[display_podcast]
Thoughts from your Systems Goddess, Sandye Linnetz, Process Prodigy
I have an Outrageously Effective System for celebrating New Years’ Eve and preparing for the coming year. I’ve successfully used it for years, so I know it works. There have been times over the past fifteen or twenty years when I have had to make minor revisions, but we’ll cover some of those much needed revisions towards the end of this blog…
On to my New Year System… Let’s start with New Year’s Eve ‘cuz that’s the fun part. I begin with the idea that I AM THE PARTY – so I am absolutely sure that wherever I go and whatever I do will be a blast! That takes a lot of pressure off planning. It doesn’t really matter where I end up, I always know that I’m going to have FUN. I also know my limits. Big, huge parties with massive numbers of strangers don’t generally work for me, so I tend to go to smaller “home” celebrations. I am a little person. That means not too much alcohol is needed or suggested for optimum results. I don’t drive well when I’m exhausted, so I know that I must stay close to home or have a safe way to get home. My ride is arranged in advance. I LOVE champagne – good champagne – so I bring a bottle or two with me. This eliminates the disappointment factor if my hosts like to skimp on the bubbly! Okay, perfect evening planned…
And the New Year? I’m not a resolution kinda gal. I figure that resolutions are basically made to be broken – and usually are within the first week or two of the year. Rather than make a list of MUSTS and SHOULDS and HAVE TOS, I prefer to create a plan, instead. I actually write it out and post it in my office (with a minimized copy next to my bed) and refer to it throughout the year. My SYSTEM involves a list of questions which, when answered, will naturally lead me to the results I am looking to achieve throughout the new year. I am then able to create individual systems for each of the areas in my plan.
Here are some of the questions I suggest that you ask yourself in preparation for creating your plan.
WHAT ARE YOUR OVERALL GOALS FOR THE NEW YEAR? WHAT INSPIRES YOU TO ACTION?
(Getting clarity is the first BIG step to achieving desired results, and writing them down is a powerful step towards turning desires into reality.)
WHAT ARE YOUR TOP THREE GOALS? GET FOCUSED!
(Specificity really helps.)
WHAT OBSTACLES OR CHALLENGES SHOULD YOU BE PREPARED TO HANDLE?
(Think Boy Scouts here… Expect the best but be prepared for the worst.)
WHAT IS CURRENTLY STOPPING YOU – OR HAS STOPPED YOU IN THE PAST – FROM HAVING IT ALL?
(Consider strengthening your body and quieting your mind.)
Remember, it’s not about resources… we all have plenty of those. It’s about BEING RESOURCEFUL and taking control of your future.
And those “revisions” I wrote of earlier? Well, folks, got to admit that your Systems Goddess has had to create a system for knowing when enough is enough! Used to be that I could party all through the night. Now? Not so much. Truth be told, I’m ready for sleep by 11:00 most nights. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve actually stayed at a New Year’s Eve party past 12:05 in the last ten years. And alcohol? Hmmm My three-glass limit (that’s the stupidity and dancing on the table limit) has been reduced to two – and sometimes one and a half. The system? Simple. I silently ask myself the following questions (just like designing any other system):
1. How am I feeling NOW?
2. How do I want to feel tomorrow?
3. What steps will I need to take to have that happen?
If the answer to #1 is “GREAT”… I stay and play until the answer begins to change.
If the answer is “tired and losing control”. I call a cab or get a ride home.
If I can’t even remember the question…
Answering question #1 pretty much takes care of two and three. My answer to #2 has always been “awake, alive, refreshed and full of JOY”. That pretty much creates the answer to #3; requires sleep and a clear head (possibly LOTS of water and a couple of Excedrin).
A system is a process for creating desired, predicable, duplicatible results. Remember to ask yourself the BIG THREE QUESTIONS:
Where are you NOW?
Where do you want to BE?
How can you get there?
And you can’t help but create a system that is Outrageously Effective! Happy New Year! Happy Everything!
© 2008 Beth Schneider, Process Prodigy, Inc. Want to reprint this article? Feel free as long as you include the following: Beth Schneider, President of Process Prodigy Inc., www.processprodigy.com, along with her team of highly sought after operations consultants, reveal the insider secrets billion-dollar corporations pay thousands of dollars for. Specializing in process creation, Process Prodigy tools and techniques have helped entrepreneurs increase productivity by as much as 600%, and revenues by as much as 250%. Visit www.processprodigy.com/ezine and grab your FREE systems starter kit valued at $297.00.
| Tweet |
Leave a comment