Writing to you from seat 4C on my flight to JFK this morning. As I leave Miami’s 78F temperatures I’m not looking forward to the balmy 35F in NYC today….. Burrrr.  But, I’m on TV tonight and speaking at the Yale School of Management tomorrow, so off I go.

If you follow my blog much you know how often I’m popping here and there to speak about how understanding communication and the nonverbal signals we send will change your life. 

This morning before I hopped aboard I got this email from a screenwriter I worked with last week, “…Not to blow smoke but it REALLY WORKS!! You are a true artist of your craft. Look forward to seeing you again… Best, Raul.” Knowing that I have helped someone keeps me getting up at 5am to get on the next flight.

Sometimes we convince ourselves that something will never work or maybe you even say "…she can do it, but I never could…."

I’ve lost track of the number of times I hear at these events, “Oh Sharon, I couldn’t possibly do what you do, getting up and speaking in front of even a small group let alone a group this size.” 

My answer is B.S! My closest friends will tell you that I give new meaning to the words introverted and shy.

Three reasons it’s B.S.….

1. When your Why is more important than your ego, it becomes a mission to help people transform their lives.  See yesterday’s post if you need to get your Why.
2. Getting past the fear of public speaking is only accomplished by doing it. Once you have the experience the old gremlin of the unconscious mind can no longer tell you “you can’t do it.”  You just did it.  The gremlin may creep up again and say, “Oh that was just a fluke.” Force yourself to speak in public again and again if necessary. You keep getting better and better.
3. I’ve never had an audience want to see me fail. They didn’t come to see you crash and burn, they came to hear you give them what they want. I look at it this way, even in an audience of 1000 if I can give just one person the "A Ha" they were looking for then all my pre-show jitters were worth it.

So how do I get those butterflies flying in formation? 

Become a conscious master of your breathing.  Too many of us spend our days breathing high in the chest and rapid, constantly activating the fight or flight response. When fight or flight is constantly on, we feel exhausted.  There is no neutral when stuck in the cycle of high breathing.  Breathing completely, low, slow, and full “belly” is nature’s neutral.

Breathing, while natural, isn’t always easy to control. Just as your eyes respond automatically to emotional stimuli, so do changes in your breathing. Changing how you breathe in a situation is often reactive, not proactive. You can tell yourself to breathe low, full complete breaths as you go face the next audience; but the nervous system frequently takes over. Many times, you may not even be aware that your breathing has become rapid and shallow until you find yourself searching for words or feeling as though you can’t think clearly.

Breathing is more than supplying oxygen to your lungs; it profoundly influences your mood, how your brain functions, how sensitive your nerves are, and how tired or alert you feel. Breathing naturally and comfortably, no matter the situation, delivers a verbal and non-verbal message of confidence and poise.

Don’t believe me? Do a little experiment. Quickly sniff (short rapid inhales through the nose) ten times. What are you feeling right now?

Most people feel a twinge of anxiety or anxiousness. That is the beginning of the fight-or-flight response.  Proactively monitor your breathing to make sure your breathing is sending a message of being confident and comfortable.

Enjoy the Adventure
Sharon

p.s. To catch Coaches World TV sponsored by ICF-NYC tune in tonight at 8:00pm on the following channels:
    Time Warner Cable TV channel 56
    RCN channel 83
    Digital channel 111
    without cable box on channel 17
And on Verizon FiOS the line up is:
    MNN #1 – Verizon FiOS channel 33
    MNN #2 – Verizon FiOS channel 34
    MNN #3 – Verizon FiOS channel 35
    MNN #4 – Verizon FiOS channel 36

Coach World TV can also be viewed on the Internet at: www.mnn.org.

p.p.s. Time Management Secrets For the Busy Women tomorrow on Beyond Lip Service Radio at 10am pacific I interview the founder of the International Association of Women Small Business Owners, Rachel Johnsen. We are going to find out her top secrets to getting it all done.  www.BeyondLipServiceRadio.com  If you can’t listen in live, it’s will be there as a podcast or on my iTunes channel right after the broadcast. 

— Does the word “no” rarely part your lips?

