Productivity Hack: increase your focus in 2 minutes by using your vision

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In an increasingly distracted world, mental focus might be our most valued asset. And with many of us working from home, there is even less delineation between our work life and home life making it even harder to focus and concentrate on the task in front of us. We jump from one zoom call to the next, emails keep coming, and our homelife makes its way into our work day at random times. 

But while concentration and focus might be in short supply at times, there is a growing understanding in the scientific community that vision and breathing –both of which we can control voluntarily– directly affect the brain and our emotional states. That means we can consciously alter our vision or our breathing to bring about a state of alertness or a state of calm for instance, or even a state of focus. 

Most of us have heard about changing your breath to either increase your energy or to calm down, but you can also consciously alter your vision to tap into your ability to focus.

In effect, you can use your vision as a shortcut to boost your concentration and lean harder into productivity

Strategy #1: Intentionally narrow your vision to engage your mental focus

Your eyes are designed to determine your state of arousal.  In a high alert state, your pupils dilate and you start seeing one thing in sharp focus and everything else disappears. Mental focus follows visual focus. In other words, once you are focusing intensely on something visually, your mind follows and concentrates on that. The visual focus is what brings the brain into cognitive focus.

Armed with this information, you can bring on a state of alertness voluntarily. Consciously narrow your vision when you need to concentrate on something.  Put intense visual focus onto what you need to laser in on.  Go into “Portrait Mode” and let everything else fall into the background. By deliberately narrowing your vision, and blocking out all visual distraction, you’re sending a clear message to your brain about what matters and what needs its energy. 

Strategy #2: Take “focus breaks” to help you lean harder into your work. 

Interestingly, micro-recoveries in between highly focused work sessions can help us focus even better in the next work session. Think of it as a sort of mental HIIT. 

You want to deliberately decompress between sessions of intense work/focus. 

You can do that by periodically widening your vision like you do when viewing the horizon. Changing your gaze to this panoramic vision will relax your brain and turn off the alertness mode in your brain which will allow your mind to destress. In effect, when you widen and relax your gaze you’re hitting the “reset” button so you can handle the upcoming load.  

Learning how to de-focus and re-focus very rapidly is a hugely practical skill to reduce the strain of stress, so you can get back and lean harder into the work again. 

For instance, when you walk out of your meeting, don’t dive into your phone to check your emails or hop on social media. Staring at your phone narrows your vision and does nothing to help your brain recharge. Instead, give yourself a couple minutes before you re-engage into work. Go into panoramic vision: relax your gaze, relax/lower your alertness. Do the same when you get off a call or complete a highly focused work session. Intentionally relax your visual focus periodically to boost your mental focus on the things that matter.

Practice toggling between narrow intense focus, and lowered alertness whenever you can. By relaxing your autonomic nervous system, you will be able to lean into the stress better and be more productive in the session that follows that small break. 

Try these strategies and let me know how it goes for you!

5 Brilliant Productivity Apps Worth Checking Out to Get More Done Today

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To be clear, no one needs a productivity app to be productive. When it comes to productivity, what’s more important than the apps you use are the habits and systems you put in place to show up consistently and do the work. But within that context certain apps can help you work smarter and improve your workflow. They can help you set up those habits and systems. And they can help support you as you implement them. 

These are a few apps I found helpful in addressing some of my productivity goals.

1- Drafts for grabbing ideas on the fly  

Drafts is an app that allows you to jot down information on the fly before you forget it and it does that with minimal fuss. Think of it as having a pad of paper with you at all times. When you launch the app –it works with your iPhone, Apple Watch or iPad– it opens to a new page in your “inbox” with the keyboard and microphone ready so you can dictate or type immediately. It lets you capture that information without you having to create a new note, document, or folder. Once you have captured whatever thought or information you needed, you can send it to a zillion different apps like Dropbox, Evernote, Reminder, or apps like Twitter, iMessage and Email. You can tag the info, flag it, or file it. The interface is ultra simple and streamlined. 

I used it primarily for temporary information like I would a Post-it Note (the Apple Watch app is fantastic for that purpose). It’s a great great spot for instance to capture anything from a name, a book or restaurant recommendation or a website. It’s also a great place to prep a message without the fear of it sending before you have worked out exactly what you wanted to say. But you could use it as a  blogging platform, journal, task manager, or something entirely different since each entry is tag-able and searchable. It’s extremely flexible.

Ultimately, Draft is a great way to capture information first, and figure out what you want to do with it later. 

2- Otter to transcribe your voice or someone else’s voice. 

Otter is a free transcription app that transcribes conversations, meetings, phone calls, podcasts and interviews in real time. It’s the best voice to text app I have found so far. You can record your own voice and it’s smart enough to recognize a different speaker making it particularly useful when trying to capture conversations during a meeting or phone call. And you can also use it to do a live transcription of any podcasts or youtube videos for instance which is where it shines for me.

It integrates with Zoom and generates searchable transcripts that are remarkably accurate.  It’s available on desktop, Android, and iOS devices, and there is a limited free plan for new users to try it out. 

What’s even better, it synchronizes the audio with the text during playback, so you can tap on any word to hear exactly what was being said at the time. And it even offers collaboration features to save time and boost productivity.

3- Focus Keeper (or Interval Timer) to keep you on task using the pomodoro method

For anyone who uses the Pomodoro method as a way to push past procrastination, this simple app is a gem! And for those who have not used that strategy yet, I encourage you to give it a shot –particularly for mundane administrative tasks you don’t necessarily feel like doing (i.e. billing in my case). The idea is to work on only one task for 25 minutes followed by a 5 minutes break. Putting a time limit on something will help you concentrate and force you to work quicker and this timer app makes it easy to dip your toe in.

