Debra Kasowski

EPISODE 134 – Scheduling Your Priorities

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“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” – Stephen Covey

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Your priorities are determined by what’s most important to you. People often have a long list of things to do but they do not always stop and prioritize what they need to get done. Why are you doing what you are doing? Is what you are doing getting yourself closer to achieving your goals? If not, you will want to start thinking about why you are doing what you are doing and looking at the list and determining what your priorities are. Many people are reacting to life as it comes. Sometimes dodging hazards and getting overwhelmed by all there is to do. Is that you?

Start by taking a BIG breath. Let’s disrupt any negative thinking and get you back on course. When people get caught up in negative thinking it is hard for them to think beyond tomorrow let alone the next 7 days.

Stop reacting and organizing chaos. Envision what you want the end result to look like. See it. Describe it. Make a list of all the things you need to get done. Get it out of your head and onto paper. Group the list based on what NEEDS to get DONE within the next 24-48 hours, 7 days, 2 weeks, 30 days, 60 days, and 90 days. Is there anything on the list you can delegate? You become responsive when you begin with managing yourself and what you need.

Focus on intentional planning. Now focus on the planning for the next 24-48 hours and block time in your calendar to tend to that. You can then look at the next 7 days. Again, you will block things into your calendar! And so on. When you start being intentional with what you need to get done, you will become more productive and your performance will soar.

Success comes from when preparation and planning meet opportunity. Preparation is key in executing the plan. What do you need to prepare for your plans to come together? Is there anyone you need to contact? What resources will you need? How much time do you need to allocate to prepare, plan, implement, and re-evaluate or course correct?

Hold yourself accountable. At the end of each day, review what got done and what did not get done. Don’t beat yourself up. Were you specific about what needed to get done? Were you realistic with the time frame and resources? Do you need to ask for help or carry something over to tomorrow?

Remind yourself what will happen if you don’t get it done. In most cases, no one will not die or go to jail. There may be a delay in getting the results you want. What is your worst-case scenario? What are the consequences of not achieving what you want to get done? Imagine that you did not take out the trash. Things would get piled up and start stinking! What would your pile of things you need to accomplish look like? Would it cause a sour picture?

You are in charge of your results!!! Why are your results important to you? What are you going to do about them? Set your priorities and stick to them. You will have far fewer things to dodge in the process because you are planning with intention.

“Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent and not enough time on what is important.”― Stephen R. Covey

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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 95 – Expect Success

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“You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win.” – Zig Ziglar

Do you fret and worry about the possibility of failing? Do you know you increase the odds of failure based on what you focus on? Your mindset is the game changer of your success. If you are focused on failing, you may see procrastination, apathy, and indecisiveness. With a lack of effort or no effort, you will meet expectations of failing. Now, if you believe in yourself and that you will succeed, you will plan, prepare, and put the effort required to achieve success. Chances are you will meet or exceed your expectations. To succeed, you need to anticipate success!

Set Clear Expectations. Setting yourself up for success involves being clear about your expectations and sharing them with others if you are working with a team or other individuals. When people see that you are anticipating success, they will share in the energy, enthusiasm, and vision. What do you think people thought when JFK made his speech to Congress May 25, 1961, and said, “I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning safely to Earth?” Some people may have reacted stating that’s impossible. Others were already thinking, “That’s exciting, they started asking questions and gathering information. What knowledge, skills, and abilities do we need? I want you to pay attention to JFK’s statement. It was specific – what did he want to see happen – land a man on the moon. What did he expect? They would be able to land a man on the moon AND return him home safely. He did not stop at getting to the moon but returning them back and 1969 his vision became a reality. Neil Armstrong was the first man to land on the moon. It is unfortunate JFK was not able to see it come to pass.

You can set yourself up to expect success too. It all starts with your belief in yourself, your ability, and the people around you. What you believe must align with what you expect. What do you expect to achieve?

Ensure your goals are SMART. Specific. Measurable. Achievable. Realistic. Timely. You may want to shortcut or keep it extra brief. You cannot do that. You need to ensure you are very clear on each of the 5 parts of the SMART goal. You need to write your goals down. If you are keeping them in your head, you will learn very quickly, out of sight, out of mind. Keep your goals front and center. Often where people fall short is in that they have no way to measure what they are attempting to achieve so they do not know when they have achieved it or not. Sometimes people set goals that are not achievable or realistic. It may be because they did not set aside an appropriate amount to time or resources to achieve the goal for the timeframe they were aiming for.

Do you anticipate success for the following statement?

I will lose 20 lbs in 3 days.

Let’s breakdown the goal – specific yes, measurable – yes, achievable – no, realistic – no, timely – yes. Something drastic would need to occur for that to happen.

Now let’s fix it up!

I will lose 20 lbs in the next 125 days.

Specific – Yes, Measurable – Yes, Achievable – Yes, Realistic – Yes, Timely – Yes!

Here are a few more achievable and realistic actionable goals:

I will send out 35 marketing letters every week for the next 3 months.

