Many of us regard academic results and earning potential as important markers and measures of success but they're only part of a many-faceted picture. In reality, success has many faces.

So many of us are influenced and guided by other people's hopes, dreams, and aspirations, encouraging us to follow their goal of what success looks like. They may have missed out on university education, have unfulfilled dreams of pursuing a professional career, like becoming a doctor or accountant, and want those they love to succeed where they failed. But living another person's dreams can be a lonely, unsatisfactory experience, generating very little enthusiasm to sustain it.

Successfully learning service or trade can open the doors to an amazing career. Offering a cleaning service, household repairs, gardening, odd jobs, a concierge business will require varied qualifications and registrations, but these are areas of significant demand and potential growth. Customers are clamoring to engage with service providers who are good.

Or starting small, perhaps with a multi-level marketing initiative, maybe a huge step for someone who has not worked for a while or who needs to balance the many demands of their personal life. Hopefully, doing this enables them to receive training as they learn and grow their business.

In those situations, success may be making the commitment to regular coaching, gaining the confidence to speak to people, even when some are strangers, learning how to professionally introduce themselves and their goods or services. Developing a business model of their own, where the goal is to ultimately work hours to suit and set their own targets, with the option to be flexible, can feel liberating and worth aspiring to.

Budgeting, planning, recognizing what people need, and pitching to make a good impression, followed hopefully by a sale, requires good timing, skill, and mental dexterity, a time to dig deep and reference life experiences that may not have been tapped into for some time. All things to be proud of and give oneself credit for.

For super-achievers, reaching those all-important goals whilst appearing professional and financially successful brings its own pressures. It costs a lot of money and personal investment to maintain the lifestyle, level of fitness, and appearance to satisfy other people's expectations of what success looks like. And, often other people judge a person's success on what they see and have their attention drawn to.

Another's the perception of success may be either good or bad, positive or negative, based on what's happening in their own lives. For example, if you were looking to make a middle-of-the-road purchase, what would you think if you saw flashy, expensive cars in the staff car park; that they were successful or that they charged far too much for their wares? Seeing excessive affluence might make you think twice. But if you were aiming for a high-end purchase, seeing signs of opulent success might convince you that you were in the right place. Perception is relative to each situation.

There are those people who appear to have it all, the business reputation, big house, expensive car, and lifestyle. For them, success may now be about cutting back, downsizing, and spending less time at work, with more time for the things that matter to them, doing things they want to do. It may be that time with family has become more important, being only too aware that children grow up quickly whether you're there to see them or not and that relationships can struggle if they're not regularly nurtured.

Other people may have always wanted to travel, to see the world, and take their time doing so. They may feel successful when they're finally able to buy a camper van or pack their rucksack and set off, with the freedom to do as they please. Being in a position where they're able to volunteer and do charity work gives many people a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment, maybe in ways never experienced in a work environment. Success, for them, is seeing the difference their involvement makes.

Interestingly, being successful can bring its own challenges too. It's not unusual to hear of the void left when an athlete succeeds in a competition, but then has nowhere else to go; they've achieved it all. What comes next if there's no new success to aim for? Many top sportspeople report experiencing the chasm left when, after years of dedication and focus, they retire and it all comes to an end, especially when they're at the top of their game.

It's important to plan ahead. Whilst being single-minded about one's goals and motivation, it also matters to be aware of the importance of cultivating interests and satisfaction outside the main focus too.

What does success mean to you? Is it a financial, fitness, or lifestyle goal? For many, it's when they finally feel that they're making a valuable contribution, whilst finding a sense of security and inner peace. Money is only part of it; recognition, appreciation, and personal satisfaction often bring their own success and reward.

Susan Leigh, Altrincham, Cheshire, South Manchester counselor, hypnotherapist, relationship counselor, writer & media contributor offers help with relationship issues, stress management, assertiveness, and confidence. She works with individual clients, couples and provides corporate workshops and support.

She's the author of 3 books, 'Dealing with Stress, Managing its Impact', '101 Days of Inspiration #tipoftheday' and 'Dealing with Death, Coping with the Pain', all on Amazon & with easy to read sections, tips, and ideas to help you feel more positive about your life.