It’s as simple as it gets and that’s precisely why I like it! It does only one thing and it does it well without flashy visuals. There is absolutely no friction. As soon as you launch it, you can get to work. It’s simple and effective. If you want to go in there and customize it a bit, you can, but it’s great right out of the box. 

If you prefer to work in longer time increments than the built-in 25 minute segments (research has shown that our brain naturally works best in uninterrupted 90 minutes intervals) and if your work gives you the flexibility to block out a longer period of time, you might want to upgrade to the paid version to you can customize the timer length, or I suggest using a timer like Interval Timer (iOS, Android). Technically, it’s designed to time your intervals when you do a Tabata or HIIT workout, but because you can customize the cycles at will, it’s perfect for mental work as well. It takes a bit of practice to do deep work for 90 minutes at a time, but your productivity can shoot through the roof by strengthening that mental muscle.

PS: If you’re looking for something that has more features, Focus To-Do might be a better fit for you. It isn’t a Pomodoro-exclusive app. Instead, it’s a full-fledged task manager –complete with folders, due dates, reminders, data charts and reports– that also incorporates a pomodoro functionality. It’s much more complex than Focus Keeper or Interval Timer but it offers you the ability to track your tasks.

4- Brain.fm to get in the zone and get work done

Brain.fm is a science-based app that gives you 2-hour long AI generated soundtracks designed to help you stay focused and be more productive. I have found it to be truly effective at keeping you on task (the results are evident within the first 10 to 15 minutes) and it’s particularly useful when you need to do deep or creative work like writing or programing for instance. 

In addition to helping you focus, you can use Brain.fm to help you sleep, relax or even meditate. The interface is pretty seamless and easy to use. First, you choose a mental state (focus, relax, sleep, or meditate) and then you choose the length of time you have and a sub-category (deep work, creative, study and read, or light work). Based on your selections, the app will create a soundtrack that you can customize further if you’d like based on your mood (you can pick electronic, grooves, cinematic, piano, and forest sounds for instance).

If you are one of those people who can focus while listening to regular music, this app might not be immensely useful, but if you find that music with lyrics, or even classical music, is either a distraction or doesn’t help you focus significantly better, Brain.fm is worth checking out. I have found it personally very useful. 

Brain.fm is available for Android, iOS and as a web application, with a free 3 day trial.

5- Freedom to block distracting websites and apps

Whether it’s because when you work from home, it’s easy to slip into bad habits or because you simply find yourself irresistibly attracted throughout the day to the myriad of websites and apps clamoring for your attention, sometimes you need external support to remove electronic distractions from your space so you can focus on your work. This is where Freedom comes in.

Freedom lets you choose specific websites, desktop apps and mobile apps you want to block or choose sites to whitelist and block all the rest. You can even block the internet itself if you need. 

It’s easy to set up and use and I love the fact that you can schedule your deep work sessions in advance or you can start a session anytime you sense it will be useful. Plus it sync blocks across all of your devices and it’s available across all platforms.

You’ll find a plethora of advice about productivity apps and, in a more general sense, what you need to do in order to be more productive. But in reality, your ability to work more efficiently depends on your personality, how you process information, as well as the specifics of your work and personal situation. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach and trial and error is the only way to find what’s best for you. I hope you’ll find value in a few of these apps. 

BONUS: … 2 nifty apps to manage your home life

1- AnyList to keep track of anything from your grocery list to your home projects 

Using a shared grocery list keeps everyone in our house on the same page. I like AnyList for its instantaneous cloud syncing, integration with Siri and Alexa, shareability and automatic sorting into categories. We’re finding it useful for any other types of lists and AnyList can also keep track of specific stores and even meal plans. It’s free, available for iOS and Android.

2- Libby to borrow ebooks or audiobooks from your library for free and Audible – For listening to books

I love books, but the fact is that I end up reading a lot more books by listening to them while I run. Audible is my go-to service to get my audiobooks, but the free option offered by your library is an unbeatable deal. The Libby app is a breeze to set up and use for exactly that purpose. Definitely one to check out!

How To Find a Great Coach? Start With This Question.

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No one wants a lemon. Find a great coach!

 

When I started coaching back in 1999, coaching wasn’t really that popular. People would ask me what I did for a living and I would say, “I’m a life coach with Tony Robbins” and about half of the time they would respond with, “so what do you coach? basketball, softball, football?”

Things have definitely changed in the last 20 years. It seems there are coaches everywhere; life coaches, health coaches, nutrition coaches, business coaches, real estate coaches, career coaches, sales coaches, marketing coaches, financial coaches and my wife and I even hired a “Baby Whisperer” coach when we needed some better strategies to help my baby girl to sleep through the night!

With all of the coaches looking for your business, sometimes it seems like car ads on TV. It can be hard to know who is a “great coach” versus a “not so great” coach. Who can a person trust when looking for help? After all, a person is not only putting their hard-earned money on the line, but more importantly, their mental & emotional health, thoughts, problems and the deep intimate details of their personal life!

With one question, you can find the best personal coach for you. The first time you talk to him or her, ask, “I want to hire you as my coach, when can we start?”

Their answer will tell you everything you need to know.

