Do you ever wake up a little blah or feeling a pending doom?  Maybe there are some unresolved aggravations, or even some major ongoing challenges that are just bringing you down.  You start to think about what’s not pleasant and this negative focus pushes you further down.  Those negative feelings feed negative thinking, which leads to even more bad feelings.  I’m sure you get the picture…. It’s not pretty…. it is like a downward spiral.

I have found a way to reverse the direction on that spiral, and go up instead of down.  When you find yourself spiraling downward, become thankful. Give thanks for your current situation, your family, friends and relationships, for the plans you see on the horizon and for past and future successes. Whenever I do this, I am overwhelmed with a deep sense thanksgiving and positive thought that overwhelms the negative or critical thoughts in my head.  Find and focus on the good things of life.  You’ll be amazed at where you can go. Once you feel better, the best thing to do is to get into action.  Make it a good day!

If you need help maximizing the performance of your business call Ohio Business Coach Ralph Berge, 440-838-0991.

I was talking with a client recently about how she let the trash accumulate over the years. I told her I really understood. It happens to all of us. So we need to find time to clean up and take out the trash. It also occurred to me we’re not just talking about the junk and stuff that needs to be regularly thrown out.

If you want to be your best in business today, you need to learn to regularly remove the trash not only from your workplace, but from your head!  Your mind is like a garden.  You plant seeds, nurture those seeds as they grow and eventually reap a harvest.  Your mind is a field ready to produce a harvest.  Your creative ideas are the seeds that are sewn that can produce a cash crop.  But like any garden in creep the weeds – the head trash – the fears and doubt that overwhelm and frustrate and discourage us.  What must you do with this most important 6 inch garden (your mind) if you want to reap a healthy crop?  You must relentlessly clean up those weeds and toss out the trash!

Think about it.  Negative, doubtful, discouraging, hopeless, critical thoughts do not help you or improve your situation.  They are destructive reactions to circumstances.  You need to find and use the right tools. Replace negative reactions with creative, solution oriented, hopeful and encouraging action based thoughts.  Try these questions to help you deal with the trash.  Is what I am thinking absolutely true?  What CAN I DO in this situation?  What are my resources?  What is the worst thing that could happen and how could I handle that?  What can I do today to address my situation?  What are the possibilities?  What are all my options?  Who else can help me?  What is a better approach?  What else do I need to know? What haven’t I considered?  What can I learn from this?  How can I make this work?  What can I create?  Above all else make yourself think positive….ask: What am I thankful for?

Use good questions to weed the garden.  Discipline your mind to be brutally honest and intentionally optimistic.  The hard work of taking out the trash will be worth it.  You will have a clear, positive mind full of creative productive thoughts.  This is fundamental to your success….both in business and life.

If you need help identifying and disposing of the trash or maximizing the performance of your business call Ohio Business Coach Ralph Berge, 440-838-0991.

I flew airplanes for a few years. While flight was always exhilarating, a pilot learns quickly how conditions like fog affect your ability to fly safely. For those non-pilots, you have likely driven an automobile on a foggy night with low visibility.  There is really not much you can do but slow down.  But that is not an option when you are flying an airplane.  You are dependent on your instrument panel to tell you what is happening.  This is certainly no time to “fly by the seat of your pants”.  You need to know your instruments and you need to know critical numbers like air speed and elevation.  Your system is telling you your position and helping guide you to a safe arrival at your destination.

The same is true in business. As a business owner, you’ve probably “felt the fog” while “flying the plane” of your small business.  You need to be watching your instrument panel to successfully navigate the challenges.  The instrument panel of business is financial reporting.

Today I want to focus on Financial Mastery, which is a business’s instrument panel.   I can already hear the groans from some of you.  The fact is that financials can be FUN!  It really is a great feeling to know what is going on, and be planning your activities based on great feedback.  DENIAL is not bliss.  NOT KNOWING is why many small businesses struggle and often fail.  They run out of money.

So let’s take a brief look at the most important issue in financial mastery – cash flow.  The foundational tool to manage cash flow is a cash flow budget.  Simply put, a cash flow budget is a tool to plan and track your cash coming into the business, and leaving the business.  Cash is the fuel for the business.  For us to continue to fly, we must always have fuel in the tank and flowing to the engine.  A cash flow budget is a weekly or monthly summary and projection of money coming in and money going out.  It is important to understand that cash is NOT profit.  I have spoken to many business owners that are confused because their P&L statement shows a profit, but they have no cash.  For example, not only must you sell, but you must collect the money.  Also, if you have periods of time where your business is not profitable (e.g. a seasonal business), then you need to have other sources of cash available (e.g. savings, lines of credit) so that you don’t run out of gas.  All of these issues are displayed in your cash flow budget.  It is the fuel gauge for your business.

Now is the time to make sure that you have a working fuel gauge.  We would love to help you get a good cash flow budget in place for your business.  Next time we’ll take a look at another key financial mastery tool – breakeven.  This one helps you determine the profitability of your business and helps you understand what the business must produce to provide what you want.   

To check out your instrument panel and improve your strategic  business plan in 2011…call Ohio Business Coach, Ralph Berge 440.838.0991

I know it’s only just started, but how has 2011 been going for you? Did you create some New Year’s Resolutions?

If you did, you might be interested to know that University of Minnesota research showed that 80 percent of people give up on their goals after only two months.

Will you fall into this majority — or will you achieve the success you crave?

There are often many reasons why we don’t achieve our goals. Sometimes the goals we set are unrealistic. Actually, New Year’s resolutions are typical examples. Suddenly, we expect to change the way we eat, or the way we exercise just because the calendar changes. It’s like expecting a child who’s never ridden a bike to suddenly jump on and go, or for you to run a marathon without months of training. These goals are based on illusion with little regard to natural growth. You must be able to crawl before you walk.

Over several decades, I’ve studied the great achievers of the world. What I discovered is they all share certain characteristics — and I immediately set to work, examining each characteristic of their achievement. My goal: to determine how I could break these down into easy-to-apply techniques anyone could use to successfully achieve their goals.

So, how do we set and achieve goals? Stephen R. Covey says it best in his book “7 Habits of Highly Effective People”. “To begin with the end in mind means to start with a clear understanding of your destination. It means to know where you’re going so that you better understand where you are now and so that the steps you take are always in the right direction.”

The benefits of Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Results orientated, Time-framed (S.M.A.R.T) goals have been written about for years. So, it follows that goal setting is obviously a powerful process that will achieve success with your goals.

Here’s an example of a S.M.A.R.T. goal that you might have chosen for 2011:

WHAT

My goal is to maintain a healthy body.

WHY

So that:

I can be fit to do the things I enjoy.

I can be an example to my children in health management.

I can build my personal character strength

HOW

Good nutrition: I will increase my intake of fresh fruits and vegetables and decrease my intake of sugar, fats, salt and red meat.

Physically: I will exercise aerobically 3 times a week for 30-minute periods.

Focus: I will be aware of my body and look out for any health problems.

Focusing on the smaller, short-term goals and achieving success will give you the confidence to set other goals. We remind clients it’s about, “eating the elephant, one bite at a time” and of turning your goals into achievable, actionable things. It’s the common denominator of successful individuals and businesses.

So, remember, set your goals based on the S.M.A.R.T. principle to have the best chance of achieving your goals.

Make 2011 your year of setting sensible, achievable goals…That’s great New Year’s resolution!

Improve your team and yourself in 2011…call Ohio Business Coach, Ralph Berge 440.838.0991