Join us for the Ultimate after-hours Networking Event Celebration ~ The DPWN Way!

Some of you may the story of how DPWN was started and without going into that once again in this article, it is safe to summarize that while my goal was to initially create a single, yet powerful referral group to support the mortgage business I was in at the time, it rapidly developed into a very productive and successful community that professional women all over the Chicagoland area desired to belong. It also awakened a desire in my heart to become a better resource for women and gave me an avenue to accomplish that in a way that is in alignment with my values, my assets and my personality.

Do you have expertise you want to share?

DPWN is currently looking to cultivate the “Heart and Soul” of our networking community with a blog to provide its members with a platform to share their wisdom and learn from each other.

We are looking for high quality, original material that should be informative, entertaining, factual, funny, or just plain silly on the following subjects:

11 Tips to get the results you want at your next networking event.

1. Set a goal - Plan to meet or reconnect with a quantified number of people. Weather it is one or more, when you set a goal to connect with a certain number of business professionals and challenge yourself to not leave without having met that goal, you will be more successful. Do not make your goal to large as quality is better than quantity.
2. Plan to bring a buddy or two – Regardless if you are an introvert or extrovert, this is an excellent way to make great connections. Plan to introduce each other to the new people you meet which will not only help your buddy make more connections, it will make you appear as a great connector and an influential person to know.

Welcome to the New Year.  Let’s start with a definition of  “Optimal Well Being”.

Optimal is ‘Most Desirable Possible’.    Well is ‘In a Satisfactory Condition’.  Being is ‘The Quality of Existence’ or ‘Essential Nature’.  So, here we have our topic:  Goal Setting for the Most Desirable, Satisfactory Condition of our True Nature.   From a spiritual point of view, the earth, our world, all creatures, and man are ever changing, growing, searching, and expanding for the best, that is our true nature.    Or to steal a quote from the US Army,  “Be All You Can Be”.

Notice the word “Be” that is not the same as “Do”.  Long ago at the EST training(given by Werner Erhard in the 70’s), I learned that, as humans, the creation of what we want goes in this order: BE, DO, HAVE.   In our goal setting, it is important to remember how we achieve our goals – our desired results.  First we Be, from that we are inspired to Do, then we Have the result.  Let’s break that down with the emphasis on “Be”. The word ‘Be’ means to exist, to have the quality of existing, to be identical to existing.  In other words, in order to ‘Have’ the result, I have to Be the result first.  And how can you  ‘Be’? You ‘Be’ the type of person that already has that goal, that result, in your thoughts, words, feelings, and actions.

Another year has come and gone as the hustle and bustle of the holidays are now behind us. January is the time many of us start to think and reflect on those resolutions we failed to achieve last year.  OK, let’s stop here for a moment.  And what I mean by that is, let’s S- step back, T-think, O-observe, and then P-proceed.

Instead of thinking about what you didn’t accomplish last year, step back from those original thoughts and think about those things you did accomplish – I’m sure you’ll find many more than you might have ever imagined.  Now observe your feelings as you acknowledge these successes versus dwell on your failures – and they don’t have to be big successes – great things come in little packages!  Feelings of disappointment, sadness, discouragement, or anger will magically morph into positive feelings of happiness, pride, excitement, and hopefulness.  To quote Barbara Fredrickson, world-renowned researcher and psychologist in her book Positivity:  “Positivity opens us.  The first core truth about positive emotions is that they open our hearts and our minds, making us more receptive and more creative”.

With your newly opened and creative mind, begin asking yourself the following questions:

• What strengths do I have that allowed me those successes last year?
• Who or what supported me when I needed it most?
• How did those successes align with my core values?
• What strategies did I use to overcome my obstacles?
• What is most important to me now when it comes to my own health and well-being?

You are now ready to proceed forward in setting goals (not resolutions) that are optimal for your well-being.  Remember, your answers to the above questions will fuel your success!