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  14. <description>Helping Small business owners design and build Beautiful Businesses and Lives</description>
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  31. <title>Reflections, Goals, and Commitments</title>
  32. <link>https://www.newperspectives.com.au/resolutions-how-to/</link>
  33. <comments>https://www.newperspectives.com.au/resolutions-how-to/#comments</comments>
  35. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Roland Hanekroot]]></dc:creator>
  36. <pubDate>Tue, 24 Jan 2023 06:18:18 +0000</pubDate>
  37. <category><![CDATA[Wellbeing]]></category>
  38. <category><![CDATA[goals]]></category>
  39. <category><![CDATA[happiness]]></category>
  40. <category><![CDATA[planning]]></category>
  41. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.newperspectives.com.au/?p=15838</guid>
  42.  
  43. <description><![CDATA[<p>The background to the 6 question exercise for developing power new year's resolutions that make you feel great</p>
  44. <div class="read-more"><a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/resolutions-how-to/">Read more <span class="screen-reader-text">Reflections, Goals, and Commitments</span><span class="meta-nav"> &#8250;</span></a></div>
  45. <p><!-- end of .read-more --></p>
  46. <p>The post <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/resolutions-how-to/">Reflections, Goals, and Commitments</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au">New Perspectives</a>.</p>
  47. ]]></description>
  48. <content:encoded><![CDATA[
  49. <h1 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-to-ask-and-answer-powerful-questions" style="font-size:65px">How to ask (and answer) <em>powerful questions</em></h1>
  50.  
  51.  
  52.  
  53. <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/New-Years-Goals-1024x683-1-900x518.png" alt="new year's resolutions goals ahead road" class="wp-image-15839" width="950" srcset="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/New-Years-Goals-1024x683-1-900x518.png 900w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/New-Years-Goals-1024x683-1-450x259.png 450w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/New-Years-Goals-1024x683-1-250x144.png 250w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/New-Years-Goals-1024x683-1-265x152.png 265w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/New-Years-Goals-1024x683-1-100x58.png 100w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/New-Years-Goals-1024x683-1-150x86.png 150w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/New-Years-Goals-1024x683-1-200x115.png 200w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/New-Years-Goals-1024x683-1-300x173.png 300w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/New-Years-Goals-1024x683-1-600x345.png 600w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/New-Years-Goals-1024x683-1.png 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" /></figure>
  54.  
  55.  
  56.  
  57. <h2 class="wp-block-heading" style="font-size:22px"><em>New Year&#8217;s Resolutions for people who hate doing New Year&#8217;s Resolutions #2</em></h2>
  58.  
  59.  
  60.  
  61. <p>Last week, I published a <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/resolutions/">big article about New Year’s resolutions</a>. </p>
  62.  
  63.  
  64.  
  65. <p>If you haven&#8217;t had a chance to read it yet, the article is about an exercise I designed, to do resolutions in a way that leaves you feeling great about yourself and your business.</p>
  66.  
  67.  
  68.  
  69. <p>The article describes how I then did the exercise myself, and wrote about it. It shows the processes I went through, the insights I found and the commitments I made to start the year.</p>
  70.  
  71.  
  72.  
  73. <p>It was a great experiment. I felt wonderful after completing the exercise and I am in exactly the right frame of mind now to tackle my commitments for the year with enthusiasm and energy.</p>
  74.  
  75.  
  76.  
  77. <p>Today I will give you the background of the whole exercise. Why did I ask those questions and not others, for example? What kind of questions might you ask instead? And how can you modify this exercise to suit you and suit you at different times and in different circumstances?</p>
  78.  
  79.  
  80.  
  81. <p>You can also <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023-new-years-resolutions-worksheet.pdf">download a worksheet with the 6 Questions</a> and space to answer them for yourself here.</p>
  82.  
  83.  
  84.  
  85. <h3 class="wp-block-heading">These were the 6 Questions I asked myself:</h3>
  86.  
  87.  
  88.  
  89. <ol>
  90. <li><em>In what specific ways does my business and life look different now, from a year ago?</em></li>
  91.  
  92.  
  93.  
  94. <li><em>What am I most pleased or proud of for the past year?</em></li>
  95.  
  96.  
  97.  
  98. <li><em>What am I worried about for the year ahead?</em></li>
  99.  
  100.  
  101.  
  102. <li><em>What would I like this year to be about?</em></li>
  103.  
  104.  
  105.  
  106. <li><em>What are the big challenges I’ll likely be facing?</em></li>
  107.  
  108.  
  109.  
  110. <li><em>How am I going to meet those challenges?</em></li>
  111. </ol>
  112.  
  113.  
  114.  
  115. <p>Asking big, powerful questions and committing to answering them thoroughly, fully, especially in writing, often leads to great clarity and deep insight.</p>
  116.  
  117.  
  118.  
  119. <p>It certainly did so for me, and if you haven’t done so yet, I encourage you to make yourself a cup of tea, turn your phone off and read the article in full. It is a long piece of writing but that’s intentional. There is an aspect to the exercise I think of as a journey or an adventure. I believe all change processes are journeys and adventures. Change can never happen in an instant at the flick of a switch.</p>
  120.  
  121.  
  122.  
  123. <p>And all change processes are individual. So what I hope you’ll note as you read the article is not so much the specific insights and actions I come to (after all those insights are really about me at this time in my life, and have little to do with you or your life). The questions and the journey that follows from them are what is interesting. Focus on how I arrived at the answers, not the actual answers.</p>
  124.  
  125.  
  126.  
  127. <p>So first off, let me explain the thoughts behind each of the 6 questions:</p>
  128.  
  129.  
  130.  
  131. <h4 class="wp-block-heading">1. <em>In what specific ways do my business and life look different now, from a year ago?</em></h4>
  132.  
  133.  
  134.  
  135. <p>It’s a really good idea to get clear about how your life has shaped itself over the past year. Often things have changed a lot more than you realise. That was certainly the case for me when doing the exercise. We tend not to notice the changes when they happen, and we rarely appreciate their cumulative effect.</p>
  136.  
  137.  
  138.  
  139. <h4 class="wp-block-heading">2. <em>What am I most pleased or proud of for the past year?</em></h4>
  140.  
  141.  
  142.  
  143. <p>Most of us don’t spend anywhere near enough time acknowledging ourselves for the stuff we’ve done, the things we’ve made happen. Patting ourselves on the back for specific achievements is actually really hard and can be quite affirming (as opposed to general and generic “Look at yourself in the mirror and learn to love yourself” self-help nonsense).</p>
  144.  
  145.  
  146.  
  147. <p>In my case, doing the exercise, I realised I did a lot of really good things last year, and it set me up well to continue with the exercise.</p>
  148.  
  149.  
  150.  
  151. <h4 class="wp-block-heading">3. <em>What am I worried about for the year ahead?</em></h4>
  152.  
  153.  
  154.  
  155. <p>Voicing your worries is also something quite powerful. We often try to avoid giving air to our worries, because we think we’ll jinx ourselves or open ourselves up to negative energy (more self-help, pop-psychology nonsense). I believe exactly the opposite. Looking our worries and fears in the eye generally removes the negative energy from those worries instead. Our worries are generally worse than reality. Take it from me because I’m a worrier.</p>
  156.  
  157.  
  158.  
  159. <p>There’s a nice concept that I believe either comes from the Stoics or from Zen Buddhism or both. It goes like this:</p>
  160.  
  161.  
  162.  
  163. <ul>
  164. <li>Are you worried about a problem or situation?</li>
  165. </ul>
  166.  
  167.  
  168.  
  169. <ul>
  170. <li>Can you do something about this problem?</li>
  171. </ul>
  172.  
  173.  
  174.  
  175. <ol type="1">
  176. <li>If yes… Don’t worry (go and fix the problem instead)</li>
  177.  
  178.  
  179.  
  180. <li>If No… Don’t worry (It won’t make the slightest bit of difference anyway)</li>
  181. </ol>
  182.  
  183.  
  184.  
  185. <p>In my case, when I wrote down all the stuff I was worried about, I realised that a lot of my worries were about things I had little control over, or they were about things I’ve worried about my whole life already. Now at age 64, I can say that I’ve managed to avoid all the disastrous outcomes I’ve worried about my whole life and there’s no reason to assume I won’t be able to do so again this year.</p>
  186.  
  187.  
  188.  
  189. <h4 class="wp-block-heading">4. <em>What would I like this year to be about?</em></h4>
  190.  
  191.  
  192.  
  193. <p>Now we start looking ahead. Let’s do some free-ranging visioning. Let your imagination roam free and imagine what a year from now could really look like for you.</p>
  194.  
  195.  
  196.  
  197. <p>The three previous questions prepare your mind for this question though. Without answering those questions first, your mind is likely to put the brakes on. It will stop you from really opening up. I believe the first three questions create a safe space for your brain, as it were. Without that safe space, it’s likely that the “little voice on your shoulder” will go rampant and convince you not to step too far out of your comfort zone.</p>
  198.  
  199.  
  200.  
  201. <p>In my case, the first three questions led me to feel great about where I got to already. That gave me the courage to say I didn’t need to achieve anything particularly big or new or earth-shattering. Not so much to rest on my laurels, but rather to be happy with where I’m at.</p>
  202.  
  203.  
  204.  
  205. <h4 class="wp-block-heading">5. <em>What are the big challenges I’ll likely be facing?</em></h4>
  206.  
  207.  
  208.  
  209. <p>There will be stuff that gets in the way of your big picture for the year. Obviously, you can’t know all of the things that might get in the way, but you can probably guess at a lot of them. Let’s list them. Having a list of all the likely challenges in front of you will make it a lot clearer where to put your focus. I found a lot of unexpected clarity in exploring this question. It made a big difference in how I finished the exercise in question 6.</p>
  210.  
  211.  
  212.  
  213. <h4 class="wp-block-heading">6. <em>How am I going to meet those challenges?</em></h4>
  214.  
  215.  
  216.  
  217. <p>The final question gets the rubber on the road because now we’re talking about specific actions, and nothing will ever be achieved by thinking only. All thoughts and plans must be translated into concrete realistic physical actions before anything will change or be achieved.</p>
  218.  
  219.  
  220.  
  221. <p>A favourite teacher and mentor of mine used to say: “Salvation wears running shoes”, or in other words, nothing happens or changes until we do some stuff.</p>
  222.  
  223.  
  224.  
  225. <p>I certainly felt after answering question 6 that I ended up with a useful set of actions and strategies for the year ahead and I’ve already started implementing them.</p>
  226.  
  227.  
  228.  
  229. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-flow-is-the-key">The flow is the key</h3>
  230.  
  231.  
  232.  
  233. <p>So, that’s why I asked those particular questions, and not others. Obviously, you can change the wording of the questions to suit how you speak and think, but the key is in the progression, the flow of the questions:</p>
  234.  
  235.  
  236.  
  237. <ol type="1">
  238. <li>Reflect on the changes that have taken place in a given time period.</li>
  239.  
  240.  
  241.  
  242. <li>Reflect on the role you’ve played in those changes, and acknowledge your achievements.</li>
  243.  
  244.  
  245.  
  246. <li>Reflect on the things that most worry you at the moment.</li>
  247.  
  248.  
  249.  
  250. <li>Reflect on what you want the next time period to be about, and what your vision for this time period is.</li>
  251.  
  252.  
  253.  
  254. <li>Reflect on the hurdles, and what might get in the way of achieving that vision.</li>
  255.  
  256.  
  257.  
  258. <li>Create simple practical actions to meet those challenges and maximise the opportunities.</li>
  259. </ol>
  260.  
  261.  
  262.  
  263. <p>As I said, only the last question gets the rubber on the road and leads to forward movement and change, but if you try to answer the last question on its own, you’re unlikely to come up with meaningful answers and actions. And the same goes for the other 5 questions. One follows from the previous and you lead your brain along to arrive at the insights and conclusions that are most meaningful for you.</p>
  264.  
  265.  
  266.  
  267. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-space-and-time-for-your-brain">Space and time for your brain</h3>
  268.  
  269.  
  270.  
  271. <p>That’s also why it is important to answer the questions in complete sentences and paragraphs. Your thinking develops as you write and answer. I’m no neuroscientist, so I won’t even try to explain how this stuff works. But I have had a variety of very clever people explain some of it to me over the past 20 years in trainings and in books and it has to do with brain states and various types of brain waves and how the brain makes meaning of things. What I know for a fact though is that it works. If you give your brain the space and time to develop its thinking, it will arrive at meaning and insight far more efficiently than if you don’t. I would not have arrived at the insights and commitments I did without going through the whole exercise from beginning to end.</p>
  272.  
  273.  
  274.  
  275. <p>Finally, I think it’s useful to point out that this exercise is just as valuable on the 23<sup>rd</sup> of May or the 12<sup>th</sup> of September as it is at the start of the year. As a matter of fact, I would encourage you to set aside time in your diary to go through this exercise every quarter or every 6 months or whenever you feel you’re a bit stuck and not sure you’re focusing on the right things in your life and business.</p>
  276.  
  277.  
  278.  
  279. <p>Obviously, you can use a different time frame as well. Focusing on a calendar year is an arbitrary choice. You could focus on the last three months in your reflections and set plans for the next three months, or you could make the exercise about the past 5 years and plan for the next 5. As long as you use a specific time frame. As another mentor of mine once said: &#8220;A Goal without a date is a dream.&#8221;</p>
  280.  
  281.  
  282.  
  283. <p>But there is one thing you can absolutely trust me on: Setting aside time to do nothing but think (and write) is never wasted.</p>
  284.  
  285.  
  286.  
  287. <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Have a go yourself</h3>
  288.  
  289.  
  290.  
  291. <p>I have created a simple worksheet in PDF that you can download to do the exercise in yourself in freehand (there&#8217;s a lot to be said for actually writing things out longhand with a pen and paper). Feel free to <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023-new-years-resolutions-worksheet.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">download the 6 Question worksheet here</a>.</p>
  292.  
  293.  
  294.  
  295. <p>Alternatively create your own questions following the structure I outline above. In any case&#8230; Have fun with it, and let me know how you go.</p>
  296.  
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  313. <p>The post <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/resolutions-how-to/">Reflections, Goals, and Commitments</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au">New Perspectives</a>.</p>
  314. ]]></content:encoded>
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  317. <slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
  320. </item>
  321. <item>
  322. <title>Resolutions and more nonsense</title>
  323. <link>https://www.newperspectives.com.au/resolutions/</link>
  324. <comments>https://www.newperspectives.com.au/resolutions/#comments</comments>
  326. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Roland Hanekroot]]></dc:creator>
  327. <pubDate>Fri, 13 Jan 2023 06:54:55 +0000</pubDate>
  328. <category><![CDATA[Wellbeing]]></category>
  329. <category><![CDATA[goals]]></category>
  330. <category><![CDATA[happiness]]></category>
  331. <category><![CDATA[kindness]]></category>
  332. <category><![CDATA[personal development and growth]]></category>
  333. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.newperspectives.com.au/?p=15797</guid>
  334.  
  335. <description><![CDATA[<p>Designing New Year's resolutions, when you hate them in such a way that you will feel great about yourself and your business for months.</p>
  336. <div class="read-more"><a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/resolutions/">Read more <span class="screen-reader-text">Resolutions and more nonsense</span><span class="meta-nav"> &#8250;</span></a></div>
  337. <p><!-- end of .read-more --></p>
  338. <p>The post <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/resolutions/">Resolutions and more nonsense</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au">New Perspectives</a>.</p>
  339. ]]></description>
  340. <content:encoded><![CDATA[
  341. <h1 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-goals-reflections-writing-and-action" style="font-size:45px">Goals, Reflections, Writing and Action</h1>
  342.  
  343.  
  344.  
  345. <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="900" height="498" src="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Fat-Man-Happy-Making-Fitness-Progress-gym-new-year-resolutions-900x498.webp" alt="" class="wp-image-15799" srcset="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Fat-Man-Happy-Making-Fitness-Progress-gym-new-year-resolutions-900x498.webp 900w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Fat-Man-Happy-Making-Fitness-Progress-gym-new-year-resolutions-450x249.webp 450w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Fat-Man-Happy-Making-Fitness-Progress-gym-new-year-resolutions-250x138.webp 250w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Fat-Man-Happy-Making-Fitness-Progress-gym-new-year-resolutions-265x147.webp 265w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Fat-Man-Happy-Making-Fitness-Progress-gym-new-year-resolutions-100x55.webp 100w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Fat-Man-Happy-Making-Fitness-Progress-gym-new-year-resolutions-150x83.webp 150w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Fat-Man-Happy-Making-Fitness-Progress-gym-new-year-resolutions-200x111.webp 200w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Fat-Man-Happy-Making-Fitness-Progress-gym-new-year-resolutions-300x166.webp 300w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Fat-Man-Happy-Making-Fitness-Progress-gym-new-year-resolutions-600x332.webp 600w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Fat-Man-Happy-Making-Fitness-Progress-gym-new-year-resolutions.webp 1109w" sizes="(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" /></figure>
  346.  
  347.  
  348.  
  349. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-to-do-new-year-s-resolutions-when-you-hate-doing-new-year-s-resolutions" style="font-size:22px"><em>How to do New Year’s resolutions when you hate doing New Year’s resolutions.</em></h3>
  350.  
