There are several prerequisites for having a business that loves you as much as you love being a business owner.

It’s tempting to delude yourself into accepting less than you deserve because you’re so enamored with the concept of being a business owner.

The reality of it can be a much different story.

When we live in a state of delusion, we’ll accept less than we deserve. We put up with and tolerate behavior that is not conducive to our well-being.

So how do you know if your business is being true to you? How do you know if it’s putting you above all else? How do you know if it would take a bullet for you?

“What’s a body to do?”, you ask.

Establish criteria and expectations that will allow you to lead a lifestyle that inspires you.

1. Schedule vacations

Without proper planning, you could end up working throughout the entire year. When you do your business planning (you DO do that don’t you?), decide how much time you want to take off and then block it out on your calendar. You don’t have to know where you’re going to go (although that helps), you just need to commit to when.

2. Work in your sweet spot

Most people go into business because of a passion or area of expertise thinking that’s how they’ll spend most of there time. Then they realize there is so much more that’s required in running a business. When you’re new you may not be able to afford all of the help you need, but before you think you CAN afford it, start outsourcing tasks you hate or aren’t good at. Doing so will actually free you up to be more creative and thus afford you the time to work on things that will generate more sales.

3. Value your time an expertise

You deserve to be paid what you’re worth. Focus on sharing your gifts with others for recompense in addition to the pure joy of it. Don’t undervalue your knowledge and passion. People need your unique perspective and want help from someone who knows more than they do.

4. Work with people you adore

This is definitely one of the big perks of being in business. You get to choose your ideal clients. This is particularly true if you’re in a service business. You target the kind of folk you want to work with. You don’t have to make an ‘offer’ to everyone if you’re not interested. Or, you could add a premium to the price so it feels more palatable to you. I don’t strongly recommend that option. It’s one thing to charge more for work you enjoy less. It seems almost mean to do it for such personal reasons as not liking someone. Just say ‘no’ and move on.

5. It pays you well

I remember talking with a graphic designer 20 years ago when I first started my jewelry design business. I sold hand-crafted earrings and necklaces at Art & Wine festivals in northern California. As we were chatting about my new business (I was very excited), I revealed how much I paid in entrance (booth) fees for the more popular shows. Her reaction was “Oh. I guess you’re happy to just break even.”

I looked at her in dismay. “No”, I said. “I almost always make a substantial profit. And on those occasions when I don’t, I know it’s an aberration and I don’t do that particular show again (unless it was just rained out which was a rare occurrence).

Image via Wikipedia

That jewelry business paid for a 3 1/2 week trip to Tanzania for a safari, a week in Zanzibar and a week in the ‘bush’ with the Masai. It was a great way to start off in the business world. And even today, my pricing reflects the value I provide to my clients not just the minimum to ‘break even’ and cover the bills.

So, if your business loves you, you’ll enjoy your work and your clients. You’ll have time to relax and enjoy live.

You’ll be valued by your clients and you’ll be paid what you’re worth.

In order to make substantive progress in life, you must have a clear picture, sense or description of where you’re going. Without that, your time will be consumed by life’s mini and major emergencies.

Even when you have that plan, things won’t always go that way. Never-the-less, make time to be strategic about your life, career or business.

Here are 7 critical concepts that will help you deal with almost anything.

1. Plan at least once a year
Block out time on your calendar and ask yourself where you want to be five years from now. Identify milestones and required accomplishments along the way. Anticipate potential obstacles you might encounter and figure out NOW how you’ll avoid or deal with them if they arise.

2. Bring  your emotions into play
Emotions create motivation. You’ll need some fuel to help you through the challenges and tedious times too. As you ponder your bright future, write down WHY it’s important for you to get there and how you’ll feel once you do.

3. Think big but plan small
This is like Think globally, but act locally.  Progress is made one step at a time. If your goal is big (and it should be) it might overwhelm you into thinking it’s not possible for you. When you break it down into small chunks, your brain will say “I can do that!”. And it will

4. Put activities on your calendar
If your plan stays in your notebook or pad of paper, it won’t be executable. Do somehthing every day (or at least every week) toward your goals

5. Schedule time for breakdowns during the day
Stuff happens. That won’t be avoidable. So anticipate the phenomenon and block out one-hour block for random acts of ‘stuff’. That way, when they happen, you’ll already have accounted for them and they’ll have less of an impact on your plans for the day.

6. Step into the abyss when it occurs
When something big breaks down (a body requiring an unexpected surgery, for example), you gotta deal with it. The emergency requires your full attention. Do what needs to be done.  If you resist, procrastinate or try to avoid it, it will just get worse.

Ask for help. Do things to take care of yourself. Pray and meditate or just think about the bigger picture. That will help provide perspective. Some emergencies are short lived. Other unforeseen circumstances last for a long time and require a lot of patience. Resist the urge to become a helpless victim. Stay true to your values. Stay true to yourself.

7. Keep your eye on the future
The emergency will pass so while you’re dealing with it, think about how lovely life might be once it’s behind you. Emergencies have a way of helping you prioritize what’s REALLY important. So ‘use’ the time to assess yourself and your goals.

Do these things and you’ll become ever stronger, more capable and effective.

Related articles

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• Show up AND Prioritize (peopleskillsblog.wordpress.com)
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Each of us starts each day with the same number of hours. So how is it that some make such remarkable progress toward their goals while others amble through life scarcely having any substantive achievements at all?

There are distinct differences with how they USE their allocated hours and what they fill them with.

Poor time management creates frustration, lower self-esteem, stress and overwhelm.
There are some simple distinctions that allow people to utilize their time more effectively than others.

So how do you avoid that when it sometimes seems you’re not in complete control?

Highly effective, productive people use 3 simple concepts to organize their hours and lives.

