 Why the ‘why’ is important.
Great leaders, whether an individual or a brand, are those who are able to inspire people to take action. But what’s their secret? How are some people able to achieve this, while others simply can’t? It all comes down to one simple thing; having a strong belief about why you are doing what you’re doing. Not convinced? Here’s why the ‘why’ is so important. In a business, everyone knows what the business does, some know how they do it, but very few know why they do it. At this point, you’re probably thinking, “to make money of course”. Wrong! Sure, everyone needs to make money, but this is simply a result of what you do, not the actual reason why. The why is far more important. It should be the basis for all that you do; your underlying motivation. For inspiring people or businesses, their ‘why’ is almost always rooted in making an impact or a desire to create a better world. When applying this thinking to your own life, try to think of your big ‘why’. Why do you get out of bed in the morning? Why do you make the choices that you do? Often the answers to these types of questions are not that clear cut. In today’s busy world it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day humdrum, never taking the time to reflect on your motivations or set important goals for yourself. But if you hope to find your true purpose in life and in business, this is exactly what you have to do! When it comes to finding your ‘why’, clarity is key. If you’re clear on why you do what you do, it makes it easier for other people to buy into it too. Having clarity is what enables great business leaders to effectively communicate their core purpose that exists beyond their product and service. This purpose needs to be communicated first to your employees, and then to your customers. It is this clarity in purpose that inevitably inspires people to follow you or to buy your products. So, what happens once you’ve discovered your ‘why’? Then the hard work really starts. Sticking to your guiding principles and purpose no matter what, can be a challenge but is vital if you’re going to become a leader. Nobody is going to buy into a leader who can’t even stand by their own beliefs. Nurture an unwavering discipline, so that you stay true to your values despite the challenges that may crop up along the way. This is the only way that anybody will actually believe what you say and do and trust you enough to become a follower or customer. That’s why very action you take should reflect this core belief. For a business this means that all your products and services, marketing and PR, culture and employees, should always be in line with your core purpose.
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 Struggling with the juggling act between professional and personal goals? Whether you find it difficult to tune out the daily noise so you can focus on what you need to do, or unable to take care of yourself because you’re engrossed in the rat race, striking a comfortable balance is not easy. Plus, sometimes the sheer size of your goals, simply scares the hell out of you! Many of us go through exactly this; trying to keep things balanced between the goals we want to achieve personally and our professional goals.
So how does one work through this to make sure that you’re achieving your goals in all areas of your life? Let’s go through the possibilities: 1. Write. It. Down. We’re in a time where most people don’t do just one thing, so how does one keep track of all they want to do? It’s as easy as beginning with a list. Note everything you’re busy with and all you want for the future. This can range from any professional goals you have – getting a promotion or working on a large, meaningful project – to personal, financial and lifestyle goals. Move these from that part of your mind that makes them seem unattainable to something tangible – paper. The act of simply putting thoughts to paper allows you to see them, note which are the priorities and then acknowledge them as doable. 2. Look into the specifics of each goal. Do you know why so many time-management experts will tell you to turn big goals into smaller ones? Because it works. It may sound corny it really does make them a little easier to swallow. Think it through – what’s the big idea and what individual steps do you need to take to get there? Looking to save a large amount of money? Aim to save a smaller amount each month, week or even day and see how much easier it becomes to get there. Every goal can be broken down into something you can tackle each day. 3. Create positive habits. Yup, this is that kind of list. All the positive belief in yourself and acknowledging the ambitions can’t replace putting in the actual work. If you’re aware of the fact that you’re a procrastinator, put a plan in place to combat that. Distracted easily? Work on cutting out the noise practically. What is it that’s going to help you when you feel stressed, when you feel overwhelmed? Who is supporting you on your journey and how will you make sure you ask them for help when you need it? How are you going to be the best communicator you can be on the path to where you want to go? Be honest when creating the habits you need to aid yourself to get to where you need – only you’ll know what you need. 4. Are you flexible? While many people thrive working in structured ways, be aware of whether this works for you or not. Allow yourself a break from the rigid nature that can at times overwhelm you when you’re trying to find structure. Recognise the space, time and understanding you need from yourself when you encounter a hurdle, a plan doesn’t go the way you had hoped or even when you may disappoint yourself. 5. Celebrate! You may not get everything you want to when you want it but do welcome happiness into your life when things do go right. Celebrating even the tiniest of victories can open up the space you may need in your life for more good news to join. Turn the old saying, ‘misery loves company’ to ‘victory begets positivity’. So, what do you want for the future, what are your goals? Share in the comments below  Men get paid more than women. Whether it’s top Hollywood actresses earning less than their male counterparts, or the recent BBC gender pay gap scandal, this is the message that’s being told every day in the media. But as hard as it may be to hear, it’s important to understand the role that we, as women, play in this bias. Could we be partly to blame?
