Listening – The Secret To Success

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This past weekend I was cleaning my desk and came across a personality profile assessment I had taken years ago. As I reviewed this assessment one of the concerns or potential problem areas mentioned was my ability to listen. This assessment is now seven years old. I hope that if I were to take it again today listening would not be an indicator for concern!

As a coach and consultant, listening is critical to success. Listening – deep concerted listening is a skill we all can get. One of the best ways I have found to build this skill is to check-in and see if I’m present in the conversation.

To check-in I reflect back in my head first, what the individual I was talking to said and then reflect back to them what I heard. Another strategy I use is to turn-off and away from all distractions.

When meeting with a client on the phone, I turn off email and other noise making alert devices. That enables me to focus on what someone said and to seek for the meaning of what is not spoken.

Great leaders are great listeners. Thus if you want to aspire to leadership opportunities then working on your listening skills is imperative. Another benefit of listening is that your confidence will increase.

Listening is a fundamental principle and if applied to every part of our life will enhance our experience. If you want to connect on a deeper level with your children – stop talking and listen. Ask open-ended questions and then stay focused on their answers. The more you do so the deeper your relationship will become.

I am grateful for the lessons I have had in business and life on the importance of being present and focusing on how to be a better listener. Now when I take an assessment, listening will be one of my strengths rather than a concern.

Confidence In Every Season

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confident-dog

A few weeks ago I was speaking with a client and she made the comment she always wants to remain relevant. I have thought a lot about this statement and realized, being relevant is a derivative of confidence. Having confidence through each stage of our life will empower and open possibilities.

The question then, is how do we achieve or maintain confidence throughout the different stages we go through? The following are some strategies:

1. Keep setting goals to achieve. As we push our self to achieve our goals, we allow our self to keep growing. I believe if you are not climbing, then you are sliding. I have also found this is one of the secrets to life.
2. Try something new. Whether you succeed at something new, the process of trying and stretching will build confidence.
3. Do something everyday that scares you. This is like trying something new. By conquering fear you will have a big boost to your confidence.
4. Do your best. When you know deep down that you have given your all, then your confidence with grow.
5. Healthy daily habits. Take stock of your daily habits. Are they helping you reach your goals or are they stunting your growth? If you need to change your habits, begin in a small way and set a goal to apply them into your daily life.

Years ago I started a new job in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah. I realized my confidence was shaky even though I had been hired. I decided each day I entered the parking lot for work, I would greet the parking attendant with a smile and warm hello. What was amazing about this experience was it set the tone for the rest of my day in a positive and confident way.

Strategies For Sleeping Like A Baby

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good-nights-sleep

The power of a good night’s rest will assist you in achieving your goals and dreams. I find that when I don’t get a good night’s rest my day and even week goes amuck. As I have gotten older I have come to learn the rhythm of my body and what can help or hurt my ability to sleep well.

For several years I averaged roughly 4-5 hours of sleep each night. Day after day, week after week I noticed a few things started to happen. I noticed my mind wasn’t as sharp, I saw weight gain, and became more irritable and lost a lot of energy.

Once I took a step back and began changing my lifestyle and habits these symptoms began to change. When you have young children and they keep you up at night you begin to covet a good night’s rest. Here are some of the strategies I use to promote the best sleep possible:

1. Disconnect from email and electronic devices at least 30 minutes before going to bed.
2. Eating dinner by 7:00 pm
3. Evening bedtime routine
4. Retiring to bed about the same time every night
5. After a stressful day, filling the tub with hot water and essential lavender oil.

If you want to have the best health possible, you should strive to get 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night. If you are a night owl, then start by retiring 15 minutes early and you will notice a difference in the way you feel the next morning.

Keeping balanced will be the avenue to reach your goals and objectives. Having a good night’s rest is a foundational principle in achieving balance. Happy dreams my friends.

Linda’s Tips – Know Your Audience

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When you have been asked to speak one of the first action items on your list should be to know your audience. By being familiar with your audience you will be able to present relevant, timely and engaging information.

