Fulfilment

Hi!

Could it be that the distinguishing attribute that makes an entrepreneur successful is the innate mastery of deferred gratification?

In Walter Mischel's classic Marshmallow Experiment*, the kids who delayed their gratification were, as adults, more likely (than the kids who sought instant reward) to achieve academic, social and professional success.

On the other hand, people who are present-oriented could be more likely to get things done with urgency than those who are past or future oriented. (They could also be prone to procrastination!)

So which is the right orientation for entrepreneurs -- urgency or discipline? We explore these questions after seeing the menu for this month's Fulfilment:

   - New feature: In a word: For connecting clearly in communication, we'll share tips on language -- words and phrases, their etymology, meaning, or simply their correct grammatical use. Our inaugural word is "try" and we highlight its positive and negative psychological applications. (The NLP crowd will love this one!)

   - Next Workshop "Time Mastery for Entrepreneurs and Other Busy People": Are you past, present or future oriented? Positive or negative? Discover your preferred orientation in time and how to optimise working with this orientation, plus many other useful techniques for entrepreneurs and professionals to master their time. See the ad below or click here to book before July 23^rd.

   - Workshops coming up: Last month we improved motivation. This month we're mastering time. Find out what else we've lined up for our monthly workshops.

   - Article: 21 Tips on Mastering Time: Our Most Precious Commodity: Rochelle Harwin, a busy business owner, has crowd-sourced 21 tips from other busy people to help us busy people master our time!

   - Article: Are you a pressure cooker when it comes to time?: Marion Adamson, expert life skills coach and facilitator, takes a peek at what our hidden motivations might be for how we behave under pressure.

   - Looking back and looking in: Insights and reflections on last month's "Improving Motivation" workshop by Marion Adamson. Reinforce your learning points or, if you didn't attend this workshop, get the highlights of what you missed. Insights and reflections on last month's "Improving Motivation" workshop by Marion Adamson. Reinforce your learning points or, if you didn't attend this workshop, get the highlights of what you missed.

Which time orientation is the right one for entrepreneurs?

So which time orientation helps entrepreneurs succeed: urgent action today or a disciplined focus on a future goal?

Excluding trust fund kids who don't need to work for a living, I see 3 mind-sets at play for those of us who exchange time for money: employees, consultants and entrepreneurs.

While employees rely on the security of their regular salary and can be utilitarian in their service to the employer, the self-employed professional consultant is relatively more specialised and seeks to maximise his / her hourly rate at the risk of a few days (or months) of no pay.

Contrasting this, the entrepreneurial mind-set is more willing to risk short term reward (including freedom outside of the business for family, friends and fun) while hopefully creating significant future value by building something that runs independently of him / her.

If you're a business owner and your focus is your monthly salary or other less tangible but immediate return, consider your willingness and ability -- whether circumstantial or competence -- to delay your gratification and how this might impede your ability to build long-term and sustainable future value.

Countering this, how is your present-day focus helping you enjoy the journey? Is it freedom as your own boss or a stronger sense of identity outside a faceless corporate system? From a way of being that is congruent with your values and beliefs, who knows what serendipitous successes await you..?

Perhaps what we need is to balance which time orientation we apply in which situation. Awareness of our dominant orientation to time can surely help us master our time better. To grow your awareness of your default time orientation and get tips and tools for mastering time, why not try our time mastery half-day workshop on July 28^th -- see the ad below

*Mischel's marshmallow experiment in a nutshell

Conducted in the 1960s, young children were, individually, offered the choice of a marshmallow immediately or 2 marshmallows 20 minutes later. About 2 thirds of the children chose immediate fulfilment, while those who delayed gratification got a bigger "reward".

During adolescence, all the children were surveyed and the majority of those who had delayed their gratification were better-adjusted and achieved greater academic success. (You can read more about this experiment at Wikipedia.)

5 more resources related for time mastery:

   - Snatching Time: How would you juggle the roles you play like mother, father, boss, worker, business owner, lover, home-maker and friend? Marion Adamson offers some tips! (Fulfilment, 26 February 2009)

   - Procrastination is a Myth: Brent Combrink explains how it can be impossible to procrastinate. Find out how to make procrastination in your life a myth. (Fulfilment, 1 February 2005)

   - Judo Your To-Do List to balance Your Life: I offer a project management approach to handling interruptions and achieving life balance, even though "life balance" is a theoretical construct. (Fulfilment, 30 April 2008)

   - Book Review: Getting Things Done: Jaqui Duarte describes the virtues of Allen's seminal book on personal productivity. (Fulfilment, 26 February 2009)

   - List to Your Success: 8 tips and 4 tools for being smart with to-do lists. (Fulfilment, 26 February 2009)

As always, we'd love to get your comments -- how do you think successful people work with time? Email any of our authors or pick up the phone.

In August we explore the role of the successful project leader -- a must read for project managers and managers who are not project managers. Until Fulfilment in August, all the best!

