by Dr. Heléna Kate | Jan 16, 2014 | Dr. Heléna Kate's Blog
OK, so I cannot spell. You must have noticed by now. That, and I have several other learning disabilities. I have heard my entire life how sloppy, stupid, or unprofessional I am because of these difficulties. I can\’t say it hasn’t stung from time to time but it has been a great teacher.
Which brings me to the idea of perfectionism, a topic that was repeated again during the last session of my Serious Success 2 Business program. We discussed the importance of moving forward rather than getting stuck in the idea with a false belief that things, at some point in time, will be perfect. They won\’t be.
There was a point in my life where a mistake like what I just mentioned would\’ve caused me physical pain. I would have cringed at the idea of people witnessing such an \”obvious\” oversight. However, at this point in time, a mistake like that only reminds me of my humanness — something I have to say I\’m becoming very good friends with. I have learned that compassion with myself is a vital part of my success.
I\’m going to recommend that you become friends with your own limitations, shortcomings, and oversights. Not because we want to devalue our work or lessen its impact but because, in order for the world to change — and in order for our lives to change — we need to move forward, take action, and make a difference. If we are doing that, the mistakes along the way will fade and our successes will become that much greater and more memorable.
I am grateful that I do not need to be perfect. I will, of course, try my best, but doing my best truly is good enough, and makes the work and the challenges faced that much more enjoyable and deeply fulfilling.
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by Dr. Heléna Kate | Jan 14, 2014 | Dr. Heléna Kate's Blog
Being successful generally does not just happen, it requires taking action. As with many things in life, being focused can greatly increase your odds of achieving an important goal, or goals.
Success is no different. If you want to be successful there are actions you can take to help improve your odds. Here are seven secrets of success you can focus on to greatly increase your chances of being successful.
- Get serious: Being successful is not about taking it easy, it’s about getting serious and being committed to task. You should also be serious about seeking excellence. While focus and getting serious means you should not have to work every hour of every day, you do need to be serious about taking action every day in pursuit of your goals.
- Training: Archilochos, the Greek soldier and poet once said, “We don’t rise to the level of our expectations; we fall to the level of our training.” We can imagine all the success at an activity we want, but at the end of the day, we will execute only as well as we have trained. What skills do you need to tune and practice? It’s essential you train hard and your train often, if you want to achieve success. It’s also wise to use a coach that can provide feedback and help you achieve peak performance.
- Surround yourself with the right people: Success demands hard work, determination and the right support. You can only be as good as your team. You can have the best quarterback in the NFL, but if the rest of the team sucks, your team is not going to the Super Bowl. In another example closer to home, take a look at the “tiki bar” at the Snook Inn. When it’s busy during happy hour, lunch or dinner, the bartenders work really hard. More importantly, if you watch them closely, you can see they work as a team. They could never keep up with demand during these peak hours if they did not support each other. You want to surround yourself with competent, positive team members, who also are willing to give 110 percent toward being successful.
- Physical health: Your physical health is extremely helpful for business success. If you are working long hours, or a road warrior, being in good health allows you to keep going in the face of adversity and long days. Physical health also improves energy, speed and charisma. All of which are useful in achieving success.
- Be self-aware: This may be the most challenging of the seven for most of us. It’s not only important to understand others, we must be self-aware of our own behavior. This can be critical in assuring we bond with customers, partners and suppliers, as well as those that may be able to help us through the day. Smile when speaking on the phone, treat others with respect, and learn to listen. Practicing these skills will allow others to be more empathetic when you need help and support. Life is too short not to spread the good cheer.
- Take positive action every day in pursuit of your goals: Be proactive in reaching your goals. As an adult no one else can best do this other than you. Accept responsibility for the outcome you achieve and you will find that you will achieve more. If you lose a sale, instead of blaming someone or something else, look in the mirror and say, “What can I do better.” Ask yourself how you can work harder, learn new skills or help your team.
- Work harder than the rest: When you are in charge, there is no try, there is only do, or no do. By giving 110 percent you will find that over time your results are much greater than average, because most won’t give 110 percent. It takes time, preparation and commitment to task to be successful.
