 You’ve probably noticed I’ve been talking quite a lot about McFreedom and having a McFreedom mindset recently.
And you’ve possibly been thinking ‘ What on Earth is this McFreedom thing all about?’ Well McFreedom is a word I use to describe ‘The freedom to scale, grow, sell or franchise your business or run it from a beach somewhere if that's what you really want to do.’ The Mc of McFreedom is a little nod to McDonald's who inspired it and the Freedom, because that's what The McFreedom System®️ will give you. Ok. But why the focus on Mindset? Because most people have a very strange mindset around systems in relation to their business. They see them as really hard work; something that they have to do in addition to their day job and the thought of systemising really doesn’t rock their boat. Personally, I don't like the word 'process', largely again because of what it inspires in people. It makes them think of bureaucracy and box-ticking and all of that really boring, soul destroying stuff that they think they’ll have to do. McFreedom - and The McFreedom System®️ - is all about making your life easier, and to do that you need to change your mindset around systems. Mindset is one third of something I like to call my big MAC ... what a surprise! Mindset because you really do need to change your mindset around systems and what they will do for you. Action because you absolutely have to take action. What’s the point in learning something new if you don't take action on it. And Consistency because you need to be consistent in the action that you take. You need to make it routine. You need to follow it, if not religiously, then with a real fervour and a relish and a belief that it's going to make your life that much easier. So Mindset, Action, Consistency ... your big Mac. Do you have a positive big MAC when it comes to systemising your business? Do one thing: Think about it! [Adapted from Marianne's new book Simple Logical Repeatable available from an Amazon near you https://www.amazon.co.uk/Simple-Logical-Repeatable-Systemise-McDonalds/dp/1781332266] For more information on how MPL can help you visit www.mariannepage.co.uk or contact me on hello@mariannepage.co.uk
0 Comments
 Over the past few years I’ve talked to a lot of business owners who are struggling with how much they have to get done, and let’s face it, us business owners have a lot of ‘stuff’ to do. So much stuff and all of it urgent. A bulging inbox controlling our day, forcing us to react, impossible to prioritise.
Just overwhelming! Of course, everyone has days like this – where you can’t see the wood for the trees, where your to-do list for the day is so long it will take you to the middle of next week just to get through half of it. Those days when you don’t feel like your life is your own; when you’re working to other people’s priorities and everyone wants a piece of you; when you feel completely chaotic and out of control. As one-offs, these days are manageable – there are simple tools and techniques to get you through them, to deal with them, and still get stuff done. But it’s when these days start to merge, when as a new client said to me, ‘Overwhelm becomes the norm’, when you forget where the hell you’re going, let alone how you’re going to get there. That’s when overwhelm has become a real issue. That’s when you lose focus on your vision; when what’s really important to you seems a million miles away. So what do you do? You go chasing off down rabbit holes looking for the answers – in time-management programmes and apps. You start subscribing to lots of ‘successful people’ – you know, those people who seem to have it all – looking for the magic pill that’s going to bring you their success. And of course, that’s exactly what it is – their success. You start to believe that success only comes through long hours and even harder work. You lose sight of what’s really important to you; what success means to you; what your ideal future looks like. Arghhhhhh..... So, what can you do about it? Well, you can start by asking yourself this one killer question: What am I trying to achieve, and why? I’m a pretty organised person these days, and this one question (ok, technically two) still has a massive impact on how focused I am, and how much I get done on a day-to-day and month- to-month basis. It’s a powerful question, whether you’re thinking about the next year, or the next hour. To find your answer, go back to what I talked about in this blog a few weeks ago, when I asked you to look at your personal vision – what you really want for yourself – the Big Dream. Are you really clear about what you’re trying to achieve, and why? Because when you are, you’re ready for the simple exercise that will get rid of overwhelm every time it raises its ugly head. And here it is: Step 1 Decide on the timeframe that’s overwhelming you. Is it what you have on today, tomorrow, the coming week, the coming month? Step 2 Next, get yourself a big sheet of paper and a pen. Step 3 Write down everything – and I mean everything you believe you have to get done in the coming week: personal, business, everything... Step 4 Once you’ve done that–once you’ve exhausted everything – and you’re sure you have it all on that sheet of paper, grab a big, black marker pen. Step 5 Go through your list and cross off everything that doesn’t move you towards what you’re trying