  351.  
  352.  
  353. <p>It’s now a little while into the new year.</p>
  354.  
  355.  
  356.  
  357. <p>Maybe you’re still on holiday or maybe you’ve gone back to work by now, head down bum up… focused, focused, focused.</p>
  358.  
  359.  
  360.  
  361. <p>Have you done the new year’s resolutions thing, this year?</p>
  362.  
  363.  
  364.  
  365. <p>Or are you, like me, over the whole “Goals for the year” idea? New Year’s Goals and resolutions haven’t worked out so well for you (or me) in the past and it’s all a bit depressing, and anyway, you’ve got too much to do to think about that stuff.</p>
  366.  
  367.  
  368.  
  369. <p>Trust me, I hear you.</p>
  370.  
  371.  
  372.  
  373. <p>But…</p>
  374.  
  375.  
  376.  
  377. <p>The beginning of a new year is as good a time as any to think, reflect and plan. And New Year&#8217;s resolutions done well (<a href="https://ethics.org.au/how-to-give-your-new-years-resolutions-more-meaning/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">more about how to do New Year&#8217;s Resolutions the right way from The Ethics Centre</a>) can really get your year underway well.</p>
  378.  
  379.  
  380.  
  381. <p>I know, I know it’s it was New Year a few weeks ago, but in Australia, we tend not to take life too seriously until after Australia Day (Invasion Day) anyway, so I suggest you follow this process along with me. I hope you’ll enjoy it.</p>
  382.  
  383.  
  384.  
  385. <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Reflecting and writing</h3>
  386.  
  387.  
  388.  
  389. <p>A friend of mine asked me the other day if I had any resolutions for the year, what I was most worried about for 2023 and what I most wanted 2023 to look like.</p>
  390.  
  391.  
  392.  
  393. <p>I thought about it for a few days and decided I don’t feel the need to set Goals of any type again this year, but that it could be useful at least to reflect on what last year has been about, what I am pleased with, what went well, and where I improved.</p>
  394.  
  395.  
  396.  
  397. <p>And to write it down. Reflecting on things in writing can often mean we deepen our thinking and come to more powerful insights. We force our thinking processes to be more thorough and we force our random thoughts into coherent sentences.</p>
  398.  
  399.  
  400.  
  401. <h3 class="wp-block-heading">My adventure for the year</h3>
  402.  
  403.  
  404.  
  405. <p>So that’s what I’m going to do here. As I write this sentence, I have no idea what will come out, or what insights it might lead to. I am going on an adventure, if you will, and if it does lead me to some useful insights, I might decide to do something with those for the coming year.</p>
  406.  
  407.  
  408.  
  409. <blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
  410. <p><em>Why don’t you have a go yourself?</em></p>
  411. </blockquote>
  412.  
  413.  
  414.  
  415. <p>I’ve been on a few of these reflecting and writing adventures myself in the past, and one thing I promise you: It’s always been interesting and mostly much more useful than you expect.</p>
  416.  
  417.  
  418.  
  419. <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><a id="questions"></a>The questions:</h3>
  420.  
  421.  
  422.  
  423. <p>To help me be as constructive as possible I I’ve decided to frame a few questions and then answer each of them in turn and in order, as fully and honestly as I can. My experience is that asking good questions and committing to answering them as fully and honestly as you can, will always lead to great outcomes and insights.</p>
  424.  
  425.  
  426.  
  427. <p>These are the questions I’ve come up with (you can skip to any of the questions by clicking on them):</p>
  428.  
  429.  
  430.  
  431. <ol type="1">
  432. <li><a href="#question1"><em>In what specific ways do my business and life look different now from a year ago?</em></a></li>
  433.  
  434.  
  435.  
  436. <li><em><a href="#question2">What am I most pleased or proud of for the past year?</a></em></li>
  437.  
  438.  
  439.  
  440. <li><em><a href="#question3">What am I worried about for the year ahead?</a></em></li>
  441.  
  442.  
  443.  
  444. <li><em><a href="#question4">What would I like this year to be about?</a></em></li>
  445.  
  446.  
  447.  
  448. <li><em><a href="#question5">What are the big challenges I’ll likely be facing?</a></em></li>
  449.  
  450.  
  451.  
  452. <li><em><a href="#question6">How am I going to meet those challenges?</a></em></li>
  453. </ol>
  454.  
  455.  
  456.  
  457. <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Question #1:</h3>
  458.  
  459.  
  460.  
  461. <p>So here we go… Let’s start this adventure and ask the first question:</p>
  462.  
  463.  
  464.  
  465. <h4 class="wp-block-heading"><a id="question1"></a><em>&gt; In what specific ways do my business and life look different now from a year ago?</em></h4>
  466.  
  467.  
  468.  
  469. <div class="wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-1 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex">
  470. <div class="wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow">
  471. <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" width="572" height="433" src="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-year.jpg" alt="new years resolution" class="wp-image-15802" srcset="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-year.jpg 572w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-year-450x341.jpg 450w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-year-250x189.jpg 250w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-year-231x175.jpg 231w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-year-100x76.jpg 100w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-year-150x114.jpg 150w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-year-200x151.jpg 200w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-year-300x227.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 572px) 100vw, 572px" /></figure>
  472. </div>
  473.  
  474.  
  475.  
  476. <div class="wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow">
  477. <p>A year ago, we were all still a bit shell-shocked from the pandemic and the lockdowns and I felt weird. Financially I’d come through the pandemic quite well, but I was worried about the future. Where were my clients going to come from, would any business even consider engaging someone like me, how was the economy going to recover from the onslaught? Questions like that were big in my mind in January, a year ago.</p>
  478. </div>
  479. </div>
  480.  
  481.  
  482.  
  483. <p>Also, on a personal level, I had some concerns about my marriage, about my health and fitness, about the fact I’m getting older and also about finding useful and interesting things to do with my free time (of which I have quite a lot these days).</p>
  484.  
  485.  
  486.  
  487. <h3 class="wp-block-heading">The mainland</h3>
  488.  
  489.  
  490.  
  491. <p>On another personal level, I was trying to work out how to re-engage with the mainland, as it were (we moved to Tasmania from Sydney about a year before the start of the pandemic). Prior to the pandemic I used to fly to Sydney at the drop of a hat, to catch up with family and friends. The pandemic put a stop to all that running back and forth, and now in January 2022, I didn’t want to do it all that much anymore either.</p>
  492.  
  493.  
  494.  
  495. <p>All of these things were going through my head a year ago.</p>
  496.  
  497.  
  498.  
  499. <blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
  500. <p><em>What was going through your head about your business and life, a year ago?</em></p>
  501. </blockquote>
  502.  
  503.  
  504.  
  505. <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Today</h3>
  506.  
  507.  
  508.  
  509. <p>Now, today, life looks different. My business has fared well during the year. I’ve had enough new clients come in, I’ve been asked to come on board with a very interesting government-funded small business support program, one day a week, and I feel comfortable with the work I have done and continue to do with my clients over the year. Financially I’m in a fairly comfortable place.</p>
  510.  
  511.  
  512.  
  513. <p>On the personal front, things have changed a lot as well. I feel fitter and healthier than I’ve felt for a while (not that I’ve lost any weight worth mentioning, because food is, after all is said and done, what makes life worth living in my book). I’ve found an exercise form that works for me, hiking and climbing up steep hills. I’ve found a couple of hiking buddies and it means you’ll find me up a mountain or in the bush somewhere with a mate just about every Monday. My arthritic knees are better than they’ve been for a while too.</p>
  514.  
  515.  
  516.  
  517. <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Marriage, study, cooking, friends, kids</h3>
  518.  
  519.  
  520.  
  521. <p>My marriage is also healthier than it’s been for quite a while, we’re having a lot of fun together and there’s a lovely feeling at home.</p>
  522.  
  523.  
  524.  
  525. <p>I’ve taken on some study projects, done a lot of work in the garden, cooked up many storms over the year, developed some really solid friendships in our new home state, and read a lot of great books. I’ve only been to the mainland a few times during the past year and some of the friendships I had in Sydney and surrounds have started to lose some of their intensity and focus, but I’m ok with that because I think it&#8217;s just what happens… life moves on. Finally, the bonds with my kids, their partners and the grandkids have strengthened, and that’s really nice to notice.</p>
  526.  
  527.  
  528.  
  529. <p>All in all, big changes, but I just like to note this for myself as much as anything else: Few if any of the changes that occurred are the kind of big changes we set Goals for. They have all been slow gradual changes, incremental steps; Two steps forward, one step back, try something new for a while and then try something different. No Big Hairy Audacious Goals, no strategies, no plans and no milestones. The changes are just those that develop as long as you make sure you always keep moving.</p>
  530.  
  531.  
  532.  
  533. <p>Always moving is the key.</p>
  534.  
  535.  
  536.  
  537. <blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
  538. <p><em>And you? What’s the end of 2022 looking like now?</em></p>
  539. </blockquote>
  540.  
  541.  
  542.  
  543. <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Question 2:</h3>
  544.  
  545.  
  546.  
  547. <h4 class="wp-block-heading"><a id="question2"></a>&gt; <em>What am I most pleased or proud of for the past year?</em></h4>
  548.  
  549.  
  550.  
  551. <p><a href="#questions">Back to the top</a></p>
  552.  
  553.  
  554.  
  555. <div class="wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-2 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex">
  556. <div class="wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow">
  557. <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" width="359" height="400" src="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-years-resolution-foot-in-mouth.png" alt="new year's resolution foot in mouth" class="wp-image-15803" srcset="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-years-resolution-foot-in-mouth.png 359w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-years-resolution-foot-in-mouth-250x279.png 250w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-years-resolution-foot-in-mouth-157x175.png 157w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-years-resolution-foot-in-mouth-100x111.png 100w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-years-resolution-foot-in-mouth-150x167.png 150w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-years-resolution-foot-in-mouth-200x223.png 200w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-years-resolution-foot-in-mouth-300x334.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 359px) 100vw, 359px" /></figure>
  558. </div>
  559.  
  560.  
  561.  
  562. <div class="wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow">
  563. <p>I’m pleased with myself for a couple of reasons I think:</p>
  564.  
  565.  
  566.  
  567. <p>First, again in my business, I am pleased that I said ‘Yes’ when I was invited to come on board the small business support program I mentioned above. It’s turned out quite different from what I expected and some of it has been right out of my comfort zone. But I’ve learned a lot, I’m getting better at delivering in the program and I feel I’m adding something useful to the mix with the other advisers. I’ve also done some great work with a few of my regular clients, and they have clearly benefitted from working with me. I’ve done well getting myself established and connected in the business community here in Tasmania, as evidenced by being approached for the program, for example.</p>
  568. </div>
  569. </div>
  570.  
  571.  
  572.  
  573. <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Part of a new community</h4>
  574.  
  575.  
  576.  
  577. <p>On a personal level, I’m pleased with how I’ve created a circle of people in this town whom I call real friends. Getting established in a new community can be challenging, but I believe I (and my wife) have done it well and quickly.</p>
  578.  
  579.  
  580.  
  581. <p>Also, as mentioned above I started realising that I was at risk of becoming mentally lazy and bored. I gave myself a couple of swift kicks up the backside and took on some study projects that are engaging me and are a lot of fun besides.</p>
  582.  
  583.  
  584.  
  585. <p>I’m pleased with how I’ve committed to my health and fitness so that I can now do 4 to 7 hr hikes in the Tasmanian mountains on a regular basis. A few years ago, when we first came to this town, I could barely walk up the stairs in my own house with my arthritic knees, now I’m climbing steep mountain tracks.</p>
  586.  
  587.  
  588.  
  589. <p>Finally, I’m pleased with how I’ve proactively done the work that needed to be done to re-energise and re-vitalise my marriage, and we’re in the best place we’ve been for years.</p>
  590.  
  591.  
  592.  
  593. <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Attaboy</h3>
  594.  
  595.  
  596.  
  597. <p>All in all, now that I’ve written it all out like this, I am forced to admit that I have every reason to be quite pleased with myself. I reckon I’ve done all right last year… Attaboy!</p>
  598.  
  599.  
  600.  
  601. <blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
  602. <p><em>Your turn: What are you pleased with yourself for?</em> What would you like to give yourself an Attaboy for?</p>
  603. </blockquote>
  604.  
  605.  
  606.  
  607. <p>I highly recommend that you take some time and write it down. As you’ve read above, I did just that, and writing it all down, has put me in a great frame of mind.</p>
  608.  
  609.  
  610.  
  611. <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Shift the focus to 2023</h3>
  612.  
  613.  
  614.  
  615. <p>So far so good. It turns out there is a lot more to feel positive about than I’d expected. I still have no idea where it will all go, but I know, that having gone through the exercise above has put me into the right mindset to see something useful and interesting pop out the other end. I am getting more and more excited about this little adventure, to be honest.</p>
  616.  
  617.  
  618.  
  619. <blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
  620. <p><em>How about you? Are you pleasantly surprised on reflection too?</em></p>
  621. </blockquote>
  622.  
  623.  
  624.  
  625. <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Question 3:</h3>
  626.  
  627.  
  628.  
  629. <p>The first of the new year questions:</p>
  630.  
  631.  
  632.  
  633. <h4 class="wp-block-heading"><a id="question3"></a>&gt; <em>What am I worried about for the year ahead?</em></h4>
  634.  
  635.  
  636.  
  637. <p><a href="#questions">Back to the top</a></p>
  638.  
  639.  
  640.  
  641. <div class="wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-3 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex">
  642. <div class="wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow">
  643. <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="600" src="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-years-resolution-online-arguments.jpg" alt="new years resolution online arguments" class="wp-image-15810" srcset="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-years-resolution-online-arguments.jpg 800w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-years-resolution-online-arguments-450x338.jpg 450w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-years-resolution-online-arguments-250x188.jpg 250w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-years-resolution-online-arguments-233x175.jpg 233w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-years-resolution-online-arguments-100x75.jpg 100w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-years-resolution-online-arguments-150x113.jpg 150w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-years-resolution-online-arguments-200x150.jpg 200w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-years-resolution-online-arguments-300x225.jpg 300w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-years-resolution-online-arguments-600x450.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></figure>
  644. </div>
  645.  
  646.  
  647.  
  648. <div class="wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow">
  649. <p>On a business level, I am worried about a few things for the year ahead:</p>
  650.  
  651.  
  652.  
  653. <p>Firstly, I am concerned that my clients will continue to keep finding me through Google. Google (and my website) has, on average, given me about 50% of my clients over the past 20 years. For a bunch of reasons, I won’t go into now, I’ve generally ranked quite well in Google searches since the early days of my coaching business. Over the past couple of years though, there has been a slow but undeniably backwards trend in Google-led inquiries. </p>
  654. </div>
  655. </div>
  656.  
  657.  
  658.  
  659. <p>Again, there are many reasons for this trend, which I won’t delve into now. But for most of last year, I’ve worked with a high-level SEO expert to turn the trend around. I worry that I haven’t seen a clear shift yet.</p>
  660.  
  661.  
  662.  
  663. <p>Secondly, the government-funded business support program I am part of has another half year to run, but there is no clarity yet, on whether the program will continue to run or whether I will be able to continue to take part in it.</p>
  664.  
  665.  
  666.  
  667. <p>Thirdly, I had hoped to be able to launch a new group program to support business owners in northern Tasmania, as a joint venture with a friend, in February. For various reasons that has been put on hold. There’s no guarantee we will be able to launch it this year at all.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
  668.  
  669.  
  670.  
  671. <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Personal worries</h3>
  672.  
  673.  
  674.  
  675. <p>On a personal level, I am worried about a few things too (I know, I know, I am a worrier).</p>
  676.  
  677.  
  678.  
  679. <p>I am worried that the newfound joy and fun in my marriage is going to run out of puff and that we fall back into old patterns.</p>
  680.  
  681.  
  682.  
  683. <p>I am worried that I’ll lose my enthusiasm for keeping up the exercise, walking and hiking I’ve been consistently doing over the past couple of years and that I’ll lose the health benefits from that enthusiasm. (On a side note, I am also worried that I’ll get too enthusiastic on some boulder field on the side of a mountain and break a leg)</p>
  684.  
  685.  
  686.  
  687. <p>I am worried that my daughter and her family are planning to set off on a year-long van-life trip around Australia at some point and that we won’t get to see them very much when they do.</p>
  688.  
  689.  
  690.  
  691. <p>Lastly, I always, always, always worry about a couple of things:</p>
  692.  
  693.  
  694.  
  695. <ol type="1">
  696. <li>That I don’t give enough attention to friends and family and that they’ll feel ignored by me.</li>
  697.  
  698.  
  699.  
  700. <li>That I get slack, in my business or personally. That I won’t keep up with my study, health, cooking, home chores, business development, marketing etc.</li>
  701. </ol>
  702.  
  703.  
  704.  
  705. <p>Told you, I’m a worrier. But writing them all down turns out to be really useful for me. When I see all these things written down it lowers the energy of the worries. For one, I realise, that most of these worries have been around for many years, some as long as my entire adult life or even longer. Given how many good things have happened last year for example, in spite of many of the same worries I had at the start of it, I’m reminded that I’ve proven myself equal to the challenges and worries. Now at 64 years of age, you might say I’d be justified to trust that I can meet the challenges again. That’s a great feeling. &nbsp;Secondly, having clarity over my worries, which of those worries I have control over and which I don’t, means I can decide where to focus in the year ahead.</p>
  706.  
