struggle with time management? Do your days fly by with you wondering what you did that day, every day, every week? This is costing you money! To learn time success strategies that will instantly leave you feeling in charge of your life, and allowing you to MAKE more, check out “6-Figure Time Success Secrets for Health and Wellness Professionals.”

There is one thing I often hear from health professionals, which is they feel they just need a plan, and then they know they can turn their business into a great success.

But they don’t create that plan! Why? Let’s look at 3 biggest reasons why you don’t, and give one tip for each reason that can turn things around:

1. Usually you are too close to what you do to be able to really SEE what you have to offer!

   If this is you, sit down and write out every service and product you have to offer. Then determine when you would like to sell that product or service. Even I work with a company who can help me not only see the services I have to offer, but also helps me plan when I will offer them, and then helps me create the promotional plan to fill my programs.

2. Sitting back and putting a comprehensive plan together feels like too big a project.

   It’s really not; it just takes some time and a methodical process to turn what you have to offer into a plan to FILL your services or sell your products. Once you have all your products and services written down from above, print up calendars for the period you’d like to plan (each month for the rest of the year would be ideal) and, in pencil, play around with how many of each product or service you would like to sell.

3. You don’t know HOW to plan!

   Again, by just taking it one step at a time, the “HOW” really resolves itself rather quickly. If you have identified all of your products and services, and you have written down when you’d like to sell each on the calendars, from above, you actually have started your plan! The next step is to plan your PROMOTIONS!

Often it’s just a matter of getting started. As a successful person, though, once you’re given the right door to open, you can excel! You just have to “JUST JUMP”!

Margie
MEG Enterprises

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I had my first book signing event in Arizona for JUST JUMP at the Next Chapter Bookstore in Prescott Valley, AZ last weekend. I had a great time, but the outcome was totally different than I had anticipated!

We had very few visitors to the store. But there were four of us at the event to sign books. And we created what I believe will be an incredible synergy of authors who will support, encourage and motivate each of the others. We are already discussing setting up our first meeting.

We’ll have a second book signing event at New Chapter, but although I put the word out about the event, I realize I didn’t quite do the push I know I should have.

What does it mean to to “Go for it 100%” and what holds us back from doing so? Let’s take a look at this and how YOU can JUST JUMP in and go 100%:

First, why do you hesitate to really GO FOR IT 100%?? Usually it’s one simple thing: Lack of confidence or self-doubt. Sure, it may not be HUGE, but it tends to linger in the fringes of what we could make possible. We all suffer from it at one level or another. We can SAY it’s lack of time, but we all find time for the things we most want to spend time on. We can also say we don’t know what to DO. Again, this is just another excuse. So, if you took away all of these excuses, THEN what do you do?

• Put your marketing plan together. I realized it’s time for an updated marketing plan for my book. Yes, I created one when it was in the production stage, and I have an updated (2010) plan for my business, but not for my book!

• Implement your plan. I could go into all the strategies to use to GO FOR IT 100%, but they are in your plan! Who must you contact, how will you contact them? How will you use social media? How will you manage your time around each of these activities? All of this must be included in your planning.

• Ask yourself, what is the worst that can happen? It’s all well-and-good to tell you to make the plan and then implement it, but then the limiting conversations come up that we mentioned above! So, how do you move past those voices of doubt? If you knock on a door or make a phone call, what is the worst thing that can happen? Seriously, usually it’s just that they say no! The worst is your ego is bruised, but you move on.

• Ask yourself, who must you be to make this happen? If someone told you they wanted to climb Mt. Everest, you would encourage them to do what’s necessary to make this happen, right? Why are you different? There is a part of you that might be holding back.  So, if you were to pretend you were someone ELSE, who would that person be? How can you step into those shoes, even for an afternoon or few minutes?

I totally believe that with the planning and vision, we can make anything happen. My goal is to enjoy the fact that I’m now in a new state/location and can spread the word about my book, JUST JUMP,  and how it can help people. I’m ready to GO FOR IT 100%!

Are you?

I challenge YOU to come on and post what you are willing to GO FOR IT 100%! Putting it out there means you WILL make it happen! You DO have a choice! It all depends on you and how willing you are to GO FOR IT 100%.

Margie

I had to laugh as I was reading the book “Rework“, by Fried and Hansson, because I felt like I was reading about all of my clients! I work with perfectionists. In fact, this is why my book is entitled “JUST JUMP“!

I thought I’d share a few perspectives of this book that hit me as I read it. This is an extremely easy book to read, and I recommend it to anyone starting a business, but I think health professionals will particularly get good value out of some of their suggestions.

