Another Month Comes To A Close

Wow - another month just vanished into the sunset. Did we accomplish our goals for the month? Did we reach our benchmarks? Be honest with yourself. Don't point the blame on anyone or anything, but yourself. You need to make a decision to take one step per day and take action. But first let's look at getting rid of the clutter and the overwhelming email, files, projects that are keeping us from moving forward.

Is a Home Business Right For You?

This is a huge question that needs to be answered very honestly and completely? Do you hate the commute and traffic to go to a job? Is the cost of commuting breaking the budget or wasting too many hours of the day? Or do you like the quiet time to have to drive by yourself and unwind? Do you use that time for listening to educational or motivational recordings in your vehicle or running errands during the day? Do you like having a boss telling you what needs to be done each day? Would you miss receiving your standard hourly/weekly rate of pay or benefits? The paid holidays, sick/personal time and vacations would be a thing of the past. The assistance or disturbance of fellow workers will vanish. Would you miss the breaks and lunches with co-workers or friends. These are just some of the factors to consider.

Take 100% Responsibility for Your Life

If you truly want to live the life of your dreams you need to take full responsibility for the life you want to create. In Jack Canfield's book "Success Principles" The first chapter is "Principle 1 - Take 100 % Responsibility For Your Life".

Make it Manageable

"The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex, overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one"
Mark Twain

Your goal should be a stretch, but yet an attainable venture. Breaking your goal into manageable sections will lessen the fear factor and lay out the steps that need to be taken. Say your goal is earn $100,00 over the next 12 months. Be realistic and know you probably will not earn $8333 in your first month. Break down how many sales or people you would need to have in your business to earn your financial goal. Set specific benchmarks for each month and each quarter. Determine what tasks need to be accomplished each day, each week and each month. Set daily to do lists of the smaller tasks and don't leave the most difficult one to the end of day. Tackle the "chore" first when you are fresh and ready to go in the morning. You will achieve a great sense of accomplishment and the rest of the day is all down hill. Celebrate that completed list each day. A great piece of chocolate is one my favorite rewards!

One of the most under utilized resources are mentors and other small business owners. Learn from someone who has already built a successful business. Many business owners are willing to share their experiences, just be respectful of their time. Do your homework and have a well prepared short list of questions ready for them. You are looking for guidance and advice, not their trade secrets.

Time to Get Moving

Don't spend too much time perfecting your goal list and mission statment. Adjustments can be made along the way. The important factors are they are realistic, measurable and attainable. Again, dream big make this a stretch for you to learn and grow. You are at the starting point and need to select a destination. Also set review dates to analyze your progress.

Get going! This a critical step for many people who get caught up in too much planning and perfecting. Start creating your product and/or service.

Coach Mike Litman always said "You don't have to get in right, you just need to get it going"!

“I believe each of us is born with a life purpose. Identifying, acknowledging, and honoring this purpose is perhaps the most important action successful people take. To be “on purpose” means you’re doing what you love to do, doing what you’re good at an accomplishing what’s important to you. When you truly are on purpose, the people, resources, and opportunities you need naturally gravitate toward you” Jack Canfield


Don’t hold back on the true big dream you desire. Write it down!
How can you get what you want if you do not have a clear vision of your goals? For now don’t think about how you will achieve those goals. Write down a list of things you want to do, a list of things to have and a list of things you want to be. Analyze, prioritize and visualize.

Where do you want to go?

Did you write it down? Is it a dream/goal that will make you jump out of bed each and every morning? If not, why not? What is your motivation? What is your passion?
Are you really the entrepreneur or work from home type?

Do you have the mindset, tools, knowledge and commitment to put your plan into action?

I really want you to focus on that statement.

It is time to invest in yourself!

It does not matter what business you decide to work for or promote, the focus is YOU. You need to brand yourself. You need to have a Plan. You need to Take Responsibility and put The Plan into action.

Since each person is so different, I am listing several different resources for you to check out.

Chuck Bartok, a veteran marketer and entrepreneur, has graciously been putting radio shows on the web since 2006 reviewing three of the most powerful classic books of all time. Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill; The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace Wattles; and The Master Key by Charles Haanel

It is not a matter of just reading these books, it is about studying the principles laid out.

Chuck and his team provide insightful thoughts and experiences. Join them!
http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/talkCast.jsp?masterId=2855

Another path in modern terms is The Success Principles by Jack Canfield, this is an awesome book that is quite lengthy but worth every word. This book is for everyone. I have highly recommended this book to high school and college students. If they would only teach these principles in our schools today!

Another great resource, The Passion Test by Janet Bray Attwood and Chris Attwood offers a great program to help you determine your passions
http://www.thepassiontest.com?af=24168

The world's most famous website for personal development offers a free Mission Statement to help you clarify your path.
http://www.nightingale.com/mission_select.aspx?from=homepage&element=missiontitle
Their company is the ultimate resource for personal development products

Goal Tribe is another neat resource that is free. I see this as a great tool for weekly or month goals to help you be accountable.
http://www.goaltribe.com/main/home

A dream is a vision. But a Goal is a specific written plan that is measurable, realistic, action oriented with a specific time frame.