Are you a YES man?

Have you become a “yes” person? Do you take on commitments, agree to meetings and make promises when you know you should be saying, no? Some people say yes out of fear, some because they want to be liked and some say yes simply because they have no focus or plan for themselves. Learning to say no is vital to your success and your sanity.

You must recognize that when you say yes, but wish you had said no, you don’t do anyone any favors. The other person believes you can and will deliver as promised – so they are now set up for failure. And you begin to feel overwhelmed knowing you have far too many commitments and can’t possibly keep them all. The stress caused by saying yes is huge and can become a cracking point for you and for your business.

Many people are afraid to say no for fear of loss or that the other person might be offended. The reality is people would much rather you say no now than find out last minute that you really couldn’t do what you said yes to.

The best way to have confidence in saying no, as Stephen Covey suggests, is to have a deep and very compelling yes burning inside of you. In other words, if you have clearly established your goals and priorities it becomes much easier to evaluate whether or not you should say yes to another commitment. You will also find that by having your deeper yes, you will no longer have the big guilt when saying no.

When saying no is the right thing to say, say it! Everyone will be better off in the end for it. Unfortunately when we say yes to too many low priority items we often end up having to say no to things that are truly important. A string of unnecessary yeses can often lead to saying no to the “opportunity of a lifetime” and often we say no to it by default.

Evaluate your current commitments – if there are some that are just out of the realm of possibility, deal with them now. By regularly reviewing your commitments you will become very good at saying no when needed and saying yes to the commitments that matter most.

10 Steps to Effectively Prioritize

Priorities refer to those things that are important. Many are still in the habit of "reacting" to the urgent rather than "responding" to the important. Think about this statement. Important activities should be of high priority because they are the things that contribute significantly to our objectives. They have more "long-term" impact. They should help us the most in reaching our goals. Don't prioritize based on who gave you the work; fit it based on its importance and urgency and who should be handling it based on responsibilities, skills, and capacity. Urgent activities usually are more "short-term" in nature and may or may not relate to our objectives. They usually do not make significant contributions. They make endless demands on our time and pressure us daily. There is a constant tension that develops between the urgent and the important. Because the important things seldom need to be done today, and the urgent almost always do, there is a critical need for learning to set proper priorities so that our visions, goals, and desires can be met, more effectively. Most people don't take the time to prioritize. They are usually reactive. We recommend you be proactive. Here is a list of time-gaining events to help you more effectively prioritize. Enter the approximate amount of time you feel you will gain each day by successfully performing the selected events, changing your habits and using your tools. 1. Set priorities during your daily planning. Eliminating unproductive tasks gains valuable time. 2. Create a “written” agenda and follow it for every meeting. An agenda with no more than three objectives gains valuable wasted time from long, ineffective, rambling meetings. 3. Learn to “say no” to demands that don't benefit you, or send the request to the appropriate person. This helps you to double the time gained by not reacting to the demand and by freeing you up to do what does benefit you. 4. Learn when your high-energy time is. Scheduling your priority work for this time gains minutes through more effective and empowering work. 5. Prioritize your reading by learning to skim articles, memos, books etc. Then read only what really gives you value. 6. Request that people that send you e-mails that prioritize and spell out the actions they are asking of you with clear bullet points not long narratives. 7. Write down what your objectives are before you return phone calls or emails to gain time through quicker, more effective communication. 8. Early in the day, sort mail and place each piece appropriately (now, future, trash) to gain valuable time throughout the day as each piece is addressed only once. 9. Prioritize and review the list of tasks you have given a subordinate. Clarity and merging of the minds often uncover shortcuts. 10. Create lists often. This helps with focus and multi-tasking .by Tony Jeary Action “Without action, without decision, you remain in possibility, which is safe and beautiful but eventually enervating and boring.” —Jennifer Louden “You cannot change anything in your life with intention alone, which can become a watered-down, occasional hope that you'll get to tomorrow. Intention without action is useless.” — Caroline Myss “It is time for us all to stand and cheer for the doer, the achiever—the one who recognizes the challenges and does something about it.” — Vince Lombardi “Thought is the blossom; language the bud; action the fruit behind it.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Power of a Routine

