The Southern Belle CEO

Why, of course…..

I went to my Dad’s this past weekend. Had a very good time, thank you! I was gone from Wednesday until Sunday. Nice uneventful trip.

I get home with loads of stuff to do, as is normal after a trip. Clothes to wash, house to clean….school work to do. Did I mention that I was also taking some online college courses?

Well, anyway…..I was so overwhelmed, I didn’t know what to do! Oh, I was also trying to get some online marketing up to date also…..

I am thinking that it’s time for a simple schedule. At least one written out, so that I don’t forget anything or get overwhelmed!! Especially with the holidays coming up. I plan to end ‘09 on a positive note and start ‘10 with a bang!!!!

Time to get back on track and move on!

Hope everyone is having a fantastic week!!

Oh~~~~~and on a personal note, thinking a cruise might be a fun family trip!  Checking on that soon!

I was sitting in church yesterday morning and our pastor was teaching on Grace….great subject as usual.  He said something that really stuck with me.  Reconcile with the past, then forget it.

Now, we aren’t taking about all the good things that have happened in our lives.  We are talking about our mistakes, things or situations that would have been better had we chosen differently.  We all have them ~ and I am not going to repeat the sermon ver batium…….

What I am going to ask you do to is forget…..forget that bad business decision you made.  Move on.  Don’t do it again. And move on.  There are things that we allow to repeat, like a bad movie, over and over in our heads.  It does no good to dwell on the bad things of the past.  If there is a lesson to learn, then ~ please ~ learn it, apply it, and do better next time.

Stinking Thinking is what some call it.   Whatever you chose to label it, you need to deal with it.  Create an atmosphere of good thought to produce good actions and then, of course, great results will follow.

Forget yesterday, live in today, and plan for tomorrow!!

So, what do you balance? We all have a couple of things going on at any given time…and if we aren’t careful, we can get caught up in one area to much, which will leave other areas lacking attention.

Kinda like my flower garden. Some days I just don’t have enough time to get it all done, so I just weed a small area when ever I can “find the time”. The only problem is if I don’t delegate enough time, just weeding a small area, now and then – well, let’s just say the weeds grow much faster than what time I find.

And ~ who can find time? Really! It’s not like we lost some hours somewhere that we can go claim and add to our day. We all have 24 hours to do with as we see fit, but without a plan of action or somesort of goal, we get unbalanced quickly and leave things, sometimes very important things, undone.

I am not a list maker, but I am making a simple one with what I want to get accomplished and putting it by my computer. I am also going to try and stay on track. I can easily burn hours on the internet looking for information.

It’s all a balancing act, and before we can balance anything, we have to know what we are balancing, and exactly what our priorities are.

Time to get your thinking cap on!

And on a personal note….I am so ready for the weekend….Hubby is going to a friend’s home for some football and I may actually get to sleep in!!  Woo Hoo

……… as stated by Wikipedia is the activation or energization of goal-oriented behavior. Motivation may be internal or external.

Having goals is a no-brainer….yet many people fail to act once they have their goals in place. Then they spend time actually pondering why they never obtain their goals.

It’s simple

• Goals —>
• Action —>
  
• Results!!!!

So, if you want results….get moving!!!  Create momentum, no one else will….Only you!  It ain’t going to be easy, but then, nothing great ever is!

OK I am not SuperMom… nor do I try to be. I realize that I cannot do everything…nor do I try to!!

But I am learning that I still may think I can do much more than I really can…Unfortunately, at the expense of my business…or some other priority.

So, I urge everyone…get a note pad and write everything down!! Doesn’t have to be big, fancy, or leather…. it just needs to get the job done. Have one in your purse, or briefcase. Put one by your computer and in your car. And, as I have come to learn, one by your bed is a good thing….you see I had the most fantastic idea for an article the other night, it was such a great idea that I “knew” I would remember it in the more. In fact, I had it half way written as I was falling asleep. And the next morning…all I could remember was that it was good. Not one speck more.

So now I have a notebook on my night table, just in case it comes back!

We aren’t perfect…so don’t press yourself to be. Help save your sanity with the little things!

On a personal note~~it’s almost time to start planning for my trip to Jamaica!! Planning is as much fun as the trip!

