Month: December 2018

No one is immune to the temptation of distraction. From social media to texting to everything in between, everyone deals with various things that can steal focus and kill productivity. If you struggle with distraction on a regular basis and it’s negatively impacting your life, it may be time to retrain your brain to focus better and resist the urge to succumb to things that distract.

For many, the things that distract are almost addicting, and they can be very difficult to resist. You may find that despite your best efforts, you fall victim to distraction time and time again. Fortunately, your dilemma is solvable. If you need practical ways to deal with distraction and to improve your focus, consider the following:

• Plan ahead and allocate the time you need to do certain tasks — and stick to your schedule
• Try doing the things that require the most focus first thing in your workday
• Find ways to combat distraction that work for you — put your phone in another room, set timers for social media use or ask another person to hold you accountable

What will work for you may not work for another person. It is important to keep in mind that everyone is different, and your effort to win your battle with distraction will be unique to your situation. It may take time to train your brain to fight whatever distractions are most tempting for you, but with patience and determination, you can find a system that works and provides you with a renewed focus.

The key to successfully retraining your brain is to keep trying. Like building muscle memory, building better habits takes time. You won’t defeat distraction in one day, so keep working. With hard work, determination and a desire for personal development, you can retrain your brain and win the battle with distraction once and for all.

By Meagan Kerlin for Vertu Marketing LLC

One of the most important and beneficial steps you can take to gain exposure and market well is to use social media. Facebook, Instagram and other outlets are smart ways to increase your reach, but there are times when social media use could actually cause significant harm and complications for a company. Committing certain social media mistakes can lead to damage to the reputation of a company, loss of customers and the need to do major damage control. Fortunately, costly missteps are easy to avoid when you are aware of pitfalls and know how to step around them.

Companies often pay the price when they choose to attack other businesses, commenters, followers and others. Going into attack mode is rarely prudent. When involved in a social medial dispute or when there is the need to speak up, do so in a way that is informative and professional, not malicious or aggressive. You can walk the tightrope between defending your interests and saying something you may regret by choosing your words carefully and refusing to engage in name-calling.

It is also a mistake to post things that are inappropriate or could be perceived as insensitive to others. If you have doubts about the way another person may perceive your words, it’s probably best not to post. It is surprising how many companies and social media influencers say unwise, offensive or inappropriate things, only to have to walk back on their statements, apologize for their words and try to make amends.

Common social media mistakes also include failing to understand who you are trying to reach. When you do not know your target audience, your posts may be all over the place but fail to land anywhere. Narrow down your goals for your business’s use of social media, and develop your strategy around who you actually want to reach. With a little consideration and planning, you can avoid social media mistakes and carve out a strong following and presence on various platforms you choose to use.

By Meagan Kerlin for Vertu Marketing LLC

Leadership is not something that comes naturally for everyone. If you own a business, want to be an entrepreneur someday, work in any type of management or simply want to work on personal development, it is important to constantly sharpen your leadership skills. With time and intentional effort, it is possible to develop skills and habits that will make you a good, strong and consistent leader. Strong leadership skills can be an incredibly important part of achieving success in business and other parts of life.

One of the most critical aspects of being a strong leader is earning the trust of those with whom you work. Your employees and others may do what you say and follow your instructions, but trust is not the same as obedience. When you are trustworthy, people will be more likely to come to you with their concerns, ask for advice and willingly follow your guidance. Being a trustworthy leader is not necessarily the same thing as being liked, and it’s important to be able to distinguish the difference between these two things.

Part of honing your leadership skills is to learn the importance and power of the words you use. One of the marks of a good leader is someone who chooses his or her words wisely, making the effort to be kind and honest to everyone. If you speak unkindly, engage in gossip or do not follow up on what you say you will do, the people around you and those who work with you will likely not consider you a good leader. Words have power, and it’s important to use what you say to build people up, encourage, instruct and lead — not tear down and discourage.

While words have power, leadership also requires that you follow-up on what you say. It’s important to be a man or woman of your word. Being true to what you say is a mark of integrity, and it is also a mark of strong leadership. Honing your skills as a leader is a beneficial step for anyone who wants to improve, distinguish themselves and succeed.

By Meagan Kerlin for Vertu Marketing LLC