— Are you always worried about what others will say if you say "No"?

— Maybe you think "nice people" just don’t say no….

What is not saying NO costing you?

I know, even the thought of saying "No" can cause stress.  "I can’t say "No, to <INSERT NAME>." and  "My <INSERT GOOD CAUSE> needs me!"  Saying "No" brings out all kinds of negative emotions especially guilt.

If it makes you feel any better, you’re not alone.

Not saying no is rarely about just saying yes when you really want to say no.  No is a boundary and one of the most difficult things to do, for women in particular, is draw boundaries and keep them in place. We always tell ourselves "<INSERT NAME> depends on me to…." Now, I’m not talking about saying no to everything.

Where should you draw the line? Of course only you know the answer to that. It is up to each individual. To help give you some great starter moves I asked, Gary Ryan Blair if I could share his recent e-letter on "Saying No."

I thought it very relevant as we review 2011 and prepare for 2012.  Incorporating even just a couple of Gary’s 15 ideas below will save you time, energy and money. Vow to make 2012 your year to say NO to what really doesn’t serve you.

——–

No, No, No

   by Guest Blogger Gary Ryan Blair

Saying No is the world’s best, fastest and easiest productivity strategy, primarily because it simplifies.

You will succeed on the basis of what, where and how you say "no". And "Saying NO" allows you to get more control over your daily life and activities–IMMEDIATELY!

For the first 100 days of 2012, you must resolve to give "NO" the strategic resolve it deserves!

The following are fifteen simple, effective and empowering strategies that you can use to get results–IMMEDIATELY!

1.) What strategies, initiatives and activities will you say "no" to?

There is great feeling, focus, empowerment, and impact when everyone agrees on paper the activities that will not be done.

Pull out a piece of paper and list all of the superfluous activities that can slow down, or prevent progress from happening altogether.

Everything is fair game and absolutely nothing is sacred in this exercise. Simply put, if it does not advance you forward, then say no!

2.) What meetings will you decline or delegate?

List every meeting you have in place for the foreseeable future and determine which you will NOT be attending. Meetings consume large chunks of productive time, most are run improperly and inefficiently, and most can be declined or delegated to someone else.

3.) What relationships will you not keep?

The way you manage your relationships has an enormous impact on your ability to perform at consistently high levels.

Identify the top three energy-draining relationships, that you are committed to saying "no" to for the next 100 days. Then focus on creating strategies to free yourself from each of them.

4.) What measurements will you ignore?

Say goodbye to all lagging indicators and ONLY pay attention to measurements related to customer satisfaction and the levers that directly drive sales, margin, operating expense and ROI.

5.) What customers will you not target?

Identify your IDEAL prospect, client or customer and quit chasing every opportunity as it’s a complete waste of time and resources. Once identified, you must then articulate who you will NOT target.

Finally, make decisions on segments of your customers that deserve "VIP" treatment.

6.) What competitors will you not follow?

Way too much time is lost by following and focusing on too many competitors and so-called guru’s. Identify the top three and immediately remove yourself from all of the other email distribution lists, blogs and other related communications.

7.) What websites will you not visit?

Web sites are like magnets and vampires, as they draw you in and suck away productive time. Pull up your list of favorites, delete most of them and keep only the ones of greatest value. You must institute a "No Surfing" policy and stick to it.

8.) What money will you not spend?

Put yourself on a fiscal diet as every dollar spent should be thought of as an investment towards greater operating income — even petty cash. With this in mind, what things, or even entire budget categories, will you not spend?

9.) What trips will you not make?

It’s hard to deny the power of ‘showing up’ in person as great things happen when you show up and interact with customers and colleagues. Nonetheless, trips consume massive gobs of time and money. Therefore, consider how you can use technology to replace trips, and only travel when it can make a big impact towards your primary goals.

10.) What foods will you not eat?

Reaching the next level of performance and productivity begins with how you manage energy. It’s disturbing to see the immense amount of human and corporate potential squandered due to the misuse of energy.

Unhealthy eating habits, lack of exercise, negativity, sarcasm, unfocused goals and strategies are all contributing factors to energy loss. Focus in on your nutritional intake and exercise by eliminating any food, or drink that compromises your energy levels.

