I get a lot of questions from clients, students and others about how to do various things. Sometimes these questions are about the technical details of how to do something, but often the question is about how they go about getting permission to publish a book, become a consultant, create a course, etc. They want to know what course they need to complete, what group they need to join or who needs to give them a title before they can do what they want to do. While that is necessary if you want to be a doctor, in the world of entrepreneurs you do not need a license to succeed.

When someone is waiting for permission it is often because they do not have confidence in their ability to do something. The way to get that confidence is not to look to someone else. The way to get confidence in your ability to do something is to do it.

In the corporate world there are people who hand out titles and job duties. As an entrepreneur, you are the one who decides what your title is (if any) and what responsibilities you have. Want to be a published author? Write a book and get it published. Want to be a professional speaker? Get to the front of the room and start talking. Want to be a consultant? Start lining up clients you can help. It’s up to you.

There are people and educational resources to help with the things you do not know how to do or that you do not want to do on your own. However, there is no one who can give you permission. No one but you.

Want to become a professional speaker? The first time I gave a talk I was nervous and not all that good at it. But I gave myself permission to be a speaker. I decided I could get better with practice, so I practiced. I spoke to many local community groups. I taught a class for a local university. I participated in professional associations where I led meetings. Not only did I become a better speaker, I KNEW I was a better speaker because I had the experience to back it up. And how did I get that experience? That’s right, boys and girls, I just did it.

If you are waiting for someone to give you permission to be successful you may be in for a long wait. Stop waiting for others to tell you that you can do something and just do it.

A farmer stood fascinated before a merry-go-round. He changed a dollar into twenty nickels. He took a ride and then paid another nickel for another ride, until he had spent all twenty nickels.

Draw your own lesson.

Do you confuse movement with progress? It’s easy to do. We spend our days running from place to place and feeling busy, but we may not be accomplishing anything of value.

Try this exercise this week:

As you go through each day, note what you are doing. At the end of the day, look over your list. Were you doing “busy work” or accomplishing tasks that will move your business forward?

Although it may be almost impossible to get rid of all busy work, look for ways to minimize the amount of time you spend on it.

When you identify busy work first ask, “Is this something that really needs to be done?” It may be that you can stop doing it without any negative results.

If the task needs to be done ask, “Is this something that I should be doing, or could someone else do it?” Delegate or outsource anything that is not the best use of your time.

Taking action on those two questions may free up several hours a week. So how will you use those hours?

Determine what activities are the most productive and profitable for you, and focus your efforts there.

One reason we fill our days with activities that do not lead us closer to our goals is that we may not have a clear vision of those goals. When you know where you are going, you are less likely to spend your time going around in circles.

Have you ever noticed that tasks expand to fill the time allotted for them? If you have all day to do something, it will take you all day. However, if you have only 15 or 20 minutes, you will be surprised at how much you can accomplish in that time.

You may be saying, “But I don’t even have 15 minutes!” Sure you do. Here are 15 ways to find that extra 15 minutes you think you don’t have. They won’t all work for you, but if you do even one or two of them you will free up at least an hour or two a week (and possibly much more than that).

1.    Check email less frequently. Even though you have the same amount of email whether you check it once a day or 100 times a day, you will spend more time on email the more times you check your in box. Try cutting back to three or four times a day and see what I mean.

2.    Spend less time on “addictive” web sites. Most of us have a favorite site where we pop over to get a quick look at something . . . and do not come up for air until an hour or so has passed. Set a timer for five minutes and leave the site when the timer goes off, or do not go there at all.

3.    Do not call if you can email. When you need to pass along information or ask a question, send an email instead of calling. Even a quick call takes longer than dashing off an email, and if the call gets off track you could spend a lot of time on the phone.

4.    Schedule an appointment with yourself. Plan your 15 minute task first thing in the morning, last thing in the afternoon, right after lunch, or whenever you are most productive. Put it on your calendar and honor the appointment as much as you would an appointment with a client.

5.    Delegate routine tasks. One of the best things I ever did for my business was hiring a fulfillment service to ship book orders for me. That freed up hours I was spending on tasks that, as it turned out, could be turned over to someone else with one phone call. Hire a Virtual Assistant to handle repetitive tasks, get an intern, or put one of your kids to work.

6.    Eliminate busywork. Are there things you do “just because”? “Just because” you have always done them, or “just because” it seems like the thing to do? Stop it!

7.    Have a plan. List your priorities and what you have to do.  I make it a point to plan my day the afternoon or evening before. I am not a morning person, and having that plan allows me to jump right in to my day, rather than trying to figure out what I should be doing. It is easy to waste 15 minutes or more wondering which things you should be working on or which tasks should be completed first.