Some of the questions to ask before speaking in front of your speaking opportunity are:

What is the age range of the audience?
What type of professionals?
Are all of the attendees in the same industry?
What are some hot topics going on with the audience at this time?

I made the mistake once of presenting to a group who I thought were Twitter users. As I asked the question about Twitter I got blank stares. Part of my presentation had a segment devoted to Twitter. I had to quickly take that out. If I had asked this question before I got on the stage from the meeting planner I wouldn’t have had to scramble during the presentation.

Getting to know your audience before you step up on the stage will create the framework for a successful presentation. Your audience will fall in love with you and want an encore performance.

Thanks for watching Linda’s tips. These tips will assist you in uncovering, realizing and accomplishing your potential. Sign up today for our FREE Newsletter www.LHYatesconsulting.com.

Daylight

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Sunrise Daylight

If you have been following my blog you probably realized that I have a fascination with light. Light in all forms empowers and energizes me. Today I would like to share my insight about daylight.

Being raised on a farm and ranch taught me that daylight is the opportunity to work and accomplish your goals. Seasons come and go. Light increases and decreases each day throughout the year. Taking advantage of the daylight and using its power to achieve your dreams is a life skill to master.

As my children have grown up it has been interesting for me to watch them give up staying up late at night. Now I see them taking advantage of the morning to get a jump-start on the day.

Setting the habit of getting up early is one of the most common habits of highly successful individuals. Try it for the next week and watch your productivity increase higher than you can imagine.

Just as a new day dawns the possibilities are endless. Each day as we embrace the light and the power it provides, our harvest over time will be fruitful and lush. The evening will be a time to relax, reflect, and celebrate a day full of accomplishment.

Family First

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Norman Joy Family 1983

Being raised in a large family has been a wonderful blessing in my life. I had the opportunity to live a mile from one set of Grandparents and four miles from the other set while growing up. It was engrained in my life early on how important family is.

Fast forward 25 years later. While working for a technology company, my boss promoted the phrase “Family First.” His values impresses me still to this day.

A family may not be your blood relations. It may consist of friends, colleagues or associates. Family units have one thing in common – a bond that ties each member together. What type of family bonds do you have? I would love hearing about them in the comments below.

One of the most treasured blessings I have experienced, while living the life I have been blessed to live, is that of my family. I am married to the man of my dreams. We married six months after my eighteenth birthday. We have been blessed with 3 children. It has been an amazing experience watching them grow, mature and build their lives.

It is easy for me to get swallowed up in work and the different projects I have. The grounding principle in my life that keeps me balanced is valuing family and taking the time I need to build those relationships.

Business Building Tips

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Business Building Tips

Being an entrepreneur has been a fascinating journey and one that has lessons through every turn. Business building is as important if not more so than working in the business. Taking time to focus on what you want will create the pathway to achieve all of your goals and objectives.

In business building it’s okay to change direction just as if you were planning a road trip. There may be several different routes you could take that will all get you to your destination. If you were to get into the car and just start driving with no thought of your destination, or a plan to reach that destination at a certain time, you would find yourself wasting valuable energy and precious resources.

One of the best business building strategies and tips I have found is to set aside a couple of hours each month devoted strictly to reviewing goals and laying out a path to complete them.

These are the things I have to do in order to have a successful business building session:

1. Schedule a time on my calendar
2. Turn off my phone
3. Shut down email alerts
4. Work in a relaxed atmosphere – sometimes I like to go offsite
5. Stay hydrated

Each of these tips has created a positive environment and experience to my business building sessions. After I have spent time working on my business, I feel higher motivation to achieve my goals and the momentum carries me through the next few weeks of doing the business.

Your business deserves your full attention. The focus on building your business, rather than just being in the business, will pave the road to faster and more stable growth. Are you ready to watch your business grow? Then pull your calendar out now and book it!

Goal Setting

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Goal Setting Impossible

What do you really want? What passions drive your actions? Where do you want to be in 5 years? In 10 years? What steps have you taken to get there?

There is a lot of information out there about goal setting. If you haven’t read a book on goal setting I would encourage you to do so. Some individuals in the world have never set a goal in their life. The magic of goal setting is that it gives you a purpose. By having that purpose, you are able to craft the life and business you desire.

