The One Tool Every Women Needs by @toninelsonbiz

by Toni Nelson

We live in a world of technology.  There are so many tools available to us to help make our lives better, get things done faster.

One of the things women face when running a business is balance.  They want to make sure they are not only being a success in their business but also in their family life.

Maybe you feel overwhelmed trying balance work, cooking for your family, taking the kids to soccer games, music lessons, dental appointments….

So how can you get things done?

The one tool I have used consistently to help me get things done is not a piece of software.  It’s the good old Crockpot.

I’m sure you’d agree that at times it seems there are never enough hours in a day.

Whether you work from home or not any time you can utilize a piece of software or a kitchen appliance like the crockpot it’s a win win situation.

I received my first crockpot as a wedding gift.  At the time I no idea just how valuable a gift it would turn out to be.

That Crockpot got me through a lot of meals over the years.  Having that trusty crockpot I felt like my family always had a great meal and it saved me more time than I could have imagined.

Whether you’ve been out working with clients or networking sometimes the thought of getting home to figure out what’s for dinner is exhausting.  There were many times I came home from a day of work and walked in to the house to the sweet aroma of a great meal.  For me using that Crockpot meant no stress.

There are lessons we can learn from the crockpot so let’s take a look at three of them.

First we learn that if we plan ahead we can get more accomplished.   The typical meal in a crock-pot will take 6-8 hours.  That means you need to know it advance what type of meal you are going to be making.  Utilizing a calendar you can map out your entire month’s meal selections.  Just like you plan your meals you can plan your meetings, projects or anything you want to accomplish in your business.   Once you have those items on your calendar you start to stress less because now you have your goals clearly defined.  You know what you are going to do and when.

Second you would get your list of ingredients.  You can’t make a meal without them and you can’t accomplish business “meals” without them either.  Have you met with a friend who had a great idea for a new recipe?  One you had never even thought of?  You had a stimulating conversation that then led you to creating a whole new dish. That’s exactly what networking can do for you.  You could meet your “main ingredient” at your next networking event.

Adding this “ingredient” to your business will not only help you continue to meet new people but it will spark your creativity.  You will be able to share with others the wealth of knowledge and yes, your own ingredients for running a successful business.

We know there is no easy button when it comes to balancing family and work but there is a dial.

That’s the third lesson we learn from the crockpot.  The crockpot has a dial with low medium and high.  Placing your dial on low let’s things simmer and simmer slowly.  Perhaps you have a project that is low on the priority scale.  You need time to get clarity. You need to “simmer” on it.

What about a clear goal that you have?  If you are working on that goal then your dial may be on medium.  Just like your crockpot, it will take hours not minutes to finish cooking your “meal”.  You know in the end that when that timer goes off it was well worth the wait because you will have accomplished that goal successfully.

If you have a project with a specific deadline then you’re dial is on high.  It needs to get done in a short amount of time.  There’s a sense of urgency.  Your dial could be on high if you found out about an opportunity that you needed to act on right away.

Maybe your dial is on high because you know you need ideas on growing your list of email subscribers fast but you have to idea how to do that.

The great thing about the dial is that it can be adjusted at any time.

Time is a precious commodity. My thought is, wherever you can save time and not sacrifice quality that’s an ingredient for success.

What do you have cooking in your crockpot?

Be Savvy and Successful!

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Toni Nelson is an award winning videographer and photographer.  Toni has had some of her weddings published in such places as DIY Bride, Kiss My Tule and the Florida Wedding Atlas.  Her video expertise has been featured in the American Express Open Forum as well as speaking to businesses about the power of video.

Seeking to empower women she wrote her first book: Sexy, Savvy and Successful – A Woman’s Guide On How To Start A Business, Gain Financial Freedom and Buy More Shoes!  Her soon to be released book is: The Secret Equation To Attracting More Clients – Marketing+P Factor+Video=$$$$

As the founder of The MINE system of Learning she’s created an online learning oasis helping educate businesses so they can claim ownership of their business and say, “Yes it’s MINE”.

Melissa Stewart

Melissa Stewart is the founder of SheOwnsIt.com. She is a Purveyor of Possibility, Entrepreneur Advocate and Coffee Addict. She believes that behind every successful woman is her story. What’s your story?