I am no fan of doctors….dentist even less. It probably has roots in my childhood although I don’t necessary remember any horrible experiences. Just a fear of them.

I have never really overcome this fear…never tried to and because of it haven’t made the yearly check-ups and appointments.

No time.

No money.

The excuses went on and on…..and now I have teeth that need root canals, crowns, some have been pulled and bridge work is needed.

No time? No money? Why yes, I will find both because I really want to keep my teeth. Vanity trumps fear.

“A stitch in time saves nine” is now haunting in my head because more time and so much more money is needed than if I would have originally overcome my fear and just had regular maintenance done!

How about my business… what do I fear? Because the thing that I fear may be the thing that could possibly cause my business to flounder.

What is your stitch? What do you fear? What are some of the little things that need doing today which will save you countless hours and save you money?

Ahhhhh we sometimes look over those mundane things, yet a business minded person will attack those little foxes before they spoil the vine.

So find the foxes today….

And on a personal note….make a dentist appointment if you haven’t been for a while….remember, vanity trumps fear!

The future depends on what we do in the present. – Mahatma Gandhi

Consistency - Discipline … these can also make or break you.

A slow steady drop of water will eventually wear down a boulder or possibly drive some one crazy…like me — drip, drip, drip — in the middle of the night — I can’t stand it.

And that will also drive up your water bill if not fixed.  That slow steady drip can cause quite a spike in the monthly bill.  So if something so small can drive up your living cost — then it stands to reason a steady dose of focused work can drive up your income.

If you want to see a marked difference in your home business.  Target a problem area that you have and work on it EVERYDAY.  You don’t have to spend hours upon hours of daily work – just a focused amount everyday and you will be amazed at the difference this will make.

This is a simple yet profound approach to your business.  The basics – yet again — I am floored with the number of people that I talk to that totally miss this concept.

They spend a fortune on the newest book looking for a miracle pill that will blast their business off the planet.  And they don’t focus on their everyday business plan, so it never takes off.

Working from home takes a major amount of discipline.  Especially if you are the mom….or even the dad… that takes care of the home.  The laundry pile calls continually….the baby needs attention….we can easily let our house work take over.  I fight this continually.  It takes the discipline to focus on the work that needs done now.

WAKE UP!!  REFOCUS!!  AND GET STARTED!!

Set goals – and follow through — everyday.

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On a personal note – these blogs on consistency have really hit me square between the eyes — I tend to hit something hard then slowly taper off… a habit that, fortunately, I have acknowledged and am doing my best to change…. so jump on board and let’s do this together.

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Sometimes the hardest part of anything is beginning. That first step. Forward motion from a state of inactivity takes great energy and motivation. It takes determination and a large dose of initiative.

One of my greatest faults is the feeling that I need to have everything perfect before I can begin a project. The plan has to be completely mapped, all the wrinkles ironed out. This frame of mind has stopped me from doing many things. If you are anything like me, get over yourself and get started.

I just read a quote from Napoleon Hill which fits this topic, “JUST WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR AND WHY ARE YOU WAITING?” (If you ever need a great read then pick up something, anything, by Napoleon Hill – he will get you focused, fast!!)

Now if you ask that question and have a legitimate answer, then by all means wait, get whatever needs done, done….then get started. But to often I hear excuses, not reasons.

So don’t let excuses stop you. Don’t wait for everything to fall into place. Get started and work out the kinks as you go. Remember, starting is the hardest part, not the planning, the initiating is… so, as the Nike slogan says so well, “Just Do It.”

I have heard it said that the hardest thing that needs doing in your business, will most likely be the next thing that needs doing. That is such a profound statement. For me it was starting this blog. I knew all the reasons why I should, and I knew the benefits of doing so….and I actually like to write.

So, what was stopping me?? Fear. The fear of failure is often the root cause of not getting started. I will write on this later, but, it often helps us to recognize our enemy. Once I realized what was causing me to hold back on starting, I could take action.

Once you are started, the motion will create more motion, science proves this everyday. And I am sure you know this also.

So, do something today. Whether it be in your business, something personal, or an odd job that needs your attention at home. Take control and take action. Just Do It… Today.

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