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Andy Singer is the president of Singer Executive Development, a professional training and development company that helps optimize business performance of employees and executives. They work with companies of all sizes optimizing performance and key skill sets in areas such as sales, marketing and operations. Singer is also on the board of directors for several organizations.
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by Dr. Heléna Kate | Jan 12, 2014 | Dr. Heléna Kate's Blog
We hear over and over that we need to stay physically active to be healthy but we do not talk much about needing to be physically connected to be successful. Guess what, its just as important!
Think of it this way. The more that we take care of our selves, the more energy that we will have to do the things that we need to do for our business.
The less we connect with our body the less we have to give to our business. Think about a time when you were really run down and then you ran into an angry person in a store or something. It was probably challenging not to get angry back or even escalate things. Now imagine a day where you have exercised, eaten right, and meditated. Same situation and you are able to handle it totally differently. Maybe even help transform the situation into a positive one.
In business, we are dealing with problems, conflicts and challenges all the time. And, on top of it all, it is our livelihood. We need to be sharp to be successful. So here are some tips (You likely know them so just take a moment to see if you are doing them. If not, then what might you change):
- Sleep enough and on a regular schedule
- Eat healthy and especially stay away from sugar and allergens
Exercise regularly
- Drink enough water
- Do things that are pleasurable for your body: ie. massage, dancing, taking a bath
by Dr. Heléna Kate | Jan 5, 2014 | Dr. Heléna Kate's Blog
Feeling stressed? Well, its common knowledge that you are not alone. Most of us these days have a high level of stress in our lives which is affecting the way we interact with others. In cases of chronic stress, the frontal lobe of the brain literally shuts down. This makes it virtually impossible for us to do anything besides react.
How do you think this affects your business and your life?
It may seem like that vacation or even day off is more than you can afford but what is the price for not taking time to slow down? We hear a lot about cleansing our bodies to create a healthier happier life but what about our minds and emotions?
How are they continuing to hold us back from what it is that we really want in life because (just like our bodies) they are overfed and under-nurtured?
What I talk to a lot of my clients about are their rhythms. Everyone has a rhythm to the way they live and a part of that needs to be rest and relaxation. For some people that might be on a daily basis. For me, about every 10-12 weeks, I need a chunk of time to myself. When I don’t do this, I am not functioning optimally by week 13 and starting to loose ground by week 15.
Regardless of whether you need time every few hours, every day, every week or every month, finding your rhythm and meeting your need to slow down will ultimately make you more fulfilled as well as more successful.
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by Dr. Heléna Kate | Dec 29, 2013 | Dr. Heléna Kate's Blog
How do those who are deeply passionate about their work balance their lives? I have written a few articles on the topic of balance and could list several ways \”to balance your life\” but that does not seem to answer the deeper part of this question, which is much more complicated than the basics of work/life balance.
I had someone say to me once that part of the root meaning of the word \”passion\” is \”to suffer\”. I suspect that those people who are truly passionate about what they do can relate to this definition of passion — to be passionate about something is to be consumed and driven by it. Where in this experience is the concept of balance? Passion might compel you to write at 3am and work for days without showering, with little sleep, and barely eating. This is not balance — and this is not the work-alcoholism of the typical American that might be remedied by the standard concept of balance.
Anyone who has been passionately connected to his or her work knows that the self is not always maintained in the process. The creative element that is a part of visioning and passionate action requires dissolution of the self. This makes it challenging to deeply understand what balance is all about under these circumstances.
However, if we substitute caring for ourselves in place of balance, we get a bit closer to something that might serve those of us who are so intimately connected with our passion. While balance might imply that we spend a certain amount of time doing separate activities, caring for ourselves implies that we are an essential part of our passionate work. If we are not healthy, then our work is not healthy either.
If we are not healthy then our work is not healthy.
Period and no exceptions.
While the metaphysics of this statement are intriguing, answering the following question will help us to apply it to our lives: How might your approach to work change if you looked at it from the perspective of the above statement?
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