4 Reasons Why You Can't Get Anything Done In Your Business & How To Move Forward

Do you feel like this in your business?

OR

Do you feel like this in your business?

If you feel like the second photo then you are not alone.

According to a survey found on Small Biz Trends website, "72% of Small Business Owners Feel Overwhelmed".

There could be a variety of reasons why we as entrepreneurs could be feeling this way.

Reason Number One:  There aren't any processes in place in your business!

Do you have specific tasks that you do to engage with prospective clients and after they become your client? If so take a moment to write down those tasks and begin to create steps toward a workflow. This will help you to get a visual on what repetitive steps you are doing in your business and create a streamlined process for doing it. If you need tools to help you visualize everything try MindMeister and Evernote.

Reason Number Two: You have shiny object syndrome!

I am always getting excited about whatever new training tool or workshop that pops up and then when something else comes along I head for that. I know that I am not alone in chasing the latest and greatest "shiny object" but this acronym for focus has been helping me tremendously; follow one course until success equals F.O.C.U.S. 

John Lee Dumas says this all the time and as you guys know I am a huge fan of his. The reason I love this acronym is that it helps me to stay laser-focused what I am currently working on and avoid "shiny object syndrome". Staying focused and not allowing myself to drift off the deep end helps me to be more productive in my business. If there is something that looks cool and interesting to me I just use tools like Pocket, Evernote Web Clipper or Clipular to capture the information for future reviewing.

Reason Number Three: You are too focused on the big picture!

 As entrepreneurs we get so excited about our big picture goals; hitting a certain dollar revenue or creating awesome products to sell to our clients. But we don't get so excited about doing the small routine daily tasks to get there. 

The hardest thing it seems to do as an entrepreneur is to: 

SLOW DOWN and BREAK GOALS DOWN!

But it must be done in order to achieve those big-picture goals. My system is very simple. I break tasks into daily to-do lists of 3 items or less. I use a notepad that I can physically cross things off as they are completed.  If other things get done that are outside of my 3 things then that is gravy on the biscuit. It may sound boring but it can be very exhilarating to see things finally get crossed off your list because you were able to just get it done!

Reason Number Four: You don't Reward Yourself!

Do you treat yourself like a prisoner? Well, that's not going to motivate you to get through a boring task. But if you knew that at the end of an exhausting project you have whatever your favorite thing to do waiting for you then it could make working on tasks that much more fun. After I am done writing this post I will shut down and watch a movie with popcorn. 

What about you? Do you have things that are preventing you from accomplishing your business goals? Share in the comments below.

KEEP IT SUNNYSIDE UP!

Why Stitcher is My Favorite Podcast Tool

Today I will keep it short & sweet.

I love consuming content by reading blogs, watching videos & listening to podcasts. The Stitcher app is my number one source for listening to all my favorite podcasts. It has over 65,000 podcasts to choose from and no I am not getting paid to share this with you.

Give it a try while you're working or working out. Last week I shared an awesome inspirational story I heard on Entrepreneur Onfire about John Morrow. If you haven't had a chance to check it out then go do it now. It will motivate you beyond your wildest dreams.

Check out stitcher.  What are your favorite tools to listen to a podcast? Share with me in the comments below.

KEEP IT SUNNY!

A Motivational Story On How A Man Who Couldn't Move Found Success His Way

Everyone get's distracted and even discouraged at times when working towards making life work for them.

Every 3rd Thursday of the month I will be highlighting how different entrepreneurs found the strength to turn lemons into lemonade.

My goal is to share these stories in an effort to encourage all of us as we go about trying to live life on our own terms.

The first story I will share is of John Morrow.

John has built multiple multi-million dollar businesses.

He has discovered what hustle & grit can accomplish if you choose to put them to work for you.

John can't move from the neck down.

Listen to his story here as he tells it to John Lee dumas on the Entrepreneur On Fire podcast.

Think.

Reflect.

Take Action Today.

Keep It Sunny!

3 Tips For Starting an Online Business in Health and Wellness

Image courtesy of blackzheep at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
 

You love all things health: nutrition, coaching people, holistic living. So you decided that you are finally going to follow your bliss and start your online business focusing on health and wellness. Or you may already be in business.  In any case it never hurts to do a business checkup periodically to make sure everything is running smoothly.  If you have jumped into the health and wellness space to help people in person or online via coaching or both, having the right business basics in place will help you to serve your clients well.

 Tip 1: GET A BUSINESS COACH

I think this is the best place to start when you are ready to move from being an employee to an owner. It's also great if you're an owner right now and your business is not growing. According to Entrepreneur.com, "A business coach is somebody who helps you move from where you are to where you want to be, and does so by solely focusing on your goals". Here is a great article on 10 ways hiring a coach will help you reach success. 

