Here is a list and links to the original podcasts of the shows we discussed. Did you have any favorites?

Strategy CPR: How to Breathe Life into Your Organization’s Game Plan

Resilience: How Can You Be Flexible and Strong in Challenging Times?

Coloring Outside the Lines

Are You a Transformational Leader?

Why Blogging is an Essential Marketing Tool for Business

Caring Inspired! Love,Hope&Compassion & Social Networking

One World Trade Center (Freedom Tower) under construction.

On September 11, 2011, the 9-11 Memorial opened to the public as a place for us to honor and remember those who lost their lives on this terrible day 10 years ago.  This month, I made my own personal visit to this sacred ground and I wanted to share the photos and feelings I had from that day. I had made the trek to Ground Zero after the attacks to see the devastation, and say a prayer for those who died and their loved ones. That visit was very different from this one. While I wasn’t sure what to expect, I knew it would be powerful.

You must book your reservation on line at the 9-11 Memorial web site. They stagger the times you can visit in half hour increments. During this time of year, there was lots of availability, but during the summer or holidays, you should book a few weeks in advance. The web site gives you all the information you need to know to prepare for your visit. You do have to go through security and your personal items are x-rayed before you can enter the site.

Once you make your way through the construction pathways, you enter the site on the southwest corner. The first thing I noticed was the silence except for the waterfalls in the two pools. There were several hundred people there and no one spoke above a whisper. Now this was a Sunday, so I imagine during the week days, you would hear all of the construction going on around the Memorial. I observed many people doing etchings of names, taking pictures at specific names and silent prayers being said.

South Pool

For me the emotions just flowed: tears, sighs, sorrow, and a heavy heart. As I walked around the two pools, I wanted to embrace all the names of those who died and tell them how much they were loved and are missed.

Another observation was the number of small children who were too young to know about this tragic day. Parents were on bent knee explaining what all of this meant. It was overwhelming at times. The 9-11 Museum is still under construction, but this will help our future generations know what happened on this day and how our world changed.

9-11 Museum under construction.

Survivor Tree 9-11 Memorial Winter 2012

As I made my way to the exit, I noticed a group of people surrounding a 9-11 volunteer under a barren tree. I stopped to listen to his story and discovered that this tree is call the “Survivor Tree.”  According to the 9-11 Memorial web site:

The callery pear tree became known as the Survivor Tree after sustaining extensive damage, but living through the September 11, 2001, terror attacks at the World Trade Center. In October 2001, the tree with lifeless limbs, snapped roots and blackened trunk was discovered and freed from the piles of smoldering rubble in the plaza of the World Trade Center. The tree was originally planted in the 1970s in the vicinity of buildings four and five in the WTC complex near Church Street.The damaged tree measured eight-feet tall when it arrived in November 2001 at the Parks Department’s Arthur Ross Nursery in Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx.  It was nursed back to health and today has grown to a height of about 30 feet.

Here is a video of Alice Martin, who lost her husband on September 11, 2001, getting a private tour of the memorial site and learning the story of the Survivor Tree. Since my photo was taken in the dead of winter, this video shows the tree in full bloom and green leaves.

This was the perfect way to end my visit. While so many were lost, those of us left behind are the survivors as well. We have commitment to the 2,983 people who lost their lives to terrorists to never let it happen again.

If you’ve visited the 9-11 Memorial or would like to share your thoughts and memories, feel free to comment below.

For 2012, I am not only writing this year’s goals, I am also thinking about my BHAGs – Big Hairy Audacious Goals! These are the long term goals that I strive for – and usually write them down every few years.

I first starting writing BHAGs in the early 1990s. But what is more telling is how they’ve shaped my life and career and what’s happened because of them. My story of how I started my business is because of a BHAG. And there are other BHAGs in my past as well that have come to reality.

