Debra Kasowski

EPISODE 150 – Progress Over Perfection

by Leave a Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8-mzWZpdyg[/embedyt]
“Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.”    

– Vince Lombardi

I was watching a video in my email from Matthew Kelly about Power of Progress and how we need to see ourselves as works in progress. It fascinates me that when we decidie to take on something that is new to us that we can easily start putting pressure on ourselves to be perfect OR as good as someone who has been working on it for years. Mastery comes from building habits that support our growth. It comes from doing repetitive actions and honing our skills and talents.

Too many people focus on wanting things “just perfect” or done the “right way” they hold back in taking action without ever thinking the right way was how they do things. Let’s think about this…

If you are not impacting someone’s life or that there is a chance you could go to jail, I would say it is pretty safe to take action. For many people taking action equals risk. Without action, you do not make progress. There are ways to minimize risks. Perform your due diligence by doing research and asking questions you have unanswered. This way you are not stuck on waiting for the “HOW” to get things done. Some people feel if they do not have the full instructions on how to get started- they don’t start at all.

Start with the first step…

Focus on the progress you have made thus far. Each step gets you closer than before. You can continue to focus on the details but don’t get caught up in them. When you focus too closely on the details, you fail to see the big picture of how far you have come!

I love how Amy Cuddy refers to “Fake it until you become it.” She had suffered a head injury and told she would have to change direction with her career. The naysayers came out of the woodwork. She stayed focused and put in the hard work and did not give up! Even when you are nervous, keep practicing and putting yourself out there until you become what you want to be.

The awkwardness you feel is not that you are an imposter…

The awkwardness you feel is because you are stepping out of your comfort zone and growing…

Instead of focusing on HOW I do this when I don’t know how…you should be focusing on –

“What do I need to do to become ___________________?  (you fill in the blank with what you want to be)

What are the skills and abilities I need to possess to BE that person?

What do I need to DO to show up at that caliber?

What do I need to HAVE in place in order to do what I want to DO?

No one is asking you to be perfect. Embrace your uniqueness. Everything is perfect as it is right now for you to learn what you need to learn and be who you need to be.

You may be saying, but Debra, “Does focusing on progress versus perfection lower your standards?”

My answer is simple…NO!!!

Your expectations and standards are not lowered.

Focusing on your progress helps you:

  • Celebrate your successes and wins
  • Build momentum to your next step
  • Envision the possibilities
  • Seize opportunities that can advance you toward your goal

Personally, I have been known to have high standards and high expectations. I set them for myself for the goals I want to achieve. I want other people to set their own.

Daily self-reflection provides you with many lessons to learn and grow from as you take each step. Questions for journaling or quiet reflection, although journaling is the best way to flush out your thoughts and ideas, include:

What did I do that went well today? Why?

What will I continue doing?

What is something that did not go as well as I would have like?

How would I have liked that situation or circumstance to go?

What could I do differently in the future?

What habit do I need to start, stop, or continue?

I want you to remember this, “the work in progress is often just as beautiful” – Unknown.

Progress starts with paying attention and focusing on your priorities. It was John Wooden who said, “Don’t mistake activity with achievement.” Progress does not mean you “busy” yourself with tasks and activities. Progress means you are taking intentional actions to get toward your end goal. Perfection is often tied to procrastination. People procrastinate because they want everything to be perfect before they act. They sabotage their opportunity to advance. Notice that no one fears perfection but they fear failure. If you do not have the fear of being perfect you have nothing to lose, and everything to gain because you are farther ahead than if you did nothing.

Stop hiding in the shadows of others…

Start putting yourself out there and BECOME who you want to BE by being perfect just the way you are!

What step are you willing to take to get closer to your goals?

We would love to have you subscribe to the Success Secrets newsletter on my website at www.debrakasowski.com where you’re going to get my just release FREE e-book about the 21 Habits High Achievers Kick to Achieve Success. I would love to hear about this podcast has impacted your life. E-mail me at Debra@DebraKasowski.com. Thank you for listening to The Millionaire Woman Show where we talk about leadership, business, and human potential to help you live rich from the inside out. Subscribe to The Millionaire Woman Show. Share it with Your Friends. Give us a 5-star rating!

