Category Archives: Goal Setting

The Flow of Wealth: How to Align Money with Your Life’s Energy

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Money isn’t just paper, numbers on a screen, or a means to pay bills. It’s energy. It moves, flows, expands, and contracts, just like any other force in nature. In fact, the very word currency comes from the Latin currere, meaning “to run” or “to flow.” When we recognize money as a dynamic force rather than a fixed resource, we can transform how we earn, spend, and invest—not just for financial success, but for a life of greater purpose and fulfillment.

Money as Energy: A New Perspective

Think of money as water in a river. When it flows smoothly, it nourishes everything in its path, supporting life and growth. But when it stagnates, it becomes murky and unusable. If it rushes too fast, it erodes everything around it. Money works the same way.

Many of us were raised with conflicting messages about money—either to fear scarcity or to chase more without clear purpose. But when we see money as a form of energy, it becomes something to be managed with intention, rather than something that controls us.

Like all forms of energy, money follows certain principles:

  1. It is a medium of exchange – Money has no intrinsic value; it only gains power through how we use it.
  2. It reflects our intentions – Where our money goes shows what we truly value.
  3. It must be directed wisely – Just as energy can be wasted, stored, or used productively, money needs mindful management.
  4. It responds to flow – Money is meant to move, not stagnate. The healthiest financial habits involve both giving and receiving.

Directing the Flow: How to Use Money Consciously

1. Clear the Blocks: Let Go of Scarcity Thinking

Many people experience emotional friction around money—whether it’s fear of not having enough, guilt over spending, or stress over making financial decisions. This mental clutter acts like a dam, restricting the natural flow of wealth.

Start by identifying limiting beliefs: Do you see money as something you must hoard? Do you feel undeserving of financial success? Awareness is the first step toward shifting these patterns. Money is simply a tool, neither good nor bad—it’s how we direct it that matters.

2. Align Money with Your Values

Because money is energy, where it flows reveals what we prioritize. Do your spending habits reflect what truly matters to you? If financial choices are made unconsciously, money often leaks into things that don’t bring long-term satisfaction.

A practical exercise: Look at your last month’s spending. Does it align with your highest goals and values? If not, adjust the flow—channel more of your money into experiences, investments, or causes that enrich your life.

3. Cultivate Balanced Circulation

Financial health isn’t just about accumulating wealth; it’s about how effectively money moves through your life. There are four key areas of flow:

  • Earning – Money coming in should be a reflection of your skills, effort, and contribution to the world.
  • Saving & Investing – This is like building reservoirs to sustain future growth.
  • Spending – Every dollar spent is a transfer of energy. Spend with awareness and purpose.
  • Giving – Just as nature thrives on cycles of giving and receiving, generosity keeps money energy vibrant.

Rather than seeing money as something to cling to or let slip away, aim for a rhythm that supports both security and expansion.

4. Remove the Resistance: Stop Fighting Your Money Flow

Have you ever noticed that when you stress about money, it seems harder to manage? Fear creates resistance, making it difficult to make sound financial decisions. When we trust that money flows and that we are active participants in its movement, we shift from a place of anxiety to empowerment.

Instead of fixating on lack or struggle, ask:

  • How can I create more value in the world?
  • How can I make financial decisions that bring ease and clarity?
  • Where can I redirect money flow for greater impact?

These shifts in mindset can transform financial challenges into opportunities.

5. Trust the Flow and Expand Prosperity

Just as a river nourishes everything it touches, money, when directed wisely, supports growth—not just for yourself, but for your community and the world. Wealth isn’t just measured in numbers; it’s measured in the opportunities, freedom, and well-being it creates.

The healthiest financial mindset is one of trust: trust in your ability to generate income, trust in your capacity to make wise choices, and trust in the natural circulation of wealth. When money flows in alignment with your values and purpose, prosperity follows—not just in bank accounts, but in every aspect of life.

Final Thought: Money as a Force for Good

By understanding money as energy, we move beyond financial stress and step into financial empowerment. It’s no longer just about accumulating wealth—it’s about mastering the flow. When money moves in alignment with our values, it becomes a powerful tool for creating a meaningful and abundant life.

The question is: Are you directing your money’s energy, or is it directing you?

