ArtShine

Friday, October 5, 2012

Procrastination poisons passion - Part 2

Welcome back!

Last week we talked about some different types of procrastination and how to recognise which type of procrastination we're falling into.

It's only once you know where you are that you can find solutions to shake out the poison that could destroy your passion.

Today, we're sharing with you some useful tips to beat procrastination.

Get organised- the more organise you are the less chance there is for you to procrastinate. There are many ways to keep yourself in control of your personal and business activities. You can have a to do list. You could diarise all tasks in a diary, calendar, or even your mobile devices. Do whatever works for you. Keep it nice and simple.

Create a system- System are one of the most important aspects of running a business. Just one thing to remember... keep your organisational systems simple. If it's too complicated it won't empower you to use it and it'll become just another chore you'll want to avoid. So K.I.S.S it ! (Keep It Simple, Stupid). At ArtSHINE, we introduce the "OPIC" system to our clients.

Aim For 1% Improvement Everyday!- a one percent improvement is something we are all capable of doing. The power of this is that if you do this every single day, then you will completely transform your business and your life in a realistic period of time. So for you to achieve this, you need to set purpose goals everyday. Know what you want to achieve, or set out specific tasks you would like to complete today. Having daily goals or a To Do List would give you real purpose. Focus on today, and work to out do your yesterday.

List your goals or tasks on paper- Make a list of what needs to be achieved on the day. There are two ways to do this:

1. No order of importance- This can be listed in no particular order and will give you a handle on just what you need to get done.

2. By order of importance- You may also choose to rank them by order of importance. For example, following up customer leads may be more important to you than cleaning your studio.

When you have executed a task, mark it off on your list with a colour pen. It gives you visual confirmation that you're getting somewhere. This kind of feeling gives you a psychological boost and motivation to move forward. We have clients who've told us "I feel as if I'm getting nothing done today", but when we ask them to make a list of what they have done, and get them to look over what's crossed off the list they can really see that they've actually done quite a bit. Some times you can just constantly add new tasks to the list without realising all the things that you've actually achieved. So it's very important to do a review of your progress at the end of each day. That way you can evaluate and plan your tasks for the next day too.

Understanding The 4 DOs (Can do, Could Do, Must Do, and Would Do)- prioritize what tasks are important to you and your business. Define the important vs the urgent. Set deadlines on all tasks that you want to accomplish. Clearly focus on the difference between the urgent and the important, it will be critical to your future success in what you do. Also have a clear understanding of the activities you undertake, and ensure that they are the right activities for the right time.

90 Days Planner- Sort your goals or tasks into short, medium, or long term goals. Take what's at the top of your priority list and determine how long it will take to accomplish. If it's a quick job, put that down to be done the same day. If the job may take longrer, divide it into smaller tasks to be spread out over several days. Write this in your 90 days planner with specific dates for completion of each task. Get your 90 days plan organised as a matter of priority by understanding the difference between the Urgent things and the important things. By doing it in this way keeps you focused on what’s important so you don't get distracted. Keep filling your planner until you have time set aside to do each task while still meeting your deadlines. Be careful to not over commit yourself and give yourself some time for delays. This will allow you to feel confident and competent that you can achieve all you need in the time you have planned. Now you can chill out and concentrate on one task at a time without feeling you have to get everything done at the same time.

Chunk it down- the most effective way to stop feeling overwhelmed is to break things into smaller sizes. If the goal is too big then you can chunk it down into sub goals so it is easy for you to implement the tasks. Have you heard the saying; "How to eat an elephant?" The answer is one bite at the time...

Time allowance- when you set goals or plan a project always allow extra time. You know about Murphy's Law"... when something can go wrong, it will... So give yourself more than enough time to complete each task. You probably don't need all the time you've allowed for, that is fine too, that means you are ahead of schedule, a great feeling to have. Allowing this extra time will give you a feeling of moving forward that will empower you to do more. At the very least, you won't be left rushing to finish and getting stressed. If you are behind of schedule, don't panic. Just focus on the important tasks first. Don't be afraid to ask for help from friends and family members. You can also delegate some of the work to your team members, there is nothing wrong in getting more people to help out. Success people don't do everything themselves, they have great helpers. Be creative and think outside the square.

