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Hayseeds Creative

Enhancing Lives

Category: Mentoring

Challenges to Millennials

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Millennials are facing significant and unique challenges as they enter the workforce, the housing market and attempt to construct their futures. An article in the Detroit Free Press illustrates the realities and the obstacles they face.

Many millennials have accumulated thousands in education debt. These 25-34 year-olds now average over $33,000 in education debt. Nearly 50% of families with the head of household under 40 years of age owe money for student-related loans.

Although the recent economic recovery, has helped, there are still challenges to finding decent jobs in this demographic. Many drop out of college because of anxiety regarding growing their debt—and indicators are that even those who have not accumulated debt by choosing higher education are facing the same challenges to their financial futures.

Millennials are bringing home significantly smaller paychecks, making it less likely for them to be able to own a home or save anything for their retirement. In essence, millennials are accumulating assets at a much lower rate than those only 25 years ago.

Many are seeking alternative careers. Some becoming entrepreneurs and experimenting in businesses of their own—searching for answers. But new businesses contain risks of their own, including significant up-front investments, which can begin the debt cycle all over again.

The company with which I am associated offers millennials alternatives that can help turn their frustrations into opportunities. It eliminates risk and is virtually at no investment. It gives millennials the opportunity to begin wealth creation and much brighter futures. There is hope, young people. 

www.freep.com/story/money/personal-finance/susan-tompor/2018/04/25/student-loans-millennials-generation/537227002/

Giving & receiving leadership

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Good leadership is complex. At the same time, it’s simple. The “flow” of effective leadership is both up AND down. Mentoring your team is your responsibility as a leader. You are the leader because you have unique knowledge and skills, so you must share them.

In addition, there is another dimension to leadership, accepting feedback gratefully and willingly—the most difficult part for most leaders. A good leader recognizes all group members have valuable experiences and respects valid feedback from the group.

Saying you are open to feedback and really BEING open to that same feedback are two different things. Employees and team members can sense when you are genuinely listening and absorbing their input. The best leaders don’t just listen to feedback; they solicit it.

To get the feedback you want, you must build trust amongst your team. They must feel safe in giving it to you and that there will be no negative consequences. If you act defensively, constructive feedback will surely diminish. Remember, you and they are sharing wisdom and all will benefit from it. Balance your leadership with positive (when it is deserved; no fake stuff) and with constructive interaction.

This dialogue will enrich the culture of your business and it will gain momentum, so it will occur more and more often. After your interchange has concluded, be sure and thank the person for taking the time to provide this information. Sometimes it is an advantage to repeat what it was that you have counseled about so both parties are on the same page. Good leadership will pay considerable dividends to your business. The best news is that it becomes easier and easier as you practice it.

Fore some valuable perspective, check out this article inForbes magazine.

www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2018/01/16/being-a-great-leader-means-giving-and-receiving-feedback/#6a42c223ebc9

Simple formula for living

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Live beneath your means.
Return everything you borrow.
Stop blaming other people.
Admit it when you make a mistake.
Give clothing not worn to charity.
Do something nice and try not to get caught doing it.
Listen more; talk less.
Take a 30-minute walk every day.
Strive for excellence, not perfection.
Be on time. Don’t make excuses.
Don’t argue. Get organized.
Be kind to unkind people.
Let someone cut ahead of you in line.
Take time to be alone.
Cultivate good manners.
Be humble.
Realize and accept that life isn’t fair.
Know when to keep your mouth shut.
Go an entire day without criticizing anyone.
Learn from the past.
Plan for the future.
Live in the present.
Don’t sweat the small stuff.
It’s all small stuff.

5 Critical Roles In Your Business

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As you begin to establish your new business, there are critical roles that must be fulfilled in order to assure or at least give you a bigger chance of success. If you have the luxury of a large, quality pool of team members from which to choose, you may have these resources on your existing team.

Most new businesses do not have the advantage of having existing team members that can accomplish these tasks, so the alternative is that you must fill these roles yourself with an eye to recruit with these necessary roles in mind. The attached Forbes article tells us that these roles must be filled and identifies what they are and why they are indispensable.

You are the de-facto leader as a founder of your business. As its primary coach, you must lead in a way that creates love and respect for the way that you lead. Your first task is to find an expert who knows the industry, the market, and the products and is able to communicate those to the rest of the team.

The financial guru who keeps track of the income matrices and expenses that the team deems worthy of taking on. This person may be domestic to the team or be an external resource. Most entrepreneurs are busy with the everyday tasks of being leaders, so there is a need for a strategist who is skilled at navigating the future and guiding the enterprise into a profitable and fulfilling enterprise.

Finally, there is a need for the executer that takes ownership of the company’s plans and monitors their progress in the day-to-day operation. The executer understands, fully, the company’s expectations and how they are performing from one day, one week, one month and one year to the next. The executer knows what needs to be done, when and how.

As we have said, earlier, sometimes in start-up and new business endeavors these roles must be filled by the founder with an eye to the future as you recruit for your team. A lot of work in the beginning and the use of some outside resources that are available to you can fill those roles in the short or even the long-term and can lead to great things in your business.

Forbes Article

Happy Wellness Wednesday

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This is a truism! I love helping others on their wellness journey!
❤ Happy Wellness Wednesday!

#givingback #healthiswealth #wedoittogether #we #wellnesswednesday

Maintaining Your Personal Energy

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No matter who you are or what you do; your energy levels (and motivation) will hit flat spots. This article from Whole Life Challenge will give you some insight and tips on dealing with these energy flat spots and reenergize yourself when they “rear” their ugly heads.