To order a copy or for more information, help, and free articles visit http://www.lifestyletherapy.net

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Susan_Leigh/399535

11 Mistakes New Coaches Make In Business

Most Coaches start out in business for reasons such as, wanting to quit their full-time job and be their own boss, or they want to gain the financial and personal freedom of being an entrepreneur, they also want to help people and make a difference in their life. No matter what the reason is, being a Coach is a fantastic profession to go in. However, what many Coaches don't realize until they are in the beginning stages of their Coaching career is that starting a coaching business is not always as easy as it seems. Many Coaches struggle trying to make it work and trying to make that leap to a successful Coaching business. In this report, I will share with you eleven mistakes new Coaches make that are holding them back from reaching their ultimate goal of having a successful business.

Mistake #1: Spending too much time getting ready!

Many Coaches spend too much time preparing themselves to get started. They work on their website, their marketing materials, finishing up their Coaching training, and focusing too much on "getting their ducks in a row" instead of getting out there and starting Coaching. Many also feel that they are not ready to Coach because they think they are not good enough yet but to be honest, you won't learn until you go out there and Coach. You will only learn how to make it better once you notice the mistakes you make while you make them or you realize that you could make some changes in certain areas but the key to becoming a good Coach is you must practice! Think about the time you started a new job, you didn't prepare yourself for weeks or months to start that job, no you learned and got better by doing. It is all a learning curve.

Mistake #2: Don't have a Coach that can guide them in the process

Every Coach should have their own Coach that can guide them to move forward and to help them get through the things that are holding them back. Especially if you are a new Coach it is extremely important to work with a Coach to help you move forward. Of course, you can try to figure things out on your own and spend a lot of time and a lot of money on things that are not working. Where, if you would work with a Coach that has already been there and done it, and learn from them, you can get to where you want to be much faster.

If you are worried about not being able to afford a Coach, especially when first starting out, then consider this... how can you expect others to pay for your Coaching services if you don't even pay for a Coach? Also, think about the amount of money and time you waste on things that are not working or trying to figure things out on your own? Some Coaches even work with you on the fees and some even agree on some sort of barter service.

Mistake #3: Don't collaborate - they rather stay an army of one!

As a Coach, it is important to collaborate with others either in the same industry or they can even be in a completely different industry. Many Coaches think they are in business by themselves but the truth is that only when you collaborate with like-minded individuals will you get to where you want to be... create an army of many rather than staying an army of one! Collaboration is the key to success because you can build business relationships, do business together such as webinars, seminars, workshops, even co-author a book, create products, and help each other grow. When you collaborate with other Coaches or experts in the industry they can promote you to their network and you can promote them to your network, that's a win, win situation.

In today's time and age, you can even collaborate with individuals all over the world, and build your business on a nationwide and even worldwide level.

Mistake #4: Doing too much training and not applying what they learn - Apply as you learn

Have you ever thought to yourself that you have to complete this one course before you can start, or you still need to take this course and that course, and maybe even this other course too? Too many Coaches get stuck in the "learning phase" where they take all sorts of different online courses trying to sharpen their skills or trying to learn more things that they can offer their clients but instead of applying what they learn, while they learn it, they continue taking courses without applying the things they have learned. The best way to learn something is by doing and applying the things you have learned.

Mistake #5: Giving away their services for free or not charging enough

Beginner Coaches often feel that they can't charge much or at all for their services because they are just starting out and they are not very experienced yet. Now let me ask you this, do you think doctors who just finished medical school offer their services for free? No! They charge for their services because they went to school for many years to learn how to be a doctor and they are providing a service. The same applies to Coaches, they have gone through training, they have learned how to be a Coach and they too provide a service. You also don't need to tell clients that you are just a beginner or that you haven't had that many Coaching hours, if they don't know, don't advertise it. You are an expert and you should position yourself and present yourself as an expert because you most likely will know more about Coaching than your clients.

Now, in regards to how much to charge, even when first starting out you can charge more than just $50 or $75, you should base it on your demographics and your target market.

Mistake #6: Don't choose a Specific Niche

Many Coaches don't choose a specific niche, they want to help anyone and everyone, the only problem with being too broad is that it makes it harder to find clients. Any marketing strategies would be like throwing mud against the wall, some sticks but most of it falls down. It's the same with marketing to everyone; it would not be very effective. Instead, choose a specific niche and become an expert in that niche, for example, a life coach that specializes in goal setting or finding your dream and passion; another example would be a relationship Coach that focuses on helping divorcees find their way after divorce. By choosing a niche you can target your marketing towards your target market, in this case, it would be individuals who are going through a divorce or individuals who want to find their true passion. Choosing a niche will make your marketing efforts much more effective.