11.) What excuses will you not engage in?

Excuses drain energy, time, production and profits. Have a brutally honest conversation with yourself and determine the excuses or behaviors that you must do away with. I’m aware that it’s easier said than done, but you will NOT be able to achieve your true potential by fighting for and repeating useless behavior.

12.) What will you not say?

Develop the habit of saying NOTHING that does not move the ‘agenda’ forward or uplift others. Speak ONLY of the solution, and waste not a second on the problem or blame.

You will save a lot of time and mental energy which can be directed towards more useful activities.

13.) What thoughts will you not entertain?

Remember that which does not move you towards your goal, takes you away from it. Therefore remove those thoughts that are limiting, defeating or downright negative and consciously choose to replace them with thoughts of abundance, optimism, and positivity. Don’t tolerate negative thoughts or conversations from yourself or others.

14.) What television shows will you not view?

If there was ever a time hog that needed to be slaughtered, television tops the list.  In even a moderate TV-watching household, it’s simply amazing how many hours are spent in front of the box. The solution–go cold turkey!

15.) What will you no longer tolerate from yourself or others?

Saying "no" and meaning it is the easiest word for setting a limit, holding firm to boundaries, and being clear about what you will or will not do. Identify the standards you wish to measure your life by and refuse to lower or negotiate at any time, nor for any reason.

Use the veto power of "No" regularly and with conviction as it’s a powerful strategic weapon that you can use to maximize your results in the first 100 days of the New Year.

————-
About Gary Ryan Blair from http://www.100daychallenge.com/

The 100 Day Challenge is a revolutionary extreme performance acceleration system that is responsible for transforming business and human potential into extraordinary results worldwide. Visit http://www.100daychallenge.com/ and take the 7-Day Test Drive.

Good day!  And a Terrific Tuesday to you!

Well, here we are again just a couple of days away from Thanksgiving.  Thank you for being part of my world.

Have you ever noticed that this time of year can bring out the best and the worst in us? Often our time to be grateful feels more like our nerves are grating….

Here are 3 of my favorite family survival tips – please share your tips in the comment section below! 

Survival tip #1:  Be Proactive.

We all know that the proverbially Uncle Joe or Cousin Sue are going to do what they always do. So, why are you surprised each year when it happens again? Prepare ahead of time how you will react. 

Just because you are asked a question, doesn’t mean you have to answer it.  Breathe deep. Smile and move on. You don’t have to defend anything. 

If smile and move on feels a bit too firm right now, enlist a family member to distract you when they see Uncle Joe or Cousin Sue start to close in for the "kill." Consider giving your ally a safety phrase such as “Marge, can you help pour the water?”

Speaking of water, drinking a glass of cool water or washing your hands in cool water, quickly cools off those negative responses, thoughts and feelings.

Survival tip #2: Know your NO. 

Life coach and friend Indrani from www.indranislight.org has a wonderful saying; “If you don’t know your No you will never know your Yes.”

Have courage and maintain boundaries.  Boundaries are about respecting yourself and others. When we set a boundary, we allow the relationship to stay in a good place. If others encroach on our boundaries or we have not set any, we often feel taken advantage of, which in turn, results in resentments. 

Respect others boundaries as well. If you don’t know what to say, be sure and avoid sensitive topics. Instead of “Have you found a job yet?” Ask “Catch me up on what’s happening?” If we speak only with positive intention, it helps keep the whole mood positive. Emotions are contagious — positive and negative.

(Indrani joined me on Beyond Lip Service Radio today listen into my interview on the topic of Getting from "I’m not enough." Indrani shares great tips on boundaries and other ways to move past negative talk.)

Survival tip #3: Use the GoBoD rule.

Two of the "favorite expectations" I hear in my coaching practice are "They should have known" and "It has to be perfect." 

When I hear "they should have known" my immediate response is "Why should they have known?" I have a friend who until recently didn’t know the difference between fudge and brownies, maybe you don’t either… it doesn’t matter. Yet, being a long time brownie fan and not so much fudge fan, I was surprised! In my world, they should have known – right? Why should they have known? It wasn’t part of the culture they grew up in. With fudge and brownies, it doesn’t matter what I expected or preferred as it makes no difference, yet sometimes it does make a difference.

