In the previous post 10 Reasons To Have An Accountability Partner If You Are Self Employed we explored just a few of the many benefits of having an accountability partner for self employed professionals.

But how do you go about finding one?

And when you have found one, how do you know that person is the RIGHT accountability partner for you? (yes, not just anybody will do!!)

Warning before you start:

Whatever you do, don’t go bowling up to just anyone at an event or in your network and ask them to be your accountability partner.

If you do that, you are just going to look needy and a tad strange! And you are risking ending up with the wrong person, which means neither of you will get the results you want.

So, start by getting clear on EXACTLY what you are looking for in an accountability partner BEFORE you even start looking.

Think core values here.

You are looking to find someone who shares similar values.

This is REALLY important. Shared values, is the foundation of a good quality accountability partnership.

So have a think of people you already know that you have a good relationship with. Ask yourself:

• Does this person share similar values to me?
• Do they meet the criteria I am looking for in an accountability partner?
• Do I feel a good, positive connection with that person?
• Do I think that person might be interested in the idea?

When you have answered these questions fully, approach the person you are considering.

Don’t just hit them with “Do you want to be my accountability partner?” That is a big turn off and smacks of “me, me, me.”

Present the idea and ask if it is something they are interested in exploring further. Have a discussion about the potential benefits and results for both of you. Brainstorm format ideas that might be appropriate.

The key here is to make it a discussion. Not a “will you won’t you” ultimatum. Engage in conversation.

If they say yes, great. Game on. Work out a format that works for both of you and off you go.

If they say it isn’t for them, just thank them for considering it and move on. Go back to your contact list and follow the same process again.

But what if you can’t think of anyone in your current network that you feel would be an appropriate accountability partner?

Then, start looking at building new relationships with people who share the same values as you. Don’t focus on building the relationship with the intention of “getting” them as an accountability partner. Not nice.

Just have the intention of building new quality relationships with people and let things naturally evolve from there.

Remember, a good accountability partnership comes from having a good quality relationship based on shared core values FIRST.

What do you think? Do you agree with this approach to finding the right accountability partner or do you have other suggestions? Please share your views in the comments below.     

Related posts:

• 10 Reasons To Have An Accountability Partner If You Are Self Employed
• Networking – Busting the Myth

Having an accountability partner is a great way for Self Employed Professionals to deal with the challenges of staying on track with goals, action plans, personal effectiveness and productivity.

I think every Self Employed Professional should have one.

Here’s why:

10 Reason To Have An Accountability Partner If You Are Self Employed

1. Dealing with overwhelm – it is easy to get overwhelmed with everything that you have to do. Having someone to talk it through with helps you to work out ways of reducing overwhelm, prioritising and getting unstuck.

2. Having a sounding board – having someone to bounce ideas, problems and challenges with brings new perspectives, ideas and solutions.

3. Keeping you on track – it can feel hard to keep momentum going sometimes, can’t it? Committing to a third party, what you are going to do by when, will help you to stay focused and on track.

4. Highlight your blind spots – you can’t always see how you are getting in your own way. An accountability partner can reflect things back to you that you can’t see for yourself. That is invaluable.

5. Kick your butt – we all need this from time to time! A good accountability buddy will know when to call you on something or if a butt kick is in order!

6. Pick you up when the brown stuff hits the fan – an accountability partner helps you navigate your way through challenges and problems.

7. Be your cheerleader – all too often we are so focused on everything we have still got to do that we forget to take a step back and celebrate the progress being made. Having a cheerleader on your side boosts motivation and feelings of achievement.

8. Emotional support – this is so often overlooked. OK, you are running a business, but you are a human being, not a machine. We all need emotional support from time to time.

9. Create awareness – the more awareness you have, the better your choices, decision and actions will be. The discussions you have with your accountability partner will create awareness in bucket loads.

10. Have a laugh – just because we are running a business doesn’t mean we can’t have a laugh and make it fun. Lightening up and having a giggle with someone boosts energy and motivation.

There are so many benefits that the list could go on and on. So if you are Self Employed and don’t currently have an accountability partner, I highly recommend sorting one out.

If you don’t know how to go about doing this, don’t worry. In the next post, we will explore how to go about finding the right accountability partner for you and how to set up a framework and structure that works for both of you.

In the meantime, please feel free to share your views and experiences on this subject in the comments section below.

