Since the New Year, I’ve been spending a lot of time reflecting on my goals for our business and re-evaluating what I want my life to look like.

It’s got me inspired and rarin’ for action.  Except for one thing…

OVERWHELM.  

When I look at that well-intentioned list of things I’d like to accomplish, and everything I need to do to get there, it feels as daunting as climbing Mount Everest...or maybe a whole mountain chain full of Mount Everests.  Holy smokes!  How will I ever get there?

A Little Advice From Sam

A story for those Tolkien fans out there…

If you recall in The Lord of the Rings movie, The Return of the King, Frodo and Sam set out with the ring to destroy it in the fires of Mordor.  It’s one long, perilous journey for two defenseless hobbits.  

They’re weak, tired, hungry (what?  no second breakfast?!?) and scared out of their minds.  Finally, they arrive at Mordor.  

Frodo looks out at the thousands of orcs swarming the place, fiery steaming death traps everywhere, and no way in.  “There are so many of them.  We'll never get through unseen. It's him, the Eye,” he sighs in despair.

Sam puts a gentle hand on his friend’s shoulder.  “Let’s just make it down the hill, for starters.”

Just Make It Over the Next Hill

Whatever your goals are for your wedding business this year, when you think about all the things you have to do, all the stuff you have to learn, all the technical hurdles you have to jump to get there, it’s a LONG overwhelming journey that can make you want to throw in the towel before you even begin.

So how do you get over the dreaded Overwhelm and get moving instead?

Take Sam’s advice and stop looking at all the things that need to be done, and focus on simply getting to the bottom of the hill.

One hill at a time, one task at a time, one day at a time.  Just focus on the very NEXT action you need to take, and don’t worry about climbing the rest of those hills until you get to them.

Proven Recipe For Fast Action

If like me and you’ve got a list of Things To Do that seems insurmountable, pick your #1 goal and figure out the very next thing you need to do to move toward.  Just focus on that next hill.  Here’s how...

1. Pick your #1 Goal.
2. Determine the very next small, achievable action you need to take to get there.  We’re talking SMALL, like making a phone call, sending an email or locating a resource.  Something you can do TODAY.
3. Take that action.
4. Identify the very next small, achievable action and take it.
5. Repeat Steps 2-4 until you reach your destination.

Growing to the next level is scary, overwhelming and it takes some work.  Someone explained to me that it’s like you’re climbing this set of stairs stretching into the distance.  You don’t know how many steps...you can’t even see them...let alone what’s required at each one.

But you know the NEXT step right in front of you.  And once you’re there, you can see the next, and the next...

You’ll get there, one step at a time.

How do you keep yourself motivated when you’re discouraged and overwhelmed?

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It’s the New Year, and everyone’s dusting off those New Year’s resolutions to give ‘em another go around.

I made a pact with myself some years back to NOT make New Year’s resolutions. Why?

5 Reasons to Skip the Resolutions This Year

1. Resolutions rarely work.

Stats from the Opinion Corporation of New Jersey: Only 8% of people always succeed in achieving their resolutions. 19% achieve their resolutions every other year. 49% have infrequent success. 24% (one in four people) NEVER succeed and have failed on every resolution every year.

2. Resolutions are all talk.

Resolving or deciding to do something doesn’t get it done. Taking action gets it done.

3. Do we really need more ammunition to beat ourselves up with?

When someone resolves to make a change in the New Year and then messes up (binging on donuts and ice cream, charging those Kate Spade shoes, having just one more smoke) it’s too easy to give up. “At least I tried. We’ll have to wait until next year when I resolve to really do it...”

The cycle of Resolve and Fail, Resolve and Fail is just another thing to beat ourselves up with.

Lest you think I’m a Scrooge when it comes to this sort of thing, I do love seizing the opportunity for a “fresh start” presented by the New Year to do some soul searching and to engage in one of my very favorite pastimes...goal setting.

The Ultimate Scenario

Want to get more of what you want in life? You need to know what you want first, and get really specific about it.

The Ultimate Scenario exercise requires that you envision exactly what you want for your life in awe-inspiring, envy-inducing detail. But it doesn’t stop there; once you’ve created your Ultimate Scenario, you determine the actions you’ll need to take every day to get there.

If you can boil it down to three specific actions you need to take on a regular basis to make that scenario a reality, you have a clear path to making that Ultimate Scenario come to life.

Are you ready to give it a go?

Designing Your Own Ultimate Scenario

Step 1 - Write the narrative of a day in your life at the next level you’d like to reach in 1-5 years as if it has already happened. You’ll be writing this as your future self in the present tense, as if you have already achieved everything in your Ultimate Scenario.

