The Millionaire Mind Support Network™

So what are you doing with your “Give” jar?

During our Millionaire Mind Intensive weekend, Doug asked us to think about our BIG Dreams. What would our Financial Freedom really mean to us. What would we do with our time, treasure and talent. It was interesting to note that most of the participants had a dream of helping others in our world.

When Michael Skye stood up, he had an Action Plan. If you have met Michael you know that he is an agent for change. His company, VisonForce is dedicated to training visionary leaders, entrepreneurs and those who will change the world instead of talking about it.

VisonForce has taken the lead on organizing a truly remarkable event — Prosperity For All 2008. Michael and a group of VisonForce alumni have made some scholarships available to the Prosperity For All 2008 event.

Scholarships

Scholarships to the upcoming Prosperity For All 2008 event are being offered through the One Million Visionaries campaign. The scholarships make it possible inspiring individuals to attend VisionForce’s iStand Experiences, including the iStand for Prosperity For All 2008, at a reduced price. These scholarships are provided by iStand alumni, who have purchased a scholarship for a rising visionary or a visionary activist, and are standing for them as their sponsor.

Rising Visionary Award – A scholarship for visionary change agents currently lacking in financial resources Visionary Activist Award – A scholarship for visionary activists, who give much of their time in service without pay.

Honoring the Dreamer Scholarship – A scholarship for facilitators of the Awakening The Dreamer Symposium

To apply for one of these scholarships, you must first submit your completed application. Download your application here.

To learn more about the scholarships, read below.

Rising Visionary Award Rising Visionary Awards cover full tuition to an iStand Experience, less room and board, which means the recipient only needs to pay for room and board. For the upcoming 2008 iStand Experiences, full tuition is $2,495, of which $695 is the room and board fee. This makes the value of this scholarship $1,800.
A rising visionary is typically, but not always, an inspired young visionary who has been standing for a better world even in the face of having little financial resources. An example is Clovis Ategeka, a 25-year-old entrepreneur in Kampala, Uganda, who built an internet café, where he teaches entrepreneurship and VisionForce tools to others. Another example might be a young visionary musician, who is barely getting by financially, but whose music is inspiring the world to take a stand. The only limitation on the number of these scholarships given out is the quantity of scholarships purchased by iStand alumni (or others).

Visionary Activist Award Visionary Activist Awards covers $1,200 tuition to an iStand Experience, which means the recipient only needs to pay $1,295 to attend one of the upcoming 2008 iStand Experiences, priced at $2,495, including room and board. The value of this scholarship is $1,200. Recipients of this award are inspired individuals, who standing for humanity through activist efforts, contributing time, effort and energy—often with little or no financial compensation. The only limitation on the number of these scholarships given out is the quantity of scholarships purchased by iStand alumni (or others).

Honoring The Dreamer This special scholarship program was started by Michael Skye, after his participation in the Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream Symposium. A limited number of Honoring the Dreamer scholarships are awarded per year.

Have you been inspired by the idea of the Prosperity for All 2008 event, but don’t feel you can participate at this time. Michael and his iStand alumni are doing their best to get as many scholarships funded as possible. Is this a cause that speaks to you? Maybe after reading about the event, listing to the podcasts and videos at a heart level you might feel, “this is a “Give” jar worthy cause. If so why don’t you contact Michael Skye and ask how you can support the Prosperity for All 2008 scholarship fund.

Millionaire Minds Take Action!

Time — Hours, Minutes, Seconds…

You committed to getting your latest project in an overnight delivery package within the next hour. Your printer just ran out of ink… you bought extra cartridges…didn’t you? Are they in the office supply cabinet, in the car trunk? No, no, and nada…can’t find them anywhere. Barring Devine intervention, you’re not going to make the pick-up deadline. You have moved from mild panic to High Anxiety.

The clock just keeps ticking…

Most of us have felt swamped at one time or another. With hectic work schedules, family responsibilities, and social engagements, there just doesn’t seem to be enough time for everything we need and want to do. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Although life will always provide us with its little twists and turns, once we learn to manage our time wisely, much of the day-to-day chaos in our lives can be reduced or even eliminated.

The first step in learning how to manage your time is to develop a general work schedule. Your work schedule should include time for yourself as well as time for the maintenance of your business.

After you’ve defined the major elements of your workload, the next step is to prioritize them by identifying critical deadlines, routine maintenance items, and fun/relaxation time. Answering questions like “How much time do I have to make this decision, finish this task, or contact this person?” will help you to start identifying what needs to be done immediately versus what can wait. Setting priorities depends on deadlines, how many people you must call to get the information you need, and whether you can delegate or get assistance from others. If you are involved in group projects, reserve additional time for communication and problem-solving.

Once you have identified your priorities, look at all of your options for achieving them. Evaluate and move forward with the ones you feel are the most useful for you. The only time to consider changing approaches mid-task is when you know the change will save time. If you are in doubt, it is usually best to consider in the direction you started.

