It doesn’t matter what business you’re in – you’re really in the information business.

Think about this:

What makes people decide to choose you over every other option is the information they obtain from you, and the other alternatives they have.

If you can get them the exact information they’re looking for, YOU become the Trusted Authority in that market and become their obvious choice. You’re able to position yourself, influence their perspective, and “get” the business.

Absolutely WITHOUT question, the single most important skill you must learn is how to market yourself and what you deliver. Without marketing, you’re unable to attract clients, generate sales or even survive.

Part of your marketing plan MUST be what we call an “Irresistible Offer“. This is simply an offer you make to your target market where they say to themselves, “this is a no-brainer – how can I NOT buy this right now?“

I’m NOT talking about dropping your prices or using business-killing marketing tactics. Smart entrepreneurs know that dropping prices is the WORST strategy (and usually leads to failure).

I’m talking about creating MASSIVE value so that the price seems insignificant compared to what you get.

Create an offer with massive value and then go out and offer it!

How much of your time, every day, do you spend in your Genius Zone? You know, that place where everything feels great, and your effort doesn’t feel like effort at all.

Not living in that Zone can show up in many ways. For example, putting up with not making the money that you know you deserve, but not taking the action to negotiate your salary or raise your rates.  This normally shows up when you’re not taking action to get the support or training you need to take you out of your comfort zone.

Or, you’re telling yourself that your efforts are more valuable than getting results. This often shows up when you’re not investing in your own growth, but continuously put time and work into a dead end project–hoping for a breakthrough result.

Another way you may not get to the 70-80% in your Genius Zone is by  tolerating situations, or people getting in your way taking up your valuable time. Maybe you think you HAVE TO respond to OPD, Other People’s Desires, and ignore your own.

However, you also need to look at what’s not working–not to beat yourself up or hold yourself back, but as a simple acknowledgement of what’s next for you. It’s not always fun to look at the areas that you need to improve. But, once you make a commitment and get into action, you’ll feel great, you’ll be powerful–and you’ll get results.

Take a look at what’s not working for you–not to beat yourself up, but to acknowledge where you need to make radical changes.

And, maybe an even bigger challenge; look at the areas that actually work very well, and celebrate your success!

Did you know that highly successful people have ONE habit in common? They book appointments with themselves and show up for that appointment.

We are pretty good at keeping appointment time with others, but when it comes to the commitment to ourselves, our boundaries are looser. It is also a fact that much of our precious time is spent wandering and meandering, without much productivity at all.

Time is a non-renewable resource so how you spend it is vital to your success. Laying our your calendar before you and pre-assign or block out as much time as possible, as much in advance as possible, you will leave yourself only a small amount of unassigned time.

Another advantage with blocking out time is that you prevent demands from others to move your most valuable and high-energy production time to the last priority.

What would it take for you to make a quantum leap in your career, business or life, to the level where you want to be? How much time would you need, on a weekly basis, for that leap to happen?

Block out time in your calendar, today, and commit to yourself, and your goals.

Have you ever decided for a routine, daily or weekly, that you knew would help you to focus and develop and you started off with high energy and great intention but after a week, or two, somehow you seemed to have slipped into the same old behavior you had before again?

Here’s the Creative People System:

For creative people systems and routines may seem boring and limiting. However, it is truly the opposite. Systems and routines give you the freedom you need to be creative and grow your business.

Self-discipline is the magic power that makes you virtually unstoppable!

My challenge to you: decide on some good working rituals that you know is needed in your business. Schedule them in your calendar. Then:

1. Show up on time, ready for work. No excuse, no distraction, no hung over!
2. Do what you’ve said you would do.
3. Communicate what promises you can’t keep with people involved.

The ability to get things done and done right the first time will magnetically attract incredible contracts, opportunities and resources to you.

It may seem like there are no problems like money problems. Some hard working people I’ve met who are always striving for their best have deep-rooted beliefs they don’t really deserve money. They work harder and harder, however, their happiness and deep satisfaction is never really present for them.

Our deep-rooted negative money beliefs, formed from experiences in our early childhood, make us feel unworthy of success and money. Maybe you had a father who declined your attempt to help out in the garden before you had “earned” your weekly allowance. Or, you did something “wrong” and got punished by not getting your pocket money that week.

This is how you need to go about it:

The negative experiences from our childhood, although we may have had a very happy one, create different behaviors in our adult life, such as working hard to try to prove we really deserve money.

You can stop this right now. Your past is your past and you have a choice to create your future. Stop making other people responsible for your unhappiness now. Forgive them and let go of your resentment, grief, and irritation. Move on!

My challenge to you: Choose to live fully now! Who do you need to forgive? How is it serving you to hold on to your wounds?