Helping Executive Women Reduce Stress, Prevent Fatigue & Avoid Burnout
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Making This Year Different: Why Accountability is Key to Keeping Your New Year’s Resolutions

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The New Year is a time for fresh starts. It’s a symbolic moment when people across the globe turn the page to begin anew, motivated by a sense of optimism and the possibility of change. Many set New Year’s resolutions, eager to improve themselves or their circumstances in the coming year. The idea is simple: the calendar flips, and so should our habits, health, or personal growth. But let’s face it—this isn’t the first time you’ve thought about making a change. It’s not even the first time you’ve vowed to start fresh. Yet, you may have found that those resolutions tend to fade long before the year ends.

You’ve set goals in the past: lose weight, get fitter, save more money, or finally read that book you’ve been meaning to. And each time, you had the best intentions. But by February, you’re back in the same routine, and the resolution feels like a distant memory. The cycle of good intentions and eventual disappointment is so common that it’s almost expected. But here’s the good news: this year can be different.

Why Resolutions Fail: The Common Pitfalls

Research shows that approximately 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail by February (U.S. News & World Report, 2019). The most common reasons? Unrealistic goals, lack of clear planning, and the challenge of forming lasting habits. For example, making an ambitious goal like “I will lose 30 pounds in one month” is often set up for failure, because it’s both unrealistic and unsustainable. Instead of setting yourself up for inevitable disappointment, it’s crucial to set specific, measurable, and achievable goals.

Another common trap is the lack of a concrete plan. Simply saying “I want to get healthier” isn’t enough. Without clear actions or steps—such as committing to exercise three times a week, cooking more at home, or tracking food intake—it’s easy to get sidetracked. Research from the American Psychological Association shows that people are more likely to succeed when they break their goals into smaller, actionable steps.

Perhaps the biggest reason resolutions falter is the failure to build habits. It takes time and consistency to change behaviors, and it’s difficult to stay motivated without support. This is where an accountability partner comes in.

The Power of Accountability

Accountability is a game-changer when it comes to sticking to New Year’s resolutions. An accountability partner can help keep you on track, offer encouragement during tough times, and hold you responsible for your goals. The concept of accountability has been studied extensively and proven to increase the likelihood of success. According to research from Gretchen Rubin, author of Better Than Before, accountability partners are one of the most effective ways to ensure that new habits stick.

The benefits of accountability are well-documented. Studies show that when people know someone else is watching and supporting their progress, they are more likely to follow through. A study published in The Journal of Applied Psychology found that people who made public commitments were more likely to achieve their goals, because of the social pressure and desire to avoid disappointing others.

An accountability partner acts as both a motivator and a reality check. This person doesn’t have to be someone who shares your exact goals. It could be a friend, family member, colleague, or even a coach. Their role is to check in on your progress regularly, encourage you when you’re feeling discouraged, and hold you accountable for your actions. This added layer of external motivation helps keep you aligned with your resolutions, especially when the going gets tough.

How to Find the Right Accountability Partner

The key to a successful accountability partnership is choosing someone who is supportive, trustworthy, and invested in your success. Ideally, this person should be someone you respect and feel comfortable confiding in. They don’t need to have the same goals as you, but they should be committed to helping you stay on track.

In addition, it’s important to set clear expectations for your partnership. How often will you check in with each other? Will you meet weekly, monthly, or communicate online? Be specific about what you need from each other. Are you seeking advice, motivation, or just someone to listen? Once the ground rules are set, you’ll both be on the same page and more likely to achieve your goals.

Making This Year Different

This year, instead of relying solely on willpower to achieve your New Year’s resolutions, consider adding an accountability partner to the mix. Research shows that this simple step can dramatically improve your chances of success. By setting realistic goals, creating actionable steps, and involving someone who cares about your progress, you increase the likelihood that your resolutions will stick—not just for a few weeks, but for a lifetime. So, why not make this year the year that really changes? Find your accountability partner, set your goals, and watch how far you can go.

How to invest your way to a bigger home deposit

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The housing market is not friendly to would-be buyers without help from mum and dad. So many are turning to the sharemarket for help.

Sophie MacPherson, 25, has been investing since she picked up a copy of The Barefoot Investor as a teenager and thought she ought to “dip a toe in”.

After eight years, she plans to use some of it for a home deposit.