By setting up your work schedule and identifying your priorities, you have already started down the road to more effective time management. Other time management suggestions you may find useful for managing both your business life as well as your personal life include the following:

Contract out tasks

Contract out tasks you do not have the expertise to complete. Your client will appreciate your honesty and effort to get the best result.

Start with the most worrisome task.

Start the morning, afternoon, or evening with the most worrisome task before you. This will reduce your anxiety level for the next task.

Complete deadline work early.

Not only will this reduce stress and lighten your work schedule, but it will also give you more self-confidence about managing your schedule.

Know your capacity for stress.

When you are hitting overload, take the break you need (even if it is a short one) when you need it.

Stay organized.

Take time at the end of each day to briefly organize your desk and make reminder lists of tasks for the next day or week.

Take advantage of down time.

Allow yourself some down time between busy periods to review your schedule and reevaluate your priorities.

Get physical.

Physical exertion such as walking, bicycling, swimming, or organized sports activities helps to discharge stress. Stretching, yoga, jumping rope, sit-ups, playing with children, or doing yard work are other types of therapeutic breaks you should consider during times of stress.

Have fun.

Be sure to have some fun while working or playing; a good sense of humor can keep most problems in perspective.

Divide up your time.

Decide how much time to spend on business development, personal needs, volunteerism, and family. Start by allowing 25 percent of your time for yourself. Each time you make a commitment, set a timeline for your involvement. Remember that maintenance takes at least 25 percent of the time you spend on any project whether it’s business, marriage, or serving on the board of a non-profit organization.

Build flexibility into your schedule.

Your availability to family and friends depends on the flexibility you build into your schedule. Female business owners frequently have the primary responsibility for making sure family members are cared for when they are dependent or ill, so it’s necessary to leave some time in your schedule for emergencies or to have good backup resources. Have a business back up buddy that can help out in an emergency. Get to know your neighbors so you know who to call on for help in times of crisis. Note to have a friend is to be one. Be sure your business associates and neighbors know you are there for them if they need help.

In the bigger picture, consider the relationship between your business life and your personal life. Be as realistic as possible when answering the following questions, keeping in mind what is most important to you:

• What are your long term goals? Your partner’s goals?
• Where are the conflicts, and where are the similarities?
• What is it that you really want to do? List all possible ways to accomplish this.
• How long will it take you to reach your goal?
• How do your timeline and goals affect your family (parents, siblings, partner, children)?
• How do your personal goals conflict with or match your business goals?
• How much time can you donate to community programs?
• Have you talked about your personal goals with your business partner?
• Have you talked about your business goals with your personal partner?

Don’t underestimate the toll that emotional stress takes on your physical health and your ability to concentrate on your work or enjoy time with your family.

Make sure you have time for the important people and events in your life.

Just a reminder — I’m a retired SBDC counselor, who knows where to look stuff up — both online and IRL. In this case my time management tips source is a SBA publication (Ohio Women’s Business Network, Columbus, OH, 4/97). For individual business support with any aspect of your business contact the nearest SBA-sponsored Small Business Development Center.

Take The Time To Exercise Your Millionaire Mind!

Copyright © Millionaire Minds, LLC 2007
All writings here are copyrighted. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts. And remember, You Have a Millionaire Mind!

Kind is Cool!

In Joe Vitale’s “Life’s Missing Instruction Manual, The Guidebook You Should Have Been Given at Birth, he discusses the importance of living a good and moral life. As he talked about the importance of kindness as a core value, I felt his energy, the essence of kindness, move through me as I listened to his voice.

As I relaxed into that wonderful, feeling-level of giving and receiving simple kindness, I noticed that although we have called ourselves “Humankind”, and kindness may be simple, it also seems somehow rare.

How can we bring more kindness into our lives?

In one form or the other, we have heard the answer all our lives. Some call it the “Golden Rule”, some the ethic of reciprocity, or yet others recite Matthew 7:12, “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” All of these thoughts suggest we practice kindness in every aspect of our lives.

If we want kindness we must give kindness.

The beautiful “sound thought”, “Let There Be Peace on Earth”, sung in many non-denominational churches, culminates with this stanza:
“Let peace begin with me
Let this be the moment now.
With every step I take
Let this be my solemn vow.
To take each moment
And live each moment
In peace eternally.
Let there be peace on earth
And let it begin with me.”

To me, peace is a manifestation of universal kindness, and the seeds of that kindness are given to each one of us to nurture grow and share with the world.

Synchronicity is always with us. I focused on universal kindness during my morning meditation and on my way to my desk, I noticed a book, “The Power of Nice: How to Conquer the Business World With Kindness” by Linda Kaplan Thaler, with co-author Robin Koval

You might not recognize, Linda Kaplan Thaler, CEO and chief creative officer of the Kaplan Thaler Group Inc., (one of the fastest-growing advertising agency in America) by name or occupation, but you love her duck.

