Joelle K. Jay

personal leadership

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How To Take Command Of Your Executive Presence In 2017

Executive presence is a vital sign of your readiness to take on bigger leadership roles. Yet, many leaders don’t know what executive presence actually is, much less if they have it. That would be worrisome, except for the fact that you can change it. You can shape your presence to project an image consistent with who you want to be and the opportunities you want to have. Executive presence is the degree to which others perceive you to be a leader.

The trap many leaders fall into is being underestimated by others because of the way they present themselves. They may be perfectly capable, but if their presence doesn’t project the expected image of a leader, they may be seen as less powerful than they are. Women can easily become victim to this problem, being undervalued because of their perception from others. To eliminate this problem, they need to think deeply about acquiring executive presence, which can be complicated for women.

With historically few women holding high-level leadership positions, the image of what executive presence should be is often based on a man and, to further complicate things, “women are unfairly deemed to have the wrong leadership style needed to be successful.” Business women are trapped in a double bind of combining being an ideal manager, which means being masculine, with being an ideal woman, which means being feminine. To combat this contradiction, women must present themselves as leaders while maintaining their natural strength and style.

The second hurdle women face when tackling executive presence is the sensitivity of the topic. Women, in particular, have trouble getting feedback on their presence- especially when it comes to appearance. While appearance is only one small element of presence, it is an important one. Specific details of appearance, like unkempt attire and provocative clothing, can undercut presence up to 75 percent. Not to mention it is difficult to address.

Resolving this dilemma is more than a matter of managing perception and communicating to others that, “I have what it takes, and I’m ready to fill the role of a leader.” It is also about being confident in yourself. The more you can learn about the impressions you make on others, the more you can shape your image to fit their expectations, while also working on strengthen your own self-image.

Executive presence manifests in the silent judgements people make about you, rightly or wrongly. The more specifics you can get about how you are being measured, the better you can assess yourself. These attributes play important roles in determining executive presence: status and reputation, physical characteristics, demeanor, communication skills, interpersonal skills, interpersonal behavior patterns, values-in-action, intellect and expertise, work outcomes and power use. By understanding these different elements in yourself, you can shape your presence intentionally, to make a positive impact.

When you find your unique way of expressing executive presence, you will naturally develop a stronger sense of yourself as a leader, termed as “A Sense of Self” (another vitally important factor of executive presence). Understanding yourself as a leader will not only allow you to shape your executive presence, it will also make you feel powerful, and it will show.

 

The previous article appeared on Inc.com as a part of my column, “Behind The Desk.” Look out for new columns every week!

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Leadership Experts Weigh In: Why Women Leaders Need A Mentor And A Sponsor

Getting mentors and sponsors who can help you sustain the confidence and momentum its takes to succeed and who can pave the way for future success is more than beneficial, it is necessary. In order to build strong mentoring and sponsoring relationships, we need to distinguish clearly between the two.

A mentor is a guide who offers you advice, helps you solve problems, provides a sounding board, and shares his or her years of experience to help you learn and grow. A sponsor is a powerfully positioned champion who advocates for you, opens the door to new opportunities, introduces you to the right people, increases your visibility, and makes the case for your advancement.

To simplify, mentoring is taking an interest in you and sponsorship is taking action for you.

In her research, Sylvia Ann Hewlett reveals that leaders are advised to have a mentor, but they need a sponsor. Sponsorship turns out to be crucial to all leaders. The trouble is, it is less accessible to women. Only 13 percent of full-time, female employees at large companies have sponsors compared to 46 percent of men.

A number of obstacles can percent women from getting sponsorship. Some of these include: hesitancy to ask for help or showcase their talents, real or imagined boundaries across power relationships, the tendency to under-reach for promotions, and sometimes even fears about what others might think.

As a result, even women who do have a healthy network can end up over-mentored and under-sponsored. Do not let these obstacles stop you. Once you know you need a mentor and a sponsor, you can form those relationships and take advantage of all they have to offer. As an integral part of your network, your mentorships and sponsorships are deeper, more focused relationships that deserve special attention.

Mentorship gives you a distinct advantage. It shortens the learning curve, provides support in a challenging time, and offers a way to learn the nuances that lead to mastery in a skill- not to mention it can be the foundation for a lifelong relationship, often treasured on both sides. Women who take advantage of mentoring opportunities maintain their ambition and self-confidence in their careers.

