Sara Hand

The truth is my life changes when I do. It applies to my business, my relationships, and my health…every area of my life. Maybe the economy could be better, maybe your spouse or significant other needs help, or maybe you were in an accident or have a health challenge that hinders you. However the truth remains; my life changes when I do, and if I don’t change… nothing will change!

Sometimes making life changes, those meant to last a lifetime, can sound overwhelming.

 “It’s the beginning of February and I couldn’t even make it through January with changes, how can I expect to make ‘LIFE CHANGES’ and expect something that lasts?”

Decide to start where you are at. It is so easy to wait until everything is right. However, if you wait until you have everything you need, until all the money is in the bank, until every team member is in place and is thoroughly trained…you may be waiting a LONG time. If it isn’t life or death, consider altering your recipe just slightly if it makes getting started possible. Who knows, it could actually be called inspiration.

Make changes one step at a time, one day at a time. Don’t try to get everything done today. I know that it is hard, because personally, I like things done well and done NOW. However, I also like things that are made to last. Craftsmanship isn’t about who gets to the finish line first, but about getting to the finish line with something that really works.

Celebrate success, whether big or small. Focus on what’s right. You may not have arrived. You may not be where you want to be, but you are not where you were. 

Any moment can be a NEW moment. One mistake, even several does not constitute a lifetime of failure. Whether it is a couple stolen cookies or an indulgent hour at the mall, don’t give up. A few cookies is a few cookies, giving up is weeks of cookies. Any moment you can decide that although you missed it last go around, you are going to take your turn and get up to bat again. The best batting averages start with more misses than hits!

Don’t decide to wait until next year, your birthday or whatever milestone comes around that you measure time by. Start today…or better yet, re-start today, and tomorrow and the day after, and the day after, and the day after that if necessary. In fact, consider every day a re-start as you proactively craft a life!

The business world we live in is not the same as it was several years ago. As owners and professionals attempt to make sense of a changed landscape, diversification has been a common tactic. For many this may make sense, for others in their attempt to meet every need they have become so diversified that they no longer have a clear message.

Seth Godin, popular author and blogger: 

“Pick the biggest market you can successfully dominate, the biggest slice where you can get through the Dip and be seen as the best in that world. If you can become number one in your niche, you’ll get more than your fair share of profits, glory, and long-term security.”    

The enemy of FOCUS is fear of loss.

 Often used in conjunction with the term abundance, is the common misnomer “Everyone is my prospect.”  Yet no matter how good you are and how much what you offer is used by the general  public, it is true that some people will like you and some people won’t.

Consider these:

Focus: Where do you provide the most value? What makes you unique? 

Market: All the prospects you could serve.
Market Segment: A segment is a portion, a particular group within your potential prospects that share similar characteristics.

Ideal Prospect: The best potential prospect for your purpose.
Value Proposition: A stance on how you provide value and what makes you unique, combined with the needs of the prospect that can most benefit from what you provide, AND can reward you profitably for providing this VALUE!

Success is in finding those who will like you.

Leadership is not a job or a role that you play, but a lifestyle…an expression of who you are. When you plant words of life, you reap rapport and relationship. Rapport and relationship positions you for influence and influence can position you for almost anything.

However influence and leadership is not cheap. There is a price to pay. A price of accountability and of responsibility to those you lead, to those over whom you have influence. Good leadership doesn’t make decisions based on today or even just tomorrow.

Seeds of greatness lie within each individual. For many, those seeds will remain just that, seeds of unrealized potential and possibility. From others greatness will emerge. Lives will be changed and the world impacted as their choices ripple outward.

What makes the difference between those that become and those that don’t?

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  • They have a vision for something that is bigger than just them and extends beyond just today. It is a dream fueled by passion and connected to action.
  •  They deal with the uncomfortable, awkward and negative issues, situations and relationship challenges that arise. They know that simply waiting for it to go away could leave them waiting for the rest of their life and time is precious.
  • They understand the power of consequence and so not make decisions solely on the comfort and convenience of today.
  • They take action…EVERY DAY! They have accepted responsibility for the realization of their vision and move toward it step by step day by day. They don’t despise the small steps, but are thankful for even small increments of progress.
  • They have not only defined what they like, BUT ALSO what they don’t like. They don’t focus on the “NO’s”. However by clearly defining what “NO” looks like, they are able to recognize what carries negative influences much sooner.
  • They operate with grace. Because they choose to forgive, they are free to move forward and are not tied to the past.
  • They know what it is to be a part of a team. They know their own strengths and weaknesses and are not threatened by others whose strengths and weaknesses are different from their own. They are able to ask for help when they need it.
  • They are not afraid of change and they are not trying to make everyone happy. As they move forward there will be others who are not supportive and who do not agree with the choices and decisions that they make. They understand that old adage, “You can’t please everyone all the time.”

Being a leader and carrying influence is about being a steward over the potential of your team, of your organization…your company. It is about empowering them to step up and be leaders over their sphere of influence. It is about speaking to the possibilities that exist and moving towards that day by day. How will your organization move forward,  first as individuals and then as a team…TODAY?