Heather Eldred » Success

4 ways to get more done each day

Heather — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 16:45:04 +0000

Let’s face it, no matter how much we get done each day, burning the candle at both ends, the longer our to-do list gets. I personally run to the side of overly ambitious in all the things that I want to pursue and accomplish. In any given day, I might decide to get a lot of work done for a client, work out an hour or two, make a great meal, clean my house, write some pages in my book-in-progress and spend quality time with my kidos. Some days I accomplish all of this and some days not so much. Because I’m always trying to do so much, I’ve had to find effective and simple strategies to get more done- without killing myself. The key? Quit trying to do so much! Here are four tips to help you get more of the right stuff done each day. 1) Prioritize – what do you really want to do and what really has to get done? Once a week (and usually every day), I make a list of the FEW things that absolutely must get done this week. For me, mowing the lawn isn’t on the MUST do list while cleaning the clothes is, folding them isn’t. Paying the utility bill that is past due so the electricity doesn’t get turned off is. At work, I really focus on the 80/20 – the 20% of things that have the ability to move the needle. So the few things might be meeting with my staff to develop next quarter’s strategic plan (helping them find their 80/20) but not cleaning out my inbox. For a busy executive – this list might only be 3-5 items long. 2) Quit multi-tasking – believe it or not multi-tasking is the worst thing that you can do. It used to come with bragging rights but now I think most people realize this is not the way to get more done. You end up working on a lot of things but getting nothing done well. Don’t believe me? Try it for a week. Only work on one thing at a time. You’ll get more done, you’ll feel less stressed and what you do get done will be done well. 3) Make your Mornings Count – Do the most important (and hardest) tasks when your brain is at its peak. For most of us, that is first thing in the morning. I realized a long time ago, that if I don’t get the hard stuff done by 11, I’m pretty much screwed for the day. And what we do the first thing in the morning sets the tone. If you start your day saturating your brain with email or worse yet last night’s Facebook posts, you’ll set yourself up for a very unproductive day. So don’t use those precious fertile moments to read email or pay bills! That time is precious and should be used for things that require great creativity and or great thought. If you are working on a new business idea, writing a book or […]

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Flexibility = key to success

Heather — Wed, 12 Mar 2014 08:35:00 +0000

One of the most important things I’ve learned in my career (and life) is that you have to be able to bend. In our modern, stressed out, balls to the wall corporate culture, things get heated, people have differing opinions and motives can oftentimes be at odds. This is the case even if folks have the best of intentions and are just trying to do what they think is right. It makes it even harder when there are people that have less than the best of intentions and are so focused on getting to the top that they don’t mind crushing a few bystanders on the way. When I was in my 20s, I had an opinion about everything and I argued about everything. And of course I was always right (just ask me). I still think I’m right most of the time, but I’ve learned that life is too short to be constantly at battle and frankly, when you have a fight that you need to take on, you don’t want to be too diluted or too damn worn out to take it on. Bottom line: Pick your battles. Here are areas that I apply this to: 1) My teenager.. let as much roll off as possible long hair, the occasional smart ass remark, wants to have to do his chores when he wants, not when I want. the friends he picks – unless they are real trouble makers Battles to pick: no swearing online or around girls, be respectful, kind & a gentleman; especially to Mom, Grandma and Girlfriend, follow through with commitments You’ll notice no texting while driving, drugs, alcohol and unprotected sex aren’t even on the list. Those aren’t negotiable and are not up for battle – he just knows he’ll have the wrath of Mom. And we talk about them… A LOT. You can imagine his joy :-). 2) My subordinates.. again, let as much roll as possible flexible work hours, the way projects get accomplished as long as time frames, scope and a high level project plan are established, how they manage their staff as long as they are respectful and fair, time off as long as it doesn’t interfere with something very important – even just a mental health day should be encouraged). Battles to pick: being respectful, kind and professional Effective communication including establishing understanding of expectations, timelines, resources and what will need to prioritized in order to get the job done follow through with commitments – communicating with effected parties as challenges arise, bringing forth possible solutions, ramifications and risk mitigation. Effective, measurable movement toward goals Bottom line – don’t be a control freak. Pick the battles that matter. Focus on the 80/20 whether at work or at home. Empower and trust those around you. You will get more done and you will inspire your employees and children to take charge and be the best versions of their selves.

