Business and Marketing

NO!

Let me explain – only you can change your own life for the better with the decision that you make. BUT having a business coach can have a dramatic impact on the direction that you take your life in, and the results that you get from your business and your life.

I was inspired to write this post because I have been working with a business coach, Garry Carlson, since late March, and the past three months for me have been transformational, to say the least.

What you can gain from a business coach:

Accountability. It is a literally coach’s job to care about your business and ensure that you keep the promises you make to yourself. Having weekly coaching calls helps you stay on top of your goal list. You will report back every week with an overview of what you have and haven’t accomplished based on your long term goals and your action items for the previous week. This alone change dramatically improve your personal productivity.
Experience and wisdom. A business coach works and has worked with many other business owners, and understands the financial, psychological, and emotional struggles that entrepreneurs face. He or she has dealt with them many times, and has helped many of his or her clients get over them. A coach’s wisdom can also stop you from wasting months or years (or thousands of dollars) working in the wrong direction, and can provide incredible guidance when setting your goals and developing your strategy.
Bigger and clearer goals. Having a coach by your side will empower you to set bigger and more defined goals for yourself and your business, because you know you will have someone to help guide you towards those goals. Additionally, a coach may often believe in you more than you believe in yourself in the early stages, and will encourage you to set greater goals for yourself.
A process to the madness. Entrepreneurship can be tough, crazy, and disorganized, especially when you are primarily working solo. Having a coach helps you add a structured, guided process to ensure success in your venture, not to mention overall better organization in your life and business, especially when it comes to time management.
Balance. I don’t know about other coaches, but my coach Garry has helped me find greater balance in my life, helping me not only grow my business financially, but also develop it in such a way that it helps me attain the lifestyle that I want to create for myself. He encourages the business FUNdamentals, teaching that it is difficult to succeed at something that you can’t have fun at!
Encouragement. If you struggle with self-doubt, as many entrepreneurs do especially in the early stages (I know I did), a good great will help you replace that self-doubt with a rock solid self-confidence. This confidence will be the result of not only a changed emotional state, but also assurance in the fact that you have a plan, are achieving improved results, and have greater clarity in everything you do.

For me personally, working with Garry has been a significant factor in my ability to start my business on a full-time basis after graduation. Not only is my business profitable now and has incredible prospects for the near future, I have also been able to significantly improve my lifestyle and general happiness. I take more time for what I love, like playing tennis with my friends, spending quality time with my girlfriend Ally, learning new things (currently teaching myself Spanish), and traveling to new places (just came back from Aruba two weeks ago, currently writing this post in Vermont, and have a lot of travel plans in the coming months).

If you are a business owner looking to grow your current business, or an entrepreneur looking to start a business, I strongly encourage you to get in touch with a coach. Some offer a 15 minute free coaching session… I know Garry does so, you can fill out his form here to get your free session.

If you are a business owner (including network marketing or any other home business!), I hope this post gave you insight into growing your business. If you have had any experience with a coach, please comment below!

This is reposted from my new site at FreedomPassionPurpose.com

“We always have time enough,
if we will but use it aright.”
– Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

Are you familiar with the 80/20 Rule? If not – get familiar.

It is a life changing concept that 80% of people (ironically) completely overlook in managing their time and prioritizing (if they manage and prioritize at all!)

What is the 80/20 Rule?

The 80/20 Rule (also known as the “Pareto Principle” after its founder) is a concept that states that 20% of the input creates 80% of the output, and the other 80% of the input creates 20% of the output.

20% of the people in a given economy earn 80% of the money.

20% of the customers make up for 80% of the revenue.

20% of the sales people generate 80% of the sales.

How Does This Apply To Your Life?

It’s usually close to impossible to get everything done in the time that it needs to get done, especially for anyone with significant goals and aspirations.

The 80/20 Rule applies directly to how you manage your time… 20% of your activity will produce 80% of your results.

What does that mean? That means that if you have a to do list of 10 things… there are probably 1 or 2 of those things that matter more than the other 8 or so put together.

Most people do the little things first and put off those 1 or 2 important things until … sometimes never.

This is why so many people are busy all day running around like chickens with their heads cut off, but never really getting much done, moving forward, or feeling satisfied with their accomplishments.

Resist The Temptation To Clear Up Small Things First

Remember that your daily activities are largely habitual … that means that what you do today is largely the result of behavioral patterns that you have established over the years. If you usually do small things first and the get the easy things out of the way before getting to the big important tasks, you will continue this pattern … and ultimately you will not get much done.

However, if you choose to consciously break this pattern, you can form a new one: work on big things first! If you can get yourself to consistently accomplish the important (not just urgent) things on your list first, you will eventually develop the habitual pattern of doing big things first. You will start to move forward. You will feel satisfied with your accomplishments. You will set greater goals for yourself, knowing you can accomplish them.

Activity For Today

Make your “to-do list” for today… List your key goals, activities, projects, and responsibilities today.

Determine which 20% of these tasks you feel could represent about 80% of your results for the day. Highlight these tasks.

Resolve to do these tasks first, even if that is all you accomplish all day today. Do this again tomorrow, and the next day.

For even better results, make your list and pick your activities for the next day the night before. Make a habit of this. You will be surprised how much more you are getting done, in less time, and how much more freedom you begin to experience in your life.

Remember, the goal of activity is to be productive, not just busy. Get things done, so that you can spend your time and energy on more important values.

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For more great Time Management tips, pick up Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time by Brian Tracy

Can A Business Coach Change Your Life?

Using the 80/20 Rule To Free Your Time and Get More Done

How To Cultivate A Culture Of Growth

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