Mistake #7: Don't treat their business as a business

When starting your Coaching business you must treat your business as a business where you focus on growing your business and generating revenue. If you don't earn any revenue, if you don't have anyone to Coach, you don't have a business, you have a hobby. Being in business means you have to commit to it and do the things you know you need to do on a daily basis. Being an entrepreneur is a lifestyle, you live it each and every day. Sometimes that also means not going out with friends instead of working on your business. Only when you treat your business as a business will you be able to grow it into a successful business. This applies especially if you still work a full-time job; you have to invest the necessary time into growing your business, into marketing and networking.

Mistake #8: Thinking clients will come to them

Just because you open your doors and start offering your Coaching services does not mean clients will be flying in through the door! Unfortunately, it is not that easy. You have to go out and find your clients, you have to build awareness and let people know you are in business. As a Coach you should focus on things that get the word out, you can do webinars, go to trade shows and expos, do seminars and workshops, anything that will get you out there and in front of your target market. Too many Coaches sit at home or in their office waiting for clients to knock on their door which only causes them to lose out on clients and eventually they get frustrated because they have a hard time getting clients. The key is to go out and network, network, and network some more.

Mistake #9: Trying to do everything

Being in business means you have to do everything that is involved with running a business, from doing your accounting, your marketing, creating products, making calls, setting appointments, sending out emails, to conducting your Coaching sessions. All these things are important and a necessary part of running your business. However, sometimes you might feel overwhelmed and that the day doesn't have enough hours to get everything done. One thing you can do is hire a Virtual Assistant or outsource some of the things that take up most of your time. For example, your accounting or building your website, things like that you can outsource. Even if you are just starting out and you don't have the cash flow yet, try to delegate as many things to free up your time where you can focus on getting clients or creating products. Delegating is a very important part of being in business, you simply can't do everything by yourself or you will eventually burn out. And how can you help others when you are so exhausted that you don't even want to get on the phone or talk to your clients?

Mistake #10: Don't focus on building their list - getting leads

One of the first things to focus on is building your list. You need to have people that you can contact about your services and building your list of contacts and getting leads is the key. There are different ways you can build your list; you can do an opt-in form where you give away a free report for example in return for someone's contact information. You could also collect business cards at expos or networking events, plug each contact into your database and start marketing to them. Start working on building your list early on and make it a priority. You should have an abundance of leads that you can market to and reach out to. So start building your list!

Mistake #11: Being a perfectionist

Being a perfectionist is one big challenge many Coaches face because they try to get their website, blog, Coaching packages, or products perfect before they get it out. The problem is, you will never get it perfect, you will always find something that you don't like and spend days, even months trying to get it perfect. Instead, focus on completion rather than perfection. Once you release a course, a product, or launch your website, you can always make changes to it as you go.

Does any of these mistakes sound familiar? I know I used to make these exact same mistakes when I first started out and I had to learn my lesson and shift my mindset about a lot of things. If you would like help in getting your business off the ground feel free to schedule a complimentary session, complete this short questionnaire http://www.kaysanders.com/business-breakthrough-session-questionnaire/ and schedule your session today! I am looking forward to helping you get the Business Breakthrough you are looking for.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Kay_R._Sanders/2065814

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6 Ways to Work Smarter Not Harder

The phrase work smarter not harder could have a different meaning for everyone. After researching this phrase, I discovered the term originated in the 1930s by Allen F. Morgenstern. As an industrial engineer, he created a work simplification program to increase productivity using less effort.

There are differing opinions on this idea, some agree, while others don't. These opinions come from the perspective of each person. My perspective, or opinion, leans the way of an agreement in the phrase, work smarter not harder. Allow me to explain.

In the past, I wrote an article titled 'Why I Say Professional Organizers Are Lazy'. The gist of this article speaks to the term work smarter not harder. In the article, I explain why I say that. In a nutshell, professional organizers find ways to complete tasks with the least amount of effort.

