Have you noticed how many people place great importance on the ability to multi task?

It seems to me that it is viewed almost as a badge of honour to strive for and achieve. It seems to be viewed as the answer to the overload of tasks so many people seem to be trying to juggle.

But here’s the thing:

Multi tasking isn’t the most effective way to manage many tasks and can actually be counter productive

3 Myths of Multi tasking

Myth 1 – You get more done if you multi task. Not true. Your productivity actually reduces the more you multi task. You are also likely to make more mistakes. Tasks actually take longer when you are trying to complete them at the same time as other tasks.

Myth 2 – You will feel more in control of all your tasks and responsibilities. Not true. It actually increases stress levels. The more you are trying to do at any one time, the more your stress levels go up. Not good for your health. Also, it isn’t attractive to others if you are constantly a little cloud of stress hanging round them!

Myth 3 – You can get stuff done while being with your family. Not true. It detrimentally impacts family life. One of the most important things our kids need from us is our time and undivided attention when we are with them. It sends a very negative message to our kids if when we are spending time with them we are also juggling lots of other stuff, especially work.

The Alternative to Multi Tasking

So, here’s the good news. It is OK to stop multi tasking. There are far more effective ways to get things done. Here are a few suggestions to play with:

• Organise your tasks for the day into priority order and give them time slots.
• Focus on each task totally, giving you full attention until it is done.
• Remove distractions and temptations before you start each task.

The alternatives to multi tasking are much more enjoyable, effective and healthy. It will enhance your productivity levels and the quality of what you are going. All areas of your business will benefit. And most important of all, your kids will love you for it because they will feel more important to you than your work because you are protecting and enhancing family life.

Now that we have busted some myths surrounding multi tasking, is it time for you to evaluate how you manage your business tasks and family life?

3 Myths of Multi Tasking is a post from: Ali Davies Small Business Success & Lifestyle Freedom

Many people are often so afraid of taking a risk that they chose to do nothing and stay stuck. The problem with that is:

The pain of doing nothing and staying stuck is often more than the pain of taking the risk

Another common problem is people confusing gambling with taking a risk. To help address both these points here are:

10 important things to remember when taking risks:

1. Is taking this risk moving you toward your vision and goals? If it isn’t something that is taking you to where you want to be, why are you doing it? Make sure you are looking at the big picture so that you are taking the right risks for the right reasons.

2. What do you want taking this risk to achieve? Get clear on what the outcome needs to be. Use this to create an action plan.

3. What do you need to do for this risk to be successful? Taking a risk and crossing your fingers that it will all turn out OK won’t work. Be clear on what you need to do to set youself up to succeed.

4. What is the worst thing that can happen? If you don’t know the answer to this question you can’t assess if it is a risk worth taking or not.

Remember – only take calculated risks. Anything else is just gambling.

5. What would you do if the worst happens? ALWAYS have a contingency plan. This is your equivalent of a safety crash mat. Don’t be without it.

6. What needs to be in place to make this risk feel safe? Creating feelings of safety will reduce fear that gets in the way of taking action.

7. Fully assess a risk before acting. If you don’t, it is like buying a house without a structural survey first. You are gambling.

8. Measure progress. This is vital yet often overlooked. This will allow you to spot potential problems before they happen and take evasive action.

9. Focus on the outcome. Once you have made the decision keep focussed on the outcome NOT on what could go wrong. You get what you focus on!

10. Taking Risks is about creating results, success and really living.

“I guess it comes down to a simple choice really – get busy living or get busy dying” – Quote from The Shawshank Redemption (great movie!)

What would you add to this list?

This is part 3 in a 3 part mini series. You can read parts 1 & 2 here:

Taking Risks (Part 1) – An Essential Part of Success

Taking Risks (Part 2) – Why you MUST do it!

Taking Risks (Part 3) – 10 Important Things to Remember is a post from: Ali Davies Small Business Success & Lifestyle Freedom

Whether you love taking risks or avoid it like the plague, you can’t get away from this simple fact:

You have to take risks to achieve the success you want for yourself

Here is why:

• to create a new level of success you have to do something new and different
• that means making change
• making change involves…..TAKING A RISK

So, if you are not willing to take risk you are always going to stay stuck where you are, getting the same results you are getting now.

Now, I am not suggesting you throw caution to the wind and run around taking as many risks as you can with your fingers crossed it will catapult you to the success levels you want. Taking risk that really creates success is a lot more strategic than that.

My very first Business Mentor when I was a pup in the corporate world was my Uncle Chris. Something he said to me over 20 years ago has always stuck with me:

Business isn’t about taking risks. It is about knowing which risks to take – Uncle Chris

The same is true of life.

