From the Desk of Janet Barclay

I’ve always considered myself fairly independent, but I realize that there have been times that my desire to figure things out for myself has meant it took me longer than if I had simply asked someone.

One of the components of the Turbocharge Your Business Mastery Group I belong to is a system where we are randomly assigned to another group member to be our buddy during the program. Since the group generally meets every two weeks, my buddy and I have decided to connect by telephone on the in-between week, to discuss whatever seems important to us at the time.

A few weeks ago our call was scheduled for early afternoon. My buddy asked me what I had planned for after the call and I told her that I hadn’t yet decided, and that I felt it was too late in the day to try and plan anything specific. She (quite rightfully) pointed out that I had a good three hours left, which was certainly enough time to accomplish something. I then decided that I would work on a particular project and report back to her the next day. She also told me her plans, and agreed to report back to me. The buddy system was very helpful to me that day, because not only did it help me to realize that it wasn’t too late in the day for me to accomplish something of value, but it made me accountable to someone to ensure that I did.

In our call yesterday, we decided to take turns stating what we wanted to see happen in our lives, either professional or personal. This helped us to clarify in our own minds what we wanted, but by expressing it, we also sent it out to the universe, allowing us to attract those things into our lives.

Remember, just because you work from home doesn’t mean you have to go it alone. Find someone to buddy up with - to brainstorm, to vent, whatever you need. They don’t have to be in your field or your industry - they just have to be there.

Can you believe that May is nearly over? Spring is my favourite time of year and it’s never long enough, with winter dragging on long past March 21st and summer usually underway well before June 21st. So here it is, time to share this month’s quote from my motivational calendar.

 VISION

Some men see things as they are and ask, "Why?"
I dream things that never were, and ask "Why not?"

George Bernard Shaw

This is the secret behind many successful businesses: having the vision to develop new ideas, and the perseverance to bring them to fruition.

Earlier this week I attended a networking event called The Beehive Game. It began with each attendee standing up to give a brief self-introduction, but after that, it was unlike any other networking function I’ve ever attended!

After breaking into small groups (called "hives") everyone had four turns to be the Queen Bee and four turns to be someone else’s Worker Bee. The Queen Bee asks for something they want, and the Worker Bee’s job is to buzz around to the other hives to collect business cards from people who either have it or know someone who does. At the end of the night, you not only have a bunch of business cards, but you know exactly why you have each one, giving you a specific reason to follow up with each individual.

The questions asked at the game I attended ranged from "Do you know someone who needs credit counselling?" to "Do you know someone who has a private jet?" The premise is that each of us knows at least 200 people, so by articulating exactly what you are looking for, you’ll be able to find it.

The Hamilton group was fairly small, but it was still very worthwhile and a lot of fun. I will definitely consider going again, especially if they take it to a larger city that’s not too far away. One of the participants told me it was her third time, and of course each time is different because you get a different group of people.

To find out about upcoming Beehive games and other events, visit the Neworld Coaching website.

The Online International Virtual Assistants Convention was this weekend, and it was excellent! It was a little tiring, even though I was able to attend from the comfort of my home office, but it was worth it, for both learning and networking opportunities. I learned so much that I would like to share with my readers, but I thought I would start with this topic, since it ties in with my recent posting, Kick Start Your Day. 

Gillian Hood-Gabrielson of Healthier Outcomes delivered a presentation called "Grow Your Business, Not Your Waistline!" which began with a discussion of how proper nutrition and exercise can save you money. When you are self-employed, no one is going to pay you for sick days or time off for medical appointments, yet despite this fact, so many of us are not eating properly or feel we can’t take time away from work for exercise.

Gillian teaches a system called "intuitive eating" which is based on the theory that our bodies know what we need, so rather than obsessing over calories, carbs, and points, we should listen to our bodies and eat when we’re hungry and stop when we are satisfied.

Other recommendations she offered for busy home-based business owners included:

• take time on weekends to prepare food for the rest of the week
• go for a networking walk instead of lunch
• walk around while on the telephone, if you don’t have to be reading or writing notes
• use exercise time for continuing education, by reading business books (if you are using exercise equipment) or listening to audio classes

Gillian is currently offering a free report called "6 Simple Steps for Guilt Free Eating" to anyone who signs up for her Healthier Outcomes newsletter, so if you’re interested in learning more, you may wish to sign up.

Is your home or office cluttered with old cell phones you don’t know what to do with? During Stroke Awareness Month, from June 1 to June 30, the Heart and Stroke Foundation, in partnership with the Chartered Insurance Professional Society - Hamilton/Niagara Chapter, will be collecting old cell phones for recycling. For every cell phone that you donate, $1 will be given to the Heart and Stroke Foundation. You can drop off your old cell phones any time during the month of June at 1439 Upper Ottawa Street in Hamilton - Heart and Stroke Foundation Hamilton Office (Unit # 7) or Chartered Insurance Professional Society - Hamilton/Niagara Chapter (Unit 4 and 5).

It’s that simple to reduce your clutter, keep cell phones out of landfill, and help the Heart and Stroke Foundation breakthrough medical advancements, effect social change, and educate individuals, families and health professionals to get results that change lives!

Do you have other items you no longer need or want, but don’t know what to do with? Visit Charity Village for a listing of other organizations accross Canada that accept items for recycling, including clothing, computers and other electronic equipment, furniture and household items, renovation and building materials, vehicles, and even industrial machinery!