For example, “I wake up at 6am effortlessly, refreshed and energized after a full night of sleep filled with inspiring dreams. I take a look at my income numbers for this month and discover that my wedding business has earned a record-breaking $20,000 this month!...”

What will your life be like on the inner and outer levels? Health, relationships, finance, career, family, recreation? WRITE IT DOWN. This should be a fun, extremely inspiring exercise.

Step 2 - Read through your narrative and highlight the most emotional words and phrases. (These are the ones that make your heart leap with fear or excitement when you read them.) Turn those phrases into a short affirmation you can use to inspire you each day.

Here’s an example: I am happy, healthy, confident, financially abundant and my books and teachings deliver massive value that helps people transform their lives.

Step 3 - Looking over your Ultimate Scenario, what actions will you need to take every day in order to make that future a reality? What will you need to do to reach those goals? WRITE IT DOWN.

Step 4 - What 3 actions on your list of daily activities you created in Step 3 would get you closest to that Ultimate Scenario in the next 90 days if you actually did them?

Write them down like this: “I commit to doing these 3 things EVERY DAY over the next 90 days...”

Step 5 - Print out your 3 activities and your affirmation. Put it in a place where you look at it daily and make sure you do those 3 actions every day.

Step 6 - Repeat the Ultimate Scenario exercise every 90 days.

What I love about the Ultimate Scenario is that it forces you to bring everything you want in your life down to three very specific actions.

If you’re like me, you can easily come up with dozens or even hundreds of things you’d like to change about your life. But the human mind can only hold about 7 things at a time before it gets really overwhelmed and confused, and when overwhelm rears its head, we end up doing nothing.

Looking at those hundreds of Things To Do is completely overwhelming. But anyone can do THREE things.

Goals are useless...unless they are attached to specific, motivating actions.

By committing to just 3 actions over the next 90 days, you will make significant progress toward your Ultimate Scenario future. Repeating the

Ultimate Scenario exercise again in 90 days allows you to make adjustments as you change and grow.

Falling Short

As I look over my goals from past years, I discover that I didn’t hit a lot of them.

At first I was disappointed, and then I realized that I got a lot closer to my goals by having them than I ever would have if I’d never written them down. And I DID make progress in every single area.

So be kind to yourself as you redesign your life, and don’t expect perfection. Change happens organically, growing like a seed in a natural way. It’s going to take some watering, feeding and caring for those seeds of change before they grow up into a full-grown tree.

Be patient with yourself and celebrate your progress along the way.

What’s your #1 goal for the New Year? What action will you take daily to make it happen?

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Late last year, one of my rather geeky friends mentioned QR codes to me. “This is going to be so big!” he said. My response went something like this...

What the heck is a QR code?

Google to the rescue!

QR code aka Quick Response code (def.) - a barcode readable by QR scanners, mobile phones with a camera, and smartphones. This barcode stores information in square modules in black on a white background. (Like the one in this picture.)

In other words, it’s a fancy barcode, like the ones you use at the supermarket, except instead of giving you the price when you run it through the scanner, it gives you a whole ton of information, anything from images, contact information, website urls...even a secret message.

What’s the big deal about QR codes?

QR codes are a convenient and efficient way to store and share information. You can store anywhere from 1,800 - 8,000 characters in that teeny black and white box. It can be encrypted if you want, and anyone with a scanner or the free QR code reader app on their smartphone can access it in a heart beat.

Think about how annoying it is to type in website urls on your mobile phone. With the information you want contained in a QR code, you can access everything instantly with one scan. This makes it much easier for mobile users to learn about your business.

As a bonus, QR codes make it super easy to track your marketing. If you use a QR code in an ad, your Google Analytics account will show you which ones actually work to get brides or grooms.

Check out this video for a simple explanation of QR codes and some rather amusing examples:

Fortunately, another of my friends who rides the cutting edge of technology, Rob Heppell, wrote an excellent blog post describing how the funeral industry can use QR codes. It’s a good thing he did, because otherwise, I might have completely missed the point.

His post inspired me with to come up with some ways wedding vendors can use QR codes in their businesses...

Ways Wedding Businesses Can Use QR Codes

1. On Your Business Card.

Encode your website, phone number and social media info into a business card and couples can scan and save instantly to their smartphone.

2. Directions to Your Store, Office or Meeting Place.

Store the QR code on the Directions page of your website and set it up to go directly to Google Maps so they can use their mobile phone to instantly get directions from their location.