Let me explain. I am a Master Practitioner in the science of NLP, Time Line Therapy & Hypnosis. Those skills help people clear up deep emotional issues preventing them from success. Imagine a person coming to me and asking, “James, what’s a great book on NLP?”  If I was a mediocre coach, I would jump to conclusions or infer what you wanted and would respond with, “The Structure of Magic” 

As a “great coach” I would respond with, “What is your outcome for reading a book on NLP?”  Once we figured that out, then I would respond based on your outcomes. For example, I might answer: “A great book on NLP & Sales is Persuasion Engineering.  For the entire NLP Practitioner training, look for The User’s Manual for the Brain and for a great NLP motivational book reach for Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins.”

A great coach will work to understand you, your goals and your needs FIRST. A great coach will not jump to a conclusion, hence the response, “What is your outcome for the book?”

When it comes to hiring an executive coach or a life coach, a “not so great” coach will enroll you right there on the spot and say, “Sure, I would love to work with you!” But, how do they know that they even have the skills and tools necessary to help you achieve your goals? They don’t even know if the goals and problems you have are within the scope of their coaching practice.

The best coaches will respond with a “Before we proceed, what are your outcomes for coaching?” They will also offer some complimentary time to take you through some sort of process to uncover your goals and obstacles preventing your success. For instance in my coaching practice, I offer a complimentary, 60-minute, “Success-Now” session* to take you through a 5-Step Coaching Process (next week’s post). During this call, we go through your goals, obstacles and success strategies.

“Great coaches” aren’t just looking for clients to fill their practice, they are looking for successful clients. They take the time to understand the prospective client’s goals and obstacles. They determine if they have the right skills, tools and strategies to help that client create the changes they want. And once they know they are the right fit for what the client needs, they move forward. This is what makes the difference between an average coach and a great coach.

Finding a great coach can be a simple, easy process. Look for a personal coach who will spend time upfront with you before ever asking for your business. If he or she can’t take the time now to look at what your goals are and the obstacles you are facing, keep walking. You may end up paying for a coach that can’t deliver the results you want.

 

 

*If you know of anyone needing help and support to overcome the obstacles holding them back from more success in life, they can set up a complimentary “Success-Now” at www.evolutionforsuccess.com.

Does Purpose Trump Motivation When it Comes to Long Term Success?

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Executive Business Coaching can help you find your purpose and motivation

Motivation is what many people believe is the number one factor in getting themselves and their employees to move toward their goals.  For good reason too.  Every manager loves a motivated employee!  They tend to come in early, leave late, produce at high levels and inspire others.  As an Executive Business Coach, one of my outcomes for every session is to never get off of the phone until my client is in a more motivated state in regards to their goals.  One of my favorite quotes from Zig Ziglar is “People often say that motivation doesn’t last.  Neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.”

The problem with motivation is that a person has to work to create it.  That takes energy and effort!  And for some people, it can be A LOT of work.  Motivation is great to get you started in the moment and here are 8 great tips that are commonly used every day for motivation.  I know these work because I use them daily with clients.

But these motivational tips don’t address the issue of staying motivated in the long term.  

PURPOSE MOST DEFINITELY TRUMPS MOTIVATION WHEN YOU WANT LONG TERM RESULTS!

Seeking purpose, whether it’s in your business or in your personal life, boils down to 2 simple concepts.  

First, purposeful people are continually building and creating something.  An inner drive is unleashed that goes beyond the moment of procrastination, fear or doubt.  Purposeful people build and create.  

Second, people with a clear purpose work to build and create their inner experience (self) and their outer physical world (a skill). Tony Robbins once stated, “It’s not about the goal. It’s about growing to become the person who can accomplish that goal.”  Focusing on building and creating your inner self first is the key to long term motivation.

To unleash the power of Purpose in your day, ask yourself:

  1.  “What am I working to build and create?”
  2. “What can I build and create today for a better body, career, level of health, business meeting, mental mindset, emotional sense of wellbeing, happiness, experience for my business customers, etc…?”

Creating long term results by being Purposeful and then using Motivational strategies for daily support is the most powerful way to produce.

As a seasoned Executive Business Coach, helping you unleash that inner sense of purpose you need to show up every day motivated and ready to build and create is the linchpin of my client work, so contact me if you have any questions!

Focus in 3-Steps: Executive Coaching John Wooden Style

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In a previous post, I talked about the acronym F.O.C.U.S.S. and how a person can create greater levels of purpose, self-confidence, and direction. Today, I’m going to approach the concept of “focus” from the perspective of one of the greatest coaches in basketball history, John Wooden.

“In 1948, I began coaching basketball at UCLA. Each hour of practice we worked very hard. Each day we worked very hard. Each week we worked very hard. Each season we worked very hard. For fourteen years we worked very hard and didn’t win a national championship. However, a national championship was won in the fifteenth year. Another in the sixteenth. And eight more in the following ten years.” ~JW

My question is this, “Did the teams develop to a point where they could finally win a national championship or did Coach Wooden develop himself into a national championship coach?”

 

First Step: Be clear who you are and what Skill you choose to pursue excellence in (internal focus).

If you are going to become a master at a skill or craft, make sure it is one that you love and will emotionally support you for the next 20 years. Then, work to be the best!

To support this assertion another quote, “I am not what I ought to be, not what I want to be, not what I am going to be, but thankful that I am not what I used to be.” ~JW   Focus on being your best now in this moment, every moment!

“For an athlete to function properly, he must be intent. There has to be a definite purpose and goal if you are to progress. If you are not intent about what you are doing, you aren’t able to resist the temptation to do something else that might be more fun at the moment.” ~JW

 

Second Step: You must set goals that align with the expression of who you want to become and the skill you are choosing to master.

