"Your Ticket to Success"

From September 2013

With leadership training in a couple of weeks and the new Leadership Teams taking over the first of October, it is time to think about the mission and vision statements for your chapter.

A Vision Statement is your ticket to success. A photograph in words of your Chapter's future, it provides the inspiration for the overall activities and the Chapter's strategic decisions.

It's the Vision Statement that provides the destination for the journey, and without a destination, how can you plan the route and arrive at your destination and achieve your goal(s)?

If you don't have a vision statement, don't panic. I bet you do have a vision of what you want your Chapter to accomplish; you just need to articulate and formalize it. 

Here's how to write a vision statement:

1) Examine Your Purpose/Mission.

Why do we exist? What is it you do well? How do you do it? 

   

Here is the Mission Statement for BNI:

Our mission is to help members increase their business through a structured, positive, and

professional "Word-of-Mouth" program that enables them to develop long-term, meaningful relationships with quality business professionals.

 

2) Dare to dream.

Before you can travel to the moon you have to look up at the stars. To write a vision statement, focus on the basics of your mission statement and extrapolate; where do you want your Chapter to be a year from now?  5 years from now?  What will your Chapter have accomplished? (i.e. Want to be a 40 person Chapter? What would that look like?)

Forming a mental picture will help. If you have trouble visualizing, mentally script your own news byte. Imagine that you are being profiled on the news. What are you and your Chapter being recognized for? For instance, imagine your current Chapter being featured on the news for adding it's 40^th member.

3) Shape your vision statement; apply the formula.

Maybe when you were picturing the future of your Chapter, you saw a whole list of achievements scroll by or imagined all sorts of disjointed clips. To write a vision statement, you need to transfer your vision into a usable form. Use the following formula to shape your vision statement:

A year from now, our Chapter will ___________________ by ________________________.

Using this formula to write a vision statement will force you to choose what you consider to be the most important accomplishment for Your Chapter and give you a time frame to accomplish it.

For instance, here's a sample vision statement:

A Year from now, Our Chapter will be the top grossing Chapter in BNI Georgia by consistently passing over 40 referrals per week to their Chapter's over 40 members.

4) Commit to your vision statement.

• Take action to make your vision statement come true: Use it as the basis of your Chapter's planning.

As the vision statement provides your destination, the 'where you want to get to', all of your goals and strategies will focus on making it happen. It's the natural basis for all of your business planning.

• Keep your vision statement alive: Share it with members, potential members, and BNI Leadership.  

If you just tell it to people once, your vision statement will fade and disappear. So besides talking about it, keep your vision statement alive by keeping it physically prominent. Read it aloud at every Chapter meeting; Print it on your programs; In your emails.....Wherever you, your members and future members will see it (and be reminded of it) daily.  

Make Your Vision Statement the Right One!

It isn't hard to write a vision statement. But it is sometimes difficult to write a vision statement that truly encapsulates the vision of the Chapter. When you write a vision statement, make sure that you have chosen the vision that is most important to the Chapter and to it's members. If all the members fully believe in the Chapter's vision statement, the members will be fully engaged, able to fully commit to it, get involved in it, and all will work towards the ultimate destination / Goal(s) of the Chapter.

I look forward to seeing and hearing your Chapter's Vision for the upcoming year. 

In appreciation,

Annette

Ask Correctly and You Shall Receive

How to Give a Good Infomercial that will  

get you Good Referrals

Do you want more referrals? Well Duh....of course you do.

Well then your job each week is to educate your sales team on how to find good referrals for you....NOT sell to them.     

From August 2013

So here are some key points to remember on how to do just that.

"Being specific is terrific"

• Have a laser focus that educates members about your products and services.
• Develop a curriculum for each week's meeting - and do it weeks or months in advance. Seriously, you need to take a week-by-week approach to what you are going to teach in your infomercial so that your members can remember important information so they can refer you effectively.
• Create that active learning environment predicated on training your referral sources i.e. your sales team.
• Teach others who to refer to you or how to refer you to others. The more specific the presentation you do, the better. The really differentiating qualities that could lead to closed business
• Give examples of past TYFCB and why it was a good referral
• Tell stories of work you have done for your best clients
• Use visual aids (See the example below)

The key to getting referrals is to educate people how to refer you - and make sure they remember what you have taught them.    