We often expect others to be just like us or mind readers.  I have met some people like me, but none just like me and I’ve never met a honest-to-goodness mind-reader so the odds are not too good "they should have known" and did something to upset me on purpose .

This is where I call in the oldé GoBoD rule: Give others the Benefit of Doubt. Giving someone the Benefit of Doubt saves a lot of shoulding all over yourself and if the person continues after they know, reconsider if you want them in your life anyway.

As to the other common expectation, "It has to be perfect," or some variation thereof, let’s get real, perfect doesn’t exist.  When "it wasn’t perfect" or "it has to be perfect" is your war cry, step back and know that your “good enough” is most likely everybody else’s perfect.

Perfect is about control. We all know we can’t control what happens, the control we have is in how we chose to respond to what happened. Disappointment happens when our expectations of the “fairy-tale” and the event don’t match up.  Learn to make your expectations preferences and life will be much smoother. Things go much easier when we “prefer” something goes a particular way versus we “expect” something a particular way.

I have a sign on my porch that says, “Martha doesn’t live here and that’s a good thing.” It always brings a smile to those in the know…. 

Have a wonder-filled rest of your week whatever your adventures
To Success! To life!
Sharon

p.s. Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving here in the States. And all of you, here and around the world, joy and abundance always. I am especially thankful and abundant this year as my coaching business has  grown and prospered.   I am honored you are part of my community and I am able to share and work with so many of you to reach your goals, bring your passions out and create the life our your dreams — that is what makes this the best job!

I’m taking the rest of this week off to spend Thanksgiving with my family and will be back in touch next week.

The other day in my blog, I asked are you sure you understand?

And are you sure you are being understood?

Up popped the question, that is great in person, what about email?

Same as in person when we write an email, it’s important to get right to the heart of the message. Too often time is wasted, misunderstandings happen, mistakes made, and conflict arises because of being to vague. 

Know your intention for the email. Most people know roughly what they want, but do not take the time to clearly think it through.  Or worse, they know what they don’t want, not what they want. This is how we end up with ambiguous, muddled or unclear messages. Without a clear understanding of our desired end results, our thoughts are disorganized and we can easily confuse the listener.  Once we are clear on the outcome(s) how do we make sure we are understood?

Same Words, Different Worlds Part 2

Let’s take a simple example: Giving your assistant directions in email – say, a VA and you can’t just go down the hall… so what to do….

5 tips for email or written directions for clarity and understanding.

# 1 Use basic fonts. Just like in using simple words, use simple (standard) fonts. San serif (no hands and feet e.g. Arial) is easiest to read on screen. Serif (with hands and feet e.g. Times) is easiest to read when printed.   Plus everything in moderation — there is nothing worse than all UPPER CASE (means you are shouting), all bold, too many italtics and multiple colors blinding the display. Avoid overusing exclamation points, question marks, underlines etc.

# 2 Size does matter when it comes to fonts. If the fonts that are too small, too large, or otherwise hard to read, 12 to 14 point is about right. If your audience is over 60 consider 14 to 16 point font size.

# 3 Formatting is important. Make emails easy to read and quick to scan by using bullet points, numbered lists, and keeping paragraphs short. Highlight keywords for emphasis, yet remember rule #1 – everything in moderation.

# 4 Curb your enthusiasm. Choose professional sign-offs like "Sincerely" and "Regards." Have a short signature line underneath your signature. No need to give your entire resume. I once saw a 28-line email signature statement underneath their signature – really, do we need to know all of it?

#5 Speak in third person with volatile information. Personally, I don’t think email is the place to carry on emotional or volatile conversations; there is too much room for misunderstanding. The mood of the reader is often placed onto the email they are reading. If you must, refer to the volatile information in the third person e.g. "The report is incorrect" instead of "Your report is wrong."

BONUS: Send or show samples if you are requesting a specific type of work, be it a text sample, screen shot, or attachments send the recipient samples.