  707.  
  708.  
  709. <blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
  710. <p><em>What about your worries? Are you a worrier too?</em></p>
  711. </blockquote>
  712.  
  713.  
  714.  
  715. <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Question 4:</h3>
  716.  
  717.  
  718.  
  719. <h4 class="wp-block-heading"><a id="question4"></a>&gt; <em>What would I like this year to be about?</em></h4>
  720.  
  721.  
  722.  
  723. <p><a href="#questions">Back to the top</a></p>
  724.  
  725.  
  726.  
  727. <div class="wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-4 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex">
  728. <div class="wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow">
  729. <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="900" height="757" src="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-years-resolution-career-900x757.jpg" alt="new years resolution career" class="wp-image-15811" srcset="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-years-resolution-career-900x757.jpg 900w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-years-resolution-career-450x378.jpg 450w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-years-resolution-career-250x210.jpg 250w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-years-resolution-career-208x175.jpg 208w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-years-resolution-career-100x84.jpg 100w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-years-resolution-career-150x126.jpg 150w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-years-resolution-career-200x168.jpg 200w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-years-resolution-career-300x252.jpg 300w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-years-resolution-career-600x504.jpg 600w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-years-resolution-career.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" /></figure>
  730. </div>
  731.  
  732.  
  733.  
  734. <div class="wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow">
  735. <p>Starting with my business again. I’d love it if the business support program continued with me being a part of it, a day a week.</p>
  736.  
  737.  
  738.  
  739. <p>I really hope that my SEO guru and I can get on top of the whole Google thing so that there’s a reasonable flow of inquiries again (I only deal in small numbers, 4 to 6 actual full fee-paying clients from Google in a year is perfect).</p>
  740.  
  741.  
  742.  
  743. <p>I’m hoping for a similar number (4-6) of paying clients from word of mouth and relationships here in Tasmania or Australia-wide.</p>
  744. </div>
  745. </div>
  746.  
  747.  
  748.  
  749. <p>Even at the low end, 4 paying clients from Google as well as 4 from word of mouth, plus a day a week with the business support program, would be a great year for me, financially, and it would mean I can continue to fit my business nicely in the 4 days a week I work now (see my hiking adventures below under &#8220;personal 2023&#8221;).</p>
  750.  
  751.  
  752.  
  753. <p>Finally, I would love it if we can get the once-a-month group program off the ground, with at least 8 participants. If my friend and I do that and we find a formula that means the program continually attracts new people as existing participants leave, we will have created something useful to support business owners in the local community. It could also be quite lucrative for us, strengthen my relationship with my friend, give me more visibility in the local community and be a lot of fun besides.</p>
  754.  
  755.  
  756.  
  757. <p>All of the above would make 2023 one of my best years yet.</p>
  758.  
  759.  
  760.  
  761. <h3 class="wp-block-heading">My personal 2023</h3>
  762.  
  763.  
  764.  
  765. <p>On the personal front, all I want 2023 to be about, is more of the same. There’s nothing I’d want to change.</p>
  766.  
  767.  
  768.  
  769. <p>In my marriage, I want to continue to develop and get better at the new changes we’ve introduced and the way we’ve started to “do life”.</p>
  770.  
  771.  
  772.  
  773. <p>I want to get to the end of the year having done lots of great hiking adventures with my hiking buddies and feeling more confident on boulders and scree in the mountains. It would also be lovely if I’d managed to do a couple of overnight hikes, such as the Three Capes Track and overnight at Lady Lake hut on the Higgs track. I don’t need to be much stronger and fitter than I am now, maintaining my strength and fitness level, would be good enough.</p>
  774.  
  775.  
  776.  
  777. <p>I also want to continue to eat moderately healthily. In my case, that doesn’t mean I’ll lose weight so much. It’s more that I eat good quality food most of the time. Besides eating good quality chocolate and croissants, that means remembering to eat fruit and vegetables (once a month, whether I need it or not&#8230; kidding).</p>
  778.  
  779.  
  780.  
  781. <p>I want to continue to feel well connected in the community, with good friends to hang out with who are interesting and whom I have great conversations with. No small talk.</p>
  782.  
  783.  
  784.  
  785. <p>I want to maintain friendships with a couple of old friends on the mainland, even though I’m unlikely to see them during the year much or even at all.</p>
  786.  
  787.  
  788.  
  789. <p>Continue to read widely, mostly fiction, and a couple of great non-fiction books about history, psychology, philosophy, and such, stuff that tickles my fancy.</p>
  790.  
  791.  
  792.  
  793. <p>Continue to do some study projects from time to time on topics that spark my interest. Most of them will be history related in some way, I expect.</p>
  794.  
  795.  
  796.  
  797. <p>Continue to get better at cooking, explore different foods, especially explore more vegetarian options, and explore really good “quick dinners”, that my wife likes too.</p>
  798.  
  799.  
  800.  
  801. <p>Continue to make time for my kids, their partners, and the grandkids. Get more comfortable with what it means to be Poppie.</p>
  802.  
  803.  
  804.  
  805. <p>As you see, nothing new much, apart from maybe the group program with my friend. Some of the items above I have little control over. Whether or not the business support program continues or if I’ll be asked to continue with it, for example, are largely out of my control.</p>
  806.  
  807.  
  808.  
  809. <p>Mostly, especially on the personal front, it’s about maintenance and continuation.</p>
  810.  
  811.  
  812.  
  813. <blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
  814. <p><em>What about you? What do you want 2023 to be about?</em></p>
  815. </blockquote>
  816.  
  817.  
  818.  
  819. <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Question 5:</h3>
  820.  
  821.  
  822.  
  823. <h4 class="wp-block-heading"><a id="question5"></a>&gt; <em>What are the big challenges I’ll likely be facing?</em></h4>
  824.  
  825.  
  826.  
  827. <p><a href="#questions">Back to the top</a></p>
  828.  
  829.  
  830.  
  831. <p>This is a tough one, I think. Mostly, the biggest challenge I have (I’ve always had), is what’s looking back at me from the mirror.</p>
  832.  
  833.  
  834.  
  835. <blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
  836. <p><em>What do you think, is that person your biggest challenge too or am I alone in that?</em></p>
  837. </blockquote>
  838.  
  839.  
  840.  
  841. <div class="wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-5 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex">
  842. <div class="wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow">
  843. <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="529" height="660" src="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-years-resolution-duck-parent.jpg" alt="new years resolution duck parent" class="wp-image-15813" srcset="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-years-resolution-duck-parent.jpg 529w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-years-resolution-duck-parent-361x450.jpg 361w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-years-resolution-duck-parent-250x312.jpg 250w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-years-resolution-duck-parent-140x175.jpg 140w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-years-resolution-duck-parent-100x125.jpg 100w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-years-resolution-duck-parent-150x187.jpg 150w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-years-resolution-duck-parent-200x250.jpg 200w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-years-resolution-duck-parent-300x374.jpg 300w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-years-resolution-duck-parent-450x561.jpg 450w" sizes="(max-width: 529px) 100vw, 529px" /></figure>
  844. </div>
  845.  
  846.  
  847.  
  848. <div class="wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow">
  849. <p>Starting with business once more:</p>
  850.  
  851.  
  852.  
  853. <p>On the SEO and Google front, I must continue to be disciplined and do the work that needs doing to get the Google ranking to improve again and stay high, for the right queries from the right people. It means regularly writing stuff, good, high-quality stuff, that connects to the people I want to talk to and proactively looking for opportunities to have my stuff shared on various media platforms (and dare I say it, social media… aaarrrgggghhhh!). It means doing some interviews with past clients and creating some nice stories around those interviews along the lines of “<a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/dependable-for-successful-business/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The 7 habits of highly chilled business owners</a>”  I wrote some years ago (<a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/resources/7habits-mb/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">download the whole E-book here</a>) </p>
  854.  
  855.  
  856.  
  857. <p>I’ve got more to say on testimonials and reviews below as well. </p>
  858. </div>
  859. </div>
  860.  
  861.  
  862.  
  863. <p>It also means continuing to optimise the content of my website to make it more attractive to Google and the users. And it might mean creating better email marketing content. Discipline is the challenge here. I’ve found it difficult to keep doing all that stuff month after month and year after year and to do so in a consistent and well-considered manner.</p>
  864.  
  865.  
  866.  
  867. <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Out of my control</h3>
  868.  
  869.  
  870.  
  871. <p>The continuation of the business support program is to a large extent out of my hands. The only thing I can do is be consistent and disciplined in how I do the work for the program. That means I&#8217;ll be doing my bit to to ensure the program delivers what the government expects of it and give me the best opportunity to be involved again.</p>
  872.  
  873.  
  874.  
  875. <p>The group program with the friend is largely out of my control at this point. It’s for my friend to decide if he wants to and can commit to doing it with me. If he’s not, I don’t think I’ll do it on my own. So, unless and until he says Yes, there’s no challenge and no strategy.</p>
  876.  
  877.  
  878.  
  879. <p>Continuing to find the right clients in northern Tasmania from relationship building and such is more discipline. The discipline of going to the networking things that come up, even when I don’t feel like it. The discipline to make sure I present myself in the right way at those events. The discipline to do the follow-ups and to organise one-on-one catchups with business owners I might meet from time to time.</p>
  880.  
  881.  
  882.  
  883. <p>The other marketing discipline is to pick up my act on getting testimonials and google reviews and stepping out of my comfort zone to ask for some video testimonials from current and past clients. I hate doing that stuff, but it matters, and I just need to do it again.</p>
  884.  
  885.  
  886.  
  887. <blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
  888. <p><em>Do you struggle with this stuff as well?</em></p>
  889. </blockquote>
  890.  
  891.  
  892.  
  893. <p>I hope you do; I’d hate to think I’m the only one in the world who finds it hard to keep up with this annoying stuff.</p>
  894.  
  895.  
  896.  
  897. <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Personal challenges</h3>
  898.  
  899.  
  900.  
  901. <p>And that brings me to all the “continuing” stuff in my personal picture of what I want 2023 to be about.</p>
  902.  
  903.  
  904.  
  905. <p>It’s all about continuing what’s currently happening. More of the same. Obviously, the biggest challenge is again looking at me from the mirror.</p>
  906.  
  907.  
  908.  
  909. <p>Discipline and consistency are hard for me. I tend to let things slide once the novelty wears off. I don’t particularly like that about myself, but it’s simply undeniable. I do things for a while and then one day, I just stop doing them.</p>
  910.  
  911.  
  912.  
  913. <p>This has been a feature of my adult life really. In the past, I’ve tried to fight that tendency by being really tough on myself and driving myself to keep doing the thing, whatever the thing is at the time. But I’ve realised that that only works for a while. At some point, no amount of whipping myself into compliance continues to have the desired outcome.</p>
  914.  
  915.  
  916.  
  917. <p>Instead, I’ve started experimenting with the opposite approach over the past few years. I’ve started consciously looking for the Joy in doing certain things. Doing life with Joy, instead of doing life with discipline.</p>
  918.  
  919.  
  920.  
  921. <p>In other words: The major challenge in everything I want 2023 to be about is finding the required amount of discipline to do all the things that need to be done for the “continuance” of all the good stuff that’s in my world now. Maybe I need to turn that challenge on its head and replace the word discipline with the word Joy.</p>
  922.  
  923.  
  924.  
  925. <p>Nice thought to finish this question off on and now I&#8217;m ready to explore the last question.</p>
  926.  
  927.  
  928.  
  929. <blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
  930. <p><em>Back to you, what are your biggest challenges for 2023?</em></p>
  931. </blockquote>
  932.  
  933.  
  934.  
  935. <p>I hope you find a similarly interesting set of thoughts and insights to prepare you for the last question.</p>
  936.  
  937.  
  938.  
  939. <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Questions 6:</h3>
  940.  
  941.  
  942.  
  943. <h4 class="wp-block-heading"><a id="question6"></a>&gt; <em>How am I going to meet those challenges?</em></h4>
  944.  
  945.  
  946.  
  947. <p><a href="#questions">Back to the top</a></p>
  948.  
  949.  
  950.  
  951. <div class="wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-6 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex">
  952. <div class="wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow">
  953. <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="480" height="600" src="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-years-resolution-requirements-scoping-office.webp" alt="New Year's resolution scoping requirements" class="wp-image-15814" srcset="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-years-resolution-requirements-scoping-office.webp 480w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-years-resolution-requirements-scoping-office-360x450.webp 360w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-years-resolution-requirements-scoping-office-250x313.webp 250w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-years-resolution-requirements-scoping-office-140x175.webp 140w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-years-resolution-requirements-scoping-office-100x125.webp 100w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-years-resolution-requirements-scoping-office-150x188.webp 150w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-years-resolution-requirements-scoping-office-200x250.webp 200w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-years-resolution-requirements-scoping-office-300x375.webp 300w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/new-years-resolution-requirements-scoping-office-450x563.webp 450w" sizes="(max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px" /></figure>
  954. </div>
  955.  
  956.  
  957.  
  958. <div class="wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow">
  959. <p>And that brings us to the last question. This is where the rubber hits the road, because now we go from reflecting, thinking, and visioning to action. And action is the only thing that makes the world go round.</p>
  960.  
  961.  
  962.  
  963. <p>Starting with business, once more:</p>
  964.  
  965.  
  966.  
  967. <p>The list of all the things I have to continue doing around marketing is quite large. It’s unrealistic to assume I’ll do everything and everything all the time. So, the first step is to prioritise.</p>
  968.  
  969.  
  970.  
  971. <p>Doing more writing (apart from what I’m doing at the moment) is actually not all that useful, when I think about it more. I’ve written so much already, my website is stuffed to the gills with articles, E-books, books, podcasts, webinars and reports I’ve written over the years and a lot of it is still perfectly fine.</p>
  972. </div>
  973. </div>
  974.  
  975.  
  976.  
  977. <p>More useful maybe would be to make a list of the topics I am most interested in at the moment, find the articles and other resources I’ve already written about those topics. Then pick my favourites and look for ways to update them, to “refresh” them, and provide better linking to them. Once I’ve done that. Create a plan for sharing them. I think that’s a strategy to work through for the next 3 to 6 months, the first half of the financial year.</p>
  978.  
  979.  
  980.  
  981. <p><strong>Action:</strong> Collate article groups around topics for update and sharing. 6 months</p>
  982.  
  983.  
  984.  
  985. <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Testimonials</h3>
  986.  
  987.  
  988.  
  989. <p>Next, and what’s more important, in fact, is to obtain some new and fresh testimonials for my testimonials web page, from current and recent clients. I actually have some of those already in google reviews and I can simply copy them onto my web page. To be honest, that’s so simple to do, It’s silly I haven’t done so for a long time. I’m putting a note on my desk to do so in the next week or so.</p>
  990.  
  991.  
  992.  
  993. <p><strong>Action</strong>: Transfer Google reviews to the webpage</p>
  994.  
  995.  
  996.  
  997. <p>Also important is to ask two or three recent clients if I could get a short little video testimonial from them. Probably best to write three or four simple questions, that are the same for all of them and go and interview them with those questions, either via zoom or face-to-face with my phone camera. I’m diarising to get started with that in February.</p>
  998.  
  999.  
  1000.  
  1001. <p><strong>Action:</strong> Start video interviews past clients, in February</p>
  1002.  
  1003.  
  1004.  
  1005. <p>On networking stuff: First, keep reminding myself that it is important and to continue to look for opportunities to attend events and put other things aside for it. Make sure I dress at least mildly professionally, turn up, smile, and make an effort to find out how I can help people. Invite people I meet to come along to other things (the local business group I mention below), follow up, have coffees… all that stuff. It matters, I’m actually quite good at it (if I put myself in the right frame of mind) and it can be fun too.</p>
  1006.  
  1007.  
  1008.  
  1009. <p><strong>Action</strong>: Networking opportunities</p>
  1010.  
  1011.  
  1012.  
  1013. <p>Lastly, I’m a member of a local business referral group (<a href="http://www.Bnaa.net.au" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">BNAA</a>). I lost a bit of enthusiasm for the group over the past couple of years, but I am going to re-energise myself in the group and do all the things that make me a good member and supporter of the group’s other members.</p>
  1014.  
  1015.  
  1016.  
  1017. <p><strong>Action</strong>: Do the right stuff in BNAA</p>
  1018.  
  1019.  
  1020.  
  1021. <p>In the business support program, I just have to keep reminding myself to do things well, dot the I’s, cross the T’s and not get slack. Continue to show the other advisers I am committed and enthusiastic and useful in the program.</p>
  1022.  
  1023.  
  1024.  
  1025. <p><strong>Action</strong>: Keep up the good work</p>
  1026.  
  1027.  
  1028.  
  1029. <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Personal 2023 commitments</h3>
  1030.  
  1031.  
  1032.  
  1033. <p>As I said in my conclusion to the previous question (Question 5), I have realised over the years that relying on brute force to whip myself into continuing compliance and discipline has a limited lifespan. I know from past experience that although that approach does work, it only does so for a while. Looking for the joy in things I want to do (as opposed to things I feel I ought to do) is a much more effective long-term strategy (and much more fun besides).</p>
  1034.  