For Example:

Dr. Misner says this is The best 60-second commercial he has ever seen done. It was by a florist in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

This florist stood up when it was his turn, and reached under the table, pulling out a single rose. The rose was maybe 8-12" long, kind of small but in good shape. It had cellophane around it and a grocery store sticker on it. He held up the rose and said, "What do you guys think of this rose?"

Everybody looked at it, and they knew it came from a grocery store, but nobody would say anything because it looked really good. He said, "It's okay. You can be honest. This is a pretty good looking rose, isn't it? I bought it at the Winn Dixie grocery store right next door. They do a pretty nice job on their roses."

Then he said, "Let me show you my rose."

He reached under the table again, and he pulled out another rose. I swear, this thing had to be 18" to two feet long. It was gigantic - two or three times the size of the flower from the grocery store. He held them both up by the bottom.

He said, "Here's a grocery store rose. Here's my rose. They're basically only three cents different in price....and mine's cheaper."

That was so powerful. I am pretty sure that almost everybody in that room was thinking, I'm an idiot if I buy roses at the grocery store. Not only am I getting a higher perceived value, but his will cost me less.

To me, this was probably one of the best examples of a 60-second introduction that I have ever heard in my life, because he was truly training a sales force. He was being laser-specific. He spent that presentation strictly talking about a rose. I could see him at his floral shop behind the scenes, training an employee on the difference between grocery store roses and their floral shop roses.

Why was this presentation so good?

• He led with value.
• He trained a sales force.
• He was extremely specific.
• It was memorable.

Educate people about your products and services. You'll receive better results from your fellow members, if you Give them something they can really envision and remember when they find themselves in a position to talk about your business to other people.

In appreciation,

Annette

Weekly Presentation AKA Infomercial

From July 2013 - Want to get Great Referrals?  It all starts with your Weekly presentation aka Infomercial.  This is your time to let your Sales Team know exactly who/what  your perfect referral would be.  Breaking it  down to LCDs (Lowest Common Denominator) is a simple easy way to convey your message.

Lowest Common Denominators (LCDs)

By breaking your product or service down to its most basic form,  

or Lowest Common Denominator (LCD), you will be able to  

effectively describe what you do. This is done to communicate  

to your Chapter members what are good referrals for you.  Keep it simple.  Do not use technical jargon or industry acronyms.  Explain in terms a 5th grader would understand.

A Good Weekly Presentation consists of 5 Key Elements

1. Introduction - Your Name, Your Company Name, Your Industry (What you do)

2.Your Products and/or Services - Briefly describe ONE of the products/services you offer each week.  BNI calls this your LCD or Lowest Common Denominator.  Break down your service or product into its most basic form LCD.). 

3. What Your Products/ Servies Do - (Benefit)  What will your product or service do for the referral you're looking for?  Why do they buy this from you?  What you really want to describe here is the benefit of your product/service.  Telling a brief is often very helpful.

4. Ask for the Referral - The referral/introduction I'm looking for today is..."  What to look for (WTLF); be extra-specific.  Tell your sales team what action to take for you.  Give them a 'conversation starter," i.e. What to say for you.  The idea here is to be as specific as possible.  Ask for the specific contact or an introduction to a company you are trying to meet.

5. Close - Your Name, Your Company, and a Memory Hook (aka Tag Line).

You can use props that you can show to make a strong impression.  The more things people  

can see, hear, feel, etc. the more likely they are to remember your message. 

Be memorable,

Annette

How the best in every field rise to the top

7 Great Success Habits  by Brian Tracy

From February 2013 - The habits of success have been studied by great thinkers and philosophers for at least 2,500 years.  After personally studying the subject for more than 30 years, I have found that the very best people have the very best habits.  Based on these findings, I have identified seven habits that you need to develop if you want to perform at your very best in everything you do.

