We can often underestimate the amount of time, effort, and resources needed to accomplish a goal.   For example, a researcher asked students how long they thought they needed to write a thesis. Most students answered around thirty days, when in fact it took them almost double that time to complete it.   I have fallen prey to this kind of thinking in many areas of my life; from weight loss to growing my business.   So, what's the solution? Identify the obstacles in your planning stages.   In my Effectiveness Process, after someone has identified their goal and what it looks like, they list all their obstacles, concerns, and challenges. It may seem counterintuitive, but it actually allows the person to brainstorm how to overcome certain challenges.   When we don't acknowledge our obstacles and concerns, it is easy to launch into our goals fueled with optimism. Then when we come across an obstacle we don't have a previous idea about how to solve that particular challenge. My advice is to generate more ideas and strategies before you launch, so ...

  It's not a question of will you face challenges in life; rather how often it will happen, and what your response be? Resiliency is a skill of champions, and now more research is coming out that shows resiliency is a critical factor in one's success. Books like Grit, Talent is Overrated, and Growth Mindset offer numerous stories and case studies. Here is a three-step practical application for becoming more resilient. I like to think of resiliency as a muscle that you exercise and strengthen every week.   Reframe   Anytime you face a challenging situation or circumstance, ask yourself two questions to help keep your emotions neutral and strengthen you ability to think critically.   What good can come from this? What can I learn from this?   I had to do this in March of 2020, when I found out about 70% of my income went away overnight due to all live events being canceled. It can be challenging because our instinct is to complain, but the sooner we reframe, the sooner we can get out of a tricky situation.   Refocus ...

When working with sales managers and sales departments, I am often asked how to increase sales and how to be more productive. I believe it is very important for sales professionals to break up their daily activities into revenue generating activities vs. non-revenue generating activities. In this video, I discuss why it is important to block out time for revenue generating activities on a daily basis.

Have you ever experienced your motivation going up and down like a yo-yo? The key to staying motivated and obtaining your goals is to focus on the process. In this video, I share what to focus on to keep your motivation more consistent.

If you a member of a virtual team, you may be wondering if your team is accomplishing their daily work goals at home. In this video, I share an actionable strategy every manager can implement within their remote team. A focused group action is essential to the outcome of daily remote work, and this strategy helps you and your team identify the value and impact of your daily work.

When will the coronavirus end? I'm looking forward to 2021. This has been a tough year. You've probably said or thought about one of these statements. And it is common to talk about how challenging this year has been. From juggling working from home and playing the role of teacher/babysitter to worrying about your job's future, there is no doubt; everyone has been impacted. But what if we were to reframe this year? What if we were to ask ourselves a question that could give us hope. A question to reflect on before our thoughts become dominated with the anxieties of daily living. How will 2020 be your growth year? Think about it. We have a choice. We can use these unusual circumstances to our advantage. Take Diamonds, for instance. Diamonds are some of the most beautiful earthly creations we have. The word diamond originates from the Greek word "Adamas," meaning unconquerable and unbreakable. Marketing has told us that Diamonds are forever. And every woman needs a diamond. Diamonds are not only beautiful, rare, and expensive; they are also aspirational. Teams and busines ...