Fancy being a routine rebel for a week? Go on, I dare you!

A guest post from Carole Connolly of Life Matters:

As I was belting out an Alanis Morisette song today the line ’Your Sweater’s on backwards and inside out’ reminded me of how often I am more productive and creative when I make a conscious choice to do something completely new, back to front or upside down.

Doing things, over and over again, in the same way, creates pathways in the neural networks of our brain so that things become automatic, which is great for remembering the route to work and how to type but not so great when coping with change, thinking creatively or problem solving.

Ben Fletcher, creator of the ‘Do Something Different behaviour change technique’ estimates that we live our lives on auto-pilot for around 90% of our day, which means that we are only consciously choosing how to behave for 10% of or day!

Worrying, right?

So, in no particular order (obviously!), here are some tips to get your creative juices flowing, bring a lightness into your day and put you back in the driving seat.

I guarantee that they will have a ripple effect on the rest of your week!

• Start your day with something that is purely for pleasure.  Watch an episode of Breaking Bad before the business plan, or have a sing along to a favourite song prior to social media.
• Write a ‘What I won’t do today’ List – this is such a liberating thing to do!
• Select a weird and wonderful font in a crazy colour when you’re struggling to get something on the page!  Helps to see things more lightly and you can change it back when you’re done!
• Change your mind– Yes, do a U-turn!  Don’t do something that you had intended to do just because it’s on your list.  Go off-piste and do something that you hadn’t intended to do. Go see a film or read a book in a genre you wouldn’t normally consider.  Or try a class you haven’t done before at the gym.
• Change your attire –  if you usually hang out in your trakkies – put your ‘face on’ and dress to impress, even if no one will see you!  If it’s more your style to be suited and booted, then resist the urge and stay in your jammies for the day.
• Eat exactly what you fancy today.  Ice-cream for elevense’s anyone?  Or porridge for supper?

So if YOU fancy being a routine rebel for a day, I’d love to hear what you will turn on its head this week?

If you’re serious about this rebellion, then how about taking a complete break from the routine of life and giving yourself an early Xmas pressie, by joining us at the Mindfulness Retreat.

About the author: Carole Connolly is a Mindfulness Teacher, Trainer & Coach who supports people to build resilience to life’s challenges and prioritise what matters.  Visit www.life-matters-uk.com for more information.

Start your work week with positivity and infect the world!

As one week rolls into another, months can slip by for home workers, who are often too busy to stop and take a breather. Running a solo-business can mean having to move from one problem or project straight to the next. Before you realise it, you’ve become Wonder Woman or Superman, with no time to stop and no idea how you feel about your progress or the impact you are making with your small business!

Now I know you will enjoy what I’m about to tell you: I am giving you permission to procrastinate on your actions once a week from now on, at the time that you would normally start your working week. No rushing to tick off the items on your to-do list for once. Yes you read that right! You’d never normally hear me say that it’s OK to allow yourself time to not do anything.

So enjoy, give yourself this little gift of non-action and please make the most of it!

As you start your day or week, begin by considering what it is that you are grateful for — the things that happened or the people you appreciate most at this very moment in time. Think also about the things you have been able to achieve!

Watch out… being appreciative and grateful can put a totally different spin on your day or your week. Some people try to think like this every day of the week, as sooner or later you will find something extraordinary happening: you will feel more positive and more open to what the day will bring.

This is an exercise I carry out every Monday morning and I find that I am more focused and productive, and less worried about the amount of tasks on my to-do list that week.

You can do this little exercise with your eyes closed as you are waking up, or wait until you get to your desk before you sit and contemplate. Once you have calmly thought about all the good things in your work/life that you feel grateful for, you can even go on Twitter and share your news with all the other people who are doing exactly the same.

My colleague @DoreenGowing and I (@utewking) started the #GratitudeMonday movement on Twitter with its own #hashtag on Monday 8 April 2013 at 9am.

It has already led to a small devoted following of people all over the world who have found that this weekly act of gratitude brings new meaning to their Monday mornings!

Go on, have a go… what are you grateful for today?