I’ve got to be honest, I used to be really risk adverse. As a result, I didn’t have the career or lifestyle I really wanted. I realised that to have what I really wanted I was going to have to take some serious risks. With Uncle Chris’ quote always in the back of my mind I learnt how to take calculated risks and boy am I glad I did. Taking risks is now part of my whole Business and Lifestyle strategy.

So, if you are serious about creating the Business Success you want for yourself and a real kick ass lifestyle remember Uncle Chris’ words and learn how to take calculated risks – it’s essential!

In part 3 of this Taking Risks mini series we will explore some do’s, don’ts and tips of taking calculated risks. In the meantime, please share your experiences, challenges and successes with taking risks in the comments below.

Related post: Taking Risks (Part 1) – An Essential Part of Success

Taking Risks (Part 2) – Why you MUST do it! is a post from: Ali Davies Small Business Success & Lifestyle Freedom

Taking risks – do you love it? Do you avoid it at all costs?

Whatever your approach to risk taking, like it or not, it is an essential element of achieving success.

In this 3 part mini series we are going to explore risk taking. In part two, we will look at why you MUST take risks to achieve real success. In part three we will look at some do’s, don’ts and tips when taking risks.

So, to get in the spirit of the theme, I am going to take a risk. I am going to share with you a poem. This is a risk for me. I have never before included a poem as part of my business “chat”. My old corporate head doesn’t like it at all. It thinks you might think I am going a bit “woo woo” (I don’t do woo woo!).

But I am taking the risk anyway because I think it is thought provoking and relevant to the challenges facing many Home Based and Small Business Owners. It is also very relevant to what we are going to look at in the rest of this series.

So, have a read of the poem below. Even if it isn’t your bag, look for how it relates to you as a business owner, the way you run your business and the way you live your life:

Risk

by Author Unknown

To laugh is to risk appearing the fool
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental
To reach out for another is to risk involvement
To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self
To place your ideas, your dreams before the crowd is to risk their loss
To love is to risk not being loved in return
To live is to risk dying
To hope is to risk despair
To try is to risk failure
But risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing
The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing and is nothing
They may avoid suffering and sorrow, but they cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love, live
Chained by their certitude’s, they are a slave, they have forfeited their freedom
Only a person who risks is free.

Join me in the next post when we will look at how this relates to Business Success and Lifestyle Freedom.

Taking Risks (Part 1) – An Essential Part of Success is a post from: Ali Davies Small Business Success & Lifestyle Freedom

There are many factors that contribute to whether Home-Based and Small Business Owners will achieve the results that they want in their business and lifestyle. Things such as clear and specific goals, an effective business strategy, a successful business owners mindset, to name but a few.

However, sometimes it is the quite small and simple things, that are often overlooked, that can have a huge impact. They can create change and results really effectively. One of the things that falls into this category is asking questions. Let me explain:

Statements change nothing!

One of the habits I see a lot in Home Based and Small Business Owners is that they will make statements and then talk about them at great length. Here are a few examples:

• I’m not making enough money
• I’m working too many hours
• I don’t have enough clients
• I don’t have enough quality time with my family

Questions are the Answer!

All these statements might be very true but it is habit that doesn’t lead to actions and change. Statements used in this way, hold back progress. A very simple and highly effective habit to create that turns this on it’s head is to ask questions. For example:

• What do I need to do to make more money?
• What needs to happen so that I can work less hours?
• What do I need to do to attract more than enough clients?
• What can I put in place to protect quality time with my family?

See the difference?

Questions are infinitely more powerful than statements. They lead to a different mindset about a situation. A different mindset leads to different behaviour. Different behaviour leads to different results.

The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing – Albert Einstein

So if you want to create real change and different results stop making statements about situations and get into the habit of asking questions of yourself.

Why Questions Are the Answer! is a post from: Ali Davies Small Business Success & Lifestyle Freedom

There is only one obstacle to success. Yes, only one – YOU! Let me explain:

The confusion over business obstacles

People often confuse circumstances and situations as obstacles and setbacks. They aren’t. They are just things to be dealt with. They only become obstacles and setbacks when we apply that label to them. I am talking about things like losing clients, products/services not selling and so on. Stop seeing circumstances and situations as obstacles and setbacks. They aren’t, you have just been conditioned to think that they are. They are just messages that YOU need to do something different.

Stop getting in your own way

The only thing stopping us achieving the success we want is ourselves. This is great news. The reason it is great news is because changing ourselves to get out of our own way is totally within our control. So, are you willing and ready to get out of your own way and stop being the obstacle to your Business Success and Lifestyle Freedom? If you are, here are two key areas to focus on:

1. Mindset. Your mindset is creating the results you are currently experiencing. I have said it before but it is worth saying again, the reason upgrading your mindet is so vital is this:

Mindset creates thought patterns – thought patterns create feelings – feelings create behaviour/actions – actions create results.

