But on to the real reason for this post today.  You see, every day I talk to people who just aren’t getting the results in life, work, relationships and money that they really truly want.  And that’s sad.

Too busy is a common complaint.  No time.  Not enough _________ (fill in the blank – money, resources, clients, fun, freedom, passion, etc).   Hey I’ve been there many, many times.   And I know one thing – if you are NOT having the results you want, it’s because of these things:

1.  You don’t have a plan.
2.  Your plan isn’t working.
3.  You don’ t know what to do next.
4.  You are trying to “figure it out” before you get a plan (my personal favorite)
5.  You are wasting time and blaming everything (and everybody) ELSE for it.

That’s it.  It’s simple.  When you are not BEING in charge of yourself, your thoughts, your actions and your words, you are not DOING the things that get you results.  Period.

The other day, I did a really fun webinar that will help you take whatever project you are currently working on, and teach you the 4 things you must DO in your life if you truly want results, and I’ve put it here for you to take a look.  It’s definately worth your time.  These are the same four things I always go back to when life seems a little messy.

Enjoy!

P.S.  If you want to talk to me to learn exactly what next steps you should be taking, fill out our short survey and get a complimentary Clarity Consultation here:  http://www.MyClarityConsult.com

I believe in you and your success.

This week, Nancy asks:

Q: Nancy asks, “How do I prioritize what’s important, when it all seems so urgent?”

A: You know I’ve got a list right now of 234 tasks that I absolutely want to get done. The question is: how many of those things do you think are A priorities? Realistically, maybe two.

Everybody has different criteria for managing priorities. The first thing to do is prioritize those criteria into the have-to’s, the want-to’s and the should-do’s.

Number One: There are have-to‘s that you set with a certain criteria.  Maybe you’re in your business and you’ve got to make some money.  There’s a have-to priority there. That priority is to do whatever it is that’s going to make you more money.  That’s criteria number one.

Number Two: Do the things that are most properly aligned with your own personal style and your own values. (If you are not sure what your style or governing values are, go to http://www.successiqu.com/consultation.html to schedule a complimentary consultation to learn more)  So there are some have to’s that you need to turn into want-to’s.  You must determine what the criteria are by which you’re measuring.

Number Three: How many of those things that you have on your list are actually should-do’s?  Things that other people say you should do or things that you feel that you should do.

From there, now you’re ready to go deeper.

Start with your have-to’s. These are the things you schedule into your calendar right away.

The want-to’s are the things that you’re going to schedule into your calendar a little less frequently, but because they’re fun or they’re things that you really want to get to, give yourself a break and get yourself some time to do that.

Now the should-do’s, these are the things that you get someone else to do. Why are you spending that time swishing around in the toilet, doing the laundry, doing all those household chores when you could literally be out making more money.

Now before you say, “I don’t have the money to spend on doing that,” let me tell you this.  It’s very easy to barter.  It’s also very easy to hire somebody to come in and do something in your house for $10 while you sit down and spend that same time making money in your business.  And that’s exactly how I started out! Somebody came in to clean my toilets for $10 – for two hours a week, and my focus on that time was to literally sit down and figure out how to make $20 so I could pay her.  So it starts out small and that’s the way you’ve got to look at your have-to’s, your want-to’s, and your should-do’s.

And from there you can create a better plan to prioritize based on your criteria and not someone else’s.

Stephanie Frank is the best selling author of The Accidental Millionaire:Leaping From Chance to Mastery in the Game of Life.  She ha been in business for herself for decades and is expert at helping passion powered entrepreneurs get clear direction on their next best and most high payoff steps in business, relationships  and in life. For a FREE audio program entitled “The 13 Vital Traits of Super Effective People,” visit www.StephanieFrank.com

Like I said, I had zero intention of using any social media until my good friend Melanie Strick (@melcoach if you want to follow her) kind of gave me a challenge.

One night we were having dinner at a local restaurant and unknown to me, she tweeted an innocent message.  It said: “My friend Stephanie Frank won’t do web 2.0.  C’mon tweeps, let get her on here!”   (Tweeps?  What’s a Tweep?) Now of course, I knew nothing about this.  The next day, another friend Janet Switzer told me about this really cool tool called Addict-O-Matic http://www.addictomatic.com.  She told me to type in my name.

I did.

And up popped my friend’s tweet telling me to get with the program.  It was war.  So on December 11, 2008 I officially joined the ranks of the Twitter uninformed.  The first thing:  Call my friend to figure out what to do next.   From there, I’ve used that same strategy (asking people for tips) and started sending information.  Today, July 31, I hit 10,000 followers.  Thought you might like a few pointers and things I’ve learned along the way:

Tip #1 - NEVER answer the question “What are you doing?” directly. Nobody cares if you’re eating ice cream, preparing a proposal or tying your shoes unless there’s some value in it for them.