I will create 1-2 Facebook Live Videos every week.

I will call 1-3 of my clients per day every week.

I will set a date night with each member of my family once a month.

I will measure my social media stats for Facebook and Instagram every Friday.

I will intend to meet 1-3 new contacts at each networking event I go to this week.

Hold Yourself Accountable. Not only are you setting clear expectations and SMART goals, you need to be checking in with yourself to ensure you are on track. Did you mail out the 35 marketing letters this week? Did you create 1-2 Facebook Live Videos? Did you call 1-3 of your clients each day? You have the picture! Are you doing what you know needs to be done or are you falling into old patterns of behaviour? Did you skip a couple weeks and then blast out 70 marketing letters? Did you create one Facebook Video one week and then another 6 weeks later? What traction are you getting? Consistent actions will get you further ahead than random ones! OWN it! Make things happen.

Shine the Spotlight on What is Working. Know what is working well, what is not working well, and what you need to ask for help with or delegate. Your mindset needs to focus on what is going right and ask the questions around why some actions may not be right.

Anticipate Roadblock and Obstacles. Just because someone if optimistic about an outcome does not me hey are oblivious to roadblocks or obstacles. As a matter of fact, we anticipate them. Once you identify and acknowledge what potential roadblocks and obstacles are, you can learn about how to face them, navigate around the, or avoid them altogether if possible.

“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

You may be saying to yourself, “These expectations seem high. I do not know if I can achieve them.” Studies have shown that people who set high expectations for themselves and others have obtained higher achievements. There is always an increase in motivation to rise to the challenge. Whereas, other said it increased their stress and led to disappointment. Here is my challenge for you. All effort moves the needle. No effort means no action and no traction. Raise your expectations and efforts by at least 1% and expect to achieve higher results. Anticipate success!! Get clear, decide, plan, and execute!

We would love to have you subscribed 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

Why Aren’t There More Goal Diggers in the World?

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“You were born to win, but to be a winner you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win.” ― Zig Ziglar

Everyone has a goal or dream. The goal is something that you want to accomplish or do, become, or have. The goal is an intention. Intentions are wonderful but without a plan of action they’re meaningless. We often hear people talk about some of their goals and dreams or organizational strategies however not everyone takes the time to plan and prepare to execute and make things happen.

Excuses, objections, and reasons for not pursuing goals are numerous.

Time Some people will tell you that they don’t have enough time. We all have the same 24 hours in a day it is how we allocate that time. I remember when I decided to go after my graduate certificate in executive coaching that I questioned the amount of time I had available. I knew I needed to block off every Wednesday from 5-7 p.m. that time was dedicated to online classroom and working with my team. I realized that what I had to drop off my children to their activities an hour before it the start time that I had time to sit and do my readings or go to the gym instead of visiting and sometimes getting drawn into gossip. It ended up that it was better that I walked away from those conversations and focused on what I was doing. At the end of the program, I realized that I had this extra time on my hands which I thought I didn’t have before. When you block or allot time to something and maintain that commitment you can get things done and your results will be because of the compound effect of your efforts.

Money   When discussing goals you will often hear people talk about how they don’t have enough money to invest in themselves. What I have observed is they have money for the daily cup of coffee or tea, lunches, the latest outfits, or vacation. Pay attention to what you spend on groceries and the gas your spending when you’re running errands. There may be ways where you can organize your lists and your errands so that there are ways to save you money. When you have a goal in mind sometimes you need to sacrifice what you want but you’re not willing to do so. Part of this resistance is that it requires you to change the way you do things. Many of the things that you currently do are due to habit. When you start becoming aware of where your money is coming and going, you start to recognize ways in which you can improve your situation and start putting money aside to goals.

Smarts and Resources There’ll also be those people who tell you that they don’t believe they’re smart enough or don’t have the resources available to go after their goal. It may be that someone has told him that the goal that they have is not reasonable. I believe if you know you need to do something with your whole heart that you will find a way to achieve it. The most successful people in the world don’t know everything but they know where to find the answers that is what makes them truly successful. They’re not afraid to ask for what they need or for help when necessary. That is where true smarts come from.

Where I see a lack is that people are not clear on what it is they want to do. They lack intention. Without intention, you can’t make a plan and prepare to take action. People are overwhelmed by the variety of choices that they don’t always stop and take inventory or truly assess where they are at in their lives. This is often referred to as the midlife crisis and it can occur at any time. For some people, they suddenly evaluate their life and realize that they’re not doing the things that they thought that they would be doing. They ask themselves, “Is this what I want?”

I want to encourage you to be a gold digger. Someone goes after what they say they want. When is the right time you ask? The right time is now. Don’t wait for someone to fulfill one of your dreams or goals. What you want is in your hands.