The following are five practices I have implemented in my life to accomplish my own goals. I would encourage you to read them and begin applying them to your own aspirations.

1. Write goals down
2. Look at them every day
3. Write the goal in a positive, personal, and present tense.
4. Assign a date to have the goal completed
5. Have an accountability partner

Having goals that inspire you will create a passion and fire to accomplish them. Sometimes it can be easy to fall into the trap of achieving others’ goals instead of your own. Being clear about what you really want to accomplish will open the doorway to achieving more than you ever thought possible.

This has happened to me on numerous occasions. One of the most inspirational goals for me to achieve was to cross every state’s border in the United States and complete a run. Why this was such an amazing goal for me to achieve was it utilized deep strategic planning skills. Being creative financially in order to make that goal happen was challenging and fun at the same time. Pushing myself further and harder than I thought I could was also a great blessing. Lastly the feeling of accomplishment after running in my 50th state. It was exhilarating knowing that I did something hard and achieved a milestone in my life.

One of the ways I kept myself motivated was by tracking my progress on a map. After I ran in each state I would put a pin on the map to mark it off. I ran 40 of those states in 2 ½ years. It was an amazing experience.

What do you really want? Setting goals for what you desire is the next step to achieving success and realizing the potential you hold in your hand.

Mastering Body Language

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Body Language is a fascinating topic. Have you ever noticed that it is fun to watch others, imitate and may I dare say make fun of them? However, when it comes to our own individual body language, we have blinders on what our non-verbals are saying to others. By mastering our own individual body language we are able to uncover our potential.

Little things such as fidgeting, playing with your hair, or slouching are all indicators of how we view our self and what we are communicating to the outside world. The more confident you are the more your body will communicate that feeling to yourself and others. By changing how we hold our bodies we can change how productive and successful we are.

Take the next 15 minutes and observe the following:

1. What are you doing with your legs?
2. Are you slumping in a chair or sitting with your back straight?
3. Look at others around you – notice their posture
4. Notice those whose hands are clasped or touching their neck
5. What about your facial expressions? Do you look pleasant or stern a majority of the time?

Being aware of our body and how we are holding it as we work throughout the day, network at events, or present in a boardroom, will provide a framework on how we can improve our ability to communicate more effectively. Oftentimes our non-verbal language is killing our ability to persuade and influence. Influence is not just for the outside world. Scientists have found that what you do with your body influences your inside mental and emotional world.

By being clear about what your body language is saying to others you will be more equipped to make the changes you need to increase your confidence, obtain higher productivity and achieve a more positive mental framework. Your body language is key to reaching your goals!

74% Fear Public Speaking

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Glossophobia is the fear of public speaking. The National Institute of Mental Health found that 74% of the population fear public speaking. That statistic is huge! I would love to hear if you share this fear. If you do, what techniques do you use to manage that fear?

A few months ago, I was hired to consult with a client who suffers from extreme stage fright. I told them that the secret to managing this fear is to work with it rather than fight it.

Here are some tips that I have found useful as I speak:

1. Take the anxiety and turn it into energy. This has been referred to as taking the butterflies and making them fly in formation. They are still there but directing their energy gives you power.

2. Deliver your speech as if it were a gift that you are giving. Visualizing your performance as if it were a present that you have been excited to share turns the focus from your nerves to being excited to share.

3. Practice. Being prepared is critical to managing your fear. The more you practice the more comfortable and conversational your speech will become. Practice giving your speech to your dog or kids.

4. Exercising. Getting your blood flowing is a great way to manage the fear.

5. Visualization. See yourself receiving applause. See your audience smiling at you. See yourself smiling back. Great performances start off in the mind.

It doesn’t matter if this is your first speech or your 50th. These tips will empower you to deliver an engaging presentation. I know that you are more powerful than you can imagine.

If I can assist you in tapping into that power please contact me via our contact form. Glossophobia doesn’t have to hold you back in achieving your dreams!

Image: Big Heart on Fire