Routine Power Some of our best intentions fail because we don’t have a system of execution. When it comes down to it, your new attitudes and behaviors must be incorporated into your monthly, weekly, and daily routines to affect any real, positive change. A routine is something you do every day without fail, so that eventually, like brushing your teeth or putting on your seatbelt, you do it without conscious thought. If you look at anything you do that’s successful, you’ll see that you’ve probably developed a routine for it. These routines ease life’s stresses by making our actions automatic and effective. To reach new goals and develop new habits, it’s necessary to create new routines to support your objectives. The greater the challenge, the more rigorous our routines need to be. Ever wonder why military boot camp is so hard—where relatively minor tasks like making the bed, shining your shoes, or standing at attention become over-the-top important? Building routines to prep soldiers for combat is the most effective way to elicit efficient, productive, and reliable performance under intense pressure. The seemingly simplistic routines built and developed during basic training are so exact that soft, fearful, slovenly teenagers are transformed into lean, confident, mission-driven soldiers in only eight to 12 weeks. Their routines are so well rehearsed that these young soldiers can instinctively act with precision in the middle of the chaos of combat. That intense level of training and practice prepares soldiers to carry out their duties—even under the threat of imminent death. Now, your days might not be as dangerous, but without the proper routines built into your schedule, the results of your life can be unruly and unnecessarily hard. Developing a routine of predictable, daily disciplines prepares you to be victorious on the battlefield of life Golfer Jack Nicklaus was famous for his pre-shot routine. He was religious about the “dance” he would do before every shot, a series of routine mental and physical steps that got him fully focused and ready for the shot. Jack would start out behind the ball, and then pick out one or two intermediate spots between the ball and the target. As he walked around and approached the ball, the first thing he would do is line up his clubface to his intermediate target. He wouldn’t put his feet into position until he felt he had his clubface properly squared up. Then he would take his stance. From there he would waggle the club and look out to his target, then back to his intermediate target and back to the golf club, with a repeat of the view. Then, and only then, would he strike the ball. During one of the important Majors, a psychologist timed Nicklaus from the moment he pulled the club out of the bag until the moment he hit the ball, and guess what? In each shot, from the first tee to the eighteenth green, the timing of Jack’s routine supposedly never varied more than one second. That is amazing! The same psychologist measured Greg Norman during his unfortunate collapse at the 1996 Masters. Lo and behold, his pre-shot routine got faster and faster as the round progressed. Varying his routine stunted his rhythm and consistency; he was never able to catch momentum. The moment Norman changed his routine, his performance became unpredictable and his results erratic. Football kickers likewise cherish their pre-kick routines, which allow them to get into sync with the thousands of times they have done this same action. Without a pre-kick routine, their performance under great pressure of game time greatly diminishes. Pilots go through their preflight checklist. Even when a pilot has logged thousands of hours and the plane just came in with a “perfect” performance review from a previous destination, the pilot goes through a preflight checklist every time without fail. This not only prepares the plane, but, more important, centers the pilot and prepares him for the upcoming performance. Of all the high achievers and business owners I’ve worked with, I’ve seen that, along with good habits, each has developed routines for accomplishing necessary daily disciplines. It’s the only way any of us can regulate our behavior. There simply isn’t any way around it. A daily routine built on good habits and disciplines separates the most successful among us from everyone else. A routine is exceptionally powerful. To create profitable and effective routines, you must first decide what behaviors and habits you want to implement. Now it’s your turn to be Jack Nicklaus and figure out your best pre-shot routine. Be intentional about what components belong. Once you establish, say, a morning routine, I want you to consider it cast in concrete until further notice. You get up. You do it—no argument. If someone or something interrupts you, start back at the beginning to anchor your foundation for the performance that follows. By D. Hardy

The ABC 's of your customers!

Remember when we used to charge home from school and proudly show mom and dad our report card. Grinning from ear to ear you would wait to hear their excitement over the A's and B's. Think of the since of accomplishment and pride.

Do you apply the same report card to your business? Could you hold up your book of accounts and be proud of the A's and B's or would we find a large number of C's, D's and maybe some F's.

In the school setting you would try to work harder and earn extra credit to raise the low grade, can you do that with your business? I propose that you apply the college system to your lower graded customers. Drop the class , cut your losses, fire your lower graded customer and spend your time on the A's and B's.