In July 2002, I was unpacking some boxes. I had just moved into my new condo on the beach and was settling in. As I cleaned out another box. I found a legal sized yellow sheet of paper with my goals listed on it from 1994. In addition to my yearly goals, I had three BHAGs listed – 1. To own a home on the beach, 2. To get my Master’s degree, and 3. To have my own business.

Fast forward, and here I am with my own home with an oceanview. So, in 2002, I had accomplished one of my BHAGs. Finding this list inspired me to put the other two BHAGs back on my list. In 2005, I received my MA from Monmouth University in Corporate and Public Communication.  In 2008, I started my business. Recession or not, it was time.

The recession has kept many of us from thinking BIG. It’s hard to get beyond today, this month, or even year when confidence is low and fear is high. But, I believe because of this, it’s even more of a reason to write BHAGs. These are long term 3, 5 or 10 year goals, but you must have the vision first so you can move in that direction.

Prepare, plan and take action for 2012 – and add a couple BHAGs to your list. One of mine is to travel cross country by car. What are some of your BHAGs? Please feel free to share and comment.

Creating a Facebook Business (or Fan) Page is easy and free. But once you’ve created the page, you can immediately benefit from the features pages offer.

1. Business page content is in the public domain (where your individual profile is managed by your privacy settings) and is indexed by search engines.  Every bit of content – status updates, photos, links, events and videos – are able to be found by Google,  Bing, etc.
2. If you have several businesses or products or services, you can create more than one business page.
3. Many business owners want to keep their profiles only for their personal use. Fan pages allow you to keep your personal and business lives separate.
4. Since it’s a public page, anyone can “like” your page. This will help you expand beyond your circle of “friends and family” on the personal side and make the page for business building.
5. Pages allow you to create a custom URL – www.facebook.com/yourbusinessname.  This custom username makes it easier for you to share your page link.
6. You can also create a keyword descriptive page name that is more than just your business name.
7. If you have a street address, use Facebook places to have clients and customers check in. Everytime they do, your business name is mentioned on their Facebook profile for all their friends to see.
8. Facebook provides its own analytics called “Insights” that allows you to measure and analyze your efforts.
9. Facebook pages offers several resources to help you cross promote you page on your web site and blog using “likes”, “shares” and “comments”
10. Facebook “apps” can be used to customize your page. You can embed your blog posts and LinkedIn profile and/or add welcome pages, contests, and newsletter sign up forms.

Having a presence on Facebook is no longer something a business can put off anymore. With 96% of US adults using Facebook as their social network of choice, it’s hard to ignore the potential business opportunities this platform offers.

Related articles

• 30 Top Facebook Apps for Business (freelanceswitch.com)

Bea Fields, president of Bea Fields Companies, Inc. joined 30 Minute Business Dig to share her expertise in the blogging explosion and why businesses must embrace this social networking tool.

Bea focuses on coaching executive level leaders, training companies on engaging Generation Y employees in the workplace and teaching business owners and corporate leaders how to build and write blogs and use social networks as a way to expand their reach and connect with their younger employees and clients.

In this episode, you will learn why blogging needs to be added to every business marketing strategy, what some of the obstacles are to launching and maintaining a successful blog, and hear about some success stories from businesses who have benefited from working with Bea.

By creating a social media editorial calendar, you can plan ahead to determine the type of content you will post, where you will post it, and when. Once you’ve outlined your content development strategy, you can track your frequency and days/times posts occur to measure engagement and results through your analytics.

To help in the process, I developed a three-step method to creating a social media calendar that works.

Step 1  – Set Your Strategy

Select the social media platforms you are using.

Specify your social media goals for the next 3-6 months.

Specify how many times per week you will post on each platform.

Specify the breakdown of original content vs. sharing content that others have created.

Specify the types of content you will use: status updates, articles, blog posts, newsletters, photos, videos, events etc.

Your content strategy needs to be as detailed as possible. This makes the content development and creation easier to manage and maintain for consistency and branding.

