Have you ever pushed an important task to the back burner to accomplish something more pleasurable? Then you, my friend have procrastinated. But why do we do this? Is there a reason? Waiting to the last minute to complete work or important priorities seems so silly.

Procrastination has something to do with how our daily activities and responsibilities may overwhelm us. Here are some tips and advice to try to beat procrastinating.

1. Are you afraid to start a task that seems difficult? Maybe you are afraid you will fail at it, or ultimately fear not being able to complete it in time, especially if it is something you are unsure of to begin with. Stare the task down and move forward with it.

2. When something seems too complex, chances are you will want to avoid it at all costs. Take a breath and remember to never judge a book by its cover.

3. Lack of motivation or laziness. Everyone has their moments and guess what? If we didn’t we wouldn’t be human! Thinking of the consequences for not completing what you need to do on time could help with this. You could even think about how rewarding it will feel once everything is complete to get motivated again.

4. Starting point. Where do you start? Sometimes the hardest part starting is figuring out where to actually start. If this is an issue, try looking at the end and meeting in the middle.

Is procrastination a habit that is easy to break?

Some habits are very difficult to overcome, but nothing is impossible. Learn how to nip the task in the bud then reward yourself for completing it. Stay focused. Break the project up into a few separate pieces. Having a few quick and easy things to do beats looking at a huge project has a whole.

When you recognize that you are a procrastinator, you will be more in tune to stay focused instead of pushing important things off to begin with.

Management is something many people strive for in their careers. There are many different styles of management, but is being the “boss” sometimes different then leading your team? Every leader can be a boss, but every boss cannot be a leader. Even though the terms have two totally different meanings, it is possible to be in a managerial position and uphold all of the qualities to become great, here are some tips and tricks to help to you:

1. Listen and learn to do it openly. Listen to your employee’s questions and concerns. While being in a management position means you are one of the head honchos, sometimes YOUR employees see more from being on the inside or working directly with customers then you may.

2. Respect and value your staff. Get to know each one of your staff members on a first name basis and even a little about them. They are not only assets to your business, they are people too, be personable, it will make your staff happier.

3. Give feedback. Giving feedback to staff and just flat out communication is a must. It lets people know where their strengths are, and how to fix their weaknesses. A once in a while, “hey team you did awesome this week!” isn’t going to hurt anyone!

4. Make sure your staff is well trained and everyone understands their responsibilities.

5. Support! Support your staff and make resources available for support so there is never any confusion.

6. Be a role model and a mentor. This is the part where the difference between “boss and leader” comes in. You can be there for your staff and help them be the best they can be, while still holding your managerial position. There’s a difference between mentoring and helping rather than just saying “you’re not doing it correctly”.

7. Establish equal relationships with your team. So very often favorites are chosen, and this very well may lead to stress and tension, which is not good for business.

Don’t let power get to your head and become the bad guy. You do not have to become “best friends” with your staff- but saying thank you from time to time goes a really long way. Many times, employees do not feel appreciated enough in the work place. For example, if you have ever watched the show on CBS, Undercover Boss? Senior executives in companies go undercover in their own companies to see how things are run, what they can be improved and to reward hard-working employees that go unnoticed.

So motivate and help your employees learn now! Don’t be afraid to train, and set goals for your team. Under-promise and over-deliver, and never take credit for your employee’s achievements. Communication is key.

Have you ever said out loud or thought, “I wish there were more hours in a day?” If you have—you are NOT alone, but you are missing something.

Everyone gets the same amount of time in a day. It does not change. There are 24 hours, 7 days a week, 12 months a year. What does change and what is different between each person is the attention you give to each task or certain areas of your life during that time.

What do you focus on? What are your main priorities?

In order to develop time management skills, we need to take the steps to make sure we are using our time efficiently.

1. Set realistic and achievable goals. Starting a business and within a year planning to be a billionaire and grow your business by 100, is not realistic.

2. Organize everything you need ahead of time so when it comes time to do certain projects and tasks, the material is ready for your use.

3. Lay everything out on the table. Go through each goal or task, and figure out an estimate as to how long each item may take. Also, go through the list again and figure out your priorities- there’s a difference between urgent and important.

4. Use your resources. There are SO many awesome resources that can be used to manage your time effectively. Take notes, schedule your day on a calendar or in a planner. You can even use time software to manage the time you are spending on projects.

5. Steer clear of interruptions. Let’s face it- the world doesn’t revolve around each individual person. So take the little extra few minutes while planning to think of a calm, quiet environment you can work in.

6. Learn to say NO. Stay on track with your goals by not taking on anything extra that isn’t a real priority.

Everyone is different; everyday jobs and life is also different for everyone. There are many strategies out there and as long as you sit down and take some of this advice and PLAN, you will be able to see exactly which techniques are a best fit for you.

If you want to get the best results possible, then you need to learn how to manage your time effectively. When you learn how to do this you will see that you will be able to complete more work, in less time. In return, you will then be able to reach some of your set goals faster!

In my last post, I explained the different mindsets a business owner needs and the systems that need to be in place to achieve the most from your business.  Now I will discuss solutions to help those business owners who are frustrated and about to give up on their business, or want to sell it because it’s been more of a headache and heartache, then they expected.

There are three levels to make your business work smoothly.  They are outlined below and discussed more in depth. Continue reading

Many business owners have pursued their dreams by quitting their job in hopes of having freedom to spend time with family, have more time to do the things they want, and make lots of money.  The problem is that most business owners don’t achieve these outcomes.  They ultimately end up losing their freedom because they work longer hours, which leaves no time for family or fun.

When you start your own business and start working for yourself, you need to think with a different mind, rather than think with the mind you had while working for someone else.  You can’t run your business with the mindset of a technician or operative.  Your business will need three different mindsets.  You will need to decondition yourself so you can think about the big picture, including what the start of your business does, how to do it, and how to do it well, as well as what it’s going to look like when it’s done.  Deconditioning can happen quickly or take a while, based on what the business owner does to achieve this.  You will see results of this change within three months and once you make this change, you can’t go back to the old way of thinking. Continue reading