Ute Wieczorek-King is an experienced trainer, mentor and business coach who specialises in helping busy women to be more visible, focused, effective and profitable in business. Ute also runs Success Network and the Inner Circle Mentoring Groups:  

http://www.successnetwork.org.uk

Should you worry about your competition?

Alice Elliott

Whenever I try to persuade people to start or write in their blogs, one of the responses I get is: ‘Why should I bother, since everyone is doing the same?’

Certainly I have misgivings about my competition, so the feelings you may have of feeling worthless, being overpowered by others who seems to be more successful and increasingly productive than you, are felt by many. Don’t worry, you are not alone.

And even those that are fortunate enough to appear to be continuously winning with their ever-expanding achievements will have doubts. It is a natural phenomenon, unless you are truly pig-headed and self-centered. They say that entrepreneurs need to be like that if they are to succeed, but I don’t believe all of them really are.

Going back to the blogging, why should you worry about what others are saying, when your blog should come from you, and only you. What you write are your thoughts, ideas, observations – your way of presenting your business to the world, your slant on a scenario or your contribution to a conversation. It doesn’t matter what others have said in their blogs (unless you totally disagree, and then that’s a subject for one of your posts), your readers are going to want to see your side of the situation.

A blog is a mode of self-expression, so don’t feel you need to conform to fit in. By exploring your feelings and voicing your vision for your business, it will allow your readers and potential customers to find out more about you. If they like what they read, they will come back for more. Gradually you will learn to write what your audience wants, but still adapted to your style.

You don’t need to be the same as your competition. Wouldn’t the world be a boring place if all businesses were identical? – customers would have a hard time choosing which one to do business with. There will always be something that will set you apart, and if you are as good as you say you are, then you will inevitably succeed.

Our 10 top tips for when your business goes quiet in the holidays

Abandoned steam engine in France @2011 Success Network

On a forum recently a new start up business owner posted if others also notice a reduction in orders/enquiries when most people are on holiday, either during the summer, or the quiet Christmas season.

Whether or not your business goes quiet will largely depend on your industry and your clients. Some people can be really busy as others experience a very noticeable slowdown. In some industries, trying to generate business during a ‘summer lull’ can be a fruitless exercise -especially when decision makers are on holiday.

Having been in business for many years, I now welcome quiet times as they can be such a great opportunity to sit back and think about the business, get on with jobs you have little time for the rest of the year, as well as take time out to be with family and friends.

To help you manage quiet periods here are some of my own tips, as well as a few tips kindly provided by some LinkedIn and Facebook friends!

Factor in down time

“It is ‘essential’ to have some down time – particularly if you have children! We are not machines, we are human and we need to rest from time to time and enjoy our families, as they grow up too quickly! If your business does not allow you a holiday, then your business plan and strategy is wrong. Factor it in – it is important! For me, I have learnt to always factor this time, particularly during the summer and Christmas periods.” Nicky Guy at Guy Marketing

Understand your ‘business rhythm’

“It’s a very real issue for most businesses. My tip would be ‘go with the flow’. Once you’ve been in a business a year, your pattern is easier to see and therefore easier to plan around. Those of us with children, also have to manage over 6 weeks of entertaining them too! I feel much better about spending more time with my family now I understand the rhythm of my work.”   ‘Networking Women’ on Facebook

Work ‘on’ your business

Start by revisiting your business plan. As this is your road map, it’s always worthwhile focussing on your goals and your vision on a regular basis, as unexpected things can happen and plans may need to be updated due to new developments. This may also be a good opportunity to redefine your niche and your marketing strategy, catch up on things like updating your website or creating new marketing material.

Nicky Guy always ensures that she is “absolutely set for September (and sometimes October) by the end of July and before I take holiday. It’s quite fulfilling to know that, where possible, you have the plan in place as we head into autumn.”

Why not reserve one day a week from now on to work on your business?

