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Confidence, Clarity and Taking Action Steps by @XLConsultingGro

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Confidence, Clarity and Taking Action Steps

by Elaine Slatter | Featured Contributor

Entrepreneurs who spend a lot of time working in isolation can easily lose their confidence, clarity and then taking action steps is more difficult.  Why is that?  Often that voice in our head becomes very negative and convinces us not to be bold, not to take risks, not to put ourselves out there.  So what do we have to do to change our mindset to have confidence, clarity and taking action steps every day?

Confidence

Confidence is a muscle that must be exercised frequently or it gradually withers away.

During your life, every success you have ever had leads to confidence in your own abilities.  This could be a success as a child in academics or athletics.  Perhaps it was the great summer job you aced as a teen or work success you have had.

You can even gain confidence from things that haven’t gone so well.  That promotion you deserved but didn’t get, the salary increase you expected but didn’t happen.  Everything we do in life adds layers of confidence. We learn from both events that went well and those that didn’t.

Keep A Journal

One great way to get over the confidence hurdle is to write all the events that have added to your confidence in a journal.  When you are having a bad day and need to get your brave on, read your journal so all your successes are again manifested in your sub-conscience.

Assess your skill set and Build Up Your Weaknesses

Networking

If networking isn’t your strength, check out our previous article. If you are an introvert you might think that networking isn’t for you because you just don’t like being the centre of attention.  But honestly, introverts are the best at networking because they love to listen to others talk and be the focus of a group.  While you are listening you can decide if you can add value to the conversation and if the people you are meeting are the right fit for your tribe.

LinkedIn

If you are having trouble finding events where you can physically network, then think of LinkedIn as your virtual networking community.  It isn’t just a resume and job-hunting site.  It’s much more than that.  Have you thought of how you are connecting with people on LinkedIn?  Do your research before you connect with people on LinkedIn and use the personal note section to let people know why you would like to connect with them.   (Remember, it’s all about the why…..why someone should connect with YOU.)  Don’t use this note space to sell yourself!

Once you have connected on LinkedIn you can invite people for a virtual coffee date over Skype or Zoom to find out more about them and

Public Speaking

If public speaking is not your forte, consider joining your local Toastmaster chapter to gain the speaking confidence you need.  One business professional I know uses the local toastmaster chapter to test out blog post ideas.  The feedback from the toastmaster speech shows whether the topic resonates with an audience or not.

What else should be in your confidence toolbox?  In today’s world, some kind of social media presence can help you gain traction for your startup.  Either train yourself up to have that confidence online or if you have a budget, hire professionals to learn about your branding voice and have them be your social media spokespeople.

Clarity

If you have confidence in your abilities, next on the list is clarity.  Clarity about your business objectives, and your personal objectives.  Write two lists, one for your business objectives and one for your personal objectives.

Are your objectives CLEAR?

These are maybe’s, they aren’t just dreams, they are actual objectives that you are going to SLAY! Once you have everything written down, then prioritize your objectives by importance to you and your business.

Some of your objectives might be huge and seem overwhelming, so don’t tackle those right away, we will cover these in the section on Action.  For now, just look at your list and knock off a few of the items that are easy to conquer.  Because conquering some objectives will help give you confidence that you can tackle some of the more difficult tasks.

If you have big, clear objectives that are hard to accomplish, then break them down into smaller bite-size pieces and follow this tactical plan and take ACTION.

Action

Once you have the confidence and clarity, take action.  Yes, take action steps right now!  If you use the SMART goal formula you will not waste your time going around in circles.  You will have achieved success.

S specific (from your clarity list)

M measurable (what is the measurement you are going to use)

A actionable/achievable (Is the item on your list achievable?)

R realistic (It just can’t be impossible!)

T time sensitive (Putting a time frame around your goal makes you take ACTION)

This applies to your personal life as well as your business life.  Step out of your comfort zone. Are you in the mindset to find confidence, clarity and taking action steps to change your life?  We hope so because every day is too valuable to waste.