We all know that is harder to gain new customers than to retain current customer, so how can I say you should fire your customers? The question is which of your current customers? Do they match the vision and mission of your company at this time? Using Pareto's law of 80/20 we know that 80 % of your sales are concentrated in 20% of your account base. What will these customers look like, how will I know who to fire?

An example of an A graded customer is someone who pays their bills on time, is pleasant to deal with, is happy to pay your marked prices, sends their friends to do business with you and spends a reasonable amount of money with you each year.

Your B grade customers aren't quite the perfect or model customers, but are still worth having. They might be a little more price conscious, yet still pay on time every time.

Your C grade customers would probably be the type who would return goods for a refund just because they changed their mind, would haggle for as big a discount and they could get every time, would not listen to your advice, and could have past due invoices.

The D's are the group you never wished you had. They are creating a scene in your place of business. They treat you and your team like dirt, always complaining about your price and never are satisfied with the products or service. These customers are always late payers and cost you time and money in collection and finance charges.

My advise is to deal with customers who treat you as you wish to be treated and respected. Don't put up with customers who don't pay their bills, don't treat you well, and constantly hassle you on price. In addition customers will generally refer similar types of people to you, that is the last thing that you want to happen.

To move away from your less desirable customers, make it hard to do business with you. Set solid discount structures, that will benefit your best accounts. Shorten credit terms or require prepayment for the cronic late paying accounts and freeze their accounts for non-payment. Change how they contact you, they no longer have a dedicated customer service rep or email contact. Reserve higher levels of service for the accounts that you want!

You will become more profitable and your team can now focus on solid higher margin, more rewarding accounts.

Lastly let you're A and B accounts know that you can now devote far more time to taking care of their needs, more time and energy to give them better service and of course, to ask them for several referrals.

The Major Key to Your Better Future Is You

The Major Key to Your Better Future Is You Of all the things that can have an effect on your future, I believe personal growth is the greatest. We can talk about sales growth, profit growth, asset growth, but all of this probably will not happen without personal growth. It’s really the open door to it all. In fact I’d like to have you memorize a most important phrase. Here it is, “The major key to your better future is YOU.” Let me repeat that. “The major key to your better future is YOU.” Put it some place where you can see it every day—in the bathroom, in the kitchen, at the office, anywhere where you can see it every day. The major key to your better future is YOU. Try to remember that every day you live and think about it. The major key is YOU. Now, there are many things that will help your better future. If you belong to a strong, dynamic, progressive company, that would help. If the company has good products, good services, that would help. Good training would certainly help. If there is strong leadership, that will certainly help. All of these things will help, and of course, if it doesn’t storm, that will help. If your car doesn’t break down, that will help. If the kids don’t get sick, that will help. If it isn’t too cold, if it isn’t too hot, all those things will help your better future. And if prices don’t go much higher and if taxes don’t get much heavier, that will help. And if the economy stays stable, those things will all help. We could go on and on with the list; but remember this, the list of things that I’ve just covered and many more—all put together—play a minor role in your better future. The major key to your better future is you. Lock your mind onto that. This is a super important point to remember. The major key is you. A friend of mine has always answered when asked, “How do you develop an above average income?” He says, “Simple. Become an above average person. Work on you.” My friend says, “Develop an above average handshake.” He says, “A lot of people want to be successful, and they don’t even work on their handshake. As easy as that would be to start, they let it slide. They don’t understand.” My friend says, “Develop an above average smile. Develop an above average excitement. Develop an above average dedication. Develop an above average interest in other people.” He says, “To have more, become more.” Remember, work harder on yourself than you do on your job. For a long time in my life, I didn’t have this figured out. Strangely enough, with two different salespeople in the same company one may earn an extra $100 a month, and the other may earn a $1,000. What could possibly be the difference? If the products were the same, if the training was the same, if they both had the same literature, the same tools. If they both had the same teacher, why would one person earn the $100 per month and the other person earn the $1000? Remember here is the difference...the difference is personal, inside, not outside, inside. You see the real difference is inside you. In fact, the difference IS you. Someone once said, “The magic is not in the products. The magic is not in the literature. The magic is not in the film. There isn’t a magic meeting, but the magic that makes things better is inside you, and personal growth makes this magic work for you.” The magic is in believing. The magic is in daring. The magic is in trying. The real magic is in persevering. The magic is in accepting. It’s in working. The magic is in thinking. There is magic in a handshake. There is magic in a smile. There is magic in excitement and determination. There is real magic in compassion and caring and sharing. There is unusual magic in strong feeling and you see, all that comes from inside, not outside. So, the difference is inside you. The real difference is you. You are the major key to your better future. Jim Rohn