to achieve; everything that doesn’t move you towards your big vision. Be ruthless here, look for other people’s priorities on this list and get them crossed off. Look for things that are easy to do, or that feed your inner procrastinator – like setting up a to-do list app, or reading through all those emails you’ve subscribed to – and get those crossed off too. Cross off anything that doesn’t move you to where you now know that you want to be. Ruthless is the key word. Step 6 There will be things on your list that do have to be done, but most of them should not be done by you; things like book-keeping, expenses, managing your database. These things can stay, but they get moved onto a second list, called ‘Delegate’. Add all the things that need to be done, but not by you, to this list Recognise those things that you may be busying yourself with that are not moving you, or your business, or your life in the right direction. What you are left with after this exercise are three lists:
In a future blog we’ll talk about who to delegate to, and how to delegate effectively, but for now, just give this a go and see what it does for your overwhelm. I promise you, it works like magic. You have to be ruthless though, and you have to get over your guilt about ditching other people’s priorities. Just remember that’s exactly what they are – other people’s priorities, not yours! You have plenty of your own to be getting on with. Do One thing today: Your DO, DITCH OR DELEGATE exercise! [This is an excerpt from Marianne’s new book, Simple, Logical, Repeatable, available now on Amazon at: www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1781332266] For more information on how MPL can help you visit www.mariannepage.co.uk or contact me on hello@mariannepage.co.uk  ‘I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman, 'Where's the self-help section?' She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose..’ George Carlin
It's very easy to get stuck in a rut. Sometimes we don't even recognise that we're in one. A rut's boring, same old same old, dull...right?! And that's not our life! Well what if it is? Many successful small business owners get stuck in a rut. It's called The Struggle, and while it's anything but boring, it's definitely a rut. Some find that they can't get out of it. Many more don't want to. It's comfortable, they know where they're at with it, it's their norm. They tell themselves that they've already stepped out of their comfort zone to create their business. They tell themselves that they are successful, and that running a successful business comes at a price - no time and no life beyond it. They tell themselves they're ok with that, and they're surrounded by other Strugglers who confirm that they're right. They revel in war stories of their 80 hour weeks, and comfort themselves that they are still working to improve themselves by attending weekend seminars and late evening webinars, while other 'less successful' people are enjoying time with family and friends. They've created a new comfort zone, and their rut's too deep to see beyond it. Your personal management system will get you out of your rut, but it needs 3 things to be be successful
Learn to manage yourself, and the business will be a piece of cake! Do one thing: Ask yourself, 'Does my business run me, or do I run my business?' [This is an excerpt from Marianne's new book, Simple, Logical, Repeatable, available now on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1781332266] For more information on how MPL can help you visit www.mariannepage.co.uk or contact me on hello@mariannepage.co.uk  When I worked for McDonald’s I learned that planning is a team sport; most effective when it involves the people it affects as well as those who’ll deliver on it.
I learned that you listen to those with the skills and experience, but you also consider the new and the different; that it’s ok to re-visit that might once have been considered crazy or just plain wrong for the business, as things change, and the ‘right time’ comes along. Just like every other area of the business, I learned that you have a system for planning that makes it routine, regular, consistent; that keeps you focused on the end goal, even when you need to adapt, or change your route. A robust planning system keeps everyone in the business, focused and on track. Because everyone knows where you’re all headed, there’s less stress, and less chaos, which also saves you time and money. And it gives you the opportunity to celebrate with your team when you reach your milestone markers along the way. Planning is a team sport at McDonald’s - they invest an awful lot of time and money, in bringing together people from all areas of the business - Operations, Support, Franchisees, Suppliers - with the aim of developing challenging plans and goals that everyone buys into. They want everyone engaged in the business Vision, the direction of travel, and the route map that’s going to take them there. They want to be able to celebrate milestones, achievements big and small, and then, when the tough times come, they want everyone to see the fight as theirs, to work together to turn things back round. The investment in their Planning system delivers a huge return. It’s a foundation system that they would not be without. Many business owners don’t see Planning that way.