5 Keys to Making Your Goals a Reality by @SandraDawes

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by Sandra Dawes | Featured Contributor

Goal Setting – it’s something we hear so much about, especially at this time of year. I know that I do a lot around goal setting at this time of year because I believe that Walt Disney Dream Quoteit’s the best time to start thinking about what you want to accomplish next year, as you review your accomplishments for the current year. Here are my 5 keys to making your goals a reality.

  1. Gaining clarity on your goalsIf you don’t know where you’re going, how will you know if you’re ever getting close to arriving? We have to be able to really get specific about what it is we want to achieve. Instead of saying that you want to increase revenues or get more clients, start talking about how much of an increase you want and what kinds of clients you want to attract. When you’re clear on where you want to go, you gain more clarity on what it’s going to take to get you there.
  2. Silencing the “peanut gallery”The peanut gallery comes in many forms. Whether it’s well-meaning friends and family who quote discouraging statistics on the state of the economy or the media itself talking about failure rates of small business, we have to be able to allow these things to discourage us. We need to surround ourselves with positive people that support and encourage us in the pursuit of our goals. We also need to create the mindset within that reminds us when we hear the negative news that just because it’s true for some, doesn’t mean it’s true for me. This is why the third key is so important.
  3. Having faithI’ve written about the importance of having faith as an entrepreneur before, but it’s worth repeating.  When I talk about faith, I mean the ability to believe in yourself, your abilities and your dream. If you don’t believe it’s possible, then anything you do towards your goal is a waste of time. You must believe in yourself if you want others to believe in you. You also have to be willing to accept that everything happens for a reason, even if it doesn’t happen the way that we’d like it to. Being able to surrender control of the things we have no power over is a vital lesson that will reduce heartache and stress along the way.
  4. Creating a planI’m sure we’ve all heard it said that a goal without a plan is just a dream. While the goal may not be reached exactly according to plan, you do need a guide, a map if you will, that will be your reference point as you pursue your goals. What benchmarks will let you know that you are getting close to achieving your goals? What will the indicators that you’re heading off track be? It can be a challenge not to become so attached to the plan that we lose sight of the goal. When experiencing obstacles, focus on the what and not the how of achieving your goals.
  5. The willingness and ability to put the plan into actionThis is the part where fear usually pops up. Putting the plan into action can be scary because we open ourselves up to the possibility of failure. We need to remind ourselves that we aren’t going to get any closer to reaching our goals by doing nothing. Even if you have the first four keys covered, you’re not going to achieve any kind of success if you aren’t willing to actually put the plan into action and see what unfolds. If putting the plan into action scares you, then remind yourself of why this goal is important to you in the first place. What will achieving the goal mean for your business, for you personally and who else will benefit are the things to keep in mind and use as motivation when you feel like fear is holding you back.

These 5 keys have been vital to achieving all that I have in the past year since leaving full-time employment to join the ranks of entrepreneur. There have been lots of re-calibrations of the plan and many times where my faith was tested. Thanks to the amazing support system I have and the strategies and lessons I’ve learned from experts along the way, I have been able to not only achieve my own personal and professional goals, but also helped my clients do the same. That desire to help others achieve their goals and live the life they want is what keeps me motivated and driven no matter what’s going on, what’s motivating you?

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Sandra Dawes, Founder, Life Coach, Embrace Your DestinySandra Dawes is a recovering control freak and excuse maker, as well as founder of Embrace Your Destiny, her life coaching practice. Her work involves teaching women how to stop making arguing for their limitations so that they can create the life that they want. Sandra’s inspiration to help others in this area comes from her own journey and experiences in dealing with the heartbreak of losing her father. She published her first book Embrace Your Destiny: 12 Steps to Living the Life You Deserve, a story that outlines her personal journey, in November 2013.

In her down time, Sandra loves to read, do yoga and spend time with her partner Satnam and their dog Lulu. For more information on what she does, visit www.embraceyourdestiny.ca.