Hi guys, By now, I hope you finished the 1-10 Risk Assessment Tool I sent you before the Holiday Weekend. Remember, all it is meant to do is provide a great starting point. Were you shocked to see some 1’s and 2’s on your list, or maybe even a 0? Not to worry, that’s actually good news and here’s why – you now have a starting point. As you become adept at getting yourself unstuck in your first areas of focus, you’ll see how easy it is to transfer your newfound unsticking skills into different areas of your life. Keep in mind, it’s really about incremental stages, so if you gave yourself 3 on Finances because you’re carrying debt and not doing anything about it, you need to think of some steps that would take that 3 to a 4 (not all the way to 10). That’ll come later.  For now, it’s one step at a time.
It’s important to know that the 1-10 Assessment Tool works hand in hand with the Clarify, Simplify, Execute Process.

It’s very likely that you’ll have a mix of high and low responses. What I’d like you to do next is make a list of things you want to accomplish, and the simple next steps to achieving those goals.  (Although we often tend to think of our challenges as all-absorbing, that’s rarely the case.) When you’re able to chunk it down – that is, break action steps into the tiniest imaginable pieces – you can tackle one baby step at a time.

In the case of a client who had a goal to start dating, this meant simply calling a woman he’d intended to ask out for a drink. Prior to the Clarify, Simplify, Execute process, he’d seen his desire to start dating as a huge goal, but suddenly he saw that it was one phone call, one date, and then he’d take it from there. It wasn’t as though he had to drop everything and figure out a strategy for meeting the woman of his dreams, settle down, get married, and have a family. It was just a cocktail date. He made the call, which immediately took his Significant Other score from 3 to 4. It was all much less pain and effort than he’d built up in his mind, as it will be for you.

ACTION STEP: So! Your assignment for THIS week is to choose your NEXT MOST IMPORTANT business and life change.  Choose which are your TOP priorities for change on your 1-10 Assessment Tool and then apply the CSE model and “Chunk” those down to 3 or 4 action steps that YOU CAN begin to implement right away.

I’d love to hear your responses.  You can send those to me through my Facebook Group Discussion on this topic at http://bit.ly/libbygillgroup – or you can post your comments on my blog at http://bit.ly/LibbysBlog

To YOUR amazing life,

Libby Gill, Branding Expert, Bestselling Author, and Executive Coach
Bestselling Author of: You Unstuck

PS:  Join my Accountability Club with my $1 / 1 month trial http://bit.ly/AcctbilityClub and become part of the growing number of those who are READY and 100% ACCOUNTABLE for changes ***(and accomplishments)*** in all areas of their lives.  Libby

This is a self-assessment tool that I developed and have since used with thousands of people to help them determine success and satisfaction levels in ten key areas of work and life. By assigning scores to specific areas, you can begin to see where you’re least satisfied in your life and may want to focus first.

Take a look at the list below. Each item is labeled to represent a major area of your personal or professional life. Think about each section and, as objectively and honestly as you can, rate your satisfaction level in each area of your life on a 1-10 scale, 1 being least satisfied, 10 being most satisfied. If a category isn’t especially meaningful to you, factor that into your score. For example, if you’re single and happy about it, there’s no need to give yourself a low rating on Significant Other. You’re not scoring yourself on whether or not you have a significant other, just if you’re satisfied with what you do have.

Next, write your rating for each category between 1 and 10 in all areas, and make a quick notation in just a few words. For example: Significant Other – no time to date = 2 … or:  Relationships with Friends – I have a great group of friends = 9.

Success & Satisfaction Self-Assessment List

Career
Finances
Health and Self-Care
Relationships with Family
Relationships with Friends
Significant Other
Purpose or Spirituality
Personal Growth
Recreation and Fun
Home, Office, Living Space

If you’re like most people, you probably have some areas of your life that are working quite well and other areas that need some attention, maybe even urgently. If you feel that the low ratings you gave yourself are indications of deeper problems than the need to get unstuck, you may want to consider some professional help. Ask yourself if you, or others, have noticed a change in your behavior. Have friends, family members or colleagues suggested that you see a doc­tor or therapist? If so, you may want to schedule some time to visit an internist, general practitioner, pastoral counselor or psychotherapist. Request that a trusted family member or friend make the appointment and possibly even accompany you for emotional support.