In addition, people who are mentored “garner more promotions, higher salaries, and more career satisfaction and even report being less stressed than those who lack such guidance.” Mentorships are invaluable because you can learn and grow with little risk. However, if you want to advance, you need a sponsor.

The sponsorship advantage gives women the chance to stretch beyond their own boundaries into opportunities they may not have had otherwise. When women have a strong sponsor, the likelihood that they will seek other ways of advancing their career, such as a stretch assignment or a raise, goes up 8 percent– a small but significant impact. In addition, men and women with sponsors are most satisfied with their career advancement. In this regard, they obtain a “sponsor effect” from 19 to 23 percent.The benefits are even more impressive for mothers, at 27 percent, and minorities, up to 65 percent.

When leaders have strong mentors and sponsors in place, they feel supported and championed. Women in leadership must educate themselves about the benefits of mentors and sponsors, fill those roles, and cultivate and leverage the relationships. When you do, you will be surrounded by opportunities where you can add value and gain benefits in returns.

 

The previous article appeared on Inc.com as a part of my column, “Behind The Desk.” Look out for new columns every week!

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3 Ways See Yourself Bigger – And Help Others See It, Too

You’ve accomplished a lot in your career, you’re eager to move to the next level – but how do you get your colleagues and superiors to see you in your new role as a leader when they still see you in your old role?

For example, you want to be seen as strategic and visionary, but others see you as someone they can rely on to “get things done.” Or, you want to be involved early in important conversations, but others pull you in on an “as needed basis.”

So how do you get other people to shift their perspective of you, to see you as the leader you want to be?

Many leaders struggle to change others’ perceptions of them simply because they don’t realize they can influence the way they are seen. Here are three ways you can get others to see you as the leader you are:

See yourself bigger. Don’t let your own self-doubt hold you back. If your self-perception needs a boost, spend time with your strengths. Remember what it is you do especially well and what you want to do more of.

Step into bigger shoes. In several companies where I coach and speak, the way to get promoted is to act the part of a position for six months before you get the title. If you can prove yourself to be an effective leader at that next level by doing the things next-level-leaders do, then and only then will you be eligible for the actual post. Hold yourself to this standard and play the part of the role you want, whether that means contributing in new ways, speaking up with more courage and conviction, or sharing innovative ideas.

Tell others how you want them to view you. It sounds like this: “I’ve been a salesperson in this organization for a long time, but I’d like to take on more of a leadership role.” Follow it up with requests to get involved in higher-level activities, or share your ambitions so others can help pave the way.

By being proactive in these ways, not only will you be seen as “bigger,” you’ll actually become the next-level leader you want to be. Take a moment to imagine if your colleagues and superiors viewed you in your new role. You would be able to elevate yourself into the kind of position and reputation you want to have, as someone essential to the leadership team who can help drive the direction of the company or lead a project to a successful outcome. You would be having fun, contributing and engaging with others – instead of striving and driving so hard every day to just get yourself noticed.

 

The previous article appeared on Inc.com as a part of my column, “Behind The Desk.” Look out for new columns every week!

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The Leadership Strategy Most Successful CEOs Fail At Practicing

We all see the daily headlines: Mark Zuckerberg’s networth rises by additional millions as Facebook’s value increases, Arianna Huffington kickstarts a new “Thrive” venture, Bill Gates’ foundation makes a huge donation to a charity in need. Successful CEO’s are American heroes–we follow their path to top and hope to emulate their success in our own lives.

But many executives today–as well as managers, account executives, and many employees across the spectrum of the corporate ladder–often overlook the first, and often most powerful, leadership strategy: Personal leadership. As a result, they only obtain part of the equation for success. They earn the income but neglect to take care of themselves. Or they take care of themselves but forget to give to others. The result is a life of overwork streaked with a persistent sense of dissatisfaction and that nagging question, “Where am I going wrong?”

The key to success that includes the whole package–wealth, health, and meaning–is personal leadership.

Personal leadership is the leadership of the self. It involves developing a sense of ownership and responsibility for one’s own success–including leading positive change, overcoming challenges, and determining a career path that will be fulfilling on a personal level and impactful for the organization.

So, if these leaders are already successful, why do they need to hone their personal leadership skills? In my years of coaching experience and research for the Leadership Research Institute, I’ve found that when leaders learn and practice personal leadership, they gain a sense of empowerment. They feel more committed to their work and feel very energized about overachieving their goals and results.

