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Thanksgiving 2015 Marcy Heim

 Raking leaves with the gals from the UW Association of Women in Agriculture.  They are “paid” with my gift to their scholarship fund. 

I am thankful for… 

…The pleasure of raking 40-plus bags of leaves in my back yard with these beautiful, talented AWA gals…and the joy of supporting their scholarship program to boot! 

…Unending ways to continue to learn – if your not growing your dying – and I’m a-growing! 

…My family… and you – the joy you bring to me, and to the world, and the gift I have been given to serve and inspire you.  Thank you. 

May your Thanksgiving Day, and every day, be filled with abundant gratitude, joy and love.

Invest in Joy!

Pear Tree Planning

pear treeHere’s a lesson from my pear tree.  The fruit varies year to year, but this year, as early as the blossoms in May, we knew this would be a BIG year.

Thousands, I mean thousands of baby pears filled the tree. At one point a 5-inch-thick limb broke off from the sheer weight of all the pears.  And even as they were still developing – they had great flavor. This would yield quite a harvest!

And so went the summer – talking about the pears coming, hearing about canning and freezing, recipes and smoothie combinations. And, while I was determined I would not waste this abundant opportunity….. I did.  Most of the pears were bagged up and hauled to the dump.

I saw the opportunity. I talked about the opportunity.  I even took a few steps in the right direction gathering information and buying freezer bags.  And, yes, (victim thinking here) it was also our daughter’s wedding just as they really ripened.  And, yes, I had pear smoothies, pears for breakfast, lunch and dinner for weeks and accosted everyone I saw with a bucket of pears for over a month, but I didn’t follow through on the opportunity I saw.  Now these steps will be “good enough” by default.

And so it goes in our honorable and noble profession. We see milestones coming, events that offer more personal connections, a congratulations that could be shared or another program in town or at our organization that will bring in a plethora of folks we might touch.  If only.  If only we had taken action in time.

Sometimes my clients complain they are not given enough lead time to properly prepare for an opportunity.  Ok, “sometimes” this is true.  More often, and let’s be honest here, it looks far off and we let more urgent (generally not more important) tasks eat up the time between making something out of an opportunity, letting it slip by…or doing a schlocky job of it.

There is a place for “good enough” in our lives for you who share my perfectionist tendencies.

But here’s the deal. Life presents us opportunities.  It is always our choice what we make of them.  Our success and satisfaction is measured this way.

  1. See the opportunity
  2. Intend what could do and they decide what we will do
  3. Plan the action – laying out what by when
  4. Take the action!
  5. Celebrate the results

Simple, right?  WRONG.  But it is worth seeing your patterns and making small changes.  Here are 5 things you can do to make better use of your “opportunities.”

  1. Plan ahead for what you KNOW is coming – personally and professionally.  You know your kids birthdays, holidays, etc. – why do they “sneak up” on you?  You know your event date – why are you tying ribbons on table favors at midnight the night before?  You know a big gathering in town will be a chance to network with several prospective givers – why do you let other work deadlines creep into the space until you feel like you really can’t go?  Stop and think about the opportunity.  Reflect. How do you want to use this opportunity?
  2. Make a Decision on your “good enough” action.  You can’t do everything. In fact, sometimes we go over the top and the action is really “too much” for the situation.  “Simple, yet artful.” (“I can buy cookies, not make them, and it will be ok for donor Joe’s visit to our organization.”)  What is at least some action we can accomplish that will help us take advantage of this opportunity?  Then embrace that this plan is “good enough” and set up the time to take the step. 
  3. Determine what the “Best Action” is.  If you were really going to maximize this opportunity, what would that look like?  (I’d have a freezer full of pears.)   
  4. Be open to the last-minute.  “If it weren’t for  the last-minute, nothing would get done. “  While not a quote to live by, certainly it brings in the creative energy we get as a deadline approaches.  Use it in a balanced way.
  5. Celebrate. Learn. Plan and plan again. So that wasn’t quite what you wanted.  Ok, celebrate was DID work.  Enjoy the feeling of the little action you took that was a hit!  YES!  Say, “I create my life and I LOVE my life!”