The Four Emotions That Can Lead to Life Change

Emotions are the most powerful forces inside us. Under the power of emotions, human beings can perform the most heroic (as well as barbaric) acts. To a great degree, civilization itself can be defined as the intelligent channeling of human emotion. Emotions are fuel and the mind is the pilot, which together propel the ship of civilized progress. Which emotions cause people to act? There are four basic ones; each, or a combination of several, can trigger the most incredible activity. The day that you allow these emotions to fuel your desire is the day you'll turn your life around. 1) DISGUST One does not usually equate the word “disgust” with positive action. And yet, properly channeled, disgust can change a person's life. The person who feels disgusted has reached a point of no return. He or she is ready to throw down the gauntlet at life and say, “I've had it!” That's what I said after many humiliating experiences at age 25. I said, “I don't want to live like this anymore. I've had it with being broke. I've had it with being embarrassed, and I've had it with lying.” Yes, productive feelings of disgust come when a person says, “Enough is enough.” The “guy” has finally had it with mediocrity. He's had it with those awful sick feelings of fear, pain and humiliation. He then decides he is “not going to live like this anymore.” Look out! This could be the day that turns a life around. Call it what you will, the “I've had it” day, the “never again” day, the “enough's enough” day. Whatever you call it, it's powerful! There is nothing so life-changing as gut-wrenching disgust! 2) DECISION Most of us need to be pushed to the wall to make decisions. And once we reach this point, we have to deal with the conflicting emotions that come with making them. We have reached a fork in the road. Now this fork can be a two-pronged, three-pronged, or even a four-pronged fork. No wonder decision-making can create knots in stomachs, keep us awake in the middle of the night, or make us break out in a cold sweat. Making life-changing decisions can be likened to internal civil war. Conflicting armies of emotions, each with its own arsenal of reasons, battle each other for supremacy of our minds. And our resulting decisions, whether bold or timid, well-thought-out or impulsive, can either set the course of action or blind it. I don't have much advice to give you about decision-making except this: Whatever you do, don't camp at the fork in the road. Decide. It's far better to make a wrong decision than to not make one at all. Each of us must confront our emotional turmoil and sort out our feelings. 3) DESIRE How does one gain desire? I don't think I can answer this directly because there are many ways. But I do know two things about desire: a. It comes from the inside, not the outside. b. It can be triggered by outside forces. Almost anything can trigger desire. It's a matter of timing as much as preparation. It might be a song that tugs at the heart. It might be a memorable sermon. It might be a movie, a conversation with a friend, a confrontation with the enemy, or a bitter experience. Even a book or an article such as this one can trigger the inner mechanism that will make some people say, “I want it now!” Therefore, while searching for your "hot button" of pure, raw desire, welcome into your life each positive experience. Don't erect a wall to protect you from experiencing life. The same wall that keeps out your disappointment also keeps out the sunlight of enriching experiences. So let life touch you. The next touch could be the one that turns your life around. 4) RESOLVE Resolve says, “I will.” These two words are among the most potent in the English language. I WILL. Benjamin Disraeli, the great British statesman, once said, “Nothing can resist a human will that will stake even its existence on the extent of its purpose.” In other words, when someone resolves to “do or die,” nothing can stop him. The mountain climber says, “I will climb the mountain. They've told me it's too high, it's too far, it's too steep, it's too rocky, it's too difficult. But it's my mountain. I will climb it. You'll soon see me waving from the top or you'll never see me, because unless I reach the peak, I'm not coming back.” Who can argue with such resolve? When confronted with such iron-willed determination, I can see Time, Fate and Circumstance calling a hasty conference and deciding, “We might as well let him have his dream. He's said he's going to get there or die trying.” The best definition for “resolve” I've ever heard came from a schoolgirl in Foster City, California. As is my custom, I was lecturing about success to a group of bright kids at a junior high school. I asked, “Who can tell me what ‘resolve’ means?” Several hands went up, and I did get some pretty good definitions. But the last was the best. A shy girl from the back of the room got up and said with quiet intensity, “I think resolve means promising yourself you will never give up.” That's it! That's the best definition I've ever heard: PROMISE YOURSELF YOU'LL NEVER GIVE UP. Think about it! How long should a baby try to learn how to walk? How long would you give the average baby before you say, “That's it, you've had your chance”? You say that's crazy? Of course it is. Any mother would say, “My baby is going to keep trying until he learns how to walk!” No wonder everyone walks. There is a vital lesson in this. Ask yourself, “How long am I going to work to make my dreams come true?” I suggest you answer, “As long as it takes.” That's what these four emotions are all about. By Jim Rohn