If you’re a leader looking to feel fulfilled both professionally and personally, here are two ways to start on your path to refine your personal leadership skills:

Get clear on your vision. It sounds like something most successful C-level executives should already have, but many leaders don’t have a clear perspective on their vision. This isn’t the vision for your company, now–it’s the vision for yourself. What is the path to both your long-term and short-term goals? How do you answer that question both personally and professionally? Without a clear sense of vision, leaders can lose that sense of meaning, and so they get discouraged. They become stressed, burned out or exhausted. If they can’t resolve the situation, they fade out of leadership roles and may even leave the company.

When you do have a vision, it’s time to put it into words. A vision statement captures your future into one succinct statement. Done well, it gives you the language you need to refresh on the images you envision for your future and keep you on track toward that vision in day-to-day life. Unlike the vision statement for a company, your vision statement need not be pithy or profound. You don’t have to hang it on the wall or carve it in marble. What does help is to repeat the statement in your mind once a day to really lock it in.

Get a coach. Developing a vision is only part of the equation. The next part is achieving that vision, and here’s where a coach can be most helpful.

Executive coaches teach leaders the practices of personal leadership so they get clarity about their vision and goals, as well as their value to the organization.

  • Coaches help leaders become very focused on their priorities, so they can emphasize on the ones that have the greatest impact.
  • Coaches help leaders take clear, specific action to get results, with accountability and measurement.
  • Coaches help leaders fill in the gaps. Do you need to identify and leverage your strengths? Learn to maximize your time? Build a personal support team? Through coaching, leaders stop spinning their wheels and put into place the skills and strategies that will help them be successful.

As a result of coaching, leaders feel accomplished and supported at the same time–and that translates into a commitment to their goals, their organization, and their own personal success.

No matter where you are in your career path, you can make it a priority to advance your personal leadership skills. When you do, you’ll find yourself becoming more and more committed to the future you want, and the present you enjoy. You will develop even more clarity bit by bit about what the vision looks like in daily life. And you will achieve it.

 

The previous article appeared on Inc.com as a part of my column, “Behind The Desk.” Look out for new columns every week!

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The Two-Step Formula To Articulate Your Value To Your Boss

No matter where you are in your career, you can seize the opportunity to take leadership of your own path to reach higher-level positions. So, when it comes to articulating your value to your manager to be promoted into these positions, this kind of verbal metric is a new way for leaders to think about owning their careers and advancing themselves

Being able to articulate your value is a key tool for success and advancement. Here are three ways to successfully do just that for your next review:

 

Start by asking yourself these questions: Are you able to gracefully, elegantly, and clearly articulate the value that you bring, the contribution that you make? If you feel that you’ve had difficulty answering these questions in the past, it’s likely not that you haven’t met expectations, but rather that you have not clearly articulated how you’ve met expectations.

When you sit down to answer these questions, give yourself permission to be formulated and robotic. First, just get your words on paper, and then you can practice saying those words so that they can become more natural. Then, look for the correct and appropriate context in which you layer them in to a larger statement.

 

Align your value to matrix and measures. What have you done to create those results, what role did you play, and how do you feel about that? This is when you pull exact numbers to support your case, or, as I often say to leaders I coach, these are your “concrete measureable results.”

The way you articulate concrete measurable results is to say something like: “As a result of my effort to do [identify your action], I have achieved [results] which provided the following specific benefits to the company, [fill in numerical data].

 

To give you an example of the two-step formula in action, I’ll use the story of a recent client who is an Executive Vice President in a Fortune 500 company. She felt that she should have a seat on the Executive Committee, and she had a meeting with the committee to make her case. Many of her bosses and managers agreed that she would be a good candidate, but not everyone saw that she had made concrete contributions. So, we sat down and we identified what she had done to earn that C-level title. She identified that as a result of her effort to think about the entire enterprise-wide contribution of their team to the end-goal results of their company, she was able to transform the organization and significantly improve their impact, including a figure that she could identify in real dollars in the seven-figure range. By being able to articulate the sentence: “As a result of doing this, I’ve achieved these results, with this specific benefit for the company,” she got clear and more confident about what she had actually achieved, and what she had led her team to do. Then she was able to look for appropriate ways to say to the executive committee members: “This is the team that started here, these are some of the things we’ve accomplished, here’s how we’ve benefited, and here’s how the company is moving forward–and I’d like to lead a discussion on where that actually takes us next.”

Remember, being able to articulate your value isn’t bragging–your statement is simply a fact put into context. Verbalizing your contributions for others in a way that deepens understanding of the bigger picture of what’s working for the company as a whole can be a real contribution to your organization as well.