Boost your knowledge

“The ‘lull’ is a great time to catch up on all that information you should have been following throughout the year, but have been too busy to do so. Use all the search materials available on the internet and start reading and learning (and joining if applicable) from blogs, articles, websites, e-books, e-courses or wherever you get your information from. A great opportunity to boost your knowledge and increase your expertise status!” Alice Elliott the ‘Fairy Blog Mother’

Research and develop new ideas

“I find this a great time to look through my ‘Ideas Book’. This is a notebook I write in, all through the year – it is full of ideas/thoughts I have had or web addresses to research, notes about information I have come across, but haven’t had the time to investigate in any depth. A ‘lull’ is a great time to develop some of these ideas when I have more time to think.” Sarah Houldcroft, VA at ‘Dolphins Don’t Sink’

Create new content

You could take some ideas a step further and write some articles or an ebook. Start a blog or become a guest writer on other blogs such as our Success Recipe blog. It’s amazing how much you can write when you don’t have many meetings, distractions or fixed deadlines to keep you busy. The products you create for your business can be given away as incentives or sold throughout the year to generate some revenue.

Plan to become more visible

Could this be the time to become more visible via social media, getting more known through sharing your expertise? This may mean signing up to social media websites, identifying some different networking opportunities, or looking for speaking opportunities where you can meet your target market.

Reconnect with contacts and clients

If you are not always regularly in touch with your network, this is a good time to reconnect. Drop people a line or call them to find out how they are. Understanding their current challenges will help you to work out how you can help them.

Sort out your online and offline filing and admin tasks

Delete old emails and online documents you don’t need any more. Sort your loose papers, and get rid of anything unnecessary. These tasks can be very cathartic, as is tidying, rearranging or decorating your office!

So, to sum up, quiet times can also be hugely productive times! Why not block out some time in your diary now, and select some of the tasks that will not only help you to develop your business but will ensure you can hit the ground running once your quiet period is over?

Ute Wieczorek-King is an experienced business trainer, mentor and coach who has been a successful business owner herself for over 20 years.  She has helped many busy fempreneurs to get more from their business… more focus, more time, more clients and more money.

Get Ute’s free ebook to help you turn your passion into profit, from the Success Network website.

Copyright  2011-2013, Ute Wieczorek-King

How a New Morning Routine Can Help You Have a More Productive Day

Do you work from home, juggling work, family and a host of other things?

On days when you don’t have any meetings to go to, do you start work by checking your emails or social networks such as Facebook, Linked-in or Twitter? After following any interesting links and scanning the articles, do you move on to reading things you’ve subscribed to and find that if you’re not getting too sidetracked you are able to squeeze in a few more email replies too?

If so, it’s quite likely that before you know it, it’s lunchtime and you’re wondering where your time has gone! You then play catch up with tasks that have suddenly become urgent and end up cutting your lunch break short, or worse, missing it altogether!

Does all this sound familiar?

We often con ourselves, thinking that being busy equals being productive. I know because I used to do this too! Whilst online tasks can also be about learning, keeping yourself up-to-date and promoting your business, do they really need to take priority in your day?

When I first compared my unproductive days to my good and highly-productive days, I noticed how differently they started in the morning. On good days I would be up earlier, work on a project, new article or event, or brainstorm content for ebooks or workshops. Inevitably, this would be followed by some planning, whether planning the day, the week or a new project.

Now, I’m not a natural morning person but since I frequently wake up with new ideas in my head, mornings enable me to carry out creative or big picture stuff whilst keeping my mind free and undisturbed by the content of my email inbox! Indeed I don’t check my e-mails first thing anymore (not even via my Iphone!) which has made a real difference to the way I work. By the time I do get round to email I know I’ve already done a chunk of work and feel much more productive.

I know everyone starts their day differently of course: I know women who once all the home activities are done, start their work day by writing in their journal, deciding their goal for the day, meditating, going for a run or getting some admin out of the way.

They say you should start as you mean to go on, so whatever you do, getting your day off to a good start will help you to focus better and enable you to get more done at the end of the day.

So if you don’t yet have an effective morning routine could it be time for a change?

Ute Wieczorek-King is an experienced trainer, mentor and business coach who specialises in helping busy women to be more focused, efficient, visible and profitable in business.

If you like this post, why not leave a comment below or connect with Ute via Twitter,  the Success Network Community on LinkedIn, or Success Network Recipes on Facebook.

To sign up to her monthly newsletter, please visit the Success Network website.

Copyright  2009-2011, Ute Wieczorek-King