Beth Beutler's Blog, page 10

Grumpy? Or Grateful? (Personal Reflection Guide Printable)

I admit it. While starting to write this post, I was feeling rather out of sorts. I’d been reminded of some unmet goals, in part because I was seeing some fun experiences others were having and fell into the comparison trap.

Then, I also felt guilty for not being more grateful. After all, I am richly blessed, and often in ways that aren’t tangible or material.

So how do you, and I, pull ourselves out of the grumpy funk, particularly if it’s work related? Maybe we don’t like a task we have to do. Or are envious of others who appear to make far more money. Or are working hard on certain initiatives and don’t see many tangible results from our efforts.

A gratefulness exercise can be one way to reframe our thinking. So, I’m providing you a personal reflection guide today. Get by yourself for a few minutes and ask yourself these questions (I’m focusing primarily on readjusting our attitude toward our professional life, but you can use these questions in a personal way as well.)

If I had to leave this position today, what would I most miss? (Yes, you do have to find SOMETHING you’d miss.)
Write the name of an individual you are blessed to know because of your work…someone you wouldn’t have met otherwise.
You have a skill you apply every day at your job–probably more than one. Allow yourself to be proud of a skill and write it down.
What are you able to have or do because of the income you make, that you would struggle to do if you did not have this job?*
Write a statement of gratefulness incorporating your answers to the above.

A special note for the unemployed or underemployed…I have lost several jobs over the years. While these questions pertain to work, try to apply them to a reflection of a past job, or adjust the questions to apply to your current season. I am sorry for this difficult season. If I can be of encouragement to you personally, please contact me.

For a free printable, click here: Personal Reflection Guide – Grumpy or Grateful

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Tips from Pros We Know (Video/photo gallery)

Our current Hope In Action project is collecting tips from other professionals that we can share free on our social networks. I’ve added a gallery of some of the tips below. Here’s a video with more about the project!  Click here to participate!

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A Sneak Peek at What’s Coming for the HOPE Unlimited Community

We’re getting close to the deadline (May 25) for which I’ll be using my NEW LIST for future blog posts, resource announcements, tips and more. (Have you subscribed to the new list yet? If not, click here.)

And if you are undecided, here’s preview of some things coming up and ideas I’ve been considering:

Things you shouldn’t do on Facebook if you consider yourself a professional.
A person retreat guide to up your gratefulness in your job.
A short course about making your workspace (i.e. desk area) more efficient for you.
Tips for how to get along with just about anyone at the workplace.
Enhancement of the Friends of Hope program.
Guided “retreat at work” days where you’ll interact with me throughout the day while still getting your work done.

I’m always getting ideas of ways to help you excel and exhale. Let me know what you’d like to see! And make sure to subscribe to the new list so you don’t miss out!

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Are You In? An Open Letter

Hello Followers, Friends, and Family:

I’m doing something important.

HOPE Unlimited has been in existence since 2005 and it’s been quite a journey! Thank you to those of you who have “been around” since early on!  Along the way, I’ve gained subscribers, and I’ve decided to take a big step.

I am conducting a major list clean up for A Breath of HOPE and all HOPE marketing, tip, and information emails.  This is in part due to the upcoming deadline for the General Data Protection Regulation. While that currently only affects interaction with subscribers who may be in the European Union, I have decided it is good timing to establish a new mailing list made up of those who are sincerely interested in hearing from me regularly in this season of their professional life.

I understand that there is a LOT of information out there to help you in your professional life. I also relate with the idea of seasons…of connecting with a resource for a period of time, but also deciding to move on at some point.  (I’ve done that.) Life changes. Career changes.  Training needs change. Maybe you don’t need the kind of tips and encouragement I provide anymore. Maybe you are no longer interested, or have retired.  Here’s your chance to depart quietly.

But maybe you want to dive in and be part of the smaller, more engaged community I hope to build with this change. A community of

Followers: people who want to see and read resources and enjoy freebies

Friends: people who want to help support HOPE financially and be members of something unique, special and fun

Family: people who need our services and become active clients

If any of those categories apply to you, and you want to continue to receive my weekly blog AND occasional announcements that may include product and service information, sales, giveaways, etc. you need to click here to subscribe to a fresh new list (if you haven’t already.)

If you are a current subscriber,  you MUST subscribe to the NEW list before May 25th.* in order to receive A Breath of Hope and other emails without interruption  After that time, I will be using the new list to send out my emails.

This is essentially a fresh start to build focused engagement with the overwhelmed but hopeful professionals who want to benefit from my resources and/or services on a regular basis.  I’ll still be posting regularly on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, and Linked In (see my contact page for links to them all) and blogging regularly right here at the site. So even though subscribing by email is the best way to get content and announcements, you can stay in touch via any channel you wish.