I have to admit that I didn’t agree with everything, but most of it was pretty right-on. What I didn’t agree with was the planning. The argument around writing or not writing business plans is probably as old as paper, itself. However, the reason I feel that some business plan is essential, and why I include a chapter on a 3-page business plan in my own book, is so that new business owners can identify their vision, goals and objectives. I’ve found that otherwise they just start their business, but without any sense of direction. Yes, I DO believe you have to JUST JUMP, but in order for it to be successful, you also have to do some planning.

So let’s look at a few of the pearls:

* Jump into your idea now. The longer you wait, the less likely you’ll do it. Be ok with learning as you go, or else you may never go!

* Narrow it down to the essentials. What do you really have to offer. Bottom-line it. Keep it simple.

* There are particular questions to help the reader really narrow down what problems they solve, is it useful and is it worth it? In many areas I felt I was reading my own words in JUST JUMP!

* This is a pearl and I’ll probably use this term (acknowledged, of course): “Communication Addition” I bet I don’t need to explain it, but how many hours have YOU spent on email, Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn, today??? CLOSE IT DOWN if you want to accomplish anything! Sound familiar??

* Along the lines of time management, this was also good: If you are tired, you are more likely to waste time doing something you don’t need to be doing, because you lack the motivation to do what you should be doing. Are you tired?

* I am a list-keeper, and I also do usually prioritize them after I write them down. So I tried the authors’ suggestion of just putting the most important things at the top. LOL: Sort of works!

* This is me: Let your customers outgrow  you! Do you know what that means? If not, read the book, grin!

* Pour yourself into your product. This made so much sense! When you’re motivated and pumped up, it just flows and is great! If you’re not in that mode, go onto something else.

* To go along nicely with the above point, act quickly when you’re inspired, because it won’t last. It ‘expires’!

* Hire only when it hurts. This will be a good tip for so many of my own clients who are at that stage of wondering if it is time, yet.

Bottom line: Jump in and check out the waters!

When you look back at your life, what do you want to see? No one ever looks back at life and says “Oh, I wish I hadn’t gone after that dream!” And it’s not like you can have a ‘do-over’ in life. So, again, jump in. As I say, “JUST JUMP.”

Margie

I just returned from two amazing conferences and was fortunate to speak at both.

The speaking experiences were, as always, tons of fun, and the two different people I presented with offered wonderful experiences that can never be duplicated.

But what I gained most from this year’s experience was the rich networking! Before joining the Board of NE (Nutrition Entrepreneur’s Dietetic Practice Group of ADA), I would quietly attend conferences, going to sessions and then disappearing into my room for rest and workouts.

As with most of us, networking was work!

Why is networking important and what can you do to benefit from it?

First, often people shy away from ‘networking’ because they suddenly think they have nothing to share. “What WILL I say?” Here is the first mistake; thinking it’s about you! Stop thinking about YOU and start thinking about who you would like to meet: There may be particular people, or maybe you just want to ‘get out there’. You’re not going to like everyone you meet, but you may also meet someone who you totally click with and suddenly start talking about exciting collaborative opportunities with. This is what happened to me this trip.

So, step into a networking event/opportunity with the sole purpose of learning about the people who are there. Period. Make SURE you have cards with you, but when you ask someone what they do, if you’re interested, ask them for a card, and when you’re done talking, make a note on their card, so you can remember what you were interested in about them. This helps you add a personal touch when you contact them afterwards.

Second, be very clear what YOU would like to accomplish from the experience. Be focused on what YOU have to offer. Do you have a new book out? Or maybe you are writing a book? Maybe you are expanding your nutrition or fitness business and need clients. Never expect to come away with new clients; you’re just putting the word out, but again, be very clear what you hope to accomplish for yourself, too. Do you have your audio logo (elevator speech) perfected? If not, work on it, now! (for help, buy my book). People should know what problems you solve, who you work with, and what makes you different, in just 30 seconds.

Finally, if you are clear what you want, when you meet people who you want to get to know more, the way the universe provides you with what you want is by asking. So, tell people what you are looking for! You will be amazed by the willingness of people to help, if you’re open and honest, AND you also care about what THEY want.

Now what?

You’re now home and you have all these cards. Who do you want to stay in touch with? Just about everyone, today, has an email address on their card, so, within a week, be sure to contact those you enjoyed meeting and want to stay in touch with. You’ll be amazed when, one day you look back and realize that the partner you have for your wildly successful venture was once that last person you almost did NOT say hi to at that networking event.

Here’s my challenge to you:

Pick one way you can push outside your own comfort zone in order to network. Share it with me. I’d also love to hear networking success stories. This will help inspire others to know that they are not alone when it comes to the fear of networking.

Margie

http://www.meg-enterprises.com