by Angela Taffs | Oct 11, 2016 | Business Success, Personal and Lifestyle
Are your mind and body in sync?
There is no separation of body and mind.
If you are physically unwell, your mind will not work effectively.
If you are having negative thoughts, your body will not work effectively.
To be most effective and productive in your work you need to have both your mind and body in sync so whenever one of them is adversely affecting the other, try these top tips to get back on track.
When your mind is out of sync
Someone has made a negative comment to you and you are now feeling drained and lethargic. You have no energy and your body does not want to move. In fact, all it wants to do is to curl up under the duvet and hide in the dark.
Then you get a phone call. Your child or loved one has been involved in a serious accident. Your mindset changes in a nanosecond. You now have a sense of urgency and a heightened awareness that springs your body into action. You have all the energy you need to run as far as you need to be with your child or loved one.
The phone call could be to tell you that you have won the lottery. You are suddenly full of excitement, surprise, happiness and anticipation and you can’t wait to jump up and tell your friends and family. Your mind is buzzing with ideas of what you are going to do and your body is literally jumping with joy.
But when we are stuck in a negative mindset, these physical scenarios rarely occur so it is up to us to create an environment to get us unstuck and back in the right frame of mind.
How to get back into a positive mindset
Turn negative thoughts into positives.
One effective way to do this is to use a self-talk diary. When you find yourself having negative thoughts, write them down. Now look at this statement and think about how you can turn it into a positive.
Let’s say someone has been negative to you about your business or has cancelled their contract with you. You could decide that is a good thing as you simply weren’t a right fit for each other and would have become emotionally drained by having to work with them in the future. Alternatively, you could use their comments to improve your business and make future clients happier which you would have failed to do without these comments.
If you would a FREE copy of my self-talk diary template to download and use, drop me an email at co*****@********fs.com
Use affirmations daily
Create a list of positive affirmations and repeat them to yourself regularly throughout the day. This will start to slowly create a positive mindset and help your self-belief.
Talk to your mentor or another positive person
Just the art of talking to someone about how you are feeling and sharing your feelings can help you feel a sense of relief and be ready to take on the world once again.
Meditate
Mediation can gently calm and relax the mind. There are many apps for meditation that focus on dealing with different feelings such as self-confidence, anxiety, depression etc so do your research ad find one that is good for you.
Listen to music
Music can uplift us, energise us, calm us and excite us. You can be feeling low and then an upbeat tune comes on the radio and your mood can lift instantly. Create a list of your favourite tunes to turn on when you need a boost.
When your body is out of sync
When you eat and drink unhealthily so your body becomes bloated, all your mind can focus on is the feeling of your clothes being too tight, the queasiness and the extra rolls of fat gathering on your body. Your body feels uncomfortable and so does your mind and you simply do not function so effectively on whatever you are working on.
If you have a broken bone, your mind will be distracted by the pain and discomfort. You may have reams of ideas and be raring to get going, but the distraction of the pain will constantly dull your thought process.
Obviously, if you have a broken bone or serious disease, you are going to need medical attention to help with the pain and until that is sorted it is going to be difficult to do anything else.
However, with other physical symptoms, where your body just doesn’t want to get going, there are a few things you can do to help get yourself up and about again.
Look after your body
The first thing is to look after your body in the first place. Eat healthily and get enough exercise. Just a 20-minute walk each day is better than slouching on the sofa without a break.
Get enough rest
Constantly working 16 hours a day and until the early hours of the morning is not going to help. You will simply end up both physically and mentally exhausted. Set yourself working hours and stick to them.
Change your working environment
Sometimes it can really be this simple. If you have backache, move to a more comfortable chair or buy a new ergonomic one. If you have a broken or sprained ankle, move somewhere where you can rest it comfortably whilst you work. If you are feeling nauseous, move outside if you can and work in the fresh air.
Self-care
Get regular medical check-ups and take time out to have a massage to keep aches and pains at bay. Just a little preventive care now can save long-term damage and illness further down the line.
The power of music
As mentioned previously, music is incredibly powerful on the mind which reflects our physical ability. If you run, you will already know how listening to music can make you feel stronger and hence run faster and with more ease. Music can distract us from our physical feelings of discomfort and can reduce stress, so find some uplifting songs and create a playlist for when your body is feeling lethargic.
