BROADCASTS.com

Published: June 15, 2015, 7:30 a.m.

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Today\'s Monday Message is about working from home and the challenges we face. We need to make changes and avoid distractions. Change leads to growth and success.

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Being your own boss may be a great feeling

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If what you are doing isn\\u2019t working you need to take the steps to make it work!

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You need to change \\u2013 for the better.

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A great quote by Chris Voss is \\u201cWhen you blame others you give up your power to change. Take responsibility for your future!\\u201d

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The way I look at it is:

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If you aren\\u2019t happy with where you are at\\u2026 Change.

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If your business is so much work the pleasure of being a photographer is slowly drifting away\\u2026 Change.

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If the list of things to do feels so overwhelming you\\u2019ll never catch up\\u2026 Change.

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There are ways around all of these feelings and misconceptions about our businesses and ourselves.

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So many people I know or meet out there tell me they are unhappy these days. Forget photography for a second. I hear it from a ton of people from all walks of life. The same excuses:

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\\u201cI don\\u2019t have enough money.\\u201d

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\\u201cI don\\u2019t have enough time.\\u201d

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\\u201cI don\\u2019t have the proper education.\\u201d

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\\u201cNo one will want me, so why even try.\\u201d

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I have two ways of looking at change and if you understand the meaning behind what I\\u2019m about to tell you. Then you will have an easier time moving forward, not just in your business, but your life as well.

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1. For your personal life: \\u201cChange, when done properly, is based on looking back and the wanting to improve as you move forward.\\u201d
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2. For your business: \\u201cSmall amounts of change will add up to dollars. The sooner you make change the sooner you make dollars. The more you make change the more you make dollars.\\u201d
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How to keep going?

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Well I find it is helpful and necessary to put many systems in place.

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What do I mean by systems?

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Well if you remember in episode 024 with Jim Harmer he suggested getting a 30 minute sand timer. So when you have a task you need to do; you start the timer allowing yourself only 30 minutes to complete as much of that task as possible. Once the time is up, you stop whatever task you were working on, flip over the timer and work hard for the next task. - I want to clear a couple things up though first. Just because you only schedule 30 minutes to get a task done doesn\\u2019t mean you do what you can and then it\\u2019s all over if you don\\u2019t make it. Nor does this method suggest rushing though a task in that block of time is a good idea\\u2026 What this does is the creation of the light at the end of the tunnel for yourself and your work. An end game to help your mind wrap around the fact that in 30 minutes you are going to be done working on that particular task for today. If it\\u2019s a bigger project come back to it 2 or 3 times, but give yourself the breaks from one thing and move to the next.

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A system I have in place is waking up early. Now, I am not a morning person\\u2026 in fact it is the worst part of my day. However, when I get up at 5:30am, have my coffee, get ready for my day, and then get to work by 6am; that is the best feeling. It feels like I have a good 3 hours\\u2019 worth of dedicated \\u201cin the zone\\u201d work time. Before most others get to work and before my phone starts ringing.

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You know\\u2026 I have an email address for\\xa0Rob Krueger Photography\\xa0and I have one for\\xa0Take&TalkPics.com\\xa0and I have one for my teaching at\\xa0The College of DuPage; with so many different kinds of email coming in I need to keep things organized for my own sake. So what I do is check on one set of emails just once during the day. I have specific times when I allow myself to take a look and get back to everyone I can.

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The truth is if you don\\u2019t have strict policy in place then there is no reason to follow though. Holding ourselves accountable is the most difficult thing we must do as business owners. For anyone who has or has had a full time day job you can relate to this:

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It always seems like your boss has nothing better to do than be checking up on you and seeing if you are keeping up with the unrealistic schedule, but that is the majority of their job. As small independent business owners we have no one to answer to; therefore, we only fear ourselves and the potential guilt we may have for not putting forth our best efforts some days.

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I like to say this:

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\\u201cIf I can go to bed at night knowing I did the best I could with my time and my day, then I did okay; tomorrow will be a new test, a fresh start, and a new day to see how I feel before I go to bed that night.\\u201d

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I\\u2019m going to leave you Photo World with a quote by Henry Ford: Whether you think you can, or you think you cannot \\u2013 you are right.\\u201d

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We have to change our lives or accept defeat by not trying. Even if we try and fail, we still learn and grow.

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Be sure to\\xa0Subscribe\\xa0to our newsletter and automatically you will be entered into our weekly\\xa0giveaway! - currently we are giving away\\xa0iTunes\\xa0gift cards!

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2015 \\xa9 Take&TalkPics

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