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I hope you all enjoyed the Labor Day holiday and got some rest. I rested from work over the weekend, but not from fun. I take being a tourist seriously, so I was out sight-seeing and visiting museums in the Pacific Northwest. I toured the Boeing factory, the Future of Flight Museum, the Mukilteo Lighthouse and the Museum of Flight and stayed in a luxurious hotel suite. It was an av geek's dream weekend. But by Monday evening I was totally worn out so I flew home and rested for the next 24 hours. Flying twice a week is fun, but it's also tiring. I was told a couple years back to eat healthier because I would need it for all the traveling in my future. Let just be honest and say I'm working on it. I was thinking earlier today that I need an accountability partner for weight control. Being a business woman on the go I don't have time - kinda - to run as much as I used to. Truth is, I have time for what I make time for and running, after 20 years, is one thing I've pushed aside during this new season in my career. It's all about priorities, and it's time for me to make a decision. I have to choose to continue eating whatever I want without running and getting giganticer and giganticer or to change my eating habits. That's a tough one. I'll keep you posted. Now, I don't want you to think I'm an incompetent mentor because I'm experiencing weight issues for the first time in my life. Of all the areas of discipline we face day to day, eating junk food has always been my area of carelessness, but it's only affecting me visibly now in my 40s. And while I'm being totally transparent, I may as well admit that I'm vain and cheap enough to restart my running regimen before I'd buy a bigger wardrobe. If you need help starting a business, tackling communication issues or improving your financial realm, give me a call or book a package. I've done these things myself and have been assisting others for the last four years to do the same.   I'm serious about my goals. So serious that I have three success goals that I've set a deadline to achieve. This note that you see above is on my focus board. I see it every day and I've even begun sharing with others that these things need to be done by that time. I'm sharing because speaking it out and hearing it solidifies it in my brain, and also because I'm excited about it. We always share what we're passionate about ... it's human nature and it's a good thing. Sharing also keeps me (us) accountable because those I share with will ask how I'm doing with my goals and I'll have to tell them, I'm on track for success or that I'm falling short. I do not like to fall short. What are you doing to document and track your goals, and to keep yourself accountable? If you have a system in place, it's a lot easier to hit your target. I'm a witness. If I can be of assistance to you as you work to break through the place of transition to give birth to a new season in your life, relationships or finances I'm available. Schedule a call or book a package and we'll get you on the road to that next level of success you've been wanting to reach.  It's Spring and new things are happening all around me! Yep ... 2016 has truly turned into a true Jubilee season. I shared previously that I'm in my 20th year as a road runner and I've used this milestone as inspiration to change my game. Consequently, as I've accomplished more in my running realm that confidence has spilled over into other areas of my life. This is a normal occurrence - often once we hit success in one area, the hunger to be successful in other realms ignites and we go for it. Here are some of the firsts I've achieved already in 2016:
I enjoyed the first virtual race I did very much so I'm doing another this month. I welcome you to join me. Sometime between April 15 and 30 I'm going to run a regular 10k for The Incredible Virtual Run and collect a sweet finisher's medal in the process. You may ask why anyone would bother signing up for a virtual run when they already run anyway. Lots of reasons. My mains are I like the bling without the crowd, early race time and competition. As I mentioned above I run as my chosen form of exercise and I've been doing it alone for two decades. I've never enjoyed fraternizing when working out - which is one of the reasons I don't like gyms. With virtual races, I have all the spoils of being a runner on my own terms and schedule; and being a teacher I appreciate that Level Up Runs donates to schools' sports programs. I hope you're breaking through old mindsets and limitations in this season and making your own list of firsts. I hope this post inspired you to try something new. I'm telling you ... the right inspiration is contagious. If you find it, you'll be unstoppable. I'm a witness. I'd love to help you locate the motivation you need to achieve your next milestone. Schedule a call or book a package today. The newness of Spring is waiting for you to take hold. Do it now. #IWill  I've decided to step up my running game and break through into the new. It's exciting and the personal accomplishments are fuel for more and greater. Watch.  Have you seen this? It was all over Twitter yesterday, so you probably have. Of course, I don't have all the facts or know what's behind their tension, but I would've fired them both if I were their supervisor because it was inappropriate. They're news professionals not reality tv actors, and represent a media corporation that's supposed to have a reputation of providing reliable information. Bad news and behavior often travel faster than good, and I wouldn't want my company associated with that incident. I've been in this position with finger pointing, bickering and neck flying. In the moment you really feel you're in the right. But when you get to see a recording of it after the fact, you realize you look like a child throwing a temper tantrum. It's not pretty. Man or woman. As we mature our emotional intelligence should increase to a point where we're able to remain calm in all situations. I often think back to a lesson my dad taught when I was young about being thermostat or a thermometer. A thermostat is controlled by an individual. This is self-control and discipline, where you decide what raises your temperature and gets you heated. A thermometer simply responds to the temperature around and has no control over it's reaction; it just goes up or down. Self-control and emotional intelligence have to be learned and cultivated. They're not intrinsic to human behavior. We're born wanting our way and only through training do we learn that life is full of compromise - also known as patience. I've had to focus on improving my self-control, patience and emotional intelligence over the years. I'm still a work in progress, but I'm thankful I'm not where I used to be. If you're struggling with self-control, patience or emotional intelligence be encouraged because you can improve. I can help you assess the situation, compose a plan to increase in the areas of deficiency and track your progress as you implement proven strategies. Schedule a call or book a package today.    Clients book mentors and coaches because they want to start winning in an area of life they've previously been struggling - or to put it bluntly failing - in. They want the prize of abundant life. Abundant life is your right. You should want it. There's wrong with wanting awesomeness on a regular basis. Matter of fact there's more wrong with average, mediocrity and status quo than working toward excellence and fulfillment. You have too much brain power (aka potential) to settle for less than. There are roughly 5 weeks remaining in 2015. As you prepare for 2016, I challenge you to spend time journaling the following: This is what's happening in my life right now. Then list the good, bad and ok. Then journal: This is what I need/want to happen in my life in 2016. Again make a list of goals. I recommend including a date, too, because if you have a written plan with a timeline, you have 90% chance of achieving what you've planned. And if you need even more accountability than writing goals with a date, schedule a call today. I can have a supernatural solution for you in 15 minutes or less. Your race is yours to win. Start now.   Last week I wrote about putting systems in place for small business so this week I'm tackling systems for home and relationships. We all fall into one of the following categories:
