Take Your Business to the Next Level!

Welcome to 2012! Hope you had a wonderful holiday season. And if you're new to this e-zine, I want to extend a special warm welcome to the LMOS community.

2012 has shot out the gate with a bang and promises to be a great year!

If you've been a reader for awhile, you probably know that I'm a big fan of planning AND taking action. Yes, to me they are two distinct things. Many of us can spend an inordinate amount of time in planning mode. And that's not only okay, but a necessary step in the process. But make sure you aren't getting stuck in planning mode. You need to move into action mode at some point, or you will never actually accomplish anything!

Of course, you can be in planning mode for one activity, but action mode f or another. For example, I am still in planning mode with regard to creating all of my major business initiatives for 2012. I am enjoying the planning process, which includes brainstorming and mapping out what programs, products and services I want to birth this year and share with my clients and the extended LMOS family.

What this means for you is that my team and I are going to be bringing you all kinds of goodies this year. I'm so excited to roll it all out! I don't want to give the whole plan away just yet, but wanted to give you the heads up that it will include:

• A mastermind/group coaching program for entrepreneurs that want ongoing support and guidance in an interactive environment;
• The official launch of my VIP Intensives and Private Coaching Packages;
• Free teleclasses and video series to bring you valuable content and whet your whistle for more;
• Great home study courses and business foundation templates for those of you do-it-yourselfers.

The bottom line is that I will be packaging my content and expertise in a way that helps you build your business or career in bold ways.

Kicking off the year, of course, is the 6-week DECIDE to be Organized Group Coaching Program. If you are looking for an interactive, supportive and comprehensive way to improve your productivity (or a chance to learn a new organizing methodology to share with your own clients and get continuing education credit), join us! The program starts February 21st.  If you want to learn more, I highly encourage you to join me for the preview call Stop Stepping Over the Elephant in the Room: 10 Ways to Boost Productivity in 2012, which will be held on February 7 at 7:30 Eastern. Click here to register. I'll be delivering great content and previewing the DECIDE program. The call will be recorded, but you'll want to be on the line live as I will be offering time sensitive offers for those that listen in and want to take fast action.

As always, I'd love to hear from you and what you're up to. What's your vision for your business in 2012? Send me an email at Lisa@LMOrganizingSolutions.com or, even more powerful, make a public statement on the LMOS Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/LMOrganizingSolutions.

Here's to a successful 2012!

Warmly~


P.S. Welcome to the new subscribers. I am thrilled that you have decided to become a member of the Next Level Business Success online community!

• January 28, 2012 - Lisa is enjoying celebrating her birthday! :-)
• January 31, 2011 - Lisa will be a guest expert on the Career Coach Caroline show hosted by Caroline Dowd-Higgins aired on CBS Radio on January 31st at 5pm EST. Caroline will be interviewing Lisa about her career transition from lawyer to entrepreneur, and asking Lisa to share tips on productivity and success. Tune in at NewSkyRadio.com. Or call into the show to ask questions on the air. The CALL-IN number to speak with Lisa & Caroline live during the show is 248 -545-7685. You can also send comments or questions with live messages during the interview by going to: www.NewSkyRadio.com and clicking on the box where it says: "INSTANT FEEDBACK". Join us for what is sure to be a lively conversation!
• February 6, 2012 - Lisa was recently interviewed by Kristi Meyer of www.TheHouseThatClutterBuilt.com. They discussed the relationship between indecisiveness and disorganization -- Lisa's DECIDE methodology that her programs and trainings are built on. They talked about significant client triumphs and challenges, and how small steps can lead to big changes in breaking through the clutter. Listen to this interview on February 6th here.
• February 7, 2012 - Lisa will be presenting a FREE teleclass, Stop Stepping Over the Elephant in the Room: 10 Ways to Boost Productivity in 2012 at 7:30 P.M. Eastern. Register here.
• February 16, 2012 - Don't miss Lisa's interview in the Fire Up Your Biz- Reclaim Your Life! program put on by Stephanie LH Calahan of Calahan Solutions, Inc.. She has pulled together some of the best experts on productivity, mindset and business growth that you can find -- over 20! See the details and sign up today.
• February 21 to March 27, 2012 - Lisa will be offering her 6-week DECIDE to be Organized Group Coaching Program.  See the details and register here.
• March 22-24, 2012 - Lisa will be serving as Moderator of the Golden Circle Ask the Organizer Panel at the 2012 NAPO Conference in Baltimore, MD. Lisa will also be presenting "Don't Be Afraid of the Big Bad Law: Using the Law as a Protective Shield for Your Organizing Business."
• April 18, 2012 - Lisa will be presenting Boost Your Productivity as a Busy Law Professional for the National Association of Law Placement annual conference in Austin, TX.

Anyone that knows me (or even just meets me) can tell that I love my business and work really hard. But I'm not only a passionate entrepreneur, I am a multi-passionate person! One of the worst mistakes I've ever made when I first became an entrepreneur was to "compartmentalize" my life. It dawned on me a few years ago that I don't have a "personal life" and a "professional life," but simply A LIFE. Consequently, I do things when they feel right, which might include writing an article or taking care of client work on a Saturday or Sunday morning, and going on a bike ride, taking a yoga class or heading out with my dogs on a hike on a Wednesday afternoon. In fact, flexibility and freedom are part of what makes being self-employed so glorious. And yet, so many entrepreneurs continue to separate their personal and professional lives in ways that actually work to avoid an y semblance of balance.

If a strict bifurcation of personal and professional is working for you, great. But ask yourself if it is truly working for you. Are you too regimented in your scheduling of work versus personal endeavors? Does your personal life always get short shifted at the expense of your professional life? Examine whether you really feel balanced. If not, something has got to change. Mix things up and see how it feels. Try to tap into your natural energy flow and rhythm so that you can do tasks when you are in top form, and not when you are "supposed" to. I realize this is easier said than done, and it is a constant battle to have the freedom and flexibility so many entrepreneurs crave. We still have to function within the 9-5 world we live in, and be able to serve our clients at a time when it is convenient for them. But at least try to move awa y from the compartmentalization that can cause you to overwork and resent your business. If you are starting to feel burned out, perhaps you need to work in more time to cultivate your hobbies and passions. Not only will you feel rejuvenated, but you may actually be a better and more well-rounded entrepreneur because of your non-work related activities.

For example, I love to travel and explore new cultures. This could be viewed as only a personal activity. And yet, my travel and exploration of other cultures infiltrates my work in surprising and refreshing ways. I sometimes find myself "studying" the ways of other cultures and comparing them to Americans in terms of productivity, work-life balance, attitudes on business, goal setting, etc. This makes me a better productivity consultant, success coach, business strategist, speaker and writer for sure! Even a simple personal activity like taking a hike or bike ride can fill me with wonderful new ideas to write or s peak about, help me work through a client issue that I am helping him or her with, or clear my mind to make space to create new programs and products.

The bottom line is that we all have to find that unique balance that makes the most sense for us. But I am proposing less of a balance in terms of this versus that, and more of a free flow of ideas, activities and use of time that feels authentic and allows you to be the best entrepreneur you can be. Because in the end, isn't that what we all want?

Enjoy,