The energy we refer to is not just physical. It is a combination of physical, mental, emotional and professional phenomena. Physically the signs can be fairly obvious; fatigue, headaches, slowing of reflexes and even blurred vision. Mentally and emotionally, it can produce moodiness, irritability, and lack of focus and concentration.

All in all, these symptoms can dramatically affect your personal and professional lives. It can even make you more susceptible to illness and disease. It is easy to see why guarding against these energy “valleys” is to your advantage. But, how do you do it?

Physically: Eat well, move well, and sleep well. Manage your ultradyne rhythms (our energy cycle repeats every 90-120 minutes). Take regular breaks; a 5-minute walk, stretching, and deep breathing can all help. Avoid distractions; believe it or not, multitasking is a myth. It is not efficient or productive.

Emotionally: Emotional and mental levels can be restored, by feeding your mind. Stop negative self-talk. Be conscious and aware of the things that drain you. Make a list of the things that uplift you and do them often. There are people who drain your energy, avoid them and connect with the ones that make you feel happy. Finally, set some time aside to decompress.

Professionally: Manage the physical mental, and emotional challenges you face daily and it will manifest solutions to your professional energy problems. My company has a coaching construct, which allows me to turn to others whom I respect for advice and support. But remember, these flat spots are, for the most part, temporary so do not let them defeat you. Victory is around the corner. 

www.wholelifechallenge.com/your-personal-energy-plan-how-to-protect-manage-and-boost-it/

Inspiration vs. Motivation

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Many of us use the words inspiration and motivation interchangeably as if it were the same word. In fact, the words and the emotions they evoke are distinctly different.

Inspiration is an external, driving force usually associated with some newly discovered information. Motivation, on the other hand, is an internal, pulling force that can only come from inside you. 

In many ways, these concepts seem to conflict because we “feel” inspired, which comes from within and motivation has some elements of external factors, which cause us to take action. There is an external need that requires us to take action.

A great speaker at a convention can inspire us with the information they provide, but the call to action comes from inside of us and we are responsible for taking that action. Motivation is when you get a hold of an idea and take it to a conclusion. Inspiration is when an idea gets a hold on you and drives you where you intend to go.

So, create your motives (and your motivation). You will get your inspiration from your spirit. Keep exposing yourself to new information and you will continue to “fill your tank” with inspiration. Your motivations for initiating your actions are YOUR responsibility. Don’t shirk it; embrace it and it will soon become a very good and successful habit. Habits are activities that duplicate themselves.    

Creating A Team Culture

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Constructing a team is a good thing. Creating a “culture” of teamwork is much better. The attached post from “The Balance” can give you important input about creating a culture for your team. These can make a difference in your team’s success.

Teams with a team culture are aware that every success of every individual is the success of the entire team, not just that individual. Share this philosophy with new team members right up front. Knowing that this is a team and collaboration is expected of them will speed their individual accomplishments.

Don’t be shy about reminding them of the value of the culture that drives their successes. Reward and celebrate teamwork and recognize it often. Emphasize that the amounts of their bonuses will depend on how effectively they operate within the team culture.

This post also offers some great tips for team building, itself. Team building is something you do every day. Together you can solve each other’s “real” work issues and problems. Build celebrations around successes and make team collaborations fun and make FUN part of every agenda.

The team concept has quickly become a popular tool for businesses everywhere. That suggests that more and more companies understand that “none of us is as good as all of us”. Make that your belief system and create an environment that has a “system” and allows that system to duplicate. Duplication provides a fast track to success.

https://www.thebalancecareers.com/how-to-build-a-teamwork-culture-1918509

The Three C’s of Life:

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Choices, Chances, Changes.

Are you still looking back at the past?

2018 is almost a memory and if you want to live life on your own terms, you’ll want to focus your energy on the future! So ponder these questions:

1. What would make 2019 the BEST year ever?

2. What is one dream or one unfulfilled goal that keeps coming back?

3. What are one to three things that I want to accomplish this year?

4. If I accomplished all three, what would that mean to me?

5. Who else would that impact and how?

Don’t just let this precious time of the year pass you by without answering these questions!

This can be your BEST YEAR YET, but it won’t happen if you leave it to chance. Make the choice to live your best life on your own terms by starting today. “

Stuck in your comfort zone?

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Monday thoughts.

How many of you are stuck in your own comfort zone?
You feel safe doing what you have been doing every day, but question when you don’t get the results that you desire.
This can pertain to any aspect of your life: health, fitness, relationships, business, etc.

Have you ever had a conversation with yourself?
I don’t mean just talking out loud like some people do. I mean really dig deep inside and pull out what it is that really scares you.
Only you can find out the true answer.

Now, don’t lie, because you will only lie to yourself and you are the one person you never want to tell lies.
Once you identify your fear, ask yourself if you take a step towards conquering it, will it physically or mentally harm anyone? 99.9% the answer will be no. The only ‘harm’  might be palpitations and cold sweats.

Identify the fear that makes you stuck in your comfort zone, take a deep breath and just go for it! What is the worse thing that can happen?
You dip your toe in the cold water and after the initial shock, you breath and say to yourself, ‘that wasn’t so bad! I got this!’
Little steps like this will help you step outside your comfort zone and positive results will happen!
Remember, FEAR is Face Everything And Roar!