The journey to Expert

Many thanks to all you’ve called and written with their congratulations on my being granted AAPO Expert accreditation.  I take the honour very seriously, which is why I felt it worth my time and energy to apply.  Like most things which are worthwhile, it didn’t happen overnight.

In case you’re wondering what it takes to become an Expert in my field, I can tell you – you need to demonstrate you have racked up 750 hours of Organising services and 70 hours of professional development in the past 2 years, have 2 written recommendations from clients and one from a mentor.  The application is considered by a panel of 3 and approval is by no means automatic.

The steps which took me to Expert are the same steps which could have you achieving your goals too.  So I’ll share them here.

1. Set goals. First I set my goal to become accredited by a certain date.  Then I set mini goals in place, like setting deadlines to gather all the data and request recommendations from my clients.  What are you wanting to achieve?
2. Set aside time. I lead a full, busy and rewarding life.  I’m not the kind to sit around twiddling my thumbs.  To add a major project like this, I needed to make appointments with myself in my diary, or it would never happen.
3. Be accountable. I find it really helps when achieving goals, to be held accountable.  This works especially well when you are in business on your own.  It’s someone who will check in with you occasionally to see that you’re on track, to offer a different point of view and encouragement.
4. Be brave. Making change can be scary.  In my case, being judged by my peers was a little bit so.  But stepping out of your comfort zone to try something different is so worth it.
5. Do the work. There’s no getting around it.  All the planning and goal-setting in the world won’t get you there unless you actually knuckle down and do what needs to be done.
6. Celebrate the success. When your hard work and planning pays off, take time to thank those who’ve helped you and give yourself a pat on the back as well.

My work is all about helping clients achieve their goals to create order from chaos.  Give me a call on 0403 164 468 to chat about how easily that can be done.