My New Orleans Home

I have a KITCHEN!!!!! I know you are wondering, what on earth am I talking about, everyone has a kitchen. However, not in New Orleans! I returned to New Orleans, LA from Austin, Texas (Cedar Park, TX to be exact) to continue the rebuilding process.
I added a second story, (see the picture above, side view of the house). The entire home will be painted within a couple of weeks (I found great colors). We have just completed the kitchen, and the appliances are working perfectly, especially the stove. I cooked my first meal on yesterday: Pork Chops, Macaroni & Cheese, Yams(New Orleans style) and corn bread. Today it will be Shrimp & Crawfish Pasta, Roast and Garlic Bread.

The family and I have been eating out since January. I thought I would love the opportunity to not cook, but there is nothing like home cooked food. Eating out got old, quick! The smell of the food cooking in the house is wonderful.

Do not take for granted anything that you own, because you will realize how much you need & miss it if it is unexpectedly gone. In honor of me, go and cook a fancy meal for the family, cheers to you. Back to the kitchen for me. YEAHHHHHHH!

Stay Tuned, I will be updating with pictures of the paint job, the new kitchen and the progress as it continues. I will also include some pics of the progression and lack of progression of the City of New Orleans.

Lessons From A Checker Game

This is one of my most favorite articles: Everyday through our experiences (good or bad) a lesson is learned. I love to review my day and journal about my day's lesson.
What was your lesson on today?

Lessons From A Checker Game

My 9 year old son loves to play the board game Checkers. At one time playing against him was a snap, because he didn’t really understand the concept of the game, he only enjoyed the family time together sharing an activity. However, after much practice and a graduate student of “Checker Camp” directed by his father, he became an expert player. The once short checker game became a long competitive checker tournament. One evening as I was losing horribly, my son asked me why I had not been focusing on the game. I replied that I didn’t feel the need to do such strategic thinking and planning. His response became my mantra: “It is a waste of time to make a move without a plan or strategy because the consequence will almost always = loser. Always play to win”!

Do you play to win or are you satisfied with the results from minimal effort and persistence? Do you plan your day? Is there blocked time on your daily schedule for action items? Do you have a big picture goal with small reachable daily tasks that will lead you to the bigger picture? Are you spending your days confused about what to do next? Do you operate from a strategic action plan?

If you responded NO to any of the above questions, stop wasting time and play to win.

Incorporate these strategies in you routine to win:

► Always Plan Your Day, Preferably The Night Before

► Develop A Strategy To Get The Results Want

► Visualize The Big Picture

► Complete Daily Bite Size Tasks

► Stay In The Present, Focus Only On The Work At Hand

► Rejoice In The Small Accomplishments

► Create A Successful Environment



Winners do what those who lose do not want to do!

Light Bulb Moment

I was reading a very interesting article on last night about the challenges of small business owners. It also had an assessment for small business owners that I decided to take because I knew my score would be extremely high (after all, I am a Business Coach). I did not get past the first question: Do you treat your business as a hobby or a business? The answer was obvious - A business! RIGHT

Well, it then preceeded to ask had you honestly committed 30 hrs. weekly to your business? Although I have committed time, it has not totaled 30 hrs. weekly. Lately I have been guilty of letting almost everything take priority over my business. As small business owners we have to remember that having a home office is great, been self-employed is great, but we must treat our businesses as a business just like the CEO of IBM. Do you have an Advisory Board? When was the last meeting? Is your profit & lost statement up to date? Do you self educate with the lastest trends in your business? How many books have you read this month regarding your industry?
Did you attend your industry conference? Do you market your business daily? (Just something to think about!)

I am now evaluating my week and making sure that I am back on track and following my schedule. My schedule will never be a normal 9 to 5 routine (that's why I left corporate)but I will increase my committment to 30 hrs. a week. That is why been an entrepreneur is so wonderful, I can schedule my day around my activites but I must remember to schedule my activites around my business hours.

Just as relationships need renewals, you need to renew your relationship with your business. Honor your work time and be present with it and do not allow other activities to interfere with your work time. What you put into it, is what will be returned!

Always Soaring,
Bridgette