Planning | Deborah Labbate

February already and today’s date is particularly special!

I picked up on something interesting today, 02 02 2020, which makes today’s date pretty special.

It’s palindromic (the same forwards as backwards).

It’s also an isogram (only 2 digits each there 4 times)

The next time this happens will be on 21st December 2112.

A couple of hours after midnight this morning, the time was 02:02:02 on 02 02 2020

Also, later this evening it will be 20:20:20 02 02 2020.

Fascinating stuff!

Wishing you a happy palindromic day!

All that aside here we are in February already!

It feels like ‘Happy New Year’ for me as I’ve had most of January off, firstly with a fabulous holiday in New York and then looking after my mum.

It’s back to business now and I’m setting about executing my plans for the year.

How are you doing with yours?

Did you make any New Year resolutions or promises to yourself about what you would get done this year?

How good are you at keeping them?

This might make you smile . . . or wince!

Love them or hate them resolutions are often a hot topic throughout January, but then what? Oftentimes forgotten as life gets in your way.

The new year will bring even the shyest of goal setters out of the woodwork as we’re bombarded with all the new year, new you stuff like diet, health, gym membership etc. they all feature and often well in advance of Christmas!

And, of course, they play a huge part in business too.

In a business context we call them goals or objectives (have you had an annual appraisal?) or plans or maybe you work with KPI’s.

Whatever. You can choose the word that works for you.

They key thing with goals <insert chosen word> you need to get them down on paper. You need to be specific and sharing them often helps you with some external accountability. That way you are much less likely to use your ‘get out’ clause!

You will have heard to expression ‘goals without a plan are just dreams’ or perhaps a ‘goal without a date on it is just a dream’.

There’s plenty of models and templates out there for you to work with and I recommend you experiment with what works best for you. One size never fits all!

Start with a clear vision, map the steps you’ll need to achieve this then set your specific goals <insert chosen word> making sure these are aligned with your values.

AND now, as we leave the EU, it is certainly time (if you are in business and reading this) to give thought to some of the things you may not have already accounted for in your plan.

You can read more about some of the things you may need to consider here

Whatever you have planned for 2020 I hope your year is already off to a cracking start for you.

If you need some help setting out your plans and working on a strategy to execute them a Conversation with Deborah could be just what you need!

If it’s time to talk give me a call

Wishing you success in all you do!

Best wishes

Deborah

Can you help me? . . . And there’s a P.S. at the end which may help you go further, faster . . .

To be blunt and upfront I’m after your money!

Why?

Because on 11^th October I’ll be joining some of Nottingham’s most compassionate business people to do something amazing!

Together we will be showing solidarity with those who need our help in Nottingham and raising awareness of some big issues.

Please will you help me to raise money and support priceless work fighting homelessness and poverty in Nottingham?

Your support will be massively appreciated by me and I’ll be delighted to tweet about you, give you (and your business) a plug on my Facebook page and I’ll be posting updates on LinkedIn too.

All you have to do is make a donation here

All I have to do is sleep outside on what’s destined to be a cold and damp night!

Have you noticed how much colder it’s getting night by night this last week? Brrrr!!!!

(you have to realise when I signed up to do this on a balmy summer’s night a couple of months ago it seemed like a really good idea!)

Anyway it’s getting close to Goose Fair time and I can feel what I always call ‘Goose Fair weather’ kicking in . . . it’s going to be cold pitch side that’s for sure!

Donate here – thank you so much!

Now I totally appreciate participating in this year’s CEO Sleepout is only a token nod to what it must really be like to be homeless and I do have the luxury of being back in my warm and cosy home the following night, but I am giving up that luxury for one night and sleeping out pitch side (no tent even) at Meadow Lane Stadium whilst you’re tucked up under your warm and cosy under your duvet!

It will be cold.

And will be damp.

And it might even rain!

And . . .

you getting the idea this isn’t going to be very comfortable (understatement) aren’t you?

So, surely, you think that’s worth of a quid or two? Please.

Please help me!

Please give what you can – here’s the link again to donate

I know I’m being blunt asking for money like this, but to put it bluntly, money is everything in supporting the charities that will benefit from your generosity.