Tip #2 – Have a  beginning strategy.  I started out doing 3 things:  a) Asking a few friends to “show me around” by telling people I was on Twitter.  That got the first qualified followers.  b) Engaging with people directly and c) Sending quotes.  That’s all I knew how to do and it worked to get started.

Tip #3 - Continuously develop your strategy.  Today, there are 5 kinds of tweets that I do regularly:  a) My own Daily Do It (tips on personal peak performance) b) Retweet things I personally like or are helpful to others c) Engage with others personally d) Links to blog posts and e) Quotes or one-liners.

Tip #4 - Remember the “social” part.  The worst tweeters are the ones who tweet constantly about buying their stuff.  You wouldn’t walk into a party, shove a business card in someone’s hand and say “wanna buy a widget?”  Don’t do it here.  Show your personality and be (primarily) transparent.

Tip #5 - Everything you tweet goes out into the Internet Universe.  So if you don’t want everyone to know, don’t tweet it.  Enough said.

Tip #6 - Follow wisely.  At the beginning, I used tools to automatically follow anyone who followed me.  Then came the spammers, the porn people and the stalkers, so I turned that off.  Now I follow people who are interesting, who are recommended by friends and only those who have a picture.

Tip #7 - Remember your purpose. Twitter is like going to a party – you’re there to meet interesting people.  With this type of networking, you are also there to meet people who can connect you with (or you can directly connect with) that will help you in your career search, business endeavors or other goals.  It’s easy to get caught in a comfort zone and not reach out.

Tip #8 – Your tools may need adjustment. When I reached almost 9,000 followers, my tool of choice, TweetDeck, came to almost a standstill.  I lost people, friends, the columns weren’t moving, etc.  Turns out I had overtaxed the software and it needed adjustment.  Thank goodness for Twitter friends who helped me in a time of need.

Tip #9 - Ask Questions.  Referring to Tip 8 above, when I got stuck, the first thing I did was send a general tweet to anyone who might respond.  You can also use this to ask questions about any project you’re working on, research, getting help or if you’re just plain curious about people’s likes and dislikes.  People on Twitter seem to be great at answering questions and helping folks in need.  Just don’t overuse.

Tip #10 – If you get overwhelmed, stop.  Sometimes Twitter can be like a never-ending sea of people all shouting out into the ethers.  As human beings, we all need some time to take a break, unplug, relax and rewind.  Twitter can be very addictive but if you feel yourself feeling like you can’t disconnect or are overwhelmed, shut it down.  People will still be there when you get back.

I don’t know what else is in store for the social media scene and there are gobs of experts out there who are far better than me at this stuff.  But from a performance and leverage standpoint, being able to connect with so many people, in so many countries, send traffic to my websites and create strong new relationships in such a personal way is an authentic, real and much-needed resource.

Bring it on!

Getting more clients? Nope.

Learning social media? Nope.

Getting sales training? Nope.

Understanding the internet? Nope.

The most important thing you need to put yourself on the fast track to success is none of these tactical items. In fact, it’s the opposite.

Big companies know this and regularly spend handsomely to share it with their employees. (I know, because I’ve been consulting with them for years). But small companies simply haven’t had access to the same kind of training and instead spend gobs of time and resources in wasted effort, lost productivity and having no fun.

It breaks my heart when I see tears in the eyes of smart, educated entrepreneurial types wanting desperately to get ahead in the world without the tools and skills to truly manage time, get to the bottom of your to-do list, relate purposefully with other people, hire properly, avoid conflict, reach high levels of productivity and find passion and purpose in your life.

So I have a solution. I’m bringing you the same type of performance and productivity training that we do for huge companies for hundreds of thousands of dollars at a price so low you’d be crazy not to take me up on it right now.

Here’s the link: http://www.successiqu.com/innercircle

<!–[if !supportLists]–>- <!–[endif]–>IT will enhance your relationships

<!–[if !supportLists]–>- <!–[endif]–>IT will help you get to the bottom of your to-do list every day

<!–[if !supportLists]–>- <!–[endif]–>IT will help you make the right decisions in your life

<!–[if !supportLists]–>- <!–[endif]–>IT will help you reach your goals

<!–[if !supportLists]–>- <!–[endif]–>IT will help you master your time

<!–[if !supportLists]–>- <!–[endif]–>IT will supplement ANY program you’re currently in

<!–[if !supportLists]–>- <!–[endif]–>IT will cost pennies per day (change you could probably find in your couch)

<!–[if !supportLists]–>- <!–[endif]–>IT will put you in the top 2% of all people who don’t have this information

<!–[if !supportLists]–>- <!–[endif]–>IT will give you the edge in every area of your life

IT is called the Success IQ University Inner Circle and there is no other place that I know of that will give you PhD-level education (and we have REAL PhDs at the University) for pennies per day. No fluff, only training and coaching.

