Stephanie LH Calahan - Business Transformation Catalyst

The Secret Tool That Helps My Business Grow & Keeps Me Connected to Important FollowUps

This past week I was having a conversation with a colleague and she asked me how I was able to keep all of my various contacts straight. 

She tells me, "Between face-to-face networking, social networking, clients, prospects and people downloading stuff from my website it is tough for me to keep all of my out reach organized!"

I can relate!  I have to admit, this was a much easier task for me before I got heavily involved with social media.  Back when I had to keep track of phone conversations, email and face-to-face it was simply much easier to do!

When I asked her what she did to manage all of her communications she showed me a pile of sticky notes on her desk.

She shared that she was often forgetting important followups and conversations that she had because they would get lost in the piles.  Sound familiar?  Then stick around, because I'm going to share my secret weapon today!

I Invite You to Make 2012 Different - Take a stand and say YES with me.

Warning - this message may be a bit more harsh than you are used to reading from me.  Read it anyway!

If you are like most business owners, you created your business because you wanted to live on your own terms and you knew that you have something amazing to offer.

But, have you realized that dream?

Are you doing what you love, or putting out fires? Do you have minor business problem gathering other problems, rolling downhill and ending up smack, dab in your personal life?  Do you find you are getting sidetracked and not finding the traction you need to move your business forward?

The truth is every performance gap, every little inefficiency, every lack of organization or productivity, not only reduces the effectiveness of your business, it also steals time from your personal life! This is TRUE FOR all BUSINESS owners!

As business owner you need to confidently take your business to the next level… if you’re not, you may be going nowhere fast...  In fact if you are like 95% of business owners, you are already there…in the area of a million ideas and nothing getting done.

5 Simple Keys to Time & Productivity

"Can't you just tell me what tools to buy? I just don't have time to DO anything."

She was frusterated when I talked with her on the phone.  Busy business owners often are.  However, there are no "magic beans" that you can buy to make more time and often buying more tools just clutters up your space.  If you are not willing to take action, it does not matter what you buy.  You will likely still be in the same position a year from now.  Tough but true.

Sometimes we want a quick fix -- something to make it all better.  Today, I'll share a video slideshare of some simple things that if you do them consistantly, will give you more time than any gadget might.

Spend Minutes to Save Hours - It is an Art Worth Learning

You have heard it before. You must invest time to save time.  But what does that really mean?  

Do you have small things that bother you -- that take you time?  Maybe you have opportunities to invest time to save time.

The other day I was working with a client on his computer.  He started the conversation by telling me that he did not like how his new Windows laptop was organized.  He had gotten used to Windows XP and the new operating system was just not what he liked.  He said that he often had to search for the programs that he actually used because they were buried in pull-down menus.

When I suggested that it was possible to re-arrange the windows, he said that he knew that was possible but just did not have the time to do it.  "Really? - - - Really?"  I asked.  We spent a few minutes adding up how much time searching for programs he actually used would take on a weekly basis.  Over an hour a week!  (That shocked me too.)  After seeing how much time he was spending just trying to navigate his computer, it became more obvious that he did not have time to NOT make the change.

19 Work From Home Success Secrets to Eliminate Distractions & Get More Done!

There are more professionals working out of their home now than ever before. Working out of your home can be a blessing and a curse at the same time. Distractions can come from every corner. Today we will cover 19 tricks or tips to make working from home.... work!

What is Your Done List Telling You? A different take on the to-do list.

Have you ever considered looking at your "Done List"?  Did you even know you had one?  You do!

We frequently talk about to-do lists and planning, but you often don't hear us talk about those things that you complete.  Today I'll share some thoughts on why that is so very important to your ability to meet your goals and get things done.

Don't Strangle Your Reminders!

The other day, I sent out a tip update on Twitter:

StephCalahan (Stephanie LH Calahan) Lists, notes, alarm clocks, software w/ reminder functionality all are valuable tools to help you stay on task. Use them as much as possible

Then, my Twitter buddy Nicole replied:

BizFinanceForum (Nicole Fende) @StephCalahan I do try. My question - how do I keep from wanting to strangle my reminders? 

What a great question!  Let's talk about that a bit today.

Are you Time-challenged Tim or Non-productive Nancy? Then get in on this giveaway.

Are you known as a Time-challenged Tim?

Or are you Non-productive Nancy?

If this is you, I have something that will help!

February is Time Management Month and every small business owner and work-from-home professional I know (including me) needs all the help we can get with effective time and priority management!

My buddy and fellow productivity expert, Elaine Quinn, has created a fun giveaway.  Keep reading to learn more.

6 Tools to Help You Manage Large Projects with Local & Virtual Teams

I created this super secret (he he - not so secret now) group on Facebook of productivity and organization consultants and it has been a great source of networking for us.  The other day a colleague asked about our suggestions for tools.  The situation:

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"Rob" is a project manager that is responsible for a number of projects across the world and he needs to keep track of all of them.  His team is global, so physical solutions (like white boards and sticky notes on a big wall) will not work for him. 

Of course, my awesome colleagues came through with possibilities and I'll share those here today.

Listen to Stephanie on Solace Wealth Management on Blog Talk Radio

Listen to Stephanie answer questions about productivity & organization on the Solace Wealth Management show.  John will interview Steph for 60 minutes. Have questions you want to make sure Stephanie answers?  Share them in the comments below or add them to the comments on the show's chat. Listen to internet radio with Solace Wealth Management on Blog Talk Radio

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To your success!

PS - I LOVE hearing from my readers!  Do you have a tip or trick that works well for you?  Let me know!  Do you have something that you are struggling with that you would like me to write about?  Let me know that too!

PPS - If you would rather listen to my posts go to http://www.cinchcast.com/StephCalahan where you can listen online or download to iTunes or your computer.