Some opportunities get away on us.  The pears are spoiling and collecting bees.  But I DID enjoy many of them, give many of them away and at least learn about what I could have done to make better use of them.  For this year, that’s “good enough” and I am grateful for the opportunity to see what next year brings.  May you enjoy recognizing opportunities and turning them into “wins” for you, your family and your non-profit mission.

Invest in Joy!

Why do YOU give?

“We always ask (or should ask) our donors what motivates them to give.  So, what motivates you to give?”

This was a question from Jason Lemke with the USD Sanford School of Medicine in Sioux Falls, SD, a member in my Major Gifts Success Club.  Each month I host one day when members can email specific questions they have and I’ll respond with some helpful thoughts.

Given all the time I spend coaching around why people give, I really stopped in my tracks. First off…it was quite a feeling to think someone out there (thank you, Jason) cared about what motivates me to give. I was curious if I would support my own list of why donors give!  Here goes!

1. Core Values. Education, faith, music. I have relationships here.  And while I have never really formally tithed, I aim for at least 10%.  And this 10% must compete with a new roof, college tuition, and all of that…but I choose to write every check with JOY!

core values

Should this group include your own organization?  Is it among your top giving priorities and do you stretch to support it?  Is it in alignment with your core values? How can you use your own motivations for giving to help in your donor conversations?

2. Family Ties. School plays, music, sports. Often larger annual gifts triggered by a specific project rather than a standard appeal letter.

Life changes and giving changes. When an appeal rekindles the fond memories, giving continues.

As my family steps away or grows beyond these organizations, the various electronic and direct mail updates will keep me engaged for a while, but eventually they fall away and are replaced with the current set of organizations.  That’s ok.  Look for milestones to reconnect.

3. A well done appeal. When I examined my giving there were new and renewing smaller gifts just because the appeal inspired me! This surprised me! I used to promote giving larger gifts to fewer causes.  But at some places my $100 is a big deal and I am enjoying this.

A well done, clear appeal and authentic gratitude will inspire new giving.

Also for me…I have never given to anything monthly with a regular deduction from a card or my checking account. This gives me zero pleasure.  It feels like a bill, not a gift.  Just me I guess because a lot of folks like it.  Does it make it harder to go from these transactions to major giving relationships?

4. Special one-time help for someone you know generally from on-line appeals. One of my colleagues entered hospice. We raised $20,000 overnight last month to help.  I searched my feelings to see if I gave because of who else did – a bit.  It did set an amount range to consider.  Was it partially in gratitude that I was spared the same health fate?  Well, it certainly reminded me to be grateful for the everyday health and happiness I enjoy.

When the need is known, the heart moves the hand, even if it’s not tax-deductible.

But I think the biggest factor…..you can’t give to what you don’t know about – and so often we find out too late that someone was struggling.

flowers5. Flowers or memorials. I used to really dislike the whole notion of funeral flowers.  Why spend $50-$100 on something that gets tossed in a few short days – and how many plants can the family take home anyway?   But as I get older, and funerals of my contemporaries are more frequent, I am drawn to the celebration of life and the tangible tribute flowers represent.

Is there a way to display memorial gifts at a funeral?

6. Events and Door to Door. Everything that comes to my door for sale……someone is taking some action to make a difference. I will always buy. 🙂

So…what motivated donors to give?

  1. They believe in what you do and want to make a difference
  2. They are asked
  3. They believe you are stable and ethical
  4. They want to honor someone/something
  5. They want to extend their values
  6. They have a high regard for the staff and the volunteer leadership
  7. They want to belong to something and help their community

You see, all expenditures, but especially giving, whether from the heart or the wallet, in the past or present, big or small, can be viewed as either “depleting” or “enriching.” Enriching works for me.  What motivates YOU to give?

Invest in Joy!

Change your Culture – What can YOU do?” PART 2

Last time, I shared the first 5 Actions YOU can take to Change your Culture of Generosity! You can take a peek at them here.

You can also hear my talk on 4Good about a Culture of Generosity. It’s set up so that you all can download the session for free and give a listen, just click here.

Today, Steps 6-10! Remember YOU must take responsibility for creating a vibrant culture of Generosity. It begins with YOUR THOUGHTS! What beliefs you PERCEIVE about your culture determines how you act and interact with those around you.
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Here are the second 5 Steps YOU can take to Create a Culture of Generosity.

