A friend called to check in and congratulate me on all my recent progress. But honestly, she sounded exhausted and a bit frazzled. When I asked what’s up, she had FIVE major projects happening at the same time. Half were volunteer efforts, where perhaps she is over-committed and taking too much time away from getting her revenue-generating activities in order. Life just became too darn demanding (when it doesn’t have to be for her). No wonder she sounded frustrated…being busy but broke is never fun.

Sure, sometimes we face overwhelm when life gets too demanding. People get sick, accidents happen, workplace transitions kick our butts sometimes. While we cannot control EVERYTHING, however, we tend to sadly bring much of this chaos on ourselves. I’m the first to admit that over-commitment and lack of focus was always my challenge, too. Saying YES too often, not charging enough for my services so that I was working too hard and running around like a crazy person (busy but not productive).

Looking back, my quantum leap and success shift happened once I learned to…

• HONOR myself more and work in my zone of genius (vs trying to please everyone and do too many things)
• START saying NO
• DELEGATE (including taking the time to spell out exactly where I needed help and what was required for others to step in)
• FOCUS on what mattered in all areas – family, fun, fitness, finances and my fabulous career
• ESTABLISH a 90-day success plan with just 2 major priorities each day
• PACKAGE my services in a sales funnel with the right price points so that much is automated (for those who want to work at their own pace and save some dollars)
• RAISE MY VIP RATES by ensuring huge value for my 1:1 clients (who pay a premium but desire that personalized service to drive results faster).

Not only did I find time to become better and appreciate the more important facets of my life: I sleep more (7 hours) and don’t feel cranky all the time. I eat healthier. Amazing clients and collaborators are showing up because I’m ready to receive them. I can afford to hire great help so that others can lighten my load and free my time for more important facets of my life.

So I ask you this…

how effective can we be when we fail to FOCUS and set priorities?

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, take a moment to ROCK YOUR FOCUS & CLARITY with this free video and printed quiz. You’ll get FREE access to watch a short video and take just 3 minutes to answer 10 quick (but super important) questions so you know exactly where to focus your efforts so you enjoy greater success with less OVERWHELM.  It’ll help you identify which of the 10 areas require your urgent attention so you can get yourself back on track and working in your zone of genius! www.rockonsuccess.com/focus

What’s your focus challenge,..or best tip to overcome the overwhelm? Thanks for sharing below!

Pat

Napoleon Hill touted the virtues of collaborative brainstorming and problem solving in his classic “Think and Grow Rich.” After all, if masterminds could work for geniuses like Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Warren G. Harding and Harvey Firestone (who were in one together, calling themselves the Vagabonds), imagine how shared learning through a mastermind could catapult YOUR career?

Ask these important questions to find the RIGHT mastermind for you and your precious business:

• Is this mastermind led by someone who “gets it” and “gets you”? The energy, sharing and spirit must align because you’re entering into a commitment to be both a generous giver and an excellent receiver as a mastermind contributor.
• Do you prefer an informal/unscripted volunteer group vs an organized program with milestones and structure to move you along a specific growth plan?
• How does the cadence and quality of the group’s content match your learning style (and does it match up with your weakest focus areas)?

Get comfortable with getting uncomfortable to learn more and hone your skills.

• How much time is allotted to YOU and YOUR needs in 1:1 coaching and in the “hot seat”? Expect to pay (and reap rewards) for 1:1 executive engagement, unless you choose to save money and buy access strictly to a group discussion or DIY content machine. (There are great reasons why any of these may be right for you.)
• How much direct 1:1 coaching will you get from the leader vs interaction from the group members or guest experts?
• Will the mastermind make you smarter, stronger and faster in decision-making (since educated, collaborative decisions shorten your learning curve and yield exponential growth)?

Everyone makes mistakes…even the most successful people out there. But, what achievers do better than others is recognize the patterns that are causing those mistakes and never repeat them again. In short, they learn from pain—their own and the pain of others. – Success Magazine

• Can the leader support me through career transition to create multiple revenue streams and a solid “plan B”?

Most folks recognize that lifetime careers at a single company are rare these days. They rely on masterminds to help think out loud about the uncertainties of their industry and build a loyal tribe who follows them anywhere.

I built a prolific Rock on Success Mastermind in response to the challenges and complaints I’d heard about others with no real leadership involvement, hands-off approach, etc. So my goal was to empower folks like you to ROCK your business and your life without selling your soul or losing your mind.

It creates a surrogate “board of directors” or “personal advisory board” so that you can share freely and grow together. Strict privacy and confidentiality rule so that when you share in the “hot seat” we can totally focus on you and your challenges, wins and hottest issue to work through together. Folks get very direct advice and support, with weekly 1:1 coaching as well as group feedback.