8.    That goes double for meetings. I do everything I can to avoid meetings, but when they can not be avoided, I make sure we have an agenda and follow it. You know what I mean—everyone has been in the never-ending meeting from hell at some time.

9.    Use downtime. Waiting at the salon or the doctor’s office? Commuting to work or to client appointments? Use that time to complete simple tasks, such as dictating or editing an article draft.

10.    Time shift. Instead of watching your favorite television show live, record it and skip through the credits and commercial breaks. You can save 15 minutes in one 60 minute show this way.

11.    Stop procrastinating. When there is something you do not want to do, you can find all kinds of creative ways to put it off. Just do it instead of looking for unnecessary activities to fill your time. When you stop putting off the “icky” stuff, you will get more done and have lots of time to write.

12.    Get organized. Have you ever spent an hour looking for something that you knew was “here somewhere”? Put things where they belong and reclaim the time you spend looking for stuff in the chaos.

13.    Let the phone go to voice mail. Return all of your phone calls during one block of time, or have an assistant retrieve your messages and return your calls.

14.    Say no. You are not obligated to do everything you are asked to do. Sometimes you need to say no. Saying no can free up lots of time.

15.    Just do it. We make time for what is important and excuses for the rest. If you truly want to do something, you will do it.

If you’re a coach or consultant, you probably have an endless supply of free teleseminars hogging space on your computer, just waiting to be played one day. But that day never comes because you feel overwhelmed by all the files you’ve attracted.

Here’s how to make the most of listening to teleseminars and still getting your work done.

Here’s the story. You sign up for a free teleseminar but you can’t attend because of another meeting. Lord knows there are so many free teleseminars being offered today that you can’t attend every one of them, even though there is good information to be gleaned from them. So you download the MP3 file with every intention of listening to it.

Most coaches and consultants who offer teleseminars will let you download the MP3 so you can listen at your conv enience. After all, they want to build their brand and it doesn’t matter to them if you listen live or on a recording. So it is a win-win situation for everyone – if you listen to the call.

But many people don’t listen to teleseminar recordings because they get busy, they forget they have the recording or they don’t have time to devote a full hour to listening to a teleseminar.

And let’s face it. Some teleseminars contain more content then others. That’s a nice way of saying that some teleseminars have little content and lots of sales pitches so you feel you are wasting your time.

So before you open any teleseminar recording, you always wonder: “Will this be a good use of my time?”

Six Ways to Get the Most Productivity and Information from Teleseminars.

I listen to teleseminars nearly every day and I’m more knowledgeable as a resu lt. I’ve also listened to a few turkeys as well. But I’ve gotten the most from teleseminars by using a few techniques to make the best use of my time. Here are six ways you can be more productive.

1.     Multitask. This is the first rule of getting the most from teleseminars. All the other rules pale in comparison to this. You cannot devote one hour to listening to one teleseminar and doing nothing else. I know some people might disagree with this, but there is so much filler and fluff and sales in teleseminars, that if you listen and do nothing else, you will have wasted 25 percent of the hour.

2.     Acknowledge that there will be sales and bio and material you already know. Don’t get upset or disappointed. There’s a reason the teleseminar is free. The speaker and host want to make sales. They also want to help people and they know they won’t make sales unless they offer good content. So get over any irritation you might have when you hear the sales pitch. You can tune out if you like. But don’t throw out a perfectly good batch of information just because you don’t want to invest in the speaker’s services.

3.     Listen with one ear on the teleseminar for good information, new perspectives and even reminders of info that you know. It reinforces good habits. But with the rest of your body, do the mindless work you know you need to do but doesn’t require any brainpower. For example, it’s a great time to clean up your office, sort files, enter bookkeeping records, do your nails or lift weights. It isn’t a good time to do complicated tasks like balancing your checkbook or writing a proposal or reading a book.

4.     Keep a notepad handy. You will want to take notes on new info or reminders that pop into your head.

5.    You might also want to write the time code of an interesting discussion in case you want to listen to that segment again. Sometimes speakers offer a meditation sequence that is helpful and you might want to listen to it again. Having the time code will save you time in finding that segment.

6.     Accept invitations to any teleseminar that comes your way, even ones that might be a bit “woo woo.” You never know what you will learn. If it’s too far off the cliff, you can always delete the file.

If you follow these tips, you might find that you are smarter than you were before you listened to the teleseminar – and you’ll have more space on your computer!

If you want to market yourself better as a coach, listen to these 10 free teleseminars of interviews with 6- and 7-figure coaches conducted by Dan Janal. Go to http://www.prleads.com/coach-master.htm to download the free recordings. Dan Janal is a very successful entrepreneur, professional speaker and marketing coach who helps clients build their businesses by improving their strategy for using publicity, marketing, Internet marketing, e-commerce and sales. For more information, go to http://www.prleadsplus.com

Here are some tips to help you clear the gunk out of your mind, be more focused and get more done.