I have systems for business and home. To give you an idea, one of the many things I do at home is wash dishes once a day as one of the last things I do before going to bed. I'm not willing to wash dishes more than once a day - holidays and special occasions are different, of course - because I have other things to do with my time. But what I need for the day is ready when I get up each morning, in addition to waking to a clean and empty sink to fill throughout. Included in this process is that if someone wants a dish that's in the sink after breakfast or lunch, it's their individual responsibility to clean it for use. This system works in my household and everyone's privy to it. It may not work in yours, but it's now a framework you've been exposed to that will help you adopt a system for your life if you need one. When I worked outside of the home and didn't homeschool, when we came in the door each afternoon, you put your shoes in the cubby under the washer, washed hands, backpacks were emptied and papers were sorted into two baskets - what I needed to review and homework. Snack was served and homework was completed at the kitchen table as I made dinner. You also need systems for relationships. Whether work or personal you need to know each party's expectations, needs and desires and determine which are appropriate for you to fulfill and which you're willing to meet. For example, it's not proper for you to return to work each week after your days off and share your personal experiences with your manager. However, it's very appropriate to share your daily happenings with your spouse and family. Just as business owners train employees, we have to train our loved ones how to treat us. Right now I'm learning my sweetheart and he's learning me. We're teaching each other how we need and want to be treated by the other and aligning our behaviors. We're communicating our expectations so that systems can be developed as we move forward. These systems won't always be the same because people change, but it's easier to adapt something that already exists than it is in these beginning stages where we're creating one process from two different entities. I'm teaching on this in greater detail in a live web event Tuesday, October 13, 2015. I encourage you to look over your business/work, home and relationship systems this week and note any areas needing improvement. If you've already received enough information to implement change, get it done. if you need an outside pair of eyes to target a success strategy schedule a call or book a package today. I'd love to help make your life easier.  You will rise to the level of your expectation. Get in the habit of setting your expectations for excellence and win.  I'm a planner. Even before I was a teacher I wrote daily lists of what I needed to get done. Still do, of course, even more so now because I have more tasks to complete as an entrepreneur. I recently spoke with a client and soon after listening to them share their concerns I was able to pinpoint what they needed to do to break through in their business - and life if they'd put the same processes I shared in place at home. Very simply, they need systems put in place. This client is high-achieving, brilliant and skilled at money-making but they were struggling and only experiencing a portion of potential success in each of their business streams because, until we spoke, they didn't plan processes all the way through from start to finish, they didn't document them and obviously they couldn't put those non-existent plans in place and follow through to see if they worked. One complaint the business owner had was that the employee at one location "didn't know how to do anything." I dissected that belief with the following questions:
If you desire to be successful in life, you must have systems in place to facilitate success. People grow up in households and are trained to thrive in that specific environment. Students have new teachers every year, semester and sometimes quarterly, and each teacher trains them on that teacher's specific expectations. As a professional mentor, I train my mentees on my processes for both of our optimal success. When a new employee comes to work for you or a new student comes into your classroom, they have basic understandings of how things will operate but they must be trained to prosper in your specific environment. McDonald's has what's called McDonald's University to train their employees on their systems and processes. As a customer of McDonald's I know how some things are supposed to be done, but I don't know the inner workings because I'm not required to provide service for them. They have documented systems in place for ease, uniformity, expectation and success. Their system has been implemented, tested and proven and every one of their employees knows what's required for their respective position. It doesn't matter if your businesses are small and that you have one employee at each location. You still need to have a written plan in place because employees are actually representing YOU, and they have to learn how to do that. Next week I'll share how this same process is effective at home and in relationships. You have the right to be successful in business. But if you're struggling or not quite thriving yet, schedule a call or book a package. As in the example above, you may be missing that one thing that will put you over the top in sales and productivity and I can identify the perfect strategy for you.  I want a new car. I probably need a newer car. Seriously, I drive what many would call a clunker. Regardless I'm willing to make use of what I have until I have cash in hand to purchase a car I want to drive. Creating debt through a car payment is usually not a wise decision and moving forward into the fall of 2015 it's potentially even worse than in years past. I recorded this video July 20, 2015 because the message was given to me very clearly by what's known as prophetic utterance. The warning to not take on a car payment was impressed to me very clearly - the message was for others just as much as for myself. I've held on to this video for two reasons. One, I didn't know what to do with it. It was a seemingly random bit of information, and two, most people don't want to hear this type of advice. But I read a similar and more detailed message on my mentor's website Sunday, August 30 and knew it was time to release my video as well. His message confirmed what I sensed as I studied the economy in prepartion for fall. This is the note from my mentor: WARNING: The next subprime debacle in the USA will be in the sector of automobile loans. |
Zari Banks, M.EdAuthor, Teacher, Mentor and Speaker 
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