1. Goal orientation.  You need to become a habitual goal setter, and dedicate yourself to working from clear, written goals every day of your life.


2. Result orientation.  Result orientation is made up of two practices.  The first is the practice of continuously learning so that you become better at what you do.  The second practice is that of time management, which means setting very clear priorities on what you do and then concentrating single-mindedly on the most valuable use of your time.


3. Action orientation.  This is really the most important habit for material success.  It is the ability to get on with the job and get it done fast.  Fast tempo in whatever you do is essential to your success.  You need to overcome procrastination, push aside your fears, and launch 100% toward the achievement of your most important goals.
4. People orientation.  This is your decision to cultivate within yourself the habits of patience, kindness, compassion, and understanding.  Virtually all of your happiness in life will come from your ability to get along well with other people.  And getting along well with other people is based on a set of habits that you have learned, or failed to learn, from childhood.  But it is never too late to become a wonderful human being in your relationships with others.  The more you practice being a truly excellent person in your relationship with others, the more you will internalize those qualities and actually become that person.


5. Health orientation.  This means that you must make a conscious effort to eat the right foods in the right proportions.  You must exercise on a regular basis, continually using every muscle and joint of your body to keep it young and fit.  And finally, you must have regular habits of rest and recreation that will enable you, in combination with diet and exercise, to live a long, full life.  Remember, your health is the single most important thing you have, and it is completely dependent upon the habits you develop with regard to the way you live.


6. Character orientation.  In the final analysis, the character you develop as you go through life is more important than virtually anything else.  Honesty means that you practice the "reality principle" in everything you do.  You are completely objective with yourself and with the world around you.  You set very clear values for yourself and you organize your life around your values.  You develop a vision for yourself and then you live your life consistent with your highest ideals.  You never compromise your integrity or peace of mind for anyone or anything. This attitude of honesty will enable you to enjoy all of the other habits that you are developing.
7. Self-discipline orientation. This final habit guarantees all the others.  Your ability to discipline yourself, to master yourself, to control yourself, goes hand in hand with success in every area of life. My favorite definition of self-discipline comes from Elbert Hubbard: "Self-discipline is the ability to make yourself do what you should do, when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not." 

Every one of these habits--goal orientation, result orientation, action orientation, people orientation, health orientation, honesty, and self-discipline--can be developed and must be developed for great success.

Now, here are three steps you can take immediately to put these ideas into action:

First, write out and review your goals each morning before you start out; then work on them all day long.

Second, practice the very best health habits you know until they become second nature; be firm with yourself;

Third, discipline yourself daily to do the things you should do, when you should do them, whether you feel like it or not.

In appreciation,

Annette

Are You Really Adding Value?

From July 2013 - The inspiration for this article is from an Action Coach newsletter from a few years ago.  

In our Chapter each week when we are asked to give our 60 second infomercial, our president asks us to give our  'Value Proposition.'  What makes us different from those in our industry, from our competition?

Businesses talk about value, but what is it really, and how do we make it work for us and our business?  Do we really add value to your products and services? 

Far to many business owners use 'value' as part of an ad but don't believe it is an integral part of what they do.   

Here are 6 key points to 'Really Add Value:'

1.  To really add value in your business do more than you say you will, as in provide added value, even when it isn't expected.

2.  To really add value, do the unexpected.  Go the extra mile, make the extra call.  Like the BNI creed of 'givers gain,' more is more effective.

3.  To really add value, make sure the product or service you deliver is better than any competitor.  Sounds easy, but many businesses fail to grasp this one.

  

4.  To really add value, take customer service to a new level in your industry.  Do whatever it takes to deliver quality products / services on time (or sooner) to your customer's satisfaction or even better to their Delight!   

5.  To really add value, always remember to follow up to insure your customer is delighted with your product / service.  To make sure everything is working properly, to see if they have additional questions, need help, etc.    