Added to the first 5 from Part One of Being Understood Quickly and you will have an email that will get your message heard and understood.

#1 Answer the WIIFM question first. Make sure the listener understands the relevance. People want to know “what do you need from me?" or "what’s in it for me?” Answer this question quickly. Skip long introductions, backgrounds, compliments and details. Jump to the point. State it clearly using minimal words.

 #2 Stick to the facts. Too much backstory can cause confusion. Often we feel compelled to go into all the gritty details most of the time they are not necessary. Unless asked, you don’t need to overly elaborate anything.

# 3 Use active verbs. Active verbs help to energize your conversation. Instead of "The project will be done by Pam," write: "Pam will do the project." Use the straightforward — subject, verb, object —  sentence structure.

# 4 Use simple words. Leave the million dollar words for your dissertation. This isn’t about anyone being simple-minded, it adds to the clarity of the message. If you make it too fancy you can force your listener to go running for their mental dictionary.  Even with simple words, words can have more than one meaning, whether real or emotional, especially if the language the directions are given in are not the listener’s first language.

# 5 Ask open-ended questions. You both can gain clarity by asking open-ended questions. An open-ended question is one that cannot be answered yes or no.  Have them describe not only the plan or steps to get to the goal, have them describe their vision of success for the assignment. Your job is to listen and not interrupt with corrections or additions. Once they have finished describing their "understanding" it is time for clarification, corrections, additions, follow-up and asking if they have ideas to add to make the project a success, then review.

I wanted to share with you a great new event coming up next week.

The Rock Your Expertise Free Telesummit starts in just 3 days!

There is a direct correlation between your perceived credibility and your revenue and profit growth

My friend Laura Cross invited me to be part of her Rock Your Expertise Event.  Join us next week  to hear from top business strategists and learn invaluable tips, tool, and techniques! I know many of the presenters and can tell you they will be giving you steps to immediately implement that will catapult you to “rock-star expert” status during this one-time *fr*ee* special event:

ROCK YOUR EXPERTISE

*Fr*ee* Telesummit & Webcast Series  January 17-21

REGISTER NOW http://whatyourbodysays.com/rye

During these *Fr*ee* Webcasts and Teleseminars, top business strategists will reveal:

• How to write a compelling bio
• Leverage the power of a virtual team
• The magic of newsletter marketing
• Solutions to speaking fearlessly
• How to breakthrough to a six-figure business
• Your signature advantage
• Write and publish a profitable book… in less than 12 weeks
• Design the ultimate customer experience
• Brand-building and celebrity endorsements
• How to power up your promotional copy to get results
• To increase your visibility, reach and impact through authentic marketing
• To use social video to catapult your credibility
• Secrets to attracting your ideal clients with a perfect brand
• How to clarify your message to make an impact in your business
• How to match your body language to your message
• Plus much more…..

Get all the information and register for free HERE http://whatyourbodysays.com/rye

You’ll be able to listen to the experts from your telephone or via your computer, and if you can’t listen during the live event, you’ll have 48-hour access to listen to the replays.

Once you register, we’ll send you all the details.

REGISTER NOW http://whatyourbodysays.com/rye

Enjoy the Adventure!

Sharon

P.S. I honestly believe every biz owner who isn’t getting what they want from their business NEEDS this information… you might just find something that alters your reality.

P.P.S. Full disclosure, I am an affiliate. I would recommend the experts in Rock Your Expertise, even if I weren’t.

I wanted to share with you the top 7 ways I have found to make news!

Honestly, I’ve seen companies throw thousands of dollars into advertising and get almost no return. So consider making your own news. Creating your own news is different than advertising. I know I feel it and you might feel it too, the ton of messages thrown at us on a daily basis… so many of us are tired of the hype and downright skeptical of any advertising. Plus advertising can be very expensive!  

Consider the alternative, when the media shares your news, it doesn’t cost you anything but a little time and effort, it lends an air of credibility to your information and you get that very valuable item we call social proof.
 
When people read something from a trusted media source, they take your news more seriously than they do our own ads. As a small business owner, do-it-yourself public relations might seem daunting, yet, hiring someone to do your PR for you might just be out of your budget right now.