Time for refresh- as you work through your tasks you may find your mind drifting off to all the activities you'd rather be doing. You will find it much easier to concentrate on your work if you know that you have scheduled time for these activities. Tell yourself I will work hard today accomplishing my goals because tomorrow is Saturday and I have scheduled time to go socialising. Knowing that you have finished your tasks will also make it easier to relax and enjoy your leisure time.

Image from:

http://www.despair.com/proc24x30pri.html

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Introducing ArtSHINE's Volume 2 "Tales My Mum Told Me..."

" Tales My Mum Told Me..."

Welcome to ArtSHINE's Volume 2 "Tales My Mum Told Me...".

Tales my mum told me volume 2 is a collection of stories that my mum told me when I was a child. Just like the volume 1, it has 12 tales. Each tale has a meaning to it. You can call it a wisdom or insight to life and business. What you'll learn from these new 12 stories is how you can apply the ideas to your Business LifeStyle.

Like the first volume we hope each of the stories will inspire you to review your business and use the idea of the story to apply it to your life and business.

In the next 12 weeks we 'll share with you the following tales:

Tale 1: Pulling Up the seedlings to help them grow
Tale 2: Grind an Iron Pestle into a Needle

Tale 3: Talking about army on paper.

Tale 4: Being Persistent

Tale 5: A Poet’s Writing Skills Decline
Tale 6: Bore a Hole in the wall in Order to Get Some Light from the Neighour's House
Tale 7: The Farmer and The Fisherman.
Tale 8: A Waterfront Pavilion gets the moonlight first.
Tale 9: Getting the trinket box and return the precious pearl.
Tale 10: The kitten's fishing trip
Tale 11: The Aspiration of the Swan
Tale 12: Practice Makes Perfect

To learn more about each tale you can visit us from next Friday.

So tune in for our very first tale volume 2 "Pulling up the seedlings to help them grow"

More Tales from Volume 1:

Tale 1: "When You Help One, You Help Thousands"

Tale 2: "Your Mind is Powerful"

Tale 3: "The Importance of Self Understanding"

Tale 4: "Being Compassionate"

Tale 5: "Finding the Inner Calmer In You"

Tale 6: "The Magic Pen"

Tale 7: "Here comes the Fair- Weather Friend"

Tale 8: "Confidence & Competence"

Tale 9:"Being Present"

Tale10: "Chicken scratches for what it gets"

Tale 11:"I never see what has been done; I only see what remains to be done"
Tales12: "Frog In The Well"

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Do you know why you're not achieving your goals?

If you find yourself stuck, and have made no progress then read on. What we about to share with you are some reasons why you're perhaps not getting the results you want.