6.  To really add value, say Thank You!  Let your customer know just how much you really appreciate their business.  A traditional Thank You card sent through the US mail will make you and your business 'Stand out in the crowd!    

And not only will you stand out in the crowd, your customers will keep coming back to you for your products and services and refer you to their friends and business associates. 

In Appreciation,

Annette

Are You a Giver or a Taker?

 From June 2013 - I found this article to be very interesting.  Be sure and read it to the very end and take the quiz.  I did.  It was very insightful.   

Givers or Takers: Which Rise to the Top?

Author of bestselling book "Give and Take" helps identify if givers really gain.

By Adam Grant, Wharton's youngest tenured professor and top-rated teacher

Every time we interact with another person at work, we have a choice to make: Do we try to claim as much value as we can, or do we contribute value without worrying about what we receive in return? Over the past three decades, in a series of groundbreaking studies, social scientists have discovered that people differ dramatically in their preferences for reciprocity-their desired mix of taking and giving. To shed some light on these preferences, let me introduce you to two kinds of people who fall at opposite ends of the reciprocity spectrum. I call them takers and givers.

Takers have a distinctive signature: they like to get more than they give. They tilt reciprocity in their own favor, putting their own interests ahead of others' needs. Takers believe that the world is a competitive, dog-eat-dog place. They feel that to succeed, they need to be better than others. To prove their competence, they self-promote and make sure they get plenty of credit for their efforts. Garden-variety takers aren't cruel or cutthroat; they're just cautious and self-protective. "If I don't look out for myself first," takers think, "no one will."

In the workplace, givers are a relatively rare breed. They tilt reciprocity in the other direction, preferring to give more than they get. Whereas takers tend to be self-focused, evaluating what other people can offer them, givers are other-focused, paying more attention to what other people need from them. These preferences aren't about money: givers and takers aren't distinguished by how much they donate to charity or the compensation that they command from their employers. Rather, givers and takers differ in their attitudes and actions toward other people. If you're a taker, you help others strategically, when the benefits to you outweigh the personal costs. If you're a giver, you might use a different cost-benefit analysis: you help whenever the benefits to others exceed the personal costs. Alternatively, you might not think about the personal costs at all, helping others without expecting anything in return. If you're a giver at work, you simply strive to be generous in sharing your time, energy, knowledge, skills, ideas, and connections with other people who can benefit from them.

It's tempting to reserve the giver label for larger-than-life heroes such as Mother Teresa or Mahatma Gandhi, but being a giver doesn't require extraordinary acts of sacrifice. It just involves a focus on acting in the interests of others, such as by giving help, providing mentoring, sharing credit, or making connections for others. Outside the workplace, this type of behavior is quite common. According to research led by Yale psychologist Margaret Clark, most people act like givers in close relationships. In marriages and friendships, we contribute whenever we can without keeping score.

But in the workplace, give and take becomes more complicated. Professionally, few of us act purely like givers or takers, adopting a third style instead. We become matchers, striving to preserve an equal balance of giving and getting. Matchers operate on the principle of fairness: when they help others, they protect themselves by seeking reciprocity. If you're a matcher, you believe in tit for tat, and your relationships are governed by even exchanges of favors.

If I asked you to guess who's the most likely to end up at the bottom of the success ladder, what would you say-takers, givers, or matchers? Professionally, all three reciprocity styles have their own benefits and drawbacks. But there's one style that proves more costly than the other two.

Research demonstrates that givers sink to the bottom of the success ladder. Across a wide range of important occupations, givers are at a disadvantage: they make others better off but sacrifice their own success in the process. In one study, when more than 160 professional engineers in California rated one another on help given and received, the least successful engineers were those who gave more than they received. These givers had the worst objective scores in their firm for the number of tasks, technical reports, and drawings completed-not to mention errors made, deadlines missed, and money wasted. Going out of their way to help others prevented them from getting their own work done.