Brent Combrink
Fulfilment editor and ProMentor's founding owner
Cell: +27 (0)82 425 2708
Email: brent@promentor.co.za

PS: Entrepreneurs: our time mastery workshop this month gives you useful tools and mind-set perspectives that will strongly complement our Small Business Mentoring Program starting on August 11th. Get our early bird discount of R650 off the full program fee (ex VAT) if you sign up at the time mastery workshop on July 28^th.

New feature in Fulfillment:

In A Word: "Try"

Connecting Clearly in Communication

Luke: "All right, I'll give it a try."
Yoda: "No. Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try."

Perhaps Yoda, in Star Wars Episode V, has been over-quoted lately, but "try" is not always negative. True, trying something is different from committing to it, yet trying something out is also accepting that failure is possible -- we are open to experimenting and taking a chance on success.

When you catch yourself using "try", check what this means for your intentions and expectations: are you lacking commitment or are you open to surprise and serendipity?

A useful place to use "try" is in sales: inviting your client to try out your product or service suggests that the commitment is not carved in stone. Like wine-tasting: if you don't like the "try", you don't have to drink the whole bottle!

Try a different perspective of "try"!

View this article at promentor.co.za

Next public workshop:

Time Mastery for Entrepreneurs and Other Busy People

An experiential workshop for entrepreneurs and professionals to make time for important things with less stress

on Wednesday, 28^th July, 2010, 08h30 for 09h00 - 12h00
at Belmont Conference Centre in Rondebosch
facilitated by Brent Combrink.
Bookings close on Friday July 23^rd

What you will get from this workshop:

• Explore how you perceive being in time (e.g. are you optimistically future oriented, pessimistically past oriented or do you just want to have fun right now?)
• What your optimal time mastery strategies could be (so that your "time management" is aligned with your perception of time).
• The key to never worrying about what needs to be done.
• How to develop and evolve your own foolproof work management system.
• Find the tasks you really need to prioritise and how.
• Balancing the now with the big things you want from life: how to take care of your day-to-day stuff without compromising your long-term goals.
• How to relax skilfully and mindfully (and not suffer ennui, boredom or anxiety about the things you're not doing).

• An intro to our Small Business Mentoring Program -- a 6-month program that helps business owner-managers become business owners by growing their business' value and making more free time.

"The workshops are so beneficial! You get to the point and you gave feedback afterwards to ensure we fully understood."
-- Bronwen Cousens, Discovery Health

Requirements:

• R570 incl. VAT payable in advance via EFT
• Ideal participants: this workshop is best-suited to entrepreneurs, professionals, self-employed and people who hold leadership responsibilities
• Also benefits aspiring entrepreneurs, professionals, managers and leaders

Book by Friday, July 23^rd or enquire:
+ phone Brent: 082 425 2708
+ email brent@promentor.co.za

Workshops and programs coming up

Programs

Bookings are always open for these workshops and programs! Just phone Brent at (082 425 2708) or email brent@promentor.co.za

21 Tips on Mastering Time: Our Most Precious Commodity
By Rochelle Harwin, business owner, brand integration and marketing specialist
16 July 2010

We know you know some good stuff. That's why this article is written by you, our readers! Rochelle has crowd-sourced 21 tips from professionals and business owners just like you on mastering time. Why not find one tip that appeals to you and try it out for a week?

Read more...

Are you a pressure cooker when it comes to time?
By Marion Adamson, expert life skills coach and facilitator
15 June 2010

What do I need, besides ProMentor's Time Mastery workshop? I need to learn to say no. In the work environment people who are motivated by the desire to be helpful, likeable or feel needed say yes to an increasing workload and, in reality they are not helping anyone by overloading their already full plates.

Read more...

New feature in Fulfillment:

Looking Back and Looking In

Improving Motivation

Insights and reflections on our June workshop by Marion Adamson

Here are 5 a-ha points from the introspective exercises and lively conversations at our half-day Improving Motivation workshop held on June 23^rd, 2010:

1. Investing time to ask ourselves how we engage with others is extremely valuable and gives insight into our inner motivational drivers.
2. Motivation is the inner core of our being and is not seen by others. (It's good to remind ourselves of the obvious!)
3. Behaviour is the outer layer of our being and is seen by others.
4. Our behaviour can be misinterpreted and this usually leads to conflict.

Much of the feedback from participants pointed to the value of reflecting on each individual's motivation.

5. The ability of people to look at the same picture, and interpret and assign meaning in a myriad of ways is what really stood out for me. It gives me hope that ultimately, if our perspectives of our challenges are unlimited, then similarly, we must hold an unlimited number of solutions. The question "What is the solution?" then becomes "Which solution do we choose?"

Here is one of the pictures we shared; we would love you to tell us what you see and what this might reveal about your internal motivations -- email me at marion@promentor.co.za.

View this article at promentor.co.za

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