6. LISTEN – not just to your donors, but to your colleagues, board, etc. LISTEN – don’t FIX.
“So let me tell you what you should do.” Nope. Everyone wants to be heard, but not necessarily helped! Unless they ASK for your advice, listen, and don’t try to fix anything. The most important gift you can give is to listen with no judgment or opinion.

7. Limit Fundraising vocabulary in ALL settings.
“Mr. Jones, thank you for meeting with me face-to-face today. You are a suspect, but if this qualifying visit goes well, you will become a prospect. Then I will cultivate you until I move you to the ask.” Oh…you wouldn’t talk to a prospective giver like that? Well then, don’t talk that way behind her back. And, think about your best donors who become volunteers and Board members. Suddenly you are talking about others using this fundraising lingo! How do you think it makes them feel? Special? Processed? Like they can trust how you are with them?

8. Share the Cycle of Successful Relationships and show others where they fit in your overall donor plan. Take others on calls, thank them, keep them in the loop. Tell stories that include all “touches.”
chartFolks, sometimes we do a pretty lousy job of explaining what we do to our non-development colleagues. Sit down with my cycle and share why everyone is important in the relationship we are building. Share exactly how their help is part of your plans for this donor or the development effort as a whole. Then, when they DO help you, thank them, and let them know what’s going on with the donor. I would take accounting staff on a call – just to see what I did. I would also share stories of major gifts at staff meetings and include the role EVERYONE played in creating the relationship. (ie…and accounting got our thank you note out SO quickly for his last gift. That really helped me.)

9. Take back the power that you create your life. Think, “Yes!” first when asked to do something different. Then “How?”
Now I know that sometimes donors have ideas that are going to be tough to implement, or they may be just plain wrong. But start with “YES” and “thank you.” From there go to, “Now let’s explore your idea more closely and see how to best make it work.” From there take your time working through the process so the donor says, “Hmmm. This may not be the best way to do it.” Let the donor ENJOY the giving. Feel the JOY of giving. Don’t reward their generosity with, “Well we can’t possibly do it THAT way.” Snarky, snarky.

10. Just like major gifts – this is a LONG-TERM process. Celebrate small changes and baby steps.
We all come into this work with our own mindset junk, perceptions, values and beliefs. For some, fundraising and generosity are defined very differently. As we collect experiences, our beliefs, and our values, can change. Rarely is this an Ah Ha! It is more often a gradual shift as new experiences and information lead us to question was once was a closely held belief.

Ask yourself how YOU are creating a Culture of Generosity in your organization. Don’t be the victim to how others choose to act, rather be the catalyst for the changes you’d like to see. Little else could speak louder of your belief in the power and joy of giving!

Invest in Joy!

Change your Culture – What can YOU do?

What you DO with any learning makes the magic happen.  Do you roll your eyes and say, “Tried this, doesn’t work” or, “My shop is different”?  This week I shared a webinar on 4Good about Culture – specifically a culture of generosity.  It’s set up so that you all can down load the session for free and give a listen, just click here.

Today, and in my next post, I’ll cover 10 steps YOU can take – weather your leadership “gets it”  or not and regardless of your role within the organization.  Remember culture is how you think, act and interact.  That means it begins with YOUR THOUGHTS!  What beliefs you PERCEIVE about your culture determines how you act and interact with those around you.

Culture is the way

Here are the first 5 Steps YOU can take to Create a Culture of Generosity.

1. Treat everyone like a major donor.
We are patient and thoughtful with our major givers gently leading them, over time, into a partnership that blends their values, quirks and perhaps unique personalities with our giving options.  What if we used these same relationship-building techniques with our staff colleagues? What if we treated everyone like securing their buy in and support was vitally important to us?  We’d take different steps with a different attitude.  You know it.

2.  Treat the giver like a full on member of the mission team.
“If only we could just do our mission without having the burden of raising the money!”  That thought, that belief, takes you FAR away from a culture of Generosity.  Your donors are your sacred partners in making the world a better place through your mission.  It starts with your mindset.

3.  Make stewardship a priority even if it is not rewarded. It’s the right thing to do.
“Marcy, we don’t even get credit for a stewardship call in our metrics.”  I know..and it’s sad. But the donor deserves to enjoy the giving.  You will be lifted up by expressing your gratitude in an authentic way. Just do it.