You are a procrastinator - You constantly sabotage yourself by putting things off, and leaving things till later. You keep humming and bragging about how you want to do this and to do that, but you don't actually act on them. You are all talk and no action.
You don't feel enough pain - For many people, they won't do anything, or change anything, until they are no longer able to stand the pain. The reason you don't take action is because your situation is not painful enough. A word of advice, don't wait till it's too late. So hold yourself accountable by taking action. There will be no miracle to lend a helping hand... You need to be the miracle and make things happen.
Unclear goal - When was the last time you set goals and decided not to follow through? Like New Year's resolutions that are never followed through with each year. The reason for this is that you underestimate the goals you set. This is due to having unclear goals when your internal and external thoughts do not align. For example, you say 'I want to lose 5kg this year", but internally you underestimate your commitment because losing weight will take lots of discipline by eating healthyly, and getting lots of exercise. So your head chatter talks you out of doing it because you are dreading of the hard work that'd required. Setting clear goals with real purpose will give you less chance to slack off, and make it easier to stick to you plan.
Making Excuses - Some people are just full of excuses, and use excuses to make them look and feel better and justify why they did not achieve their desired results. They're stuck is the Trap Mode cycle, like "I am not ready yet" or "I just cant do it" at this stage. The list of excuses is as long as the Great Wall of China. Do you know what's happening when you are making excuses? The answer is nothing. You might feel a little bit better at the time, but the real truth is your excuses don't make any changes to your current situation, and keep you stuck where you are. Now is the time to make choices and not make excuses
You've got the "I Know Syndrome" - You complain about how you are not getting results, but the minute people try to give you help or information you immediately tell them "I Know!" which stops them telling you their suggestions. Even if you do listen to them you spent more time justifying why their suggestions are not suitable to your needs. So cut the unnecessary chat, take action, and just do it. There is no better time than right now, so take charge by taking action!.
Stuck in your comfort zone - You don't like to try new ideas or methods. You like to stay where you are and put up with the mundane tasks and routines. You play safe by hanging out with the same circle of friends. No wonder you never grow as a person. So get out of of your comfort zone, meet new people, and connect with people who are positive and focused . Connect with people who can inspire you to do your best in your life and your business.
You’re not working smart - Have you heard the story "The Farmer and The Fisherman"? The farmer kept doing the same routine over and over, even when he didn't get results. If your business is not getting the results you want, it's time to change how you run your business. See how you can run your business in a different way. Find a smarter approach to get you when you need to be. Hire experts to help you along as you grow and build your business. Find inspiration from people who have achieved similar results and learn how they did it. Be a sponge and soak up knowledge and apply it to your business.
Fear - Have you wondered what Fear stands for? False Expectations Appearing Real. Fear is a game that plays with your mind. Fear consists of a collection of thoughts in your head. They are your thoughts that project into the future. It is based upon what you have experienced in the past therefore what you think is going to happen in the future. So because of your fearful thoughts you avoid taking action and you'd rather delay the process for as long as possible. In reality, delaying doing things will hold you back. Acknowledging and facing your fear is the way to go.
SOS (Shinny Object Syndrome) - We often get distracted with new ideas or something that seems more interesting that our current project simply because is fresh and exciting. This behaviour is common, it's easy to pick up new shinny ideas than keep working on your existing goals right? If you keeping following new shinny objects every they attract you, your attention will get diverted from you goals. So be very clear with your goals, understand what it takes to achieve your goals, and stick to it. Don’t let anything (or anyone) distract you. All these SOSs that come your way is like a test to see how committed and serious you are about achieving what you want, so don't get distracted!
Are you Cocooning in your world? - Cocooning in your little world can be a mistake which you may not even realise you're making, and it could cost you far more than you can imagine. Things like trying to do everything for yourself, even some of the tasks you don't like doing, or those tasks that you are not good at. The worst thing is you're trying to solve problems when someone else already has the answers or knowledge for you. What you are doing is delaying yourself reaching you goals.
You're a Perfectionist - A perfectionist tends to over complicate things. You are an over thinker, you often blew a simple situation out of proportion as your thinking were too complex. You are so detailed to the stage where you set such a high expectation of yourself and if things is not at that level it should be, you will not prepare to pursue it. No wonder you never get anything done. Don't wait for perfection as you could wait forever. The simple truth is things can be simple if you allow them to be.
Throwing in the towel - Are you the type of person who gives up before you even start? Sometimes when you are starting a project it could take longer to plan than you think, and you might even hit obstacles while you try to execute the jobs. This is normal when you think about it. In life and in business we'll all experience ups and downs. The reason you are not getting desired results is because you give up too easily and quickly. In anything we do we need to give and invest time for things to work. This is the key reason we encourage our clients to working on their 90 day planner to focus and monitor progress of your goals.
You lose track of your vision - When was the last time you revisited your vision? Do you feel that somehow you business now is drifting away from your vision? This is quite common as your business grows and often takes you in different directions. Therefore, it's important to tune into your vision and to make sure your goals and business are aligned with your vision. Don't lose sight of the big picture. Your vision is a path to success!
Resisting change - Are you subborn? Perhaps you don't welcome great ideas and insist on doing things "your way or highway"? The bad news is you'll stay the way you are, with no growth and no progress either. To break through this problem you need firstly to reset your mindset. Open yourself to new ways of doing things and to improve your current situation you’ll need to introduce and learn new methods. Don't be a control freak, broaden your horizons, and let people help you.