5th November 2011 was a very special date for me.

It was the 10 year anniversary of my first day of going Self Employed.

10 years ago I escaped the corporate rat race and embarked on a quest to design life, work, success and freedom on my own terms.

There have been many lessons that I have learnt along the way. Here are just a few of them:

Top 10 Lessons from 10 years being Self Employed

1. It is vital to create your own definition of success based on your core values to live and work on your own terms.

2. The path to business success & the ideal life isn’t linear. Accepting this is essential.

3. Not everyone works from the same level of integrity, standards and ethics. Be careful who you let into your space.

4. You can’t be firing on all cylinders 100% of the time. Be kind to yourself if you lose your mojo sometimes. Beating yourself up serves no purpose.

5. Mindset dictates your results in all areas of your life. Being committed to learning how to improve it is a no brainer.

6. When the brown stuff hits the fan, there is always an opportunity lurking in there somewhere.

7. Being a Lone Ranger is a recipe for disaster. It is important to build a support team of like minded people who share the same values.

8. Working with GOOD QUALITY mentors & coaches speeds up progress and results.

9. Having a clear vision of where you want your business AND life to go is key to guide your actions and avoid wasting time on stuff that doesn’t move you forward.

10. Relationships are the life blood of the Self Employed and a fulfilling life.

I am not going to give you a load of BS about how the last 10 years have been a breeze. Because it hasn’t. There have been ups and downs, challenges to overcome and some whopping mistakes!

But through all of that, it has all been totally worth it because:

The freedom of living and working on your own terms, by your own definition of success, is priceless.

As I finish reflecting on the lessons of the last 10 years and look towards what I intend to create in my business and life moving forward, I invite you to join me in making a commitment to yourself to grab the unlimited potential being Self Employed offers.

Make a commitment to design your ideal life and business and start taking steps to turn it into reality.

You up for it?

This is the time of year for fun, family, good times, peace, goodwill, chilling out, relaxing.

But is it really?

This seasonal stereotyping is far from the reality for many parents running a business from home. For many, the opposite is often true.

Parents can feel overwhelmed with the prospect of juggling their home business with over excited kids off school running riot. It can feel really challenging.

It begs the question, is it really possible to have a stress free Christmas with the family if you run a business from home?

I believe it is.

The key is intentionally and proactively designing how you want it to be.

But there are two key problems standing in the way. They are:

1. The Quest for Perfection
2. Unrealistic expectations

If you can get these two issues nailed you can survive this time of year with your sanity intact and avoid a lot of stress.

3 tips to bust the perils of perfectionism and unrealistic expectations at Christmas

1. Focus on what is most important

Have you noticed how easy we all get sucked into things that aren’t that important at this time of year?

Things like the roast spuds looking the exact same golden brown colour as Jamie Olivers. Laying on a feast worthy of the Ritz. Convincing ourselves we need to be in the home office doing stuff that can quite clearly wait until after the hols.

Let’s get a grip people.

Do you really think once your kids are grown up they will be saying things like “Christmas was so special because you made the spuds look like Jamie Olivers” or “gosh, I’m glad you sat in the home office doing reports that could have waited”” No. Of course they won’t.

Keep focussed and spend time on what is most important. Drop the quest for perfection and apply the “good enough” rule to everything. Read more on that in The Beauty of Imperfect Action

Ask yourself, by the time the holidays are over what do you want to be able to say about your family time, the Christmas holidays and your home business?

Work out an action plan and put boundaries in place to make this happen.

2. Review your business action plan and make sure it is realistic

It is easy to get sucked in to doing work in our home business during holiday times that could wait just because something pops in to our head and the office is right there.

But ask yourself this, if your office was 5 miles down the road, how acceptable and reasonable would it be to say “must just write that report” and abandon the family to nip out to the office during Christmas family time. It wouldn’t be acceptable or reasonable at all. So why do it just because your office is at home?

Set realistic expectations. Get clear on what must be done and what can wait? Put in place an action plan that protects your family time and stick to it. Read Time Management – the REAL reason you don’t have enough time to help you with this.

3. Keep it simple

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication – Leonardo DaVinci ……….Enough said!

What tips or suggestions do you have for managing the dynamic between home business and family life at Chistmas?