Step 2 – Create Your Content Development Schedule

Creating a weekly schedule of the types of content you will be creating or sharing will help to create consistency and engagement.  I use an Excel spreadsheet and create a separate sheet for each month.

The left column first lists the type of content that I will create and then I specify exactly what that content will be and the week it will be posted. For example, in week 2 I will write a blog post that will include a podcast from my Blog Talk Radio show.  In week 4, I will create a video testimonial from of my clients.

In addition, you will share content that others have created. As you find content in your daily web browsing that you would like to share,  capture the page link and put it into the calendar for the week when you will post it.  This way all your content is in one place.

If you use a third party platform such as Hootsuite, Social Oomph, or Seesmic, this method helps you manage your time more efficiently. You can schedule some of the content in advance to be posted.

Step 3 – Create Your Tracking Calendar

The tracking sheet creates a snapshot of your social media interaction and the frequency of your posts. In step 1, you noted the platforms, goals, types of content, and frequency of posts per platform. On the tracking sheet, you document this data.

At the top of the calendar, note your post frequency goals.

At the bottom of the calendar, create a legend (or use this one) to code the social media platform and type of content posted.

At the end of each month, you have a complete overview of your social media content created and shared. This data can now be used with your Google Analytics and Facebook Insights to measure your effectiveness.

Click on the link for the PDF of the sample sheets of the 3 Step Process to Create a Social Media Calendar.

If you have any feedback, methods that you use or suggestions, please share your comments. If you found this helpful, use the share links at the top of the post and share this content on your social media platforms.

Jay Becker, labor and employment lawyer and Chair of the Labor and Employment Law Practice Area from the New Jersey based law firm of  Giordano, Halleran & Ciesla , shares his knowledge and experience on how social media can have certain legal ramifications if used (properly and improperly) in the workplace, and how employers should govern such usage. His interview on my show 30 Minute Business Dig on Blog Talk Radio is below. Jay answers questions about why an employer should have a social media policy, what should be included in a social media policy, and the practical and realistic use of social media in the workplace.  Listen to this informative interview and tell us what you think in the comments below.

Related articles

• NLRB General Counsel Releases Memo Providing Guidance to Employers & Employees on Workplace Social Media Use (adlerlaw.wordpress.com)

Image: digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Have you noticed that suddenly everyone “wakes up” after Labor Day?  I call it the “Back to School” mode. During the summer months, and especially in August, most people are in “Vacation Mode”, so when September hits, everyone realizes we only have four months left of this year and we better get moving.

Are you ready to re-engage and get the most out of this year?  The first eight months are gone and the economy is not going to change in the next four months, so what are you going to do to complete the year on a positive note?

Here are seven steps to help you get started.

1. De-clutter and get organized. If you have a pile of papers on your desk and some filing that needs to be done, do it now. Clear your area and complete tasks that have been there since the summer months. Use the 3 D’s when sorting  – Do it, Delegate it, Discard it.
2. Review your goals. Now that you have a clean slate, look at the goals that  you set for this year. (You didn’t set goals? Then read this article. Create 3-4 short term goals right now to accomplish by the end of the year.) Now is the time to assess what you’ve accomplished so far and what can you realistically do in the next four months.
3. Write it down. Start from scratch from where you are right now in your business and personal life and write down the 3-4 goals you will work on now.
4. Create an action plan. A step-by-step action plan with timelines will keep you on target and moving forward.
5. Keep your goals and plan visible. This is the time to put the pedal to the metal, so you need a visual reminder to keep you motivated and accountable.
6. Check progress weekly. If you are not getting results, you need to make changes quickly so frequent check ins are necessary.
7. Reward yourself. Make sure you take time to acknowledge your progress and accomplishments along the way.

Do you have any steps to add that you find helpful to stay on track? Please share your comments on what works for you.