Goal diggers set goals. They think about what outcome or desired result that they want to achieve. They use this as a target. This part it helps improve their focus and provide direction. When they focus on this target they are better able to make decisions and take actions to move toward what they wish to achieve. When people set goals they actually deepen their commitment to what they say they want to do. I actually writing down your goals and breaking it down into smaller pieces and tracking the progress of your goal you will start seeing evidence of getting closer to your target and this will create a momentum and motivate you to work toward what you said you wanted to achieve. Goal diggers will sometimes declare their goal on social media or they’ll hire a coach or find an accountability partner. When you have someone to be accountable to, you are more likely to push yourself and achieve more. By tracking and checking your progress and paying attention to numbers you become more informed and make better decisions.

The reason why there are not more goal diggers in the world is because many are afraid to fail and some may not want to put in the effort. It is not just the destination is the journey that you take to get there that will be the most meaningful and fulfilling. Imagine how satisfying it will be when you reach your goals. If you’re not going to do it now, when will you do it? There is never a right time other than the present moment. Seize your goal digging opportunity.

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. Debra is the host of The Millionaire Woman Show podcast focusing on leadership, business, and human potential. 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

 

Stop Goal Fretting and Get into Goal Setting

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“Learn from the past, set vivid, detailed goals for the future, and live in the moment of time over which you have control: now.” – Denis Waitley

 

Do you go into a panic frenzy of goal fretting when asked to set goals.? Do you catch yourself starting to list all the reasons you should not set goals maybe you have hear of some of these excuses:

  • Why should I set goals? I will not reach them.
  • I set goals last year. Nothing happened. (Did you take any action? No. Well then…)ID-10096420
  • I just get frustrated, anxious, and sweaty just thinking about them.
  • No one can tell me if I am on the right track or not.
  • My goals are dreams – lists of the best case scenario should they come to be.
  • I do not feel I need to sacrifice anything to reach my goals.
  • I have too many goals to list.

Do you see the trend? Have you caught anyone saying these things? How successful are you right now or the people who say these statements?

Are they where you want to be?

Reasons while you may fail at reaching your goals:

  • Lack belief in yourself, otherwise known as, self-doubt
  • You do not have an actionable plan or strategy to make it happen.
  • No deadline.
  • Do not want to step over your defined comfort zone.
  • Goal set is not realistic or not achievable.
  • Too many goals set and you feel overwhelm.
  • You do ask for help or share your goals. How can anyone help you if you do not let them know how to help or what your goals even are?
  • No way to measure whether or not you have met your goals.
  • You do not have an emotional connection or investment into your goals. Either they are not that important or you are living out someone else’s dream. Be careful mediocrity and apathy could set in.

where is my life goingRemember new beginnings can start anytime you decide to make a fresh start – not just at the end of the year with New Year’s Resolutions. Most of these resolutions are doomed to fail by January 15th for many of the above reasons.

Do not be a statistic.

I want you to succeed.

 

Here are actionable steps you can start taking to stop goal fretting and start goal setting:

  • Set goals that challenge and motivate you. Step out of the comfort zone even if it is a little bit. Try something new.
  • Ensure your goal is important to you and you have an emotional vested interest. (WHY is it important? WHY NOW?)
  • Write down 2-3 goals you would like to achieve in the next 3 months. Set 1-2 big goals you would like to achieve during the next year.
  • Ensure your goals are realistic and achievable both in skills, knowledge, and resources available to you.
  • Share your goals with someone you trust. Let them hold you accountable if they see you getting off track.
  • Determine a way that you can measure your outcome or results so that you know you have achieved your goal.
  • Breakdown your goals into smaller action steps. The more detailed and clear you are about where you want to go, the more likely you will achieve it.
  • Learn from the past, prepare for the future, but celebrate today!

I would love to hear about some of the goals you have set for yourself. What are your goals? Do you have a dream?

Feel free to join me on December 18th, 2013 at 11 am MST for the Goal Setting & Motivation Teleseminar . Take a Quantum Leap into 2014!

What Happens When You Stop Taking Action?

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Taking action is the golden key that opens the door to opportunity. When you do not take action, your business begins to suffer. Images that come to mind are: stale bread, a statue, or something sinking into quick sand. I am sure that is not what you want to happen to you. A business that is thriving and surviving the roller coaster rides of life is in constant motiont. Why? You need to build on momentum to keep your business moving in the direction you want.

What would happen if you stopped:

  • updating your website?
  • using social media?
  • your business for 5 years and tried to come back to it?
  • networking?
  • follow up with new prospects?
  • appreciating your current customers?
  • selling your products or services?

Not much. You’re right – not much at all because you would not have a business – it would not last!

You need to set goals and breakdown each goal into smaller steps that you need to take each day. Maybe one day  you can only fit in two follow up  phone calls with potential clients and the next day you can only write 3 blog posts and attend a networking event.  That’s okay! Do not be so hard on yourself. You are taking intentional steps toward your goals. Some people do not even do that.

What matters is that you are focusing your energy where the revenue generates and your list builds. You can only do that by serving your customers in the best possible way by providing value. What is in it for them? They want to know. Take action and let them know why what you do is so important and watch the results!

Consistent efforts will get you where you want to go much faster than stopping all together.

Keep moving in your business! Make things happen!