MacPherson, who is a policy officer in Sydney, is among the growing number of young people turning to the sharemarket to turbocharge their savings in the hope they will make enough for a house deposit.

The combination of (until recently) lacklustre wage growth, higher rents and soaring home values make keeping up with property price growth a Sisyphean task for those trying to break into the market.

MacPherson was investing monthly into exchange-traded funds in 2022. Although she has stepped it back recently to chase high interest in her savings account, she still has about 50 per cent of her money in shares.

“Ideally, I wouldn’t liquidate my entire portfolio to buy a property, but I would liquidate some to help form a deposit,” MacPherson says, admitting it’s tricky to manage her HECS debt while breaking into Sydney’s “crazy” property market. So, she thinks it’s likely she’ll have to tap her investments.

“If the right property came up towards the end of this year or next year, we would definitely be open to putting an offer on something like that.”

Here is a guide to investing if you want to buy a property within one year, a couple of years or in a decade’s time.

Within a year

This timeframe is too short for investing in financial markets, says Melody Edwards, a financial adviser at Evalesco.

“The chance of losing capital over that amount of time is considerable,” she says. “So unless you’re flexible on your purchase date, to the extent you can ride through something happening, you really want to keep it more secure savings.”

HSBC head of investments Donahue D’Souza agrees that the amount of risk you can take on is tied closely to your timeframe.

“An investment horizon of up to two years is typically seen as short term, medium term is three to five and long term is greater than five years.”

A one-year timeframe is very short for the sharemarket, so if you’re planning to buy soon, cash is your friend, D’Souza says.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t make your money work hard.

Canstar analysis finds a person with $100,000 who put it into a high-interest saving account earning 5 per cent, and deposited $1000 a month, would earn $5018 in interest in 2025.

That means the deposit will grow to $117,018 over the 12 months, even accounting for forecast interest rate cuts in May, July, August and November (as forecast by Westpac).

Someone with a $150,000 savings balance would reach $169,401 over the same period if they contributed the same $1000 a month, while someone with $200,000 would have $221,784.

The First Home Super Saver Scheme, in which borrowers can withdraw up to $50,000 of voluntary superannuation contributions, is another option and offers some tax benefits, as savings within super are taxed at only 15 per cent.

In two to three years

If you’re thinking of buying within two years, you’d still be largely in high-interest savings accounts, says Edwards.

But once you reach three years, you may consider adding a small portion of investments, such as diversified or exchange-traded funds. “You’d probably still be 75 per cent to 80 per cent in cash,” she adds.

D’Souza agrees liquid and defensive assets – those that are less likely to lose value – should still be front-of-mind in this scenario.

“Typically, these types of investments would include high interest and bonus interest savings accounts, term deposits and government bonds, if prepared to collect coupon payments and hold to maturity,” he says.

In three to five years

You have a little more room to play here, but still not a lot.

“You’re probably opening up a bit more in terms of adding growth,” says Edwards. “With three to five years, you would start increasing the growth allocation towards 50 per cent, but you’d try to diversify it as much as possible.”

That is, you’re not putting it all into just Australian banking shares, or US tech shares.

“Especially if the amounts are smaller, in terms of the regular savings that you’re putting into your investments, the easiest way to diversify would be to track an index and that’s the most cost-effective as well. Something like [an ETF tracking the ASX or the S&P500] is something we’d look at, or a diversified growth ETF that might mix the different indices as well.”

For example, ETF providers such as Vanguard offer products based on risk tolerance. Vanguard’s diversified conservative index ETF is described as medium risk, with a three year-plus timeframe.

Its diversified balanced ETF is also medium risk, but has a timeframe of five years-plus.

Others, such as its diversified growth ETF are considered high to very-high risk, and so it recommends holding them for at least seven years.

In 10 years

It’s not uncommon for Edwards to meet clients who want to buy further than five years out, particularly if they want a house rather than a unit, or they have quite a specific property goal.

For that saver, the first step is building up a three- to six-month buffer of living expenses. This is because these savers will invest much more in growth assets, such as shares, which they don’t want to draw down upon for a long time.

“Once that buffer is built, it’s about deploying 70 to 80 per cent of their wealth into growth assets. The rest will be in cash or fixed income,” says Edwards.

Those growth investments will still be in broad ETFs or index funds.

You have a bit more time now, so you can afford to take more risk as you have longer for the market to recover, agrees D’Souza.

