I WROTE A previous article about finding clues for success as an entrepreneur. I can’t stress enough the importance of this simple but powerful concept.

I went to an appointment recently, and there were two great clues I picked up from the entrepreneur I was meeting with. Nothing earth shattering, but when you combine all the clues that are around us every single day, it makes our lives easier, and it creates more success. Successful entrepreneurs are aware and pick up these type of clues regularly.

Clue #1 – As I was sitting in the waiting room for my appointment, I noticed a clock. This clock had 24 hrs. on it. I am in Canada, so we are on a 12 hr clock. However, I do business internationally, and when I am speaking with people in EU, I am constantly converting the time difference in my head. Not only is there a time difference, but I need to convert times such as 18:30 to 6:30 pm my time, and then do the time difference calculation. I have been doing this for years in my head, and never thought of getting a 24 hr clock. Actually, I wasn’t even aware there was such a thing. I came home, googled a picture, and printed it off, promptly sticking it on my office wall. What a simple solution!Before we have an awareness of doing things in a better way, we struggle along with outdated ideas, and solutions. Many times solutions are right in front of us, but if we are not open to learning, and taking ideas to make them our own, we miss so many great solutions. This is such a basic idea, it doesn’t take away from the other professional, yet was incredibly helpful for me.

Clue #2 – I arrived at this office and there was no one else in the waiting room. The professional I was there to see, walked into another area of the office and didn’t come back for 15 min. By then, there were 4 other people waiting besides me. I had now waited 20 min over my scheduled appointment time. When I was called in for my appointment, there was no apology or mention that he had kept me waiting. When we have appointments with those that consider themselves professionals, we are conditioned to be early and not keep these “important” people waiting. We are all important, and we all have commitments. No one’s time is more important than anothers. As a business owner, remember this. Don’t keep your clients waiting. Be on time and respect other people’s time just as much as you do your own. If something comes up, have the courtesy to either let your client know, or address it when you connect. Don’t act like it didn’t happen! It builds respect, trust, credibility and loyalty.

​As I mentioned, everyone and everything is our teacher. The more we observe from others, and the more we share ideas, the more we help ourselves and others move forward to create success. Don’t underestimate the difference you can make in assisting others to achieve success. Share below a recent clue for success you have experienced. Very often it is the simplest of ideas that can make the biggest difference to someone.

As published on:  http://bizcatalyst360.com/clues-for-success-are-everywhere/

Debbie Ruston has been an entrepreneur and trainer since 1986. She works with individuals, and groups interested in developing their entrepreneurial leadership mindset. Was this article of value to you? Feel free to share it on your social networks and with your contacts, join in the discussion below, and FOLLOW her on the top right corner of this page.

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Would you agree that either yourself or people you know are searching for happiness?  Many search their entire lives, believing it is somewhere "out there" and when the find "it", they will be happy.  Most people are striving for things or people or event, or "something" that makes them happy.  Yet, when you take a look at the choices and decisions they make, they are not being congruent in what they SAY they want, and the actions they take.

This is revealed in all areas of life.  Let's take a look at a few examples.

Work - How many people go to a job they hate?  According to Gallup at least 70% of employees hate their jobs and are disengaged in the workplace.  Yet, how many of these people, keep going in, day after day, week after week, year after year?  If you hate your job, you are most likely stressed, unhappy, perhaps overworked, and feel a lack of control in your life.  This has a domino effect in a negative way in other areas of your life.  No one can have the type of health or relationships they want, if they are unhappy in their work.  Stress, anger, unhappiness, resentment, etc., will flow into these other areas and you will wonder why nothing seems to go right.  If you hate your job, and are serious about being happier in your life, take a stand right now to DO something about it.  Make a list of all the things you dislike about your job.  Make another list of what you want.  Then, have the courage to make a change.  Start searching for work that ticks everything on your list of what you DO want, and when you find it, take action.

Start a Business - How many people say they want to start a business and then they would be happy, because they call the shots, don't have a boss to answer to, etc.  Yet surprisingly, most that SAY they want a business are not willing to do what it takes.  Most buy their own excuses - they are afraid to take the risk, they don't have the money or the time, the timing isn't right, etc., etc.  It is never a lack of time or money or the absence of fear....it is a lack of desire and commitment.  When you find the business you want, take action and move forward and stop expecting the timing to be right, or the money to fund it to be sitting waiting in your chequing account.  Make the decision and then make the decision go right.

Relationships - How many people are in relationships they are not happy in?  There are two options...you either figure out what is missing, and then do everything in your power to correct that, or, if it is beyond correcting, then it could be time to move on and find the relationship you really want in your life.  Keep in mind this could be tied to your work.  If you are in a job you hate, and you bring that stress home and take it out on your partner, it may not be the relationship, but the job you need to change.  Making that change, could be starting point of improving your relationship.