  1035.  
  1036.  
  1037. <p>My head is habitually full of the finger-wagging voice that tells me “I should” do this and “I ought to” do that and “I must” do the other. There is a near-constant babble going on in the back of my head that berates and chastises me. Sometimes it talks softly, sometimes at the top of its voice, but it’s there most of the time in some form. The secret, I’ve learned, to lessen the power of this voice, is to listen to it. Not to agree with it so much, or be cowed by it, but to allow myself to hear it consciously and then to remind myself that I’m 64, I’ve not done too badly so far, and I don’t have to shrink before this voice. I’ve actually written some articles about <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/three-secrets-of-businesssuccess/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the voice on the shoulder</a> and how to learn to be kind to it instead of trying to outsmart it. Time to take a dose of my own medicine.</p>
  1038.  
  1039.  
  1040.  
  1041. <p>In order to continuously remind me to look for the joy in the things I want to do, it could be useful to instigate some sort of regular reflection time. I could try putting a weekly half-hour meditation in my calendar for example, but meditation often means I end up falling asleep (I am getting old and dopey). I think what I’ll try and do instead is to block a half-hour “reflective writing” time in my calendar. A kind of “Dear Diary” half hour, maybe call it something like “The Joy-hour” (except an hour is too long).</p>
  1042.  
  1043.  
  1044.  
  1045. <p>Decision made. I blocked it in my diary for Friday mornings every week. I think what I’ll do is I’ll use my note-taking app and get in the habit of writing a page in diary form about the past week in the app.</p>
  1046.  
  1047.  
  1048.  
  1049. <p><strong>Action</strong>: Implement the Joy-hour (half-hour) weekly</p>
  1050.  
  1051.  
  1052.  
  1053. <p>That’s it, those are my commitments for the year ahead. I feel really good about this exercise and I am confident that doing the half-hour reflective writing will remind me of what matters most to me and what gives me most joy. It will also remind me to keep moving and keep doing the stuff that is most important to me and gets me where I want to go.</p>
  1054.  
  1055.  
  1056.  
  1057. <blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
  1058. <p><em>How about you? What actions are you prepared to commit to? How are you going to keep moving in the direction you want this year? How are you going to give yourself the best opportunity to make your year look and feel just like you imagined it when answering Question 4?</em></p>
  1059. </blockquote>
  1060.  
  1061.  
  1062.  
  1063. <p>I hope you’ve gone along with the exercise with me and that you’re feeling great about yourself, your business and the year ahead.</p>
  1064.  
  1065.  
  1066.  
  1067. <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Next steps</h3>
  1068.  
  1069.  
  1070.  
  1071. <p>Next week I’m going to give you a much shorter piece to explain how this process works, why it works and how to go through this process yourself. I’ll explain why I asked these questions and not others and then I’ll also give you a short worksheet to download that you can use to go through your own reflection process, now or at any time in the future.</p>
  1072.  
  1073.  
  1074.  
  1075. <p>Drop me a line and let me know how you went and what came up for you, I’d really love to hear.</p>
  1076.  
  1077.  
  1078.  
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  1100. </item>
  1101. <item>
  1102. <title>Marketing Strategy and Planning Made Easy</title>
  1103. <link>https://www.newperspectives.com.au/marketing-strategy/</link>
  1104. <comments>https://www.newperspectives.com.au/marketing-strategy/#respond</comments>
  1106. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Roland Hanekroot]]></dc:creator>
  1107. <pubDate>Fri, 29 Jul 2022 05:48:32 +0000</pubDate>
  1108. <category><![CDATA[Strategy]]></category>
  1109. <category><![CDATA[content]]></category>
  1110. <category><![CDATA[marketing]]></category>
  1111. <category><![CDATA[online marketing]]></category>
  1112. <category><![CDATA[planning]]></category>
  1113. <category><![CDATA[podcasts]]></category>
  1114. <category><![CDATA[Social media]]></category>
  1115. <guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.newperspectives.com.au/?p=2990</guid>
  1116.  
  1117. <description><![CDATA[<p>Marketing gurus have many grand theories about what works and what doesn’t to grow your business. But when you listen to all of them it's like having your brain fried by Dr Evil, it's all just so confusing.</p>
  1118. <div class="read-more"><a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/marketing-strategy/">Read more <span class="screen-reader-text">Marketing Strategy and Planning Made Easy</span><span class="meta-nav"> &#8250;</span></a></div>
  1119. <p><!-- end of .read-more --></p>
  1120. <p>The post <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/marketing-strategy/">Marketing Strategy and Planning Made Easy</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au">New Perspectives</a>.</p>
  1121. ]]></description>
  1122. <content:encoded><![CDATA[
  1123. <h1 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-contradictions-of-growing-your-business">The contradictions of&nbsp;growing your business</h1>
  1124.  
  1125.  
  1126.  
  1127. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-i-m-confused-about-marketing-strategies-and-planning-how-about-you"><em>I’m confused about marketing strategies and planning&#8230; How about you?</em></h3>
  1128.  
  1129.  
  1130. <div class="wp-block-image">
  1131. <figure class="aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="751" height="360" src="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/dr-evil-marketing-genius.png" alt="marketing strategy planning dr evil" class="wp-image-2992" srcset="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/dr-evil-marketing-genius.png 751w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/dr-evil-marketing-genius-450x216.png 450w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/dr-evil-marketing-genius-600x288.png 600w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/dr-evil-marketing-genius-300x144.png 300w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/dr-evil-marketing-genius-100x48.png 100w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/dr-evil-marketing-genius-150x72.png 150w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/dr-evil-marketing-genius-200x96.png 200w" sizes="(max-width: 751px) 100vw, 751px" /></figure></div>
  1132.  
  1133.  
  1134. <p>I’ve read and thought a lot about marketing strategies, planning, and processes: online marketing, content marketing plans, automated marketing systems, SEO (Search engine optimisation) and SEM (Search engine marketing), SMM (social media marketing), and sales in the past few years, as I suspect most business owners do. After all, as I say in my first book, “The Ten Truths for Raising a Healthy Bouncy Business”: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/everything-marketing-mohanbir-sawhney" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marketing is Everything and Everything is Marketing</a>.</p>
  1135.  
  1136.  
  1137.  
  1138. <p>Marketing strategy and marketing plans are some of the most written about topics by the business brains and gurus of the world and there are many grand theories about what works and what doesn’t and how things have supposedly changed in the past 20 years. But when you listen to all of them it&#8217;s like having your brain fried by Dr Evil, it&#8217;s all just so confusing.</p>
  1139.  
  1140.  
  1141.  
  1142. <h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-all-the-marketing-strategy-and-planning-theories">All the marketing strategy&nbsp; and planning theories</h4>
  1143.  
  1144.  
  1145.  
  1146. <p>The problem lies with the many conflicting theories.</p>
  1147.  
  1148.  
  1149.  
  1150. <p>We are variously assured that:</p>
  1151.  
  1152.  
  1153.  
  1154. <ul><li>People buy what’s in it for them (WIIFM)</li><li>People buy emotionally and justify rationally</li><li>People do business with people they know like and trust</li><li>Value is remembered long after price has been forgotten</li><li>We must sell online otherwise you can’t compete… on price.</li><li>We must give our best stuff away for free</li><li>Brand is everything</li><li>Relationship is everything</li><li>Content is King</li><li>Search engine optimisation is everything</li><li>Search engine optimisation is dead</li><li>Google, Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok, Twitter&nbsp; advertising is the future</li><li>Advertising is dead</li></ul>
  1155.  
  1156.  
  1157.  
  1158. <p>And we are told:</p>
  1159.  
  1160.  
  1161.  
  1162. <ul><li>To do blogs, Twitter, Linkedin, Instagram, Tiktok, Youtube and Facebook</li><li>To produce content</li><li>To make videos and to podcast</li><li>To build relationships</li><li>To add value</li><li>To charge for value instead of price</li></ul>
  1163.  
  1164.  
  1165.  
  1166. <h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-confused">Confused</h4>
  1167.  
  1168.  
  1169. <div class="wp-block-image">
  1170. <figure class="alignleft"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="450" height="298" src="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/confused-face-450x298.jpg" alt="marketing strategy planning confused" class="wp-image-2993" srcset="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/confused-face-450x298.jpg 450w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/confused-face-600x397.jpg 600w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/confused-face-300x199.jpg 300w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/confused-face-100x66.jpg 100w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/confused-face-150x99.jpg 150w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/confused-face-200x132.jpg 200w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/confused-face-900x596.jpg 900w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/confused-face.jpg 1181w" sizes="(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px" /></figure></div>
  1171.  
  1172.  
  1173. <p>Confused?</p>
  1174.  
  1175.  
  1176.  
  1177. <p>I am.</p>
  1178.  
  1179.  
  1180.  
  1181. <p>I recently engaged an SEO expert to get me to the top of Google. The expert delivered. In a period of 8 weeks, I started appearing on page 1 for certain search terms.</p>
  1182.  
  1183.  
  1184.  
  1185. <p>Yet I sacked him a month or so later. Why? I learnt that Google frowns on many SEO techniques that until recently were considered good practice, and I came to the conclusion that my improved ranking was based on some of those techniques.</p>
  1186.  
  1187.  
  1188.  
  1189. <p>I talked to a number of other SEO experts and they assure me they can achieve the same results for me, using only currently accepted ‘safe’ techniques… At 4 to 6 times the cost per month of the previous SEO expert.</p>
  1190.  
  1191.  
  1192.  
  1193. <p>So I’m muddling along myself again now. (Let me know how I’m going, will you? Do a search for the kind of service I provide and see if I come up anywhere before page 25?)</p>
  1194.  
  1195.  
  1196.  
  1197. <h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-free-stuff">Free stuff</h4>
  1198.  
  1199.  
  1200.  
  1201. <p>I’m one of those who is convinced by one of the previous statements about giving your best stuff away for free, and I do exactly that. I do get lots of thank-you notes, but not much else.</p>
  1202.  
  1203.  
  1204.  
  1205. <p>Oh, that’s right, it’s all about content? Doing that, I’m all over it. Again, lots of nice comments on my newsletters and books and videos and webinars.</p>
  1206.  
  1207.  
  1208.  
  1209. <h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-giving">Giving</h4>
  1210.  
  1211.  
  1212. <div class="wp-block-image">
  1213. <figure class="alignleft"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="338" height="450" src="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/go-givers-sell-more-338x450.jpg" alt="sales marketing strategy go givers" class="wp-image-2994" srcset="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/go-givers-sell-more-338x450.jpg 338w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/go-givers-sell-more-450x600.jpg 450w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/go-givers-sell-more-225x300.jpg 225w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/go-givers-sell-more-100x133.jpg 100w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/go-givers-sell-more-150x200.jpg 150w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/go-givers-sell-more-200x267.jpg 200w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/go-givers-sell-more-300x400.jpg 300w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/go-givers-sell-more.jpg 510w" sizes="(max-width: 338px) 100vw, 338px" /></figure></div>
  1214.  
  1215.  
  1216. <p>I read a great book called Go-Givers and another one called “Give and Take” … wonderful books, great messages. <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/sales-is-about-giving/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This is an article about sales and giving rather than getting</a>. The main message being that to market and sell our business successfully we must be Givers, rather than Takers and start by giving more value than we receive.</p>
  1217.  
  1218.  
  1219.  
  1220. <p>Love the concept, especially as it’s proven to work for about half the people who practice that mindset; half the Givers of this world are wildly successful … the other half? Sorry, they’re at the bottom of the heap.</p>
  1221.  
  1222.  
  1223.  
  1224. <p>How come I’m reminded about that joke: I have a magic coin that can predict the future exactly 50% of the time?</p>
  1225.  
  1226.  
  1227.  
  1228. <p>I am aware that I sound as if I’m whingeing… and that will never do.</p>
  1229.  
  1230.  
  1231.  
  1232. <p>I’m a business coach after all and we are always positive and optimistic… We are, honestly!</p>
  1233.  
  1234.  
  1235.  
  1236. <p>Actually I’m not complaining … it’s just that it’s all so dammed confusing.</p>
  1237.  
  1238.  
  1239.  
  1240. <p>And overwhelming.</p>
  1241.  
  1242.  
  1243.  
  1244. <h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-answers">Answers</h4>
  1245.  
  1246.  
  1247.  
  1248. <p>I actually know what the answers are to each of the contradictions above, most of us business owners do, well in theory we do at any rate. Let’s look at the contradictions about price for example:</p>
  1249.  
  1250.  
  1251.  
  1252. <p>It’s true; people don’t buy on price, except if they have no other way to decide. Being the cheapest is actually a perfectly good strategy to market your business, as long you can maintain it. Walmart in America is the cheapest, consistently and it’s become one of the most successful and biggest businesses on the planet by being the cheapest. It’s what they do. Being the cheapest is their reason for being, and no one can beat them at that game. There are plenty of other businesses that base their marketing on price, and when appropriate I shop there too. But I bet anyone could beat your business on price if they decided to do so. We have to give our customers lots of other reasons to do business with us.</p>
  1253.  
  1254.  
  1255.  
  1256. <p>And that’s when we get overwhelmed with all the contradictions and the conflicting demands.</p>
  1257.  
  1258.  
  1259.  
  1260. <p>Nearly every client I start to work with tells me they think they need to ‘Do’ more marketing and they need a marketing plan. And you do. Accelerating the speed at which your business has been growing naturally so far can only come from increased marketing. But let’s not make it harder and more overwhelming than it needs to be.</p>
  1261.  
  1262.  
  1263.  
  1264. <h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-marketing-strategy-the-low-hanging-fruit">Marketing strategy, the low hanging fruit</h4>
  1265.  
  1266.  
  1267. <div class="wp-block-image">
  1268. <figure class="alignleft"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="450" height="336" src="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Low-hanging-fruit-450x336.jpg" alt="marketing made easy low hanging fruit kids" class="wp-image-2995" srcset="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Low-hanging-fruit-450x336.jpg 450w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Low-hanging-fruit-600x448.jpg 600w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Low-hanging-fruit-300x224.jpg 300w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Low-hanging-fruit-100x75.jpg 100w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Low-hanging-fruit-150x112.jpg 150w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Low-hanging-fruit-200x149.jpg 200w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Low-hanging-fruit-900x672.jpg 900w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Low-hanging-fruit.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px" /></figure></div>
  1269.  
  1270.  
  1271. <p>I’m a great believer in always picking the low-hanging fruit first. So the question to ask yourself first is: What is the easiest way for me to generate more leads?</p>
  1272.  
  1273.  
  1274.  
  1275. <p>I bet you can actually answer that question just like that, without a marketing plan.</p>
  1276.  
  1277.  
  1278.  
  1279. <p>In my case it actually comes down to two things:</p>
  1280.  
  1281.  
  1282.  
  1283. <p>1)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Making it easier for people to obtain my books</p>
  1284.  
  1285.  
  1286.  
  1287. <p>2)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Implementing a consistent process of following up with the people who do download my books.</p>
  1288.  
  1289.  
  1290.  
  1291. <p>So I’m off to tweak some of the text and stuff on my website, implement a couple of small changes in my CRM, and I’m blocking time out in my diary to make 5 follow up phone calls every Tuesday morning from here forth.</p>
  1292.  
  1293.  
  1294.  
  1295. <p>What about you? What’s your easiest way forward to ‘Do’ more marketing?</p>
  1296.  
  1297.  
  1298.  
  1299. <p>See it’s not so overwhelming when you think of it, it just takes a little bit of focus.</p>
  1300.  
  1301.  
  1302.  
  1303. <p>Tell you what… pop me an email with your decision and I’ll check in with you in a couple of weeks to see how you’re going… nothing like a bit of accountability.</p>
  1304.  
  1305.  
  1306.  
  1307. <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Marketing and planning and the 7 Big Questions of Small Business</h4>
  1308.  
  1309.  
  1310.  
  1311. <p>Business owners frequently ask 7 Big Questions about how to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/faq-building-a-beautiful-business/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Build a Beautiful Business and Life</a>.</p>
  1312.  
  1313.  
  1314.  
  1315. <p>The first of these&nbsp; Big Questions is: How do I grow my business?</p>
  1316.  
  1317.  
  1318.  
  1319. <p>To answer that question I have identified the 11 most important strategies to create&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/faq-building-a-beautiful-business/business-growth/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Business Growth</a>.</p>
  1320.  
  1321.  
  1322.  
  1323. <p>The third of those strategies is <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/faq-building-a-beautiful-business/business-growth/subcorner-growth-marketing/">Grow your business with Marketing.</a> and the sixth of the strategies is Grow your business with Planning. This is an article that explains how Marketing, Planning and Growth hang together, in some depth.</p>
  1324.  
  1325.  
  1326.  
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  1345. <p>The post <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/marketing-strategy/">Marketing Strategy and Planning Made Easy</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au">New Perspectives</a>.</p>
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  1353. <item>
  1354. <title>Make sweet love to your customers and watch your business grow</title>
  1355. <link>https://www.newperspectives.com.au/marketing-plan-business-love/</link>
  1356. <comments>https://www.newperspectives.com.au/marketing-plan-business-love/#respond</comments>
  1358. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Roland Hanekroot]]></dc:creator>
  1359. <pubDate>Thu, 21 Jul 2022 00:46:00 +0000</pubDate>
  1360. <category><![CDATA[Growth]]></category>
  1361. <category><![CDATA[Customers]]></category>
  1362. <category><![CDATA[marketing]]></category>
  1363. <guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.newperspectives.com.au/?p=6268</guid>
  1364.  
