"Good
habits are as addictive as bad habits, and
a lot more rewarding."
~ Harvey Mackay
Fireside Chat - a personal
note from Teresia & Sonia
Hello Sassy and Savvy
Women!
Well, do you feel like the CEO of your
business yet? Over the past few months,
we’ve been up on our tallest soapbox,
pushing you to take the reins and run your
business (and life) with deliberate actions.
We covered the four critical activities
of any successful business – administration,
preparation, money-making, and service/support
– and encouraged you to block
out time for each one.
But we know from experience that this transformation
can take some time – and that many
of you are still spinning in the frenetic
tornado of professional tasks and responsibilities.
Emails and phone calls and junk mail, oh
my! Sound familiar? If you feel yourself
blushing, don’t worry… this
month we have another tool to help you step
back, see the big picture, and assume your
rightful position as the leader of your
business.
Don't miss this month's
"Savvy
Conversation," a *fre'e* conference
call that will help you learn and utilize
the powerful tool of setting boundaries!
JOIN US and other like-minded business women
on Thursday, September 20th at 8 AM PST
to dig into the details of how to build
a thriving business with the standards and
boundaries that let you soar. Click here
for more details, and to register!
If you’re still reaching for those
reins but not quite grasping them, perhaps
you need to turn your attention to a little
planning. As Teresia loves to say, “Planning
is the habit that will keep your business
thriving!” (And she’s right.)
In this issue:
feature
article
Feature Article: Planning
for Success
If we had a hidden camera to spy on the
lives of 10 professional women, most of
them would exhaust us just by watching their
day. The thing is, women seem to get stuck
in a mode of "handling" things
- catching and dealing with whatever comes
up. The phone rings, they answer it. An
email comes in, they respond immediately.
A co-worker has a problem, they're on it.
While this may seem to be a good idea in
the moment, at the end of the day they feel
scattered and unproductive. And when this
continues over time, profits, motivation
and quality of life suffer a great deal.
When people don't see results, we tend to
lose interest. Loss of enthusiasm eventually
leads to total burnout, both personally
and professionally.
The only way out of this situation is to
make the decision to be deliberate with
your time and attention. No more reacting
to whatever comes your way! It's time to
set up your day in a way that ensures that
the most important things get done - always.
And the best way to get yourself into this
mode is to do some planning.
Michael Gerber, renowned author of The
E-Myth, talks about working ON the business,
not just IN it… and that's exactly
what we're telling you to do. Not once,
not periodically - habitually. This is a
mission-critical skill for ongoing business
success.
Over the years, we've noticed that many
professionals feel a bit of resistance to
planning. It kind of feels like you're not
getting much done. But planning in your
business is just like exercise and daily
flossing - habits that keep you healthy,
strong and capable. Yes, we can survive
without it… but sooner or later, it
all catches up to you.
The key to successful planning is to start
with the end in mind; in other words, think
in terms of results. What are your priorities?
What is profitable? What are your commitments?
What must get done? Figure out your biggest
objectives, then work backward to break
them down into manageable action steps.
You'll have the most
success if you commit to five types of planning:
- Annual planning:
Take a day or two to celebrate the past
year's successes, review the lessons, and
define your big-picture goals for the coming
year. Consider adopting a theme for the
coming year, as well as a profit goal. You
may want to include your mentors, colleagues
or mastermind group in this process - they
undoubtedly have some valuable insights,
observations and ideas to offer.
- Quarterly planning:
Break down your big-picture goals into 4
achievable parts and establish quarterly
goals that will support your annual goals.
Each quarter, revisit your goals and assess
your progress, then set or adjust your goals
for the coming quarter.
- Monthly planning:
Identify your projects and priorities for
the month, and be sure to set goals that
support your quarterly plan. Review the
past month to look for what's working well
and what isn't, and share your insights
with your team. What needs to happen in
the next month to keep you on track?
- Weekly planning:
At the end of the week or first thing Monday
morning, carve out time to review the past
week and set up the coming week. What did
you accomplish? What needs to happen in
the coming week? What are your priorities,
and most importantly, when will you make
time for them? Block in your priorities
ahead of time and they will get done.
- Daily planning:
Either at the end of the day or first thing
in the morning, set aside 10 minutes to
reflect on your day and plan for tomorrow.
What were your top 3 accomplishments? (Don't
skip this step - it keeps you motivated
and full of momentum!) Based on your progress,
decide on your top activities for the next
day. Once you build your list, prioritize.
(A = must do. B = priorities. C = needs
attention.)
There is a tremendous amount of power in
building this habit and following your plans.
Planning is the difference between management
and leadership. In management, you're busy
shuffling your to-do's in an attempt to
get everything done. Leadership is making
sure you and your team do the right things
to move the business forward and generate
a healthy profit.
Be the leader of your business - or you
will be a slave to it. It really is your
choice.