Masterminds vary, but I built this one to also deliver valuable content that cycles through 7 modules, open every 2 weeks so you have time to absorb the info and work on assignments and “comfort zone challenges.” With my 30-year background in marketing, PR and social media strategy, I chose to focus on business process that help newbie and seasoned rock star business professionals short cut their learning and accelerate their growth in 7 key areas.

• Focus on Strength
• Action
• Environment
• Sales Skills
• Marketing Skills
• Money Mindset
• Confidence

How do I know what’s best for me?

You will want to think about your goals, your weaknesses and see if the content supports a strategic path that gives you what YOU need. Some groups are simply just talk on a weekly or monthly basis: the freebies tend to see lower commitment when there’s no “skin in the game.”

You’ll decide which may be enough and how fast you want to grow. Have a frank discussion with the group leader. Check out their testimonials. Talk to members, ask hard questions and get specific examples of success.

Most importantly, see how YOU FEEL: if the energy lifts you up and inspires you to grow stronger, smarter, faster then you are in the right place.

Hope this helps on your search, good luck. You ROCK!

Pat

No doubt, I’m far from perfect. But I am leading by example with a renewed commitment to getting stronger every day.

Even though I go to my fitness program, it’s a daily struggle: Between old injuries and an impending foot surgery I don’t jump or plank or walk as well as I’d like. Yes, I got busy with work and skipped some classes. But I’m rocking it by doing the best that I can.

Motivation + perspiration + accountability = results

No, diets alone don’t work. Just hitting the gym without living a cleaner daily practice won’t help you sustain your progress. In fact, growth comes when you find your happy place that honors your body, mind and spirit.

Food fuels the body, and like a high-performance car it responds best to premium gas. So I learned to buy organic foods and make smarter choices. That is, for most of the week leading up to my one planned “cheat meal” where I can literally eat or drink whatever I crave in ONE sitting. Nutrition re-balancing focuses on what proteins and other foods will heal the body, enhance workouts, reduce bloating and keep us “regular.” It’s not about deprivation as you actually have to eat MORE than ever, not less.

Your body will enjoy more of the right nutrition. Clean foods taste amazing and feel even better.

For example, five small meals a day help you digest better than starvation followed by a huge dinner. I no longer eat most “white” foods such as bread, rice, sugar and pasta. As a former cheese lover, eliminating dairy was more of a mental struggle. I save pizza or my mom’s killer lasagna for special occasions and enjoy how it tastes (but not always how I feel after eating such heavy foods). I bought a super-powered Vitamixer and learned to love fresh green smoothies. I now crave proteins (not salty potato or tortilla chips).

When we eat out, I simply tell restaurant servers that I’m allergic to dairy so that they don’t cook my food in butter or drown it in sauces, etc. Coffee is still a vice, but I now flavor with a drop of natural stevia and quickly learned to love unsweetened almond or coconut milk.

Giving up my weekend wine was not as hard as I’d expected: Simply volunteer to be the designated driver and you won’t miss it.

Am I tired? Yes, but in a happy progress sort of way. This new routing forced me to starting winding down the day at 10pm and falling asleep by 11. Now I’m waking without an alarm and loving how much better I feel.

Admittedly, the joys of entrepreneurship allow me the luxury of a 30-minute mid-afternoon meditation or a power nap.

When you commit to a better you, there’s all kinds of ways to measure progress: how you feel physically, emotionally and gaining confidence. Mindset shifts make it easier to rock my business every day. These perks reach far beyond the more obvious wins such as losing weight, gaining muscle or noticing clothes fit better. Imagine how great my friend Pam feels in all of these areas as she dropped 3 dress sizes in just one challenge!

Honoring your “zone” means surrounding yourself with folks who raise your vibration and bring out the very best in you – body, mind and spirit. I’ve made some incredible new friends who we’ve already laughed and cried with (literally). They remind me to stop letting the frustration of what I cannot [yet] do as well as I’d like keep me from trying my best. Every week I watch the team of warriors sweat and squat lower or plank longer or run faster or jump higher. Heck, I can do lots of little things that were seemingly impossible just 10 weeks ago. Indeed, I am truly grateful.

Happiness set in when I stopped comparing my [new] beginning to everyone else’s middle.

My learning?

Find something…ANYTHING…that challenges you, makes you stronger and helps you learn to love yourself again. Surround yourself with positive people who will high-five you no matter how sweaty, slow or tired you may be. Know they’ve got your back and need you to be there to keep them accountable, too. It’s a two-way street!

You deserve to celebrate all 5 facets of a brilliant life: family, fun, fitness, better finances and a fabulous career. It’s even better when you discover groups or activities that address some or most of these attributes all at the same time.

Lookout 2020, I’m ready to kick butt (my own) and ROCK this new year.

You’re welcomed to come along for the ride if you’re up for adventure, growth and accountability. It’s motivation plus perspiration with lots of fun and great music and even greater peeps.

What new daily routines will you commit to for the next 90 days? Please share so we can cheer each other on…

We’ve got this! Happy new year and new YOU!

xoxoxo

Pat