Whatever you decide, thank you for being a follower of HOPE Unlimited.  I hope to stay connected with  many of you for years to come!

Beth

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How to Communicate with Non-Responsive People (3 Minute Read)

You’ve sent an email to that client or customer multiple times, and you haven’t received an answer.

Or you’ve called someone, and left more than one message (or found their voice mail box to be full.)

You may have even resorted to sending snail mail, to no avail.What do you do now? The fact remains, that some people are just not responsive. They are either overwhelmed (i.e. the voice mail box that is full), they don’t have systems in place to manage their communications, they don’t have the answers you need or they don’t want to have the conversation you need to have.

While that may explain their lack of action, it doesn’t help YOU get what you need. So instead, try these ideas:

Try a different form of communication.

If all you have been doing is emailing, try calling. Or texting. Or using a social media messaging app you know they use. Go see them in person if they work in your proximity. Maybe their email isn’t working properly (I once experienced an increase of legit emails going into my SPAM box over a period of time…it happens.)  Maybe they got a new phone. Try one or two other ways to communicate.

Determine if you can move on without a response.

While not ideal, is it possible you can let go of involving this person at all? In many cases, perhaps you can.  Even if they owe you money, you can decide if the time and effort in reminding them repeatedly is worth it. Would you pay yourself your hourly rate to keep beating down the door of this matter? If not, move on, if for nothing else than your own peace of mind.

Involve a Higher-Up

If it’s a work situation, go to the next level of management to ask for their help/advice about the problem. Sadly, rank still has effect on getting people to do their work. If other means have failed, talk to the next level.

If you decide to move on, do one last courtesy communication.

In this communication, succinctly state that you have not been able to reach them for a ______ period of time (be as specific as you can be) and that you have decided to _____________.  This way they have a record of what is going to move forward without them, and you have documentation if you need it.

Phrases you can use:

If I do not hear back by DATE I will assume I have your approval to move forward.

If I do not receive payment by DATE I will turn this over to a collection agency.

I have decided to move forward without this payment, despite my disappointment that we could not resolve this matter appropriately.

So as not to be a bother, this is a one-time (or final) follow up on ________________.

Be willing to leave the ball in their court.

Once you’ve let go of involving this person, truly let go mentally and emotionally. This is harder than it sounds, particularly if you have been burned or you still cross paths with them regularly or happen to be connected on social media.  But for your own peace of mind, retrain your thoughts about that person. For example, instead of seething with frustration when you think about the past matter, or their pattern of non-responsiveness, just remind yourself, “Unfortunately, I can’t involve that colleague/friend/family member in projects/initiatives such as this” or “This customer must pre-pay for services any time in the future.”

Set up systems to circumvent non-responsiveness in the future.

Move to pre-pay retainers in your business if you can. Tell people up front that if you don’t hear back by a certain time, you will take the next step.  Set yourself up to clear the non-responsive hurdles from the get go by being gracious and assertive in the beginning.

It’s very frustrating to deal with non-responsive people, but you can’t control them. Instead focus on approaches that will help you get your work done while retaining your peace of mind.

What steps do you need to take today to handle a non-responsive person?

 

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10 Steps to Publishing Your Own Book (Flashback)

Do you have a book inside you?

I’ve self-published a handful of books, all of which are available on Amazon and provide me some monthly income (click on the links in the sidebar to learn more.) From time to time, when people realize I have self-published, they become intrigued because they have a book inside of them, too. They want to know how they can publish a book. (If, after reading this article, you are ready for help, click here for our self-publishing support services.)

Since I’ve been asked more than once how to go about publishing a book, I thought it would be helpful to write a blog post to help anyone out there who wants to become a published author. Here are ten basic steps to take, based on my experience. (Note: experiences vary…this is just how I do it.)

1. Consider starting a blog.

What does this have to do with your book? A lot. Blogging will help you get into the habit of writing regularly, and help you define your typical reader. It will also help you build an audience so that when you do publish, you’ll have some customers! Here’s a link to my long time web host, who can help you set up a WordPress blog quickly and with reasonable expense.

2. Write the book.

This takes discipline. Many people have an idea for a book but never start putting their thoughts on paper. If this is you, I encourage you to carve out a set amount of time per week during which you will start drafting a small portion of your book. If you are already blogging, you can “kill two birds with one stone” and publish some of this work in the form of blog posts. Once you have several good ones, you can tie them together into one package to sell. (Yes, even though people may read your blog, they will probably consider buying your book too for the convenience of having everything in one place. I do suggest also adding something unique to the book so it is not just a series of blog posts.)