Write it down. The more things you try to remember, the harder it becomes to remember any of them. And you may always have the nagging feeling that you are forgetting something—even if you are not. Set up a system where you write down anything that needs to be done: appointments, errands, phone calls, projects, etc. It could be a paper notebook, a file on your computer, or text messages to yourself. Use whatever works best for you, but write it all down.

Have a routine. Routines allow you to get things done without spending a lot of time thinking about what to do or in what order. If you know that every morning you get up, work out, shower, have breakfast, then check your email, you will just do it without having to agonize over it. The same thing goes for your workday. Have a routine for the things you must do every day, then follow the routine.

Set priorities. Know what is most important in your life right now, and deal with that. The rest of it can wait.

Do not attempt to multitask. You may think you can, but you can’t. Your brain can do one thing at a time, and trying to shift from one thing to another ends up taking more time than if you just did one thing at a time. Focus on what is in front of you now, do it, then move on to the next thing.

Learn to say no. You can not do everything everyone wants you to do. There are only 24 hours in the day, and you need at least a few of them for things such as eating and sleeping. This does not mean that you should never help anyone, or that you should always say no, but that you should not take on more than you can do. Too often we say yes because we do not want to be seen as selfish or uncaring. It is not selfish to say no to requests when you are already overloaded. Just say no.

Do not worry about things you can not control. Take any action you can to avoid an undesirable outcome, or to minimize the effects, then put it out of your mind. It may rain on the day of your child’s birthday party. Make a Plan B in case that happens, then forget about it. You may not get that new client. Do your best proposal, follow up appropriately, then let things take their course. Losing sleep and making yourself crazy will not make anything come out better.

Put things in logical places. Keep your briefcase, keys and other items you often carry with you in one place, together. When there is something else you need to take (e.g., a package to drop off at the post office) put it with your keys. You won’t have to hunt for what you need and you won’t forget anything.

Take time to recharge. Just like your cell phone, you lose power when you do not recharge now and then. Make time during the day to meditate, listen to music, read, have a cup of tea or whatever relaxes you. A few minutes spent recharging can make you more effective all day.

Brighten it up with light. Working in a dark dungeon isn’t good for your energy levels, mood or productivity. Let in the sunshine for an immediate pick-up. If you don’t have a lot of natural light in your home office, add some. You can add lamps and light fixtures in key locations. Instead of harsh light, use natural spectrum light bulbs that simulate sunlight.

Add plants. Now that you have some light, add plants to your workspace. Plants help to naturally clean the air around you and they are nice to look at. Keep a pot of blooming flowers in your office. Not only are they beautiful, the blooms last much longer than cut flowers.

Get organized. Not only will you be more productive, you will feel less stress. Just looking at a desk piled with papers, or a work table that is buried under multiple projects, can make you feel anxious and unhappy. Pick up a few fun, brightly colored organizing accessories to help you organize and add color at the same time.

Do something about those cords! Do you have computer cables and power cords running all over the place? Take out any unnecessary cords (What does that go to, anyway?), and hide any others that you can. Use ties to keep cables together so they don’t get tangled. Label them so you know what the other end of each cable is connected to.

Put on a fresh coat of paint. Painting is one of the most cost-effective decorating changes you can make to any room, including your home office. Choose a color that you will enjoy looking at all day. Make it bold and bright, or soft and subdued, but changing the color of a room changes the mood. Even if you don’t make much of a change to the color, a fresh coat of paint brightens the room.

Put your personality into your office. Hang pictures or your family and friends, your favorite places or paintings you like to look at. Make a vision board that represents your goals and hang it where it will inspire you throughout the day.

Update your office for comfort. How many hours a day do you spend in your chair? If you are still using that $15 chair you got on sale, maybe it is time to treat yourself to a new, ergonomic chair. Your back will thank you and you will be more productive when you are comfortable (and not in pain).

Do you like to listen to music during the workday? Get a dock or speakers for your iPod, or put a small CD or MP3 player near your desk.

Make your home office a welcoming space where you can do your best work in comfort and peace.

For several years, I have chosen a theme word to keep me focused on what I am trying to achieve. For example, one year the word was “Product,” when I was focused on creating lots of new products. That single word keeps me on the right track, and working toward my goals.

Your theme should be one or two words that relate to your most important goals for the year. Examples of themes might be Organization, Focus, Influence, Visibility, Service, Revenue, Involvement, Delegate, etc. Here is how you can choose your theme and use it to help you achieve more in the new year.