  1365. <description><![CDATA[<p>To grow your business you need a marketing strategy. But there is only one marketing strategy your really need: Create Raving Fans.</p>
  1366. <div class="read-more"><a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/marketing-plan-business-love/">Read more <span class="screen-reader-text">Make sweet love to your customers and watch your business grow</span><span class="meta-nav"> &#8250;</span></a></div>
  1367. <p><!-- end of .read-more --></p>
  1368. <p>The post <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/marketing-plan-business-love/">Make sweet love to your customers and watch your business grow</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au">New Perspectives</a>.</p>
  1369. ]]></description>
  1370. <content:encoded><![CDATA[ <div data-elementor-type="wp-post" data-elementor-id="6268" class="elementor elementor-6268" data-elementor-post-type="post">
  1371. <section class="elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-213473a3 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default" data-id="213473a3" data-element_type="section">
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  1374. <div class="elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated">
  1375. <div class="elementor-element elementor-element-3fd6a9c5 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor" data-id="3fd6a9c5" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="text-editor.default">
  1376. <div class="elementor-widget-container">
  1377. <p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-6269 size-full" src="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/raving-fans-beatles-customers-cropped.jpg" alt="Customers marketing raving fans" width="1600" height="794" srcset="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/raving-fans-beatles-customers-cropped.jpg 1600w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/raving-fans-beatles-customers-cropped-450x223.jpg 450w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/raving-fans-beatles-customers-cropped-600x298.jpg 600w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/raving-fans-beatles-customers-cropped-300x149.jpg 300w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/raving-fans-beatles-customers-cropped-100x50.jpg 100w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/raving-fans-beatles-customers-cropped-150x74.jpg 150w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/raving-fans-beatles-customers-cropped-200x99.jpg 200w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/raving-fans-beatles-customers-cropped-900x447.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px" /></p>
  1378. <h3><em>You only need one marketing plan: Turn your customers into Raving Fans and advocates of your business.</em></h3>
  1379. <p>Customers, marketing and business growth: To be able to grow, your business needs a marketing strategy and a marketing plan to implement the strategy. But that’s what you might call: “stating the bleedin obvious”, you knew that already but the problem is that you probably don’t know where to start.</p>
  1380. <p>So let me help you.</p>
  1381. <p><strong>First:</strong> Let me give you your marketing strategy:</p>
  1382. <h4 style="text-align: center;">Customers</h4>
  1383. <p><strong>Second:</strong> Here’s your marketing plan:</p>
  1384. <h4 style="text-align: center;">Get them to love you.</h4>
  1385. <p>Done, there’s your marketing strategy and your marketing plan.</p>
  1386. <p>In small business especially there is no more <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/marketing-strategy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">effective marketing strategy</a> to <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/faq-building-a-beautiful-business/business-growth/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">grow your business</a> than getting your customers to love you, truly love you. Famous business guru Ken Blanchard, author of the <em>“<a href="https://www.kenblanchard.com/Store/The-New-One-Minute-Manager" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="broken_link">One Minute Manager</a>”</em> books coined the term: Raving Fans. If you make the focus of your business to <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/faq-building-a-beautiful-business/business-growth/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">turn your customers, all of them into Raving Fans</a>, you’ll never have to do any other marketing, because <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/the-power-of-referrals-and-word-of-mouth-marketing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">they’ll do it for you, and better yet, they’ll do it for free.</a></p>
  1387. <p>One of my favourite customers, let’s call him Eric has always done exactly that. Ever since I’ve known him and worked with him, he’s asked himself at every turn: &#8220;What else would my customers love”. Eric has stores, 8 of them by now, and these days, whenever he opens a new store, the neighbourhood comes and brings him flowers. That’s how happy people are to have one of his stores nearby. You might think I’m exaggerating, but I’m not. Two  months prior to the opening of his latest new store in a suburb of Sydney, whenever Eric was in the store supervising the fitout, people would wave him over, excitedly asking.</p>
  1388. <p>All Eric has to do as far as marketing is concerned is hang a sign on the door announcing the imminent opening and hundreds of people will turn up on the first day.</p>
  1389. <p>You may say: My customers are very happy too, but they don&#8217;t come busting down my door.</p>
  1390. <h4>The big disconnect</h4>
  1391. <p>I read a really interesting statistic the other day:</p>
  1392. <p>80% of business owners believe they offer superior customer service, and 8% of customers believe the same thing.</p>
  1393. <p>There’s an enormous disconnect between how good we think we are and how good our customers think we are.</p>
  1394. <p>Eric, actually offers superior service while his competition merely think they do. Eric’s customers are Raving Fans in the true sense of the word, while most of his competitors merely have satisfied customers. Satisfied customers are simply not the kind of people who do your marketing for you. They’re merely satisfied… until something else, cheaper, more convenient or simply different comes along. Raving Fans on the other hand will go out of their way to do business with you, they look forward to buying from you, they drag their friends and family to your door, defend your honour against the competition and proclaim at dinner parties how wonderful you are.</p>
  1395. <h4>The simplest customer measurement</h4>
  1396. <p>There is a really simple system for <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/simplecustomerfeedback/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">discovering how happy your customers really are with your business</a>. It’s called the Net Promoter question and it goes like this:</p>
  1397. <p>On a scale from 0 to 10 how likely is it that you’ll refer your friends and family to us?</p>
  1398. <p>If your customers answer anything less than 9 on that scale, they’re not Raving Fans and if they answer less than 7, they’re not even satisfied customers. (read more about the Net Promoter System here)</p>
  1399. <p>How would most of your customers answers the NPS question? Are your customers merely satisfied, or are they Raving Fans… Are they really?</p>
  1400. <p>I suggest you go and find out… it’s the most important marketing work you’ll ever do… I promise you.</p> </div>
  1401. </div>
  1402. </div>
  1403. </div>
  1404. </div>
  1405. </section>
  1406. <section class="elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-b7c44c9 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default" data-id="b7c44c9" data-element_type="section">
  1407. <div class="elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default">
  1408. <div class="elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-1cf241a" data-id="1cf241a" data-element_type="column">
  1409. <div class="elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated">
  1410. <div class="elementor-element elementor-element-8a44940 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor" data-id="8a44940" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="text-editor.default">
  1411. <div class="elementor-widget-container">
  1412. <p><!-- wp:paragraph --></p>
  1413. <h4>Marketing, Customers and the 7 Big Questions of Small Business</h4>
  1414. <p>Business owners frequently ask 7 Big Questions about how to <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/faq-building-a-beautiful-business/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Build a Beautiful Business and Life</a>.</p>
  1415. <p><!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --></p>
  1416. <p>The first of these  Big Questions is: How do I grow my business?</p>
  1417. <p><!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --></p>
  1418. <p>To answer that question I have identified the 11 most important strategies to create <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/faq-building-a-beautiful-business/business-growth/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Business Growth</a>.</p>
  1419. <p><!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --></p>
  1420. <p>The third of those strategies is <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/faq-building-a-beautiful-business/business-growth/subcorner-growth-marketing/">Grow your business with Marketing.</a> The seventh of those strategies is <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/faq-building-a-beautiful-business/business-growth/subcorner-growth-customers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Grow your business with Customers</a>. This article explains how Marketing, Customers and Growth hang together, in some depth.</p>
  1421. <p><!-- /wp:paragraph --></p> </div>
  1422. </div>
  1423. </div>
  1424. </div>
  1425. </div>
  1426. </section>
  1427. <section class="elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-3f2f469 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default" data-id="3f2f469" data-element_type="section">
  1428. <div class="elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default">
  1429. <div class="elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-1b5c43d" data-id="1b5c43d" data-element_type="column">
  1430. <div class="elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated">
  1431. <div class="elementor-element elementor-element-8416dbe elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor" data-id="8416dbe" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="text-editor.default">
  1432. <div class="elementor-widget-container">
  1433. <h4>Further reading:</h4>
  1434. <ul>
  1435. <li><a href="https://www.tonyrobbins.com/career-business/create-raving-fan-customers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">How to create Raving Fans for your business by Tony Robbins</a></li>
  1436. <li><a href="https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/376175" target="_blank" rel="noopener">4 Steps to create a community of Raving Fans on Entrepreneur.com</a></li>
  1437. <li><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2020/07/15/how-to-turn-your-customers-into-raving-fans/?sh=778e42af1384" target="_blank" rel="noopener">How to turn your customers into Raving Fans on Forbes</a></li>
  1438. </ul>
  1439. <h4 style="text-align: center;">Looking for more tips to grow your business and customer base?<br />Here&#8217;s a FREE e-Book you&#8217;ll surely love.</h4>
  1440. <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/resources/lp-all-downloads/download-page/business-grow-ebook/"><div class='_form_268'></div><script type='text/javascript' src='https://newperspectives.activehosted.com/f/embed.php?static=0&#038;id=268&#038;6634ED221574C&#038;nostyles=0&#038;preview=0'></script></a><a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/resources/lp-all-downloads/download-page/business-grow-ebook/"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-5780 size-medium" src="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/truth-450x191.png" alt="Marketing Plan Business Love" width="450" height="191" srcset="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/truth-450x191.png 450w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/truth-600x255.png 600w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/truth-300x128.png 300w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/truth-100x43.png 100w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/truth-150x64.png 150w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/truth-200x85.png 200w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/truth.png 675w" sizes="(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px" /></a></p>
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  1484. </section>
  1485. </div>
  1486. <p>The post <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/marketing-plan-business-love/">Make sweet love to your customers and watch your business grow</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au">New Perspectives</a>.</p>
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  1490. <slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
  1493. </item>
  1494. <item>
  1495. <title>Time Management, Procrastination and Laziness</title>
  1496. <link>https://www.newperspectives.com.au/procrastination-business-coach/</link>
  1497. <comments>https://www.newperspectives.com.au/procrastination-business-coach/#comments</comments>
  1499. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Roland Hanekroot]]></dc:creator>
  1500. <pubDate>Thu, 19 May 2022 21:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  1501. <category><![CDATA[Leadership]]></category>
  1502. <category><![CDATA[prioritising]]></category>
  1503. <category><![CDATA[procrastination]]></category>
  1504. <category><![CDATA[Time Management]]></category>
  1505. <guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.newperspectives.com.au/?p=6043</guid>
  1506.  
  1507. <description><![CDATA[<p>Procrastination is a curse. Most of us struggle with being distracted from our tasks. Here are some ways past the hurdles that might help you.</p>
  1508. <div class="read-more"><a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/procrastination-business-coach/">Read more <span class="screen-reader-text">Time Management, Procrastination and Laziness</span><span class="meta-nav"> &#8250;</span></a></div>
  1509. <p><!-- end of .read-more --></p>
  1510. <p>The post <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/procrastination-business-coach/">Time Management, Procrastination and Laziness</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au">New Perspectives</a>.</p>
  1511. ]]></description>
  1512. <content:encoded><![CDATA[
  1513. <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-procrastinating-my-life-away">Procrastinating My Life Away</h2>
  1514.  
  1515.  
  1516.  
  1517. <figure class="wp-block-image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1132" height="793" src="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/procrastinate-waste-time-time-management-cropped.jpeg" alt="Procrastination, Business Coach" class="wp-image-6044" srcset="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/procrastinate-waste-time-time-management-cropped.jpeg 1132w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/procrastinate-waste-time-time-management-cropped-450x315.jpeg 450w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/procrastinate-waste-time-time-management-cropped-600x420.jpeg 600w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/procrastinate-waste-time-time-management-cropped-300x210.jpeg 300w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/procrastinate-waste-time-time-management-cropped-100x70.jpeg 100w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/procrastinate-waste-time-time-management-cropped-150x105.jpeg 150w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/procrastinate-waste-time-time-management-cropped-200x140.jpeg 200w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/procrastinate-waste-time-time-management-cropped-900x630.jpeg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 1132px) 100vw, 1132px" /></figure>
  1518.  
  1519.  
  1520.  
  1521. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-nonsense-in-my-head-and-what-i-do-about-it"><em>The nonsense in my head and what I do about it</em></h3>
  1522.  
  1523.  
  1524.  
  1525. <p>Today, I’m writing about procrastination, laziness and time management. Well, To be honest, when I say “today”, that’s a relative concept. “Today” was meant to be last Monday, it’s now Thursday. And in unrelated news, my desk is as tidy as it’s been for weeks, my email inbox is empty and I just pulled a magic looking sourdough from the oven an hour ago.</p>
  1526.  
  1527.  
  1528.  
  1529. <p><strong>Your business-life coach wonders:</strong>&nbsp;&#8220;<em>Am I really the right person to write about procrastination? It’s clearly not one of my strength areas.&#8221;</em></p>
  1530.  
  1531.  
  1532.  
  1533. <p>Procrastination, time management and laziness… Tricky topic. On the one hand I’ve written before (<a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/time-management-books/">here for example</a>), that laziness doesn’t actually exist as a character trait. On the other hand however, some people just seem to get so much done and they’re disciplined and they get their heads down and don’t come up for air until the job is done and then they jump straight into the next thing and get that done too. I even know people who are so disciplined, they consistently don’t look at Facebook until after dinner and every day turn their email off for large blocks of time. Those people are on the Marvel Super Heroes Team in my book: Doctor Discipline or somesuch…</p>
  1534.  
  1535.  
  1536.  
  1537. <h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-time-to-get-some-nibbles">Time to get some nibbles</h4>
  1538.  
  1539.  
  1540. <div class="wp-block-image">
  1541. <figure class="alignleft"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="450" height="320" src="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/nibbles-biscuits-cheese-450w.jpg" alt="Procrastination, Business Coach" class="wp-image-6046" srcset="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/nibbles-biscuits-cheese-450w.jpg 450w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/nibbles-biscuits-cheese-450w-300x213.jpg 300w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/nibbles-biscuits-cheese-450w-100x71.jpg 100w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/nibbles-biscuits-cheese-450w-150x107.jpg 150w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/nibbles-biscuits-cheese-450w-200x142.jpg 200w" sizes="(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px" /></figure></div>
  1542.  
  1543.  
  1544. <p>Hang on, I’m about 200 words into this article… Time to jump up and get some nibbles from the kitchen.</p>
  1545.  
  1546.  
  1547.  
  1548. <p><em>Hi there, I’m back, 2 hrs later, but still. </em></p>
  1549.  
  1550.  
  1551.  
  1552. <p>You see in this case, part of the problem I’m having is that even as a business coach, I’m not sure yet exactly what I’m going to write. I’m searching for inspiration. I’m waiting for the Muse to strike me. One of my heroes, Oliver Burkeman from the Guardian, however, <a href="http://blog.write-track.co.uk/writers/oliver-burkemans-top-ten-tips-for-a-productive-and-happy-writing-life/">says in this interview</a> &nbsp;that waiting for the Muse is futile. Just do the thing, sit down and write, and see what happens, says Oliver.</p>
  1553.  
  1554.  
  1555.  
  1556. <p>It’s a technique I’ve used, with some success, in the past… But today… Not so much.</p>
  1557.  
  1558.  
  1559.  
  1560. <h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-procrastination-and-perfectionism">Procrastination and perfectionism</h4>
  1561.  
  1562.  
  1563.  
  1564. <p>Procrastination makes me feel inadequate. There are some fascinating thoughts on procrastination, in an article by journalist Costica Bradatan in the New York Times. According to Costica, procrastination is all about perfectionism. Our Vision is more perfect than the reality can ever be. We fear that the thing we want to create, build or write is going to be a disappointment compared to our vision of it and so we resist creating it. I can sort of understand that, but I don’t think I am a perfectionist. “Close Enough is Good Enough” has generally been my motto in life and consequently I “Get Shit Done”… Not as well done as some others might Get Their Shit Done maybe, but Done nevertheless. I pride myself on my ability to make things happen.</p>
  1565.  
  1566.  
  1567.  
  1568. <p>But some things don’t get done that way. The difficult stuff is always the stuff you can’t get done by rolling up your sleeves. The stuff we procrastinate over is the stuff that requires us to be courageous, the stuff that requires us to expose some of our weaknesses and vulnerabilities.</p>
  1569.  
  1570.  
  1571.  
  1572. <h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-young-grasshopper-gets-a-kick-up-the-backside">Young Grasshopper gets a kick up the backside</h4>
  1573.  
  1574.  
  1575. <div class="wp-block-image">
  1576. <figure class="alignleft"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="650" height="478" src="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/kungfu-grasshopper.jpg" alt="Procrastination, Business Coach" class="wp-image-6047" srcset="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/kungfu-grasshopper.jpg 650w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/kungfu-grasshopper-450x331.jpg 450w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/kungfu-grasshopper-600x441.jpg 600w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/kungfu-grasshopper-300x221.jpg 300w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/kungfu-grasshopper-100x74.jpg 100w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/kungfu-grasshopper-150x110.jpg 150w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/kungfu-grasshopper-200x147.jpg 200w" sizes="(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px" /></figure></div>
  1577.  