TIP 2:  INVEST IN YOUR OWN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

There is a myriad of ways to gain knowledge for your health and wellness business:

Podcasts: The Wellpreneur by Amanda Cook is a great audio resource for health and wellness professionals filled with great tips on how to make your business a success. The podcast Entrepreneur On Fire by John Lee Dumas will keep you inspired about your entrepreneurial journey.

Networking: If you are looking for a great place to learn about how coaching fits into your business and network with like minds then check out Dan Miller's site 48days.net. It is a hub for entrepreneurs in general but more specifically coaching entrepreneurs.

Certification: A great way to continue to stay abreast of the latest trends in the industry and display credibility to your clients is to have a certification in your field of focus. The Integrative Nutrition site is a great place to start the research process. This list on the Exercise Science Guide site is another great place to check out.

TIP 3:  PUT THE NUTS & BOLTS  FIRMLY IN PLACE

Do you have a robust internet connection? Have you maintained your business license or researched your business name? On the site Long Live The internet, they suggest that "One of the most important steps to starting an eCommerce business is getting organizing with a To-Do list". Here are a few things they suggest you have on your list:

• Define your startup capital $$
• Decide on a name
• Register your domain name
• Setup your email
• File your corporate paperwork
• Get a federal Tax id EIN
• Register with the State for Sales Tax
• Setup your bank account
• Fund your account
• Get checks and debit/credit card
• Get a phone number
• Decide on an accounting strategy
• Design your logo

The journey to being a successful health and wellness entrepreneur can be exciting. It will run more smoothly if you have a good plan in place. These 3 tips are a great place to start to help you along the way. 

Do you have some other tips for getting started or restarted as a health and wellness entrepreneur? Share with me in the comments below.

Keep It Sunny!

Think Yourself Into Greatness!

Have you ever heard the phrase you are the sum total of the 5 people who you associate with on a daily basis? Well John Lee Dumas from  Entrepreneur On Fire podcast says something to this effect in each of his broadcasts. 

Is It True?

Well, look at where you are in your life right this minute. Are you on track to achieve your Big Hairy Audacious Goals your BHAGS? Are the people in your immediate circle encouraging or distracting you from your goals?

Only you know the answer. Stop where you are RIGHT NOW and make a pivot if you need to make some changes in your life. Some people are only along for part of our journey. It's ok to bid adieu to those people or things that aren't working toward our greatness. What things are you getting rid of in your life today? Tell me because I want to cheer you on.

Keep It Sunny!

Are You A Successful Multi-Tasker?

I was talking recently to my grandmother who is 86 and realized that our lives are chaotic in comparison to how she grew up.  It is like night & day. As busy entrepreneurs it seems it has almost become a necessity to do multiple things all at once.

Ladies & gentlemen we have become modern day jugglers. (Cue the laugh track)

But I need you to stop for one second (because I know you are probably multi-tasking right now:) and ask yourself are you getting things done effectively? According to an article on LifeHacker.com by Ciara Conlon, "Some research has shown multitasking to reduce productivity by 40%."

I definitely agree with this.

As I was writing this blog post it took me extra long because I thought it was necessary to check updates on my phone and my email. Trust me nothing was a 911 emergency that couldn't have waited.  

NPR.org interviewed a professor of neuroscience at MIT Earl Miller, who said for the most part, "We simply can't focus on more than one thing at a time". He goes on to say, "What we can do, is shift our focus from one thing to the next with astonishing speed. Switching from task to task, you think you're actually paying attention to everything around you at the same time. But you're actually not".  In an article on Mashable.com, it states "that only 2% of people can multitask effectively". 

WOW!

So How Can You Become A Successful Multi-tasker?

The short answer is you can't. It's a sobering thought huh? The good news is that you can become more successful at getting tasks done. It is very simple: Focus. John Lee Dumas from Entrepreneur On Fire.com always says Follow One Course Until Success = Focus. If you want to learn more about his thoughts on this check out his blog post right here.

Final Thoughts

So I want to leave you with these thoughts:

• Mult-tasking is a lie

• Get focused

• Delegate what you don't need to do

• Stop worrying

• Start being successful because now you are getting more done by doing less

Let me know what you think & of course Keep It Sunny!

Why You Should Listen To Podcast For Professional Development

Everyone has a podcast. If you can think of a topic, then someone has probably created a podcast for it. Topics can range from comedy to self-help. All this is nice you may say, but why should I care? In my humble opinion, podcast are one of the number one ways for busy entrepreneurs to learn on the go and get real-time information that can be deployed immediately in their business. We are all busy and we all must stay on top of the latest trends in our industry to be successful. Listening to business focused podcast does the trick. Not sure where to begin? Check out a few of these podcasts to get your creative entrepreneurial juices flowing:

Entrepreneur On Fire 

Leaders In The Trenches

The Fizzle Show

Smart Passive Income w/Pat Flynn

Keep It Sunny!!