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Making decisions is an integral part of being a leader

Heather — Sat, 25 Jan 2014 22:14:15 +0000

Decision making is a key component to our lives and a daily element of successful leadership. The quality of decisions and the ability to make one (as opposed to being continually un-decided) shapes our lives and our careers. I’ve personally honed my decision making skills by the following: 1) A lot of practice making decisions and not being stifled by indecision (remember NOT making a decision is still making a decision, you just had no input into the outcome). 2) Learning to focus on the 80/20, the 20% of the facts that are actually relevant to the effectiveness of the decision, quickly discounting the red herrings and fluff. 3) Finally, the most important thing I’ve learned is to trust my intuition. While I generally have little time to make a decision and nearly always have to make it based on not enough information and not enough time, the gut reflex will generally get me there, even if I have little empirical data to support the instinct. I’ve learned to take a moment and ensure I’m making a decision from a place that is positive, won’t have any large unintended negative impacts and that feels genuine to myself. This article from Deepak Chopra discusses how to make great decisions. https://www.deepakchopra.com/blog/view/1412/_the_secret_to_making_good_decisions

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Embrace Change for Growth

Heather — Sun, 05 Jan 2014 23:11:29 +0000

“The only way that we can live, is if we grow. The only way that we can grow is if we change. The only way that we can change is if we learn. The only way we can learn is if we are exposed. And the only way that we can become exposed is if we throw ourselves out into the open. Do it. Throw yourself.” ― C. JoyBell C. What does it mean to be successful? Many times we have a vision in our heads of having “arrived” at some poignant point in our lives where we have achieved all that we have set out to achieve. Finally, I have work-life balance, finally I am as healthy as I want to be, finally I have work that fills me with passion and I can execute with integrity and purpose. Finally I have the people in my life that I want. Finally I have financial security and I can give back. Finally. I am successful. But whether you have actually arrived at this place, called “success” or are still striving in that direction, the problem with this day dream is this – what happens to your life once you have arrived? What then? We now have all that we ever wanted, but is it enough? How often we achieve exactly what we want in life, only to find ourselves mildly content for a bit and then largely discontented. Maybe because the dream wasn’t all the reality was cracked up to be. Maybe because what we really needed in life wasn’t the success vision we had pursued, but something entirely else. Or maybe the truth is a realization that if we aren’t growing, we are dying. Bottom line; open yourself up to the next passionate scheme that ignites your soul. We need something else to strive for. The depths of our souls are endless and the possibilities of our passions are limitless. To live, we must grow. And to grow, we must change. We must take risks. We must take on new assignments, new beliefs, and new people. We will never “arrive” at a point in our lives where we won’t be uncomfortable or have to deal with difficult people or circumstances. This is because without trial and tribulation and pain, we can’t grow. This reminds me of weight lifting. If you’ve ever had a particularly intense workout, you know that your muscles will be sore the next day (or several days!). Muscles grow only through the process of repairing damage to themselves. When you lift significant weight, you are actually tearing and damaging the muscles. They grow larger and more defined through the re-building process. Without the pain and damage, there could be no growth. Even when we think we have “arrived”, we still should be open to new challenges and continue to expose ourselves to life. We will continue to suffer setbacks and damage and there will be moments of strife, grief and really hard work. But in the end, we’ll keep […]

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Surround Yourself By People Smarter Than You