Here are 7 great ideas for making your own news

1. Comment from your expertise on a current news item or do you have an opinion that others might find helpful? What can you add to the community dialogue? Like today, can you comment on what the miners might need to do to adjust to their new freedom, or possible health issues, or reestablishing relationships after trauma, or mine safety….

2. Media loves a winner – do you or your clients have a before and after story to share?

3. Plan or take part in a local event. What is a local event of interest, how can you contribute to the event? How can you encourage others to support the cause?

4. Offer free or low cost trainings. Contact local community groups, social agencies, schools, libraries and clubs, what can you teach or present to help others learn or see a new idea or new way to do something?

5. Create a checklist or top ten list to share. Media often looks for items like this when they need to fill a little space.

6. What has been your most commented on blog posts or articles? Create a story on the post and the insights learned and share those as part of your press release.

7. Be a trend-spotter.  Provide information for trade magazines in your industry of new trends or information that can solve problems.

Before you send information to the media, consider these 3 tips for getting the media to use your news.

1. Ask yourself, and others, if the information you’re about to send is really newsworthy.

2. Provide valuable information without asking for anything in return.

3. Make it easy for the media to contact you for further information. Be sure and provide an email address, phone number, and mail address.

Make sure your news story steps outside yourself and answers the larger question of “Why someone else should care?”

It might take a little extra effort to answer the “So what?” question that each media outlet will ask, but it can mean the difference between getting your story used in the media and a huge waste of time and energy. It’s important to take the time — Remember when the media takes up your cause, it lends your message credibility and social proof, plus news stories don’t cost you money like advertising does.

If you would like to know more on getting media attention, I’m offering a no-cost webinar —— Quick Ideas for Creating Your Own News, this Thursday, October 14th, 11am pacific / 2pm eastern

Register at http://whatyourbodysays.com/fmm

Get going quick on creating your own media attention. You will learn how to do your own PR and create media attention.  This isn’t one of those "in-a-box" info products that gets you all excited and then leaves you alone to struggle your way through finding the time, the focus to get going and to do it right.

Join me this Thursday October 14th at 11am pacific / 2pm eastern for this fact-filled, no-cost training, you’ll learn…

   * How to CRAFT THE MESSAGES the MEDIA WANTS TO HEAR.

   * My STEP-BY-STEP formula for crafting YOUR MEDIA MESSAGE

   * Proven strategies for keeping YOU IN THE MEDIA!

…All without being phoney, forced or sales-y.

Plus, I will share just a bit on my upcoming 6-week course on Getting Media Attention with my signature F*R*E*E Media Magic course starting October 26th. Whether you’re an expert who’s just getting started or an experienced marketer, I’ll show you exactly how to create a media message that gets noticed. All you need to do is follow my step-by-step system to see great results in YOUR business.   Learn more at http://www.freemediamagic.com

If you already know you need media attention too, join in the fun and Save BIG with the EARLY BIRD SPECIAL. http://www.freemediamagic.com

As a special bonus, I’m offering those that register for the 6-week F*R*E*E Media Magic course by October 15th AND YOU WILL RECEIVE at NO-COST a 20-minute Media Mastery Coaching Call Personally with ME to laser-focus on your special media needs. http://www.freemediamagic.com

Have a great day whatever your adventure – I’m off to the eWomens Network Event
To Success! To Life!
Sharon
 

Fiction writer, Anjuelle Floyd and me (a non-fiction author) will address these questions during Self-Publishing v. Traditional Publishing, a discussion hosted and moderated by Elizabeth Stark Powers, author of Shy Girl: A Novel, writing teacher, and founder of Book Writing World.

Date: Saturday, September 11, 2010
Time: 9am PDT, 10am MT, 11am CDT, 12 pm EDT

To listen to, or join this online meeting go to:


http://sharonsayler.com/su7

Note from Elizabeth Stark founder of Book Writing World:  Subject: Saturday's Publishing Event

"Dear Writers,

This month's big publishing event is special. We have two visiting writers–one who writes fiction, primarily, and one who writes non-fiction, primarily. Both are connected to the BWW, too–Sharon Sayler is a current member and Anjuelle Floyd went through the whole cycle last year. Each has published traditionally (with a publisher) and each has self-published. During this hour, they will discuss their experiences with publishing and marketing their books and answer your questions. Please join us at 9 a.m. Pacific Time, Sept. 11 through WebEx.