Assigning self-determined ratings can be very eye-opening. After you’ve given yourself a 2 out of a possible 10 on Health, it’s pretty hard to pretend that everything is O.K. with your self-care. Conversely, even though you may grouse about your over-involved parents and sibling, when you give Family a 9, it’s obvious that this part of your life is very satisfying for you.

ACTION STEP: The most important thing is what comes next and what you DO with this information, but for now, let’s just start with the chart and take some time to think about it.  I’d love to feature one or two of you and how you feel about your scores in my next blog.  Reach out to me through Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/libbygill

To YOUR amazing life,

Libby Gill, Branding Expert, Bestselling Author, and Executive Coach
Bestselling Author of: You Unstuck

We often know WHAT we need to do to change our lives and get “unstuck”. The big question is WHY don’t we change our lives? Getting unstuck is less about changing behavior and more about changing beliefs. Sure, you’ve got to take action, but if you don’t change your belief system while you do that, your results may be short-lived (and maybe even counterproductive).

Working with my book, You Unstuck, will give you a philosophy and a process so you can finally change the beliefs that are keeping you stuck, which will change your behavior, which will change your life. If you don’t have the book, we can at least start the process here. Accurately identifying the problem is the first step toward solving it. That goes doubly for getting unstuck, since excuses and denial are often a big part of what’s holding you back. Watch out for limiting assumptions as you go forward in the change process. Those are conclusions without evidence, logic, or objective data that can (and will) limit your ability to get unstuck.

For now, let’s look at my proven “Clarify, Simplify & Execute” process. CSE is a simple, problem-solving matrix into which you can plug any relevant data. The CSE model is invaluable when I work as an executive coach – and I share it often as a keynote speaker too.

First, clarify your vision of a life filled with the change you want to embrace. A clear vision is a critical starting point so you can see what you want as real and attainable. If it’s too abstract, distant or unrealistic, you won’t feel passionate enough to put in the work needed to reach it.

Next, simplify the most direct route you can think of to becoming what you envision. This is where things began to get harder, which is another reason you need your won­derful vision to keep you motivated. Past failures, fears, and resistance may come up, but that’s your cue to challenge those beliefs. (I coach a fantastic Accountability Group with great success for its members around change – you can find it at http://www.MyAccountabilityGroup.com.)

Although the Simplify portion of the CSE model may not sound all that simple, the goal is always to find the most direct route to reach your vision. That might include brainstorming, reviewing past failures and successes, eliminating obstacles, getting expert information, etc., etc.. Once you’ve got a clear vision and an action path, all you have to do is act.

Finally, execute. Execute is the specific action steps you’ll need to take and how you will hold yourself accountable to execut­ing your plan, especially when the going got rough. Later this week, I’ll write about mapping out your CSE blueprint. As we go deeper into the work of You Unstuck, you’ll learn other skills you can layer on top of this foundation. You’ll see how easy it can be to overcome nearly any obstacle, solve any problem, or make any decision as you become adept at setting up the CSE model and then asking the right qualifying questions.

To YOUR amazing life,

Libby Gill, Branding Expert, Bestselling Author, and Executive Coach
Bestselling Author of: You Unstuck
http://www.LibbyGill.com/Club

June 2010 Monthly Milestones

Okay , it’s time to set your monthly milestone for June 2010.

Use the comment form below to publicly commit to your goal and we’ll be here to support you along the way!

Everyone gets stuck. It’s part of being human. Maybe you’re stuck in your career, finances, health or relationships. Or maybe life dealt you a bad blow like a layoff or divorce. The real question is this: What are you going to do about it?