Health - Do you feel overweight, out of shape?  Do you seem to feel that way over and over again....starting and stopping the latest diet trends or exercise routines?  It isn't the "right" diet that is the magic solution to improving your health and fitness.  It is the THINKING you have around it.  I have observed for years, people piling into a local diet center every week to get "weighed", to be accountable to someone else.  They pay a membership fee for whatever that club provides.  Yet most going in and out are still overweight and have been going for years.  If it was so effective, they would learn how to get in shape and stay in shape.

It starts in our mind.  No matter what anyone tells you, it boils down to putting nutritious food in your body, cutting out the junk, and exercising regularly.  That's it, period!  Start being accountable to yourself, no one else.  DO what you say you are going to do.  Stop buying your own excuses. Buy healthy food.  Find an exercise style you enjoy.  For instance - I do not buy any junk when I grocery shop.  With no junk food in the house, it forces you to create a new eating style.  More than weight loss, it is a desire to stay healthy and live a long active life, and not end up sitting on the sidelines watching life go by.

Finding an exercise style you enjoy is vital in order to stay committed and SELF motivated.  For years I resisted the idea of going to a gym because I have no interest in most of the exercise offered.  Fortunately, I started yoga many years ago and discovered it was perfect for me.  So the key is to find the exercise that suits YOU.  That is how you stay committed to it.  When you enjoy it, and get results, you want to continue and are SELF motivated to do so.

Hobbies - What?  You don't have time for any?  Life is too short to not do what you love.   Hobbies feed our hearts and when you deny yourself this type of pleasure, you are cutting off an important part of who you are.  If you don't have time for hobbies, it is a sign your life is out of balance.  We work to live, we don't live to work.  Engaging in hobbies is one of life's simple pleasures that just makes us feel happy.

Happiness is within us.  When  we make choices that give us a feeling we are living our life on purpose, it creates happiness for no particular reason.  When we continually make choices that we feel we have no control in, it gives us a feeling of  unhappiness and a feeling that we can only be happy when _____ happens.

Someone asked me once why I am so happy.  The only answer I could think of was "because I am in love with my life".  That was 12 years ago, and was a result of finding work I am in love with.   That overflowed into all aspects of my life.   We spend 40 hrs minimum per week working...this is usually where it starts in creating happiness.  Find work that fills your heart with joy, and everything else falls into place.....
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Debbie Ruston has been an entrepreneur and trainer since 1986. She works with individuals, and groups interested in developing their entrepreneurial leadership mindset. Was this article of value to you? Feel free to share it on your social networks and with your contacts, join in the discussion below, and FOLLOW her on the top right corner of this page.
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As published on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-happy-debbie-ruston?trk=prof-post

TRUST AND CREDIBILITY are built by Entrepreneurs that LEAD their people, through their vision, thoughts, and their actions.

A mistake that many entrepreneurs make when interacting with employees, is letting their ego get in the way, and coming from the mindset, “I’m the boss, do what I say”. They are not leading, they are managing. This is such an outdated way of thinking, yet many still make this mistake. Trust and credibility are not built from this egotistical mindset. It is built by having vision, being transparent and open in your communications with staff, walking the walk and being willing to set the pace.

Vision, Transparency & Open Communication – There will be times when there are challenges to deal with. Sales are down as an example. The ego driven boss will threaten and instill fear on the employee to perform, improve, or lose their jobs. No one performs at their maximum with this type of fear over their heads. A better approach is to openly share the challenges with your employees. Talk about sales being down, and open the communication for ideas staff may have to make improvements. Being an owner doesn’t mean you have to have all the solutions. There is a wealth of information in the staff you have, if you have surrounded yourself with the RIGHT people.

Walking the Walk – People don’t believe what you tell them if they don’t see it through your actions. Actions always speak louder than words. Doing tasks that may “appear to be” beneath your position speaks volumes to employees. Employees that observe the owner rolling up their sleeves and doing what it takes will gain a ton of respect, trust and credibility with those employees.

Setting the Pace – People naturally want to raise their game when it is the norm in the culture of an organization. People want to fit in with whatever the “norm” for the group is. This applies to both ends of the scale. If one is surrounded by people that are continuing to learn and grow, take courses, go to seminars, read, etc., one would feel out of place if they didn’t get involved. An owner that has a library of great books and encourages staff to read them and talk to them about what they read, will instill an open communication, a mindset of growth and sets the pace for people to continue to want to learn and grow. This type of mindset in an organization creates an engaged, happy, growth oriented organization. It is simple and inexpensive to start a company library, adding perhaps a book of the week to encourage employees to learn and grow.

A great strategy for any business owner is to surround themselves with great people. Never be threatened by someone else’s abilities. The better the people are in your business, the better your results as a company will be, and the better the employees will feel. It feels great when you are surrounded by forward thinking, excited, like minded, supportive, purposeful people. Getting this right will always excel the results of any organization.

As posted on:  ​http://bizcatalyst360.com/three-things-successful-entrepreneurs-do-to-lead-their-organizations/

Debbie Ruston has been an entrepreneur and trainer since 1986. She works with individuals, and groups interested in developing their entrepreneurial leadership mindset. Was this article of value to you? Feel free to share it on your social networks and with your contacts, join in the discussion below, and FOLLOW her on the top right corner of this page.