The same pattern emerges in medical school. In a study of more than 600 medical students in Belgium, the students with the lowest grades had unusually high scores on giver statements like "I love to help others" and "I anticipate the needs of others." The givers went out of their way to help their peers study, sharing what they already knew at the expense of filling gaps in their own knowledge, and it gave their peers a leg up at test time. Salespeople are no different. In a study I led of salespeople in North Carolina, compared with takers and matchers, givers brought in two and a half times less annual sales revenue. They were so concerned about what was best for their customers that they weren't willing to sell aggressively. Across occupations, it appears that givers are just too caring, too trusting, and too willing to sacrifice their own interests for the benefit of others.

So if givers are most likely to land at the bottom of the success ladder, who's at the top-takers or matchers?

Neither. When I took another look at the data, I discovered a surprising pattern: It's the givers again. 

As we've seen, the engineers with the lowest productivity are mostly givers. But when we look at the engineers with the highest productivity, the evidence shows that they're givers too. The California engineers with the best objective scores for quantity and quality of results are those who consistently give more to their colleagues than they get. The worst performers and the best performers are givers; takers and matchers are more likely to land in the middle.

This pattern holds up across the board. The Belgian medical students with the lowest grades have unusually high giver scores, but so do the students with the highest grades. Over the course of medical school, being a giver accounts for 11 percent higher grades. Even in sales, I found that the least productive salespeople had 25 percent higher giver scores than average performers-but so did the most productive salespeople. The top performers were givers, and they averaged 50 percent more annual revenue than the takers and matchers. Givers dominate the bottom and the top of the success ladder. Across occupations, if you examine the link between reciprocity styles and success, the givers are more likely to become champs-not only chumps. It's not a coincidence that BNI founder and chairman Ivan Misner needs just two words to describe his guiding philosophy: "Givers Gain."

Give and Take examines surprising studies and stories that illuminate how giving can be more powerful-and less dangerous-than most people believe. Along the way, I'll introduce you to successful givers from many different walks of life, including consultants, lawyers, doctors, engineers, salespeople, writers, entrepreneurs, accountants, teachers, financial advisers, and sports executives. These givers reverse the popular plan of succeeding first and giving back later, raising the possibility that those who give first are often best positioned for success later. Along the way, you'll find out how one of America's best networkers developed his connections, why the genius behind one of the most successful shows in television history toiled for years in anonymity, how a basketball executive responsible for some of the worst draft busts in history turned things around to build a winning franchise, and how we could have spotted the takers at Enron four years before the company collapsed-without looking at a single number.

To assess your own style of give and take, visit www.giveandtake.com 

Reprinted by arrangement with Viking, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., from Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Successby Adam Grant.  Copyright © 2013 by Adam Grant

Adam Grant is Wharton's youngest tenured professor and single highest-rated teacher, and a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. He has appeared on the Today Show and been profiled in the New York Times magazine cover story, "Is giving the secret to getting ahead?"  His speaking and consulting clients include Google, the NFL, Merck, Pixar, Goldman Sachs, Facebook, the World Economic Forum, the United Nations, and the U.S. Army and Navy.  He is a former award-winning advertising director, junior Olympic springboard diver, and professional magician.  For more details, see www.giveandtake.com 

Tags: Adam Grant, Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success, givers gain, June 2013 Edition, networking 

May you be a Giver,

Annette

Is Your Chapter Behind Door #1, 2, or 3?

From May 2013 - "Which door is your chapter behind - 1, 2, or 3?" Here are the definitions.

• Door #1. A chapter that isn't growing and whose members are having trouble inviting visitors. Visitors don't seem interested when they attend a meeting. Plus, members aren't passing a lot of referrals, and the chapter's energy is low.


• Door #2:  A once-hot chapter, that maybe even once received a Founder's Award.  However, over the last six months or so the chapter has lost key members and doesn't seem able to get membership back up.  They are living the 80/20 rule, where 20% of the members are passing 80% of the referrals. The chapter is also concerned that some of the members won't renew.