We have somehow been groomed by society to feel lucky when we’re offered a job, to believe that our great results come only because of a team effort, and to instinctively shy away from the conversations that could get us more money. But now it’s time for us to do our part in changing this. It’s time to ask for a raise! This situation can be a difficult one to navigate for many people, especially when you feel you aren’t yet equipped; but that’s no reason not to learn and then do it. It’s important to arm yourself first: research, strategize and take action. To help you on your way, we’ve put together these five key steps to take when readying yourself for that all important salary conversation. 1. Do your research There are many elements involved in how you’re measured at work. Do you understand what is really expected of you, how you can create the most value for your company, and what your growth path is within your workplace? Put in the time to do your research properly and speak to your HR manager if you need to – once you know what’s expected of you and how you can progress it becomes easier for you to track. Compare how you’re getting paid to industry standards and use that as a benchmark for your negotiations. This helps you start the conversation with clear objectives in mind. 2. Be specific and clear in why you deserve it Make a list of what you’ve achieved in the time you’ve been doing your job. Don’t shy away from showing tangible results, how you’ve contributed to the bottom line of the business, as well as how you’ve met and surpassed the expectations that have been set for you. Make sure that you’re focused on what you have to offer that’s unique and specific to you. But remember to avoid comparison with other employees - no one gets a raise from badmouthing or devaluing the work that others do. 3. Choose the right moment As with most things, there is a time and a place for salary conversations. Speaking to your manager about a raise when they’ve just laid off people isn’t one of those. Neither is after losing a client, or a manager leaving, or even when your work has been mediocre. Choose a time when you’ve done consistently well at work, when you’ve shown not only your worth to your team but also your drive to work to reach new heights. While waiting for the right time is important, do not wait until review time or for someone else to note the work you’re doing. Be your own cheerleader and let your confidence in your work shine through. 4. Can you compromise? Be ready to be told no, but have other options. Your company may not be in a financial position to offer you the monetary compensation you feel you deserve, but should this happen, what else can they offer? Perhaps you need flexible hours, reimbursements for your work commute or even support to study and get training. A compromise can almost be made, so make sure you have a backup plan in place before having the conversation. 5. Be patient Negotiations take time. Be prepared to wait for a decision to made after having the conversation. You may also have to have a series of conversations, before a final verdict is decided. Be patient and know that it will be worth it in the end! As they often say, practise makes perfect. Why not, have the salary conversation with a friend or family member first. Their critique and feedback on your approach or content may help you get to a place where you negotiate to win that raise every time.  In today’s busy world, I think it’s safe to say that we could all do with a little more time. But as there are only 24 hours in a day, how exactly do you do that? One simple way to free up extra time so that you can spend it on what really matters, is it to stop procrastinating and start making decisions. Effective decision-making is also crucial if you’re looking to up your game so that you can be at your very best.
To be an effective decision maker, you need to do two things; make the best decisions and make them quickly. So, how do you make the best decisions? It’s quite simple really; first you need to get to the heart of the decision and then you need to put more options on the table. Here’s an example of a typical decision that working mothers are often faced with; shall I start working part-time, so that I have more time to spend with my kids? In this example, the heart of the decision is having more time with your kids and the first option is working part time. But there are other options too. A second option could be to have flexible working hours. This could mean that you head home and spend some time with your kids before they go to bed, but then put in a couple of extra work hours later. Then let’s find a third option! You could hire a house PA to help with some of the household chores and grocery shopping, so that the time that you do have at home can really be spent with your kids. So, as you can see, you now have three options that address the heart of the decision. The next step is to relate these options to your big picture, so that you’re able to make the best decision. Remember, your big picture should include everything you want to have as part of your perfect life. So, why is making quick decisions so important? The answer is simple; if you can’t make quick decisions, this can easily become the bottleneck of your life. The fact is, that your decisions are not getting better because you think about them for a week. In fact, it’s actually quite the opposite. All that is really happening is that your decision making is taking your time away from more valuable things in your life. Now that you know what you need to do to make decisions effectively, start practising and you’ll soon notice how you can free up time for the things that really matter. What do you do to make better decisions? We would love to know. Share your tips in our Facebook Group, TAC She Sisterhood, and there you can also receive lots of valuable tips and tools to help you thrive in your life and career. Come over and say Hi! Bye for now. I don’t have enough time.”