Set BIG, HUGE GOALS (external)!

For example, I chose a skill set of running many years ago. After thousands of miles of mastery, there was room for growth to always set the bar higher in terms of external goals: a 10K, half marathon, marathon, Goofy Challenge, 50-Miler, 100K Ultra and the pinnacle…100-Mile Ultra. Those goals took 20+ years of focus. As I took yoga along the way to keep flexible and train, I didn’t set a goal to become a yoga guru.

Big Goals provide the impetus to learn to perfect yourself in the execution of becoming more. They create the pressure to become meticulous because every detail counts. A hot spot on your foot in a 10K or half marathon is not big deal, on a marathon it becomes a little more important but during an ultra-marathon it means the difference between success and epic failure. Large goals are critical because they provide motivation to be diligent, prudent, and sustain a heightened level of awareness; internal and external. That creates focus.

“Adversity is the state in which man most easily becomes acquainted with himself, being especially free of admirers then.” ~JW

 

Third Step: Large goals create large obstacles to overcome.

This scares other people away from you so you have more time and energy to focus on your pursuits and not be presented with their problems.

How often during the day are we interrupted, distracted and presented with other people’s problems and life issues? People tend to conspire with others who will give them solace, empathy, and commiserate with them on their problems. The more a person commiserates with another, the more they keep coming back for more commiseration! If a heavy set person starts telling you how bad they feel, most people think it is OK to say, “I’m sorry, you know, it’s not really your fault. After all its genetics, thyroid issues, etc.” What happens when they get that response?  They keep coming back!

Granted it’s not polite to say to them, “then get off your fat buns and do something about it.” BUT, if you are setting a high goal of health for yourself, that person will naturally shy away from you. They know intuitively, as they see you pack your bag for a lunchtime workout, they won’t get much sympathy. You scare them away by setting higher standards.

 

BIG Goals scare people away because they suffer internally by comparison.

This cuts down in interruptions, distractions, and people telling you their problems. FOCUS comes from setting a higher standard than your peers. An added benefit is that the only people who will interrupt you are the people who have high standards and the exchanges will be more in the form of support, encouragement and sharing of tips that help you refine and master your craft. These can be good because they actually boost your energy, efficiency and the time spent for the interruption is time saved with what is learned by sharing.

Welcome the adversity and feelings of “being alone” in your singular pursuit. This creates focus. Here’s a supportive quote.

“When everyone is thinking the same, no one is thinking.” ~JW

 

Let’s recap these three steps:

1. Be clear on who you are and what skill you want to master (internal mindset)

2. Set Goals in that skillset that are HUGE, stretch yourself as high and far as you can go!

3. Get comfortable with scaring other people away and being alone…set a higher standard. Your only interruptions will be from others with high goals. Those interruptions will be fewer but very supportive!

 “The road to real achievement is usually bumpy and long, but you do not give up. You may have setbacks. You may have to start over. You may have to change your methods. You may have to go around, or over, or under. You may have to back up and get another start. But you do not quit. You stay the course.” ~JW

To your continued success,

James, Executive Business Coach

Learn more about Coach John Wooden here:  www.coachwooden.com

How to Succeed: 4 Master Steps

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In the science of Neuro Linguistic Programming, (NLP), one of the fundamental skills is modeling. NLP is the study of how to be excellent at something. If someone is getting excellent results then there has to be a pattern that can be replicated for someone else to be successful too.

In looking at diets for instance, whether you are South Beach, Atkins, Paleo, Weight Watchers or any other, the same pattern for getting results stands true. Basically, the body absorbs calories in the following order: simple sugars/carbohydrates (most processes things like high fructose corn syrup, sugar, pasta, etc.), next is complex carbohydrates that come from fruits and vegetables with higher fiber content, next is fats and last is proteins.

The common pattern in all of the diets is that you cut out the first source, simple sugars/carbohydrates, and most of the second. Then, your body is trained to use fat as energy. Hence, effective reconditioning of the body use fat as its primary energy resource.

What does this have to do with self-help, motivation and living the life of your dreams?

Every successful person has followed these basic 4 Steps to Success.  Most self help program covers many, or just one, of the following 4 Steps to Success.

1. Become Definite about your Mission, Purpose, or Path in Life.

2. Release any and all negative associations that aren’t in alignment with your Mission or Purpose.

3. Create a Master Plan to build and create something that provides an emotional experience for others that will help them to create/live their purpose. Build it!

4. Make sure the Tithe, give generously to complete the circuit of energy.

Follow these four steps and success will be knocking on your door sooner rather than later.

TO your continued success,

James

If you are stuck finding your Purpose, Clearing Negative emotions, creating a Master Plan or finding a worthwhile means for tithing, call for your “Success-Now” Session.

(919) 792-0085 

Happiness Project App Announcement

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HAPPINESS! Could you use a little more of it in your world?

In an article by Rob Silverblatt, “The Science of Workplace Happiness,” April 14, 2010, “a recent study…indicated that just 45 percent of American workers are “satisfied” with their jobs” and “the lackluster economy has put a damper on upward and even lateral movement, leaving many workers feeling trapped in their current positions.”

WOW, that means that an estimated 55% of the American workplace just aren’t happy. In addition, the one key step that is needed for happiness, “the ability to be purposeful, grow, and achieve” is missing in the workplace today.

What is a person to do?