The more I (and my fellow sleepouters) can raise the more people can be helped. Simples!

Every £50 can make a big difference to somebody – and help them to turn their life around.

£5, £10, £15, £20, £30, £40 . . . it all makes a difference.

Thank you.

Since 2010 people affected by homelessness has risen dramatically. People can become homeless for a number of reasons, often a life event such as a relationship breakdown, leaving care or prison. These events, without support, can put people on a downward spiral culminating in homelessness.

The CEO Sleepout has partnered with Notts County Football In the Community, Emmanuel House and The Friary and will use the funds raised from CEO Sleepout Nottingham to continue their programme of support to the homeless and those at a crisis point who, without assistance, are highly likely to be evicted and become homeless.

That link one more time

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/teamncbc

Thanks so much!
You’re amazing!

Best wishes

Deborah Xx

Oh, and I promised a P.S. and something to help you

As we’re approaching the end of 2018 if you want to get ahead before the start of the new year I will be pleased to reduce my fee for a Conversation with Deborah by the amount you donate to the CEO Sleepout. Past clients have used a Conversation with Deborah to focus on a specific project or challenge or just to get some clarity on something rather than signing up to my more in depth programmes which generally run over 3, 6 or 12 months. This could be anything from useful introductions, networking strategy, a time audit, a confidence boost ahead of a presentation, performance or personal challenge, or a strategy session. The conversation is up to you! If this is something you would be interested in do get in touch

Overlapping thoughts and August chaos!

Well that was quite an August!

Three years ago I took an email sabbatical for the whole of August.

It was brilliant. I learnt a lot about my email habit. (You can read my thinking at the time and the lessons learnt here)

This August, with not a huge amount of client work scheduled, I thought I’d take advantage of some downtime and get some things done for me, my business and my life.

No email sabbatical as such but a definite focus on my own agenda!

Then BAM! I had the rug well and truly pulled from under my feet and plans.

A simple (or so I thought) pesky insect bite on an early evening walk resulted in a dash for the local A & E department and then being transferred across town to another hospital and being admitted – I wasn’t expecting that! Nor was I expecting what came next! A three day stay, a shed load of antibiotics via IV in one arm and my other (the one with the bite) suspended so the pressure and fluid could drain. I escaped the surgery they were contemplating thank goodness! Home with more meds and more arm elevation (constructed a clever device from a cymbal stand!) then just as I thought I was on the mend my immune system had other ideas! A further allergic reaction followed and that was me back in A & E! Talk about drama!!

Anyway, I won’t bore you with anymore of my woes. I’m well on the mend now so that’s the main thing.

My point is we never know what’s around the corner! Best laid plans and all that.

The positive that has come out of this is some enforced downtime which I hadn’t acknowledged I needed.

I know. I know. I should practice what I preach!

I really am my own worst client 🙂

Anyway, sometimes it’s good to switch off completely. Like I didn’t know that already! Just wish I’d planned for it!

Hard I know when you work for yourself, have a demanding role etc.

Once I was better from the initial problems following that insect bite I had planned to be straight back in the office doing all those things I had initially planned for August, but having to stop and lie still for a while I realised how many overlapping thoughts I was having. How much I wasn’t actually thinking straight. How much my planning had become, well, kind of chaotic and my thinking along with it.

I do have some chaos going on right now and some of it (hate it as I do) I can’t control.

Being still helped to calm those overlapping thoughts that were creating the chaos in my mind and helped me focus on what I can control.

Being still allowed me some time to put some perspective on some of those overlapping thoughts (I’m still working on some . . . Rome wasn’t built in a day!) and, being still helped me decide to take some more time out.

Another week of time out has been exactly what the doctor ordered! On this occasion that was me being my own physician (and a good client).

So here we are September.

I’m ready for you.

I’m ready for what’s next.

Revived. Refreshed. I can manage some of that chaos now I’ve calmed the baulk of it!

Note to self: Avoid pesky insect bites next August and plan a proper holiday.

Second note to self: Chaotic thoughts need calming. Take time to calm the chaos. You know you are so much more productive without it.