Related posts:

• The Beauty of Imperfect Action
• Time Management – the REAL reason you don’t have enough time

The Danger of Distraction

What is your view on the impact distractions are having on your business and family life?

Many people aren’t aware what distraction is really costing them. It’s destructiveness is often under the radar screen.

Sometimes it can be because people are using distractions as a way to avoid difficult stuff or challenges. Maybe for some it is an escape and a welcome relief from the boring and mundane. Often it is just habit.

Whatever the reason, it is important to be aware of the cost of distractions

The Danger of Distractions

Let’s be clear on what we are talking about by distractions. We are talking about things like constantly checking email and social media, reading the papers, watching daytime TV, taking social calls during business time, doing admin during family time, unsolved problems. That sort of thing.

If you are allowing distractions like these to invade your daily schedule, here are some things to think about:

• Distractions in your business takes you away from what is really important. As a result productivity drops, quality is affected and ultimately profits can be hit.

• Being distracted when you are with your kids impacts the quality of your time with them and your relationship.

• Constant distractions take you away from achieving what is most important

• Constant distractions increases that juggling feelings which increases stress

The point is this:

Distractions are totally within our control. It is a choice. Distractions only happen if we let them.

The good news about that is that we have the power to minimise distractions in our business and family life. The not so good news is that it can seem a real challenge as often allowing distractions has become a deeply established habit.

So, what is the answer?

Well, there are many ways to eradicate distractions. But here is one technique to try out:

Make Distractions your friend

You can make distractions your friend by using them as a reward system. For example, you can make “deals” with yourself like:

• If I finish this report within the time set, I can spend 10 minutes on social media sites
• If I have the accounts done before lunch I can read the paper for 10 mins
• If I have an article written within an hour I can phone Mary for a 10 minute chat.

Get the picture?

The key is to turn distractions from a negative you have to fight to change, to a positive part of your daily routine.

With that in mind, have a look at how you deal with distractions in your business and family life:

• What is it costing you?
• How do you want it to change?
• What can you put in place today so that you are managing distractions and they are not managing you?

What are your biggest challenges with distractions? Would turning them into your “friend” as a reward system work for you? Do you already have effective techniques in place for managing distractions? Please share your answers in the comments section below.

Productivity isn’t rocket science.

In fact, there are some very straight forward things you can implement that have a significant impact on productivity and results. Here are:

10 Tips to Improve Productivity

1. Start with the end in mind

I first learnt this many years ago when reading “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective people” by Stephen Covey. If you don’t know where you are heading, how can you choose what actions to take?

Always start each year, month, week and day knowing what you want to have achieved by the end of it (Note: this applies to your family life and lifestyle as well as your business).

2. Apply the “first things first” rule

Do the highest priority things first. That way, if you run out of time later in the day it will never be the most important stuff that gets dropped.

3. Set a “school” timetable

Remember those old school timetables with days and allocated time slots for lessons? Well, set one up every week. (Note: as with point 1, include family stuff as well as business stuff). It will keep you focussed and on track. It will also help you protect what is most important and stop you from over scheduling.

Remember to apply point 2 – put the most important things in your schedule first.

4. Stop multitasking

Multitasking reduces productivity and increases stress levels. Focus on one task at a time until it is done. Do this in line with point 2 and 3. (Read 3 Myths of Multi Tasking for more on this subject)

5. Reduce how often you check email/social media

Constantly interrupting tasks to check emails and social media reduces productivity. Set times during the day for checking email/social media. Use a timer. When the timer goes off, shut email and social media down to avoid temptation.

6. Take regular breaks

People who take regular breaks throughout the day actually do better quality, productive work. Schedule regular breaks as part of your daily routine.

7. Learn to say “no” more

Many people often find it difficult to say no to things, even if it impacts on their own priorities. It’s OK to say “no”. It will stop you taking on less important stuff at the cost of your priorities.

8. Get an accountability buddy

Being accountable to someone else for achieving something by a set time is a great way to keep you focussed and productive. Find someone to buddy up with. Set tasks you are both going to do by a set day/time. Agree a check in time by phone. Amazing how well this works. Try it.

9. Break tasks down into bite size chunks

For each task you have, break it down into bite size chunks. This helps keep you focussed, motivated and helps maintain concentration levels. Then apply point 10.

10. Time bind each activity

Set a time limit on each task. This will keep you focussed and reduce the risk of overrunning.

