Focus Archives - Focus Guru

Procrastination, Overwhelm and dog walks!

For this months blog I wanted to look at how recovering from the Leo & the Lion incident related to the processes, systems and mindset that my clients focus on.

How did I get back to walking leo?

I’ve had to learn to take things one stage at a time whilst still recovering from the incident with Leo & the Lion! What do I mean by that? Well when you have a knee that makes you go Oww when ever you walk down a pavement, walk too fast, turn only the top half of your body to look behind to see if it’s safe to cross a road then you have to be careful and plan your routes.

What it has meant for me in the last 8 weeks, was the first 5 weeks I wasn’t walking Leo at all, in fact I was resting my knee so the healing process could start. Over the last 3 weeks I started by going out with various people whilst they walked Leo with me accompanying them at the speed I was comfortable with.

Next came me having Leo when he was on “dog time” which is when he’s allowed to snip and roam to the extent of the lead but no more. It’s his freedom time, it’s the time when predominately the lead is slack and he doesn’t pull.

Then only this week I’ve started walking him with someone else with me. So I predominately have Leo the second half of the walk, once he’s burnt off his over enthusiastic start to the walk and he’s had his “dog time” so is more capable of walking at the pace I want to go at.

What the heck has any of this got to do with business?

I regularly work on my clients, especially those who procrastinate or suffer from overwhelm, by looking at the tasks they have on their achievement list and we review why they aren’t achieving them.

Predominately it’s because they are too large.

Overwhelm about decluttering an office

A cluttered office or home creates a cluttered mind. If you have a clear desk, you also have less on your mind.

By having a sort out and a tidy round you will feel more relaxed, more focused and more energised.

Also you won’t be thinking “I still need to do that” or “When will I get time to sort this out”

By clearing your home or office, you will be clearing your mind and freeing up mental space and you’ll have better focus on your current task.

If this seems like a massive task to sort a room, chunk it down.

Disorganised shelves can give a sense of overwhelm

Chunk it down

Rather than think I need to tidy the office, focus on a shelf, a drawer, one corner of your desk.

Once you’ve achieved sorting that out celebrate, make yourself a brew, sit in the garden and listen to the birds for 5 minutes, tell someone you’ve done it.

By celebrating this small chunk you’ll be more motivated to achieve another chunk and before you know it you’ll have tidied your whole office!

I’d love to hear from you about what task, personal or business you’ve chunked down and achieved this week. Why not book in a call with myself to share your success, or struggles with chunking it down?

As always I appreciate your time is limited and I want to thank you for taking time out of your day to read my blog.

Rachael

Do You Know Who’s Watching Your Business Social Media Posts?

Are you aware of your silent audience? These are people who have you as a LinkedIn connection, Facebook friend or follow you on Twitter, yet you almost never hear from them. They’re your silent audience, the people who are there, but those who don’t regularly like your posts or comment on your articles.

You might be tempted to remove these people, to delete them or block them, but I can share with you a story about how one person in my silent audience messaged me out of the blue and bought my services to help recover a debt from his customer. When I looked at his message, the last time we had exchanged messages was several years ago.

Why Me?

I asked him what prompted him to make contact and why he had chosen me to help solve his problem. He replied saying he’d seen my 4Networking 4Sight “Why I’m a Cyborg”, a presentation I deliver regularly on the networking circuit. He told me he’d read testimonials from my clients and that he wanted my help and no-one else’s. I solved his problem and I know he’s a happy customer who will recommend me for this service in the future.

When Is The Right Time?

I was chosen to provide the credit control debt recovery service for him because of my online reputation. It happened because he had a need for my service at that time. He stepped out of being part of my silent audience. It was the right time for him to contact me.

In my Focus Guru “Making The Most Of Your Silent Audience” Power Hour I help you choose the right ways to engage with your silent audience and how to bring them towards you at the right time.

Who Are You Reaching?

My good friend Stefan Thomas (The Networking Success Programme) is exactly right when he says, “you don’t know who’s watching or who you are reaching”. This means it’s even more important to keep your message consistent, to keep the same tone and language consistent, and to be the person that you portray online.

For example, if you post pictures of large houses and flashy sports cars and imply in your posts that you own them, your audience, silent or not, will find out and may change their opinion of you. So, always be you. Be authentic and you won’t need to keep track of what you’ve said because it will be part of your personality and lifestyle rather than a fake front to remember to upkeep.

Make It Easy

A bonus tip is to make it as easy as possible for your silent audience to reach you. Make sure your contact information is prominent and up to date. Make sure your website has the right information for the products and services you provide. Have you added anything new? Tell your silent audience what it is and make it easy for them to contact you.

If you would like to find out more about your silent audience and how to make the most of your social media connections, please book your Focus Guru “Making The Most Of Your Silent Audience” Power Hour and let’s get started.

Rachael Chiverton, Focus Guru – Giving You Your Time, Your Way

www.getfocus.guru

Remember To Treat Yourself As Well As Looking After Everyone Else

It’s very easy to get rushed off your feet looking after the wants and needs of other people. This could be answering questions for colleagues at work, finishing tasks out-of-hours for a boss, making sure your children are fed, clothed and entertained. It could be helping a neighbour with their shopping or checking in on relatives who may have been self-isolating during lockdown.

Top Tip - Make time for a long soak in a soothing bath this month — Top Tip – Make time for a long soak in a soothing bath this month

To make sure you can carry on helping others it’s important to take care of yourself. When flying, there’s the safety talk at the start of the flight advising passengers to “put your own oxygen mask on first” and this makes sense. How can you look after someone else when you’re running out of air?

Luckily, help is at hand! You really don’t have to do everything yourself, all the time. Through collaboration with others, learning accountability and extra time management skills can make a big difference. I can help with these things, but I also wanted to share with you the power of looking after yourself through something as simple and straightforward as making time to treat yourself.

Detox and Relax

Making time in your diary to relax and recharge is a vital part of keeping the balance between being busy and being stressed. It’s great to be busy, jumping from one job to the next to the next. But it can be draining on your time and your energy and this is where scheduling in “relax and recharge” time is essential for your mental and physical health.

When we feel good, we enjoy life more. The knock-on effect of being happy often makes us more outgoing and more productive. We achieve more and look for new opportunities.

Make Time for Bath Time

This is my top tip today! At least once a month, make time to run yourself a deep bath and immerse yourself in warm water to soothe troubles away. Add a shake of Arbonne’s Rescue & Renew Detox Soak dissolving sea salt crystals into the mix and you’re set for an aromatic journey whisking you away from anything that’s playing on your mind.

Let the pure essential oils cleanse and revitalise your skin. With natural ingredients such as grapefruit, tangerine, lavender, juniper berry, orange, rosemary, dandelion, turmeric and ginger root, you’ll be transported into a luxurious blend of smells and senses revitalising you inside and out.

Find Out More

I’ve been using Arbonne products myself for many years and can thoroughly recommend the Rescue & Renew range of sensual, relaxing and revitalising ways to relax and recharge. The products are vegan, cruelty free, gynaecologic and allergy tested, meaning they can be used safely no matter your skin type or skin sensitivity.

I’m an Arbonne Consultant and can advise on health, nutrition and skincare, offering advice and accountability to help you achieve a healthy lifestyle with more energy to enjoy the things you love.

If you’d like to know more about Rescue and Renew products, or if you’d like a free 15 minute consultation to find out how being an Arbonne Consultant can make a big difference in your life, book in here.

Rachael Chiverton, Focus Guru – Giving You Your Time, Your Way