Monday Insights 2010

December 13, 2010 - Does this current economy have you constantly defending what you do and why you are doing it? Are you defending your price? Are you defending your approach? Are you defending your role? Are you defending your personal decisions in expenditures? If this is the case, then you are allowing others to mandate your actions versus you taking charge and taking inspired action. Instead of allowing others to put you on the defensive, place yourself on the offensive by gaining the confidence and information necessary to respond and proactively move forward. Confirm how whatever you are doing is in the best interests of your company, your livelihood, those you serve, or those you love. Affirm to yourself how what you are doing supports and nurtures your ultimate purpose and desires.

Take an MM&I Moment to shift from defending to powerfully and passionately professing your position, approach, decisions or role. Make a list of all the reasons why what you are doing is for the greater good, creates more value, considers more options, offers a new perspective, gains greater buy-in, builds better loyalty, provides solutions, turns adversity into opportunity, allows personal growth and the list goes on. By going on the offensive, you will find that what was once oppressing is now invigorating and best of all, inspiring you to move forward in a positive, productive way.

Synergized Quote of the Week
“A successful person is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks that others throw at him or her.” - David Brinkley

Savvy Secret Tip of the Week
Don’t let the current economic landscape make you think you must cast your net wider to catch new customers or more sales. Our research has shown that businesses as a whole do a poor job in effectively informing existing customers in an ongoing manner about offerings and also do a poor job in effectively identifying and targeting additional markets which would buy repackaged or existing offerings within their current geographic footprint. Growth companies understand both of these very well, hence why they are growing in spite of this recession.

November 1, 2010 - Are you making room in your life for what you really want? Or are you allowing everything around you dictate what you do and what you focus upon? If you are feeling pulled in many directions, it is because you are allowing others and circumstances to rule what you do. It is time to take charge and make room for YOU … your dreams … turning "can't imagine" into "can do" … your passions … doing things that simply make your heart sing … your legacy … building how you want to be remembered and appreciated.

Take an MM&I Moment to list all the things that seem to be pulling and tugging at you or distracting you from what you would really like to be doing. Can you delegate? Can you let go? Can you ask for help or consideration? Can you reprioritize? Can you postpone because it wasn't as urgent as everyone thinks? Can you hand off to someone else that would enjoy more than you anyway? Whatever "it" or these things are … you do have choices and options when it comes to doing what you really want to be doing. Make the choice this week to make room in your life for what means the most to you and you will be amazed at how things begin to flow into place in the most unexpected ways.

Synergized Quote of the Week
"By prevailing over all obstacles and distractions, one may unfailingly arrive at his chosen goal or destination." – Christopher Columbus

Savvy Secret Tip of the Week
Don't be ordinary, be extraordinary in your communications and when showing your appreciation to customers. With the holidays fast approaching, you may be thinking about the card or special gift you are going to give to clients or customers. Instead of focusing on the religious holidays, which can pose challenges with a very diverse customer base anyway, why not focus on Thanksgiving or the New Year instead? By sending a card and/or gift at Thanksgiving, you are beating everyone else to the punch. By sending a New Year's greeting and thank you, you are helping everyone kick off the year with your company top of mind.

October 11, 2010 - On your journey towards achievement, do you surround yourself with inspiration? In the people you associate with? In the work that you perform? In the place you live? In the things you do? In the way that you think? Look around you. If you are not feeling inspired, it could be that you need to sprinkle a few doses of inspiration throughout your work and your life. When you are surrounded by inspiration, you cannot help but be inspired to do more, be more, achieve more.

Take an MM&I Moment to list ways you can make inspiration a part of every day to continually nurture your passion for what you are doing. Then incorporate them into your life one inspirational piece at a time. Before you know it, you will be inspired beyond what you thought imaginable and you will be amazed at how much you will also inspire others along with you! Need a little help? CLICK HERE for some simple ways I have made inspiration a part of my everyday way of being to get some ideas of your own.

Synergized Quote of the Week

“Allow yourself to be inspired. Allow yourself to succeed. Dare to excel.”

- Vince Dente

Savvy Secret Tip of the Week
Are you giving your customers a reason to prefer you over your competitors? If you are focusing your efforts around the customer always being right, you may just be placing your company at a disadvantaage versus an advantage. CLICK HERE to read my Savvy Business Owner column, "If the customer is always right, then you could be losing business!"

September 20, 2010 - Is your business or work giving you the ability to have a life you love or is your entire life your work or your business? If you live and breathe your work, then something is missing that could very well be affecting your ability to be truly in love with your life. And chances are, it is indirectly affecting how effective you really are at your work as well. Take an MM&I Moment to list at least seven things what would make you love your life outside of work. Then choose one of them and make a list of just one or two things you can do to make this part of your life come to life. Once you start bringing life to your life, you will be amazed at how satisfying your work will become as well.

Synergized Quote of the Week
"Be glad of life because it gives you the chance to love and to work and to play and to look up at the stars." - Henry Van Dyke

Savvy Secret Tip of the Week
If you cannot answer yes to these questions, then it is time to update your homepage. Does the home page of your website immediately give your visitors numerous reasons and ways to click further into your website besides the navigation itself? Does it inspire someone to want to go deeper into your site? Does it immediately distinguish you compared to competitors?

August 2, 2010 - Are you having a difficult time making a decision about something? There is great power that comes from simply deciding to move forward. Don’t allow indecision to cause you to take some steps backward. If you cannot make a clear decision because you need more information, then seek more information. If you cannot make a firm decision because you need someone else’s input, then seek someone else’s input. If you cannot make a decision out of fear of making a wrong decision, then seek from within you why this fear exists and identify ways to overcome the fear.

Take an MM&I Moment to list at least three ways you can move yourself forward to help you make a confident decision. Is it more information? It is talking to someone? Is it taking some time for yourself? Is it spending some time with others? Whatever it is, focus on how you can move one step closer to a decision being made. And then once the decision is made, you can be confident that you took the necessary steps to reach the best possible decision.

Synergized Quote of the Week

“One step gets you started, then momentum keeps you going, then purpose keeps it flowing.” - Ralph Marston

March 22, 2010 - Is there something that you would like to improve about yourself or your world around you? Notice I didn’t use the word change? A focus on continuous improvement creates something better whereas a continuous focus on changing creates chaos and discontent. Every day there is an opportunity for us to improve something. This does not mean we are changing, but it does mean we are evolving. And to be continuously evolving and growing is where real bliss can be known and appreciated, and where opportunities appear when you least expect them.

Take an MM&I Moment to list some ways you can improve over the next week. Then make a list of anything you find you want to change, and alter that statement to what you want to improve. Move forward with confidence that you are now of the mindset of making you, work, life and the world better.

Synergized Quote of the Week
"There's always room for improvement. It's the biggest room in the house." - Louise Heath Leber