Do you have any top tips of your own to get your mind and body in sync? Share them in the comments box below.
by Angela Taffs | Oct 11, 2016 | Business Success, Customer service
Do you know that one of the best ways to delight and surprise your clients and build raving fans for your business is to do something unexpected to thank them for their business and make them feel appreciated?
However, very few businesses think about thanking their customers for their business. Even fewer actually find original ways to do so.
One of the simplest and best ways to do this is to send them a surprise in the post. In this world of online technology, receiving something as simple as a handwritten note will make you stand out from the crowd and get you noticed.
Your clients will appreciate that you have taken a few minutes out of your busy day to think just about them.
And you don’t just have to restrict this sentiment to clients. Why not send something to a prospect that you would like to work with?
How to delight and surprise your clients
It doesn’t have to be expensive to send something personal in the post. After all, remember the adage that ‘it’s the thought that counts’.
Take a look through the following list to get some ideas flowing:
- You could simply buy a pack of plain note cards and write a personal message to them.
- Or buy packs of postcards with motivational quotes on the front and pop a handwritten note on the back.
- If you see an article in a magazine that is relevant, how about cutting it out and sending it to them – so much more effective than sending a link to an online article via email?
- Consider getting some personalised bookmarks printed up with your branding and sending those out as gifts.
- Think about sending a voucher to spend with your business. If you are a masseur, hairdresser or provide products, a voucher is easy. If you are a coach or consultant, create a voucher to redeem for a free 30-minute session with you.
- Do you have a client that you suspect is feeling tired or overwhelmed? Why not pin a tea bag to a short note telling them to take 5 mins out on you and sit down with a cuppa? Guaranteed to make them laugh, feel loved and remember you!
- Or how about sending a small (or large) chocolate bar to give them a treat?
- For long-standing and valued clients, send a beautiful notebook
- Or an inspirational book of your choosing
- Or a gift card ……
These things are inexpensive yet will help build relationships that will generate you much more money in the future through clients who feel nurtured and valued and who will stay loyal to you. Your gift doesn’t have to be expensive to be memorable. It has to be special and feel personal.
What ideas do you have to delight and surprise your clients in unexpected ways? Let me know in the comments below.
by Angela Taffs | Sep 12, 2016 | Business Success
Why it is important to keep your knowledge up to date
There is one sure-fire way to lose credibility with prospects and clients and that is when you fail to keep your knowledge up to date with industry trends and give outdated advice. And if you are posting outdated advice on social media, there is the knock-on effect of so many others seeing what we have written and their loss of interest in listening to anything we have to say in the future.
If you are an employee you need to keep your knowledge up to date along with relevant skills and will be regularly assessed (or at least should be) by your employer. Training is provided when any gaps in knowledge are identified and it is the employer’s responsibility to ensure you continually keep learning and improve your knowledge.
But as a self-employed business person, it is up to you to ensure you keep your knowledge up to date on a continual basis. You need to put a plan in place for your own continuous professional development (CPD) and be aware of the ever-changing industry trends that are bound to happen.
‘Experts’ who give outdated advice
Just recently I have seen a few occasions where ‘experts’ in their field have given outdated advice which has instantly affected their credibility in my opinion, and undoubtedly by others who spotted their mistakes.
The first case was someone who was advising another on a social media forum to use Blab as part of their marketing campaign. What this expert had failed to realise was that Blab no longer exists. This would have caused frustration for the person being advised whilst searching for something no longer available and then a complete lack of trust and respect in the advisor.
Secondly, I saw someone ask an expert for their advice on the use of Snapchat for business. The expert responded that Snapchat was purely for social use but something similar may come to the market for businesses in the future. What the expert failed to realise was that Snapchat is growing daily for business use and their knowledge is very much out of date. Again, a loss of credibility and respect with the person asking the question and anyone else who saw the post and knew the information given was wrong.
Finally, I saw someone advise another to create a number of web pages all with the same content. This is in direct contradiction to Google’s best practice which penalises sites with duplicate content.