Do You Love Your Job?

Do You? Love your Job? People who want to retire so they can sit under a coconut tree watching the grass grow baffle me. We were created for meaningful work, and one of life's greatest pleasures is the satisfaction of a job well done. And yet, there are millions of people who don't like their job. There are over 600,000 ways to make a living in this country, yet job satisfaction surveys tell us that more than 50 percent of the working population claim to dislike their job. Something's wrong with this picture! I've discovered that loving the job you have, or finding a job you can love, is dependent on three things. I call these the "ABC's of Loving Your Job." Associates—Work with people you enjoy. For years, my INJOY friends have heard me brag on people like Dan Reiland, Tim Elmore and Dick Peterson. It has been my privilege to work alongside these men, and many other wonderful people, for years. For me, going to work is like going to a party—all my best friends will be there! I realize that not everyone is surrounded with my kind of staff. The good news is you can develop one. When I talk to leaders about hiring people, I advise them to hire first for affinity, second for character, third for specific skills. If you bring on someone you like whom you can trust, you can teach him or her whatever skills they need for the job. Regarding your existing staff, don't forget that people skills can be learned as well. If you are willing to make the investment, you can cultivate the right kind of people skills in them, helping them become the kind of people that everyone wants to be around. Belief—Trust that your work is worthwhile and making a vital difference. Legendary Indy 500 racecar driver Andy Granatelli said once, "When you are making a success of something, it's not work. It's a way of life. You enjoy yourself because you are making your contribution to the world." Bob Buford has written that many people spend the first half of their career pursuing success. When success alone is found to be lacking, they give the second half to the pursuit of significance, which is far more satisfying. If your job is not making a difference in this world, by all means, get out there and find something else. But in many situations, you'll find a sense of making a difference through your work if you simply look for it. Challenge—Find a job big enough to keep you growing for the rest of your life. Like too-small shoes pinch the feet, too small of a job pinches a leader's spirit. Cole Porter used to sing, "I want to ride to the ridge where the West commences. I can't look at hobbles and I can't stand fences. Don't fence me in." If the job you have now offers no opportunity to grow, decide to grow anyway. Invest in your own personal development, sharpening leadership skills, interpersonal skills, and technical skills. What you'll discover is that your organization will find a place for a person who has made a priority out of growth. And if they don't, the competition will! And keep this in mind when you consider your top performers: Are you providing room for your top performers to grow? If you don't, someone else will. Finding joy in your work, or evaluating a lack of joy, can be found by considering associates, beliefs, and challenges By J. Maxwell Leadership “Leaders, whether in the family, in business, in government, or in education, must not allow themselves to mistake intentions for accomplishments.” “Managers help people to see themselves as they are. Leaders help people to see themselves better than they are.” “When dealing with people, I generally take the obvious approach. When someone says, ‘This always happens to me and that always happens to me. Why do these things always happen to me?’ I simply say, ‘Beats me. I don't know. All I know is that those kinds of things seem to happen to people like you.’” “We could all use a little coaching. When you're playing the game, it's hard to think of everything.” “A good objective of leadership is to help those who are doing poorly to do well and to help those who are doing well to do even better.” “As a leader you should always start with where people are before you try to take them to where you want them to go.”