My book, “You Unstuck,” is designed to give you the hope and tools to get you past your sticking points. Hope because that’s the one thing you can’t afford to lose if you’re going to succeed in work and life. Tools because the process of life change is so thor­oughly misunderstood, you may have been going at it all wrong. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be stuck right now, would you? It’s like trying to change a flat tire without a jack. The more you try, the more hopeless you feel and the more hopeless you feel, the more stuck you are.

First, let’s see if any of these describe you:

You know what changes you need to make but you’re not making them.
You know what you want but you have no idea how to get there.
When you think about change, you feel totally overwhelmed.
Your life is basically good, but there’s one area that you keep avoiding.
You are living other people’s ideas about who you are and ignoring your own.
You’re being held back by the thing that held you back last year, 5 years ago … your entire life.
You’ve lost a job, a loved one, or a nest egg and it’s got you totally shut down.
You’re willing to change everything in life except the thing you know will make a real difference.
You’re embarrassed to tell one more person what you want to do with your life.
No one wants to listen to you talk about what you want. They don’t believe you’ll ever change.
You’re missing out on something and if you don’t go after it now, you may regret it forever.
You’re afraid that if you fail, it means that you are a failure.
You’re afraid if you succeed, no one will love you anymore.
You’re scared to go after the thing you really want, because if you don’t get it, what does that say about you.

The truth is, you already know that all you need to do is change your behavior to change your life. If you’ve been laid off or you hate your job, you need to get your resume together and start interviewing. If you want to find a romantic partner, you join a singles group or an online dating service. If you’re over­weight, you start moving more and eating less. It’s pretty straightforward. But if it’s so easy, why aren’t you doing it? nd if you are doing it, why hasn’t it been working?

For this week, I’d like you to consider where you are stuck in YOUR life.  Buy yourself a notebook and begin to jot those things down.  Give yourself one page per item, in fact, because this is where you become UNSTUCK.  We’ll be covering getting Unstuck a lot over the next few months, and I’d love to hear from all of you on your progress AND your sticking points.

To YOUR amazing life,

Libby Gill, Branding Expert, Bestselling Author, and Executive Coach
Bestselling Author of: You Unstuck
http://www.LibbyGill.com

May 2010 Monthly Milestones

Okay , it’s time to set your monthly milestone for May 2010.

Use the comment form below to publicly commit to your goal and we’ll be here to support you along the way!

Kevin Kelley, the founding executive editor of Wired Magazine famously said that creators need only 1,000 True Fans to make a living.  Refuting the idea that, in order to succeed in cyber times, you must have a never-ending long tail of buyers, readers, and whatever-ers, Kelly’s point was nothing short of revolutionary.

Others have riffed on the 1,000 True Fans theory.  Seth Godin of Permission Marketing fame suggests that you alter what you do and how you do it so that 1,000 true fans is sufficient for success.  Ryan Lee, a gym teacher turned web guru, says it best:  that you should give 10 times the value your community expects from you.

Which is precisely what one of my branding clients, Forest Meadows Apartment Homes, is doing. Forest Meadows is a multi-family complex located in the historic town of Medina, Ohio, halfway between Cleveland and Akron.  Despite the region’s charms, the housing market – including the multi-family industry – has been hard hit by the recession.  Never one to settle for status quo, Managing Partner Bob Gura came to us for creative branding ideas to give him a competitive advantage in a tough marketplace.

Bob was already upgrading the property with amenities like lush landscaping, granite kitchen counter tops, high-speed Internet access, lighted fountains and ponds, and much more.  My team’s job was to showcase all these improvements so that prospective tenants – as well as current residents – really got the Value X 10 that Bob and his staff were providing.

One of the first things my team did was create a new website that brought the brand up to date with more robust content, new photographs, pet-friendly offerings, online tenant services, and a listing of neighborhood vendors.  One of the most important features, however, was the strategic use of testimonials. Nothing, and I mean, nothing is more powerful than a testimonial from a happy customer.

In fact, I’m proud to share this great testimonial that Bob gave our team.

With the recent re-launch of the new and improved Forest Meadows site, the property is poised for further growth.  And so is the website since it’s built to evolve along with the brand, just as yours should.