Invest the time to keep up to date with industry trends
The most successful business people are those who invest the time to keep up to date with industry trends. Ways to keep your knowledge up to date include:
- Networking with others in your industry
- Reading current books and articles
- Subscribing to online forums and being proactive in asking questions
- Investing in relevant training or signing up for a new course
- Following experts in your field on social media
Try and get creative and think of new ways to keep your knowledge up to date and continue to build credibility with your prospects and clients. If you have any creative ways of keeping your knowledge updated, share them in the comments below.
by Angela Taffs | Sep 6, 2016 | Business Success, Personal and Lifestyle
Why it’s important to share feelings
Sometimes when we are feeling stressed, worried or overwhelmed it can help to write our feelings down. But it can also help if you share feelings with someone else. As the adage says, a problem shared is a problem halved.
It can also give you a boost to share your successes and steps forward no matter how large or small with someone else. Sometimes you may just want to vent your feelings with someone in complete confidence and privacy without being judged.
Did you ever use to do this as a child with a pen pal? Or do you still have a pen pal now?
I chat via email with a lady that I met and connected with through an online group. I have never met her in person or spoken to her via phone or Skype. I have no idea what her voice sounds like but somehow we seemed to click online. We now share our stories which have moved from just being about business to personal lives also. She is my safe person to turn to and talk to about just about anything.
Being able to share feelings is invaluable
Having this support is invaluable to me. There are times that I don’t want to speak to anyone face to face but I just want someone to know how I am feeling. There are times when I find the going tough and just want to share my anguish with someone who isn’t going to immediately come over for a cuppa and a chat or pick up the phone and call me. All I want is to get my feelings down on paper (or keypad) so that I can release them from my head.
Once your feelings are written down, it can feel like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders. Just the act of writing down how you are feeling can help you clarify your thoughts and it can be surprising how solutions suddenly appear to you that you hadn’t thought of before whilst going through this process.
When you are writing down these feelings and thoughts to share with someone else, it can also help you put things in perspective. You can start to see the situation more objectively, and as mentioned previously, start to see solutions that were hidden from view before.
Finding someone to share feelings with
If you don’t have anyone that you feel you can do this with already, how about finding that one person that you feel an affinity with? Who do you chat to in groups? Do you have a past colleague or associate that you could reconnect with? Do you know someone who has a business similar to yours that would be happy to share stories with you and listen to yours?
You need to feel comfortable with whoever you choose to share feelings with. You need to trust that they will retain confidentiality on whatever you tell them. It can sometimes be easier to use someone outside of your inner circle of friends or family as they won’t have a personal interest or judgement on how you should live your life.
If you are stuck and don’t know how to turn, take a look at The Small Business Kit member’s club. Enhanced members all get unlimited email access to me and many of them have signed up purely to be able to use me as a sounding board without judgement. Sometimes they want a response with advice and sometimes they say they just want to get things off their chest.
Whatever you choose to do, the important thing is not to try and go through your journey alone. Make sure you have someone to turn to in times of need. And you can always post in my private Facebook group and share your feelings if you wish
Much love
Angie x
by Angela Taffs | Aug 16, 2016 | Business Success, Starting a Business
Recently in my Facebook group, I asked the fabulous ladies what piece of advice they would you give to someone starting their business today. There were some great answers so I thought I would share them with you here today.
- Be consistent and positive at all times
- Failure is natural and part of the process. Learn from it and do things better next time! 🙂
- Enjoy it. Be patient, it won’t happen overnight
- Be sure that there is a niche in the market for your product or service and be different!
- Research, research, research.
- Join groups like this one as going it alone never works.
- Cultivate the art of patience, have an open mind, learn new things and remain flexible
- Make sure you have a solid foundation first before you to try to run & lots of patience
- Ensure you absolutely love the product or service you are offering, otherwise it will never reach it’s potential!
- Trust your gut, even when ‘experts,’ can’t see what you can see!
- Find your tribe – we all need people to support and believe in us. Appreciate them hard!
- Be the person that you want to be, act as if you’ve already achieved everything you want
- Accept every offer of help that you are given, it’s tough going solo.
- Don’t buy crap you don’t need.
- Get one package done really well before branching out.
- Focus on one social media platform.
- Surround yourself with brilliant people.
- Spend time on your business from the start. Get great systems and take note of everything you do. It’s amazing how fast we forget how we started.
Feel free to add your own piece of advice that you would give to someone starting out in the comments box below.