Heather — Fri, 06 Dec 2013 01:56:28 +0000

I recall when Ross Perot ran for President in 1992. I was 18 years old and fresh with optimism and a little scared that I didn’t have a clue what I was doing or where I was heading. I remember hearing that he attributed much of his success to surrounding himself by people that were smarter than him. The guy’s net worth was close to $3.5 billion and he was running for president so that was likely enough of a reason to heed his advice. But more than anything, it resonated with me. I’ve applied this advice in my career over and over and the more I do, the more I believe. None of us are perfect so the way to get closer to perfect is to compliment yourself with people that have skills that you don’t. I’m a very high level strategic thinker but I don’t like getting mired down in the details. I have always have staff that work for me that are great with the details. I come up with the high level direction, they make it happen. And keep me out of the weeds. And out of trouble! My staff meetings closely resemble a spirited high school debate as opposed to a bunch of folks sitting around telling me what I want to hear. We are respectful, but there isn’t one person that won’t tell me I’m wrong. I highly value my own opinion, (who doesn’t?), but I don’t need a bunch of folks that share my opinion. I need the devil’s advocate. I need the conservative, glass half-empty and “what if” people. I need the “what if we tried it this way?” I need help remembering that if we go this route, “we might piss some people off”. Now that’s collaboration that creates great results. How to achieve this in your work place? 1) As in most things in business, it starts at the top. The management team really needs to believe that every person has value and brings some unique skill to the table. The culture needs to value diversity, frankness and kindness. 2) The second element required is that there has to be a solid level of trust. It must be a safe environment. That means that folks are loyal to each other and the group or organization. I just read a great article that Deepak wrote, “How to Win Loyalty From Other People” (https://www.deepakchopra.com/blog/view/1405/how_to_win_loyalty_from_other_people). He says, “Although money is often seen as a prime motivator, ultimately the bonds that hold an enterprise together are psychological. Important data gathered indicates that loyalty is one of the top three things that make workers feel satisfied.” To promote loyalty, Deepak recommends: 1) getting rid of gossip, 2) be sympathetic and open to people you work with, 3) competition with co-workers is healthy, but rivalry is counterproductive. Remind folks that we are all on the same team, 4) get to know your co-workers on a personal level, 5) share your success, 6) don’t keep secrets and 7) remind yourself that there is no […]

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I deserve to be the boss! Try running your own race..

Heather — Fri, 29 Nov 2013 20:47:47 +0000

“I am in competition with no one. I run my own race. I have no desire to play the game of being better than anyone, in any way, shape or form. I just aim to improve, to be better than I was before. That’s me and I am free.” ~ Jenny G. Perry One of the biggest mistakes I’ve seen people make in trying to get ahead in business is to have this attitude. Because I have a MBA, 20 years’ experience, my Dad owns the company, etc., I should already be running the place. This attitude won’t get you anywhere. First of all, actions speak louder than words and I don’t care how impressive your resume is, you have to prove yourself. Second, you are robbing yourself of your life because you are preoccupied with the future and what you “should” be getting. Finally, when you have this attitude, you project negativity, arrogance and do not endear yourself to those around you – which is a needed ingredient to long term success in any organization. From my experience, I certainly never had any plan to “climb the corporate ladder”. I don’t have any fancy degrees and my Dad definitely did not own the company. What I did was give everything to the current project at hand. I sought out and volunteered for opportunities that I found challenging and could be passionate about (not because I thought they’d get me ahead). I helped out and ask for help of folks in all levels of the organization that had an equal degree of passion in the project. And I did keep escalating, getting many promotions but more importantly, many more opportunities to stretch my wings and find my passions. The side effects were nice sounding titles and increasingly good salaries. So if you feel you are deserving of something that you haven’t achieved yet, try out these tips (give it a solid six months). Trust me they work. 1) First of all, get over yourself. Believe it or not, you are not the smartest person alive and God’s gift to the world. Yes, you really have been sounding that way. Every single person has a gift to share, right down to the lady answering the phone and the guy taking out the trash. More times than not, these are the folks that saved my ass. When you have a thought or feelings of superiority over anyone – in any situation – observe in yourself that your EGO induced that thought, do not judge, just watch it and let it go. There is no need to beat yourself up, instead, take a look at the person or the circumstance and try and find value in it. Not what they can do for you, just value in general. By not focusing on yourself all the time, you’ll have your eyes open for the value in others and you’ll also be looking up when an opportunity presents itself. 2) Next, start doing, quit talking. […]

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Key to Being Happy in Work

Heather — Sat, 14 Sep 2013 18:24:22 +0000

“In order that people may be happy in their work, these three things are needed: They must be fit for it. They must not do too much of it. And they must have a sense of success in it.” ~ John Ruskin

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