If you are having a hard time getting motivated and creating the action plan for your goals, let me help you get started.  I will give a complimentary 3o minute phone consultation to anyone who wants me to walk them through the goal planning process for one of their goals. Send me an email today!

• Do you have someone in your life who is always in your corner?
• Do you have someone who helps you achieve your best in your career and your personal life?
• Do you have someone who helps you to develop skills for effective decision-making?
• Do you have someone who in your life who always tells you the truth?

A coach is purposefully-driven and focused on your success. Your coach honors and celebrates your wins in life and helps you to develop your best tools to learn from failures, successes, and life experiences.

Your Coach = Your Success Partner!

Click here to read my latest article in Jersey Shore Woman Newspaper on what to look for and expect in a coaching relationship.

The podcast below is from my Blog Talk Radio Show, 30 Minute Business Dig, with co-host Deborah Frey. This 30 minute episode explores reasons people hire coaches, what is expected in the coaching relationship, what results you can expect from using a coach, and how to choose a coach.

I work best under pressure.

I’m much more creative when I do things at the last minute.

I have plenty of time. My deadline is not until tomorrow.

So why do we do it? People procrastinate for different reasons. Do any of these ring true for you?

• Poor time management, often associated with a distorted sense of the time available
• An inability to prioritize tasks
• “Biting off more than you can chew” – creating an overload of tasks at a specific time
• Not knowing what is required to do the task
• Feeling overwhelmed by the task(s)
• Fear of failure or not meeting your own standards
• Fear of success and its possible consequences
• Perfectionism, having unrealistic standards
• Boredom – task is not interesting or not important to you
• Avoidance of things which are disliked or difficult.

How to Overcome Procrastination

Procrastination is a habit and to overcome procrastination you need to create new habits. As you know, habits are hard to break. Before you can create new habits, you need to take an honest assessment of how you manage your time; identify the reason(s) you’re procrastinating (see list above); and examine the typical procrastination excuses that you use. Once you have a clearer understanding of your behavior patterns, you’ll be able to develop new behaviors that are related to your specific issues.

A misconception is that this is a one size fits all solution. Only you can discover what obstacles are in your way so that you can overcome them. Your reasons for procrastinating are personal to you, and once you bring them to your awareness level and create a plan of action to make changes, you will see results that will work for you.

Tips to Create New Habits

• Think about the consequences (identify the negative results of not completing the task).
• Get organized. Make a “to do” list of what needs to get done.
• Schedule your activities that need to get done when you are at your peak productivity time. So, if you are an early bird or a night owl, take this into consideration.
• Don’t over schedule yourself. Be realistic in what you can get done.
• Break large tasks into smaller, more manageable projects.
• Visualize yourself completing the task successfully and how you will feel at that time.
• Research what you don’t know.
• Delegate it to someone who can help you (get some coaching).
• Motivate yourself with a reward for completing the task (make it exciting — something you wouldn’t ordinarily give yourself).
• Dwell on your strengths on tasks you have accomplished.
• Stop trying to be perfect. Are your standards too high? It’s better to produce something rather than nothing!
• Make a decision. Sometimes it is better to risk the possibility of making a mistake than to not make the decision at all.
• Minimize distractions. Turn off the email notification sound on your computer; silence your phone; or hang a Do Not Disturb sign on your door.
• Implement the “Do it now!” mantra. Whenever you catch yourself thinking, “I can do this later,” think “DO IT NOW!” Every time you follow through and do it now you are reinforcing the positive habit of action.

Success = Action

Successful people take action. They manage their time by planning for the future and setting goals and action plans. Habits of procrastination will keep you from taking action and acquiring the success you deserve in your life.

The challenge is to consistently practice new behaviors and overcome self defeating habits that keep you from your goals. There is no magic wand. Increasing your awareness and having clear strategies to stay focused will show results.

If you have any stories or comments about dealing with or overcoming procrastination, please place a comment below or go to my Facebook Fan Page and post it there.