Many business owners are missing a trick. But the fact that you’re even reading this tells me you’re not going to be one of the many. Your team are never going to be heard asking ‘are we there yet?’ Your team are going to know exactly where they’re going, how they’re going to get there, and when they’ve arrived. And then you’re going to celebrate...big style! Your Planning system is the first of 4 Foundations that will underpin your future success. Over the next few weeks, I’m going to help you get ready for the coming year, by sharing The McFreedom System blueprint for planning. Do one thing: Come back next week for the next instalment. For more information on how MPL can help you visit www.mariannepage.co.uk or contact me on hello@mariannepage.co.uk  Tomorrow is the 1st October, maybe as you read this that was yesterday, or even the day before, it doesn’t matter - what matters is that you have 3 months stretching out before you ’til the end of the year; 90 days that could make all the difference between having a good year and a GREAT one.
So what are you going to do with them? As you know, I’m a big fan of planning, it’s one of the 4 Foundations of The McFreedom System™ for a start, but even if it wasn’t I get that even if you don’t create an action plan for each goal and work your plan, there is a huge amount of power in thinking about what you want/ where you want to get to, and getting the outcome you want down on paper. I read a great blog the other day on a site called Asian Efficiency (all about time management and productivity) where they were talking about the 90 day timeframe as ‘the range where ambition and planning actually fall reasonably close together’. And it’s true, we all have a really good feel for what we can get done in 90 days - how far we can move towards a big goal, and plan the steps that we need to take to get there. Our longer term plans, even though it’s valuable to have them, can’t be planned right down to concrete steps; the goals are too big, there’s too much to get done, and if we try to plan the detail we just get overwhelmed, which in turn leads to inaction. Working with 90 day goals keeps us moving forward, keeps us agile and on our toes; able to tackle challenges and grab opportunities as they come along; adjusting our plans for the next 90 days to accommodate them. So have a look at your coming 90 days - what do you have to get done? What are you going to get done? How are you going to turn this good year into a GREAT one? | For more information on how MPL can help you visit www.mariannepage.co.uk or contact me on hello@mariannepage.co.uk  'When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you.' - African Proverb
Are you a reflector? Are you that person who looks back over the day and week and reflects on how it’s gone? Great. That’s a really good thing: it’s how we constantly learn and improve. It gives us time to think about how effective our behaviour and decisions have been, how they’ve impacted on the business and the team. It can highlight what we’re proud of and what we could have done better. It’s great for increasing self-awareness and self-improvement. But:
If this sounds like you, you’re turning reflection into masochism. This behaviour is not only draining but it’s a total waste of time. Tips for positive reflection
Do one thing: spend 10 minutes at the end of every day reflecting on what went well, and finding something you’ve done that you’re proud of. PS Don’t forget, you can always join us for a McFreedom Secrets workshop, if you’d like to improve the way you run your business and cure some of those headaches. For more information on how MPL can help you visit www.mariannepage.co.uk or contact me on hello@mariannepage.co.uk  I’m not a great one for reality TV, but I found myself watching ‘Lose weight for love’ the other day (don’t ask).
