Are you a business owner whose days fly by in a whirlwind?
Do you feel like you are SO close to realizing your entrepreneurial dreams…but just not quite close enough?
Why not learn the 10 Secrets of Outrageously Successful Business Owners from Neworld Coaching?
Click here to learn more about a great NO-COST program!
I love the summer and fall in Southwestern Ontario because of the great variety of fresh produce we are able to enjoy. Tomatoes, corn-on-the-cob and crisp apples have always been some of my favourites.
Here are a soup and salad you can make in no time!
Cucumber, Onion and Tomato Salad
3 tomatoes
3 cucumbers
1 onion
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil
Mix well. Let it chill for 1-2 hours. It can’t get much simpler!
Thanks to Dawn at Neworld Coaching for sharing her soup recipe.
Chilled Cantaloupe Soup
1 cantaloupe – peeled, seeded and cubed
2 cups orange juice
1 tablespoon lime juice
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Place cantaloupe and ½ cup orange juice in a blender or food processor and grind until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in remaining orange juice, lime juice and cinnamon. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Yummy!
It’s never too late to make healthier choices!
Our associates at Neworld Coaching recommend a
YEARLY SELF-EVALUATION
STEP #1
Reflect on the past 12 months. It is NOT always enjoyable to look back and evaluate… But it is a necessary step towards growth and accountability.
Taking into account the five areas in the “Wheel of Life”… answer all of the following questions on a piece of paper.
What were your 3 biggest successes of the past year?
Did you measure your successes in some manner (celebrations or other rewards)? If so… how?
What was your biggest failure?
What lessons did you learn from it?
What goals did you meet? (List up to the 5 biggest.)
What goals did you NOT work on?
Why did you choose not to work towards these goals?
Did you receive feedback from others (clients, associates, family)
throughout the year? If so… what did you learn from it?
Did you save money toward Passive Income this year? If so… how did you invest it?
What progress have you made towards your Personal Relationships this year?
Are you more or less Healthy than you were a year ago? Explain why.
List 5 ways in which you improved your Self Mastery this year. (Self awareness… Self responsibility… )
What did you do to make YOU a better YOU?
List the 5 things that you are the most grateful for at this moment.
STEP #2
“Dream” about what life could BE like 3 years from today… After dreams are actually written down, they can be considered goals!
Using 5 pieces of paper… Title each with 1 of the areas of life.
Here are some guidelines:
STEP # 3
Set a course for the New Year! Using your notes in the previous pages, begin to formulate a plan for the coming year.
We break it down into Quarters and plan 13 weeks of Goals for each.
Begin by choosing goals that you will accomplish in the first Quarter of the New Year.
~Michael
P.S. If you need help formulating YOUR plan for the next year… actually DO the above exercise… I KNOW it will help you!
This recipe has been provided by Dawn Fletcher of Neworld Coaching.
Summer Time Watermelon Salad
An ABSOLUTELY wonderful Summer Salad!
Ingredients:
1 whole watermelon (cut into bite-sized pieces)
1 lemon (juiced and zested)
1/2c olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
handful of basil or mint (chopped)
1c feta cheese (crumbled)
Combine all ingredients in a pretty serving dish and toss gently. Serve. YUMMY!!!
It’s never too late to make healthier choices!
It’s February already! The month of January just seemed to fly by.
Our associates at Neworld Coaching tell us that although 50% of people make New Year’s resolutions, 35% never even make it out of the gate. How are you doing with your resolutions? If you’re not doing as well as you would like, don’t give up! Sometimes all that’s required is a minor adjustment.
So let’s get started and turn over another leaf!
ORGANIZING YOUR FINANCIAL RECORDS AND IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS – Part 1
“Documents create a paper reality we call proof.” Mason Cooley, American Writer (1927-2002)
Do you know where your will or your birth certificate is located? Can you find your house insurance policy?
If not, it’s never too late to get organized. In the event of an emergency, death or disaster, being able to find required documents quickly can make a difficult situation more manageable.
Planning
Plan to set aside a few hours to put your paperwork in order. If it feels overwhelming, break it down into smaller chunks—an hour a week until it’s done.
Getting Started
Start by sorting your paperwork into categories. If you don’t need it, get rid of it. Remember that 80% of what you file you will never look at again. Reduce your risk of identity theft by shredding any documents containing your name, address and/or account numbers. Label files so that you will be able to find items when you need them. Create an Action file for any items requiring your attention.
Insurance Documents
Whether it’s your house insurance, car insurance or life insurance policy, insurance documents may be required if you need to make a claim.
Will and Powers of Attorney
The original copy of your will may be at your lawyer’s office, but you should know where your copies are at all times. A family member, close friend and/or your executor should also know where your will and original powers of attorney (medical and financial) are kept. In the event of an accident, illness or your death, they will need these documents.
If you don’t have a will or powers of attorney or you haven’t gotten around to updating them, don’t put it off. Add it to your to-do list, and look after it as soon as possible.
Birth Certificates, Adoption Papers, Marriage Certificate and Divorce Papers
Knowing where all of these documents are stored can reduce the time and effort of having to replace them—not to mention the cost.
SocialInsurance Card
It is not advisable to carry your SocialInsurance card in your wallet. Your card is usually only required for employment and investment purposes. Leaving it in a secure location at home eliminates the possibility that it may get lost or stolen.
Passports
Do you know where your family’s passports are? Remember to store them securely, so they aren’t stolen in the event of a break-in.