Your personal performance and the performance of your people is the only thing that matters. Go here now to find out how to improve yours: http://www.successiqu.com/innercircle

Stephanie Frank and the Personal Transformation Team
at the Success IQ University

P.S. By now, you’ve figured out that improving your personal performance is more important than learning or doing things that don’t directly improve your results. But don’t listen to me. Check it out for yourself here: http://www.successiqu.com/innercircle

But there’s something else going on – something nobody’s talking about.

On the other side of the fear and failure are people and organizations that are experiencing massive success.  Reality television shows make instant celebrities.  Business owners with “hot” ideas are growing faster than they ever have before.  One in 8 couples are now meeting online.

And they are getting crushed under the pressure of sudden success.

While most people think they want fame, fortune or something bigger, they are wholly unprepared for the emotional, mental and physical skills they will need to manage newfound success.  Celebrities deal with this all the time.  The late Michael Jackson, undeniably the King of Pop (whether you like him or not) lived a life of emotional trauma, lost youth and low self-esteem.  Shia LaBeouf: “I don’t handle fame well,” LaBeouf says. “Most actors on most days don’t think they’re worthy. I have no idea where this insecurity comes from, but it’s a God-sized hole. If I knew, I’d fill it, and I’d be on my way.”  

Now you don’t have to be a celebrity to experience the demands of sudden success.  Take the business owner who suddenly finds himself or herself leading an organization for which they are ill-equipped to run.  They lack the people skills, the leadership skills and emotional intelligence to make things work smoothly.  Working hours increase.  Productivity decreases.  Frustration and overwhelm take over.  Anxiety becomes normal.  Then personal criticism starts, which begins a never ending cycle of self-doubt and lowered self-confidence.

It doesn’t have to be that way.   Here are 5 things you must know if you are experiencing sudden success in any area of your life.

1.  Sudden Success Brings out the Weirdos. When you become more visible in your company, publicly or even in your family, weird things can happen.  It’s like the old story of the crabs in the pot – whenever one crab almost reaches the top of the pot and newfound freedom, the other crabs pull him back in to die.  Expect opportunities to arise, communications to increase and watch out for people who want to use you or ride your coattails.  You will need some trusted advisors to put together a system to discern your good opportunities and weed out the dream stealers.

2.  You will need to learn emotional intelligence. When success demands more of you, it will demand more of your emotional energy as well.  You will have days where you wonder if it’s all worth it, and begin the cycle of self-defeat.  Don’t go there.  Likewise, you will need to learn to manage your emotional state in every situation to be able to think clearly and react appropriately to things coming at you fast.  People will begin to judge you, have opinions about you, and that can make you feel bad if they are negative.  With a high level of emotional intelligence, you will understand that people’s opinions of you have nothing to do with you, and everything to do with whatever they are experiencing at the time (if you don’t understand this now, you will.  I’ll explain in another post about perception).

3.  People skills become VERY important. Most people aren’t trained in understanding others’ personal style, filters, values and perspective.  Therefore, communication breakdown occurs more often as teams grow and you need more people around you to handle daily activities.  It is imperative that you become a student of people and behavior to be able to hire the right staff, understand their needs and get people to their most productive level.  Once of the biggest mistakes people make when hiring people to work for them is the “warm body” approach.  They take a person with a certain skillset and try to make them do a job they aren’t good at, and then wonder why it isn’t working.  Proactive understanding of people matching to skillsets is a must.

4.  You MUST become a better leader. When more demands are placed on you as you grow, the general tendency is to be like a rat in a cage, trying to run faster and faster on the wheel. Worry that things won’t get done, anxiety over whether people are actually doing the work, when will it get done cause many sleepless nights for fast-growing business owners.

Recently, I was hired by a small business owner to help with this exact issue.  She was working almost 20 hour days, losing sleep over details and she had people she wanted to work with to build a team but didn’t know how.  We restructured her time, I taught her communication and people skills, but most of all, I taught her how to let go without losing control.  As a result, we engaged a team of 5 amazing people to help her.  She reclaimed 47 hours per month.  Doing things right, she hit ALL of her revenue goals within 30 days.