Well, there is a solution and it doesn’t entail quitting your job. Take a look at this new app that I have the pleasure of being a part of. It specifically addresses the Happiness Factor.

The “I Am Happy Project” is launching a mobile app called the “Happy Button” to help users improve their health, relationships, work and life by boosting their happiness. The app is free and will be available for download on October 1 at www.iamhappyproject.org and on Apple iTunes.

The Happy Button App has several functions to help users boost happiness:

  • A daily inspirational message to boost their happiness level.
  • Video messages about happiness from experienced life and business coaches.
  • Audio messages about happiness from experienced life and business coaches.
  • Blog posts about achieving happiness written by life and career coaches.
  • A simple question to measure where you fall on the happiness scale for the day.
  • Your average daily, weekly and monthly happiness measure.

I decided to be part of this project because after working with people for over 14 years, it amazed me how people value achievement, learning, growth, and prosperity but many times forget to add Happiness to the list. When I was contacted by Edwin about the Happiness Project, it resonated with me personally. In today’s world, there is a huge undercurrent of uncertainty and fear. Happiness is a lifeline for people struggling with career changes, financial stress and lack of a clear future. The purpose of this app is to help people work and live happily achieving with less stress, frustration, and anxiety, both at home and in the workplace.

 The app will be available for download through the Apple App Store and Google Play Store as of October 1 and later on Blackberry and Windows phones.  

About the I Am Happy Project: The I Am Happy Project is a non-profit organization with the mission of spreading happiness globally, one person at a time. In early 2009, Edwin Edebiri set out to shift people’s minds to happiness from the gloom and doom that dominates the news. The nonprofit is having an impact on our communities around the world, from Davis, California, to Chicago, Illinois, to orphanage homes in New Delhi, India and Benin City, Nigeria. I Am Happy Project groups are in 63 cities and 18 nations, representing every continent.

Join the Happiness Movement today and I look forward to hearing your feedback!

To your continued Happiness,

James

Need more happiness in your life? Call for a “Success-Now” Session and Change your happiness levels!  (919) 792-0085

Executive Business Coaching Marketing Tip #211

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It is that time of year! I am starting to receive all sorts of promotional marketing materials from companies who want me to, “Order early for special discounts.” With budgets being tight, how can a small business owner get the most out of the company marketing budget? Here is the simplest strategy for maximizing client impact with efficient cash layout.

I am sure you have heard the saying that you get 80% of your business from 20% of your clients. A small business owner can use that to their advantage in developing an efficient promotional marketing plan using these simple 4 steps.

1. Define the demographics of your top tier clients. Are they are the top because they provide the biggest income to your business, consistent repeat business, responsiveness to surveys, social media or favors they do for you or the most referrals? What are the natural categories you could use to classify and sort them, in terms of their levels of importance?

2. Pretend you are grading on a Bell Curve. Label your clients A, B, C & D. Who are your star players?

3. Determine how often you want to have contact with them. The easiest way to illustrate this point is to show an example. It would look like this, you would start with monthly contact with “A” clients only. Once a quarter you conact your A & B clients. Semi-Annually you contact “A & B & C” clients and once a year you contact “A, B, C & D” clients. In this example, A’s would get contacted a total of 12 times, B’s would be contacted 4 times, C’s would be contacted 2 times and D’s would be contacted once.

4. In this manner, your promotional marketing dollars would be spent the most efficiently. Your A clients would get nicer product gifts, B now quite as nice (but A’s would be included), C’s would be your typical magnet calendar (along with A’s and B’s) and so on.

This marketing strategy can also be adapted outside of promotional gifts in an even simpler way. A’s may get a personal lunch date every month, B’s (and A’s) get a telephone touch every Month and C’s (plus A’s and B’s) get an email blast once a month.

The application of this strategy is endless and can provide peace of mind that, as a business owner, you are taking care of the people who take care of you. In this day and age of computer technology, one of the easiest ways of distinguishing yourself from you competition can be going back to the basics of a handwritten thank you card, a personal phone touch or a “drop by” in person. It is too easy to think that text, email and social media are good mediums for a “personal touch” with clients. “Personal touch” implies person to person touch (contact by voice or person).

Your phone may ring soon since I have to take my own advice and I look forward to personally connecting again.

To your continued success, James

SPECIAL UPDATE: Success or Failure as a Small Business Owner or Coach

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Success or Failure? How many small businesses will fail in the first year?

According to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) during the Startup Awards, “Up to one fifth of the 400,000 businesses that start up each year fail within the first 12 months of operation. This gives an approximate figure of 80,000 businesses failing annually.”

I can tell in one question if you will be one of the 80,000…

If someone asks you, “What do you do for a living?” What is your response?

If you are a small business owner and answer with anything less than, “I am an entrepreneur and business owner,” you will be one of the 80,000. This is why…

I had the pleasure of a total coaching immersion with Tony Robbins for over 10 years. During that time, I coached thousands of people that were handed to me by their sales department.

When I branched out on my own, I spent my first two years trying to convince people what a great “Executive Business Coach.” I struggled everyday to convince prospective clients of my skill and experience. As I joined networking group after networking group and the ranks of other struggling small business owners; I met photographers, writers, massage therapists, event planners, financial advisors, real estate agents, website developers and even tattoo artists. And “what they did” was exactly how they introduced themselves.

I also joined professional organizations like the International Coaching Federation (ICF) where I heard coach after coach tell me how they always knew they wanted to be a coach. They knew it since they were 6 years old helping their friends solve their problems on the playground at school. And guess what? None of them had a business, they were all coaching part time and starving for clients.

