Success: One Month at a Time

I'm sharing an article that originally appeared in The Huffington Post as a blog post because it focuses on a really simple idea that could potentially have a huge impact in your 2014.    

I’m running the full article but pay special attention to point #1. 

You may recall my last post was on resolutions and why they don't work for most of us.  

This article reinforces my point of changing your year-long resolution list into SMART goals that expire in 30 days.  I'm excited because for me it's making all the difference. 

UPDATE:  I started my New Year goal-setting in December, 2013; I know - always the overachiever.  Anyway, that goal was not only met but exceeded my projected outcome.   We’re 13 days into the new year so that means I’m 13 days into my new challenge.  This one is a business challenge; finish the marketing plan for my new product launch.  We're almost half way thru the month and I'm on target to finish the plan with time to spare.    

Okay, so here’s the article.  Hope it helps.

New Year's Resolution 2.0: How to Make It Work for You and Your Friends

Posted: 01/02/2014 3:19 pm

For the first time in my life, I actually stuck to my New Year's resolution for 2013. My friends did too and we're already discussing what we're going to focus on for 2014. What sparked the change?

1. We commit to 12 one-month resolutions. Instead of trying to maintain one lofty goal for 365 days, we allow ourselves the opportunity to switch it up every month (in January, I committed to being a vegan; in February, I committed to reading four books).

Interestingly, some of these monthly resolutions end up becoming habits because we are so intently focused on doing just that one thing for a month. Twenty-one days to make a habit? Maybe. Thirty days? More likely.

2. We make it social. Our resolution-of-the-month club started last January among three friends. Now, we have 15 members, not all of whom know each other. It doesn't matter who joins or when someone joins (our most recent addition joined in November). We only have one requirement: You email the group on the first of every month with an update on last month's resolution and your commitment for this month.

3. We track our progress. We keep track of our resolutions and progress to date in Google Docs. Seeing everything that we accomplish, both individually and collectively, month after month is incredibly motivating. The fear of having to write the email, "Last month didn't go so well," to the group is also just as motivating.

And the result? Aside from the fact that I have proof of what I accomplished this past year, I actually feel like I am a more interesting person to talk to, whether at dinner with friends or at the water cooler with coworkers. People now know I am working on some area of my life at any given point in the year, and so the question of "How's this month's resolution coming along?" has replaced the trite "How are you?"

Above all, I am inspired by and amazed at all of our resolutions. We have become each other's biggest cheerleaders, particularly when our resolutions have evolved from "no alcohol" to "finalize creating a website and send the link to the group when it's done." Our tracker shows a progression of us getting bolder and more creative with our resolutions over time. Not only have we delved into the standard resolutions (exercising more, eating healthily or getting our finances together), we have also managed to audition for TEDx, write a business plan, learn new dance choreography or start guitar lessons, just to name a few. We are more vulnerable and courageous, and we are taking more risks with each other's support.

Ultimately, it doesn't matter what the resolutions are; what is more telling is our reflection on how our previous month's commitment went and why. The toughest lesson I learned about myself came with my June resolution, when I resolved to unplug from all technology (no Internet, no TV, no phone and no email) for every Saturday in June. Though I successfully unplugged for all Saturdays except one, I resolved to make up that one day in July, in addition to a new resolution. When the unplugged day didn't happen in July, I rolled it over to August. When it didn't happen in August, I rolled it over to September. Embarrassingly, I wasn't able to unplug fully until one day in November (read: on Thanksgiving). That lingering incomplete resolution was a wake-up call for me. Luckily, because this group had seen my struggles in finding a day to unplug, no explanation was necessary when I sought their advice.

And my favorite resolution? Hands down it was my November one, when I decided to mail handwritten cards expressing my gratitude to 30 individuals, one for each day of the month. The response from the recipients was overwhelming, from a friend's handwritten response (who doesn't love receiving snail mail?) to multiple phone calls expressing how receiving such a gesture moved them to tears. My mentor emailed me recently to say that it inspired her to do something similar in 2014. Certainly, resolutions can become even more powerful when we commit to doing something for someone else, not just for improving our own self.