If you find it hard to be disciplined, it may mean that you are feeling overwhelmed by the overall task of “writing a book.” Instead, break it into small pieces. Set a small word count goal for yourself, and/or make a weekly appointment for writing and write for an allotted amount of time. (I call mine “Writer’s Block” referring to the block of time I carve out for blogging.) Some people find that practicing a certain ritual before writing helps get their mind into gear (i.e. using a particular app, listing to a certain type of music, writing any time they are in a coffee shop.*)

Tip: Don’t edit too much when you are first writing your ideas. Just let it flow. Go back and edit later.

3. Start building a platform.

A good part of publishing a book is marketing the book. These days, you don’t need a traditional publisher to help you market. You can begin to build a following through social media and blogging. Seek to serve your audience. If you like to speak, volunteer to present to various groups in your city or church. Utilize social media to share thoughts. Read other blogs and provide encouraging comments, building relationships. Try to collect email addresses and send meaningful newsletters. You might consider a resource such as Platform University to help you stay current.

4. Hire an editor/proofreader.

Once you have your manuscript drafted it is a good idea to hire an outside person to objectively read it. This may cost you something, but you should not skip this step! One of the downfalls of the accessibility of self-publishing is that some books are being put out there at subpar quality. You don’t want yours to contain obvious typos, formatting errors or run on sentences, to name a few mistakes. A good editor/proofreader can help you avoid that. Our support services can help.

5. Design a cover, or hire someone to do so.

There are lots of options for cover design. If you have some talent in this area you can do it yourself. Not great with graphic design? You can hire someone independently, or even use a service such as 99 designs or Fiverr (I have done my own or hired a designer so I don’t have personal experience with these sites. However, others have.) Create Space offers a cover creator you can use to design your own. A good cover is valuable so your book looks professional.  We have a great graphic designer who can help, too!

6. Consider your printing and distribution options.

For my first book, I used a local copy center to produce spiral bound versions with just the quantity I wanted to have on hand to sell at events. Now, I use Create Space to create paperback books and Audiobook Creation Exchange if I want a book narrated. I love Create Space because there is no up front charge, and they are connected with Amazon. They provide a seamless process of uploading and reviewing your files and proof copies, and then making them available on Amazon. You don’t spend a publishing dime until someone wants to buy your book. When the order is placed, Amazon takes their cut and deposits the rest into your account.

I use Kindle Direct Publishing to produce e-books. I personally don’t create a paperback book every time I publish an e-book. I find that you can create a stream of income with an e-book as well, and I actually have sold/distributed more e-books than tangible books.

7. Beware of scams and expensive publishing options. 

Some “publishing” companies like to make writers feel like they are a highly accomplished author, but could very well just be willing to print anything sent to them (even if it’s junk) and make money off that writer selling the “book” to their friends and family.  Do some research at sites like this or even Google “publishing scams” and you’ll see what I mean.

I once submitted a book proposal to a publisher, and received a letter of interest, only to find out that basically–they wanted to print my book at a cost in the hundreds to thousands to me, even though, to be fair, I believe that cost could include some editing and marketing help.  While not exactly a scam, I consider that type of business to be somewhere between a “print shop” and a “publisher.” They may offer a couple of helpful services, but if I have to pay that much, I would be better off going with something like Create Space and outsourcing to individual editors and graphic designers. If you have a huge audience and are pretty sure you can re-coup that size of investment, then you can choose to go for it. Me? I’m sticking with as little up front costs as I can.

8. Be prepared to handle administrative tasks.

My small business has a retail license and I file sales tax for in-state sales. When selling books at an event out of state, you’ll need to check the rules of sales tax for that state for the event at which you’ll have a table. You’ll be receiving 1099s for royalties from places like Amazon (for when they sell your book) and if you co-author a book and split the profits, you’ll need to provide a 1099 to the other author(s) even if they earn less than $600 in a calendar year. Once you know the procedures, it’s not that hard to keep up with. I use recurring tasks to remind me to file sales tax, for example. But it’s important to set up systems ahead of time and not be caught by surprise regarding taxes, licenses, etc. By having good systems in place, you can take care of small tasks monthly and when tax time comes around, it won’t be too stressful to gather all the info you need.

7. Begin to market.

The idea of marketing makes many of us cringe. It’s hard to self-promote without feeling proud or self-serving! But, remember, if you have something of value that will help someone else, you shouldn’t be afraid to share it.