4.  Model the JOY of giving.
Sit quietly and reflect on why and how you give to your mission.  Do you gauge the least amount you can get by with?  Do you tithe and that’s it?  How do you feel about it?  Joyful, or done with it?  Research is documenting more and more the powerful role giving and gratitude plays in our overall health and happiness. It shows in how we show up every day.  Get your JOY on!

5.  Walk in your donor’s shoes.  Consider what it feels like to be a giver.
Have you ever felt someone was being nice to you because they wanted something?  Yuk, right? Major donors get a lot of attention…especially when you want money. You create a culture of generosity when you sincerely want your donors to make the investment that will bring them joy…even if it’s not your organization.

Ask yourself how YOU are creating a Culture of Generosity in your organization.  Don’t be the victim to how others choose to act, rather be the catalyst for the changes you’d like to see.  Little else could speak louder of your belief in the power and joy of giving!

Invest in Joy!

Can You be Trusted?

Ah, love! From Valentine’s Day to the promise of renewal each March….there is nothing as wonderful as having special folks to share life with. We toss around the word, “love” pretty freely. “Give your donors love.” “Make your donors feel loved.” This is fine, but personally and professionally it comes with some responsibility.

At the core of every loving relationship is trust. Can YOU be trusted?

Trust Formula. Stephen M. R. Covey wrote The Speed of Trust. In it he outlines that High Trust yields High Speed and Lower Costs. Let’s apply this to major gift relationship building and my Cycle of Successful Relationships. Would you agree that when a major donor trusts us…as individual development professionals AND as an organization, they are more likely to give more and more often? YES!

The Artful Asker Cycle of Successful Relationships

Did you ever consider the HIGH COST of breaking donor trust? And…think about the extra energy we need to expend to REGAIN that trust! That’s an additional cost folks!

So What Builds Trust and What Breaks Trust with your Major Givers? True or False.

  1. question marksIt’s fine to talk about “prospects” “suspects” “moves management” “closing a donor” “finding what will get them to give the most” etc. back at the office. Of course you’d use other words when visiting with your donors directly.
  2. You provide a receipt for a gift within 24 hours that has the correct amount, the correct fund or designation, and it reaffirms that the investment, regardless of size, was impactful and appreciated.
  3. At the end of a major donor visit, you say you will get back in touch early next week with the promised information and you call with it the next Tuesday afternoon.
  4. You create a RAP (Relationship Action Plan) for your major donors and execute an “artful touch” by you or a partner once each month.
  5. You arrange a visit with your major donor each fall to ask for/remind them of the payment on their major gift pledge or ask for event sponsorship.
  6. When a staff member is leaving the organization, regardless of terms, you encourage the departing staff member to share how to stay in touch with them with their donors if they so desire.
  7. When there’s a hiccup and a mistake is made in executing a gift, you move quickly to get it back on track, but no need to tell the donor if it can be handled “behind the scenes.”
  8. You remember your donor’s birthday, anniversary, dog’s name, favorite staff member, how they best like to hear from you (phone, email, text etc), what their fears are, what their dreams are, why giving to you brings them joy because you authentically care about them as a person, not just a source of money for your organization.

You see the pattern. The odd numbers damage trust, the even numbers build trust. Let me briefly share why.

  1. Who wants a friend, a spouse, a colleague, a boss, a team member, a fundraiser who talks about them differently behind their back then to their face? The words we use are important. Think about the major donor who is ask later to help encourage others to give. He/she discusses how they will ‘move’ Joe to the ask….. Have you ever considered how this makes your donor feel?
  2. Steward the gift. Quickly, accurately, sincerely. Doesn’t have to be fancy, handwritten, signed by BigWig – just done. Quickly, accurately, sincerely.
  3. CEO of Management Training Seminars, Dr Elaine Beaubien, stresses communication that leaves no ambiguity builds trust. To your donor, ‘early next week” could mean 8:00 am Monday morning and you are woefully late in responding. Be specific. Be clear. Check for clarity.
  4. Trust loves consistency. Nothing builds trust more than consistent, artful touches.
  5. “The only time I see you is when you want money.” Enough said.
  6. Feelings between people are to be left to them to manage in change. In divorce, leadership changes, turnover….people who wish to stay connected will. We don’t need to bless it or forbid it.
  7. Even small omissions have a way of surfacing. And them somehow they seem so ugly. Best to speak the truth at all times. Drama is not necessary.
  8. Our systems and databases help us honor our relationships; ensure continuity during change and over the years. You may think only you know your true feelings and motivations. I guarantee who you really are shows through.