THE KEY TO SUCCESS:

My Executive Business and Coaching practice turned around 180 degrees the day I committed to be an entrepreneur who owned a coaching practice. I LOVE COACHING and I love my clients and finally figured out that I needed to be a successful entrepreneur and business owner first, so that I could have all of the clients that I wanted.

Think about it this way, if you were the greatest public speaker in the world and only focused on speaking skills, when you showed up with your motivational speech, you would be talking to empty chairs! Getting people in the seats so you have someone to speak to requires entrepreneurial skills, not speaking skills.

Being an entrepreneur means taking on an entirely different set of skills than that of your professional skill. As a person continues to develop key business and marketing skills they can grow their business. Without them, they become just another statistic!

If you are struggling as a small businss owner or coach and want a step-by-step process to learn the entrepreneurial business skills needed to grow your business, call today to find out how! www.businessmarketingforsuccess.com is a 52-week sales and marketing program to get you all the business you can handle and get people in the seats. It is the “HOW” to do it!

Visit www.businessmarketingforsuccess.com and sign up to receive 4-exciting videos showing you the first steps forward to Success Today! I WANT TO SEE YOU SUCCEED!

To your continued success,

James M Murphy
Enrepreneur, Owner Evolution for Success
Premier Coaching Practice

10 Reasons You Need an Executive Business and Life Coach

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“Coaching” has been the buzzword in the business world for many years now. Just like “financial investor” or “consultant” used to be the latest and greatest, you can now add “coach” to the list. Whether a person has an instant positive or less than favorable reaction to the title, the fact is that hiring a professional, results driven “financial investor,” “consultant” or “Coach” will help you get everything you want in life faster and easier.

But, how do you know if you are ready or not to build that coaching relationship right now?

Here are 10 Key Indicators that you may be ready to hire a seasoned, motivated Executive Business and Life Coach.

1. Facebook, Twitter and social media pursuits take up the majority of your time and energy; along with an almost phobic need to check emails and “be connected” online. While business owners and executives may not be motivated to play online games like XBOX, social media can be an alternative that is just as dangerous. It can cause a serious lack of focus, the ability to effectively prioritize, drain the most precious asset of time and impede the development of strategic business relationships.

2. Panic and anxiety come crashing down upon you when you think of marketing your business. Every business needs a short and long term marketing strategy. Every SEO person will tell you that the best way to get on the first page of Google or any other search engine is consistently develop and publish your thoughts, ideas and create products. There is no “overnight” SEO Magic pill. Your businesses success depends on a solid short and long term strategic marketing plan.

3. Self help is your middle name. If your self help library contains more books, executive book summaries, podcasts and CD’s than you could ever read or listen to or if you have logged more seminar time than vacation time in the last year, you may be distracting yourself from really growing your business. Education is important but if it is excessive, there may be a real imbalance between education and effective action.

4. Following on the heels of self-help overload comes “buying overload.” Do you keep getting seduced by that next best thing or opportunity to grow your business? Do you spend a large portion of your income on “get rich quick” opportunities, hoping for that magic pill to fix everything? If you keep “buying into that next opportunity” before mastering the current one, that spells trouble and shows a lack of commitment and focus.

5. Working hard with no results. Results are great and the best results also include growth. Are you living comfortably in complacency? If excitement in your job has been replaced by stress from more and more demands to produce results, fear of being downsized or replaced by a younger “you” or feeling disconnected from the company you put your heart and soul into, an Executive Business Coach can get you results. And, if you are contemplating something BIG like a finding a new job or even a new career path…support is critical.

6. The question, “What’s wrong with me?” invades your mind throughout the day. Some of the greatest indicators you may need an Executive Business Coach can be found by being aware of your thoughts and the questions you ask yourself everyday. If you find yourself thinking that no matter what you do it will never be enough or you daydream of that secure 8-5 job that doesn’t carry any stress, those are the forerunners of depression, stress and low self esteem. Be careful and aware of your thoughts, feelings and emotional states.

7. You walk in the front door at home feeling angry and want to metaphorically, “kick the dog.” Are you feeling proud at the end of the day because you did all you needed to do to support your family? Do you have a loving relationship where you walk in happy, proud, and excited to be home? Or, are you moody, critical and grumpy because you just brought the stress of work home with you? Successful people are able to work hard when it work time and play hard when it is play time. They have work-life relationships that are balanced, harmonious and work well together. One does not suffer because of the other.

8. You feel trapped and alone. The higher an executive rises in a company or the longer an entrepreneur owns a company, the more isolated and alone they can feel. As responsibility increases, it is harder to take the problems and concerns to upper managament, they can’t be shared with people or employees below them and taking them home to the spouse only means disaster. The most unconditional form of support any business executive or entrepreneur can have is their coach. The ability to hear yourself talk things out is one of the greatest aspects of the coaching relationship.

9. There is a lack of mojo. Top entrepreneurs and business executives lead fearless lives. They are movers and shakers, drivers of business, creative stimuli that stay flexible, dynamic and are always on the move. If you have lost your energy, motivation and drive to be successful, you need some serious help. Being at the top means being at the top mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. Being able to move and motivate others is key for a successful entrepreneur and executive.

10. You are asking, “what is this all for, anyway?” Do you lack purpose? Are you truly fulfilled? Do you dream of early retirement so you can just quit? (Did I just really type that word?) Many people forgo their dreams of writing that book, starting a side business or just “doing what they want to instead of what they have too.” It is never too late to integrate dreams and goals instead of seperating them “until later.”