  1578.  
  1579. <p>So what’s difficult for me about writing this article and why I think I’ve been procrastinating over it for such a long time, is that I don’t feel qualified to talk about procrastination, because I do so much of it myself. Me writing about procrastination, inefficiency and wasting time is like a junkie writing about heroin addiction.</p>
  1580.  
  1581.  
  1582.  
  1583. <p>But hang on… Stop right there young grasshopper. By that logic we should not be allowed to talk about anything we haven’t gained a PHD in. Nonsense, clearly. Maybe being a procrastinator is precisely what qualifies me to write about it. Let’s face it, who wants to get weight loss advice from a supermodel? I’d much rather listen to someone who’s struggled with weight loss as much as I do, and who may have found something that’s helped him. One of the things that makes AA so effective is being with a group of people who “get it”.</p>
  1584.  
  1585.  
  1586.  
  1587. <p>So let’s start this whole thing again:</p>
  1588.  
  1589.  
  1590.  
  1591. <h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-at-the-aa-meeting">At the AA meeting</h4>
  1592.  
  1593.  
  1594.  
  1595. <p><em>Hi my name is Roland and I am a procrastinator… </em></p>
  1596.  
  1597.  
  1598.  
  1599. <p>Here’s what has helped me sometimes, and sometimes not (and then at least I end up with a clean desk)</p>
  1600.  
  1601.  
  1602.  
  1603. <p>I’ve learnt is that procrastination is always, a sign for me that there is something else, something unexamined, in the way.</p>
  1604.  
  1605.  
  1606.  
  1607. <p>It’s either:</p>
  1608.  
  1609.  
  1610.  
  1611. <ol><li>I don’t know what the actual thing is I’m supposed to be doing</li><li>I’m not sure how to actually go about doing this thing</li><li>The prospect of doing this thing doesn’t excite me</li><li>The consequences of not doing this thing at this moment are not all that bad.</li><li>I don’t have enough confidence in my own abilities, or skill or experience.</li></ol>
  1612.  
  1613.  
  1614.  
  1615. <p>(In the case of the procrastination I went through over writing this article it came down to numbers 1 and 5.)</p>
  1616.  
  1617.  
  1618.  
  1619. <p>Knowing that that’s how it works for me, I’ve learned that I first need to become aware that I am procrastinating, because sometimes I am avoiding the thing so much I don’t even realise I am procrastinating. And then, once I’ve realised I am procrastinating, ask myself which of those 5 hurdles is getting in my way. In nearly all cases, once I clearly verbalise what is getting in the way of doing the thing I’m supposed to be doing, it disappears. The moment I verbalised my fear of not being credible, because I am procrastinator myself, I realised how silly that fear actually was, the hurdle disappeared, and I could sit down and finish the article into the form you are reading now.</p>
  1620.  
  1621.  
  1622.  
  1623. <p>Most procrastination hurdles we throw up for ourselves fade when brought out into the light… I promise you</p>
  1624.  
  1625.  
  1626.  
  1627. <h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-time-management-and-overwhelm-and-the-7-big-questions-of-small-business">Time management and Overwhelm and the 7 Big Questions of Small Business</h4>
  1628.  
  1629.  
  1630.  
  1631. <p>Business owners frequently ask 7 Big Questions about how to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/faq-building-a-beautiful-business/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Build a Beautiful Business and Life</a>.</p>
  1632.  
  1633.  
  1634.  
  1635. <p>The third of the 7 Big Questions is:&nbsp;How do I get unstuck in my business?</p>
  1636.  
  1637.  
  1638.  
  1639. <p>To get unstuck and free yourself of the whirlpool, I have identified “6 questions about being&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/faq-building-a-beautiful-business/overwhelmed-in-business/">Overwhelmed in business</a>.”</p>
  1640.  
  1641.  
  1642.  
  1643. <p>The fourth of those Questions about getting unstuck is:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/faq-building-a-beautiful-business/personal-development/subcorner-time-management/">How can I manage my time better?</a> (And get the important stuff done in my business). This is one of many more articles on this site that explain how Time management and Overwhelm hang together, in some depth.</p>
  1644.  
  1645.  
  1646.  
  1647. <p class="has-text-align-center"><a data-sumome-listbuilder-id="beaaeb0a-5b9c-4b10-9139-87f2634eea54">Download my free 12 Question Cheat-sheet to help you find your next Coach.</a></p>
  1648.  
  1649.  
  1650.  
  1651. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-learn-more-about-my-fun-in-business-intensive-program">Learn more about my Fun In Business Intensive Program</h3>
  1652.  
  1653.  
  1654.  
  1655. <p class="has-text-align-center"><em>Do you know that delaying work can lead to creativity, innovation and better business ideas?</em><br />I offer <strong><a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/fun-in-business/">Fun in Business Intensive Program</a>,</strong> which can help you turn around procrastination and use your time to ultimately have fun in doing business. I will help you avoid threats and allow room to discover new opportunities that result in extraordinary business success!</p>
  1656.  
  1657.  
  1658. <div class="wp-block-image">
  1659. <figure class="aligncenter"><a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/fun-in-business/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="450" height="229" src="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Business-Fun-1-450x229.png" alt="Fun in Business Intensive" class="wp-image-6041" srcset="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Business-Fun-1-450x229.png 450w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Business-Fun-1-600x305.png 600w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Business-Fun-1-300x153.png 300w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Business-Fun-1-100x51.png 100w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Business-Fun-1-150x76.png 150w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Business-Fun-1-200x102.png 200w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Business-Fun-1.png 645w" sizes="(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px" /></a></figure></div>
  1660.  
  1661.  
  1662. <p class="has-text-align-center"><div class='_form_268'></div><script type='text/javascript' src='https://newperspectives.activehosted.com/f/embed.php?static=0&id=268&6634ED2218D5D&nostyles=0&preview=0'></script></p>
  1663.  
  1664.  
  1665.  
  1666. <p><script type="text/javascript"><br />
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  1680. <p>The post <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/procrastination-business-coach/">Time Management, Procrastination and Laziness</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au">New Perspectives</a>.</p>
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  1684. <slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
  1687. </item>
  1688. <item>
  1689. <title>The 5 Things You Must Do At Every Networking Event</title>
  1690. <link>https://www.newperspectives.com.au/networking-business/</link>
  1691. <comments>https://www.newperspectives.com.au/networking-business/#comments</comments>
  1693. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Roland Hanekroot]]></dc:creator>
  1694. <pubDate>Wed, 02 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  1695. <category><![CDATA[Growth]]></category>
  1696. <category><![CDATA[marketing]]></category>
  1697. <category><![CDATA[networking]]></category>
  1698. <guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.newperspectives.com.au/?p=6188</guid>
  1699.  
  1700. <description><![CDATA[<p>Networking is a very effective marketing approach. If you do it well, it can help you grow your business. How to do it really well.</p>
  1701. <div class="read-more"><a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/networking-business/">Read more <span class="screen-reader-text">The 5 Things You Must Do At Every Networking Event</span><span class="meta-nav"> &#8250;</span></a></div>
  1702. <p><!-- end of .read-more --></p>
  1703. <p>The post <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/networking-business/">The 5 Things You Must Do At Every Networking Event</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au">New Perspectives</a>.</p>
  1704. ]]></description>
  1705. <content:encoded><![CDATA[
  1706. <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lessons-about-marketing-from-master-networkers">Lessons about marketing from Master Networkers</h2>
  1707.  
  1708.  
  1709.  
  1710. <figure class="wp-block-image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1438" height="625" src="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/boring-networking-cropped.jpg" alt="networking business" class="wp-image-6189" srcset="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/boring-networking-cropped.jpg 1438w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/boring-networking-cropped-450x196.jpg 450w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/boring-networking-cropped-600x261.jpg 600w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/boring-networking-cropped-300x130.jpg 300w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/boring-networking-cropped-100x43.jpg 100w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/boring-networking-cropped-150x65.jpg 150w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/boring-networking-cropped-200x87.jpg 200w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/boring-networking-cropped-900x391.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 1438px) 100vw, 1438px" /></figure>
  1711.  
  1712.  
  1713.  
  1714. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-networking-can-work-for-you-and-be-fun-as-well"><em>How networking can work for you and be fun as well</em></h3>
  1715.  
  1716.  
  1717.  
  1718. <p>I’ve written before about how <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/networking-waste-time-so-lets-do-some-more-roland-hanekroot?trk=mp-author-card">networking doesn’t work</a>… And I remain convinced that much networking is wasted time, from a marketing perspective at any rate.</p>
  1719.  
  1720.  
  1721.  
  1722. <p>But developing and marketing our businesses still means continuously <a href="https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/196758" target="_blank" rel="noopener">meeting new people, new suppliers, new referral sources, new clients.</a> Obviously, networking is still one of the most effective ways to do so.</p>
  1723.  
  1724.  
  1725.  
  1726. <p>But there’s networking and there’s networking.</p>
  1727.  
  1728.  
  1729.  
  1730. <p>On the one hand is <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/networking/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">attending some kind of dedicated networking event</a>, standing around making small talk with strangers in the vain hope they’ll buy something from you. And on the other hand is networking with strategy and focus. It took me some years to work out the difference, but once I did, networking actually started to work.</p>
  1731.  
  1732.  
  1733.  
  1734. <p>There are a bunch of lessons I learned over the years from master networkers about how to turn networking into an <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/the-power-of-referrals-and-word-of-mouth-marketing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">efficient form of marketing and business development</a>, these are my favorites:</p>
  1735.  
  1736.  
  1737.  
  1738. <h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-1-own-the-room">1)&nbsp; Own the room:</h4>
  1739.  
  1740.  
  1741.  
  1742. <p>The first lesson about networking, I actually learned from an acting and singing teacher, who I took some lessons from in 2005. Marriette Rups-Donnelly owns Powerhouse Presentations and one of the things she taught me is to own the room. Owning the room starts by getting there early. Being one of the first at the event allows you to greet people as they walk in, help them over their nerves and introduce them around to others. It is great strategy for them and it’s great for you as well. Being early means you are less likely to have to rudely cut in to small groups of people talking.</p>
  1743.  
  1744.  
  1745.  
  1746. <p>Successful networking starts even earlier though. Before you get to the event, owning the room means preparing your mindset before you even walk in the door. I remember Marriette teaching me to imagine I wore a big cape. She got me to visualise wearing a big swishing suave shiny red cape and to imagine sweeping into a room with it, taking up a lot more space than my physical body.</p>
  1747.  
  1748.  
  1749.  
  1750. <p>Imagining myself as a dashing Imperial Russian prince from the 1870s, making an entrance with my cape, was not something that came naturally. But around about the same time I was also studying NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming). NLP talks a lot about taking control of your mental state (see Anthony Robbins and other NLP practitioners). With the help of NLP and Marriette I did start to get more comfortable with walking in and owning the room and I am here to tell you those two “tricks” combined, started having an enormous impact on my networking exploits.</p>
  1751.  
  1752.  
  1753.  
  1754. <p>Next time you go to a networking event… Get there early, take a deep breath before you walk into the room and imagine yourself a latter day Count Vronsky with a big cape sweeping behind you before you walk in, it’s actually a lot of fun, trust me.</p>
  1755.  
  1756.  
  1757.  
  1758. <h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-2-a-coffee-is-better-than-20-cards">2)&nbsp; A coffee is better than 20 cards</h4>
  1759.  
  1760.  
  1761. <div class="wp-block-image">
  1762. <figure class="alignleft"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="450" height="301" src="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/networking-business-card-exchange-2-450x301.jpg" alt="business networking" class="wp-image-6194" srcset="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/networking-business-card-exchange-2-450x301.jpg 450w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/networking-business-card-exchange-2-600x401.jpg 600w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/networking-business-card-exchange-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/networking-business-card-exchange-2-100x67.jpg 100w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/networking-business-card-exchange-2-150x100.jpg 150w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/networking-business-card-exchange-2-200x134.jpg 200w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/networking-business-card-exchange-2-900x601.jpg 900w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/networking-business-card-exchange-2.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px" /></figure></div>
  1763.  
  1764.  
  1765. <p>Have you ever been accosted at a networking event by someone who just hands you his card and says: “If you ever need a web developer, call me” and walks off to spray his cards over everyone else at the meeting. It’s annoying right? How much business do you think that leads to for the webdeveloper?</p>
  1766.  
  1767.  
  1768.  
  1769. <p>David Jones from <a href="http://djelectricians.com.au/">David Jones Electricians</a> in Sydney has always understood the wisdom of the old saying: “People do business with people they know like and trust”. In other words, business comes about as a consequence of genuine personal connections. David attends networking and other events and he looks for people he can make a genuine connection with. He’d rather spend the whole evening talking with one person he connects with than hand out 20 cards to anyone. Afterwards, he always invites people he meets like that to something else, another event, a coffee or something he thinks this person might be interested in, not necessarily business related. And David has built one of the biggest and most engaged networks I know.</p>
  1770.  
  1771.  
  1772.  
  1773. <p>Giving someone a business card is worse than useless if you annoy them in the process and they throw your card in the bin on the way out.</p>
  1774.  
  1775.  
  1776.  
  1777. <p>Next time, when attending an event, set yourself an intention to meet just one person you’d enjoy having a coffee or going for a walk on the beach with, and invite them to do just that.</p>
  1778.  
  1779.  
  1780.  
  1781. <h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-3-action-speaks-louder-than-words">3)&nbsp; Action speaks louder than words</h4>
  1782.  
  1783.  
  1784. <div class="wp-block-image">
  1785. <figure class="alignleft"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="373" height="400" src="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/candles.jpeg" alt="business networking" class="wp-image-6193" srcset="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/candles.jpeg 373w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/candles-280x300.jpeg 280w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/candles-100x107.jpeg 100w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/candles-150x161.jpeg 150w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/candles-200x214.jpeg 200w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/candles-300x322.jpeg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 373px) 100vw, 373px" /></figure></div>
  1786.  
  1787.  
  1788. <p>Wendy Lloyd Curley is a networking genius. Wendy owns “Wendy the Candle Lady” an incredibly successful business in an MLM system (Multi Level Marketing, also known as Network Marketing) selling candles, fragrances and home decorations. (recently Wendy has become the director of a region of a dedicated business networking organisation called <a href="http://bnisne.com.au/en-AU/index" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BNI in Sydney&#8217;s NE</a>) Wendy’s business is all about building relationships, networks and meeting new people. The thing I learnt from Wendy is her statement: If you leave a one-on-one coffee/ networking meeting without at least one committed action, the meeting has been a waste of everyone’s time. Wendy has lots and lots of coffee meetings with people and she always walks away committed to go and actually do one thing for the other person. She also encourages this person to commit to at least one single action on Wendy’s behalf. Actions like: “I am going to write one email tomorrow to this accountant I know and introduce you to him”. Single committed actions such as those are much more likely to have an impact than a generic: “Ok, Great I’ll certainly keep that in mind and be on the lookout for you”.</p>
  1789.  
  1790.  
  1791.  
  1792. <p>In your next coffee meeting with someone you meet at a networking event, make sure you find one small simple action that might be useful to the other person and go and do it.</p>
  1793.  
  1794.  
  1795.  
  1796. <h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-4-the-hostess-gets-the-mostess">4)&nbsp; The hostess gets the mostess</h4>
  1797.  
  1798.  
  1799.  
  1800. <p>Martin Paul owns <a href="http://morestrategic.com.au/">More Strategic</a>. More Strategic is a management consultancy that focuses on supporting Not for Profits and Charities to improve their fundraising.</p>
  1801.  
  1802.  
  1803.  
  1804. <p>Not long ago Martin spoke at a fundraising conference and at the end of his talk he invited all attendants to drinks and nibbles in a private room at the venue that evening to talk in greater depth about the implications of his talk. Some 25 executives from some of the major charities showed up. In the following year, several new contracts flowed from this initiative.</p>
  1805.  
  1806.  
  1807.  
  1808. <p>Being the host of an event bestows enormous benefits on you.</p>
  1809.  
  1810.  
  1811.  
  1812. <p>What event can you host?</p>
  1813.  
  1814.  
  1815.  
  1816. <h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-5-focus-beats-spray-and-pray">5)&nbsp; Focus beats Spray and Pray</h4>
  1817.  
  1818.  
  1819. <div class="wp-block-image">
  1820. <figure class="alignleft"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="283" height="81" src="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sonic-sight-enough-growth.jpg" alt="business networking" class="wp-image-3899" srcset="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sonic-sight-enough-growth.jpg 283w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sonic-sight-enough-growth-100x29.jpg 100w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sonic-sight-enough-growth-150x43.jpg 150w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sonic-sight-enough-growth-200x57.jpg 200w" sizes="(max-width: 283px) 100vw, 283px" /></figure></div>
  1821.  
  1822.  
  1823. <p>Geoff Anderson from <a href="http://sonicsight.com.au/">Sonic Sight</a> produces videos for organisations in Sydney. Some time ago Geoff decided that a great target market for his video production work is the private school system in the big cities of Australia. Investigating marketing options to this market, he found an annual conference in Australia that was well attended by many of the marketing directors in the private school system. Geoff decided to sponsor the conference and offer the conference organiser assistance in video production on the day. Geoff was the only video producer at the conference and connected meaningfully with some 50 of his prime clients. The project cost him some money and time, but it would have taken him years of attending random networking events, fruitlessly knocking on doors and being turned away by gatekeepers to achieve the same result.</p>
  1824.  
