Who are you? 4 keys to creating the life you want!

Who do you WANT to be? 

     Many people have set out on "the journey to find themselves", have asked
for professional help in discovering who they "are" or who they "want to be". For many, it is really a journey of finding their PURPOSE in life. So many men and women grew into adult hood with a picture in their mind of what "life" was supposed to be, worked hard in school and career seeking to arrive at that "destination" only to find themselves feeling empty and lost in a sense... sometimes gradually or even suddenly one day realizing they do not really know where or what that "destination" really is. It is at that point that many start looking for their "purpose" in life or the "meaning" of life itself.

    Many coaches, authors and professional educators have written and spoke about this subject. The "meaning" of life or finding ones "purpose". I was up late one night recently researching what countless others have written on this subject and it suddenly all came together for me, at about 3:30am, it became clear that a combination of what most of these very experienced and educated folks were trying to communicate on this subject was ACCEPTANCE AND CHANGE.

    First, ACCEPTANCE of whom you are right now, of whom you have been in the past and of whom you will become in the future. You will likely CHANGE in the future, and when that happens ACCEPT yourself as you are in that moment when you realize who you are, if you want to change, make those changes and accept the outcome of that. Acceptance does not have to mean that nothing can change, it only assures the level of your happiness in the present time!

    Finding yourself is not a destination, nor is building or creating a "life" it is a journey and a lifelong one. Please find the 4 keys below to accepting yourself, so you can be in the right place to make the changes you desire, in order to have the life you want!

1. Make time DAILY to reflect, meditate or otherwise sit quietly with yourself, by yourself, without any interruptions. For some 15 minutes a day will be enough. When you have a lot to sort out, start with more time, there are many very successful folks out there who spend at least an HOUR each day to reflect.

2. Get to KNOW yourself - truly understanding yourself will open up the path to the discovery of skills, talents or interests that you may not have realized you had. You may need the assistance of a professional for this, some journal their way to self discovery, and for some just spending time alone reflecting is enough.

3. Keep your circle small! Look around at those you spend time with on a regular basis. The people in your smallest circles have a huge influence on who you are and the decisions that you make. After all, whatever you spend the most time doing, there are usually people with you - whether that is working, a hobby, building a business or whatever you do in your free time.
Jim Rohn, an author and motivational speaker once said, "You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with." That was a very powerful statement and if you really think about it and apply it to either yourself or people you know well, you will easily find it to be true more often than not.

4. TAKE RESPONSIBILITY -  Taking responsibility is the fastest way to acceptance. Discover and take responsibility for your beliefs about yourself and others, especially the limiting beliefs which will hold you back from moving forward in many ways! Take responsibility for your own inner demons and how they have affected who you are right now. Take responsibility for WHERE you are in your life right now - as soon as you stop blaming anything else or anyone else, you will be able to make the changes you want.

     Thank you for reading - may you accomplish all your dreams - don't forget to enjoy each day as you do so! Please feel free to add your comments or share your experiences here..  Blessings!

Renee Johnston

Tranformational Life Coach
www.TheMaxProfit.com
GetReal.LifeCoach@gmail.com 

"Starting a Small Business" article from Investopedia!

Here is a link to another GREAT article from Investopedia for small business minded individuals!


http://www.investopedia.com/university/small-business/


Some are more suited to be employees, some are "not so much"! Today, I saw a post from Brian Tracy on "5 Traits of Entrepreneurs". One of them was "An Entrepreneur always looks at the BIG PICTURE" There was more about how an employee makes decisions at work based upon current and past situations and experiences, an entrepreneur takes the past and the present and is always planning for the future!

Thanks for reading and remember, if you need help achieving your goals, or that work/life balance, our coaches can help! Contact us on our website at:  www.TheMaxProfit.com for a FREE phone consultation!

Renee Johnston

CEO and Executive Coach

The Max Profit

Kick uncertainty to the curb! -8 Strategies to "engage your rational brain"!

Our brains are hardwired to make much of modern life difficult. This is especially true when it comes to dealing with uncertainty. When we are not sure what is going to happen, or our “plans” are not going as planned, our brains are wired to react with fear. On the bright side, if you know the right tricks, you can override your brain's irrational tendencies and handle uncertainty effectively and kick uncertainty to the curb!