When we take actions day to day from a place of authenticity that genuinely communicates gratitude for generosity and engages our donors in the life of our organization, trust increases and, yes, giving results are higher. It seems donors more quickly ask, “How can I be more involved?” “What’s next?” There was an elderly woman who invested in leadership training for students at a faith-based client of mine. We felt she would enjoy meeting a former recipient who later gave a gift himself to the program. When we ask her if we could bring this student along she said, “Oh good! Does he need money too?”

Invest in Joy!

Are you Already Behind?

“I’m ALWAYS behind.” On my January Major Gifts Success Club Coaching Call there was a question about getting it all done. This question came from an extremely successful, veteran, major-gifts officer. And, this was early January! I get it.

Yes, it is a new year, but for many of us, we are already behind, or STILL behind.

Let’s look deeper into this. Here are 7 steps to help you stop feeling behind.

11. Ask the Right Question. Being behind means something is not finished when you want it to be. That’s a different question than “Why am I always behind?” So let’s address the self-talk, “Why don’t I ever finish what I begin?” (Terrible question) and immediately replace it with the empowering question, “Why do I most often finish what I start?” Your mind will ‘google’ all the times you were successful now instead of providing you a list of past failures. Ask yourself this question twice daily and whenever your thoughts are filled with “why am I behind?” You become what you think about.

22. Practice Mindfulness. Are your mind and body in the same place? A Harvard research study concluded that when you are present, in the moment, you get more done and are happier. Think about really listening to a donor, or your kids. Do not habitually glance at your phone. Multitasking is not a positive trait. Control your wandering mind.

finish the end of the competition an exit out of problems3. Stop only when the task is done. How many windows are open on your computer? Do you ever find an email started at 8 am still sitting there at 5 pm unfinished and not sent? My word of the year is FINISH. Now before you start telling me about all the interruptions in your day, take one small action. Commit to finishing one thing during time that IS yours to control. Notice how good “DONE!” feels. Go for more of these small completions!

44. Everything can’t be urgent and important. I make a Master GET To Do list the first Monday of each month. This is a brain dump of everything. It is generally 7-8 typed pages and includes my work, family, band, personal wellness and home projects and spans into the future. You may scream, but I actually like seeing Valentine’s Day displays on December 28th. Look well ahead, and set a date to take action. Then don’t think about it again until that time. I am ‘present’ with all these things each month when I redo the list and add reminders to my calendar. (ACT in the MOMENT!) Does stuff jump in? Sure. But it isn’t a crisis if the rest is managed. Every donor is NOT urgent and important all the time. Thinking like that will make you crazy.

5. Create your RAPs. A relationship action plan – my more artful and authentic version of “moves management” tells you what you need to do with your major donors to empowering them to make a favorable major gift decision for your organization. These plans can span years. When it is time for a donor action, be totally present with them.

66. Visualize yourself calm, energized and powerfully productive. Russell Wilson, former Badger and now Seattle Seahawks quarterback, is playing some amazing games. He’s overcome people telling him he’s too short to be any good. He is not shy about saying in interviews, “I visualized this entire game before I played it.” Now he doesn’t just sit on his butt dreaming. He’s also said, “Dreams don’t come true; dreams are MADE true.” That’s where focused, determined work comes in. Less talk, less drama, more calm, focused work. Close your eyes, see yourself in control and feel the wonderful sensation. Repeat.

7. This is life-long work. People constantly say to me, “Marcy, I don’t know how you do it all.” First off, I don’t. I miss timelines, forget details, totally mess up, get down on myself. But instead of saying, “Why are you such a disorganized screw-up?” I say, “What will I do now to get this back on track?”

You were not put on this planet to “just get by” and feel like you’re never “enough.” Yet most people will spend their entire life this way. You…especially YOU, choosing to be in this honorable and noble fundraising profession, are here to make your mark, use your unique gifts, talents and passion to compose a good world. And, to live a large, beautiful life filled with challenges, accomplishments and ongoing contributions to others.