Not surprisingly, our conversations as of late are focused on what we're each thinking of focusing on in January. We're continuing in 2014 what we started in 2013.

For 2014, I encourage you to rethink your New Year's resolution. Shift the year-long mindset and ask yourself: What do I really want to accomplish this month? Put it in an email and tell your friends. Start your own resolution-of-the-month club for 2014. You won't regret it.

Miho Kubagawa is a Birmingham, AL native working in the ed sector in NYC. Her resolution for this month is to read The Creative Habit and to complete the 32 exercises listed in the book. You can follow her at @MSKubs.

       

The Secret to Turning Your Resolutions into Reality

My 2013 approach to resolutions was fairly elaborate.

Instead of spending the holidays in Austin, I’d traveled to Michigan preparing to stay in my home state for the entire month of Dec.into the first week of Jan.  

It was probably because I had read every book I’d brought along.  And certainly after a month of celebratory eating and drinking I had finally found my capacity and had lost interest in exceeding it.

So to fill up my New Year’s Day I devised a game creating 2013 resolutions and invited those in the room to play with me.   

I made up the rules to the game as we went along.  Everyone had a notepad and pen.  And I gave an extemporaneous speech to my little audience about setting intention for the New Year. 

After preparing our individual lists we went around the table and shared our 2013 desires.  We made a pact we’d check in via Skype at the end of every quarter just to make certain we were not losing our way. 

By second quarter 2013 I had indeed lost my way, along with my list. If someone had asked me to recite those resolutions that were so important just a few months ago I would have been hard-pressed to recall even half the list.

Fast forward to December 2013

A friend on my Facebook feed mentioned a 30-day fitness challenge.  She was in the last few days of her challenge and boasted she was now able to hold a plank for almost 4 minutes. 

Well I thought this was fairly impressive and decided to do my own 30-day challenge, starting the first day of December.  It’s not so important to this post what I decided to focus on but the effectiveness of the focus.   

And I’m proud to report within the 30 days (well technically it’s been 23 days) I've never strayed from the goal, never lost sight of the desired outcome and every day I happily perform rituals to reinforce the new behavior. 

I actually can’t believe how well it’s worked. Not only did I get what I wanted, it came with a bonus.  I am decidedly happier and lighter of spirit.  I've gifted myself with a new way of being.          

Summary

So what’s the difference (at least for me) between New Year’s resolutions (that don't work) and time-sensitive challenges (that do?) On the surface they sort of seem the same; at least they’re made up of similar components. 

However I think the way I do resolution lists sets the path for failure.  The list is too long, too nebulous, too hazy and too wishful thinking-ish.  It’s not a plan list, it’s a wish list. 

On the other hand my 30-day challenge is clear of purpose, specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely. 

OMG it’s a SMART goal! 

The key then to making it happen is to forget the long list and wasted time on New Year’s Day.   Instead target one specific want, need or desire and create a measurable plan around it.  No need to make it elaborate, just clear.  In just a little time your implemented plan will reap a big payoff.    

So my 2014 wish for you and your family (besides good health and happiness!) is the ability to remember that so many of our answers are already within us.  We just have to stay quiet enough to hear them.

Happy 2014!       

    

                

Time Out

Over the weekend Solomon and I had a great time.

I don’t mention my partner Solomon very often in my blog posts which he’s forever grateful.  But I have to just this once because of my business insight.      

On Saturday night we attended his company Christmas party.  I always look forward to these holiday parties because they’re well planned and filled with light energy and laughter. 

This party was extra special primarily because of the venue.  Sitting in the Hill Country, less than an hour’s drive from Austin, the gathering was held at Horseshoe Bay Resort Hotel; a beautiful facility, overlooking Lake LBJ and surrounded by manicured gardens.  His company gifted us with our weekend stay.   

Solomon and I had a great time and extended that great time by traveling on Sunday into the little towns and hamlets in the Texas Hill Country.    