DEBRA KASOWSKI, BScN CEC is an award-winning best-selling author, transformational speaker, blogger, and Certified Executive Coach. She has a heart of a teacher and is certified in Appreciative Inquiry and Emotional Intelligence. Her writing has been published in a variety of print and online magazines. Debra Kasowski International helps executives, entrepreneurs, and organizations boost their productivity, performance, and profits. It all starts with people and passion. Sign up the Success Secrets Newsletter and get your free e-book download today! www.debrakasowski.com

EPISODE 149 – Raise Your Expectations

by Leave a Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQf7YlvHCXo[/embedyt]

“Don’t lower your expectations to meet your performance. Raise your level of performance to meet your expectations. Expect the best of yourself, and then do what is necessary to make it a reality.”
– Ralph Marston

Has anyone ever told you that your standards are too high? You expect too much? I have… what I find is that too many people are lowering their expectations so they don’t disappoint themselves. Guess what? They will be disappointed because they will realize they could have achieved more. Don’t lower your expectations; increase your performance by increasing the actions you need to reach your goals.

You get what you expect of yourself. Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t – you’re right.”  What you believe is possible for yourself is the effort you will put in. It all starts in the mind. If you believe you can do something and your surround yourself with people who encourage and support you, you are already part way there.

Ralph Lauren said, “A leader has the vision and conviction that a dream can be achieved. He inspires the power and energy to get it done.” You are the leader in your life, your business, and in your organization. When you raise your expectations, increase your performance, so too, do the people around you. They start wanting the results you are reaping. If you don’t increase your performance to meet your expectations, your dream or goal will fade. It will not become a reality. If you no longer have an emotional connection to the goal that motivates and inspires you, it is alright to change things up but it is not okay to settle or resign yourself to your current circumstance if you have the ability to do something about it.

If you want results, you need to take action. Start paying attention to what is influencing the way you think because what you expect you get. Are you letting the seeds of naysayers take root in your mind or do you push what they say aside and say, “Thanks, but no thanks”? You need to shield and focus your thoughts on what you want to achieve. You are the best predictor of your future. What do you believe is possible?

“No matter how dark things seem to be or actually are, raise your sights and see the possibilities – always see them, for they’re always there.” – Norman Vincent Peale

The possibilities are always there! One of the best questions to ask yourself is,

“What will it take for me to achieve _____________?”

When you maintain a positive attitude and stay open to ideas, strategies, and suggestions, you will figure out the “how”. Too many people stop taking action because they don’t start with the “how”. John F. Kennedy did not know how to put a man on the moon when he made his declaration. Suddenly, the declaration made teams of people start thinking about what is required to achieve such a goal. Martin Luther King Jr. made a declaration in his speech, “I Had a Dream” for all men (and women) to be equal. Imagine if he did not start taking action on his dream. These leaders started with a possibility and worked toward seeing it through.

What is your possibility? What do you expect?

Are you willing to see it through?

We would love to have you subscribe to the Success Secrets newsletter on my website at www.debrakasowski.com where you’re going to get my just release FREE e-book about the 21 Habits High Achievers Kick to Achieve Success. I would love to hear about this podcast has impacted your life. E-mail me at Debra@DebraKasowski.com. Thank you for listening to The Millionaire Woman Show where we talk about leadership, business, and human potential to help you live rich from the inside out. Subscribe to The Millionaire Woman Show. Share it with Your Friends. Give us a 5-star rating!