If you haven’t seen it (and why would you have), the show is based around the concept that in order to lose weight, couples need to spend time apart to work on their individual issues, then come back together to move forward as a team. It was quite an uplifting watch, and I found myself willing them to succeed. What’s amazing is that each person knows they are slowly, or in some cases quickly, killing themselves, yet they haven’t succeeded in changing their habits. Some had been yoyo dieting for years and some you felt had given up, until this tv opportunity came along. What the consultants had to do was find out WHY these individuals continued to do what was bad for them, and then adjust their mindset away from the idea of ‘a diet’, a programme they had to suffer through, an add on to their already busy lives, to focus on building a new and sustainable way of life. To make eating well and exercising, ‘just how we do things round here’. I come across a lot of successful small business owners who operate in a similar way to our ‘weight loss lovers’. They talk about wanting to change, wanting to have an easier life, wanting to spend more time with those they love - but what do they actually DO about it? They know that they don’t need to work such long hours; that there is a way to keep their commitments to their partner, their children, their friends; that they can have a business that runs like a well-oiled machine - but just like our overweight friends, they see the remedy (systemising their business) as something they have to do ‘in addition to the day job’, something that’s going to cost them, something that’s going to be a whole heap of pain and effort. So they do nothing, and plough on with the fourteen hour work days, grabbing a few days holiday when the business that’s running their life, allows them. And the truth is that systemising does take effort, possibly as much as 12 months’ effort. It takes time to build a High Performing Team and a business that runs like a well-oiled machine whether you’re there or not. And yes, if you wanted to be guided down the simplest route to systemising, you have to invest in support from those who’ve been there and done that, many times. But isn’t it worth it for the rewards you would reap? Don’t you love yourself and your family enough to make the changes? Don't you want that ideal future? Why wait another 12 months? Why waste another 12 months? Today is the day to change your MINDSET, to think about your big WHY, to take ACTION. Do it for Love. For more information on how MPL can help you visit www.mariannepage.co.uk or contact me on hello@mariannepage.co.uk  ‘If it weren’t for the last minute, nothing would get done'
It’s a little known fact that Jane Austen produced her best work when there was dusting to do. I’ve also been known to ‘get creative’ with housework hanging over me, and I know others whose shelves get built, gardens cleared, just at the thought of having a blog to write. It’s known as avoidance by activity and it’s a great way of procrastinating while feeling productive! ‘If it weren’t for the last minute, nothing would get done', as the saying goes. How many of us do our best work when we’re really under pressure to meet a deadline? Last-minute-itis seems to galvanise the little grey cells; but is it healthy? As our business grows, there are more demands on our time and more deadlines to be met. We realise that there’s just not enough time in the last minute, that one day a deadline may become a ‘drop dead’ line. Still we avoid. Does the task get any easier? No. Do we know that we have to do it eventually? Yes. So the only thing we do by avoiding it is waste time and increase our stress levels. It’s crazy when you think about it - totally counter-productive. Time stressing about what you have to get done is time you’ll never get back. So turn stressing time into doing time. But how? Simply by following the MAC way. M is for Mindset Work on the way you think about time and how precious it is. Check out Stephen Covey’s work on Big Rocks and little rocks. Read ‘The One Thing’ by Gary Keller and /or ‘Eat that Frog’ by Brian Tracy. Recognise that this is something you’re going to have to work at, every day - but when you crack it, it’s going to have a huge impact on your life and the success of your business. A is for Action Take Action. Develop a routine (I’d call it a system but I don’t want to freak you out!) for your daily activity, and make it challenging, but realistic. I like to work in chunks of 90 minutes during the day, with 15 minute breaks in between (which I’ll sometimes use for social media). The first 90 minutes is always used to crack a big rock - to eat the frog - to do the one thing that I may not be looking forward to, but that will have the biggest impact. The second 90 is for the next biggest rock, and so on through to the end of the day. I include personal rocks that I want to get done, because that stuff’s important too. And I focus on just one thing at a time. Then finally, in the last 15 minutes, I review how I’ve done, and plan my next day for maximum productivity. Simple, but it works, and the sense of achievement, having cracked the big rocks, even when you don’t get everything done that you’d planned to during the day - is enormous. C is for Consistency - work at your routine, work at it every day, until it becomes a habit that’s hard to break. Become consistently productive. Then relax and enjoy that last minute before your deadline. Do one thing: move away from the hoover, the lawn mower, the coffee machine and check out Stephen Covey’s 'Big Rocks' here. [If time freedom is what you’re after, check out The McFreedom System™ via our 90 minute online training session, which also gives you a great little system for giving effective feedback. Click HERE now to access] For more information on how MPL can help you visit www.mariannepage.co.uk or contact me on hello@mariannepage.co.uk  Can you remember back to your school days?