In a recent study, a Caltech neuroeconomist imaged subjects' brains as they were forced to make increasingly uncertain bets--the same kind of bets we're forced to make on a regular basis in business.

The less information the subjects had to go on, the more irrational and erratic their decisions became. You might think the opposite would be true--the less information we have, the more careful and rational we are in evaluating the validity of that information. Not so. As the uncertainty of the scenarios increased, the subjects' brains shifted control over to the limbic system, the place where emotions, such as anxiety and fear, are generated.

This brain quirk worked great eons ago, when cavemen entered an unfamiliar area and didn't know who or what might be lurking behind the bushes. Overwhelming caution and fear ensured survival. But that's not the case today. This mechanism, which hasn't evolved, is a hindrance in the world of business, where uncertainty rules and important decisions must be made every day with minimal information.

As we face uncertainty, our brains push us to overreact. Successful people are able to override this mechanism and shift their thinking in a rational direction. This requires “Emotional Intelligence”. Studies have shown over and over again that the majority of top performers have high Emotional Intelligence and that they earn more money than their low Emotional Intelligence counterparts.

To boost your Emotional Intelligence, you have to get good at making sound decisions in the face of uncertainty, even when your brain fights against this. Fear not! There are proven strategies that you can use to improve the quality of your decisions when your emotions are clouding your judgment. What follows are seven of the best strategies that successful people use in these moments.

#1 -They quiet their limbic systems

The limbic system of the brain responds to uncertainty with a knee-jerk fear reaction, and fear inhibits good decision-making. People who are good at dealing with uncertainty are wary of this fear and spot it as soon as it begins to surface. In this way, they can contain it before it gets out of control. Once they are aware of the fear, they label all the irrational thoughts that try to intensify it as irrational fears--not reality--and the fear subsides. Then they can focus more accurately and rationally on the information they have to go on. Throughout the process, they remind themselves that a primitive part of their brain is trying to take over and that the logical part needs to be the one in charge. In other words, they tell their limbic system to settle down and be quiet until a hungry tiger shows up.

#2 -They stay positive

Positive thoughts quiet fear and irrational thinking by focusing your brain's attention on something that is completely stress-free. You have to give your wandering brain a little help by consciously selecting something positive to think about. Any positive thought will do to refocus your attention. When things are going well and your mood is good, this is relatively easy. When you're stressing over a tough decision and your mind is flooded with negative thoughts, this can be a challenge. In these moments, think about your day, and identify one positive thing that happened, no matter how small. If you can't think of anything from the current day, reflect on the previous day or days or even the previous week, or perhaps you're looking forward to an exciting event. The point here is that you must have something positive that you're ready to shift your attention to when your thoughts turn negative due to the stress of uncertainty.

#3 -They know what they know--and what they don't

When uncertainty makes a decision difficult, it's easy to feel as if everything is uncertain, but that's hardly ever the case. People who excel at managing uncertainty start by taking stock of what they know and what they don't know and assigning a factor of importance to each. They gather all the facts they have, and they take their best shot at compiling a list of things they don't know, for example, what a country's currency is going to do or what strategy a competitor will employ. They actually try to identify as many of these things as possible because this takes away their power.

#4 -They embrace that which they can't control

We all like to be in control. After all, people who feel like they're at the mercy of their surroundings never get anywhere in life. But this desire for control can backfire when you see everything that you can't control or don't know as a personal failure. People who excel at managing uncertainty aren't afraid to acknowledge what's causing it. In other words, successful people live in the real world. They don't paint any situation as better or worse than it actually is, and they analyze the facts for what they are. They know that the only thing they really control is the process through which they reach their decisions. That's the only rational way to handle the unknown, and the best way to keep your head on level ground. Don't be afraid to step up and say, "Here's what we don't know, but we're going forward based on what we do know. We may make mistakes, but that's a lot better than standing still."