  1825.  
  1826.  
  1827. <p>The name of the game is focus.</p>
  1828.  
  1829.  
  1830.  
  1831. <p>How can you get to talk to a bunch of your clients all in the same room?</p>
  1832.  
  1833.  
  1834.  
  1835. <p>There are <a href="http://www.businessballs.com/business-networking.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">other tips</a> I can give you to make networking more effective, such as:</p>
  1836.  
  1837.  
  1838.  
  1839. <ul><li>Always follow up.</li><li>Dress appropriately and a little different than everyone else.</li><li>Experiment with different opening lines, and practice them.</li></ul>
  1840.  
  1841.  
  1842.  
  1843. <p>But if you take the big 5 above to heart and practice them, networking will start to work for your business… I promise you.</p>
  1844.  
  1845.  
  1846.  
  1847. <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Marketing and the 7 Big Questions of Small Business</h4>
  1848.  
  1849.  
  1850.  
  1851. <p>Business owners frequently ask 7 Big Questions about how to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/faq-building-a-beautiful-business/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Build a Beautiful Business and Life</a>.</p>
  1852.  
  1853.  
  1854.  
  1855. <p>The first of these&nbsp; Big Questions is: How do I grow my business?</p>
  1856.  
  1857.  
  1858.  
  1859. <p>To answer that question I have identified the 11 most important strategies to create&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/faq-building-a-beautiful-business/business-growth/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Business Growth</a>.</p>
  1860.  
  1861.  
  1862.  
  1863. <p>The third of those strategies is <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/faq-building-a-beautiful-business/business-growth/subcorner-growth-marketing/">Grow your business with Marketing.</a> This is one of many more articles on this site that explain how Marketing and Growth hang together, in some depth.</p>
  1864.  
  1865.  
  1866.  
  1867. <hr class="wp-block-separator has-text-color has-cyan-bluish-gray-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-cyan-bluish-gray-background-color has-background is-style-dots"/>
  1868.  
  1869.  
  1870.  
  1871. <p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/smallbusinessmasterminds/?ref=bookmarks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Join&nbsp;the exclusive Small Business Masterminds Facebook group!</a></p>
  1872.  
  1873.  
  1874.  
  1875. <p class="has-text-align-left">It&#8217;s&nbsp;a&nbsp;private group of small business owners that&nbsp;tackles challenges and problems together. Members lean on each other, give advice, network, share connections and do business with each other when appropriate. It’s very much peer-to-peer mentoring and if your request to join is lucky enough to get approved, you will most likely see a marked change in yourself and your business!</p>
  1876.  
  1877.  
  1878. <div class="wp-block-image">
  1879. <figure class="aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="450" height="135" src="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/join-our-facebook-group-450x135.jpg" alt="Small Business Masterminds Group" class="wp-image-6161" srcset="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/join-our-facebook-group-450x135.jpg 450w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/join-our-facebook-group-600x181.jpg 600w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/join-our-facebook-group-300x90.jpg 300w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/join-our-facebook-group-100x30.jpg 100w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/join-our-facebook-group-150x45.jpg 150w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/join-our-facebook-group-200x60.jpg 200w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/join-our-facebook-group-900x271.jpg 900w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/join-our-facebook-group.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px" /></figure></div>
  1880.  
  1881.  
  1882. <p class="has-text-align-center"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/smallbusinessmasterminds/?ref=bookmarks"><div class='_form_268'></div><script type='text/javascript' src='https://newperspectives.activehosted.com/f/embed.php?static=0&id=268&6634ED221B2AB&nostyles=0&preview=0'></script></a></p>
  1883.  
  1884.  
  1885.  
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  1900. <p>The post <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/networking-business/">The 5 Things You Must Do At Every Networking Event</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au">New Perspectives</a>.</p>
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  1903. <wfw:commentRss>https://www.newperspectives.com.au/networking-business/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
  1904. <slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
  1907. </item>
  1908. <item>
  1909. <title>Productivity Tips: How To Get The Important Stuff Done In Your Business</title>
  1910. <link>https://www.newperspectives.com.au/productivity-business/</link>
  1911. <comments>https://www.newperspectives.com.au/productivity-business/#respond</comments>
  1913. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Roland Hanekroot]]></dc:creator>
  1914. <pubDate>Mon, 31 Jan 2022 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  1915. <category><![CDATA[Leadership]]></category>
  1916. <category><![CDATA[habits]]></category>
  1917. <category><![CDATA[prioritising]]></category>
  1918. <category><![CDATA[Time Management]]></category>
  1919. <guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.newperspectives.com.au/?p=6196</guid>
  1920.  
  1921. <description><![CDATA[<p>Productivity, time management. Business owners often feel that life would be better if only they learnt how to use their time more efficiently.</p>
  1922. <div class="read-more"><a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/productivity-business/">Read more <span class="screen-reader-text">Productivity Tips: How To Get The Important Stuff Done In Your Business</span><span class="meta-nav"> &#8250;</span></a></div>
  1923. <p><!-- end of .read-more --></p>
  1924. <p>The post <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/productivity-business/">Productivity Tips: How To Get The Important Stuff Done In Your Business</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au">New Perspectives</a>.</p>
  1925. ]]></description>
  1926. <content:encoded><![CDATA[
  1927. <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-when-other-people-s-priorities-are-not-yours">When other people’s priorities are not yours</h2>
  1928.  
  1929.  
  1930. <div class="wp-block-image">
  1931. <figure class="alignleft"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1100" height="496" src="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/starting_a_business-woman-cafe-bike-cropped.jpg" alt="productivity business" class="wp-image-6200" srcset="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/starting_a_business-woman-cafe-bike-cropped.jpg 1100w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/starting_a_business-woman-cafe-bike-cropped-450x203.jpg 450w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/starting_a_business-woman-cafe-bike-cropped-600x271.jpg 600w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/starting_a_business-woman-cafe-bike-cropped-300x135.jpg 300w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/starting_a_business-woman-cafe-bike-cropped-100x45.jpg 100w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/starting_a_business-woman-cafe-bike-cropped-150x68.jpg 150w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/starting_a_business-woman-cafe-bike-cropped-200x90.jpg 200w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/starting_a_business-woman-cafe-bike-cropped-900x406.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 1100px) 100vw, 1100px" /></figure></div>
  1932.  
  1933.  
  1934. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-work-of-the-business-v-the-work-of-the-business-owner"><em>The Work-of-the-business v the Work-of-the-business-owner</em></h3>
  1935.  
  1936.  
  1937.  
  1938. <p>Small business owners often ask me if I can help them become more productive and to get better at time management. Or rather the complaint is that there are always a thousand other things getting in the way of the stuff you would much rather spend your time on, instead of the never-ending emails, phone calls, crises, admin, quoting, employees calling in sick or needing help tying their shoe laces. No one ever seems to be able to get anything done without you.</p>
  1939.  
  1940.  
  1941.  
  1942. <p>It’s one of the <a href="http://www.flyingsolo.com.au/forums/index.php?threads/little-frustrated-managing-productivity.20880/#post-126446" target="_blank" rel="noopener">great frustrations of small business</a>. Everything is down to you, the owner. When a client is irate, when a supplier is unhappy, the bank has an issue or when the toilet paper runs out, it’s down to you.</p>
  1943.  
  1944.  
  1945.  
  1946. <p>And of course, you being you, you do fix it all, you are the ultimate juggler and the balls rarely ever crash when you’re on the job, but it means the work you actually want to do, gets put off and off and off.</p>
  1947.  
  1948.  
  1949.  
  1950. <h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-no-simple-answers">No simple answers</h4>
  1951.  
  1952.  
  1953.  
  1954. <p>All small business owners have to face this challenge and, sadly, I have no simple answers.</p>
  1955.  
  1956.  
  1957.  
  1958. <blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow"><p><em>Move along folks… Nothing to see here.</em></p></blockquote>
  1959.  
  1960.  
  1961.  
  1962. <p>I can suggest a few principles, though, that may help make you more productive and actually <a href="https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/245208" target="_blank" rel="noopener">get the things you want to get done</a>, done:</p>
  1963.  
  1964.  
  1965.  
  1966. <ul><li>Other people’s priorities don’t always have to be your priorities.</li><li>The important work you want to get onto, the business development work is the only work in your business that cannot be delegated to others.</li><li>The important work you want to get onto can always be put off another day, but that doesn’t mean it’s not important.</li><li>If you don’t make the business development work your priority and set dedicated time aside for it every week, it will not get done and your business will struggle.</li></ul>
  1967.  
  1968.  
  1969.  
  1970. <h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-covey-and-the-4-quadrants">Covey and the 4 Quadrants</h4>
  1971.  
  1972.  
  1973. <div class="wp-block-image">
  1974. <figure class="alignleft"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="450" height="389" src="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/quadrants-time-covey-450x389.png" alt="productivity business" class="wp-image-6197" srcset="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/quadrants-time-covey-450x389.png 450w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/quadrants-time-covey-300x259.png 300w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/quadrants-time-covey-100x86.png 100w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/quadrants-time-covey-150x130.png 150w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/quadrants-time-covey-200x173.png 200w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/quadrants-time-covey.png 569w" sizes="(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px" /></figure></div>
  1975.  
  1976.  
  1977. <p>One of the classic works of personal development of the eighties is Stephen Covey’s book: “<a href="http://thetentruths.com.au/Downloads/4quadrants.pdf" class="broken_link">The 7 Habits of highly effective people</a>”. In The 7 Habits, Covey talks about the 4 quadrants of time management (see the image) And Covey himself has taken this idea from famous general Eisenhower, I believe.</p>
  1978.  
  1979.  
  1980.  
  1981. <p>Covey explains that all tasks can be put into one of 4 quadrants. Tasks can be:</p>
  1982.  
  1983.  
  1984.  
  1985. <ul><li>Important and Urgent</li><li>Important and not Urgent</li><li>Not Important but Urgent</li><li>Neither Important nor Urgent</li></ul>
  1986.  
  1987.  
  1988.  
  1989. <p>If you experience the problems I outlined in the first three paragraphs above, I know you have little trouble getting the tasks done that are in quadrant 1. The Quadrant 1 stuff is the stuff that must get done now, or else, and I bet you’re generally fine with that It’s the reason your business has survived as long as it has.</p>
  1990.  
  1991.  
  1992.  
  1993. <p>Mostly, small business owners don’t struggle too much with the Quadrant 4 stuff either, there’s not enough time in a day as it is, let alone spend time on stuff that is meaningless.</p>
  1994.  
  1995.  
  1996.  
  1997. <p>The problems are always in Quadrants 2 and 3. The Quadrant 3 stuff is all the tasks that are generated by other people. It’s the client ringing up and saying I need to have that quote first thing tomorrow morning, it’s the supplier saying I want to deliver this widget after lunch, can you be on site to receive it. Because the client and the supplier sound like it’s really really important to them, you set aside the thing you would have preferred to do and you make it happen. Other people’s priorities. They say “Jump”, your immediate response is “How High”? And when you jump you put aside the Quadrant 2 stuff. The Quadrant 2 stuff is the stuff that is important to you, but it can always be put off another day. The world doesn’t end if you start writing that business plan tomorrow instead of today and the world doesn’t end if you put off writing the new safety procedure for another day.</p>
  1998.  
  1999.  
  2000.  
  2001. <h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-world-won-t-end-when-you-postpone">The world won’t end when you postpone</h4>
  2002.  
  2003.  
  2004.  
  2005. <p>And the world really won’t end when you do that. After all you’ve managed alright without the business plan and the safety procedure to date… What’s another day? The problem is of course that tomorrow there will be another phone call and another crisis and the day after another one etc.</p>
  2006.  
  2007.  
  2008.  
  2009. <p>Obviously, sometimes when a client asks if you can do this thing for them by this afternoon, it really does need to be done, but many times it doesn’t. Often it’s perfectly ok to say: “Sorry I am busy this afternoon and tomorrow. I can get onto it on Thursday and have it to you by lunch time, would that be ok?” I can guarantee you that in most cases the client is going to be fine with that, as long as you are clear and decisive and as long as you actually deliver by Thursday lunchtime.</p>
  2010.  
  2011.  
  2012.  
  2013. <h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-other-peoples-urgencies">Other peoples urgencies</h4>
  2014.  
  2015.  
  2016.  
  2017. <p>We are trained to respond to other people’s urgencies as if they are our own. They aren’t and it’s worth keeping that in mind.</p>
  2018.  
  2019.  
  2020.  
  2021. <p>I have worked with and met hundreds if not thousands of small business owners in the past 13 years. From my experience, I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt that the one key difference between the business owners who have built and are <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/resilience-is-the-key-to-building-a-great-business/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">building Great Small Businesses</a> and those who struggle, is how much time they manage to dedicate every week to building their business. I call it <em>“The work of the business owner”</em> as opposed to <em>“The work of the business”.</em></p>
  2022.  
  2023.  
  2024.  
  2025. <p>If you start by dedicating as little as an hour per week to business building and business development, every week, regular as clockwork, no interruptions, phone off, email off, go to a café if you have to, block it out in your diary, nothing short of death is more important… You will start to <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/faq-building-a-beautiful-business/business-growth/">build a Fun Business</a> that sustains you for years to come… I promise you</p>
  2026.  
  2027.  
  2028.  
  2029. <h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-time-management-and-overwhelm-and-the-7-big-questions-of-small-business">Time management and Overwhelm and the 7 Big Questions of Small Business</h4>
  2030.  
  2031.  
  2032.  
  2033. <p>Business owners frequently ask 7 Big Questions about how to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/faq-building-a-beautiful-business/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Build a Beautiful Business and Life</a>.</p>
  2034.  
  2035.  
  2036.  
  2037. <p>The third of the 7 Big Questions is:&nbsp;How do I get unstuck in my business?</p>
  2038.  
  2039.  
  2040.  
  2041. <p>To get unstuck and free yourself of the whirlpool, I have identified “6 questions about being&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/faq-building-a-beautiful-business/overwhelmed-in-business/">Overwhelmed in business</a>.”</p>
  2042.  
  2043.  
  2044.  
  2045. <p>The fourth of those Questions about getting unstuck is:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/faq-building-a-beautiful-business/personal-development/subcorner-time-management/">How can I manage my time better?</a> (And get the important stuff done in my business). This is one of many more articles on this site that explain how Time management and Overwhelm hang together, in some depth.</p>
  2046.  
  2047.  
  2048.  
  2049. <p class="has-text-align-center"><a data-sumome-listbuilder-id="beaaeb0a-5b9c-4b10-9139-87f2634eea54">Download my free 12 Question Cheat-sheet to help you find your next Coach.</a></p>
  2050.  
  2051.  
  2052.  
  2053. <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-free-discovery-session-make-business-more-fun-and-increase-productivity"><a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/business-life-coaching-programs/five-steps-discovery/"><strong>FREE Discovery Session:<br />Make business more fun and increase productivity!</strong></a></h2>
  2054.  
  2055.  
  2056.  
  2057. <p>Learn more about the New Perspectives <strong><a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/fun-in-business/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fun in Business Intensive</a>&#8212;&nbsp;</strong>a transformative 6 – 12 month Business coaching, development, business advice and mentoring program designed for small business owners who want to have more Fun in their businesses, increase productivity and build businesses that sustain them for years to come.</p>
  2058.  
  2059.  
  2060.  
  2061. <p>Book&nbsp;in a <strong>FREE</strong> half hour Discovery coaching session with me&nbsp;to explore if the Fun in Business Intensive is right for you or what other options may be better for you right now!</p>
  2062.  
  2063.  
  2064. <div class="wp-block-image">
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  2068. <p class="has-text-align-center"><div class='_form_268'></div><script type='text/javascript' src='https://newperspectives.activehosted.com/f/embed.php?static=0&id=268&6634ED221D7E1&nostyles=0&preview=0'></script></p>
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  2086. <p>The post <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/productivity-business/">Productivity Tips: How To Get The Important Stuff Done In Your Business</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au">New Perspectives</a>.</p>
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  2093. </item>
  2094. <item>
  2095. <title>What Does A Typical Business Owner or entrepreneur Look Like?</title>
  2096. <link>https://www.newperspectives.com.au/business-acumen/</link>
  2097. <comments>https://www.newperspectives.com.au/business-acumen/#respond</comments>
  2099. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Roland Hanekroot]]></dc:creator>
  2100. <pubDate>Sun, 26 Dec 2021 20:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  2101. <category><![CDATA[Entrepreneurship]]></category>
  2102. <category><![CDATA[business development]]></category>
  2103. <category><![CDATA[personal development and growth]]></category>
  2104. <category><![CDATA[risk]]></category>
  2105. <category><![CDATA[startup]]></category>
  2106. <guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.newperspectives.com.au/?p=6057</guid>
  2107.  
