Positive Affirmation from the eyes of a child

These days, with all of the negativity in the World, it's nice to see parents out there who are teaching their children some great PMA (positive mental attitude).  This is a nice pick-me-up for anyone... young or old! We should all start the day with the mindset of this little girl, Jessica.  I love this video!

Jessica's Daily Affirmation

July New Year's Resolutions for Procrastinators

There's no snow on the ground in Delray Beach, Florida.  The sun shines every day and the coconut palm trees adorn the front yard.  When Christmas comes, it seems ridiculous to see Santa hanging out on someone's front lawn in his sleigh.  Sure, people decorate with lights and candy canes and garland.  But it doesn't feel like Christmas here, ever.

Living in New England for most of my whole life had me accustomed to the snow and cold. Just like everyone else who lives there, I had to put on boots and a big furry coat just to go out to the mailbox.  I had to scrape the pounds of ice off my windshield and start the car for a full 15 minutes before I went anywhere. What a pain.  That's why I moved to Florida.

I can't say it's such a bad thing that there is no snow here.  I wanted to be as far away from the cold as possible.  South Florida is where it's at.  I don't mind a little heat because I can cool off anytime in the nearby Atlantic Ocean, where the tropical turquoise water feels like a hot spring and the white sand squishes soft between my toes on my way to the lapping waves.  I love it.

It's the same here for most of the year.  That's why this past year when New Year's came and went, my resolution fell by the wayside.  I was too caught up in the spectacular fireworks show off the pier to think of a resolution; as I walked there wearing shorts and flip-flops.  Oh yeah!

This lifestyle is the perfect destination for people who are laid back. Procastinator?  Not really.  Just busy.  The lack of four seasons means that every day - no matter what season - is much the same weather as the next.  We did have a cold spell this year.  I think temperatures dipped low enough for me to dig out the only two sweatshirts I own for a couple of weeks. 

So, this year I have finally thought of a good New Year's Resolution.  It may be July, but it's never too late. And that is (drumroll, please)... to keep up with writing my blog.  My last post was a full 3 months ago, to the day.

What is your New Year's Resolution?  You don't have to wait until January 1st to make one. You can think of one today and apply it tomorrow.

From Doormat to Most Wanted Writer

Years ago when I worked at an advertising agency, I had a sign on my desk that read,
 

“I can only please one person per day.

Today is not your day.

Tomorrow is not looking good, either.”

It was meant to be a humorous reminder of demanding clients who walk all over you; you know those clients who always expect too much and complain too much, the more you bend over backwards? Instead, hold fast to your company’s ideals and stand your ground to earn the respect – and repeat business – of your customers. Setting boundaries of what you will and won’t do can save a lot of time, aggravation and lost profits in the long run. Surprisingly enough, setting boundaries will also make your customers MORE HAPPY. For example, let’s say you have a customer who repeatedly pushes deadlines by several days past their due date and then expects you to deliver their product immediately. Although you must have some flexibility in dealing with clients, you must never let them develop the ‘spoiled child’ syndrome. You know, those kids who always ask for bigger and better presents every time their parents take them to the store? They come to expect and demand the spoiling to continue. Clients can also become like spoiled children if you let them.

I know firsthand because in my early days of owning a business, I used to be one of those “Yes” people. I never said no to clients, and instead ran myself ragged. I stayed up every night until 2 or 3 a.m. to accommodate clients who needed ‘emergency’ graphic design or writing jobs by the next morning. You know what? They were rarely happy, and neither was I. Because of rushing, things were sloppy and there was no control over the quality. I’m sure you can think of examples for your business, too.

The reason why I did it was simple. I was afraid to lose their business. When you have a small company, you can’t afford to lose any business. Nor have mad clients. So finally, I learned to set some boundaries and tell clients what I could – and couldn’t do. Then a strange thing happened. I got MORE business! I got more respect. I got more work than I could possibly handle. I had to hire employees. I could pick and choose jobs I wanted to do, or not do. I turned work away. If a job was too cheap or too demanding, I simply said, “I’m sorry but due to the workload I have, I will not be able to get to yours until xx date.” Some of them actually said that was okay and waited! You see, I transitioned from being a doormat to getting the respect and trust that I deserved.

Here’s how you handle the great client who pushes your buttons, without pissing them off and still maintaining their business. “I know you’ve been too busy to get to this project and I will turn it around for you as fast as possible. However, because it is xx days past our deadline, I don’t want to sacrifice the quality by rushing too much, so realistically it will be xx day before I can have it finished.” This sets a boundary and gives the customer an expectation – of yours – that must be met. In the future, perhaps the customer will be more conscious of your time if they want the service or product sooner. If you cater to them by saying “No problem” long after the deadline, then they will never adhere to your deadlines and will always expect their jobs to be rushed and put ahead of other clients. Why should your other customers have to wait just because the spoiled child customer wants to get his way?