There are lots of ways to market. One of the best I’ve found is the “offer it free” and/or “countdown deals” programs through Kindle Direct Publishing. As long as my e-book is exclusive to Amazon, I’m allowed to offer up to 5 free days for every 90 my book is in the program. This is a great way  to get the book into more hands because LOTS of people download free books. It can connect people to other books you may have on Amazon as well. Some of my books (one for which I’m a co-author) have made various “Top 100” Lists (paid and free.) This has happened several times. I believe using promotions like this has been a large part of why we’ve enjoyed this blessing.

You can share about the free books on your social media networks, sell tangible books when you speak to groups, arrange book signings at local coffee shops and bookstores, set up a table at fairs, etc. Some of these ideas may work better than others, depending on the customers at that event and what your book is about. It’s an experiment!

10. Take responsibility, be realistic, and keep building relationships

The book you produce is your book. Even if you happen to be accepted by a traditional publisher, you will be asked to do much of the work, mainly–marketing. Traditional publishers often want to sign authors with established platforms–authors that can generate enough buzz on their own to shoot up one of the common bestseller lists. (Yes, their books may be good, but be realistic–they rarely become a bestseller just because of the quality of their book.) It’s your responsibility to continue to build relationships and offer valuable content to people, not just for the sake of selling, but serving.

Several of the NY Times Bestselling authors have an established following who they continue to serve with good content and engagement between books. This builds loyalty and “primes the pump” providing enthusiastic initial buyers for their next book. Full marketing strategies utilizing current fans go into making the best seller list. I’m not saying this is unethical. Just be realistic. It’s probably rare for an “unknown writer” to suddenly be picked up and become a best selling author without either building their own platform or being shared or recommended by someone else’s. (I know of one author, for example, who saw a definite spike in sales once a bestselling author mentioned his book to their followers.)

Sometimes, you can enjoy more freedom and even make more money per book by self publishing and marketing on your own to your own audience. Be realistic and understand that may mean less overall sales because of reduced volume. But it’s not easy to be accepted by a traditional publisher, so some sales as a self-published author may be better than no sales while you wait to be “discovered.”

The world of publishing is changing, and self-publishing carries far less of a stigma than it used to. Why keep a book under wraps, waiting for a “traditional publisher” to decide if it’s worthwhile? If you have a book in you that can help others, go for it!

*Credit to this  Beyond the To-Do List podcast episode for this idea.

 

The main content of this post originally appeared in 2014 on BethBeutler.com but updates have been applied.

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Work Wisdom: Ten Tips to Help You Excel and Exhale (Slide Show)

It’s time for Work Wisdom, a random collection of tips and thoughts to encourage you to excel and exhale at work!  Click on the video to watch a slide show, or read the list that follows.  

 

Plan ahead, but stay present.
When setting up a project, break it into small pieces, and be more generous with deadlines than you think you need to be.
When using a reminder app, make your reminders pop up at odd times. This will help you be less likely to ignore the notification, or have a reminder be buried behind an appointment.
You don’t have to have an extensive filing structure in email, because most email interfaces have a decent search functionality. So don’t waste time trying to maintain a too-elaborate folder system.
Always, always check the contents of an attachment, AND double-check the addressee before hitting send. Even if you think you know what it is. You might see a mistake, a formatting mess, or an entirely different document, or accidentally send the email to a college or acquaintance to whom it doesn’t apply. (Been there, done that.)
Use a small whiteboard instead of scrap paper at your desk for quick notes/calculations. If you feel better keeping a record of the note, take a photo when done.
Remember that there are times when silence is the best response.
Correct privately. Praise publicly.
Email is not the enemy. How you manage it might be.
In the body of your task reminders, add links to the resources you’ll need to complete that task.

Like hints like these? How about having one show up on your calendar every day of the year? Click here to get personal access to the HOPE Hints Daily Calendar.

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Where to Find Motivation When You Need It (Infographic)

(Our thanks to Quid Corner for this guest post.)

It’s the beginning of the week. The weekend is a distant memory. Your ‘to do’ list is growing, but motivation is shrinking.

Rebooting your drive is not as difficult as it might feel — it just requires a bit of self-knowledge.

Productivity expert Gretchen Rubin identified four types of personality — upholder, questioner, obliger and rebel — each of whom can access a different tool kit when in need of a motivation boost.

Not sure which type you are? Check this visual guide for an instant prognosis and ideas on how to motivate yourself:

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The Fine Art of the Last Word (Video)

Do you like to have the last word? Let’s consider that concept.

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Easter and Spring Greetings!

I want to send out an Easter (for those who celebrate it) and spring greeting as well as a thank you for reading, following, sponsoring or doing business with H.O.P.E. Unlimited.  I hope you are taking time to reflect, rest, and revel in what you enjoy about this season!

This business was built on and operates from a foundation of faith. If you are interested in learning more about this grounding, I encourage you to click here to visit our Lasting Hope page.

 

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