  2108. <description><![CDATA[<p>What makes a great entrepreneur? Are business owners born or made? Is there an entrepreneurial type? Or is just about being stupid?</p>
  2109. <div class="read-more"><a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/business-acumen/">Read more <span class="screen-reader-text">What Does A Typical Business Owner or entrepreneur Look Like?</span><span class="meta-nav"> &#8250;</span></a></div>
  2110. <p><!-- end of .read-more --></p>
  2111. <p>The post <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/business-acumen/">What Does A Typical Business Owner or entrepreneur Look Like?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au">New Perspectives</a>.</p>
  2112. ]]></description>
  2113. <content:encoded><![CDATA[<h1>Business acumen, what is it and how do you know you have it?</h1>
  2114. <p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-6058 size-large" src="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/business-owner-child-with-wings-1000w-600x400.jpg" alt="Business acumen" width="600" height="400" srcset="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/business-owner-child-with-wings-1000w-600x400.jpg 600w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/business-owner-child-with-wings-1000w-450x300.jpg 450w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/business-owner-child-with-wings-1000w-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/business-owner-child-with-wings-1000w-100x67.jpg 100w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/business-owner-child-with-wings-1000w-150x100.jpg 150w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/business-owner-child-with-wings-1000w-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/business-owner-child-with-wings-1000w-900x600.jpg 900w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/business-owner-child-with-wings-1000w.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /></p>
  2115. <h3><em>In the end it&#8217;s all about stupidity</em></h3>
  2116. <p>Are business owners or entrepreneurs born or made? Or rather, what does it take to become a business owner, Do you have business acumen? What does business acumen look like? How can you tell if you are a budding entrepreneur or not?</p>
  2117. <p>I find it a really interesting question, I’ve thought about it many times, especially since becoming a business coach, helping small business owners turn their dreams into reality. I have also written about the <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/entrepreneur-type-scale/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Entrepreneurial types here</a> and I have created a survey to help you determine what type of entrepreneur you are.</p>
  2118. <p>To answer the question, we need to dispel one myth first of all, and that’s the myth that there is an “entrepreneurial type”. There may indeed be such a type, but it’s not just those types that become successful business owners. I think business owners are as varied in their types as there are people on the planet. Having said that, I do believe that there is one character trait that stands out as something unique to most entrepreneurs, and that’s this:</p>
  2119. <blockquote>
  2120. <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><em>Business owners are people who cannot conceive of having their lives controlled by others.</em></strong></p>
  2121. </blockquote>
  2122. <p>For a business owner type, the idea of spending her entire working life having to report to others and being part of an organisation that does things, and takes directions that are outside of her control, fills him with dread.</p>
  2123. <h4>Your most troublesome employee</h4>
  2124. <p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft wp-image-6059 size-full" src="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/are-entrepreneurs-born-baby-business-owner-cropped-300w.jpg" alt="business acumen" width="300" height="255" srcset="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/are-entrepreneurs-born-baby-business-owner-cropped-300w.jpg 300w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/are-entrepreneurs-born-baby-business-owner-cropped-300w-100x85.jpg 100w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/are-entrepreneurs-born-baby-business-owner-cropped-300w-150x128.jpg 150w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/are-entrepreneurs-born-baby-business-owner-cropped-300w-200x170.jpg 200w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />I am certainly like that myself. I worked for a large organisation for 5 years in the early part of my working life, and found myself fighting the system every day. Having my boss, or his boss, or the bosses boss make a directive and being informed of such a directive and having to fall into line with the directive, whether or not I agreed with it, would simply make steam come out of my ears.</p>
  2125. <p style="text-align: center;"><em>I was that employee you’d hate to have work for you.</em></p>
  2126. <p>And the thought that my days would be controlled like this for the rest of my life sent shivers down my spine. I was only 25 by the time I knew something had to change and I naively decided it was time to go out on my own. In hindsight, it’s a good thing that I was as naïve as I was. If I’d known then what I know now about becoming a small business owner, I might have held back and attempted to become a better adjusted and happier staff member instead. I say ‘a good thing’, because I am incredibly glad I made the step when I was young and stupid. I don’t regret anything about becoming a business owner and employer rather than an employee.</p>
  2127. <h4>Standing in the centre of your life</h4>
  2128. <p>I’ve loved standing in the centre of my life, knowing that I was equally responsible for anything bad that happened in my business (and my life) as well as for the successes. But it does get progressively harder and scarier to take the step to becoming an entrepreneur as you grow older.</p>
  2129. <p>People think that business owners are somehow braver than non-business owners, because they get out there and face the world on their own. I don’t think it’s courage so much; I don’t consider myself more courageous than the average person. Most people who start their own business, get to a point in their lives where they simply feel they can’t do anything else, they’re compelled. The mark of courage is not how fearless you are, rather it is in how you overcome your fears. I don’t remember feeling fear so much when I decided to become my own boss. I simply had to do this thing, there was no other option.</p>
  2130. <p>And hence, to answer the question: <em>What is business acumen and what does it look like?</em> Maybe the common characteristic of business owners is … Stupidity.</p>
  2131. <p><strong><em>#StupidInBusiness #EntrepreneursAreBorn #FunInBusiness #BusinessAcumen</em></strong></p>
  2132. <h3 style="text-align: center;">Learn more about my<br />
  2133. Fun In Business Intensive Program</h3>
  2134. <p style="text-align: center;">I offer <strong><a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/fun-in-business/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fun in Business Intensive Program</a>,</strong> which can help you discover more about yourself and guide you on how to move your business forward with focus, direction and sound judgment.</p>
  2135. <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/fun-in-business/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-6041" src="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Business-Fun-1-450x229.png" alt="Fun in Business Intensive" width="350" height="178" srcset="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Business-Fun-1-450x229.png 450w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Business-Fun-1-600x305.png 600w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Business-Fun-1-300x153.png 300w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Business-Fun-1-100x51.png 100w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Business-Fun-1-150x76.png 150w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Business-Fun-1-200x102.png 200w, https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Business-Fun-1.png 645w" sizes="(max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px" /></a><div class='_form_268'></div><script type='text/javascript' src='https://newperspectives.activehosted.com/f/embed.php?static=0&id=268&6634ED221F4D2&nostyles=0&preview=0'></script></p>
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  2150. <p>The post <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/business-acumen/">What Does A Typical Business Owner or entrepreneur Look Like?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au">New Perspectives</a>.</p>
  2151. ]]></content:encoded>
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  2154. <slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
  2157. </item>
  2158. <item>
  2159. <title>The Ten Priorities; Priority #3: Having Fun</title>
  2160. <link>https://www.newperspectives.com.au/ten-priorities-fun-in-business/</link>
  2161. <comments>https://www.newperspectives.com.au/ten-priorities-fun-in-business/#respond</comments>
  2163. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Roland Hanekroot]]></dc:creator>
  2164. <pubDate>Mon, 18 Oct 2021 22:01:58 +0000</pubDate>
  2165. <category><![CDATA[Fun in Business]]></category>
  2166. <category><![CDATA[building a beautiful business]]></category>
  2167. <category><![CDATA[management]]></category>
  2168. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.newperspectives.com.au/?p=7141</guid>
  2169.  
  2170. <description><![CDATA[<p>Fun in Business is the key to to building a beautiful business, because when business is Fun it means everything is working for you. Priority #3</p>
  2171. <div class="read-more"><a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/ten-priorities-fun-in-business/">Read more <span class="screen-reader-text">The Ten Priorities; Priority #3: Having Fun</span><span class="meta-nav"> &#8250;</span></a></div>
  2172. <p><!-- end of .read-more --></p>
  2173. <p>The post <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/ten-priorities-fun-in-business/">The Ten Priorities; Priority #3: Having Fun</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au">New Perspectives</a>.</p>
  2174. ]]></description>
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  2194. <h2 class="elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default">What is the only measurement that matters in business?</h2> </div>
  2195. </div>
  2196. </div>
  2197. </div>
  2198. </div>
  2199. </section>
  2200. <section class="elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-645263b elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default" data-id="645263b" data-element_type="section">
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  2205. <div class="elementor-widget-container">
  2206. <p>This is the third post in the series of <strong><em>The Ten Priorities: Laying the Foundations for a Great Business and Life</em></strong>. The third Priority is about Having Fun. The introduction to this series on The Ten Priorities <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/change-business/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">is here.</a></p><p>If you could only measure one thing to know how successful your business was at any one moment in time, what would you want to measure?</p> </div>
  2207. </div>
  2208. </div>
  2209. </div>
  2210. </div>
  2211. </section>
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  2219. </div>
  2220. </div>
  2221. </div>
  2222. </div>
  2223. </section>
  2224. <section class="elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-19e7e252 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default" data-id="19e7e252" data-element_type="section">
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  2229. <div class="elementor-widget-container">
  2230. <p>Most business owners will mention profit. And profit matters a lot of course, if you’re not making profit you’re operating a hobby, not a business, simple as that. But there is something even more important than profit in your business, and that’s Fun.</p><blockquote><p style="text-align: center;">Fun is all that matters in business</p></blockquote><p>Fun is all that matters in business</p><p>You see if <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/fun-in-business-program/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Business is Fun</a>, it means everything is working. (read more about <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/fun-in-business-management/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fun in Business here</a>)</p><ul><li>It means you’re making money</li><li>It means your customers love you</li><li>It means your staff are highly engaged</li><li>It means you’re proud of the products or services your business provides</li><li>It means you have created the kind of balance in work and live that is important for you</li><li>And it means you’re engaged in something meaningful, bigger than you.</li></ul><p>By focusing solely on money as the indicator of success in business, you are doing yourself and everyone else who is touched by the business a disservice.</p><p>Obviously, measuring Fun in Business is not as simple as looking at your bank balance and you have to get creative about how you go about measuring it, but it’s quite doable and it will change the way you think about building a Great Business and Life… I promise you.</p><p><a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/faq-building-a-beautiful-business/overwhelmed-in-business/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">For more information about to how to step out of overwhelm, get unstuck and start having Fun in Business again, click here</a></p><h4><a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/ten-priorities-saying-no/"><em>Next week Priority #4: Saying No</em></a></h4><p style="text-align: center;"><a data-sumome-listbuilder-id="beaaeb0a-5b9c-4b10-9139-87f2634eea54">Download my 12 Question Cheat-sheet to help you find your next Coach.</a></p><p><script type="text/javascript">
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  2250. <p>The post <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/ten-priorities-fun-in-business/">The Ten Priorities; Priority #3: Having Fun</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au">New Perspectives</a>.</p>
  2251. ]]></content:encoded>
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  2257. </item>
  2258. <item>
  2259. <title>How to Make a Family Business Work</title>
  2260. <link>https://www.newperspectives.com.au/family-business-pitfalls/</link>
  2261. <comments>https://www.newperspectives.com.au/family-business-pitfalls/#respond</comments>
  2263. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Roland Hanekroot]]></dc:creator>
  2264. <pubDate>Sun, 19 Sep 2021 01:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  2265. <category><![CDATA[Family business]]></category>
  2266. <category><![CDATA[building a beautiful business]]></category>
  2267. <category><![CDATA[management]]></category>
  2268. <guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.newperspectives.com.au/?p=6009</guid>
  2269.  
  2270. <description><![CDATA[<p>The dream of a family business is that we're able to improve the wellbeing of the whole family. So how can we make family business less risky?</p>
  2271. <div class="read-more"><a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/family-business-pitfalls/">Read more <span class="screen-reader-text">How to Make a Family Business Work</span><span class="meta-nav"> &#8250;</span></a></div>
  2272. <p><!-- end of .read-more --></p>
  2273. <p>The post <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/family-business-pitfalls/">How to Make a Family Business Work</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au">New Perspectives</a>.</p>
  2274. ]]></description>
  2275. <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/family-business-godfather-mafia-1000w.jpg" alt="Family business the godfather" width="1000" height="563" /></p>
  2276. <h1><em>The pitfalls of hiring your family members</em></h1>
  2277. <p>Business and family don’t mix, is the old wisdom. And I’ve certainly seen the mixture blow up in a bunch of instances, but what about the many many family businesses out there that have done very well and been around a long time. (and I&#8217;m not just talking about the Corleones or the Sopranos) Say what you will, but the Murdochs, Packers and Trumps are nothing if not successful business families. So why are we so concerned about introducing family members into our businesses, and <a href="https://hbr.org/2012/11/what-you-can-learn-from-family-business" target="_blank" rel="noopener">how can we avoid the worst of the pitfalls of running our family business</a>? The question: <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/faq-building-a-beautiful-business/family-business/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">How can we make our family business work better</a>? is one of the <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/faq-building-a-beautiful-business/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">7 Big Questions about building a beautiful business and life</a>.</p>
  2278. <p>First of all, I think the problem with family and business, or for that matter friends and business, is not so much that it is more likely to fail than a normal business, but that if it fails it can cause so much collateral damage. Whole families can be ripped apart over a family business partnership that disintegrates. If the manager of department X turns out to be an incompetent idiot, you as his direct report can simply leave. It may be inconvenient, but you’ll find another job and life moves on. But if that same manager is uncle Jimmy and the company was started by your father, and you have to sit at the same Christmas lunch table with Uncle Jimmy next month, then the situation becomes much more complicated.</p>
  2279. <h4>The business owner’s dream</h4>
  2280. <p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/family-feud-logo-450w.jpg" alt="Family Business" width="350" height="197" />I’m not going to sit here and tell you never to hire a family member into your business. Most business owners dream of having their children join the business and have the thing they created be a vehicle for bringing the family closer and making life more comfortable for the family. In my days as a builder I often imagined that it would be really nice to have one or all of my kids become involved in my business. It’s how we roll as business owners, and it&#8217;s one of the reasons, I believe business owners on average are happier people as a group <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/business-owner-corporate-refugee/">more about business and happiness</a> here.</p>
  2281. <p>So how do we minimise the inherent risks of causing major family dramas when getting the clan involved in The Business.</p>
  2282. <h4>4 Secrets</h4>
  2283. <p>From everything I’ve seen over the years I think there are four principles to managing family business well:</p>
  2284. <ul>
  2285. <li style="list-style-type: none;">
  2286. <ul>
  2287. <li>Acknowledge that it isn’t always going to be easy. Allow for the fact that just because we are family, doesn’t mean we all have the same values and beliefs or the same work ethic or for that matter the same priorities in life. Sure, family is important for most of us, but my own kids are still more important to me than uncle Jimmy’s kids.</li>
  2288. </ul>
  2289. </li>
  2290. </ul>
  2291. <ul>
  2292. <li style="list-style-type: none;">
  2293. <ul>
  2294. <li>Depending on the size of the organisation, ensure you have regular meetings (monthly ideally) in which issues can be tabled and resolved. The format of the meetings is dependent on circumstances. If there are two family members in a large organisation, it’s probably a good idea for those two people to go and have a drink every month and compare notes. But if a significant number of the employees of a business are all part of your family, organise a once a month family meeting, in which irritations and grievances are aired and worked through.</li>
  2295. </ul>
  2296. </li>
  2297. </ul>
  2298. <ul>
  2299. <li style="list-style-type: none;">
  2300. <ul>
  2301. <li>Take the time to set up job-role-descriptions and expectations for all employees in the business, but especially for the family members. There is nothing so destructive as a family member in a business who doesn’t actually know what is expected from him or her. Job descriptions, clarity about what constitutes “great work”, clarity on deliverables and KPIs… Take the trouble to set them up and hold people, family members especially, accountable to them.</li>
  2302. </ul>
  2303. </li>
  2304. </ul>
  2305. <ul>
  2306. <li style="list-style-type: none;">
  2307. <ul>
  2308. <li>Ensure that there is great clarity about how people move up the ladder in the company. Family members especially must know that there is a quid pro quo: Not unless you deliver XYZ and you have proven to be good at your current role, will you be considered for promotion: Just because you are my son, doesn’t mean you will be promoted beyond what you proven yourself capable of.</li>
  2309. </ul>
  2310. </li>
  2311. </ul>
  2312. <p>I&#8217;ve written various other articles about the highs and lows of <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/family-business-husband-and-wife-as-business-partners/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">being in a family business</a> here, as well as <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/husband-and-wife-family-business/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">my own experiences in a family business</a> here, and there is a page with <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/resources/family-business-resources/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">family business resources</a> on my website, and finally I have a page about the services I offer <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/you/family-husband-wife-business-partner/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">husband and wife family businesses</a> here.</p>
  2313. <p>Involving your family in your business can destroy your family just as much as it can bring your family closer together and be an incredibly rewarding experience. Follow the four principles above and you give yourself the best opportunity to create the latter… I promise you.</p>
  2314. <p style="text-align: left;">Btw, if you want to be guided on how to make your family business work, I have created<a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/business-life-coaching-programs/fun-in-business-program/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> The Fun in Business Intensive</strong></a> program to make it safe for business owners like you to go on a great journey of change in their business, their family, and life. Click below to learn more!</p>
  2315. <p><a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/fun-in-business/"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Business-Fun-1.png" alt="Fun in Business Intensive" width="350" height="178" /></a><a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/fun-in-business/"><br />
  2316. </a><a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/resources/lp-all-downloads/download-page/healthy-business-ebook/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><div class='_form_268'></div><script type='text/javascript' src='https://newperspectives.activehosted.com/f/embed.php?static=0&id=268&6634ED222BBA0&nostyles=0&preview=0'></script></a></p>
  2317. <p>The post <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au/family-business-pitfalls/">How to Make a Family Business Work</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.newperspectives.com.au">New Perspectives</a>.</p>
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