The same mindset that created your current situation won’t get you out of it. It is time to upgrade your mindset

Tip: start researching and learning about how to create a real kick ass success mindset. Seek out good quality resources and people to learn from.

2. BEING a Business Owner. You can’t expect to get the results of a successful business owner unless you are behaving, making decisions and running your business as successful business owners do.

Tip: as with mindset, get out there and research and learn what successful business owners do that unsuccessful ones don’t. Also, you become what you surround yourself with so be careful who you let into your business circle. Avoid the BMW’s (bitch, moaners and whiners) like the plague.

This is the last day in the 5 days to Change for Success series. For me, today’s is the most important. You can do all the other tasks and activities we have talked about but if you don’t step up to this one you will always be capping the level of success you can achieve.

Related posts:

1.Is your Business a Vampire?

2.5 days to Change for Success – Day 1: Clear the decks!

3.5 days to Change for Success – Day 2: Building Strong Foundations

4.5 Days to Change for Success – Day 3: Getting into Action

5.5 Days to Change for Success – Day 4: How to Avoid Failure

5 Days to Change for Success – Day 5: The ONE obstacle to real success is a post from: Ali Davies Small Business Success & Lifestyle Freedom

This is day 4 in the 5 day Change for Success Series. Links to the previous posts in the series are at the end of this post.

Even with a really strong business vision, strategy, goals and action plans you are not immune from failing to achieve the success you want. Let me explain why:

A key factor in failing to achieve success

When Small Business Owners create their business vision, strategy, goals and action plans they sometimes stop right there thinking they have done what they need to do to create change and success. Huge mistake!

The key to avoid failure – Performance Measurement

In order to create consistent and sustainable results it is essential that you have a Performance Measurement Strategy. Here’s why:

Why Performance Measurement is Critical to avoid failure

Ok, so there you are with your business vision, a real kick ass strategy, great goals and thorough action plans. How do you know it is or will deliver the results you want? How will you spot, in advance, potential problems so that you can take action to avoid them? The answer is that without a Performance Measurement Strategy you can’t. The bottom line is this:

If you aren’t measuring the results of your action plans as you are going along it is like going off on a journey blindfolded. You are setting yourself up for lots of setbacks, obstacles and possibly failure.

Tips for Creating a Performance Measurement Strategy:

• For every area of your business write down key factors that impact you achieving success. For example, revenue targets, lead conversion rate, no of clients, and so on.
• Set monthly targets for each point on the list.
• Set up a chart that shows target and actual figures for each point
• Complete and review the chart monthly
• Ask yourself questions like why has that figure gone up (or down)
• Use the information to drive your action plans for the following month

I can’t stress enough how important doing this is yet it is an often overlooked area by many Small Business Owners. If you really want to reduce your risk of failure in your business, set up a Performance Measurement Strategy today and use it to drive your decision making and action plans.

The key to consistent and sustainable results lies in this activity. Ignoring it is literally gambling with your chances of success.

Related posts:

Is your Business a Vampire?

5 days to Change for Success – Day 1: Clear the decks!

5 days to Change for Success – Day 2: Building Strong Foundations

5 Days to Change for Success – Day 3: Getting into Action

5 Days to Change for Success – Day 4: How to Avoid Failure is a post from: Ali Davies Small Business Success & Lifestyle Freedom

This is post 3 of a 5 day series. Post 1: 5 days to Change for Success – Day 1: Clear the decks! Post 2:  5 days to Change for Success – Day 2: Building Strong Foundations

In the previous two posts we focussed on clearing the decks and putting some strong foundations in place. Now it is time to get into action.

Action stations!

You can read tips in blog posts, success books and attend a gazillion workshops to kickstart you toward success. However, if you then don’t take action it is all worth diddly squat because nothing will change. Persistent, consistent actions based on your vision, values and success definition are the key to getting tangible and sustainable results and creating success. So, let’s get stuck in.

How to get started

Put stakes in the ground. This helps what might seem like a huge overwhelming task feel more manageable. Here is what I mean by putting stakes in the ground:

• When do you want to achieve your vision/goals by? For the sake of example let’s say 1 year.

• Based on that, what stage do you want to be at by 9 months, 6 months and so on.

Once you have worked your way back to your current situation and you have all your stakes in the ground you are ready to create your action plans and start to make things happen.