Helping you go further, faster in 2016 ~ are you ready?

More than half way through January already ~ I hope 2016 is off to a spectacular start for you!

I expect you have loads planned for the year to develop your business, your people and hopefully have some time for you too.

I’ll be running my first workshop of the year on January 28^th and this is new for 2016 and something of a revolution!

So, if you want to spend a day developing your vision and getting some clearly planned action steps in place this could by just what you’ve been waiting for.

You can find all the details here and there’s a copy of the event flyer at the end of this post.

If you want to dive straight in and book right now this link will take you to Eventbrite where you can secure your place immediately.

At the end of the afternoon I’ll be hosting a networking drinks reception so you may want to ensure you don’t need to dash off and take advantage of this opportunity to make some new connections.

I’ve been asked several times of late if I plan to set up my own network and I don’t at the moment but I will be putting on a few events during the year.

Watch this space for a March date for the first of those and let me know if you want advance notice or a sneaky peak of what I have planned 🙂

If you want to work on your networking strategy for 2016 my training video is live on my website along with some tips.

Last year due to demand I started to do some one off networking strategy sessions on a 1:1 basis so get in touch if you think this would be helpful to you.

Sticking with networking for a moment I am a big supporter of Unique Connections.

These events are hosted by The Galleries of Justice and help raise funds for their fundraising campaign, ‘Help a Nottinghamshire Child’ (HNC), which aims to keep kids away from crime and out of prison. The next couple of events will be sociable affairs with the first of these being the always popular wine tasting evening on Thursday 4^th February with the great father and son team from Hourlier Wines. Be sure to bring your taste buds with you and leave your car at home! You can book your place here

Following this is the annual fundraising dinner on March 10^th and this year the theme is ‘When Bollywood meets Hollywood’. You can enjoy some live dancing and music from the Bollywood Belles and Campbell Bass and you’ll be in great company as you network with like-minded business people from across Nottinghamshire not to mention enjoying a delicious 4 course meal in the exquisite surroundings of award winning restaurant MemSaab.

You can book for both of these events here and there’s an invitation to the dinner at the end of this post.

Whilst you’re spending a few moments clicking through on the various links you might want to take a moment to vote and add your weight to the petition against the Government’s planned changes on dividends. If you currently pay yourself a dividend it’s worth reading more about this here You can also follow the Survive and Succeed campaign on Twitter and Facebook or go straight here to vote.

Tax changes are just one thing to keep on top of if you’re running your own business and you’ll be busy with so much more! All things finance, marketing, recruitment, managing your team, operational stuff, the list goes on. If there’s anything I can help you with remember I’m only on the end of a phone or email and if I can’t help you I’m sure I will know someone who can from my trusted network. I’ve spent years building this so you don’t have to. I know it can sometimes feel lonely at the top whether you’re the boss or the head of a department. Sometimes it’s good to talk!

I’ve taken a number of clients through my ‘be the Star you are’ signature programme since launching it almost a year ago and will be rolling this out further in the coming months. Meanwhile, I’m looking for just two more clients to take through this programme on the fast track basis so if you want to see how you can go further, faster in 2016 get in touch for a chat and we can decide if the programme is the right fit for you.

I’m offering this at a third off the usual fee until the end of February. More on the programme here

My mantra as you know is ‘helping people go further, faster … ‘ and I would be delighted to see how I can help you do just that (don’t be surprised though ~ sometimes this means slowing down first!)

Let’s make some time to talk ~ there’s no charge for an initial conversation and it could be just what you need!

Wishing you every success in 2016.

Best wishes

Deborah

A gift for you ~ if you’re already beginning to feel like 2016 is flying by read my free eBook for some perspective on time and some tips to help you manage yours

Request your free copy now

More event info …

Click HERE to reserve your workshop place on January 28th

Book HERE for Unique Connections annual fundraising dinner

Is 2016 off to a great start for you?

The new year is often a time to make resolutions, but how good are you at keeping them?

Love them or hate them they are usually a hot topic at this time of year!

For some it’s all about goal setting.

Love or hate them too at some point most of us have read about, been on a course about, talked about, achieved (or not) goals.