1. Belief
They set big goals that they firmly believe they can achieve. It’s the goal-setting AND the belief that are critical. The absence of either will sabotage forward progress. Belief arises out of imbuing goals with emotion. Our brain handles the logical, project management aspect of goal setting. Our heart provides the motivation when things get tough.

2. Prioritization
People who accomplish big things constantly and consistently evaluate what’s important and use that to filter what they do and when. When you start YOUR day, how do you decide what to do? If you’re in business, generating revenue and creating systems to create future revenue should always be at the top of your list. If you work for someone else, replace generating revenue with the major goals you’re tasked with. If you’re retired, place your wishes and desires in that top spot.

Then, whenever you face a choice of what to work on, pass your options through the how-does-this-help-me-accomplish-my-big-goals test.

3. Focus

Once the decision of what to work on is made, devote a pre-set amount of time to completing the task. Don’t let yourself get distracted. Take a short break every 90 minutes if you’re working on a big project. But otherwise, stay in your ‘groove’ until your task is complete.

Simple, yet effective strategies will keep you marching forward toward your goals and future happiness and achievement.

Related articles

• Goal Setting Tips for 2012 Success (studmuffinmedia.wordpress.com)
• Guaranteed to Fail (npbusiness.org)
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People seem to be overwhelmed with finding and acting on potential opportunities for their business.  Fearful they might miss out on something, that grab at anything that looks like a remotely attractive possibility, but this leaves them feeling unproductive, exhausted and still unsure of their future.

Here are seven tips to help you focus and become more profitable:

1. Have long-term and short-term goals that you’re working toward.
Having a long-term view of your life and business helps you create a filter against which you can make your day-to-day choices of how to allocate your time, money and energy. It gives you direction and purpose plus the motivation required to keep going when things get tough.  I call this your Dream Destination and supports you moving through life quickly and definitively.

2. Only set goals that are important or critical to you in some way.
Sadly, people sometimes take on goals that others have set for them. If you set a goal for something that seems ‘cool’ but doesn’t really have a place along the path to your Dream Destination, it will suck the life out of your dream and cause you to detour to unnecessary paths.

3. Decide before you end your work day what your priorities are for the next day.
For those of you who struggle with ‘time management’ issues, this one key will change your life.  Rather than walking into your office and dealing with what comes up (even if you have a to-do list), you’ll risk working on lower priority tasks.  So, before you wrap up one day, review your to-do list (if you have one), consider your Dream Destination and then choose what your top priorities are for the next day.

4. Just say “No”.
Practice saying “No” to both requests you get and to the ‘shiny objects’ that float by tempting you with the allure of something attractive but that isn’t on your priority list. It it’s not your ideal client, don’t pursue it. If it’s not in your current or needed expertise, leave it alone.

5. Work on one project at a time.
Clean your desk of all distractions. Move the piles to another location (or take the time during non-work hours to file them away). Create some physical and mental space for your creativity to arise.

6. Determine exactly what you are paid to do.
Make sure you know how you make money. For me, it’s speaking, coaching, writing and developing programs.  For your business, is it selling products, adding people to your team, creating niche websites that sell?  What?

And specifically what do YOU contribute to that process? Is it making calls to prospects, writing copy for your website, consulting with paying clients?

Spend your time doing those things.

Then…

7. Delegate everything else.
I know I harp on this, but it’s critical to your success if you want to grow beyond your current state.

Gather a team around you to take care of the administrative tasks and other items that don’t require your specialized skill set. Create systems and procedures that you can hand-off to other people so you can focus your efforts on the activities that are the closest to getting money into your bank account.

Focus applied to the right priorities is the key to your success.

Many people I talk to struggle with feeling over committed, overwhelmed and overworked. Do you have a faithful companion who supports you in your important quests?  Or are you trying to fight for law and order in your ‘town’ on your own?

Here are 7 signs that you’re maxing out on your effectiveness.

1. You’re routinely one of the last people to leave the office
There really is a limit to the amount of stuff you can do in a 24-hour period.  When you try to do too much, you routinely work into the evening or even late at night.  Other people seem to be able to get out of the office at a decent hour, but not you.

2. The work you take home with you causes problems for your family
Your family complains because you’re always on your computer, cell phone or laptop.  They miss you and want to ‘play’ with you but you’re to busy doing ‘important’ work.

3. You feel resentful of the people around you
When you’re dealing with too much to do, it could seem like others around you are sloughing off.

The reality is that you’re responsible for your situation and your feelings. If you’re complaining bitterly (and silently) to yourself, speak up. If you need help, ask for it.

4. You miss deadlines
One of the problems of having too much on your plate is that your work suffers. There never seems to be enough time in the day.  You have too many commitments to keep up with them all.  Your reputation suffers as does your self-respect.

5. Your schedule is filled with too many (unimportant) activities
You may feel important and ‘in demand’ but if you look, it’s possible that time is sucked up because you can’t say “No!”.  You agree to things that are inconsistent to your big goals (if  you’ve even bothered to create them).

6. Your big goals are languishing on the back burner of your life
As a result, you never get to the things you say are truly meaningful.  That vacation of a lifetime, the book inside you, the relationship, the call to a family member or long-term friend. You may secretly fear you’ll end up alone.

7. You don’t enjoy work anymore
When all of these things add up, it casts a heavy cloud over your days. The job you once loved is now a burden.  Your health suffers and does your spirit.

As you may have heard me say, “We have more options than we generally see and more control than we tend to take.  It’s time for you to take control.”

Make requests. Ask for help. Say “No”. Remind yourself what your life is about.  (Hint: It’s probably NOT what other people are telling you it should be about.

You get to choose. Look into your heart and ask, “If this were my last year on earth, what would I be spending my time doing?“, then re-prioritize and get started.