I’m sure for some of us it will be easier than for others ;-) Remember how you’d answer a question, but even though it was technically right, it wasn’t the one the teacher was looking for? Q. What is ‘hard water’? A. Ice (of course!) See what I mean? There was only ever one right answer at school - imagine what that did for your creativity and your confidence. Many people, and you may be one of them, grow up believing that they’re not creative, but I’m a strong believer that trying to be creative makes us creative. It gets the under-used side of our brain up and running, the side that’s been lying dormant possibly since childhood. I think it was George Bernard Shaw who said,’ We don’t stop playing because we grow up, we grow up because we stop playing’. Of course, I’m not suggesting you go out french skipping at lunchtime or kicking a ball against a wall (although, why not?!) but start playing at work; playing with ideas. Brainstorm how you can improve your Customer experience maybe? Or how you can attract more of your perfect Customers. No ‘wrong’ answers just as many ideas as you can think of, sane or whacky get them all down and then pick out the gems. Mindmaps are a great way to generate new and creative ideas, so wish I’d known about them when I was at school. Such a great tool for revising and particularly for generating ideas when you’re planning. A mind map gets us thinking in almost a chaotic way, allowing us to go off in all sorts of different directions, like a spiders web (in fact I often call them a spider diagramme) whereas creating a list of ideas is more ordered and restrictive. I bet you know someone who you think of as an ‘ideas’ person. Well the truth is we are all ‘ideas people’, we just need to give the creative side of our brain a bit of regular exercise. Just make a start and keep practising. I’m telling you, you’ll be amazed. I wonder where the creative children who gave these ‘wrong answers’ are now…? Q. How can you delay milk turning sour? A. Keep it in the cow Q. Explain what you most like about Kipling? A. Almond slices Q. How do you change centimetres into metres? A. Remove centi Do one thing: Have some fun today! ps Great systems are a great foundation for you and the creative people in your business pps If you want help with Planning, check out our Busy Business Owner's Guide to Planning for Freedom For more information on how MPL can help you visit www.mariannepage.co.uk or contact me on hello@mariannepage.co.uk  And so we begin again.
I hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year and that you enjoyed a refreshing and re-energising break! So now we enter a brave new year, determined to be a brave new us. Will we be more streamlined, healthier, happier, richer? What challenges have you set yourself for 2016? What resolutions? I wonder how many of those challenges and resolutions you phrased in the negative? I will stop smoking. I will stop drinking on weekdays. I will stop working until 8 or 9 pm. I will stop having a choco moco caramel concoction every morning! I don’t know about you but I find all this deprivation a wee bit depressing. I’m a 'towards' sort of girl - I find it much harder to stop doing something, than to do something - to deprive myself than to drive towards a positive outcome. So stopping eating and drinking so much after Christmas is much harder for me than starting to exercise more, for example. I wonder if that’s why so many people struggle to quit stuff. Maybe they are ‘towards’ people too. Maybe they need a positive ‘why’ to drive towards. So, why do I want to stop eating chocolate?’ A: Because I want to lose weight? Why? A: Because I want to be healthier Why? A: Because I want to live a long and active life Why? A: Because it will give me a foundation for happiness and I’ll be able to enjoy my children growing up. By thinking about why you want to do something you’ve gone from depriving yourself of chocolate (or a bottle of wine, or a cigarette) to feeling good about yourself and being around for your kids!’ Isn’t that just a teency bit more inspiring? How many of your negative ‘stops’ can you turn into positive starts? Could this be the year you ‘Do’ more and ’stop doing’ less? Here’s to 2016 - your most successful and inspiring year yet! For more information on how MPL can help you visit www.mariannepage.co.uk or contact me on hello@mariannepage.co.uk |
AuthorMarianne is the author of three books, and is currently working on her fourth, whilst regularly writing her blog, we hope you enjoy it :-) Archives
December 2018
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed
|
|