“This portfolio is mainly growth-oriented with increased exposure to equities, global equities, and thematic plays.

“Given the higher risk, investors will likely use active ETFs and leverage the expertise of a financial adviser or fund manager to actively manage and adjust the portfolio exposures to increase returns and actively manage the risk,” he says.

If you’ve got a 10-year timeframe, you may consider adding an element of leverage to your investment strategy.

ETF provider Betashares launched a suite of products this year called Wealth Builder ETFs. These products track an index and are leveraged at a range of 30 to 40 per cent, meaning that for every $100 invested, the investor is granted $143 to $167 worth of exposure to the related index.

Betashares says $10,000 invested in the ASX200 from September 2010 to March 2024 would have grown to $30,400, but if that same sum was leveraged at a loan-to-value ratio of 30 to 40 per cent, it would have grown to $37,400.

But, notes Edwards, any time you introduce gearing, you increase risk. “That would be something where you only put in as much as you are comfortable to lose, over that short-term period,” she says.

How do I split it?

It’s not a simple matter of transferring, say, half of your savings into ETFs in one fell swoop, says Edwards.

Instead, you need to figure out what you’re trying to achieve for your deposit and then work backwards.

She gives this example: “Let’s say the starting point is $50,000 and the target is $100,000 deposit and the timeframe is five years – to save the $50,000 you would need to put aside about $192 per week into a savings account.

“A way to potentially grow your savings would be to invest a portion of these funds, keeping sufficient funds as an emergency buffer. We typically target three to six months.

“If your annual living expenses are $60,000, keep $30,000 as your buffer and start your investment with $20,000 and then with your regular savings, direct 50 per cent to savings and 50 per cent into investments.”

If you’re starting with $100,000, and plan to invest a larger amount, say $70,000, she says it’s worth considering dollar cost averaging over four months (so $17,500 in each instalment) to minimise market timing risk.

“We would usually look at dollar cost averaging between three and six months depending on the amount invested and your comfort level. Usually, the more to invest, but less familiar with investments would take over a longer period.”

Although she’s used a five-year timeframe, she says this buyer would have to be comfortable extending their purchase date if markets were to drop and fail to recover within that span.

“The big question [for people trying to save a deposit is] what is the timeframe and what are you looking at to buy?” Edwards says.

“The answers to those questions will help guide us around what’s reasonable, and what might require a little bit more work.”

by Lucy Dean in AFR 03/01/2025

Heart-Centered Creation: A Conscious Approach to Manifesting Your Reality

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In the realm of personal development and goal setting, most approaches emphasize the power of focus, visualization, and strong will. While these traditional models have their place, there’s an alternative that delves deeper into the essence of creation—one that aligns more consciously with the heart, rather than the will.

Creating from the Heart

True creativity, and by extension true manifestation, isn’t born from sheer determination or mental focus. It emerges from an open and receptive heart. Being truly open—allowing space for the unknown and unplanned—is vital for authentic creation. This heart-centered approach requires us to embrace the ability to do nothing, at least for a moment. Not in a passive sense, but in a way that encourages awareness and presence, rather than action for action’s sake.

Contrary to popular belief in many personal growth teachings, which advocate for “creating your reality” through forceful intention and constant visualization, this conscious approach suggests that the most profound changes are born not from active effort, but from an alert stillness. Your consciousness is always creating, even when you aren’t aware of it. But when it comes to consciously creating, the key lies not in willpower but in deep self-awareness.

The Inner Reflection of Change

External changes—whether they’re in your career, relationships, or environment—are always reflections of inner transformations. When inner processes are fully realized, only then does the outer world shift to mirror this change. If we push too hard from the outside—focusing obsessively on goals or outcomes—we risk overlooking the internal shifts necessary to sustain these changes. This disconnect can lead to frustration and unmet expectations, as we are not creating from the true depth of our soul.

The soul speaks in moments of stillness and surrender. It is often when we stop trying, and even when we feel like giving up, that the clearest guidance from our inner self emerges. It is not the act of giving up that brings clarity, but the release of expectations. When we let go of the need to control outcomes, we become receptive to what is, and in that space, we create more authentically.