#5 -They focus only on what matters

Some decisions can make or break your company. Most just aren't that important. The people who are the best at making decisions in the face of uncertainty don't waste their time getting stuck on decisions where the biggest risk is looking foolish in front of their co-workers. When it comes down to it, almost every decision contains at least a small factor of uncertainty--it's an inevitable part of doing business. Learning to properly balance the many decisions on your plate, however, allows you to focus your energy on the things that matter and to make more informed choices. It also removes the unnecessary pressure and distraction caused by a flurry of small worries.

#6 -They don't seek perfection

 Emotionally Intelligent people don't set perfection as their target because they know there's no such thing as a perfect decision in an uncertain situation. Think about it: human beings, by our very nature, are fallible. When perfection is your goal, you're always left with a nagging sense of failure, and you end up spending your time lamenting what you failed to accomplish and what you should have done differently, instead of enjoying what you were able to achieve.

#7 -They know when to trust their gut

Our ancestors relied on their intuition--their gut instinct--for survival. Since most of us don't face life-or-death decisions every day, we have to learn how to use this instinct to our benefit. Often we make the mistake of talking ourselves out of listening to our gut instinct, or we go too far in the other direction and impulsively dive into a situation, mistaking our assumptions for instincts. People who successfully deal with uncertainty recognize and embrace the power of their gut instincts.

#8 – The always have a “Plan B”

Staying on top of uncertainty is as much about planning for failure as it is about hoping for the best. Experts at handling uncertainty aren't afraid to admit that they could be wrong, and that frees them up to make detailed, rational, and transparent contingency plans before taking action.

Successful people know they aren't always going to make the right decision. They know how to absorb and understand mistakes so that they can make better decisions in the future. And they never let mistakes get them down for too long.

What do you do when faced with uncertainty? What strategies could you share that you have used, or that you have seen someone else use? Please share your thoughts, each and every one of us could always learn at least one (even if it is small) thing from someone else that we may be able to implement down the road when faced with a tough situation.

Thank you for reading! Feel free to contact me if you need support, with any questions or to share your thoughts below. 

Renee Johnston

Transformational Change Coach

www.TheMaxProfit.com

Getreal.lifecoach@gmail.com 

FEAR to CONFIDENCE in 6 simple steps!

    

 Why are some confident and some lack confidence. Most of those who lack confidence live in fear. Those who are confident are those who take ACTION and try new things. Those people stretch themselves to learn more, become more, get that degree, go for that promotion or new job, make that career change or enter into that new relationship!

     The questions we ask ourselves in fear and the fear based responses that come along with that are the OBSTACLES that will stop you from taking the action needed to get to confidence!

ACTION IS THE KEY!!!

     If you would like to be confident in one area of your life, or are lacking confidence in more than one area – you can change this almost immediately – here it is – 6 simple steps!

1.       Start at square one..  

     Many people quit before they even get started because they focus on “how far” it is from where they are now to the end result. Well they are already living in fear so therefore feel incapable of getting to that point from where they are now. Forget about the end and focus on the FIRST STEP and only the first step. The harder you focus only on step 1 – the faster you will get to step 2! 

2.       Remember that all progress is still progress..

     Your brain is now temporarily stuck in fear based mode. That built up fear will try to convince you that these small accomplishments are too small. Not true! Every tiny bit of progress, every small step is in the right direction and that is ALL THAT COUNTS! Stick with it and you will make it to the finish line – every time!

3.       Remind yourself – it is not HOW you feel; it is WHAT YOU DO!

     Don’t feel afraid while you take these steps toward your goal – tell yourself that you are not afraid. I know, your fear based brain, again is trying to dominate you.. maybe you have a quick pulse, shaky hands, shallow breaths, you may feel dizzy and have a sick stomach as you take actions toward your goal but you are still MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION – TOWARD the goal! That is what counts, not how you FEEL while you do it. As you recognize what you are feeling and resist the urge to be afraid by it, those feelings will change. Don’t judge yourself for how you are feeling and label it as “afraid”. Celebrate the fact that you are moving right on through those feelings and accomplishing what you set out to in spite of them.