As we strolled the streets, taking pictures of holiday tinsel and twinkling lights and visiting the little shops all adorned for the holidays, an answer to a business question simply popped into my head. I wasn't consciously thinking about business, but there it was, the perfect solution that would move my new business plan forward.   

So bright and early this morning I was back at my computer in the afterglow of my “feel-good” weekend.  It was then it occurred to me that some of my best business solutions have come during these periods of rest and relaxation. 

In truth, the entire business plan I’m currently implementing came while Solomon (there’s that name again!) and I visited another Texas town on a screaming-hot Sunday looking for treasures at a gigantic outdoor collectibles market.   

As entrepreneurs there never seems to be enough hours in the day.  Our to-do list is overflowing.  We’re organizing, prioritizing, and scheduling like crazy.     

I’ve always been so passionate about my work that it doesn’t feel much like work.  So because of that those around me have at times needed to pull me, kicking and screaming, away from my purpose. 

But this morning after my fabulous weekend I remember the power of rest and relaxation.  There is a time when I must turn the computer off. 

In those times what seems to turn on is a renewal of my creativity, imagination and inventiveness.          

  

Seth Godin

Who am I to go up against a heavy-hitter like Seth Godin?? 

I’m the girl who just starting blogging about a year ago.  I try and write a post about once a week, but most of the time it’s about every two weeks.  

But then who’s counting. . . I'm certain my readership doesn’t keep Seth up at night. 

Don’t get me wrong Seth Godin is a marketing god.  His content is fabulous, his books are classics, he’s a great public speaker and he’s held in high regard by just about everyone; including me.     

However Seth keeps the bar set high for all of us.   So high in fact that coming close to the bar is damn near impossible, while actually clearing the bar and feeling any sense of victory is something I’ll probably never see in this lifetime, according to Seth. 

Let’s just look at a couple of lines from a few of his blog postings:

·         “Just about all commercial behavior is banal. Even in movies that deal with business people, the characters don't dream nearly big enough about one's ability to change the culture or the enterprise.”

·         “Remarkable doesn't mean remarkable to you. It means remarkable to me. Am I going to make a remark about it? If not, then you're average, and average is for losers.”

·         The world is changing faster than ever and people aren’t adapting fast enough.”

I made this post all about Seth but he’s not alone in this, "yesterday-is-dead, content-is-king, good-is-not-good-enough world."  Everyone seems to have their own version of mastery.  And “master” we must.  Anything short of that is a half-effort that results in little or no reward, recognition or sense of accomplishment.    

In my humble entrepreneurial opinion, I say, give me a break.  Most entrepreneurs I know are some of the hardest working people on the planet.   I truly believe in giving your best plus 10% but I ask;  is it alright if I feel some sort of victory before the goalpost is moved. . .again?        

Vince Lombardi said (and I realize he died in the 70’s – which may as well be a million years ago)

“The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whatever we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.”

Is it just me or is that way of thinking pretty much dead? 

Master Your Emotions

Please excuse my absence.  I've been spending time in confusion. 

I’m in the process of making major, sweeping changes to my core business. 

The type of all-encompassing changes that herald in a totally new business model.  It’s a business model that still supports microbusiness but bears little resemblance to my daily activity of talking with entrepreneurs and writing business plans.    

During this upheaval my mind is like a 3-ring circus.  With a full performance happening in every corner and crevice, my brain is at maximum capacity. Not to mention, my monkey mind is also living up to its name, with constant prodding, poking and an incessant restlessness.    

But I’ve been an entrepreneur for years and while this unsettled time is surely not fun, it’s not entirely unfamiliar.  As they say in Texas, this ain’t my first rodeo. 

If I can settle the beast within and remember the purpose of my activity; to grow an impressively profitable business while solving a problem for my target market, I will get through this transition and flourish. 

And I will because I have an arsenal of secret weapons. 

My cache of crutches is a recipe really that consists of equal parts spiritual, transformational and motivational material gleaned from some of the best teachers over the past twenty years.   