11. BONUS Indicator: You read this article. The simple fact you were led to this article and read it, means you may be ready for coaching. So many of my clients are drawn to the coaching process due to an “emptiness” or feeling of “wanting more.” They don’t know how to fill those needs or experience the peace, relaxation, or happiness they so desire.

How many of the above Indicators could you relate too? If you or anyone you know wants to experience “Success-Now,” call to set up a complimentary 1-hour session to explore how a motivated, seasoned Executive Business and Life Coach can dramatically help change your life. Not ready yet? That’s OK, sign up at www.evolutionforsuccess.com to receive weekly tips on motivation, healthy thinking and a better life.

How to manage time…1 Simple Solution

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Over the weekend a friend asked how business was going and I heard myself say, “I need the world to stop for 4 months so I can get everything done I want to…and then have it re-engage.” I got to thinking about what I said later that evening and I realized if that was truly the case…I wasn’t managing time effectively at all. How does an entrepreneur/CEO/Executive manage time better? Here is one simple solution…

First, accept the fact that you can not manage time. It isn’t time that needs to be managed but your mental focus and actions. A persons mental focus will always be in one of three places at any given time. the past, present or future and each one has a definitive purpose.

Looking back to the past allows us to reflect on successes and failures (which are just opportunities to learn). Understanding the successes and failures of the past allows a person to take useful strategies forward and find new ways to use and apply them. It also allows us to identify negative actions and behaviors and reframe them into positive “learnings” so any negative emotions disappear and new possibilities for how a person “could choose” to do things differently in the future are uncovered.

Focusing on the Future is crucial because it allows a person to focus on one of the greatest human needs…becoming more. If we are not growing we are dying, it is a fundamental law of nature. The challenge is that some people focus on growing more that is positive and some people get into the trap of growing more of what they don’t want. A positive future opens the door to possiblities, growth, and “more” of life. The negative future, signalled by statements like “I don’t know or want…” only perpetuates negativity, scarcity and disempowering emotions.

And last place your focus can be is in the present, being immersed in the exact action, thought, belief and feeling right NOW…and NOW…and NOW…and NOW…and NOW. The present is the hardest to focus on because the mind is constantly pulled between the past and future.

THE SIMPLE SOLUTION…HERE IT IS!

Future—Past—Present

Focus on exactly what you want in the future…(not what you don’t want, but what you do)
Think about what tools, strategies and resources you need to be creative, industrious and solution oriented FROM THE PAST
Combine both into ACTION NOW in the PRESENT clear of any distractions.

Oh yeah, celebrate your success from doing something different today! When applied consistently, you will find yourself more motivated, inspired, fearless, and results will start to show!

If you find yourself lacking focus, a fearless attitude, or clear direction forward…call today for your “Success-Now!” Session. (919) 792-0085.

In the month of August, email me at james@evolutionforsuccess.com with the word 30-Day Challenge. I will send you a 30-Day Success Sheet and two complimentary 15-minute checkin’s, personally with me, as my way of saying thank you for your support over the years!

To your continued success,

James

How to create raving fans that refer you business!

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Emerson once said, “What you do speaks so loudly that I can’t hear what you say!”

This is an incredible business insight. How many people work to promote their business by “speaking so loudly about their business” that people are turned off and never get to see what they can “do for the prospective client in their business.” There is a reason for the saying, “Actions speak louder than words.”

Business owners today will create a lot more success if they remember that prospective clients are watching what they do, often times more than anything they say. Businesses are constantly critiqued by the small courtesies that distinguish them from their competition.

  • For example, after a lunch and a business card exchange, do you immediately send the other person a invitations through social media to stay connected?
  • If someone really goes out of their way to help, do you send a “thank you” card?
  • What is your referral bonus? And if you have one…does it include a personal touch?

I know for me personally, I network a lot and everytime I meet someone new and they say, “Let’s do lunch sometime!” I immediately pull out the iPhone and say, “Great, let’s set up a time now!” If they don’t commit or respond with “Send me some times by email and we’ll connect,” I never follow up. When I pull out my phone, I am saying in that moment, “I value you and your time and I value me and my time, do you?” If they push it off on me to follow up with them, chances are, I will end up chasing them and that’s not who I want to do business with.

  • How do you answer your phone? How do you handle a cancellation when contractually, you are right but the customer wasn’t happy? Do you accommodate them or go by the “rules?”

You would be surprised why people are turned off by using a business or company. And while you can’t be everything to everyone; remember Emerson’s quote, “What you do speaks so loudly that I can’t hear what you say!”

To your continued success,

James
(919) 745-7569

PS-Comment below on what you have “done” in your business that spoke loudly with a client that you didn’t need to say anything.

“How Three Cigars Changed the Course of American History!” (…and the lesson can change yours!)

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Managing all the life’s details is hard work. The key is to remember that sometimes the most important details are hidden withing things we might overlook at first glance. It’s important to stop from time to time; focus on what’s important and remember to look for what we might be missing. Here’s an example from the book, “The Greatest Stories Never Told” by Rick Beyer.

Confederate General Robert E Lee was looking for a decisive victory in the fall of 1862. If the South could score a powerful victory against the North, it may have been possible for them to gain the support of the European nations as an independent country.

General Lee boldly marched his troops North and invaded. As a result, he was pursued by a very cautious Northern General, George McClellan. Being very indecisive and lacking self confidence, McClellan tentatively searched throughout Maryland and agonized about what to do.