Everyone has their own ways of doing things, and as I've said in the past, what works for one may not work for another. Finding ways to work smarter not harder based on your specific lifestyle requires some internal investigation.

Think about the ways that you work on projects and tasks, both professionally and personally. Then look at the list below to see if any of these ways will work for you. Including ways to work smarter not harder will allow you to get things done easily and consequently reduce your stress in the process.

Get Organized

Naturally, this way would be first on the list! When all of your things are organized, you can find what you need quickly. You don't waste time looking for required items to work on a task or project. Your spaces are clear and there is no clutter to distract you from thinking clearly.

Brain Dump

You probably have a lot of things swirling around in your head. Do a brain dump by getting them out of your head and onto a piece of paper, or if you're electronically inclined, on your computer or phone. Knowing what you need to do is the first step.

To-do List

Now that you understand what you want to get done, but those tasks are on a to-do list. You may have more than one list. I know that many will tell you not to do that but sometimes it's necessary. For example, you may have one list for work and another list for home. That's OK, it's less confusing that way. At this point, you want to prioritize the tasks on your list(s).

Processes

Using processes is a great way to work smarter not harder. I am a huge fan of using processes for repetitive tasks. Whether it's work-related or personal, everyone has repetitive tasks of some sort.

When you put a process together by listing the steps, and referring to the process each time you perform the task, it will become a routine or a habit and you get things done quicker.

But don't become complacent and stop referring to these processes, or you take the risk of forgetting a step. It may not seem like a big deal, but it may cost time and/or money, and in the professional realm may be detrimental to your career.

Eliminate Steps

This is a good way to streamline processes. As you work a process and the situation changes, tweak the process to adapt to the change. This may occur in the way of eliminating a step or steps in the process. By eliminating a step, the consequence is likely to save time. Be mindful though, not to sacrifice quality in your quest to streamline a process.

Schedule Everything

This point is probably the most effective way to work smarter not harder. When you schedule all tasks, projects, and appointments, there is no question when and what you should be doing at any given time.

Use your prioritized to-do list to schedule all tasks and appointments, either in a paper planner or an electronic device. Check your paper planner frequently, or set up audible alerts on your electronic device to stay on schedule.

Factor in additional time for travel, or unexpected things that may pop up. Downtime also needs to be factored into your busy schedule. Downtime is not wasted time, it's a time to regroup, relax and refresh to achieve an effective work smarter not harder strategy.

Sally E Morgan is the owner of SOS: Simple Organized Solutions LLC. For more information on how SOS can eliminate stress and create peace of mind in your life, go to, http://www.sossimpleorganizedsolutions.com.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Sally_E_Morgan/680809

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5 Reasons Why Hiring a Coach Is Important

We as humans are constantly evolving and trying to be our best version possible. At some point of time in life, we need to take different actions to get life-altering results. The intensity of the situation will demand formal coaching or self-coaching which will take you to your desired destination. There are two ways any individual could approach this, either by hiring an expert or doing it yourself which largely depends on how motivated and passionate you are and your attitude to the challenges that you face in your journey.

1. A Coach Keeps You Accountable

How many times have you made New Year resolutions only to realize mid-way that it was never taken seriously? As humans, we have a tendency to take self-growth and personal development for granted or for that matter get bogged down by monotony unless and until your passion drives you to insanity and motivates you to reach your peak.

A coach keeps you accountable and answerable. You start taking daily actions to achieve your goals and as a result, you are able to achieve timely goals and you have control over your life.

2. You Can Take Charge of Your Life

There are only 2 things that happen to an individual. Either you take control of your life or by default, life takes a toll on you. Recall any tough situation in your life, either you gave in to the situation or you fought back. Any chronic illness, financial adversity, disheartening or weakening relationships either we hold our heads up and fight against all odds or give up if we are not strong enough. A coach will never allow you to quit on your dreams no matter how tough the situation would be. A coach helps you to plan, strategize, execute and monitor your daily, weekly and monthly progress. So the results are tangible which helps you to stay motivated to achieve goals in any walk of life be it your career or finances.