Releasing Expectations and Limiting Beliefs

Holding onto rigid ideas of what we “should” want or achieve often narrows the creative possibilities available to us. When we are fixed on a specific outcome, such as a job title or relationship, we confine our potential to the borders of what we already know. True creation requires stepping beyond those psychological boundaries and welcoming the unknown.

Instead of focusing so intensely on the specifics of what you desire, consider approaching your goals with openness and curiosity. This doesn’t mean abandoning all desires; rather, it’s about recognizing that what you seek may contain aspects you haven’t yet imagined. It’s about creating space for something new to emerge.

The Power of Self-Acceptance

At the core of heart-centered creation is self-acceptance. No amount of goal-setting, visualization, or positive thinking can manifest a reality that doesn’t align with your true feelings and beliefs. When there’s a disconnect between your inner world and the reality you’re trying to create, confusion and doubt set in. You might think, “I’m working so hard, but nothing is changing.”

Self-acceptance is a form of love, and love is the greatest magnet for positive change. When you fully accept and love yourself for who you are—right now, in all your struggles and imperfections—you naturally attract circumstances that reflect that self-love. It’s as simple as that.

Instead of striving for perfection, embrace your humanity with all its quirks. Humor helps, too. Perfection, after all, is an illusion. The real power comes from recognizing your own inner light, just as you are.

Embracing the Heart-Centered Approach

Creating from the heart means recognizing the beauty and sincerity in your current self, imperfections and all. It’s about sowing the seeds of your future reality by acknowledging the light within you here and now. Rather than focusing on controlling outcomes, this conscious approach encourages you to trust the process, stay open, and allow the most aligned and authentic version of your reality to unfold.

This shift doesn’t reject traditional models of goal setting but offers a deeper, more connected way to create—a way that honors both your inner transformation and the unfolding of your external world.

Helping Executive Women Reduce Stress, Prevent Fatigue & Avoid Burnout
📩 Follow me for more insights or send me a message to connect!

Heart-Centered Creation: A Conscious Approach to Manifesting Your Reality

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In the realm of personal development and goal setting, most approaches emphasize the power of focus, visualization, and strong will. While these traditional models have their place, there’s an alternative that delves deeper into the essence of creation—one that aligns more consciously with the heart, rather than the will.

Creating from the Heart True creativity, and by extension true manifestation, isn’t born from sheer determination or mental focus. It emerges from an open and receptive heart. Being truly open—allowing space for the unknown and unplanned—is vital for authentic creation. This heart-centered approach requires us to embrace the ability to do nothing, at least for a moment. Not in a passive sense, but in a way that encourages awareness and presence, rather than action for action’s sake.

Contrary to popular belief in many personal growth teachings, which advocate for “creating your reality” through forceful intention and constant visualization, this conscious approach suggests that the most profound changes are born not from active effort, but from an alert stillness. Your consciousness is always creating, even when you aren’t aware of it. But when it comes to consciously creating, the key lies not in willpower but in deep self-awareness.

The Inner Reflection of Change External changes—whether they’re in your career, relationships, or environment—are always reflections of inner transformations. When inner processes are fully realized, only then does the outer world shift to mirror this change. If we push too hard from the outside—focusing obsessively on goals or outcomes—we risk overlooking the internal shifts necessary to sustain these changes. This disconnect can lead to frustration and unmet expectations, as we are not creating from the true depth of our soul.

The soul speaks in moments of stillness and surrender. It is often when we stop trying, and even when we feel like giving up, that the clearest guidance from our inner self emerges. It is not the act of giving up that brings clarity, but the release of expectations. When we let go of the need to control outcomes, we become receptive to what is, and in that space, we create more authentically.

Releasing Expectations and Limiting Beliefs Holding onto rigid ideas of what we “should” want or achieve often narrows the creative possibilities available to us. When we are fixed on a specific outcome, such as a job title or relationship, we confine our potential to the borders of what we already know. True creation requires stepping beyond those psychological boundaries and welcoming the unknown.

Instead of focusing so intensely on the specifics of what you desire, consider approaching your goals with openness and curiosity. This doesn’t mean abandoning all desires; rather, it’s about recognizing that what you seek may contain aspects you haven’t yet imagined. It’s about creating space for something new to emerge.