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©Stephanie LH Calahan (AKA StephCalahan) is a dynamic entrepreneur, nationally
known speaker, media personality, author, publisher; personal productivity and
organization consultant, and business coach.  She understands that every person
is different and requires systems that work for them.  As the founder and CEO of
Calahan Solutions, Inc., she and her consultants focus on conducting presentations,
personal coaching, assessments and productivity / organizing services for
entrepreneurs & time pressed professionals. 
Learn more: www.CalahanSolutions.com or www.ProductiveAndOrganized.net

 

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10 Reminder Systems for You To Consider

Do you have difficulty remembering important dates?  There are a number of great tools out on the web that help you remember the events in your life that you don't want to forget.  Today, I'll share a few that my friends and clients like.

Personal Productivity & Organizing Link Lineup

There is some fantastic content out on the web and I often have clients and readers ask me what I have found.  Today, I share links to a number of different blogs and sites with content on: Planning Productivity Tools Mindset/Focus Social Media Productivity Time Management

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Personal Productivity, Organization and Mindset #Cinch Podcasts In One Location

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Favorite Planning/Calendar Tool - Readers Speak Out

There are many ways to manage your time and activities.  How do you decide? I asked my friends to share their favorite planning tool.  Today's post shares what they had to say.  I'd love it if you would share your thoughts too.

Your Priorities - Take the Quiz and See How You Do

The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities. ~ Stephen Covey

I hear it all of the time from my business colleagues and clients.  "I don't have time!"  It is true that we are busier than ever.  It seems that the more tools and tricks we get, the more we have to do and the less time we have to do it.  I read somewhere recently that we get done in 14-15 hours what 30 years ago would have taken 40+ hours to do.  Yet, it still does not all get done... Why is that?  Maybe it is because we are not focusing on the right things.

Take today's quiz and then tell me how you did.  It can be really eye opening!

AboutOne is About YOU! Win a chance at an iPod Touch!

I am quite honored to share that the founders of AboutOne contacted me earlier this year and asked me to sit on their advisory board.  After hearing Joanne Lang's extremely professional presentation and vision for an on-line tool that would help busy moms get and stay organized, I was hooked.  Of course I was honored to be on their board!

Up until this point, the AboutOne team has been diligently in the background planning and programming the awesome new tool.  They are now needing your input to ensure that they are spending their development dollars in the right place.  (One of the things I like about this company is that they really care about what YOU think!)

If you have a few minutes, I'd love it if you would go to www.AboutOne.com and take their market survey.  It won't take long and it will help the team tremendously. 

A little about AboutOne:

Coming early in 2010, AboutOne is designed to help busy moms get organized, ->> it is a highly secure, on-line service that helps you quickly enter, track and organize your information and your household information, share pieces with family members and give you the ability from any location, 24/7 to find what you need in seconds.  

 

In addition to helping moms (and yes, dads you will love it too!) the AboutOne team is all about "giving back" too.  Here are three ways that they contribute on a bigger scale:

• free access for our Heroes (army, navy, fire etc) program
• sponsoring children in need
• giving time at events to raise money for cancer.  

Please help the team ensure that the product meets YOUR needs by taking the survey at www.AboutOne.com- it takes less than 10 minutes and you can win an iPod Touch every month too.

Oh!  They will be participating in the Great Organizing Giveaway too!

To your success!

PS -- This is the last post for this week.  Next week be on the look out for my guest posters.  Please show them some love and comment on the blog. :-D

 

Want a Paper Planner for 2010? Check out these Great Reviews by @JanetBarclay

Janet Barclay of Your Organizing Business wrote a great post a few days ago that recapped how she is choosing her planner for 2010.  In her post Paper Planners: The Showdown, Janet talks about how she solicited recommendations from her readers (most all Professional Organizers) and boy did she get some great suggestions.

"The recommendations I received fit into three main categories: traditional, downloadable/printable, and innovative, so I’m grouping my comments accordingly."  Janet Barclay

This is a must read post if you are looking for that perfect paper planner.  You may come to the same conclusion as Janet, or you may find that your needs are totally different, but you will get a fabulous overview of some of the most popular planning systems today.

Have a planning system you love?  Tell me about it. 

To your success!

PS -- If you've enjoyed this post and want to see more, why not subscribe to our daily emails (Feedblitz) or through the RSS Feed (click here)?  Or, follow us on Twitter!  Or connect on Facebook!

The Great Calendar Debate - Paper or Electronic - 21 Experts Weigh In

We are in the home stretch of 2009 -- bring on 2010!!  One item frequently purchased at this time of year is a calendar or planner for the upcoming year. 

But, what is the right kind of planner to use?  Some say the traditional paper planner is the best, while others swear by their smart-phone or on line tool.  How do you decide what is best for you? 

Keep reading to learn what my colleagues and friends had to say about the "Great Calendar Debate."   They provide tips to help you decide as well as some recommended tools.

Do You Have a Yeah/Yuckie List? Maybe You Should

I'm sure you are thinking, "Stephanie has lost her mind!"  A Yeah/Yuckie list?  That sounds like something kids would do and maybe it is, but today, we're going to talk about why you might want to make one of your own.

A Yeah/Yuckie list is a thought process you can go through to help you determine if you are spending your time wisely.

Electronic Planners are Not for Everyone - Paper Planners are Great Too

Electronic planners are the thing of today, but are they for you?  PDA, Palm, iPhone, Blackberry and more....  Now, I have to admit, I love my AT&T Tilt smart phone.  I use it for SO much, but I also know that there are just as many people that don't function well with the electronic stuff.

Scheduling and Planning Keeping on Track

Keeping your day on track can often times be a challenge in today's schedule hectic environment.  We have provided 7 tips for you to use to make your day go smoother.