A light has no value until you turn it on. May 2015 be your year to shine bright!

Invest in Joy!

If you SPOT it, You GOT it!

swooshLet me share a story. This past summer my son, David, asked for a game of HORSE – you shoot baskets and for each miss you get a letter. Given I hadn’t touched a basketball in forever, he assumed this would be a quick game. Turns out, I couldn’t miss! From a distance, backwards, wherever! I was as stunned as he was.

Then I realized I had been visualizing making a basket, seeing the ball swoosh through the net hundreds of times during my step-class workout. I’d grab the imaginary ball, jump up on the step, SPOT a corner of the ceiling tile, “shoot” and see SWOOSH! Yes, successful athletes have used visualization for years, but it takes our vision for our work and life goals to reality as well as our baskets!

Why? Two reasons – Focus and Attraction.

pic2Focus – Almost every day I do the WonderWord puzzle in the local paper. Why? Well, it works my brain, but more so, I see how looking for the clue word makes me focus through the jumble of letters and find it – often with just a letter or two. In life, our goals are the words we are to find and the jumble of letters are all the distractions we encounter.

Attraction – When you stop and consider what you want – for your major giving totals, for your donors to experience, for you, for your family – you pull these thoughts into focus. What you focus on grows. Do you want more of the same problems? Easy, just keep focusing on them. Do you want something different? STOP thinking about what you DON’T want. Major donors tell me that the more money they give, it seems the more money that comes into their lives to give away! What you focus on, you attract more of into your life.

What are you SPOTTING for 2015 and beyond? Can you SPOT IT? Ok, it’s yours. I promise.

Happy, Happy Holidays!

Invest in Joy!

What DON’T I Want in 2015?!

What is it for you? That pile of reading material you never get to? The old donor files you mean to go through? Or is it the strained relationship you should at least attempt to fix? The clutter in your office? The promise made and never delivered?

There is tremendous power and comfort in rituals – in those things we do to lock in a feeling or action that is important to us. It may be the way you tidy up your office before you leave, or make the list of what is most important that you GET To Do tomorrow or say, ‘good bye’ to your family each day.

Then there are other rituals that don’t serve us.

  • Picking up and putting down that project, again.
  • Putting off an uncomfortable conversation, again.
  • Putting off an ‘ask’ we keep thinking is not ready to be heard, again.
  • Not dealing with someone, personally or professionally, we are at odds with, again.
  • Putting off that money matter, again.
  • Opening the email. And closing it, again.
  • Not making the phone call to say we’ve decided to spend the holidays at home – no chasing, again.
  • A pattern of delaying some recurring, important task, again.

We are afraid. Tried to deal with this before and well, failed to. Ouch. There is it. “What if I fail again?” Sometimes this ‘unfinished business’ keeps us up at night. Sometimes it pulls us down in broad daylight – nags at us when we are driving, creeps into our heads like heavy weights of, “Yeah, right – need to take that off the back burner.”

This is not a list of things you got wrong. That’s the wrong list to be running over in your mind. No, this is the list of “incompletes” that lay in waiting. Big and small…but waiting.

Stop now…..what are the top 5 “incompletes” in your life right now?

What happens if you never deal with one or more of these? Nothing, really? Maybe you just write it down and rip it up. Gone.

But if not…if it must be dealt with, DECIDE NOW that you are not going to enter 2015 with it as a millstone around your neck.

7c4aa97f-7b00-4900-bf1b-1426f47f98f6

Say aloud, “By the new year I will no longer be dealing with this!”

You have a bit more than a month….and it’s a busy time, I know. But start your new year with at least one “incomplete” off the list. One thing that you just WILL NOT take into the new year.

And to keep the momentum moving forward, draw a few more lines in the sand.

“I will not begin December with this incomplete.”
“I will not go into the holidays without our family time secured.”
“I will not have this strained relationship even if having the conversation takes this person out of my life.”

58e6af2c-8df9-4d50-9583-b5f7b5428ccbMaybe it is simply, “I will not pummel myself for what contacts I didn’t make until now, but rather decide….draw a line in the sand… stop looking back and start talking! Talk to every prospective giver asking, “Is there a gift you want to make, something specific you wish to accomplish before the new year begins? Can I help?” “Is there something you want to get DONE, right now to have an IMPACT for our mission yet this year?”