First, look at your goals for the coming year. If you have not set your goals yet, do it. You can not reach goals that you have not even formed. Oh, and write them down. That is important. Print them out and keep the list somewhere where you see it often, such as your office wall.(If the list is not for public consumption, then put it in a desk drawer or print it on a card you keep in your wallet.)

What needs to change for you to be able to reach the goals you have set? Maybe you tend to start a lot of things and never finish them. “Focus” might be a good theme for you. Perhaps your issue is that you lose track of projects, miss deadlines or even forget to invoice clients. Then “Organization” could be the right theme. Do you spend too much time on things with no clear benefit to your business? Maybe your theme should be “Revenue.”

Keep your theme positive.“Stop Procrastinating” is negative. A better choice would be “Timely,” “Now” or “Do it Now.”

Choose only one theme. If you say that your theme for the year is “Focus, Involvement, Revenue and Organization,” well, you’ve blown the “Focus” thing right out of the gate. One theme.

The purpose of your theme is to keep you focused on the things you need to do to reach your goal. Print out graphics of your theme word and post them on your wall, your computer, your phone, wherever you will see them often. Make your theme word the background for your computer desktop.

As you make decisions during the year, remember your theme. For example, if you are offered a position on the board of your professional association, should you accept? The answer is more likely to be yes if your theme is “Involvement” or “Visibility” than if it is “Focus” or “Revenue.” Always ask yourself, “Would this choice be consistent with my theme and move me closer to my goals?” If so, go for it. If not, think long and hard before making that choice.

Although I tend to think in terms of a theme for a year, your theme does not have to be tied to the calendar. Your circumstances may change at any time, and your theme should change along with the needs of your business.

So what is your theme?

Why not set aside some time in the next few days to swat your flies and get rid of those annoying little items on your to-do list? It will feel good to get a bunch of stuff off the list, and it is much quieter when they stop buzzing around.

I am not a morning person. I do not leap from my bed, ready to take on the day, with a spring in my step and a smile on my lips. It takes a little time for me to get into the swing of the day.

Once I get rolling, the day is mine, but I could easily lose a couple of hours every day if I didn’t have rituals in place.

First, I have a routine I follow when I wake up. Certain things (business and personal) get done every morning. Having that routine in place means I do not have to think about what to do, I can just do it. This is useful when my mind is still a little fuzzy.

Along the same line, one of the last things I do each day is plan the following day. What must I accomplish the next day? What steps will I take toward my goals? That means that as soon as I have completed my standard morning tasks, I can start right in to my work for that day without having to think about which things need to be done. I already know.

The specifics of my daily rituals may be very different from yours, but you should have rituals. Yours may include setting aside certain times for communication (email and phone calls), exercise or meditation, writing and other creative work, administrative tasks, household duties, and time with family and friends. Having a ritual makes doing these things automatic.

As you become familiar with your daily rhythms, you can schedule tasks for the time of day when you are at your best for them. I find that I handle organizational and administrative tasks best in the morning, and creative work is easier and flows better in the late morning and early afternoon. Be sure to include time to recharge. You may even find it useful to schedule a short daily nap as part of your routine.

Some people are resistant to the idea of rituals and routines. They think they are constricting. In fact, just the opposite may be true. I find that having structure simply keeps me focused. And your rituals should not be so limiting that they can not adjust when necessary.

Another objection is that it makes everything, including time with family and friends, seem like one more thing to check off the list. However, it is important that you “stay in the moment” with anything you do. Whether you are getting together with a few friends or working on a client project, you need to be totally present for whatever you are doing. Having “a time for everything and everything in its time” helps you to do that.

Start developing your rituals today. Keep in mind that they will not be carved in stone, and they will evolve over time. The idea is to create rituals that work for you, not to tie yourself down to an arbitrary routine.

Don’t overwhelm yourself. If your to-do list for today is: (1) Clean out the garage, (2) Write a book, (3) Bring peace to the Middle East…well, you may be setting yourself up to fail. Your daily list should only contain tasks you have a reasonable chance of completing that day.

You can still have a master list of all of those things you want or need to do, but your list for a single day should only include what you plan to do that day. Listing 127 tasks and completing six of them does not lead to a feeling of accomplishment. Especially if you added eight tasks to your list that day. However, planning to accomplish six things, and doing so, feels good. Be realistic about what you can do in one day.

Set aside some focused time. I will set a timer for 15 minutes, 45 minutes or some other amount of time, and work only on a specific task. No checking email, no “just one phone call,” no checking eBay or Twitter. Just work on the task. It’s amazing how much you can get done without distractions.

And one more thing: I set my daily goals the evening before. It makes it easier to dive right into the day, first thing in the morning.

So, get started on your daily goals and see what you accomplish.