2020 Word Of The Year: CONNECT
Connect. That’s my 2020 word of the year.
Have you ever paused to consider what word might guide you through the year? I started this process about five years ago (last year’s word was calm) and it’s been such an important part of my reflection process every December.
If you want to take some time and reflect on what you want to focus on this year, check out this piece I wrote for NextAvenue.org: 20 Questions to Help You Reach Your 2020 Goals. I guess some people can wing it and just see where the road takes them but I prefer to set aside some time and really consider what I want to invite more into my life. Connecting with others is a big one. Spending more time outdoors than indoors is another. Moving my body more than sitting in front of a computer. Stuff like that.
But these things don’t *just* happen. At least not for me. I need to consider how to put things into place, like creating new habits, to help make them a priority rather than a side note of my day (because that means it’ll never happen).
So how have I been doing it? Since I’m a deadline-oriented person, I’ve had to set daily deadlines for myself. I know in order for something to become a habit, I need to put it on the calendar with a specific time attached to it. I’d love to say the time is always the same but it’s not. Instead, I look at my calendar the night before and see what work deadlines I need to meet and I schedule around those deadlines.
As part of my reflection process last month, I pulled out the 48-card pack with Don Miguel Ruiz’s The Four Agreements. One of them really stood out so I taped it to my desktop screen as a daily reminder:
“Find the courage to ask for what you want. Others have the right to tell you yes or no, but you always have the right to ask. Likewise, everybody has the right to ask you for what they want, and you have the right to say yes or no.”
Connect. Show up. Reach out. Breathe and move. Those will be my guiding mantras in 2020. Want to join me? If so, let’s connect.
Top 7 Reasons Why You or Your Organization Needs A Book
Top reasons you need to write a book.
Ever considered writing a book? The process can be easier than you think when you partner with a writer. Photo by David Iskander on Unsplash.
Have you ever considered writing a book to establish yourself as an authority or for your organization to use it as a marketing tool? What makes someone choose to work with you or support your organization over another option? Customers and clients today want to support businesses or individuals who they feel align with their interests, have the expertise or feel like their investment is worth it. Many experts are choosing to partner with a writer who can take their knowledge and expertise and develop it into a book that they can then share with their potential customers.
Authority Marketing
Authority marketing is an approach in which business owners or experts position themselves as an authority in their field and, therefore, stand apart from their competition. This approach can be done in a number of ways, from writing trend articles in trade magazines about your industry to speaking at events in which your customers will likely be attending. It can also mean having written a book that you can offer clients and customers.
Not everyone should write a book but for those who want to differentiate themselves from their competition or give more insight into their organization, whether it’s a history book about the company or the people who are part of it today, a book can be a valuable marketing tool.
Here are the top 7 reasons you might consider working with someone to help you write a book for your company or organization in 2020:
1. Having a book can be a powerful way to set yourself apart from others in your industry.
2. A book can help establish your expertise in a particular field.
3. Publishing a book can be considered a form of validation. It enhances your reputation within your community.
4. Having written a book demonstrates that you care enough about your business or organization to help educate your customers and clients who are making decisions about whether to support you or not.
5. You can sell a book at speaking engagements, in your place of business or online and in bookstores, depending on the type of book.
6. You can use it to secure media coverage.
7. It can be used to leverage paying speaking engagements (and you can sell the book at the events, too).
Writing a book can be a daunting experience for many who aren’t writers. Some may have the expertise in their field but not in the actual writing of a book while others are concerned with the time and effort it’ll take to write it. For those who will be self-publishing the book, the cost can be a factor as well.
There are a number of ways you can make the process of writing a book easier. You can hire a ghostwriter or co-author. For those who don’t feel they have enough to write an entire book by themselves, they can reach out to colleagues in their field and include them in the book as other experts. Depending on the type of book, they may also be able to split the cost, making it financially feasible to write and publish the book.
Writing A Book: How To Get Started
If you’re serious about writing a book, consider sitting down and creating questions that you feel need to be answered and for which you have the answers or can find someone to answer. Those questions can become chapters.
Another way to approach is to start by writing blog posts about your topics and see which ones resonate with your audience. One of my friends loves to cook and although she’s not a professionally trained chef, she’s been experimenting with recipes and posting them on her blog and social media. Her friends love trying them out. Some are hits, others aren’t getting as high marks. Her friends have been sharing her recipes and now she has started a bit of a following with fans waiting for her next recipe every week. She’s using those platforms to see which ones will make the cut into a cookbook along with a history of some of the ingredients she’s using.
Working with a writer on your book can help you brainstorm ideas that might make for good book material. It’s unnecessary to take on this project on your own. There are plenty of talented and professional writers who can help you write your book and you can decide how involved (or not) you want to be in the process. Some people prefer to give the writer all of the material and they can use that to write the book while others want weekly check-in calls so the writer can interview the expert or give the person an update on the process.
If having a book written on you or your business is part of your 2020 new year’s resolution or goal, reach out and let me know. I’d love to connect and see if we might be a good fit to work on it together. If not, I have friends with expertise in a number of industries and would be happy to make an introduction.
Harnessing The Power of Momentum
Have you begun writing your 2020 goals yet? Photo courtesy of STIL on Unsplash.