A
Sassy Breakthrough
Boundaries and Standards ~ Paula Kerr
|
Another Sassy Breakthrough!
www.lifecoachpaula.com
 After
our last Sassy Conversation, Paula Kerr
found herself approaching life with
a new perspective. When she started
thinking about her standards and boundaries
in business, she realized that she needed
to apply these concepts to her personal
life as well. And the results were just
as powerful.
“I
finally gave myself permission to look
around and say, ‘That’s
just not going to work for me. Here’s
how it works in my world.’ This
was the start of some big changes in
my relationships, particularly with
men.
I was married for 10 years, and now
I’ve been dating for the last
9. I’ve really embraced my dating
life as an opportunity to learn about
myself, a chance to try things on and
explore the boundaries that define who
I am. In the process, I get a chance
to see who the men are by the way they
respond to me.
Ever since I started raising my standards
and strengthening my boundaries, I’ve
noticed something interesting: when
I’m clearly communicating what
works for me, people either step up
to play or they move on. And when I
give them a chance to pick up the slack,
a lot of men do! (If only I had known
that while I was married!)
I recently had a talk with a close friend
who’s been married for 25 years,
and I realized that she was voicing
the same concerns and problems that
I hear in my own head. The difference
is, married people have someone else
to blame for problems; as a single woman,
I don’t have that luxury –
I have the mirror. If I want better
people or better results in my life,
I know I have to go out and create them
for myself. And I am – through
higher standards and stronger boundaries!
Now that I’m clear and comfortable
with what works for me, relationships
are much easier. I’m not picking
up the strays anymore; I’m making
conscious choices about who I want to
be around and work with (even if that
means turning down a client who wants
to work with me). When I choose what’s
best for me, I don’t care if other
people like me or not… if not,
they aren’t for me. I’m
not compromising myself or my values
anymore, and that feels fantastic.”
Women empowering
women! Be an inspiration to other women
and share your own Sassy Breakthrough!
If you’ve experienced some inspiring
successes and you’d like to be
profiled in the Sassy and Savvy Newsletter,
we want to talk to you! Have you had
a win in dealing with your tolerations,
raising your standards, setting boundaries,
send an email with a brief description
of your breakthrough to stories@sassyandsavvywomen.com,
and we’ll be in touch!
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Savvy
Steps: Hitch up your pantyhose and get moving!
Break out your calendar for the
coming year and schedule in your planning
days. Decide which month to do your annual
planning, when to do quarterly planning, which
day of the month to do monthly planning, and
which day of the week to do your weekly plan.
Block all those days and times out, and make
a commitment to yourself to keep those appointments.
Who should be part of your planning process?
Perhaps your assistant, business partner,
mentor or mastermind group? If so, let them
know in advance that you’d like their
help so they have time to prepare accordingly
and put you on their calendars.
Now turn your thoughts to daily planning.
What time of day would be the easiest and
most productive time to review each day
and plan the next one – morning or
evening? It only takes 10 minutes a day,
but if you develop a consistent habit of
planning your next workday, you’ll
enjoy a much clearer and more focused mind,
and much stronger results in your business.
Featured
Tools & Resources
 Double
or Triple Your Income While Playing in Your
Comfort Zone
Want to spend more of your day doing what
you love – and be paid well for it?
We want that for you too! Learn how to build
a foundation for a thriving business that’s
based on your own natural abilities, your
Comfort Zone. The Double or Triple Your
Income program includes audio recordings
and an ebook with notes and action exercises
designed to help you implement the concepts
and step up to the next level of professional
satisfaction and success. Click here.
The Power
of a Mastermind
Are you ready to:
- Experience the powerful support of a
team of like-minded individuals?
- Let go of doing it alone?
- To take a shortcut to a more productive,
profitable way of doing business?
If you said yes to any of the above then
you are ready and open for one the most
powerful ways to do business - being part
of a mastermind team! Click here.
Savvy
Conversation - Sept. 20th at 8am PT/11am ET
Savvy Conversations:
Next free coaching call on September 20th
at 8am Pacific.
If you'd like to explore this topic in
more depth, get coached, and experience
the momentum of other like-minded women
who are setting boundaries in their lives,
join us on September 20th at 8 AM PST /
11 PM EST for the latest Savvy Conversations
Coaching Call.
In this *fre'e* teleconference, we'll be
exploring the challenges, secrets and shortcuts
to establishing and maintaining a habit
of planning. In this candid discussion,
you learn about some of the most effective
ways to raise the bar, in both your business
and your personal life. We’ll "see"
you there. Sign
up here.
Watch for more upcoming developments from
the Sassy and Savvy Women! We are building
one amazing community, full of top-notch
resources and high-caliber guidance for
the self-employed woman.
And we're hard at work on our powerful
new book: Sassy
and Savvy Self-Employed Women: The Ultimate
Guide to Leverage Your Business and Love
Your Life. If you'd like to preview
a chapter, click here!
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