Sometimes it takes me awhile to remember I possess the tools that crush my confusion and allow me to go about the business of building a business.  But like riding a bike or swimming a lap, my mental muscle memory guarantees my training to  kick in and make my crooked places straight again. 

I guess it’s possible for people to build successful businesses without having these cycles of fear and overwhelm followed by confidence and vitality but for certain that’s not me.  For me it’s about using rituals that limit fear-based down cycles and encourage an environment where ideas flourish.     

There’s tons of ways to change your emotional state and allows you to take back your creation energy.   You can always start with a Tony Robbins type thing.  Or pick the person, activity or thing that works best for you. 

Sometimes it’s really simple.  As simple as watching a YouTube video.     

See if this doesn’t help:    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUF36chCPuA

AVON

My sister Cookie has decided to become an AVON representative. 

She’s an interesting character.  Highly educated (with an advanced degree in Public Administration,) compassionate (she is my 93 year-old mother’s principal caregiver) and one of the smartest people I know.    

She also has an almost religious relationship to multi-level marketing.  For those uninitiated folks out there, MLM or multi-level-marketing is simply a profit model where those involved can make money at several levels.  You are compensated when you privately make a sale, but also when others you're associated with make a sale.    

Her relationship with this model spans decades.   

She’s been involved in selling insurance policies and pots and pans.  Then of course there was the communications company that came on the heels of the cosmetic company.

I've had so many conversations with her around network marketing (which is another name for MLM) that I can hold my own when she starts discussing commissions, and bonuses, chargebacks and personal volume discounts.  I will admit however, that when we take the deep dive into the murky waters of up-lines and down lines I get a little breathless and feel the need to come up for air.

And even though she’s not found the financial success she thought was hers, she has stayed enamored with the business model.  And it seems with each company she pockets another piece of the puzzle and better understand what the success formula looks like.   

Which leads us to AVON. 

For certain, if I was a betting woman, I put my money on this newest relationship.  Not so much because it’ s AVON, one of the oldest most respected brands in the world, but because of how she is using her experience to create a different outcome. 

From the very beginning she picked AVON after first looking at several MLM companies and interviewing their representatives.  She didn't simply plunk down her payment and pick-up her samples.  Instead she developed a set of interview questions to be answered by what would be her up-line. She was looking and listening for compatibility, company longevity, business acumen, creativity and most importantly a financially successful track record with the company.   

After making her decision she made a commitment for success.  She’s now in the process of putting systems in place (including financial systems,) projecting her growth, working under marketing objectives and strategically growing her business. 

I'm impressed.  She’s excited and I'm excited for her.           

         

Cookie reminds me that it’s never too late to try again.  

And it’s never too late to get it right.  

Developing New Products: The Critical First Step

A good first step in developing new products or services for your business is to ask your customers what they like about the old product or service. 

This seems so logical.  But many times we skip this step.  Instead of having the conversation with the customer we decide to play both parts by having the conversation with ourselves.   

This one person play is very dangerous.  And can be very costly.

Because in truth we're not as in-tune with our customer as we think we are.  We’re really not sure why they buy our handmade jewelry, our vegan cinnamon buns or our massage services.  Oftentimes we’re not even certain who we're attracting.  We think we know but do we really? 

Ask yourself a simple question.  Are most of your clients or customers, men or women? 

Most business owners would answer this question quickly, without hesitation. 

But the speed of our reply doesn't mean we're right.  Unless you're a gynecologist or the director of a sperm bank your reply is probably as reliable as that of an eyewitness.  

I suggest if your business or consultancy is small enough simply take a minute and actually segregate your clients by sex.  Or if necessary, pull a report from your database, or stand in your shop over the course of week and count men and women stopping in.   

Were you surprised by the outcome?

My advice is before you make any substantive change to your offering do your best to find out who’s buying what and why.  This is particularly important when you're creating new product or service strategies that change your core offerings. 

And the best way to find out is the old fashioned way. 

Ask