Travel

Over the last couple of weekends I've had the opportunity to do some traveling. As you know, two weekends ago I was in Hartford, CT. This past weekend, the family came with me out to Grove City, PA for my wife and my ten year college reunion. Here's what I've learned from my recent travels:

Always provide yourself a cushion. Whether I was traveling by myself or with my family, when we give ourselves an extra cushion of time to arrive, we can stay more relaxed. When you are planning out your business goals, are you cutting it close, or are you giving yourself enough time to actually complete the goal?

Traveling is a process, not just a result. Yeah, you are looking to arrive at a certain location at a specific time, but when you let go of the result, you can actually enjoy the ride. In my case, I enjoyed the turning leaves of New England and Central PA. We got where we were going with enough time. When you are working on your goal, are you so focused on the result that you miss other opportunities?

Lastly, take a break. I took time off and did no work while we traveled this past weekend. I didn't even check my e-mail. It was a great sense of relief. When you are working on your goals, how often do you give yourself a break? Breaks are important - they give our minds an opportunity to stop focusing on your goal. When we get back to our goal work, we are more refreshed and ready to go - usually making us more effective.

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All Roads Lead to Follow Up

A classic study of sales calls made by Dartnell and McGraw Hill produced the following fascinating statistics:

80% of all sales are made only after 5 or more contacts
48% of all salespeople give up after the first contact
25% give up after the 2nd contact
17% give up after the 3rd or 4th contact

These statistics show that 90% of the salespeople give up before 80% of the sales will ever be made!

Hartford Marathon

The marathon is over. As usual, I learned a few lessons from the race that I'd like to share with you.

First lesson - keep going. I ran 21 miles before taking a walk break. This felt great. It kept me on target to do a personal best.

Second lesson - relax. Several times during the race, I reminded myself to relax my body. This allowed me ease up my body and run easier.

Third lesson - Make your goals big. I set a goal of finishing the marathon in three hours and fifty-nine minutes. I didn't make it in that time, but I still was pleased, because it wasn't ever about reaching that goal. It was about pushing myself farther than I had been before. As a result, I did finish with a personal best - topping my old personal best by 20 minutes.

What are the lessons you are learning in your business and your life? Care to share them with anyone? You never know what you or others could learn.

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Masterminding

Masterminding seemed to be the theme of this past week. I was asked to participate in one mastermind group, facilitate another and I launch a new site of my own on masterminding.

Masterminds can be very valuable for entrepreneurs. They are opportunities to bounce their ideas off of other entrepreneurs. The feedback the participants receive can make a huge impact.

Who do you bounce your ideas off of? Who can give you honest feedback? Who pokes holes in your ideas?

These are the things that masterminds can offer. If you are interested in masterminding but are not sure how to get started, please give me a call at 717-557-5001 or drop me an e-mail and I'll share what I know or invite you to one of the mastermind groups I'm involved with.

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Getting Stuff Done

This was a good week when it comes to goals. I was pleased to accomplish several of my strategic goals this week. Of course, it's a great feeling to accomplish goals - however, I'd say it's more important to understand what allowed me to accomplish so much.

So what happened that allowed me to get so much done? First, I was focused. I knew exactly what I needed to accomplish. I allowed myself to be specific. When I'm specific, I know what the end result looks like.

Second - I faced and overcame obstacles. A big change that happened over the last few weeks was a change in thinking about the obstacle I faced. I was able to overcome my own challenge because my belief about the old way of doing things was no longer acceptable. When this thought changed, so did my behavior. I did the thing I had been dreading previously and I did it without effort.

So what do you need to do to get stuff done this week? What's the biggest goal that have for the week? What obstacles are you facing? Let me know if you need some help.

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Habit

Have you ever thought about the habits that you have and how they affect you, your business, and your clients? This past week, I've been taking extra special notice of the habits I have and how they impact others and myself. The information I've been collecting on myself has yielded a variety of responses to my own behavior - some good and some not-so-good.

This has allowed me to determine not only what I don't like, but also what upsets me enough to actually make a change.

This self-assessment has also been good from the standpoint of reminding me of my strengths. So often we take our strengths for granted.

Have you ever done your own self-assessment? What are you learning about yourself and your business? What changes would make a big impact on your business?

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Tip from a Member

10 Cooking Tips to Help Save $$

• Cook batches - If you have time over the weekend, make large quantities of your favorite dinners. Set aside enough to serve the next night, and freeze additional batches for days when dinner's a rush. (Freeze promptly so teenagers don't polish off the extras…) Florentine Brunch Casserole and Beef Tamale Bake are easy to make and freeze.

• Go meatless a few days a week - You'll save money and reap health benefits, too. Try Creamy One-Pot Pasta or Portobello, Red Pepper & Goat Cheese Pizza.

• If you do buy meat… buy the tougher cuts, which are less expensive, and stew, roast or marinate to tenderize and add more flavor. Try Balsamic-Glazed Strip Steaks or Chipotle-Rubbed Beef Filets.

• Use whole grains - Brown rice and quinoa are delicious and nutritious in their own right, but you can also use them in Quinoa Salad with Shiitake Mushrooms and Leeks and Harvest Brown Rice Salad.

• Buy beans - Dried or canned legumes like white beans, chickpeas, and lentils are an inexpensive way to add protein to your diet. You can use them to make a tasty pot of chili go farther, or you can make a salad topping by combining white beans with some extra-virgin olive oil, chopped garlic, and crushed red pepper. Try Hearty Oven Chili or the Hearty Six-Can Chili recipes.

• Make a pot of soup - Easy, nutritious, filling, and inexpensive soup is the ultimate money-stretcher. Throw in leftover veggies or protein, pasta or rice, and lentils or beans. Try Roasted Tomato & Barley Soup or Italian Meatball Soup. Add a side of crusty whole-wheat bread, and it's a meal.

• Boost salad - A simple salad dressed up with easy additions such as cold roast chicken, shrimp, ham, or chunks of tuna can be an entrée rather than a side. Try Deluxe Cheeseburger Salad or "The Works" Baked Potato Salad

• Experiment with herbs - Fresh herbs add a flavor boost to any dish. If you find you have extras, whip up a quick sauce or pesto for use later in the week. Sautéed Halibut with Citrus-Basil Sauce is a great way to use basil, and you can experiment with Basil-Walnut Pesto to brighten up pastas, soups, and even sandwiches.

• Make your own snacks - You can reduce your food bill by reducing your snacking. Packaged snacks are expensive, often loaded with sugar and fat, and full of chemicals you can't even pronounce. If you're a compulsive snacker, switch to homemade treats such as Game Day Party Mix Another good choice? Moroccan Hummus is a dip-with-a-kick for dunking baby carrots or pepper slices.

• Employ leftovers quickly - Don't push leftovers to the no-man's-land at the back of the fridge. Make sure you use them promptly, either for lunch or another dinner. Turn leftover 30-Minute Chicken into Barbecue Chicken & Onion Pizza and leftover turkey into Turkey Vegetable Cobbler.

Want to know where to find these recipes? You can find them in the following Pampered Chef cookbooks and product use and care cards:

• All the Best, It’s Good for You, Season’s Best Spring/Summer 2008, Grill It Quick! Recipe Collection, Spin on Salads, 29 Minutes to Dinner, More Stoneware Sensations, Smooth Edge Can Opener Use and Care Card, Colander & Bowl Set Use and Care Card, Hooked on Fish Recipe Cards, Moroccan Rub Use and Care Card

Ronnie Keels
The Pampered Chef
717-747-0883
www.pamperedchef.biz/Rkeels