• Door #3:  A really successful chapter, growing like hotcakes. Revenues are climbing steadily each month. In short, the chapter is on fire and wants to get hotter. Everyone loves BNI and is excited about being on the team.

What is really interesting is that no matter how young or seasoned the chapter is, they always know immediately which door is theirs. The door analogy provides a fun and easy picture for chapters to assess where they are, where they want to be.

A great program for chapters to get back on track and/or to be more successful is the Diamond Growth Program.

So how does this work with chapters and doors 1, 2, and 3?

Chapters behind Door #1 are still forming as a team. They are a work in progress. They know where the locker room is, so to speak; they just aren't quite sure how to get there. Teams that are forming will focus on the BNI fundamentals so they can recommit and re-energize members. Sometimes they need extra resource coaching for motivation and support.

Chapters behind Door #2 have formed as a team and are now concentrating on the skills needed to win. They see the value of the BNI windsprints and how to apply these as a team. This is why they spend more time on establishing revenue and referral goals, and digging into the VCP Process® to strategize with one another in their 1-to-1s as well as strategize about which visitors to invite.

Chapters behind Door #3 are the team to watch, because they are playing to win. They are great at doing the windsprints. Like any winning team, they want more. This is why they use Diamond Growth to go even faster and create inspiration and motivation that takes them to doors they never even thought of.

Where's your team? Are you behind door 1, 2, or 3?

Talk to your Director about bringing the Diamond Growth Program for your Chapter.

To your success,

Annette

Get a G. R. I. P. ......on Inviting Visitors

From March 2013 - I know you hear this every week at your BNI meetings and you may be saying to yourself, why is it up to me to invite visitors?  Ask yourself, who invited you?   

I recently attended Networking Redefined and the discussion came up about what is BNI doing to help us grow.  The BNI local franchise as well as National and International continuously works on branding and marketing BNI.  You can Google Dr. Ivan Misner, BNI, Business Network International, BNI Atlanta, etc. to get an idea of what our infrastructure does to support local chapters.   

In addition to promoting and marketing BNI, the local franchise supports each chapter by following up with their visitors.  If a person is interested in BNI, but the time or location isn't a good fit, then they put them in touch with a chapter that will meet their needs.  They host periodic meetings, like Networking Redefined, that are open to the public.  They participate in Trade Shows to expose the business community to BNI.  They help us with  our Social Media.  Each Chapter I support has a BNI Facebook Business Page which is a great place to showcase and promote your local Chapter. 

An interesting thing that was pointed out in all the research that has been done over the years about where do new members come from, was that the majority of people join a BNI chapter because a friend and/or business colleague recommended and invited them to a BNI meeting.   

I often hear from members, well I don't know anyone who wants to join BNI.  And I say....Don't ask them to join.   

All of us know other people in business who we do business with or meet at other networking events.   

Here is a simple acronym we can use.....

G - Are you looking to GROW your business?

R - Would REFERRALS help you Grow your business? (if yes) 

I -  I would like to INVITE you to a meeting of other business people who might be able to refer business to you.  Would you be interested in attending? (if yes) 

P - Great!  (Give the the time and PLACE)   

If we all do a small part, we all reap the benefits of a larger chapter, more referrals, which equates to more $$$$$.  More Members Mean More Money.

Keep Inviting,

Annette

Has your motivation left you? Four ways to win it back

From 2/2013 - This article is from a daily email I receive from http://Unclutterer.com.  

  I thought this one was particularity good in regards to staying motivated and to continue to work on the goals and resolutions we set for the New Year.  

January is the National Association of Professional Organizers' Get Organized Month. The timing makes sense as many people tend to be focused on resolutions, goals, and ambitions at the beginning of the year. But, in addition to the calendar year changing, holidays, your birthday, and even the change in seasons are great times to focus on the things you'd like to accomplish and begin implementing a plan of attack.