 

The previous article appeared on Inc.com as a part of my column, “Behind The Desk.” Look out for new columns every week!

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5 Quick Tips To Master Managing Remotely

In a recent Inc column I wrote about the two traits you need to master to successfully work from home: discipline and self-control, which highlighted that working from home isn’t just for small businesses anymore.

For example, I recently worked with a senior level manager at one of the Big 5 tech companies who “managed remotely,” meaning that even though he had over 250 people reporting up to him from around the globe, he almost never saw them face to face. Senior executives, business owners, and entrepreneurs in companies of all sizes are learning to work from home, manage others as they travel, and lead teams with members living in other states or even countries. As we get smarter about our use of technology in the global world of business, more and more workers will need these skills.

Leadership always has its challenges, but those challenges are multiplied when you’re managing a team from home.

 

How do you remain productive and keep the team cohesive, when you all may be on different time zones and working out of individual locations? Today, I’m sharing some of the best practices I’ve seen for setting yourself up to succeed as a leader wherever you are.

 

Work at your high-energy time. Do you have more energy for productivity in the morning, or at night? Plan your day around your high-energy zones, and you’ll get more done in less time.

 

Have regular hours. It can be tempting to work at off hours when you’re always “at the office.” But setting a schedule for yourself, whether it’s a 9-5 or a 7-3, can offer a sense of separation.

 

Make your office your office. Give yourself the chance to take a “mental commute,” even if your “commute” means just walking down the hall to your home office. Also, make sure the space you choose for your office is only used an office–that’s 100% work space, not where your kids or your spouse hang out and do their own thing. This is important in order to avoid distraction.

 

Set office hours when it comes to colleagues and clients. For example, make it known to your clients that all of your appointment hours are between 10-2, keeping 2-5 as your quiet productive hours. This allows for action planning to create a to-do list system for projects so you’re not tempted to leave the office and do other things.

 

Use the word “office.” When it comes to mentally preparing to work from home, it’s important not to neglect the rhetoric you use. When you’re working in your home office, you’re “in your office,” not “at home.” Other important vocabulary to exercise include the words “working,” “being in a meeting,” and “staying offline.” Keep all verbiage office-oriented for mental association. Not because you’re embarrassed in any way to communicate that you’re working from home, but rather to build credibility and accountability. If you think about your work the same was as you would if you are downtown, it will create a similar air of focus.

 

When you implement these practices, “managing remotely” becomes less about the “remote” status and more about simply “managing.” By optimizing your hours based on your productivity, setting your appointment hours around it, and cultivating your office environment, both you–an and the team you’re leading–have a clearer focus on the work you’re doing, no matter where on earth you may be.

 

The previous article appeared on Inc.com as a part of my column, “Behind The Desk.” Look out for new columns every week!

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2 Traits To Master To Be More Productive Working From Home

Working from home is becoming more than just a trend. More and more often, entrepreneurs are choosing to work at home, saving on office rent, rather than lose important time and money commuting and maintaining a space.

But working from home isn’t just for small businesses anymore. I recently worked with a senior level manager who took a new position at one of the Big 5 tech companies who was surprised to learn that he would be working from home, which was a big life change for him. He had grown used to the routine and conveniences of an office space. Now he had to build a new routine and create new conveniences at home. The difference was that whereas the office environment had provided that all for him, now he had to do it all for himself.

“I don’t know if I can work from home,” he said. “I feel like I’m going to be so distracted!” Plenty of home-based workers have had to overcome that same fear. Some actually embrace it and look forward to it. Either way, the commitment to working from home requires an intentional approach, as well as some new ways of.

 

Two tools that will help you succeed with working from home are familiar in any situation involving change: discipline and self-control.

  • Discipline means doing what you’re supposed to do.
  • Self-control is not doing what you’re not supposed to do.

The difference is subtle but significant. When you have discipline, you do eat your vegetables; when you have self-control you don’t eat the brownie. When you have discipline, you do focus on the person in front of you when they’re talking; when you have self-control you don’t check your email at the same time. You need both, or else one could sabotage the other.

 

Now let’s apply these two tools to working from home.

First, cultivate discipline. What do you need to do to make working from home a success?

  • Maintain consistent office hours.
  • Be obsessive about calendaring meetings with others.
  • Keep everything orderly.
  • Stay stocked up on office supplies.
  • Get dressed, get out there, and meet with clients.