Who doesn’t love the trusty and trustworthy AFLAC Duck?

Kaplan Thaler attributes her company’s success to a corporate culture of niceness. In her 2006 book, The Power of Nice, she shares her winning business strategy — kindness as an antidote to an increasingly ruthless competitive environment. In the book, Kaplan Thaler explores the fallacy of America’s zero-sum business culture: Unless you lose, I can’t win — think survivor-like “reality shows”. She reminds us that deceitful machinations are not the stuff of true winners. The “ME vs. YOU mentality” is simply not a sustainable strategy.

I’m smiling as I write this, and thinking, “Do I find her approach brilliant because she agrees with me or, or because her approach simply makes for a good business practice?”

Linda Kaplan Thaler, winner of dozens Clio awards, explores collaborative success and argues that good deeds are returned, not punished. Her book is well thought out and engagingly written, offering core values, case studies and exercises to help make niceness habitual. Exercises, like turning personal disappointment into positive energy really work and encourage the reader to approach the business of life differently.

The book is written in a conversational style and makes the reader feel like they are part of an engaging discussion that explores the possibility, “What if everyone approached life with kindness?” Kaplan Thaler addresses the Power of Nice Principles; Bake a Bigger Pie; Sweeten the Deal; Help Your Enemies; Tell the Truth; “Yes” Your Way to the Top; Shut Up and Listen; Put Your Head on Their Shoulders; and Create a Nicer Universe.

I love reading something that makes me smile and encourages the feeling of hope and joy. Kindness-centered business — its yours for the sharing.

As my granddaughter Audrey would say, “Mean is so yesterday.”

We all have kind millionaire minds!

Copyright © Millionaire Minds, LLC 2007
All writings here are copyrighted. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts. And remember, You Have a Millionaire Mind!

“Oh, you are so lucky. I wish I could work at home.”

That is the usual response when someone learns that I’m a home-based researcher and writer. In addition to the entrepreneurial mindset needed to leave the comforting embrace of a day job, it takes a specific set of skills to successfully work at home.

Your productivity will depend on focused, self-interest.

It is also helpful to be just a wee-bit rude. When you first start working from home, you might find you have friends who will call to just chat or to for ask favors that start out with, “Hey, since you are at home now…”

The best approach to friendly encroachment is to post your hours.

Let fiends and family know via email that your productive work hours are from X to X and that you not be taking calls during that period.

Whoever invented caller ID should be sainted.

Another good practice is to limit reading and answering your email to a specific time during the day. Your email in-box can be a time-sink that sucks your creative energy and steals your productivity. I’m a morning dove and my most productive writing and thinking time is from about 8 am until about 2 pm. I use my low-energy mid to late afternoon time to read email, return calls, and deal with IRL meetings.

Information overload is a constant danger, especially with eZines, online newsletter subscriptions, and industry blogs. I’ve killed my RSS feeds. It is way to easy to be intrigued by an interesting headline and look up two hours latter and wonder why my current writing assignment isn’t done. I have my email client set up to load emails directly into predetermined files. I often print out my eZine or newsletters, throw them in a file that I take with me whenever I know I might be in a situation that requires a wait. I use the down time to catch up on my reading off line.

How do you lay out your daily and weekly business goals?

Getting focused and staying focused on our specific business goals is the holy grail of the successful at-home entrepreneur. Do you know what you need to accomplish today, in order to reach your specified business goals for this week?

Do you need to access outside resources to help you reach your goals. If so, have you laid out a project schedule so you will know when to contact the vendors you need to support you in reaching your business goals?

A home-based entrepreneur needs to keep focused. As you go through your workday, or work night as the case may be, get in the habit of asking yourself, “How is what I’m doing right now, moving my business and my dreams forward?”

If the answer is that it doesn’t, THEN STOP! Don’t do that.

Your daily actions must be in alignment with your daily and weekly goals, or you may never fully manifest your long-term BIG DREAM.

Set specific, realistic, measurable goals that will ultimately lead you to fulfilling the intention and purpose you set for your business enterprise.

Remember to devote some time daily to the inner-game of business success. Take the time to visualize your personal end game. Feel the fulfillment and satisfaction of attaining your goal — of fulfilling your purpose. Staying in touch with that feeling of completion and gratitude helps keep you focused on you target, even when a dear friend calls and wants you to come out to play.

Work each day in joy and with the end in mind.

I can personally recommend two inspirational books that share specific tools and process to keep business professionals on track to reach their personal and business goals.
The Success Principles: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be

by Jack Canfield & Janet Switzer
The Power of Focus: How to Hit Your Business, Personal and Financial Targets with Absolute Certainty

by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Les Hewitt.

Copyright © Millionaire Minds, LLC 2007
All writings here are copyrighted. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts. And remember, You Have a Millionaire Mind!