Creating action plans. It can feel like you have a mountain to climb to get to where you want to be. The best way to manage this is to break it down into bite size chunks. Reminds of a joke from my six year old son – how do you eat an elephant? – one bite at a time! The point is, thinking bite size chunks or baby steps when creating action plans will help keep overwhelm at bay and help you feel you are consistently making progress. Ask yourself:

• In order to hit your month one stake in the ground target what actions do you need to take?
• When are you going to take them?
• Ensure your action list is clear, specific, measureable and scheduled in your diary.
• Do the same process each week/month.
• Then in the word of a well known brand – just do it!

If you are wondering what the point in doing all this stuff is, here’s why:

“Vision without action is just a dream, action without vision just passes the time, vision with action can change the world” – Nelson Mandela

Have fun changing your world!

Related posts:

Is your Business a Vampire?

5 days to Change for Success – Day 1: Clear the decks!

5 days to Change for Success – Day 2: Building Strong Foundations

5 Days to Change for Success – Day 3: Getting into Action is a post from: Ali Davies Small Business Success & Lifestyle Freedom

In the first post of this 5 day series 5 days to Change for Success – Day 1: Clear the decks! we started to clear the path ready for creating strong foundations.

Why are strong foundations important?

If a builder didn’t put strong foundations in place, what he is building is likely to fall down and not be fit for purpose. The same is true for creating success in your business, lifestyle or family life – the stronger the foundations, the better results you will get.

Four essentials to create strong foundations for success

The following four points are essential because without them you will not be creating success and freedom on your own terms.

Important note: Suspend your belief of what is possible when doing this exercise. Imagine you have no limitations at all – anything is possible:

1. Create a vision. What does your business and lifestyle look like when it is ideal? Write it down using the present tense. Be really specific. Put it somewhere you will see it every day. Find images that reflect each aspect of your vision and create an inspiring and motivating vision board.

2. Create a B.H.A.G. This as a Big Hairy Audacious Goal. Create a goal that is so big it fills you with excitement and inspires you.

3. Clarify your values. For true success, freedom and fulfilment you have to build your business, lifestyle and family life around your core values. What are the most important things to you? What do you value most? Get clear and specific.

4. Create your Success Definition. In the blog post Whose definition of success are you living by? I explained why this is so important. I recommend reading it before doing this exercise. Create a definition of success for your business, lifestyle and family life. Ensure this is based on your core values. Be careful you are not listing down other people’s idea of success. It’s time to create success on your own terms. Listen to your gut.

Once you have completed these points you will have created your ideal destination for all areas of business and life. Now it’s time to create the road map to get there. That is what we will be focussing on in the next post.

In the meantime, have fun playing with creating your strong foundations and do let me know how you get on.

Related posts:

1. 5 days to Change for Success – Day 1: Clear the decks!

2. Is your Business a Vampire?

5 days to Change for Success – Day 2: Building Strong Foundations is a post from: Ali Davies Small Business Success & Lifestyle Freedom

In the previous post Is your Business a Vampire? we talked about how many small business owners feel that their business is sucking the life out of them and they aren’t getting the results or success they want, professionally or personally. In this five part series we are going to start taking actions to turn that around.

Why Clearing the Decks is essential for Success!

A builder wouldn’t build on top of the rubble that is already on the site. He clears it away first because building on top of what is already there won’t give the results he wants. The same is true for creating success. You need to clear the decks and put strong foundations in place to give you consistent and sustainable results.

How to Clear the Decks

There are numerous ways to clear the decks to create success but here are three essentials:

1. Zap your tolerations. Tolerations are all those things that drain your energy. They can be big or small things. For example, an ironing pile up to the ceiling, cluttered office, not making enough money, working too many hours and so on. Make a list of everything that is going on in your business and personal life that is draining your energy. Start eliminating your tolerations starting with the easy stuff. A few quick wins will make the world of difference.

2. Put in place an extreme self care programme. Include things such sleep, nutrition, exercise. Do activities that give you energy. Cut out the excesses and bad habits. Now, before you all think I have turned into the fun police, hear me out – people who have a good self care programme make better quality decisions and have higher levels of effectiveness.

3. Create space. If your weeks are already jam packed with no space, nothing is going to change. You MUST create regular space in your diary that is just for working on strategy, planning, creating change and success. Block the time out in your diary. Treat it as your highest paying client. Do not cancel it for any reason other than an emergency.

These three points will be impacting your effectiveness, decision making quality, progress and success. Ignoring them could be costing you big style.

In Day 2 of this series we will be looking at how to put strong foundations in place to achieve success.

Related posts:

1.Is your Business a Vampire?

2.Is working for yourself really the key to freedom?

3.Have work life and business become a disease?

5 days to Change for Success – Day 1: Clear the decks! is a post from: Ali Davies Small Business Success & Lifestyle Freedom