What are your top tips for improving productivity? Please share yours in the comments below.

Related posts:

• Are you a Prisoner in your Home Business?
• 5 Reasons You Should Treat Your Home Business Like Your Kids

In the post The Truth About Loneliness When Running a Business From Home we established that loneliness for parents running a business from home is actually a choice. And we explored some suggestions for eradicating loneliness as a sole trader.

One of the keys to eradicating loneliness and creating the success you want is having a good quality support team. Yet many people just don’t do it.

Why?

Because they think it is going to cost them a shed load of money. They often think the only way to do it is to hire people. Then the “I can’t afford it” mentality kicks in. So no action is taken.

But here is the thing I want to ask you:

What if you could get the support you needed for FREE?

Well you can. You’ve just got to think creatively. There is no secret to it and anyone can do it.

The key to free support is relationship building.

Let’s be clear here, I am not talking about targeting someone you think could help you, pretending to be friendly with them just to get what you want out of it. That sucks. You will end up Billy-no-mates if you take that approach.

I am talking about genuinely taking an interest with other people. Connecting with other people. Going to places and events that attract like minded people.

Obviously to do that you have got to get out of your home office. Stop being a hermit. Make connecting with people and relationship building a priority.

Once you have build solid relationships the possibilities are endless.

You can set up brainstorming sessions, bounce new ideas around, share challenges, set goals and action plans using each other as accountability partners. The list could go on.

For those of you thinking I don’t have time for all of this, you don’t always have to meet face to face. I have some support buddies that aren’t even in the same country as me. We phone or skype.

The other trick is to keep your support sessions time bounded. This will also help with keeping focussed.

The point I am making is this:

Successful people don’t achieve it on their own. They surround themselves with a support team of some sort.

So stop being a lone ranger. Get out there. Build genuine relationships.

Fostering genuine relationships costs nothing, makes a huge difference and is a lot of fun.

By the way, you should always challenge your “I can’t afford it” mentality. Hiring good quality specialists in the skill sets you don’t have is a great way to develop your business. You need to view it in your annual budget setting (which everyone already does right?) as an investment in the business development and look for the return on investment you need to achieve. But that is a whole other topic which we will cover another time.

What will you start doing to build and strengthen your support team? What tips do you have on getting the support you need without it costing a fortune?

When you hear people listing out the pros and cons of running a business from home, one of the cons that often comes up is loneliness.

Personally, I don’t subscribe to the point of view that loneliness automatically goes with the territory of running a business from home. Here’s why:

There are some people excruciatingly lonely in their home business. There are other people that loneliness is never an issue for. Now I know some folk will argue that it depends on what you are like as a person. And to some extent that is true.

But here is the truth about loneliness when running a business from home:

It’s a choice.

It’s a result of mindset driving behaviour, choices and actions.

Let me explain:

The start point of being lonely running your business from home is acceptance. Acceptance that it is the norm or “just the way it is” (boy, I hate that phrase).

Acceptance is the killer of creativity

The minute you accept loneliness as inevitable it stops you looking for alternatives or creative solutions. It keeps you stuck where you are.

(Note: there are times acceptance of a situation is a healthy and constructive thing – this isn’t one of them!).

So, if loneliness is a result of mindset driving choices and behaviour patterns, it begs the question “what can we do to eradicate it?”:

5 Tips for Eradicating Loneliness from your Home Business

Stop Accepting it – what you accept you keep. So make the decision that loneliness will no longer be a part of life in your home business.

Schedule your week wisely – don’t block activities that require you to be on your own for days on end all together. Mix your week up. Give it variety in bite size chunks. Not only will it help you eradicate loneliness, it renews your energy, improves focus and gives you a boost.

Abandon your home office – now, those of you who know me well might be surprised by this comment as I am such a big advocate for running a home business and the freedom it can bring. What I mean is stop taking the phrase “home business” so literally. Look at what activities aren’t necessary to do at home and do them elsewhere. For example, a coffee shop or a hotel lounge.

Buddy up – make an arrangement with other home workers to work at the same location. Schedule regular breaks and just chat. Make sure the breaks are time bounded otherwise it just becomes a day long coffee break and no work gets done!!!

Build a support team – having people to bounce ideas around with, share challenges and get another perspective is a great way to kick loneliness into touch. Build this into your weekly schedule. (I will be talking more on this subject in the next blog post)

What is you take on this subject? Do you think loneliness is an inevitable result of running a business from home?