Think about your brand and ask yourself…

• What are doing to create value for your community?

• How do you increase that value tenfold?

• Who are your brand evangelists, that is, your 1000 True Fans?

If you give value x 10, they will come!

Did you know that you’ve got easy access to one of the most effective means of building your brand?  And you’re probably not even using.

I’m talking about customer testimonials, one of the most powerful ways to establish your credibility and value, all while differentiating yourself from the competition.  And the beauty of using testimonials is that your satisfied clients are praising your products or services, not you.

Here’s what you do.  Contact 3-5 past or current clients who love your work, and ask them if they’d be willing to give you an endorsement.  Believe me, if they’re happy with you, they’ll have no objection letting others know.

Testimonials can be written (include a headshot), audio or video.  Be sure to get permission in writing, email is fine, and keep it in your files.  It’s important that you can document your endorsements.

For the testimonial, ask your customers to state the problem they had and how you solved it. If they can quantify the results as money saved, money/clients brought in, or the amount of time involved – so much the better.  They should also include their name, job title and company.  (If you need to consider confidentiality, contact me and I’ll tell you how to handle this!)

Here’s an example of a testimonial – this is for real, btw!

As a branding expert, I know a lot of people in the world of marketing.  But when I needed help with online marketing strategies, I turned to Paul Keetch (www.PaulKeetch.com).  Paul showed me how to automate my marketing activities to build my membership coaching group, MyAccountabilityClub.com, saving me thousands of dollars in the process.  His dedication to my success has been invaluable to my company’s growth.

Libby Gill, CEO of Libby Gill & Company and Founder of MyAccountabilityClub.com

Add testimonials to your website, collateral materials and sales conversations.  Remember, it’s not what you say about yourself, but what others say about you that really counts!

There’s nothing sweeter to a parent than realizing that despite middle school angst and teenage traumas, your child – strike that, your young adult – has turned out better than you could possibly have hoped. Because he (or she)  has discovered what it means to serve others.

This Spring has gotten off to an especially sweet start for me because my son Harrison, a freshman at the University of California at San Diego, is spending his Spring Break in the highlands of Guatemala helping build a school in a poverty-stricken rural area.  Never a party animal, I knew my son wouldn’t spend  his week hanging out playing video games, but I hardly expected him to volunteer to get four inoculations and go wield a hammer for seven days.

Yep, I’m a proud mom all right.  And given my son’s charitable nature, it’s really made me think about the service I’m doing for others.  Am I giving enough?  Are my volunteer efforts making a difference?   There’s so much we can all do from providing  financial aid, to offering volunteer time, to connecting people with the resources they need.  But if you’re like me, it’s often happenstance.  I confess, I’m an emotional activist,  reacting to the earthquake in Haiti by donating to the Red Cross.  Or  sponsoring a family member (yes, Harrison again) in theAmerican Cancer Society Relay for Life.   Or, sometimes, just by  giving money to a homeless person on the street.

But I think it’s high time I made my efforts, humble as they are, less happenstance and more intentional.   So, in Harrison’s honor, I’m going to do what he’s been bugging me to do since he was thirteen.  I’m going to launch my LIBBY CARES campaign and I’m asking for your advice.

Many of you are far more strategic about service and  philanthropy than I am and I really need your help.  Please comment on this blog and let me know how I can best go about institutionalizing my efforts at making  a difference.    Is it by continuing to contribute to one-off to events and organizations?  Is it by aligning with a non-profit where I can become a strategic advisor on branding and communications?  Or is by rallying you to help me with specific efforts, like the T-shirt drive we did for an orphanage in Kenya?

Please let me know your thoughts because, well,  I really do care.  Especially about causes that affect women and children, education and the mentally ill. Let me know what you’re doing in your life to make the world a better place. And how I can most powerfully spring into service for others.  Many thanks in advance for your service!

Thanks again to Angie Horejsi for her beautiful photo!

April 2010 Monthly Milestones

Okay , it’s time to set your monthly milestone for April 2010.

Use the comment form below to publicly commit to your goal and we’ll be here to support you along the way!