When you’re doing what you need to do to run a successful business, your discipline will help you stay focused and moving forward.

Now layer in some self-control. What do you need to not do–or, what do you need to avoid – to protect your plan?

  • Don’t spend half your day puttering back and forth to the kitchen.
  • Don’t take personal calls.
  • Don’t let your office become a dumping ground for the family mail and junk that didn’t have a home.
  • Don’t get lost on Facebook or skip out early every week for the baseball game.

Without self-control, you can sabotage all of your efforts at discipline.

 

The twin tools of discipline and self-control are helpful for any kind of change or improvement. Whether you’re focused on staying healthy, spending more time with loved ones, making a bigger impact at work, improving profitability, or yes, working at home, these two important traits will make the difference between the distraction and failure that everyone fears–and the success that is yours to come.

The previous article appeared on Inc.com as a part of my column, “Behind The Desk.” Look out for new columns every week!

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3 Questions Every Entrepreneur Should Ask Themselves To Stay Positive

In our culture, we have clichs to describe the idea of staying positive, even when facing great challenges. “Everything works out for the best.” “If it’s meant to be, it will happen.” While many people believe at some level that “things happen for a reason.” Adopting this mindset can be more than a set of platitudes; it can be a significant step toward a positive future.

If it really is true that that everything works out for the best, then every situation is perfect in some way.

For an example, take Zach. Zach was an attorney who learned his business partner, Kareem, was leaving the practice. Zach and Kareem had built a business from scratch; he thought growing it big was what they both wanted. But people change. Kareem wanted to join a bigger firm, not build one. Zach tried everything to help Kareem see the possibilities, and he tried to see every possibility for himself. But Kareem’s answer was no. After the emotions subsided (anger, resentment, denial, and determination), Zach took the practice over by himself. “Well, at least one positive thing came out of this,” Zach thought as he signed the documents. “Now I get to be president.”

But Zach got to be a lot more than that. As he started to shoulder the practice, he became more confident as a businessman. He took the practice in his own direction. He made bold decisions, branched out and hired more attorneys. The business grew, as did his reputation and profits. Best of all, he maintained a friendship with Kareem. Zach didn’t know when Kareem said “no” to the business that the business was saying “yes” to Zach.

 

A situation that at first seems to be a disaster can actually turn out to be perfect, and looking for the perfect is especially helpful when you get an untimely surprise. Here are three questions to ask yourself to look for the perfect in every situation, and to help you stay positive during challenging times:

 

  1. Recall a time in your life when you got a “no” or “yes” that you weren’t expecting.
  2. How did the situation work out?
  3. In hindsight, what was perfect?

 

Believing life might be perfect as it is doesn’t mean you play a passive role in your life. You are still leading your life; you are still becoming the leader you want to be and creating your vision. But you’re doing so with an open mind, realizing that for reasons we don’t understand, some things might be “right” for us that we wouldn’t have chosen for ourselves. Other things might be “wrong” for us even if we thought they were right. Sometimes we find the opportunities we’re looking for, but other times those opportunities find us. By asking yourself the three questions above, you’re helping those opportunities to find you.

 

Related: 10 Questions Every Entrepreneur Should Ask Themselves

The previous article appeared on Inc.com today as a part of my column, “Behind The Desk.” Look out for new columns every week!

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Project 123: The Simplest Strategy For Getting Things Done

The following article appeared on Inc.com today as a part of my column, “Behind The Desk.” Look out for new columns every week!
I often write on my column about “maximizing your time” as opposed to “work-life balance,” because the former implies that you have some control or say in the matter. And you do! You are in control of your time–although, when you realize the truth of that, you may suddenly feel a little overwhelmed. Maximizing your time is a big responsibility and a far cry from just giving over to the busy craziness of life (as many of us usually do).

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by all you have to do and want to take control, here’s a strategy that can help. It’s called Project 123.

This strategy came up one time when I was–of all things redecorating my house. I have since made it a staple in my time-planning techniques and use it anytime there simply seems to be too much to do to fit the time I have.

One day years ago, my friend and decorator arrived to help me redecorate a room. One room. We sat in that room, the living room, and talked about ideas. Before we knew what was happening, we had moved to another room (more ideas) and another (more ideas) and another (still more). In an hour we had whipped ourselves into a fervor of bathroom remodels and office reorganization and new paint on every wall. When she left, I closed the door, turned around, and thought, “What just happened? And where will we ever start?” It felt so overwhelming, I just walked away and left it all behind.

