What’s Most Important?

"What does it matter how much we do

if what we're doing isn't what matters most?"

-Stephen Covey, First Things First

It has been several months since I published an article.  I’ve been focused on a few things I’m passionate about.  As you may recall from my last article published in July, I was cast in The Sound of Music and practically lived in the theatre for the month of September during our dress rehearsals and 15-performance run. 

In August I took a family vacation to Mexico, where I completely unhooked myself from the telephone and the Internet. Getting away helped me to gain perspective on what’s most important.  I spent some time asking myself these questions, and I invite you to do the same.  Write down your responses. 

1. CONTRIBUTION:  Each of us was put on this earth to solve a problem or contribute in some powerful way. If you are not sharing your gifts with others, you are stealing from them.  It’s not just a good idea to show up and serve in this way . . . it’s your responsibility! 
   • What are your unique strengths, talents and passions that you were put here to share with others? 
   • What do you love to do that you are not presently doing?

2. FOCUS:  The most successful people spend 80% of their time focusing on and maximizing their strengths, not trying to improve on their weaknesses. If you are an “idea junkie,” let go of some of the good ideas in order to stay focused on the great ones.  Allowing your mind to be scattered or unfocused zaps your energy and keeps you from working productively and getting the most important things done.  Focus leads to taking powerful action, which leads to results. Focus on what you want, not on what you don't want? (Whatever you focus on, that's what you'll get more of!) 
   • If you were to spend five percent more time focusing on taking action, what specific actions could you take now?  What are three things you choose to focus on in the next month? 

     Personally:

     1.
     2.
     3.
     
     Professionally:

     1.
     2.
     3.

   "Only one thing has to change for us to know happiness in our lives: where we focus our attention." -Greg Anderson (founder of the American Wellness Project)

2. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT:  Over the last several months I have invested energy and resources in some personal development work with Jack Canfield (The Success Principles ) and Hale Dwoskin (The Sedona Method). I am already receiving huge returns on that investment.
   • What books, courses or coaching will support you in developing your strengths?
   • What, if anything, needs to change in your environment in order to support you in developing your strengths?
     
     
     
3. GOALS:   Stretch yourself and go for something really important to you. Whatever you achieve, you are paying for it with your time. Make sure it's worth the asking price.
   • What is your vision that is worthy of your life's energy? 
   • List three goals that are worthy of your life.

     1.
     2.
     3.

     
     
     

4. HABITS:   Successful people have formed the habit of doing the things they don't like doing.  We all have things to do that we avoid doing, even though we know it would be good for us to do them. 

• What is ONE thing personally and professionally that you don't want to do today, but if you did it, would move your personal and work life forward in a powerful way?

  -- Personal:
  -- Professional:
  

• How will you benefit from forming these habits?

  -- Personally:
  -- Professionally:

6. VALUE:  Give yourself away. Lead with value. Go where you are celebrated, not just tolerated.  Become a walking resource or solution for all the people you meet by sharing what you know and who you know with others.   Albert Einstein once said, “Don’t look to become a person of success. Look instead to become a person of value.”

• What are three things that you have, know or do, that you can give away in the next 72 hours?
  1.
  2.
  3.

7. RELATIONSHIPS:  Not all relationships are created equal.  We all have the ability to build relationships with people who can have a major positive influence in our lives.  What you give to others will come back to you tenfold when you give with no expectation of anything in return. 
   • Who are the ten most important people in your life?  Include personal and professional relationships.  Next to each name, note what they want out of life and how you can you help them get it. 

     1.
     2.
     3.
     4.
     5.
     6.
     7.
     8.
     9.
     10.

Did you write down your responses to the questions or assignments in bold above? If not, please go back and do so before continuing.

Now that you have written down your responses, go back through them and create at least one “I AM” (or "I HAVE") statement for each.  An “I AM” statement is intended to project you into the future, as if you already are doing, being, or having whatever you desire.  Here’s an example:

HABITS:  
Personal habit: Exercise daily for 30-60 minutes.
Professional habit:  Do weekly and daily planning to keep me focused on my priorities.

