How to solve your problems with the right solutions
Welcome back.
I hope you enjoyed your vacation and are refreshed and energized to move on.
Our family had a relaxing time at home. We didn’t leave because my daughter moved to London right after Christmas so we were there to say goodbye to her. Guess where we’ll go on our next vacation?
So back to business…
Now is the time to clean up the mess, write down your goals for the year, plan what you need to do, and then take action.
It’s all very easy to do, right? However, is it easy to implement? Well, the truth is that it is not. You often have great intentions, but you can somehow get distracted, overwhelmed by the daily hustle and bustle, and lose focus on what you really want. And another very important factor to consider is getting the right support to keep you accountable and on track so you don’t lose track.
Phil’s story
This week at the gym, one of the regulars came up to me and said, “You look great, what’s your secret?” It’s great when you get compliments like that, isn’t it? It certainly made me feel that my continued efforts in this area are paying off.
“Do you really want to hear the truth?” I said. “It’s the food. You have to watch what you eat, plan your diet, have more protein and less carbohydrates, very little fat and avoid junk food.”
Notice I said ‘avoid junk food’. It doesn’t mean it doesn’t have chocolate or cake etc. but I limit my intake. I also work out every day… weight training 3 times a week and running 3 times a week, but I do the least I have to do in the least amount of time possible. Trust me, if all I had to do was walk 30 minutes a day to keep fit, I would. Anyway, I’m not a fan compared to some people I know… Phil is one of those fans.
Phil works out 6-7 days a week, but he’s putting on weight. He trains so hard that he’s ridiculous. He can’t lose weight due to his bad eating habits and his emotional state. He didn’t tell me that, but it was obvious to me. Phil is 59 years old.
What he told me was…
1. Has junk food stored at home (My interpretation: unsupported environment, setting up to fail)
2. You drink too much alcohol (My interpretation: you use this to dull some of the pain you experience in your life)
3. He goes to the supermarket some nights and buys chocolate (My interpretation: he is bored and also uses this as an emotional solution)
When he reached out to me to find out what he had been up to, I couldn’t help but offer him a few solutions:
has. Ditch the junk food and get your family involved to help support your goal.
b. Go to Weightwatchers and learn about food. It’s continuing education and a very supportive environment… and it works!
against See a counselor to address your relationship problems.
You see, Phil thought he could solve his problems with exercise. He sure exercise helps, but it was only part of the solution. He has been doing this for a long time and hasn’t gotten anywhere. (How often in life has he continued to do the same thing without getting the result he wanted?)
Phil needed to identify what the real problems were or should I say face the truth and then find the right solutions.
In business, you can often think that with better marketing and more educated staff, your business and your life will improve. However, if you are disorganized and the internal business systems are the same (which is very common), then your ability to cope with the extra work and find and retain good people will be greatly diminished.
Through my work with small businesses, I find that the boss’s personal strengths and weaknesses directly impact the business…for better or worse.
jan’s story
One of my clients had the makings of a very lucrative business. He had been in the business for 10 years and had a team of 7 people working for her. Unfortunately, she continued to experience high turnover, which severely limited her ability to grow her profits. It also caused a lack of continuity and uncertainty for its clients. Jan had poured money into all sorts of programs and seminars looking for her ‘magic pill’ to keep staff. She had used all forms of consultants, but she didn’t seem to make any difference.
Her personal problems held her back and it wasn’t until she finally realized that this area of her life was affecting her business, and sought the right help in that area, that her business began to change.
Jan had been trying to solve the wrong problem. In fact, she did everything she could to avoid facing what was really getting in her way of maintaining a strong team of people. She always blames others.
So when setting your goals for the new year, make sure you solve the right problem with the right solution. Make sure you get the right help. And remember that you are your best investment… for things to change, you must change.
To help you on your way, I have a special gift for you… “Expect More From 2008”, 53 Strategies for Success from the leading Experts in Personal and Professional Development.
Happy New Year.
Lorraine Pirihi
Australia’s #1 Productivity Coach
“Committed to helping small business owners and entrepreneurs work less, earn more, and have a life!”