3. Acts as a Catalyst in Your Growth

A coach is selfless and non-judgmental. He is genuinely interested in your personal growth and development. That is his nature of services offered or for that matter that is his job, his bread and butter. He at no time will put you or his consulting business in jeopardy as his practice will only grow if he satisfies you to the best of his ability. It is his duty to show you the mirror and thereby design a foolproof strategy that can make you vigilant, active, and most importantly put you to action.
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4. Helps You to Accelerate Your Progress

How many times do you know what you want but don't know where to start? How to kick-start your journey? And you keep circling in this vicious cycle of thoughts only to realize that you just ended up wasting a lot of time in only thinking but resulted in zero percent execution.

If you want to fast-track any area of your life the best way is to hire a coach. It could be a business coach, a life coach, or for that matter your fitness coach. A coach helps you to cut off the crap and work on what is needed. They address your specific concerns. It is all about experiential learning that will help you to progress and eliminate all the 'ifs' and 'buts' from your life. Most importantly there is absolutely no time spent on trial and error as the coach knows what is right for you and will put you on track right from day one. A lot of time is otherwise spent on trying out different options which many a time leads to disharmony and ends up in losing focus on your final destination.

5. Motivates You During an Emotional Meltdown

This is not right for me. I am not good at this. This is not my cup of tea. I think I should quit.

You feel low, disheartened, exhausted, and irritable and decision-making becomes difficult.

As individuals we all go through rough patches in our lives, we all have our share of ups and downs. But what matters most is your attitude to the adversities that you are facing, how are you dealing with it? A coach helps you to overcome any negative thoughts that you experience and stands by you and makes sure that you stay rock solid no matter how difficult the situation could be. He acts like your support system to keep you intact mentally and emotionally.

Do it Yourself is too a great option if you are self-motivated, enjoy doing things at your own pace, and are not willing to invest in a trainer. But time is the watchword here, are you achieving your goals on time? Are you consistent and persistent? That is what sets you apart and makes you remarkable. Most importantly do you know where you need to start from? Many individuals know what they want but do not have clarity on the route to their destination.

Do you know what are the action steps to be taken on a daily basis to reach your goals? If yes, you could go ahead with doing it yourself vs. hiring a coach.

I hope this blog will help you to decide what the best option for you is.

Stay tuned for my next blog on how to be self-motivated all the time. And if you have any questions please visit Personality Development Classes

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Sandhya_Bajaj/2564282

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The skills of leading your team can often be neglected, especially as an entrepreneur running smaller businesses. Not knowing how your team's skills are essential to your success, or how large the area is that it occupies, gives you a lack of awareness of how it affects your results. Entrepreneurs sometimes think that leading their team is essential only when they have a big group of employees. It could not be further from reality. It is also the reason why smaller entrepreneurs are not focusing on getting a new skill. It is just not as important to them.

Leading your team is essential in various areas of activity, not only within your team. Have you ever asked yourself how big your group is? And that also goes for small entrepreneurs with 1 or 2 people in the company. Looking at it more broadly, you will be amazed at how many people you operate with every day or month. The fact is that the size of your team is not just the number of your close co-workers; it is also several people you work with inside and outside of your company. For example, every subcontractor, supplier, accountant, web designer, and anyone else you outsource other tasks to, is your team that you need to work with successfully to have good results.

Having the same constant troubles with your different suppliers, for example, can indicate poor leadership from your side. Having these problems and not recognizing and dealing with them, will only make you repeatedly change your suppliers and have the same issues.

Looking back, my biggest mistake with leadership was that I didn't take enough time to do so. So many times, I was so busy with the work that I neglected leading my team. The irony was that I was working even more than I was when I didn’t have help from my employee. The problem was that the task delegation was not timely, and my expectations were not communicated enough. The result was that I was working at 130%, and one employee was working at 50% while the other was working at 90%.

As you can see, just to get things done, my workload was enormous.  When looking at it more mathematically, you would soon notice how critical leading skills would come in handy. For example, if we add up the numbers of the three mentioned employees, we get 270% efficiency. Being a better leader, I could raise the efficiency of my employees to 90%, and lower mine to 90%. Working at the same pace, you can see that we would have the same outcome as before, where I, as the owner, would be working at 130% and heading for burnout.

It is just one example of managing your team skills, so be sure you gain basic leadership skills. You, as an entrepreneur, should have the ability to step back and look at your company, to see it growing according to your vision, and not just be in the process all the time.  Impress your inside and outside teams with your ideas, because vision inspires people and inspires your team.