Safety Deposit Box Key
If you have a safety deposit box, do you know where the key is?
Storage
Store your records in a filing cabinet, storage box (plastic is preferred over cardboard) or a home safe. They are worth protecting.
Reward Yourself
When you’re done, don’t forget to reward yourself for your hard work! Investing the time to put your records in order will be worth the peace of mind!
Here is some food for thought as you reflect on 2012 and move forward in 2013. Thanks to our associates at Neworld Coaching!
CHOICES
I choose my internal conversation
My self-talk lifts me up or brings me down
I choose my response to every situation
No one and nothing makes me respond
I choose my attitude towards my profession
I choose the way I treat other people
I choose what I will do about my physical health
I choose what I will eat or drink
I choose how happy I will be
I choose to maintain emotional control
I choose to act responsibly
I choose to grow spiritually
I choose what I will learn or if I will learn
I choose how much money I will earn,
and how many hours I will devote to earning it
I choose how much of my time, talent and treasure I will give to others
I choose to make my own choices and embrace my self mastery
I choose to make 2013 MY year!
~Michael
P.S. Please drop by the Neworld from time to time to see if we are offering any tools or techniques that you might find helpful for your business growth.
As published in the Shameless Blog from Neworld Coaching
The Bank Account of Life
A 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud man, moved into a nursing home today. He is fully dressed each morning by eight o’clock, with his hair fashionably coifed and shaved perfectly, even though he is legally blind. His wife of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary.
After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, he smiled sweetly when told his room was ready. As he maneuvered his walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of his tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on his window.
“I love it!” he stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy. “Mr. Jones, you haven’t seen the room yet; just wait.” “That doesn’t have anything to do with it,” he replied. “Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn’t depend on how the furniture is arranged … it’s how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it.”
“It’s a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; I can stay in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do. Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I’ll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I’ve stored away. Just for this time in my life. Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw from what you’ve put in.”
When you put this in business terms … you can worry all day about the business dealings that you are involved in, or be negative about the potential clients that have fallen by the wayside, or you can choose to be positive and focus on the things that are going right in your business. My advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank account of life! I am still depositing, and I make a conscious effort each and every day to remember the “goodness” of people.
Remember the five simple rules to be happy:
1. Free your heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries.
3. Live simply.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less.
While it’s not the beginning of a new year, it is the start of the second half of 2012. Even if you reviewed 2011 in December or early January, it’s always a good idea to review your progress every quarter. If you’ve gotten derailed, take stock and make the necessary adjustments to get back on track.
The Yearly Self-Evaluation
From our colleagues at Neworld Coaching…
For years now, I have designated a couple of hours of time during the first two weeks of December to complete a Yearly Self-Assessment document. Although it may sound like a simple undertaking, it really isn’t. Reflection, soul searching and decision making can be arduous tasks to say the least. Although I always look forward to this exercise, I still find it difficult to analyze my failures and make realistic plans for the future.
Taking into account the five areas in the “Wheel of Life” (Business, Financial, Personal Relationships, Health/Fitness and Self Mastery)…
The first thing I do is reflect. I look back at the past year and ask myself a few of the “hard” questions. What were my successes and how did I celebrate or reward myself? What were my failures and how did I deal with them? Did I listen to feedback from my associates, clients & family? I ask myself these questions (and several more) in order to gain perspective and “keep it real”. The important thing to remember is not to be too hard on yourself. If you learn from your mistakes and growth occurs… then nothing was in vain!
“The true measure of a man is not how he behaves in moments of comfort and convenience but how he stands at times of controversy and challenges.” ~Martin Luther King Jr.
The next step is to “dream” of the future. A future where all of my goals are met or within reach. To accomplish this step I must do some sincere soul searching with regard to everything in my life. And because everything always takes three times longer than you expect… I call these my “three year intentions”. Writing quickly, using bullet points and spilling my dreams onto paper is quite liberating. I dream big! Intentions are like magnets, the bigger they are, the more they pull you forward! By redefining everything that I want to be… do… and have… over the next 3 years… I am analyzing my dreams and turning them into tangible goals!
The [last] part of my Self-Assessment is to create a plan for the coming year. I divide the year into four (quarters) and then set goals (usually a few large and a few smaller) to accomplish in each of the five areas. After choosing these goals and specifying when I want to achieve them, I have completed the Self-Assessment and I will be prepared at the beginning of the year to plan my first Quarter. At the beginning of each week I will use a Weekly Planner to set specific goals and I even assign points to myself when I complete a task! The process is a bit more involved than I let on here but suffice it to say that filling in my planner each week is a useful and tangible method for measuring my results and holding myself accountable.
Strategically planning, goal setting and accountability is the foundation of the Neworld Coaching Succe$$ System. Using a series of Planners similar to those mentioned above, along with a specific Weekly Planner and even a ‘Personal Board [Chart]’ we encourage our clients to take the steps necessary to meet their goals. Whatever they may be! As I mentioned, I have been doing this Self-Assessment for many years and I am pleased to share it with you…just click here to view the form. Print it and fill it out! I do… EVERY YEAR. Dawn even does it too and we compare our ideas. It is a great exercise! I hope you find it fruitful for you as well!
~Michael Fletcher
If you liked this article, check out more articles in Neworld’s Shameless Blog.
Cathy Mendler
Phone: 519-669-1377
Email: info@anewleaforganizers.ca
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