In order to have a successful home business that integrates into family life and lifestyle without taking over, it is important to put in place things to make that happen.

Many of the skills to do that are the same ones our kids require from us as parents.

So, if you want your home business to achieve it’s full potential here are some reasons to treat it like your kids.

5 reasons you should treat your Home Business like your kids

1. Discipline

Kids need discipline. Without it they can’t learn the boundaries which will set them up for life and can end up out of control.

The same is true of your business. If you don’t put discipline in place, very quickly it will start to take over and destroy your family life and lifestyle.

What disciplines do you need to put in place to stop your business getting out of control?

2. Focus on Development

We all want our kids to develop into happy, healthy well rounded people. So we focus on things that support that.

Similarly, unless you make time to focus on business development, the business will not grow and flourish into it’s full potential.

It is important to make time and space regularly to focus on what needs to happen for your business to develop on the right path.

3. Routine

Some sort of routine helps kids and family life operate smoothly. Your business is no different.

Without some sort of routine your business is running you. Not a good recipe for success.

What framework could you introduce that would help things run smoother and ensure the important stuff doesn’t fall through the cracks.

4. Nurture

Now, in case you are thinking I have lost the plot and am going to say we need to tell our businesses we love them, cuddle them and show them affection, let me be clear – I am not talking about that sort of nurturing!

I am talking about nurturing your business to move it in the direction of your vision. Things like setting goals and reviewing them regularly. Things like taking care of yourself so that you have the energy to run the business effectively – after all, as a sole trader you ARE the business.

What areas of your business need nurturing?

5. Have fun and enjoy it

It is the enjoyment, fun and special moments that make the challenging bits of being a parent totally worthwhile.

Many people overlook the need to have fun and enjoy their business. Yet you are more likely to be successful doing something you love, enjoy and have fun with.

Build in some fun activities to your business. It will boost your energy levels and refresh you.

What other aspects of being a parent do you think would serve you well in your home business?

Related posts:

• Are you a Prisoner in your Home Business?
• Is Lone Ranger Syndrome Killing Your Business?
• 5 habits that help improve work from home effectiveness

I love people watching. So much can be learnt just by sitting back and observing.

While my son was in hospital recently (more about that here Eradicating Mediocrity (Part 1) – What are you waiting for? ) I had an opportunity to do quite a bit of people watching. You see, hospital time operates in a totally different way to normal time – it goes excruciatingly slowly. So, partaking in a bit of people watching helped pass time.

Many of the things that I observed were wonderful lessons to keep in mind in relation to building a strong business community. So here are:

4 Lessons in Business Community Building from life on a Children’s Hospital Ward

1. Be respectful of others – Every parent was respectful of each others space and not being intrusive. As a result a comfort level between all the parents grew very quickly.

Lesson – Being respectful of people and their space creates a strong foundation for growing community.

2. Be supportive with no strings attached – at one point during my son’s hospital stay there was a really worrying incident. I was on my own as my husband had popped out to get some stuff. Two other parents came over and gave me unconditional support. It helped enormously and really meant a lot to me.

Lesson – offering support without expecting anything in return builds trust and rapport fast. It also fosters a feeling of wanting to offer the same support back. Always give from a “no strings attached” position.

3. Genuinely care – we had some fantastic nurses looking after our son. They were warm, caring and reassuring. However, it has to be said that one was less than caring (no box of chocolates for that nurse!!)

Lesson – genuinely caring is often lacking in the “me, me, me” world of business. Just by fostering this one area (but it has to be truly genuine) makes you stand out a mile in a very competitive world.

4. Humour – with the risk of stating the obvious, hospital’s are very serious places. So it is lovely to relieve the tension with a laugh. Now, goes without saying that this needs to be done appropriately and sensitvely.

Lesson – yes, business is serious. But it can also be fun, light and energetic. I know which type of business person I prefer to be around and it’s not the heavy serious brigade. Lighten up. Don’t be the “Eeyore” in the room (if you don’t know who Eeyore is, you had a deprived childhood. Go read Winnie the Pooh).

Your community, whether it be business or social, is the gold in your own back yard. Treating it as such will pay off big style.

What would you add to this list?

Related post: Networking – Busting the Myth