DEBRA KASOWSKI, BScN CEC is an award-winning best-selling author, transformational speaker, blogger, and Certified Executive Coach. She has a heart of a teacher and is certified in Appreciative Inquiry and Emotional Intelligence. Her writing has been published in a variety of print and online magazines. Debra Kasowski International helps executives, entrepreneurs, and organizations boost their productivity, performance, and profits. It all starts with people and passion. Sign up the Success Secrets Newsletter and get your free e-book download today! www.debrakasowski.com

EPISODE 148 – Scarcity Creates Abundance

by Leave a Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dV7DxlBYv8[/embedyt]

There are some business owners who are wondering why they can’t fill their pipeline and then there are others who are working long hours just to keep up with their client demands.  Business runs on supply and demand. When you are providing a service in which you are the one delivering it, it can be taxing. If you are not careful, it can lead to burnout if you are not careful. You only have so many hours in a day. You can not make time. Time is more of a commodity than money. You need to take care of yourself in order to spend time with family and friends and enjoy what matters most!

Start by reflecting on your beliefs about money.

Do you believe you must work hard to make money? If you have the belief you must work hard and have some stress in your life to achieve success, you will burn out sooner than later.

Time to think smarter!

You can raise your prices and decrease your availability. When was the last time you raised your prices? What would it feel like to have more time off? Do you realize it is possible to work less and bring in the same amount of money? You do not have to negotiate your value!

You may be saying to yourself, “Oh no! I am going to lose clients.” With a price increase, you may lose a few clients. Chances are they were not your ideal client. Then there will be other clients who will understand and stay with you due to loyalty. By decreasing your availability to your clients, you can carve out some time to pursue your interests and create a greater sense of balance or harmony in your life. Go to the gym. Take the painting or photography class. Go on vacation. To the outside world, when you have limited availability, the prospects perceive the scarcity as someone who is high demand and high value. They do not think about the investment as much as the opportunity to work with you. This perception can drive more clients to you which creates abundance.

The world is abundant. 7 Billion people. You cannot serve them all. There is enough opportunity for everyone. There is only one YOU! The ONE thing you must ensure is that you continue to provide HIGH value. You will because you have time to focus on the clients you currently have and welcome new clients as your time allows. You are in control.

Sometimes what happens is that people spend so much time prospecting that they do not give their current clients the time and attention they deserve. You can increase your prices, provide great value, and focus on your current clients. You can offer them additional services that they cannot get elsewhere. Those clients who want to continue – will and those who do not, open up new opportunities and space for clients who will pay your increased prices. You are the business owner in charge of your destiny. It does not mean you stop prospecting or marketing your business. What it means is that you, up-leveled the way you do business. Perceived scarcity creates abundance!

Are you ready to make more money and enjoy more time off?

We would love to have you subscribe to the Success Secrets newsletter on my website at www.debrakasowski.com where you’re going to get my just release FREE e-book about the 21 Habits High Achievers Kick to Achieve Success. I would love to hear about this podcast has impacted your life. E-mail me at Debra@DebraKasowski.com. Thank you for listening to The Millionaire Woman Show where we talk about leadership, business, and human potential to help you live rich from the inside out. Subscribe to The Millionaire Woman Show. Share it with Your Friends. Give us a 5-star rating!

DEBRA KASOWSKI, BScN CEC is an award-winning best-selling author, transformational speaker, blogger, and Certified Executive Coach. She has a heart of a teacher and is certified in Appreciative Inquiry and Emotional Intelligence. Her writing has been published in a variety of print and online magazines. Debra Kasowski International helps executives, entrepreneurs, and organizations boost their productivity, performance, and profits. It all starts with people and passion. Sign up the Success Secrets Newsletter and get your free e-book download today! www.debrakasowski.com

 

EPISODE 109 – Focus on Your Own Game

by Leave a Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJ9O-6i8u6w[/embedyt]

“Successful people maintain a positive focus in life no matter what is going on around them. They stay focused on their past successes rather than their past failures, and on the next action steps they need to take to get them closer to the fulfillment of their goals rather than all the other distractions that life presents to them.” – Jack Canfield

Happy 1st Anniversary Episode! Grateful for our listeners and listeners for tuning and sharing this podcast. You are people step into their potential into the skin they are meant to be in! 