The Power of Self-Acceptance At the core of heart-centered creation is self-acceptance. No amount of goal-setting, visualization, or positive thinking can manifest a reality that doesn’t align with your true feelings and beliefs. When there’s a disconnect between your inner world and the reality you’re trying to create, confusion and doubt set in. You might think, “I’m working so hard, but nothing is changing.”

Self-acceptance is a form of love, and love is the greatest magnet for positive change. When you fully accept and love yourself for who you are—right now, in all your struggles and imperfections—you naturally attract circumstances that reflect that self-love. It’s as simple as that.

Instead of striving for perfection, embrace your humanity with all its quirks. Humor helps, too. Perfection, after all, is an illusion. The real power comes from recognizing your own inner light, just as you are.

Embracing the Heart-Centered Approach Creating from the heart means recognizing the beauty and sincerity in your current self, imperfections and all. It’s about sowing the seeds of your future reality by acknowledging the light within you here and now. Rather than focusing on controlling outcomes, this conscious approach encourages you to trust the process, stay open, and allow the most aligned and authentic version of your reality to unfold.

This shift doesn’t reject traditional models of goal setting but offers a deeper, more connected way to create—a way that honors both your inner transformation and the unfolding of your external world.

Discover Your Blind Spots: Harness the Power of the Johari Window for Personal and Professional Growth

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What is a Johari window?

The Johari Window is a psychological tool used for understanding and improving self-awareness, interpersonal relationships, and communication. It was created by psychologists Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham in 1955, and its name is a combination of their first names.

The Johari Window is represented as a four-quadrant grid:

  1. Open Area (Arena):
    This quadrant contains information that is known both to you and others. It includes things like your behavior, skills, and attitudes that you openly share and others recognize.
  2. Blind Spot:
    This quadrant consists of things about you that others know, but you are unaware of. For example, habits or traits you might not notice about yourself, but others see.
  3. Hidden Area (Façade):
    This area includes things you know about yourself but choose to keep hidden from others, such as personal secrets, insecurities, or private information.
  4. Unknown Area:
    This quadrant contains information that neither you nor others are aware of. It represents untapped potential, hidden talents, or unconscious aspects of your personality.

The goal of the Johari Window is to expand the Open Area by improving self-disclosure and seeking feedback, which can enhance trust and communication in relationships

What is used for ?

The Johari Window is used primarily for self-awareness, personal growth, and improving communication within groups or relationships. Its applications include:

  1. Self-awareness and Personal Development:
    It helps individuals understand themselves better by revealing their blind spots through feedback from others. This can lead to improved emotional intelligence, self-reflection, and greater confidence.
  2. Improving Communication:
    By encouraging open communication, it fosters a better understanding between individuals or team members, reducing misunderstandings and enhancing collaboration.
  3. Building Trust:
    It encourages sharing personal thoughts, feelings, and experiences (from the Hidden Area to the Open Area), which promotes vulnerability and trust within relationships or teams.
  4. Team Building:
    In group settings, the Johari Window is used to improve team dynamics. It helps members learn more about each other’s strengths, weaknesses, and communication styles, leading to stronger cooperation and effectiveness.
  5. Conflict Resolution:
    By making hidden or misunderstood aspects more transparent, it helps resolve conflicts caused by miscommunication or lack of awareness.

Overall, the Johari Window is used to promote healthier, more effective interactions between people, improving both individual and group performance.

It will come, when the time is right

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“As you open yourself to living at your edge, your deepest purpose will slowly begin to make itself known. In the meantime, you will experience layer after layer of purposes, each one getting closer and closer to the fullness of your deepest purpose. It is as if your deepest purpose is at the centre of your being, and it is surrounded by layers of concentric circles, each circle being of lesser purpose. Your life consists of penetrating each circle, from the outside toward the centre.

Whatever it is you decide to do, consciously keep yourself open and available to receiving a vision of what is next. It will come.”

Deida

Tips for improving your performance

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Many business owners, small and large, provide performance incentives for their staff, eg annual bonuses, gift vouchers, time in lieu, equity schemes and the like.

But what exactly are you rewarding?

Incentive programs don’t typically reward performance, rather they reward results. Business success demands results. Fair enough, too. But, let’s go back a step.

“Most incentive programs don’t reward performance, they reward results.”

Results are outcomes, eg sales targets, profit, market share, growth, customer satisfaction. They are all business outcomes. In a cause and effect relationship, they are the effect. What then drives results? Performance drives results and is the cause in the relationship. So, what then constitutes performance and how do you measure it?