4.       Get high on taking action!

     There is a wonderful feeling (its magical) that occurs directly after (or during) taking action that you were previously too afraid to take. Use that high to your advantage. While you are having that good feeling write down or record how you feel. “I felt excited, proud, or happy when I…” Review these notes the next time you are at step one or step 2 with something. If you meditate or use imagery when working on your goal planning, imagine yourself actually DOING the thing that you want to do most. Watch yourself (like watching a movie on a screen) actually doing it and try and FEEL those good feelings like you did the last time you took action when you were afraid to.

5.       KNOW that action builds confidence..

     Deciding to take action, and DOING it in spite of fear will build and build upon your level of confidence, more and more each time. Taking action provides many opportunities for growth beyond the specific goal we decide to work on.

     In this action we grow confident about ourselves and about our abilities. It is in the action that we find out what mistakes are and how much stronger we are by learning from them and again TAKING ACTION anyway the next time!

6.       REPEAT steps 1-5

     Each time you feel afraid, in any way of anything – get as fast as you can through steps one thru 4 and right on to step 5 TAKE ACTION!

What action can you take to overcome your fear today?

    

Many people who want to overcome their fears find it easier to make a structured plan or to have accountability to sticking to their plan, with help from a life coach. If you need help right away, OR want to try a FREE sample coaching session, send me an email or give me a call. My contact info is below.

 Our senior consultants provide personal and team coaching, team building and team trainings and other services for business owners specializing in profitability. Visit our website today at www.TheMaxProfit.com.

Thanks for reading!

Renee Johnston

Personal/Team Coach

CEO

The Max Profit

getrealwithcoach@gmail.com

(360) 490-7045

Get 90% of your work done before NOON! 8 BEST TIPS!

   

  Many successful busy people have perfected methods that have allowed them to get all or most of their work done before noon! The key is “streamlining” tasks, “prioritizing” successfully and staying FOCUSED!

     Try these 8 best tips for 2 weeks and see if any or all of them help you get more done at work!

#1 – PLAN your workday the night before – every night, before you leave work, list all the tasks that must be completed the next day. Allow enough time for each task, number them in order of importance and do not put too much on your list!

#2 – TAKE BREAKS – You must take breaks if you want to be productive AND stay focused – set an alarm on your phone or a watch or alarm clock – experiment with the best time to take a morning break or breaks..  taking several 5 or 10 minute breaks, instead of one longer break will help get back on task easily but the break will help you focus more successfully on the next task!

#3 – PLAN WHEN you will do what and plan breaks accordingly. For instance, if you write or need to make hard decisions, do that early before there are distractions in the office building. Save the things that are easy to focus on with noise around for AFTER everyone else starts arriving at the office. Also, if you write, do that FIRST thing in the morning and then take a break before moving on to different types of tasks.

#4 – NO INTERRUPTIONS or MEETINGS before noon – instruct staff and co-workers that your most productive work time will be in the morning so that is when you would prefer not to be interrupted or distracted. Even in the case of a mild “emergency” an emergency at 10 am could most likely wait until 1:00 pm without too much problem. Sometimes, there are regular meetings that happen in the morning hours that are mandatory. Work around this the best you can. If every Monday and every Friday, there is a standing meeting, start at 8am on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and start working at 7:00 am on Mondays and Fridays (in order to make up for those one hour meetings you will attend in the morning on those days). Make it work!

#5 – START EARLY – get up an hour earlier every day! Show up at the office an hour earlier every day. Plan to do tasks from your list that require “quiet time” and do them in that hour.

#6 – BE ORGANIZED – you WILL get more done if you are organized.. if you have to spend a whole weekend organizing your office, your files, cleaning off your desk so you can try this for two weeks, do it! If you do not have clutter distracting you and you can FIND THINGS.. you will get more done, guaranteed!

#7 – NO EMAIL / NO VOICEMAIL – do not, I repeat DO NOT listen to your voicemail or check your email until after lunch! Do not even LOOK at it to see “how many” you have waiting! Resist the urge.. both of those activities are not only time killers but will send you off in other directions as well. One step even better! Assign the task of listening to the voicemail and checking and organizing the email to some else! I know that sounds scary – I would challenge you to find a successful small business owner or high paid executive that checks their own voicemail or email!