The next day, the decorator emailed me her project proposal. It said in big letters, PROJECT ONE: The Living Room. Oh, yes, I thought. Project One. The living room was my original motivation for calling the decorator! She remembered when I had forgotten: There was one priority. A place to start. Later, we could move to Project Two (the TV room) and Project Three (the home office). The way she crystallized our plans into a logical order, they all made sense again, and we tackled them one at a time.

When you get overwhelmed by all of the complex and multiplying tasks competing for your time, it can help to sit back and identify Project One, Two, and Three. George Leonard of Mastery captures the essence of this strategy well. He writes, “Ultimately, liberation comes through the acceptance of limits. You can’t do everything, but you can do one thing, and then another, and then another.”

You can use this strategy to choose one focus area or one action item to tackle along the way to your vision:

  1. Keep sight of which project you’ll grant top priority, and give it the best of your time.
  2. Now number them in priority order.
  3. Only turn to the next project when the first is completed fully and to your ability.

How would it change your efficiency if you could think of these as “Projects 1, 2, 3,” etc. and complete one at a time?

To put this strategy into place, jot down a quick list of all of the projects you have going right now. Tackle one at a time without any divergence–this is easier said than done! But this is a way to take back control over your time, and you’ll see a difference in the way you are able maintain focus.

 

Related: Women Leaders: Traveling Next Week? Do These 5 Things First

 

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3 Steps To Finding Your Universal Timeline

The following article appeared on Inc.com today as a part of my column, “Behind The Desk.” Look out for new columns every week!

 

Recently I received a call from a business owner who was so stressed by the size of her To Do list that she was practically hyperventilating. Wringing her hands and wrinkling her brows, she worried she would never be able to get it all done, but she couldn’t not get it all done, either. She was completely overwhelmed.

Rather than try to race through all those action items at warp speed (stressful! and not very smart) or cram them all into the little boxes on her calendar (impossible), I suggested we take a different path–one of patient persistence that I call The Universal Timeline.

The universal timeline is the schedule on which everything happens at just the right time, whatever that may be. There are no dates and deadlines. No time pressures. Just milestones. There is a right time for everything. You don’t need to force it.

Obviously, you won’t want to use this strategy when:

  • You have a hard and fast deadline.
  • You’re accountable to other people.
  • Other people are counting on you to stay on a certain schedule.

But when none of those are the case, you can learn to ease up and speed up at the very same time.

That’s what the universal timeline does. It allows you to take advantage of just the right circumstances at just the right time to slip through your tasks with the most beneficial, advantageous timing. Here are three steps to find yours:

 

Make sure the time is right and in line with your vision. Say, for example, you have a really big project to complete. Once you’ve glimpsed the possibility of completing this project, you’ll be chomping at the bit to get going. On the universal timeline, if the time is right you will get up off your chair and start now.

 

Know your schedule. On the other hand, maybe now is not the time. Maybe your plate is full, your mind is distracted, or you just don’t have what you need to succeed. That’s okay, too. On the universal timeline, if the time isn’t right you don’t start. Instead, you make a note to do the project (“Start business development plan.” “Hire fitness trainer.” “Write memoir.”) and put it somewhere you will see it every day until the time is right.

 

Then wait. If you are patient and you maintain that priority, you will be walking along the universal timeline. When the time is right, you will know. Just as a big green sign appears on the edge of the highway telling you THIS IS YOUR EXIT, the “signs” will also arrive to tell you when the time is right to do this task. Either the phone will ring or the calendar will clear or the right person will say the right thing to jar you into action, and you’ll know. It’s time.

 

To get on the universal timeline, you give up expectations about how long things take to get done. You commit to doing them as fast as possible, but let go of how fast that has to be. Instead you wait for the perfect opportunity to act and take advantage of that perfect timing to let them happen in a snap.

The universal timeline isn’t about procrastination. You’re not putting off the things you want to do. You’re waiting for the conditions to be ideal. Certain activities require certain frames of mind, and you will get in those frames of mind naturally if you are patient. And you will be much, much more effective than you would be if you forced every project to take place on your own schedule.

What could you use the Universal Timeline for? Is there something you are hoping will happen but you don’t know when? Something you want to get to but somehow never do? Write it down, post it up, throw off the pressure of goals and deadlines, and trust that it will get done in its own time.

 

Related: 3 Ways Entrepreneurs Can Use Their Beliefs To Succeed