End Goals v Performance Goals

There are two types of goals. End Goals and Performance Goals.

End Goals are the outcomes or results you achieve from having done something, eg sales, turnover, profit, customer satisfaction. They are measured ex post facto (after the fact) or what are commonly referred to by management consultants as lag indicators.

Performance Goals are the drivers that get you the results, eg sales calls, customer visits, prospects, outbound calls, customer response times. These can be measured in real time and are referred to as lead indicators.

There can be considerable and costly time delays between when a lag indicator is first brought to the attention of a business owner for corrective action. Time means money. Do your performance measures include lead indicators?

Lead indicators are predictive measures of future success. And success is the cumulative effect of doing the little things day-by-day.

“Lead indicators are predictive measures of future success.”

Lead and Lag indicators form an integral part of what Harvard academics, Kaplan and Norton, call a Balanced Scorecard. Many large corporations use Balanced Scorecard measures and increasingly franchisers are too. They are equally applicable to small firms and truly are essential to driving performance to higher levels.

What drives Performance?

If performance drives results then what drives performance? Well, there are two things that drive performance:

1. skills

2. behaviour

What is the difference? A skill is learned knowledge of how to do a task whereas behaviour is a conscious/subconscious response or choice.

Ask yourself; does this person know how to complete the task? Have they ever completed the task beforehand? Have they received skills training? Have they demonstrated competency in the skill? If not, then you may have a skill deficiency that needs addressing through skills training.

On the other hand, if your employee is competent or has the necessary skills but for some reason doesn’t apply them, then you may have a behavioural issue. In which case as the manager/employer it is incumbent upon you to call them on it. Behaviours tend to run in patterns so it is likely that the employee will repeat the behaviour (at work and at home). So, you are really doing them an enormous favour long term.

In essence you bring to their conscious awareness the subconscious (or conscious) choice they have made. It now becomes their conscious choice whether to amend the behaviour or not. Either way hold them responsible for their choice and the resulting consequences.

Try these exercises:

1. Create a Performance based incentive program. Offer staff gift vouchers or lifestyle rewards based on their performance not results. Reward behaviours such as proactivity, attention to detail, customer focus, team work.

2. Ask your staff to benchmark themselves. Empower them to take responsibility for

their own performance. Nurture the talent you have within your reach. If you are self-employed benchmark your sub-contractors/ suppliers.

3. Include a lead indicator in each functional area – Sales & Marketing (customer visits, qualified prospects, customer complaints); Finance (reminder notices, daily cash position); Operations (capacity, occupancy rates); Service Delivery (response times, compliance with packing slips); People (absenteeism, timeliness, overtime).

4. Call an employee/ sub-contractor on a behavioural issue, eg coming late to work, failure to meet a deadline, failure to keep a promise. Give regular and informal praise for good behaviours.

5. Practice asking open questions. What? When? How? Engage your employee’s creative genius. Encourage them to come with solutions and not problems. You’ve got enough on your plate.

Empower Your Life: How to Set and Maintain Healthy Personal Boundaries

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Setting and managing personal boundaries is key to maintaining healthy relationships, ensuring emotional well-being, and protecting your time and energy. Here’s a step-by-step approach to help you establish and manage boundaries:

1. Identify Your Limits
Reflect on what makes you feel uncomfortable or stressed. Pay attention to your emotional reactions in various situations (e.g., feeling overwhelmed, resentful, or drained). These are clues that boundaries might need to be set.
Assess different aspects of your life where you might need boundaries: work, relationships, time management, emotional energy, physical space, etc.

2. Clarify Your Values
Determine what matters most to you. Your boundaries should align with your values (e.g., respect, honesty, time for self-care). When you know what you prioritize, it becomes easier to say no to things that contradict those values.

3. Communicate Clearly and Assertively
Express your boundaries to others calmly, directly, and with confidence. For example: “I need time to recharge after work, so I won’t be available for phone calls in the evening.”
Avoid over-explaining or apologizing too much. Be concise but clear about your needs.

4. Practice Saying No
Start small if you’re not used to setting boundaries. Get comfortable with saying “no” when something feels overwhelming or goes against your well-being.
Use phrases like “I can’t do that right now,” or “That doesn’t work for me.”

