One of my favorite quotes is by Henry Ford, “whether you think you can or think you cannot, either way you are right”. Our mind is a powerful barometer to our own success, and if we let it get the best of us, it will talk us out of anything that is a stretch, or uncomfortable, stifling growth and detouring success.

Maybe you start to set goals for yourself, but then you suddenly have nagging thoughts about how you aren’t up to the task or how you simply aren’t qualified to carry it through?

If you have ever experienced either situation, you need to change the way you respond to your inner critic, and yes, we all have one.  Instead of buying into this primitive mechanism that is designed to keep you safe, you can learn to use positive self-talk to counter the negativity and overcome nearly all anxious thoughts – priceless!

Setting Goals and Sticking to Them with Positive Self-Talk

Most times you are initially filled with excitement when you first set goals for yourself, but then these are followed by self-doubt and self-defeating thoughts that stop you in your tracks before you even get started.

Ready to start that new weight loss program? You talk yourself into why it won’t work.

Thinking about joining a new chamber or network group? It’s might be only a matter of minutes before there’s a reason NOT to follow up with your idea, whether it’s too expensive or too far away.

It can be difficult to make the most of your life when you are constantly talking yourself out of being a success.  It can be frustrating and discouraging to have these thoughts constantly plaguing you. Many of us, in fact, don’t even realize we have them! All we know is that we don’t have the confidence to stick to our plans and reach our goals.

But there’s another way!

Positive self-talk is an effective way to set goals and ensure that you stick to them, even if you have never been able to do this before.  The way this works is that you decide what goal is important to you, and then you plan the logistics of how you are going to attain this goal.  When self-doubt starts kicking in, you will respond with affirmations that prove your success without surrendering to the negative pressure. Since you’re reading this article, it’s clear that you’re no quitter and you’re certainly not a failure, so start believing in yourself!

Re-Programming Your Mind

Affirmations are essentially positive statements that re-program your mind for the positive. The moment you have a self-defeating thought you’d be able to counter the negative with a motivating statement. An example of a positive affirmation is: “I am worthy of great success,” or “I see myself making a difference by joining that group.”  What this does is replace negativity with thoughts that will help you move toward your goals instead of further away from them.

Positive self-talk is easier to implement than you might think. You may not be aware of the severity of the negative dialogue currently within your mind. However, once you begin with positive self-talk, you will suddenly realize that you are self-sabotaging the goals you set for yourself from the minute that you make them. This process can open your eyes to exactly how much this inner conversation has been interfering with your life. You’ll feel hopeful that you can now set goals and surpass them.

Through positive self-talk you will be able easily set long and short-term goals for yourself. And when you use affirmations, you’ll have accessible tools to help you push yourself further than ever before. What’s a time you chose to quiet your inner critic and were glad you did?

The truth is, I’ve had to learn the hard way. I suffered from “analysis paralysis” when I had too much to do on my plate, and even though I outsourced book-keeping, article marketing and graphic design, I went begging on my hands and knees the other day to hire a fulltime Virtual Assistant.

Jack Welch didn’t empty the trash cans at GE. Steve Jobs doesn’t answer all of Apple’s emails, and I bet Meg Whitman never wrote a single piece of code for eBay. Instead, these high-flying execs knew that in order to take their companies to the top, they needed to delegate and outsource.

Put simply, if you try to do it all yourself, your head is going to explode. Why not accept that fact upfront and consistently focus on the parts of your business where you bring the greatest value?

Though delegating will save you tons of stress in the long term, in the short term it can be a little anxiety-producing. Here are 5 tips if you’re just starting down the delegation path:

Choose time limited tasks.

The best jobs to start delegating are those that have a concrete beginning and end. It’s much easier to ask someone to send out new client packages then it is to ask them to “improve your client retention program.” Start with tasks that you could easily create a checklist for and that have a start-to-finish quality.

Set measurable goals.

Define what “completion” looks like for you, and share that picture with the person to which you’ve chosen to delegate the task. For example, say “When you’re done, the new client’s information will be entered into a database, an invoice will be sent, the welcome package will be mailed and I’ll have a greeting card on my desk to sign.” The more specific you are in the end result you desire, the more likely it is that your staff will do a satisfactory job.

Focus on the outcome, not on the process.

One of the biggest mistakes business owners make when they delegate is they micromanage the process. Every step of the way, they’re looking over the helper’s shoulder, making sure everything is done “right.” This is going to cause multiple problems and is just so WRONG. Worry less about HOW the work is getting done and focus on the end result. You’re not saving time if you’re managing every step of the process. Remember, you’re trying to make less work for yourself, not more. Trust your judgment – you chose someone you could depend on, so now depend on them.

Focus on “good enough” not “perfection.”

This is a tough one for work-at-home entrepreneurs, who tend to be of the “If you want something done right, you’ve got to do it yourself,” school of thought. To save yourself time and stress, you’ve got to let go of that expectation. Some jobs don’t need to be done perfectly – it’s fine if it’s just done at all!