Debbie's also on:

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G+https://plus.google.com/+DebbieRuston-TheSuccessEducatorAnd now on iTunes

WAS YOUR DECEMBER filled with stress and running around? Did you hit the ground running for the new year or are you playing catch up after the holidays? Would you like to avoid the catch up and figure out a way to enjoy the holidays next year while starting next year with a bang in your business? Ok….1st lesson…be willing to do things differently than you have up to this point. Let me share with you a small change I made several years ago, that has had a huge impact on my life and my business.

Right before Christmas while everyone was stressed out and running around doing the last minute things, I was busy working on my business plans for the new year. Why is this relevant to success in business and how is it accomplished?

First, it’s important to recognize that most in society follow along with what everyone else is doing. Christmas shopping on a weekend, and leaving shopping until days before Christmas, would be examples. We DO have a choice though…to follow along the stress path everyone else seems to be taking, or, to write our own rules.

Several years ago, I set a new goal to reduce the busy-ness and stress of the holidays. I wanted to enjoy the season, and eliminate the stress. I set a date of Dec. 1st to have all my shopping, wrapping and decorating done. I also had all the food and cooking planned out for the holidays early in Dec., and charted in my schedule so I know when I am cooking what – and most of it is done in advance and frozen so that during the holidays, I am not spending the entire time in the kitchen, I am spending it with the people I love. I can’t tell you what a difference this has made. Everything done by Dec. 1st means I never stand in shopping lines, fight traffic, get stressed out, run out of time, or feel like I am missing those precious moments. It also spreads out the “spending”, instead of having it all in Dec. which would be helpful for many. It is a small change that has made a massive difference in my life.

Another big benefit is being able to get into the creative and inspired spot in your mind, which you can’t do if you are stressed out. There are specific things in life that allow us to do this….it’s different for everyone. Some of the things I find most relaxing that allow me to maximize this state of mind are things like, being near water – the beach, or our pool, on a boat, campfires, fireplaces, and beautiful twinkling lights at Christmas. I also decorate my entire yard with little white solar lights in the summer months. The solars are at all different heights, some low, some high, some in trees, etc. They come on at different times during dusk and it is magical as they reflect on the water in the pool. It is also a time of reflection I give myself every night. It’s these type of things when you are just staring at the water, the fire or the lights that allow us to be calm, relaxed, reflect, create, and draw on inspiration. If we are not allowing ourselves to do this during Christmas, and we are running around stressed out, we miss a huge opportunity.

With everything done early, it allows me to use my time in December to focus on my business plans for the next year. I am able to use my time to create, dream, focus, and take action steps that I would never have time for if I was running through a mall. As a matter of fact, I usually have most of the shopping done by mid Nov., by buying things throughout the year as I see them, and tuck them away for Christmas. This means I am only out for about one afternoon just prior to Dec. 1st to finish things off.

I wrote this post in Dec, sitting in front of the fireplace, with the gorgeous decor of the lights on the mantle, the stockings of those I love hung, the Christmas tree all lit up, and my little dog snuggling to get as close to my side as possible. Notice these are all “feel good” experiences which affect our state of mind. It translates into feeling happy, inspired, excited, on purpose, grateful, etc., and this state of mind is a perfect breeding ground for creativity, inspiration and planning for the new year ahead. This state of mind allows me to work ahead and put things in place that kick start the new year in a powerful way. I had work done that normally wouldn’t even be “thought” about until the 2nd wk of Jan, and by the time catch up would be done, and time carved out to get at it, it would be the end of Jan. What a waste of a month that would be! It reduces your chances of meeting your goals by a month!

The environment we surround ourselves with is so important. When we are surrounded with an environment which makes us feel great, we perform better. If I were running around like a crazy person, as I see many people doing, there would be no room for creativity, inspiration or planning for the year to come. It would be a time of just surviving and getting through what is going on. This surviving mindset gives us a negative state of mind, and nothing good can be accomplished. This is partially why people will repeat their same results year after year, wishing things would get better, but never understanding why they are not, and don’t know how to take control in their lives.
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It is often the simplest ideas that can have the biggest impact in our lives and in our businesses. I challenge you to implement this simple strategy over this next year, and observe the difference in makes in your life, and how it allows you to relax, reflect and create for the following year in your business.

As posted on: http://bizcatalyst360.com/entrepreneurial-lessons-from-my-christmas-schedule/_

Debbie Ruston has been an entrepreneur and trainer since 1986. She works with individuals, and groups interested in developing their entrepreneurial leadership mindset. Was this article of value to you? Feel free to share it on your social networks and with your contacts, join in the discussion below, and FOLLOW her on the top right corner of this page.

Debbie's also on:

FB

Twitter

YouTube

Pinterest

G+https://plus.google.com/+DebbieRuston-TheSuccessEducatorAnd now on iTunes