Think about that statement for a second. How often do you say it? How many times a week or even each day? There is no bigger killer of dreams than those five words. But have you ever noticed that the busiest and most accomplished people never seem to say them? The CEO always has time for that last minute event. Richard Branson does not have more than 24hrs in a day and still he seems to launch business after business and still have time for supporting charitable causes and more. The list goes on. But what set’s them apart? They have a strategy. Most of us don’t. There’s only one real reason why the big-time successful people seem to get so many of the important things done – and still have time left over. It’s not because they were born with something special or only sleep three hours a night. They simply have found a strategy that works. And they execute on it continuously. Most people go into the week with little idea of how they see their days unfolding. If they do any planning, they write a jumbled list of tasks. Without a process for doing what matters, on a daily and hourly basis, you are not likely to succeed. The good news is that with the right process, it’s very possible. But you need a process that gets results. So here is one you can start using today; 1. Make Time and establish a routine. 1 hr each week is all you need but you need to do it every week. 2. Connect and visualise your big picture. This helps you focus on what is really important. 3. Celebrate last week. Think of everything that went well, even the small things. 4. Write down major lessons and learn from them. 5. Analyse what didn’t happen and try to understand why, maybe there are some themes in there? 6. Clarify and commit to your biggest outcomes, what are really the most important things you need to get done. 7. Schedule everything, make sure to book the time in your diary to get it done. How to not fail at weekly planning – a few tips:
Everyone has enough time. There is a reason why the people who get the most done tend to continue to be able to do more and more of what matters. Many of them also tend to love the work they do. None of this is a coincidence. They traded excuses for a process that gets results. Whether you use this process or any other – please just use something. There is no excuse for showing up underprepared. If it’s in your control, then it’s time to start controlling it. Trust me, you have enough time to do the things that matter. We all do. The only question left is how are you going to spend it? Would you like more of this valuable tips get support from many other likeminded women, come and join our Facebook group TAC She Sisterhood. Hope to see you there! It’s so easy in today’s busy world to get caught up in our everyday life and forget to pay attention to what we really want and why. That’s completely what I used to do. I was always committed and worked hard but not necessarily knowing where I was going, I had no big picture or vision in mind. Then one day I was in a workshop and asked to define my vison! I have to say I was quite reluctant at first as it all sounded a bit fluffy to me, but as I was there I decided to give it a go – and wow was it powerful.  Since then my life has transformed, knowing where I’m going doesn’t only ground me and guide me but it also allows me to prioritise and focus on what’s really important and will get me to where I want to be. This is just as much achieving my business goals, as it is to be with my kids and husband, and every now and then to have a moment just for me. So, me time, family and career are a few things in my big picture, you need to figure out what you want and what's really important to you. To create your big picture you need to do three very simple things and these are; 1. Figure out what you really want. Your big picture includes all the elements that you want to have part of your prefect life, like your career, family, house, health, travel whatever they are they all need to be included. The easiest way to do this is to brainstorm about all the things you would like to do, be or have. One really great way to do this is to complete this sentence: Wouldn’t It Be Great If… Brainstorm about 20 answers and see what comes out, then cluster them into common themes. If you end up with more than 7 themes, try to see if you can group a few together or otherwise simply prioritise the ones that are most important. To make sure you can easily connect to your big picture you need to have no more than 7 themes. Ok, so now when you have your themes let’s move on to step two. 2. Create statements Now you need to work your themes into statements. The statements should all be present tense like “I have” or “I am” then use tangible descriptors when you can, it will allow them to come to life more. 3. Visualisation When you have your statements you come to powerful part, visualisation. This is what will allow you to easily connect with your big picture when you need to. This you can do in different ways, the quickest and easiest way is just to sit down with your statements and try to see them. What do they look like? Who is in them? What’s the surrounding like? How does it make you feel when you see the image? What smells can you identify? The more descriptors you use the stronger the picture will be in your mind and the easier it’ll be for you to connect with it. When you have a clear image of all your statements, try to bring them in to one, and voila! There you go your big picture. If you have a bit more time and feel crafty then go town and create your big picture board, get some magazines, photos or use pinterest. Cut, craft and colour whatever you feel like, you’ll sure have some fun doing that. The key things is that you end up with one clear picture including all the elements that you want to have in your perfect life. So there you go, your big picture. Now when it's clear, use it to guide you if you have a decision to make, or to ground you if you feel a bit all over, or maybe to give you some energy as you can now easily see where you are going. Whatever it is keep connecting with your big picture and you will see how much easier things will fall in to place. Have a wonderful day and remember the rest of your life starts right now! Shine on! Hanna x |
AuthorHANNA GIRLING, wife, mother, business owner, mindset coach, sport enthusiast and forever an optimist. Archives
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