Let go and choose to be happy now!

Does it feel like somehow you had everything under control and suddenly things seem to fall apart around you?

Maybe you face small problem with the children, things are not working out as you want them to, irritating people demanding time or engagement from you? And, just moments ago everything seemed to be in ease and flow?

Then, turn your focus to what you’re up to in life. Being “up to” something is about being an ongoing contribution to the people you love, to yourself, your team and clients.

It’s about finding and living your overall purpose in life, and keep reminding you to remember it, living it, breathing it… Because, when you do, small struggle and annoying interruptions become minor, of non importance, and your sense of being in charge of your life returns.

My Challenge to you is to take some time off, and ponder on what you’re really “up to” in your life. What is important to you? What would you like to be an ongoing contribution of?

And, when you know it, crystal clear, what’s the first thing you can do to make it become live?

Have you heard “It’s who you know that determines your success”? More true may be “it’s what you DO that creates your success” !

Striving for success, it’s a question about what you do with who you know, that bring results. Your doing is bringing you success.

Here’s a quote from Aristotle I’d like to share with you:

“Whatever we learn to do, we learn by actually doing it. People come to the builders, for instance, by building, and harp players by playing the harp. In the same way, by doing just acts we come to be just. By doing self-controlled acts, we come to be self-controlled, and by doing brave acts, we become brave.”

My Challenge to you: What brave action can you take today, that would make a major difference for you in your professional or personal success?

There’s never enough time! Is something you often hear people right after “I’d love to do that, but I don’t have the time”.

Neither is true! It’s not true they really want to do what they refer to, and it’s not true they don’t have the time. There’s always enough time to do what you’d really want to do.

It would be more honest to say; “I think I should say I want that but I don’t have a clear commitment to do it”. When you have a strong desire you can transform it into a clear, strong commitment. And, your pure enthusiasm causes the creation of time. When the desire is strong we have all the time in the world.

This is how you unconsciously are weakening yourself: 

When you work on too many things you weaken yourself. Often you allow this to happen when you think you should do certain things or are thinking of too many things at the same time.

Sir Isaac Newton was asked: How did you discover the Theory of Gravity? His answer was “You would have discovered it too if that was all you had thought about every day”.

There is a gift in slowing down and slowly choosing on what to focus on.  One slow thing at a time is a strong way to live. Being focused is a strong way to live.

My challenge to you: Slow down, focus on only ONE thing and complete it before you move on to the next one. Notice your energy level while you do it.

In studying what champions do to create outstanding success, one thing in particular stands out: Focus.

For winning the game, achieving what they want, champions become masterful in focusing in on the things that are going to create the greatest success for them. Nothing else matters.

Champions eliminate all distractions; they focus 100% of their energy on one thing. When that’s accomplished, they move on to the next thing and give that item 100% of their focus.

You can be a Champion too! Here’s how:

• Begin with creating crystal clear clarity around your goal.

• Make sure you know your purpose.

• Be truly passionate about the thing you’re purposeful about.

• Know what you want to accomplish next, so you can fulfill your purpose.

• Make sure you know what it will take to accomplish the goal.

• Commit to doing it. Commit to working 100% of your energy on achieving your goal.

• Block out time in your calendar. Set aside 20 min, 40 min, or 60 min and work just on that ONE thing.

Start today; make your dream goal come true! Decide what you want to achieve next. Set aside 60 minutes today and work only on that ONE thing. Don’t let anything come in the way!

Focus is like a muscle; the more training you give it, the stronger it gets.

It’s easy to get out of balance with your business. Despite good intentions, suddenly you find yourself working longer hours and making less money.

Here are 3 things I use to do when I feel I’m out of balance with my business. Taking these actions always help me to get back into alignment with who I am and what I want to accomplish in the world:

1. Choose ONE single target market and put your focus there

This is critical.  When you identify an accessible target market and determine all the places to reach them, you will have more places to reach them than time to do it. Effectively serving one market is more than a full time job. Multiple target markets means multiple full time jobs!

2. Identify their greatest problems.

How do you get your target market’s attention when there is so much noise and so many other people trying to get their attention? This simple question will help you to get clarity: “What are my target market’s greatest problems, and how can I make it as easy as possible to fix them?”

3. Provide a solution to their problems.

Solve their problems through various communications – the written word, audio, video and live speaking/teaching.  Give them  a lot of great value for free so they can get to know and trust you.  Build trust, show them the authentic you. Giving value also keeps their attention on you while they are checking you out before they do business with you.

Once this is done, you can start communicating with your market so they get to know you as the expert you are, and they can determine if you’re the right solution for them.

These 3 simple steps will help you save the time and energy you instead want to focus on the right clients and the right activities.