What DON’T you want in 2015? Decide, draw the line and leave it behind. Fill in the space with positive action!

Nothing changes if you don’t.

Invest in Joy!

Realize You are Closer than You Think

People who are successful in any path in life – family, fundraising, leadership – know the power of their minds in their success. The challenge is controlling your thoughts and monitoring what you place into your brain. That’s the tricky part. We’ve been addressing this in each of my 4-part “Skip Steps to Success” series.

Success (and money) LOVES decision and action! How do we get smarter about raising major gifts faster to enjoy the success we want sooner? How do we find a rich life balance? Can we skip some steps along the way? How do we intentionally incorporate experiences into life to leapfrog over some of the rough parts as well as move through the learning more quickly?

Here are Four Steps you need to take to Skip Steps to Success!

  1. Figure out what’s important to you – professionally and personally.
  2. Focus on BOTH components of success – the thought process and the specific techniques.
  3. Seek out all types of mentors and educational experiences.
  4. Realize you are closer than you think.

Appreciate your progress and accomplishments and all you DO and Do RIGHT!

Here are my TOP 5 Tips to Appreciating YOU!

1. Note Successes and Celebrate daily – in fact, several times daily.

noteIn our haste to scramble through our endless “To Do” lists, we cross off and continue with lightening speed. Take a pause, a breath, a minute to appreciate a completed task. “Good, I have that phone call done.” “Perfect, the letter of agreement is to Donor A” “Wonderful, I have taken the next step in getting the holiday cards out.” Some shops circulate a quick email sharing a gift that has come in and recognizing all the folks (admin to the Top Dog) who played a role in it. My favorite is to sing, “TA DA” when I have a “To Do” done. This is so important I even created pads just for you to do this….note the far right check off box is labeled, “Ta Da!”

2. Do NOT multitask.

When your mind is divided across multiple tasks you are not in the moment. You really ARE accomplishing some amazing things, but by doing two things (or more) at once, you don’t fully feel the progress. You don’t fully enjoy the satisfaction of the people or accomplishments. Turn off the email as you type a donor letter. LISTEN on the phone with your entire focus. The person on the other end knows when you aren’t fully engaged. If you ask, “Where did this day go?” you are not present. You missed it. This leads to feeling like you are not making progress. LIVE your life! Show up and be there 100%.

3. FINISH.

finish lineDo you find emails you wrote at 8 am still open and unsent at 4 pm? Do you dig through a pile to find the project someone is asking you about now….with the contents of the rest of the pile all shouting at you for your attention? Chain yourself down to your chair and set the timer. Do not move until you have invested the time you committed or it is done. Block off time and get it DONE. Create steps in a big project and get the step done. This is really about not disappointing yourself when the project stays on the To Do list instead of the Ta Da list.

4. Five Minute Surge.

5 minDo you get ‘stuck’ before ‘start?’ You have 5 minutes. Use them to make quite notes, collect the pieces, whatever gets you to BEGIN. Release the notion that 5 minutes isn’t enough time to really do anything so I’ll just jump in Facebook or email (and stay there for 20 minutes). STARTING will help you process the real magnitude of a task. “I have to see 42 people before November 30. How will I ever do that?” becomes “What options do I have to touch 42 folks prior to the end of November? Hmmm, I’ll use 5 minutes to make a list of ideas. Well, I could group these 3, I could see this one at the musical program we both attend, I could visit these 4 perhaps in one day as they are all in the same area of town.” Now you have started. It really isn’t important how the plans change – you are taking action on them and you are closer than you think.

5. Visualize What Success Looks Like and Live it!

GOALS picI recently heard a program by internet marketer, Diane Conklin, about Goal setting. Her definition of Goals is the perfect close to this message. Realize you are closer than you think to accomplishing your goals by defining ‘goals’ as a reflection of how you are doing your work and living your life – not by some cumbersome process.

For this 3rd quarter and throughout the year, CELEBRATE EACH STEP and BE GRATEFUL FOR THE CHANCE TO TAKE IT! FINISH STRONG!

Invest in JOY!

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Marcy Heim Consulting | The Artful Asker
2679 Fahey Glen
Madison, WI 53711

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