Use the link above to register.  If you are new–the trick to WebEx is to join the audio conference (choose "call via computer") so you can hear and be heard. There will be directions typed on the whiteboard and in the chat, so look for those if you are having trouble. And welcome!

See you all tomorrow for what promises to me an exciting and informative event.

Warmly,
Elizabeth

Quashing my passion, my vision???

Gosh, it is all tooooooo easy to lose motivation. When that happens, I notice I prefer to clean house… I know that sounds silly, but sometimes having my conscious mind focus on something else, like cleaning, allows my unconscious mind to solve problems, re-energize and re-set my "GO" button. Yesterday, during my last cleaning phase I found my Personal Vision Statement.  I had written it several years ago, tucked it away for safekeeping, never to see the light of day until now…

A Personal Vision Statement is about identifying, in writing, your long range personal and business goals. Future-pace out 5 to 10 years or more then review with others that will be affected by these goals (family, business partners, etc.) Statements like these are important, especially if you are part of a small business. Share them with other decision makers in your business. If everyone is going in the same direction it helps create a cohesive workplace. If a team is chasing the same rabbit, the likelihood of catching the rabbit is much greater…than each team member chasing a different rabbit…

So, what do you stand for, what is your vision of success?

How would you know you are successful – what would you see? Hear? Feel?

I decided to keep my Personal Vision Statement in a "not so safe spot." I took several 2.5 x 3 index cards (half of a 3×5 card) and wrote one statement, goal, a step to achieve the goal, or an action I need to do on a card to remind myself of my long-term vision. (I tried post-it-notes, I prefer the sturdiness of the index card.)

I call them Personal Pocket Visions. I placed the cards where I will see them throughout the day. My refrigerator, mirror, purse, and monitor… each time I see a card, I think of not only what is written on the card, but my entire Vision. Take action, today, with your unique Personal Pocket Visions.

Have a great day in whatever your adventure.

To Success! To Life!

Sharon

p.s. Sharon's Radio Show Beyond Lip Service.  Join me this Tuesday 1:00 PM Eastern/10AM Pacific for Beyond Lip Service at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/beyondlipservice

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I just read an article by Joel Spolsky on multi-tasking and computers. He really opened my eyes to the downside of the law of exponential growth.

For years, yes years, I thought I was getting more done by doing multiple things at once. Seems efficient, right. WRONG! It really does take more time to do multiple tasks then to do one task at a time.

Now, Joel is a computer guy—develops software. He has a great analogy that even a non-computer person can relate to, so I will paraphrase it here-

“…You have two computations to perform, A and B. Each computation requires 10 seconds of computer time.

You can either do computation A to completion, then B (one after the other) or you can multi-task.

For the sake of this argument, let’s say, if you ask the computer to multi-task, having task A run one second, then switch to task B for one second, then switch back to task A for one second… and the task switch will take no time at all. Now, we all know that never happens when we perform tasks, getting “back up to speed” does take time, but play along…

In both cases, you have to wait 20 seconds to get both of your answers to A and B. But think about how long it takes to get the results to each (A and B) computation.

With multitasking, the results take 19 seconds to arrive… yet with sequential processing each result, A and then B are ready in only 10 seconds each.

He takes his computations further and assumes each task switch would take one-minute. So, the computer would use 80 seconds when doing A and then B sequentially (20 seconds for the two, A and B tasks and 60 seconds for the switch)… a little over a minute.

But this is what happens in multi-tasking, add the 20 separate one-second tasks and 19 one-minute switches. (20 seconds + 19 task switches = 1160 seconds) That’s OVER nineteen minutes!"

Consider the exponential growth factors… Enough said! No more multi-tasking for me.

Thanks Joel, to read the whole article and learn more go to http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/fog0000000022.html

Have a great day whatever your adventure.

To Success! To Life!