I tell you this because as a small business owner, you don’t always get to see what the big companies do to develop their people.  Big companies spend millions on leadership training, communication training and the like just to help people get along and be more productive and have better performance overall.  Small business owners struggle, not knowing that a different way is so close.

5.  You will learn to say “No”.  Decision-making skills are imperative in helping you deal with success.  Information, requests, communication will all increase, and your ability to say no to time-wasters, distraction, guilt, frustration and overwhelm will become a skill you’ll wish you had a long time ago.  Your goals will become more clear, and so your ability to weed out potentially unproductive opportunities will be heightened as you truly go to that next level.

While there are many other things that go along with sudden success, these are some of the most important.  When your focus turns inward to making yourself a better leader, communicator, influencer and visionary, your entire world will change.  Your success will be sweet, exciting and manageable.

To get started, download the free audio program called The 13 Vital Traits of Super Effective People.  It will open your eyes to getting started on the calm road of success.

It doesn’t have to be that way.

There ARE ways to get more done – with less stress, every day.  The question is, do you want to stay stuck where you are, or take the leap and bring more joy and triumph of accomplishment into your day?

Here are 10 simple things you can do today to breathe deeper, be more focused and more productive – with less stress!

1.  Visual Clarity 

 Is visual clutter causing your mind to be cluttered?  Stop shuffling papers around and start your day by taking 10 minutes to clear your desk.  Think of it as a personal gift to yourself and create space for you.  You will feel immediately refreshed and ready to get things done.

2.  Free Yourself from Procrastination

You’ve got your “to do” list for the day.  Take 2 minutes and prioritize the “have to” tasks you don’t like to do.  First determine what you can delegate to others and give them what they need to do it.  Next, knock your “have to’s” out first thing in the morning and before you can thin about procrastinating you’ll already be done!

3. Show Me the Money

Schedule one (1) uninterrupted hour every day to focus only on high payoff activities.  I said un-interrupted.  Turn off the phone.  Close the door.  Tell others you are not to be interrupted for the next 60 minutes – unless the tsunami is at your door or Oprah is on the phone. 

4. Take Control of Your Email – Part 1

Turn OFF the automatic send/receive on your email so YOU are in control.  Schedule time in your day to check and respond to email at specific times, instead of reacting every time one comes flying in your inbox.

If you absolutely cannot turn it off, eliminate the sound and visual notification for a distraction-free computer session. 

5. Take Control of Your Email – Part 2

Create an email account just for subscriptions to online newsletters.  If your email program supports it, automatically file incoming mail so you can keep your inbox full of more urgent items. 

6. Supercharge Your Environment for Focus

Some people work better with some kind of external stimulation.  If that’s you, turn on soft music or a soothing waterfall to stimulate your auditory system, light a scented candle to stimulate your olfactory system, and set a timer to create urgency.  Then get to work! 

7. Get It Done

Are you getting stuck in procrastination?  Maybe the project is too big.  If you have a list where the task is not immediately evident, it needs to be broken down.  Ask yourself “What is the exact next step I need to take to get this task done?”  Keep breaking it down until the answer is “Do it!” 

8. Spark Your Creativity

If you’re still having trouble getting something done, and you’ve broken the list down – it’s time for a change.  When you absolutely have to get something done and you’re just stuck, change your environment.  Go outside, get some fresh air, change rooms, turn on a fun song that makes you get up and dance.  The change of scenery creates a change of your state and is an instant creativity spark.  

9. Simplify Travel

Do you travel frequently?  Are you still going into your suitcase (even though you returned last week) to pull out your toothpaste and shampoo?  First, go unpack and put away your suitcase.  Next, buy two sets of toiletries and store one in your suitcase so you stop stealing form your medicine cabinet and you’re always ready to go!

10. Give Yourself Permission

Take at least one day a week and give yourself permission to do whatever you want, whenever you want for that day.  If the mere thought of giving yourself a day creates panic and overwhelm, start small, but take at least an hour.  that way, when you make the choice to get something done, it’s much easier )and often more fun) than being in the mental state of “have to” do.

Putting these simple systems into place means taking action, being consistent and being willing to do things differently.  If you implement these tips, you will fuel your productivity, have more fun in your business and put more money in your bank account.  Guaranteed.

Stephanie Frank works with people who want to improve performance and pump up their power to profit.  She is the author of the best-selling book, The Accidental Millionaire and founder of The Success IQ University, specializing in personal success, productivity and leadership education. For a FREE audio program “The 13 Vital Traits of Super Effective People, go here:  http://www.FreeSuccessTrainingAudio.com