Still, even with the best intentions, you might find yourself struggling to stay in touch with your usually motivated self. You didn't mean for things to end up this way, they just did. In fact, you most likely started out with an abundance of enthusiasm. You were in sync with the part of yourself that was feeling particularly inspired. And, then one day you realized that you sort of drifted apart. You started putting those important goals aside until you didn't feel like doing them anymore. Your motivation simply got up and left.

For most of us, the break up with the positive feelings that keep us pushing toward a goal is not uncommon. We even know when it's going to happen. A new study conducted by Andrea Bonezzi, assistant marketing professor at New York University's Stern School of Business et al. appears to back this up:

Whether you have a business goal of increasing market share, hope to lose 20 pounds, or have vowed to read Moby Dick, you may have noticed that somewhere around midway to your goal, motivation wanes ... this sort of fourth-inning slump is a common, predictable pattern.

The author goes on to say that if your starting and ending points seem very distant from each other, you're likely to "lose motivation to keep working toward that goal." What should you do if your motivation deserts you? Though you might be feeling the burdensome weight of a (seemingly) irreparable relationship with your formerly motivated self, there are specific actions you can take to win your motivation back.

The first step, of course, is to recognize that feeling less eager to complete a task may very well happen. Life's little (and big) adventures can sometimes leave you feeling discouraged. But, since you know this ahead of time, you can:

Make a solid plan

By now, you've read some of our posts that suggest you break your goals (especially the big, hairy ones) into manageable, attainable chunks. To fortify your resolve and keep moving positively toward your goal, why not also include mini trophies for each milestone you reach or task you accomplish? Knowing that you have something to look forward to at various points in your journey can help you stay motivated. You might choose to have different rewards for small steps and a large one when you've reached the finish line.

Join a program or support group

Think you need a bit more support to get your motivation back even though you have a well crafted plan? There is truth to there being strength in numbers, so consider seeking the support of others. You may want to take a look at Peter Walsh's 31 Days to Get Organized challenge. He has been sharing daily organizing tips on his Facebook page ranging from getting control of kids toys to tackling paper piles. Since many of his tips are recorded, you can watch them whenever you need to on YouTube. In the Unclutterer Forums, there is an active group of people who are trying this challenge and writing about their successes and hiccups in their community. The discussion is Peter Walsh's January Organizing Challenge, if you're interested in participating.

The Apartment Therapy January Home Cure (daily tips and ideas to stay motivated) is coming a close soon, but you can still sign up and see all the Cure assignments. They will also be offering another Cure later in the year, but, in the meantime, check out the companion book, Apartment Therapy: The Eight-Step Home Cure. Again, there is a group in the Unclutterer Forums discussing their progress in this program in the discussion January Home Cure.

Use resources that you've had success with in the past

If you've ever read a book or blog post or even listened to a podcast that left you feeling ready to conquer your projects, dust them off and give them a second look. Chances are, if they worked for you in the past, they're likely to work for you again. Of course, you can check out some of our previous posts on what to do when you just don't feel very inspired. You can also hop on over to the Unclutterer Forum to share your experiences.

Take something off your plate

I've discovered that sometimes my motivation goes on walkabout when I have said "yes" one time too many. I want to be helpful, but more than that, I want to make sure that when I do say yes, I can do my absolute best. Feelings of being overwhelmed and stressed can increase when you feel pulled in too many directions. Take a look at your responsibilities to see if there is something you can share or pass on to someone else entirely. You'll breathe a little easier and will probably start feeling more positive.

Though you may not feel as enthusiastic about your goals as you did at the outset, don't give up. Revise your plan and look for ways you can keep your spirits and motivation high.

Stay Motivated,

Annette

Purpose

In addition to having my own blog for my business since 2006, as a director with an international networking group, I have published a monthly newsletter since 2013.  The purpose of this blog is to archive the articles from those newsletters and provide a reference resource.

Please be patient as I pull these articles and post them to this blog.

I sincerely hope that this information will be helpful and provide insight.  Comments and feedback are welcomed and appreciated.

In appreciation,

Annette