At the end of the day, the list above are problems that you are self projecting. It is you who is the one who creates all these reasons. So you can also be the one to eliminate them too.

It's not how people see you, it's about how you see yourself. After all, they're your goals, your dreams, your life, and your business.

It's entirely up to you. You are your own decision maker.

So choose wisely.

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Close Up with Joanne King From Little Chillies

Tell us a little about yourself and what you do.

I design and run a children’s fashion label, with a ladies’ label in the wings. I’m also a busy mum of two and a Doctor of Clinical Neuropsychology.

Who (or what) inspires you to do what you love in your own creative business?

My inspiration to do what I love comes from internal forces. My husband would describe me as obsessively driven, I wonder if I’m a touch narcissistic, but I think it’s just that I have a great need to accomplish something fulfilling in life and create my own success.

Where do you get your inspiration from when you design?

I love looking at images of old fashion icons, vintage pictures and fabrics, vintage paper dolls, trawling through Japanese craft books and keeping an eye on European colours and styles.

What are the five words that people who know you would use to describe you?

Ambitious, driven, organised, friendly and talkative.

Tell us about your very first job and what path have you taken since then?

I first worked as a cashier in a Game Zone while studying my first year undergraduate studies at University. While I completed my Honours and Postgraduate studies I worked in a few different industries: hospitality, marketing, and sales. When I finished my studies I worked in Australia and overseas as a Clinical Neuropsychologist in brain injury rehabilitation and neuropsychiatry diagnostics. In the background, I’ve always had a passion for drawing, painting and designing garments – but only at a hobby level. When I went on maternity leave with my first child, I felt free to pursue my creative passions and Little Chillies was born.

Describe a typical day in your studio space?

Attempting to do bits and pieces between the mum duties during the day (meals, kinder drop offs, ballet, etc) but it’s very difficult and chaotic. Calling a customer or retailer, packing an order, chasing up my maker, pattern maker and sampler are just some of the tasks I try and get done. Typically I don’t officially start any ‘productive work’ until 8pm to 2am, the quietest and most efficient time to work ….. which gives me little time to sleep.

As a Designer, what is your biggest frustration?

Not enough time to focus on the aspects of the work that I love – designing. Too much time, working in the business; administration, customer service, sales, marketing and warehousing. …..outsourcing required.

Tell us about how you prioritise your work.

I do what ever is most pressing at the time. I’m terrible, no system, just chaos! I’m working on it.

Tell us about how do you connect with other artists, and your customers (i.e. how do you network)?

Markets, pop up shops, and social media sites. In particular, I’ve met a lot of good networks (and friends) through attending trade fairs (Life InStyle) and markets (Magnolia Square).

Life InStyle Melbourne 2012

What advice can you offer other creative people who are just starting out and following their passions?

Give lots of thought and planning to the business and finances. Outsource what you can, so that you have enough time to focus on the aspects that you love about the business.

What dreams do you still want to achieve or fulfil in your life?

Manage a successful business in both my careers as a neuropsychologist and designer, whilst maintaining a happy and healthy personal life. Not quiet all there yet!

What is your proudest moment so far?

Personal: every time my kids do something new – it’s all just part of normal development, but as a parent you think they are the completely amazing. Business: I don’t have one proudest moment as such, but an accumulation of them. In particular, when customers provide great feedback on my garments and come back each season to buy more.

Who do you most want to meet and why?

The Dalai Lama. I love the psychology in Buddhist practice. I also love his voice: he must be wise as he sounds just like Yoda when he talks.

What is the most important lesson in life that you have learned?

You only have one shot in this lifetime and it’s better to have a good ‘crack at it’, than sit around dreaming or wondering ‘what if’!

What book are you reading right now, and do you have a book you would like to recommend?

Trying to start the first book of the True Blood series. I find it hard to make time for myself to read. The only time I ever manage to finish a book is on holidays.