# 8 - 80/20 RULE RULES! – We keep hearing it and seeing it written and it IS TRUE! Only 20% of what you do each day produces 80% of the results. So, first, when making your list for the day, eliminate (or put on a “maybe” list) tasks that have nothing to do with your top goal or goals. When ordering tasks in their order of importance, put the MOST IMPORTANT tasks at the top of the list, to be done first thing in the morning. Stay focused on one task at a time, do not worry about the other tasks. If you do not get to the bottom of the list, move those tasks to the next day and learn each time, how to plan for how much time things will take in the future!

Our consultants provide team building and other team oriented workshops as well as individual coaching with reasonable fees! If you would like a FREE phone consultation to discuss your individual situation or have other questions, please feel free to visit our website and fill out a contact form at www.TheMaxProfit.com

Renee Johnston

Senior Consultant, Coach and Profitability Specialist

(360) 490-7045 mobile (talk or text)

Business Services Group / The Max Profit

5 Tips To Make It Through Your Workday – Despite The Co-Worker From Hell!

The co-worker or team mate from hell… he or she is condescending, confrontational and just downright unpleasant to be around. This person acts nothing like a team mate, but instead as if at war. You didn’t sign up for war – what do you do?

Unfortunately, this type of situation, this type of person is found everywhere.. in every workplace, in every type of profession. People of all education levels and cultures have been found to behave this way. Daily conflict with someone you cannot stand is a waste of precious energy and takes away from the team’s production and creativity.

Fortunately, there are usually ways to get around this type of situation. You can and should defend yourself against negative emotions or unreasonable demands. Many times, if managed properly, this type of person can end up to be a manageable, and maybe even likeable team mate!

#1 – BE READY

          Always be ready for conflict to invade your day / space. Understand that (at least right now), this is the way this person IS. Likely, you cannot change that, you may be able to influence it in a positive way by setting healthy boundaries. Time may change this person’s behavior, true and hopefully. But I guarantee, you CAN and WILL make the situation WORSE by not being ready and not having a plan for how to respond to this negative behavior. Remember to take the high road, respond calmly and in a non-confrontational manner – NO MATTER WHAT they say or do! Plan what you will do, physically that is if and when you get “backed into a corner” to remove yourself from the situation.

#2 – Don’t Add Fuel to the Fire

          People who already tend to be confrontational or drama driven will love for you to “fight back” or even defend yourself. “Step Away” from the fire, remove yourself physically if possible or at least figuratively. MOST of the time, when someone at work is attacking you, and you respond with a neutral attitude, or even kindness, it will really slow them down, they will not know how to respond to that.

#3 - Offer to Help

          Many, many times you will find that a person behaving this negatively is not really a complete psychopath, a passive-aggressive control freak, nor will they be found to have borderline personality disorder. (I know, all the signs are there!) BUT, they very well may just be attacking others or being difficult because of their own fear or insecurities. They may really feel alone and that they have no allies. They may also be going through something personal that is really scaring them or giving them anxiety. Offer to help….

#4 - Get a Third Party Involved

          If you have tried to speak to this co-worker or team mate about the situation and have communicated your wishes to be on “common ground” with them and it has gone nowhere, ask a third party to “mediate” for you, ask for a meeting and see if things can be worked out. Don’t forget to verbally list all the good things you can think about in the person, your relationship with them and the reasons it would benefit both of you to have a better relationship. If this does not work, get Human Resources or an effective supervisor involved.

#5 – Move On

          After you have exhausted all other efforts and the situation is still causing you and/or other team member’s stress, it may be time to end the situation. If this person works for you or under you, you may need to let this difficult team member go. If you are in a different working situation with them, you may want to ask to be moved to another team, another department or even look for another job. At this point, your supervisor or business owner is aware of the difficulties and may choose to try moving the difficult team worker somewhere else, or may ask them to leave their position on the team.

I hope that these tips will help you if you find yourself in one of these situations. Most of us, at some point in our careers, eventually will.