Evaluate the efforts and fine tune as necessary.

There’s always room for improvement – on both sides! Regularly, ask your helper where you could have done a more effective job of managing the process, and be open to her suggestions. Then if you see some ways she could work more effectively, suggest them in a constructive manner.

Now that you’ve gotten over the fact that you can’t do it all and are delegating some tasks, you’ve got a few minutes to breathe deep and take a look at how to spend a bit of free time. Do you need to spend it on taking care of yourself, working out or on a stress relief activity? Or, can you get out there and shake some customer trees to make connections and bring in more business?

I’d love to learn what sort of things you delegate to others. What’s something you used to do that you’ll never go back to now that you’ve been smart enough to put someone else in charge?

Why do you get in your own way and self sabotage when you clearly want something? From my own experience of coaching and mentoring clients over the past 10 years, I’ve seen some common patterns of human behavior emerge. If you recognize them in yourself, that’s awesome, because AWARENESS is the first step in making effective behavior and thought changes!

The need to look good or to be right:

How many times does ego get in the way of productivity? Far too often. We are afraid we may not get it right, so we work it and work it until the opportunity is gone. Results? Missed opportunities and bank accounts that don’t grow. Solutions? Start saying “yes” to things and make yourself finish them before going onto the next project. We’ve all heard “done is better than perfect” and when it comes to your business getting attention, you’ve got to STOP trying to be perfect and START finishing things that get you noticed!

The head in the sand syndrome: 

I can spot it a mile away. . . .there’s an excuse given for every little thing that does not go their way. Can’t exercise? Someone keeping them to busy. Can’t work on their action plan? Someone needed them badly and they could not let them down. Excuses are a way of letting yourself off the hook, but they only hurt the person making them. If  you can’t rely on yourself, unfortunately, your clients and prospects will quickly find out that the unreturned phone calls and promises are falling short, and they won’t be relying on you either. SOLUTION? Make promises to yourself and others ONLY if you can keep them, then do just that!

The fear of saying “hell yes” to ourselves and accepting joy, prosperity, happiness and success:

Do we dare accept ease? What about the voice in our head well established when we were growing up that said “if you want to get anywhere in life, you’ve got to work hard, and it won’t be easy!” Yes, we do need to stay focused on our goals, and put in the effort, but I have seen people literally knock themselves out with exhaustion and overwhelm because they don’t allow themselves to do anything but work their fingers to the bone. And, in that state of exhaustion, gone is their real efficiency, their real creativity and let’s face it, they’re not very attractive to a potential buyer when stressed to the max.

So step up to the plate, tell your other self that likes to hold you back to step aside, and shine your light in a way that is a beacon to others and gets you noticed! How have you stepped aside so you can be your very best??

We know the job market is rough out there, so you absolutely must learn how LinkedIn can be your secret weapon to get noticed!  

http://www.girpromotions.com/linkedinworkshop/ 

To your success! 

Jane Morrison and JoAnne Funch
Your LinkedIn Guru Team

We’ve discovered there are millions of people out there that don’t know what they don’t know, and are showing up on LinkedIn all wrong!

Our mission is to teach you how easy it is to create a profile that gets you noticed, one you can be proud of.  Our training can help anyone create a more powerful profile, and will be teaching specifics especially for those in a job transition and searching for work.

Join us http://www.girpromotions.com/linkedinworkshop/ and learn the do’s and don’ts of creating a profile that gets you noticed, and Hired! 

Jane Morrison and JoAnne Funch 

Your LinkedIn guru team

If you or someone you know has unfortunately been laid off, downsized, or let go, get a step up in the job market by using one of the most powerful advertising venues you can – LinkedIn!

When done correctly, (and that’s what we’ll teach you!!!) LinkedIn is an important way for you to present yourself to a perspective employer.

Not being on LinkedIn is a big mistake, as your employer will be looking at your social media profiles to gauge your professionalism and expertise.

Join us http://www.girpromotions.com/linkedinworkshop/ and learn the do’s and don’t of creating a profile that gets you noticed, and Hired!

Jane Morrison and JoAnne Funch 

Your LinkedIn guru team

We know your marketing budget is tight, so you absolutely must learn how LinkedIn can grow your business exponentially!

http://www.girpromotions.com/linkedinworkshop/

To your success!

Jane Morrison and JoAnne Funch

Your LinkedIn Guru Team

It’s critical today to have a professional profile on LinkedIn that impresses. 

Tomorrow, we’ll teach you how to show up professionally and be seen through the eyes of others. We’ll show you what not to do that so many don’t know about and how to be “loud and proud” using this online resume resource.   

http://www.girpromotions.com/linkedinworkshop/ 

If you’re not seeing results weekly from LinkedIn, then this virtual training is right for you! 

Your hosts,

Jane Morrison and JoAnne Funch

Your LinkedIn Guru Team