I AM Statements created from responses:
I am exercising daily for 30-60 minutes.
I am doing my weekly planning every Friday afternoon.
I am doing daily planning at the end of each workday for tomorrow.
I have all the time I need and am accomplishing my most important priorities.

Once you have created your “I AM” (or I HAVE) statements, write them on 3 x 5 cards and read them at least once each day.  You will be amazed at the power of reviewing these statements.

Shameless Plugs

People who know me well know that I love to learn, and I am constantly investing in my own personal development.  This year has been no exception.  I like to stay on the cutting edge!

I have recently participated in or benefited from several services.  I recommend you check them out if they serve a need you have:

Jack Canfield’s “Breakthrough to Success” Workshop
Jack has written a bestseller called The Success Principles.  In this 7-day workshop he takes you through the core parts of the book and makes it come alive.  It is very interactive and I learned a lot from my week with Jack.  In November I will attend the Advanced Training for this course, and in 2008 I will participate in Jack’s Platinum Mastermind Group for a full year.
http://www.jackcanfield.com/

Hale Dwoskin’s Sedona Method Workshop
I just returned from a powerful weeklong workshop about The Sedona Method -- a self-help technique designed to examine any emotion that one is experiencing and then "let it go" or release it in the moment. The basic premise is that all emotions naturally come and go out of experience unless one resists them. The idea is supported in the writings of Carl Jung who noted, "What we resist persists." Hale Dwoskin, President of Sedona Training Associates, is the primary teacher and facilitator of The Sedona Method. 

Alex Mandossian – Teleseminar Secrets
I recently sat in on a two-hour teleseminar conducted by Alex Mandossian.  I was absolutely riveted to my chair the whole time.  The call was packed with incredible ideas and I can see how Alex has generated over $233 million in sales and profits for his clients and partners since 1991 via "electronic marketing" media.  He shares all of his secrets and templates with participants of his Teleseminar Secrets teleseminar series beginning in December:   Alex's teleseminar series is a must for service providers looking for ways to generate more passive income and serve larger audiences outside of your own geographical confines.

Instant Teleseminar
This is an easy-to-use platform for conducting teleseminars. I have been using it for several months, and it makes delivering and recording teleseminars so easy. Up to 200 participants can call into a bridge line from a telephone, while unlimited numbers of people can also listen either live or to a Webcast replay via the Internet (no phone or long distance call required).  Click here to try it for $1 for the first month.

SendOutCards
T’is the season to begin preparing to send holiday cards to those we care about – friends, family, service professionals who make our lives easier, prospects, clients / customers / patients, referral partners, etc.  This used to be a huge task for me.  Not anymore! 

Two years ago I started using SendOutCards – an Internet-based company that enables you to create a real paper greeting card online, type your message, and click SEND.  SendOutCards does the rest – printing, stuffing, licking, stamping (with a real stamp), addressing, and taking it to the post office for you on whatever date you want it mailed.  Here are some of my favorite features:

• They’ll print your message with your own “handwriting” font and signature.
• You can ask them to add a gift card or gift check to the greeting card, or even have them send a physical gift with your card (gift boxes filled with such things as gourmet candy, nuts, brownies, cookies, coffee, tea, and cocoa).
• For less than a dollar per card, you can create a custom card with your own photo.  Remember, SendOutCards does all the work, so you are receiving a product (card) AND a service (preparation of the mailing)…a huge time and money saver.
• There’s a campaign feature built into the system, so you can type your message once, then create a group (friends and family, for example), and ask SendOutCards to mail that card to each person in the group.  When SendOutCards prints your cards, they insert the recipients’ name(s) into each card, so the message is personalized.  Also, after you click “send” and before it gets printed, you can edit individual cards in a campaign to make each card more personal.

I liked this service so much and found it to be such an incredible productivity tool that I became a distributor for SendOutCards.  If you would like to try it for free, please contact me at Kathy@orgcoach.net or 425-881-6627 and let me know.  I’ll set up a gift account and you can send a few cards out on my nickel and see what you think.