Our consultants provide team building and other team oriented workshops as well as individual coaching with reasonable fees! If you would like a FREE phone consultation to discuss your individual situation or have other questions, please feel free to visit our website and fill out a contact form at www.TheMaxProfit.com

Renee Johnston

Senior Consultant, Coach and Profitability Specialist

Business Services Group / The Max Profit

Ode to the Self Employed Entrepreneur

As of February, 2015 about 13% of Americans are starting or running their own companies.

Entrepreneurs are a different and special breed – most have a diverse skill set and a broader portfolio of work experiences than those who have always been “employees”. Many would refer to an entrepreneur that they may know as a “jack of all trades” or as someone who “cannot make up their mind” about “what” they want to “do” for a living.

A study done in Germany in 2000, which was build on more than a decade worth of research, showed that college students who had qualities that “predicted AGAINST entrepreneurship” included “a desire for job or income security, as well as having worked in internship or apprenticeship (since those lead to specialization)”. Students who took a broad range of classes, had many interests and who enjoyed working on several projects at a time were more likely to have a disposition toward entrepreneurship. “

Steve Jobs used to say that creative people have a more diverse “bag of experiences” than everybody else. He believed that if one was to be innovative, they HAD to not have the same bag of experiences as their peers.

I personally have over 30 years of entrepreneurship under my belt, I have had “jobs” yes, have actually been “employed” but have NEVER NOT had some money making projects or companies working or developing at the same time as that employment.

I have found that one who enjoys entrepreneurship more than being an employee is one who takes self responsibility, who doesn’t mind the fact that when things go wrong, there will be no one to blame except them, and who thrives in some higher level of stress. For me, the stress drives me to work harder, to work smarter and to get more creative!

I enjoyed the following from the blog of Tammy Bleck – “Witty Woman Writing”  

Let me set the record straight for all those who are self-employed and all those who are not.

We do have "real jobs" and they don't come with a cushion of a 401(k), paid vacation, sick days and a boss to take the fall if we don't do it right. We have to pay our own expenses, not the least of which are health insurance, retirement account, licenses, taxes, organization fees, advertising, web site maintenance, computers and office equipment, travel expenses, vehicle maintenance, and we don't get to call in sick when we have the sniffles.

I think that those of us, who take a chance on ourselves, put our confidence in our skills and go out there and actually build something from nothing, are warriors in the truest sense of the word.

We take the chance every single day that we will make enough money to keep the lights on, the mortgage paid, the kids in school, gas in the tank, food on the table and clothes on our backs. If you think that's slacking, I'd like to see you try it.

People who act on their passion are a gift of light, hope and possibilities to our world. It takes a tremendous amount of courage and fortitude to tackle the unknown every day, to take the bad days with a grain of salt and not let the good days go to our heads. It takes balance, audacity, drive, vision and great deal of smarts.

I can only speak for myself in saying that even with the days that my income surpasses my wildest expectations, I always feel like I'm just one step away from living under a bridge. The fear level that comes with being self-employed is palatable. We feel it in our gut and we can literally taste the fright in our mouths. But here's the deal: we go out and achieve our goals in spite of it.

Those of us in business for ourselves don't always get it right. We are often wrestling with self doubt, second guessing and re-grouping. The best of us never give up. We may take a moment to lick the wounds of defeat should our venture not succeed, but the true entrepreneur will be back, and always with a vengeance.

But on the chance you have any doubt, know that this country was not built by corporations but rather on the backs of the entrepreneur; the dreamer who had an idea and the courage to follow it, the inventor who was ridiculed but still persisted, the architect, artist, writer, musician, and philosopher who despite opposition and mockery stayed the course.

link to full article written in 2013 for Huffington Post:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tammy-bleck/being-self-employed_b_2664669.html

We are all different and all have different comfort levels. This country is sustained by both the entrepreneurs and small business as well as the large corporations. It takes all kinds to keep things moving in our economy and there are upsides and downsides, depending upon the day J to being an employee or being self-employed. We should all remember to be tolerant of our differences and give respect both ways when it is well deserved!

Thanks for reading and remember, if you need help achieving your goals, or that work/life balance, our coaches can help! Contact us on our website at:  www.TheMaxProfit.com for a FREE phone consultation!

Renee Johnston

CEO and Executive Coach

The Max Profit