Category Archives: Productivity

Pause, Pray, Rewind & Play:
The 2PRP Formula

pause, pray, rewind, play

It’s now the start of a new year and many people have set their resolutions to do something that will positively affect their life in the coming year. Some of the most popular ones are weight loss, exercise, eating better, finances, and for some, it will be to start their own business. Have you made resolutions but have yet to get started? Funny how we all do that at one time or another.

Have you ever gotten to the point where you need to ‘pause’ and take a break because life seems to be stuck in overdrive and on fast forward? Could it be that you have so much going on that the hours and days are just one big blur? I recently heard a message that got me thinkin’ about what I need to do to change, slow down, and really review what I’ve been doing.

Here are Three ways that you might consider putting into your calendar if you’re tired and feel like the ‘fast forward’ button is glued down…

1. Pause and make space in our lives to be still and reflect. Even it’s for five minutes.
2. Pray while being still. Open up your mind to God and listen.
3. Rewind & Play back your day so you evaluate and grow

How does “Pause, Pray, Rewind & Play” work into a small business owner’s life?
To be honest, it works the same for everyone but sometimes when you are running and operating a small business you get so tied up in your little world that nothing else matters but your ‘biz’.  So I want to encourage you to take the time to implement 2PRP into your life. Check it out and let us know how this simple formula has worked for you.

Strengths vs. Weaknesses

“What they mean to your business”

Have you ever been around people that continually work in an area that they shouldn’t be working in? For example, a finance person who is overseeing sales and marketing but has never written an ad or headline in their life? What kind of impact can that have on a business, both short and long term?

It amazes me how so many business owners I’ve come across over the years work in a weakness area and think they are doing the right thing. If they would work in their strength area, chances are they would be happier and more productive. On a personal note: my primary strength area is marketing and sales. I do have a secondary strength; working in the pro audio/music environment as a producer and voice over talent. However, my living has been made through sales and marketing.
Years ago I heard a well known speaker, John Maxwell, teach on this subject, and it really stuck with me. He gets the credit for showing me how to work in my strength areas and grow stronger. Working in a weakness area takes too much time, energy, money and will most likely not allow you to grow and challenge yourself.

Here’s an example. One area I continue to struggle with is the applied technical end of pro audio and video. For years I worked in and out of studios but always as a creative and non-technical producer. I had a good grasp on how things worked and understood them; however, I could not sit down and do the knob twisting unless someone invested a lot of their time with me. You see, my college training was in analog (tape) audio and not with computers. Even back in 1986 when we worked with one of the first programmable drum machines in school, I had issues with it. To this day I struggle with computer audio set ups.

Could I ever get better at the hands-on, technical end of pro audio and video? Yes, but it would take a lot of training, and I might only grow and comprehend one to two levels from where I am now.

Here are some things to consider doing if you seriously want to grow in your strength areas:

  • Evaluate your Strengths and Weaknesses – Rate yourself in these areas on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the highest. If you feel that marketing is one of your strengths, then start the transition to work on the marketing for your business.
  • Rate Yourself – Once you have rated yourself and chosen a strength area to work on, focus on it for the next 30 days. Each day should have time allotted working in this area.
  • Honesty – Be honest with yourself. Is this a strength area that you desire to grow in and improve, or is there another strength area that you really enjoy. Would this be an asset to your business? There is a difference, so re-evaluate and take a hard look.
  • Make a Decision and Take Action- Hire out or delegate the tasks, chores and jobs that you currently consider weakness areas. If you are a creative person who enjoys marketing and sales but you are working in operations or finance every day, you’re probably not very happy and this will be a welcome change. I never said this would be easy.Do you want to learn how to develop new business, increase sales and take more vacations? Go here now to find out more.

    Dave Krygier
    Publisher