3. Get More Reviews.

In your post-wedding survey or thank you follow up, use a QR code asking the couple to post a review. It provides instant access to review websites, making it quick and easy to gather those reviews and testimonials.

4. Get More Brides On Your Email List.

Use a QR code on your direct mail piece or postcard that you send to a bridal lead list. When they scan the QR code, it takes them directly to the url where they can sign up for your email list to get a cool freebie...thus giving you permission to follow up with them.

5. In Your Email Signature.

Store all your pertinent contact information in a QR code right in your email signature. All a bride or groom has to do is scan and store immediately. No more losing leads because of lost business cards!

6. Use a QR Code to Promote a Special Discount, Deal or Event with Social Media.

When you’re promoting your business on Facebook and Twitter, you need to maximize every bit of space you have. Simply encode the information or link to your promotion to a QR code image and use it on social media. The bride or groom immediately knows all the details and exactly what to do. Say goodbye to frustrating 140 character limits!

7. In Your Print Ads and Marketing Materials.

Today’s young couples know that scanning a QR code reveals hidden information. This is a great way to arouse curiosity and get action. Include a QR code on your printed information and provide a link to a video, special bonus or deal.

8. Use It For Instant Event Registration.

If you’re hosting an event for brides that requires them to enter information, put a link to that website url right into a QR code. They simply scan and register.

9. Use It At a Bridal Show.

Imagine this: a giant QR code on your screen or tabletop display at a bridal show. The bride and groom simply snap a photo and capture all the information about your business.

A powerful conversation starter, an instant way to stand out from the competition, and a way to make sure your business gets remembered.

10. Offer Your Couples a Way to Share Their Wedding Info Instantly.

This is perfect for Invitation Designers and Stationers. By adding a QR code to a Save the Date or invitation for your clients, guests can instantly scan and access all the pertinent details of the wedding: date, location, directions, wedding website, registry.

QR codes are just starting to get adapted in the US, but twenty-something, mobile loving, tech savvy brides and grooms are among the first to jump on board. Make it easy for them to capture and keep the information you want them to have, and you’ll win ‘em over.

What’s the latest technological advance you’ve used for your wedding business? Tell me about it!

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Getting reviews from brides and grooms online is GREAT for business. We’ve been urging wedding professionals to get their raving fans to post reviews online so that your wedding business is everywhere, and to make it as easy as possible by sending couples direct links to your review profile.

The easier you make it, the more reviews you get, right?

The Dangers of Yelp

One of the most popular and highest ranking business review sites in Yelp. It’s a powerful source of reviews and referrals for local businesses, and it gets a lot of visibility.

There’s just one problem...

If you do it wrong, in the best case you’ll end up wasting your time, and in the worst case you could end up with nothing but negative reviews you can’t remove.

Yelp has a review filtering system they use to make sure only REAL reviews are visible to the public. If you accidentally trip their filter...by doing something like sending your brides and grooms a direct link to your Yelp profile...those reviews will never appear to the public.

Oh, you’ll be able to see them when you’re logged in, but no one else will.

On top of that, it’s usually only POSITIVE reviews that get blocked. The negative ones are there to stay.

You can read Yelp’s official (rather vague and irritating) statement on their review filtering policy here. Here’s a breakdown of the rule for what gets filtered out..

Tips For Getting Yelp Reviews That Stick

• DON’T send your couples a direct link to get them to post a review. Instead, ask them to type in your business name and find it on Yelp.

Yelp believes reviews should be “organic and unsolicited,” so if you’re going to ask your brides and grooms to post one, make sure they don’t post it by following a direct link that Yelp can track.

• DON’T ask a bunch of your couples to post reviews all at one. A large increase in reviews triggers the filter.

• DON’T ask someone to post a positive review immediately after you get a negative review. I know, it truly sucks, but it will only get filtered out. Wait a week or two before you stir up some good reviews.

• If you have positive reviews that no one can see because they are filtered out, contact the reviewers and ask them to complete their entire profile and post another review if possible. If the bride or groom doesn’t have an image and profile description, or if yours is their very first review, it will be filtered out.

More tips for saving “lost” Yelp reviews here.

With all the pain and agony involved in getting Yelp reviews, is it really worth it?

Businesses with dozens of positive Yelp reviews get more online leads that those without.

While it’s simpler and easier to have your couples post reviews on Wedding Wire because you don’t have to deal with the dreaded filter, if you have a local retail business, such as a flower shop, bridal boutique, venue or restaurant, careful cultivation of Yelp reviews will pay off.

What do you think about Yelp’s review filter? Have you had trouble getting reviews published or removed?

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