The new year often brings even the shyest of goal setters out of the woodwork as we’re bombarded with all the new year, new you stuff like diet, health, gym membership etc. they all feature and often well in advance of Christmas!

And, of course, they play a huge part in business too.

In a business context sometimes we call them goals or maybe objectives (have you had an annual appraisal?) or plans or maybe you work with KPI’s. Whatever. You can choose the word that works for you.

You will have heard to expression ‘goals without a plan are just dreams’ or perhaps a ‘goal without a date on it is just a dream’.

There’s plenty of models and templates out there for you to work with and I recommend you experiment with what works best for you. One size never fits all!

Start with a clear vision, map the steps you’ll need to achieve this then set your specific goals <insert chosen word> making sure these are aligned with your values.

Whatever you have planned for 2016 I hope your year is already off to a cracking start for you.

Wishing you success in all you do!

Best wishes

Deborah

Are your ducks in a row?

Why wait for the blah, blah, blah . . . ?

Get your ducks in a row and be ahead of the crowd and stand out from your competition.

November has started and it’s just a few short weeks to January 1.

No doubt lots of busy diaries between now and then!

Quickly following we have New Year’s Eve and, for some, the annual resolutions.

With a predictable new year you’ll be bombarded with all the articles shouting headlines with the likes of

New Year New You
Make 2016 Count
15 things successful people do
3 things to get right this year
You know the sort of stuff I’m talking about . . . blah, blah, blah

With some 10 years’ experience of Coaching and personal and professional development I’ve seen the trends come and go and with more years business experience I’ve seen what works and what doesn’t.

When you strip it all back the process is really quite simple.

The challenge is, people are not so.

I’ve developed a programme over the last few years which has been shaped by feedback from my clients.

You take the full blown programme and work with me or you can go it alone with some simple to follow instructions.

Contact me to find out more.

If you want to get your ducks in a row and make of 2016 all you want, the time to start NOW!

This programme is suitable for business owners, MD’s, senior managers and anyone responsible for a team.

Time Audit

Time is often equated with money, and just as we often find ourselves short of cash, we also find ourselves with short of time.

To understand where your time goes, it is important to assess how you actually spend it.

This is where a ‘time audit’ can prove to be invaluable.

A time audit can help you carefully track your time over the course of a week.

This detailed picture of what you’re doing each day can help you determine if you’re spending your time on the tasks and activities you want and need to be doing.

This exercise will give you an indication of where time may be being wasted without you even realising it.

A simple exercise that packs a powerful punch!

It will help you identify

patterns in your behaviour
distractions
interruptions

Contact me for your Time Audit Tracking Chart

Below highlights 4 areas where I frequently see time wasted.

Look at the list and identify areas where you feel you waste most time.

1. Your Inner self

Fear of Failure
Low self esteem
Fear of making the wrong decision
Lack of urgency
Unable to say No

2. Lack of planning

Lack of written goals
Quick decisions
Taking on too much / making time estimates unrealistically low
Failure to break priorities into manageable parts
Lack of plan / priorities

3. Lack of self-management

Biting off more than you can chew
Lack of delegation (wanting to do everything yourself)
Perfectionism
Haste or impatience
Failure to listen or take notes

4. Lack of control over the work environment

Telephone interruptions
Drop-in visitors
Too much paperwork
Too many meetings
Confused responsibility and authority

No an exhaustive list, but some very common points.

Think about your own situation and environment.

What are the causes behind wasting time you can see?

I share some more thoughts on Time and 10 tips which you may find useful in my book ‘The One Big Mistake People Unwittingly Make When It Comes To Time Management and HOW To Avoid It’. You can access your free copy here by completing the sign up box at the top of my home page or send me a request and I will email you a copy or you can also view here

If you would like a copy of my Time Audit Tracking Chart contact me and I will send you a copy with my compliments.

WANT TO KNOW HOW THIS LITTLE GADGET CAN HELP YOU GET MORE DONE AND KEEP ON TRACK?

Just ask! or You can read more here

1:1 Time Audit sessions available ~ more details here

In-house Time Audit and Time Management programmes, training and workshops also available.

Contact me to discuss your individual requirements