Last year this month, I wrote a piece for Inc.com that went viral (meaning 120,000+ views) – 20 Questions That Can Help You Reach Your 2019 Goals: Reflection and self-awareness can help set you up to achieve your goals in the new year.
I began writing today’s post yesterday, on Halloween, and whenever I’d glance up from my computer, I’d see Chicago’s first snow coming down so hard that the kids made their first snowman for the season. I was in no mood to work but I had started working on my 2020 goals and business plan so I wanted to harness the power of momentum and keep going. So I did.
Part of that exercise was reviewing these 20 questions and answering them truthfully. I also came up with another set of 20 questions which I can’t share right now (but hopefully I can soon!). From there, I came up with a game plan for 2020. Among them are five goals I hope to achieve and tactics to help me reach each of them, broken down by month and, in some cases, by week.
What’s your game plan for the new decade?
I’ve included the list of 20 questions I drafted last year below, in case they might stimulate some reflection.
For those of you who’ve been reading this blog post religiously, or supported me in some way, large or small, throughout the last decade, thank you. What a decade this has been.
20 Questions That Can Help You Reach Your 2019 Goals
~ Reflection and self-awareness can help set you up to achieve your goals in the new year ~
Reflection and self-awareness can help set you up to achieve your goals in the new year. Photo courtesy of Ana Juma on Unsplash.
It's about this time of year when people start wondering what they can do better next year. With a few exceptions, this calendar year's revenue is accounted for, so we turn our attention to next year, determined to beat this year's results.
Reflection is key to this process, as is self-awareness. Ryder Carroll, founder of the Bullet Journal--a popular method of organizing your work and life by writing them down--often talks about the importance of understanding why we're doing something, because it will help motivate us, as well as help determine if we're even heading in the right direction.
Earlier in November, I wrote an article about Carroll and his Bullet Journals. When I shared that article with some friends of mine who were going through this process, it became clear they were willing to ask the tough questions to get to their whys but didn't really know which questions to ask. So we started brainstorming the questions.
If you're struggling to find your why for next year, here are 20 questions to get you started:
What do I enjoy, and what am I good at doing?
What do I enjoy but could get better at doing?
What do I enjoy doing but don't do well at all?
What energizes me?
What tires me?
How much sleep do I need to really function well?
What relaxes me?
What stresses me out?
What distracts me?
What is the most important thing in my life?
Who are the most important people in my life?
How can I be a better friend or colleague?
What do I want more of in my life?
What would I prefer less of in my life?
What am I most afraid of?
What is one good habit that I have?
What is one habit I want to change?
What is one thing I set out to do this year that I succeeded in doing?
How do I define success?
What's the one thing I want to accomplish next year?
Start by answering each of these questions with the first answer that comes to mind. Since they are unique to the person answering them, there is no one right or wrong answer--it's your answer.
At this point, you might start to see a pattern emerging. When I engaged in this exercise last year, I set a goal of adding more teaching to my life, as well as more speaking engagements. I attached a number to those goals. I took the time to answer the why question, which helped motivate me to keep at it every month and find ways to help make my goals a reality. By November, I had met both of my goals, and a big part of the reason was having gone through the exercise and determined my whys.
The idea is to do more things you enjoy next year, and fewer things you don't. You'll be happier, and you'll likely succeed in reaching those goals, since you'll be having fun working toward them.
Day 29: 30 Day Nature Challenge
Botanical printing workshop with Guild Row and led by Studio M for Food was such an amazing + fun experience! Now my wheels are turning...what else can I make using flora, Rok Rok Chalk Bags?! I may start hoarding eucalyptus leaves and onion skins for my next project. #30daynaturechallenge
Day 28: 30 Day Nature Challenge
Leaves 🍁 are dying and falling off quickly. It’s definitely fall and sweater weather today. #30daynaturechallenge #Chicago #fall
Day 27: 30 Day Nature Challenge
Didn’t get to spend much time outside today but I paused to admire these two trees 🌳 and wonder how long it’ll be until they lose their leaves for the winter. #30daynaturechallenge #Chicago
Day 26: 30 Days of Nature Challenge
This morning’s walk made me pause to check out these pretty gerbera daisies 🌺. The cool air is definitely holding on longer these days, and it’s sweater weather. I don’t mind. I’m enjoying the cool breeze! Walked with a new compression sock 🧦, which is finally helping my poor foot deal with the muscle tear and plantar fasciitis. #30daynaturechallenge #chicago #slowliving
Day 25: 30 Day Nature Challenge
Pretty Wanda Vista Tower in the background. #30DayNatureChallenge
Day 24: 30 Day Nature Challenge
Seen on today’s walk: a lovely sculpture in my Chicago neighborhood. #30DayNatureChallenge still going strong but today was hard since I’m battling a cold. Still made it outside and got to enjoy the sunshine.
Day 23: 30 Day Nature Challenge
No matter how hard I try, it’s impossible to get rid of the morning glory 🌸 in my garden. It’s unsurprising that they’re in full bloom this cool morning because they tend to love mornings and cooler temps. At least they’re pretty in bloom. Happy Autumnal Equinox, also known as the first day of fall 🍁! #30daynaturechallenge