As luck would have it, three of McClellan’s men from an Indiana regiment camped overnight in an area previously occupied by General Lee’s troops. As the men were spreading out to bed down, one of them spotted a small envelope containing three cigars and one piece of paper. The men thought is was their lucky day because of the cigars but it was much more than that.

The paper just happened to be the the marching orders for Lee’s troops. One of Lee’s Asistant Adjutant General’s had obviously lost them on the field days before. As a result, McClellan got the confidence he needed and was motivated to move. He ended up winning one of the most bloody and decisive battles of the Civil War: the Battle of Antietam.

What are the small, yet extremely important tasks that may be hidden from your immediate view this week?

Is there something important you need to keep track of and have misplaced it?

What are the actions that must happen even at the inconvenience of others?

What do you need to ask for help to find?

Those three cigars and the critical information inside changed the course of history for the 5,000 men who died and the 20,000 who were wounded that bloody day.

Stay focused on the actions this week will change your life and don’t move on until you make sure they are completed and everything is in its right place.

In Business, “What are the KEY REVENUE GENERATING Activities that MUST be done?”

In Personal, “What are the KEY FINANCIAL, HEALTH, SPIRITUAL & RELATIONSHIP Activities that MUST be done?

Look past the envelopes and cigars to find your marching orders for the week. Keeping track of the small things in life, really does make a difference!

Amazing coaching specials are happening here at Evolution for Success in the month of July. Call TODAY and discover how you can get complimentary access to an entire online sales & marketing academy when you sign up for a 6 or 12-month contract.

Also, did you contemplate a Coaching Career? Or maybe, you just wanted to learn the skills and tools to integrate into your business practice. Whatever the case may be, stay tuned for details about an upcoming Coaching Certification in Fall 2013. You can, and will learn all of the best coaching tools that include the psychology of achievement and a proven sales/marketing curriculum.

Are You Making This Sales and Marketing Mistake?

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Ask any small business owner what they would most like to have in their business and they more than likely will respond with, “more business!”

We all want clients calling and walking in the door with orders in hand. That’s why we engage in the game of sales and marketing.

So, the question is:  Are your sales and marketing efforts working? Have you dumped thousands into a website, social media, and print advertising over the years with little return on investment? If so, what caused the sales and marketing failure?

You might be focusing too much effort on sales and marketing and too little on prospecting. Prospecting has to come before sales and marketing. It is a small distinction that will make your company money.

Here are some examples of marketing versus prospecting.

Using Neuro Linguistic Programing NLP in your sales communication makes a difference!Some activities that define marketing in your business might be sending out email offers, writing e-books, posting on social media sites, writing a newsletter, creating video or audio podcasts, attending networking events, reviewing and updating your website, distributing fliers, handing out business cards or other print advertising and doing some public speaking.

Prospecting by comparison is about making a personal contact with someone. Cold calling, email solicitating with a follow up phone call the next day, following warm leads from client referrals, calling previous clients asking for referrals, and stopping by businesses in person to solicit  business.

Prospecting is being face to face (or phone to phone) with someone to see if they are a good prospect to start and market/sell.

Prospecting needs to come first because having qualified prospects will allow you to get the most out of your sales and marketing budget. 

You can work all day on creating a kick ass website, writing phenomenal content, and having an online presence, but at the end of the day if the phone doesn’t ring with a sale, there is no new business.

That small distinction between marketing and prospecting may seem trivial but it’s not.  Often success comes from a small distinction that creates a massive shift in results.

Making sure that prospecting is part of your daily routine will shift your sales and marketing’s effectiveness. It is the critical step to getting every small business where it wants to be:  having clients and customers walking in the door with orders in hand.

Are you taking steps toward what you want?

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When would you like to make your first million? When would you like to find and marry your soul mate? When would you like to drop those extra pounds so you look good this summer? When would you like to find a better sense of peace in your life? When would you like to get to that next promotion and pay raise at work?
If you are like most people, the answer to all of these questions is easy. I am sure you would like to have had it all yesterday! Maybe a person could settle for right now, but yesterday would probably have been better!
It is true that whatever you want, you can’t have it yesterday. However, you can choose to take action towards those results right now. If you want that million dollars and pass on making that extra payment to pay off your debt, you are missing out on having that million dollars for now. If you fail to smile and just say hello to that attractive guy or gal at the grocery store, you might be missing out on your soul mate. If you don’t leave just one more bite of food on your plate than you did yesterday, you are missing out on that great beach body. 
A person may say, “But James, that one extra payment, smile, and bite of food are not enough!” Says who? If you are not willing to manage your money and will waste an opportunity to take a step toward being debt free, how can you manage a million? If you are not willing to give more than you expect back in a relationship and pass on a smile that may make someone’s day go from bad to great, how can you emotionally support your soul mate? If you can’t pass on that one bite of food and eat 40 less calories at every meal (840 calories a week is almost 1/3 lb), then how will you be able to manage passing on all of the deserts when you are out with friends so you can feel fantastic on the beach?
Managing your life comes down to managing moments. If the small results are not enough for you to acknowledge and appreciate, you may never have the appreciation for attaining the end goal. We are the ones who make things bigger, harder, and more difficult than they need to be. Why not make feeling good about yourself and your actions be easy? How many more happy people would there be in the world. Life is only as difficult as you make it! 
The key to getting results NOW is to manage and appreciate the moments and the immediate actions you take right now in order to make a difference in your life.  
To  your continued success, 
James