5. Be Consistent
Once you set a boundary, stick to it. Inconsistent boundaries can confuse others and lead to them being ignored.
Consistency reinforces your commitment to your own well-being.

6. Prepare for Pushback
Not everyone will accept your boundaries easily, especially if they’ve become accustomed to you not having them. Stay firm and be prepared to handle resistance calmly.
Remember, it’s okay to prioritize your needs even if others disagree.

7. Monitor and Adjust
Regularly assess how well your boundaries are working. Sometimes, boundaries may need to be adjusted depending on new circumstances or if you feel they aren’t strong enough.
Be open to evolving your boundaries as your personal and professional life changes.

8. Manage Guilt and Self-Care
It’s normal to feel guilty when setting boundaries, especially if you’re used to pleasing others. Remind yourself that boundaries are necessary for your health and well-being.
Practice self-care and prioritize your own needs to reinforce the importance of maintaining your boundaries.

By understanding your limits, communicating effectively, and staying consistent, you’ll build stronger, more respectful relationships and protect your mental and emotional energy.

About the author

Dennis Roberts is a personal coach, small business mentor and founder of CoachPRO – The Coaching Professionals. His work has won critical acclaim in both the academic and business communities.

Visit www.dennisroberts.com.au

What is the most lucrative niche to be a coach?

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The most lucrative coaching niches typically cater to high-demand areas where clients are willing to invest significantly in their personal or professional development. Here are a few of the most profitable niches in coaching:

  1. Executive/Leadership Coaching
    • Target Audience: Senior executives, business leaders, and entrepreneurs.
    • Why It’s Lucrative: Organizations and individuals are willing to pay high fees for leadership development and improving business outcomes. It helps leaders enhance their decision-making, communication, and management skills, directly impacting company performance.
  2. Business Coaching
    • Target Audience: Small business owners, startups, and entrepreneurs.
    • Why It’s Lucrative: Business owners seek coaches to help scale, optimize operations, improve marketing, or increase profitability. Business growth is directly tied to financial success, making clients eager to invest.
  3. Career Coaching
    • Target Audience: Mid-level professionals, career changers, and job seekers.
    • Why It’s Lucrative: Professionals aiming for a promotion, career shift, or improved job satisfaction are willing to pay for tailored advice and strategies. Career transitions can mean significant pay increases, making coaching services highly valuable.
  4. Health and Wellness Coaching
    • Target Audience: Individuals seeking to improve physical or mental health.
    • Why It’s Lucrative: With growing awareness around physical and mental well-being, individuals are increasingly investing in health coaches for weight loss, fitness, stress management, and overall wellness.
  5. Life Coaching for High Net-Worth Individuals
    • Target Audience: Wealthy individuals seeking personal fulfillment, balance, or life transformation.
    • Why It’s Lucrative: High-income clients value personalized coaching to help them achieve greater balance, purpose, or personal growth, often paying premium rates for tailored support.
  6. Sales Coaching
    • Target Audience: Sales professionals, teams, and business owners.
    • Why It’s Lucrative: Companies and individuals are willing to pay for sales training that boosts revenue and performance. This niche often involves ongoing contracts with companies.
  7. Relationship/Marriage Coaching
    • Target Audience: Couples and individuals seeking to improve relationships.
    • Why It’s Lucrative: Clients often view relationship success as critical to life satisfaction. The deeply personal nature of this niche can lead to long-term coaching relationships with high fees.
  8. Financial Coaching
    • Target Audience: Individuals wanting to improve their financial health.
    • Why It’s Lucrative: Clients are willing to invest in coaches who can help them manage debt, build wealth, or plan for financial freedom, especially as financial success often leads to improved quality of life.
  9. Mindset and Performance Coaching
    • Target Audience: High achievers such as athletes, executives, and creatives.
    • Why It’s Lucrative: High performers are eager to pay for coaching that helps them overcome mental blocks and reach peak performance. These clients often come from industries where performance equates to financial gain.

Each of these niches appeals to clients with a high willingness to invest in coaching services, providing an opportunity for coaches to charge premium fees based on the value they provide.

About the author

Dennis Roberts is a personal coach, small business mentor and founder of CoachPRO – The Coaching Professionals. His work has won critical acclaim in both the academic and business communities.

Visit www.dennisroberts.com.au