5 Ways To Shift The Way You Work

by Karen Dodd

Imagine waking up tomorrow morning to find that you have 3 new clients who are waving their hands and saying, "I'm ready to buy -- now!" They have self-selected, they are pre-qualified and are fully prepared to pay your fee or buy your product. You have attracted them, using a marketing system that works like a well-oiled machine and they have specifically sought you out because you are known as an expert in your niche.

On the personal side, you take a vacation at least once a quarter, you only work 4 days a week (so you make your own long weekends) and although you're working less, you're making more than you were when you were working seven-plus days a week.

Sound too good to be true? Sadly, this scenario is foreign to most entrepreneurs because they lack the clarity and focus to make it a reality. Those who do accomplish the time-freedom part, often do so at the expense of a better income. In other words, they just adjust their income needs down, in order to work less.

What would it take for you to have it all: the ever-increasing income, the free time to spend with those you love, and all the clients you need, whenever you need them?

The answer is that everything in life and business is about Marketing.When you are trying to find your soul-mate in life (or just a great date:>), it's all about marketing yourself. Likewise, when you're trying to find your dream job. Or you go to the bank with your business plan, to apply for financing. When your eighteen-year-old starts applying to colleges, she's marketing herself. You get the gist, right?

However...before marketing, comes Mindset.

Marketing is simply a step-by-step process, using certain proven principles -- which done consistently over time, produce desired results. It can be boring or it can be fun (I only do fun), but it is just a blueprint for accomplishing your business goals.

Mindset is the foundation on which those marketing principles are built. It is what defines your direction or sets your compass, for everything you do in life. How you do anything is how you do everything.

Here are 5 Master Keys to shifting the way you work, that will shape your mindset -- and thus lead to fun and productive marketing.

1. Think about how you are showing up in your business.
If you work from home, ask yourself: "Would I do the laundry, cook, watch TV or shop online if I worked in a corporation? Eliminate all your time-wasters -- all of them. Look at where you might be over-committed. Are you a chronic volunteer? I'm all for giving and contributing but are you giving time to needy causes when your business is needy? Are you volunteering in order to be filled up or to gain recognition, that you could be getting internally, from success in your business?Clear the decks and make room, time-wise, for only what you need to focus on at any given moment. Before every task, ask yourself, "Is what I am about to do, taking me closer to my goal?

2. Master the art of FOCUS and learn to work in the flow.
Structure provides freedom. I know that sounds like an oxymoron, but all successful people have designed systems for themselves, in order to achieve great things without becoming totally overwhelmed. By structuring your day and your week, you're training your mind to accomplish tasks faster, in shorter periods of time. Create consistent days or portions of days for things like marketing, business development, and client appointments. Working in the flow means that you work on one thing and one thing only, either until it's completed or the time you've allotted is up. Then you move on to the next thing.

Cluster all your appointments, product creation, or errands -- and do that one task all at once, rather than breaking up your day. Remember, every time you are distracted or lose focus, you delay the outcome that you desire. Have your mantra in front of you at all times: "Focus ONLY on (insert your project) Until Completion." Mine is taped to the top of my computer screen where I see it every second of every day.

3. Set new boundaries for yourself and others.
What would happen if you didn't check your emails until after 11am and not again until 4pm? Would any small children die or would your business self-destruct? What if you only returned or made phone calls between the hours of 2 and 4pm? Without you becoming rigid and autocratic, people will soon figure out that you are not available at their whim -- and will admire you for being focused. Once I finally broke down and set boundaries, several close friends and my spouse commented that I was more relaxed and fully present when I spent time with them.

4. Be mindful that money likes speed.
It's always about acting with speed and focusing on one thing only. As all procrastinators know, the longer you have to accomplish something, the longer you will take -- plus a day! So, start setting ridiculously short deadlines for yourself. Case in point: I am doing a live event in the Fall, that I moved up by one month. You can bet that I am totally focused on promoting, writing the content, delegating and hiring everything to do with that project. It consumes the allotted time every day, that I have set aside to make it happen.You obviously have to consider your temperament and ability to handle pressure -- you don't want to put yourself under such incredible stress that you become paralyzed or burn out. However, by using systems, structure, and getting help -- you can build a safe cocoon in which to get things done in record time.

5. Eliminate multi-tasking.
I know, I know....I can hear you gasp, what -- as women, we are wired to multi-task! That may be true with routine tasks that are familiar to you, like listening to your iPod while running. But, new research shows that multi-tasking and task-switching takes a tremendous amount of energy and actually causes our brain to come to a temporary halt. This is particularly true of higher brain functions that involve communication and learning. Examples would be answering an email while talking to a client on the phone, or reading an article while listening to a teleseminar. In these instances our brains prefer to concentrate on one task at a time and doesn't work well flitting from one focus to another. I tend to remember ridiculous analogies, so try to think of the last time you saw a winning jockey ride two horses across the finish line. It will never happen!

Here's this week's mentoring tip:
Take 10 minutes and write down:
 all the time-wasters that you typically do in a day. Commit to getting rid of them today
 get out your day planner or Outlook and map out consistent times every day to market -- and every week for business/product development, when you work with clients, etc.
 what new boundaries you are going to set for yourself and others (that includes spouse, kids, friends, staff and clients) that will eliminate distractions or break your flow
 create tools to help systematize your business (consider things like mind-mapping, project tracking sheets, etc.)
[Editor's note: as always, Karen loves to hear your feedback or answer any questions for you. Please email her at Karen@KarenDodd.com and you can definitely expect a response]


©2009 Karen Dodd International

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