There are many opportunities to get sidetracked off your game. Your focus can be pulled in one direction by having one of your favorite songs come on the radio, a tragic news story, an invitation to the mall, or the latest gossip around the water cooler. You get distracted by economic times and the latest announcement in the office. It can get more challenging to stay focused and motivated when you get caught up in these distractions.

Internal and external barriers can be get the way too. The internal barriers are all the negative thoughts, past hurts, bad habits, and self-limiting beliefs that sabotage your success. The external barriers can be your social media and the news, environment, economical climate (to an extent), and influences such as family, friends, colleagues. When you learn to focus on your own game, you will push through any challenge or obstacle because you are not going to let it stop you from succeeding.

Get Clear on What It Is You are Wanting to Accomplish. The more focused you are, the clearer your path will be. You will start to make decisions with ease and conviction. There is no time for distractions to get you off your game plan.

Get Your Head in the Game. Your mindset is key. Pay attention to any of the negative thoughts or self-talk you are having – put them to an immediate stop! Cancel! Cancel! Cancel! Reframe! Napoleon Hill once something like you cannot afford a negative thought. You need to speak toward your success. I remember listening to a catchy song from High School Musical that was about getting your head in the game – FOCUS!!! GET YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME! Play baroque tunes for quiet background or some upbeat music when you are decluttering. Visualize your results 2-3 times per day. Let the vision get stronger and stronger.

Eliminate Distractions and Barriers. Take time to identify what distractions and barriers that may be influencing you. Brainstorm ways to eliminate them. You may choose to declutter your office space, eat some prepared meals and wear simple outfits to eliminate time wasted on decision-making efforts. Consider using a Pomodoro method – using a timer to keep you on task with structured break times. Set boundaries of office hours to ensure you are getting work done.

Plan and Prepare for The Big Picture – The END GAME! Start with the end in mind as per the late Stephen Covey. When you can visualize or have a clear idea of your end game, you can work backward and uncover the milestones that need to be reached along the way. Break down each milestone into smaller sections. Make you goals manageable instead of being overwhelmed.

Delegate! Delegate! Delegate! Whenever possible delegate tasks and actions to people who excel in a specific area. You do not need to be spending 6 hours figuring out something that could take a person with the expertise – 20 minutes! Your time is valuable. I know in the beginning you may not be able to delegate much. Start small. By learning everything along the way, you know when things go wrong and you know what points to catch that need to be fixed.

Ask questions and gather new information. Stay up to date gathering the latest information on your subject matter.

Don’t Wait for Perfection. Perfection is an illusion. It is a form of procrastination holding you back from getting what you want. Start by taking action and adjust the course along the way. Continuously evaluate!

Keep you head in the game and don’t let what others say steer you away from your end game! What others share is based on their experience and their fears and successes.

“Stay focused and stay determined. Don’t look to anyone else to be your determination – have self-determination. It will take you very far.”
Justice Smith 

Celebrate with us!!! Share, Rate, and Review this podcast on iTunes!

Reserve Your Copy of Let’s Be Curious at www. letsbecurious.ca

We would love to have you subscribe to the Success Secrets newsletter on my website at www.debrakasowski.com where you’re going to get us free MP3 download 10 Surefire Strategies to Power Up Your Productivity and Performance. I would love to hear about this podcast has impacted your life. E-mail me at Debra@DebraKasowski.com. Thank you for listening to The Millionaire Woman Show where we talk about leadership, business, and human potential to help you live rich from the inside out. Subscribe to The Millionaire Woman Show. Share it with Your Friends. Give us a 5-star rating!

DEBRA KASOWSKI, BScN CEC is an award-winning best-selling author, transformational speaker, blogger, and Certified Executive Coach. She has a heart of a teacher and is certified in Appreciative Inquiry and Emotional Intelligence. Her writing has been published in a variety of print and online magazines. Debra Kasowski International helps executives, entrepreneurs, and organizations boost their productivity, performance, and profits. It all starts with people and passion. Sign up the Success Secrets Newsletter and get your free mp3 download today! www.debrakasowski.com

Keywords: focus, productivity, mindset, delegation, strategic planning, goal setting, motivation, personal development