Look back to move forward

2011 is now here and a fresh start begins. It is time to look ahead and write down your business goals for the year.

Before we do that, lets take a look back at 2010.

What were your business goals?

Did you accomplish any of those goals? Partially or fully?

How did these goals affect your business?

What were your disappointments?

How did these affect your business?

These are just a few questions you should be asking yourself. You may ask more. This is not about reflecting on the past. This is about learning. To know how to move forward we need to know how we arrived at today.

Expand on the successes of last year. Go over the disappointments and learn how a different path would change the outcome. These should be reflected in your new goals for 2011.

We need to write down the goals for 2011. We need to start with the long term goal for 2011. Break that down to 6 month goals, 3 month goals, 1 month goals. The first step to your long term goal is what will you do this week that will lead you in the direction of accomplishing your 2011 goals.

These need to be challenging but attainable goals. Lets break it down in an example to see where we need to go.

Lets say your goal for 2011 is to be in the position to pay your entire mortgage through your business earnings. If your mortgage monthly is $1,000, what will you need to earn each month? If after all business expenses your take home is 20% of all sales you will need to sell $5,00 monthly by the end of the year.

Now remember the goal is not to begin earning this much in the first month. The goal is to lead up to this. Maybe you will find it best for you to start with $1,000 each month for the first 4 months. You have to decide what is best for you.

In your goals you need to list what you are and are not willing to do. We all have something we are not willing to do so be honest here. If are not willing to go door to door or hold home parties, you need to list why you are not willing. Again be honest here. If you are not honest with yourself, you will not accomplish anything. If you say you will not do home parties because you do not like people, how can you work around that? Don't just list what you will not do and not offer yourself options. You may find what you will not do is something you are willing to do just didn't have options to make it happen.

Olivia Vidal
© 2011

Goals Are Dreams Written Down

When you have big dreams, write them down. Don't be afraid of them. Don't be afraid to dream big.

If I asked you how much you want to make this year, would you choose:

  a) $10,000
  b) $25,000
  c) $100,000
  d) $500,000

You should have chosen e) none of the above. Always want more!

Don't settle for the choices someone else gives you. Create your own choices, dreams, and goals.

Dreams cost nothing. Goals cost nothing. So go for the gold!

A life without purpose is like a ship without a rudder. The purpose of a goal is to focus your attention. Your mind will reach toward achievement only when it has a goal.

There is no achievement without goals. If you have no direction, how can you find success? Don't expect to stumble upon it.

Know what your goals are and break them down to smaller goals. See where you are in 1 month, 3 months, 6 months.

Always have something ahead of you. Keep moving after you achieve your goals and set new ones. Momentum is maintained by always having something to look forward to. Constantly give yourself something to work for. Nobody ever has everything they want. There is always something to desire and work towards.

Olivia Vidal
© 2009-2010
http://sochicbagboutique.com

One Step At A Time

Success is one step at a time. It is not overnight and not without work. For some it is more than they are willing to give. If you want to start at the top you will need to dig a hole.

Everyone who got where they are now had to begin at the bottom. Don't look at where a successful persons is now. Look at where they were and how they go to where they are now. You will see sacrifice, hard work, and dedication.

Your opportunity for success is right in front of you. You just have to learn to recognize it when you see it. In the beginning you will create your own opportunities rather than wait for the opportunity. As you grow and learn you will begin to seize opportunities. Never wait for an opportunity. If you wait, it will pass you by not realizing it has.

To attain success or to reach your goal, don't worry about having all the answers in advance. You just need to have a clear idea of your goal and move toward it. The answers will follow as you move forward.

Don't procrastinate when faced with a difficult problem. You have to face a problem to solve it. Break your problems into smaller parts and handle each part at a time. You will be surprised how easy and quickly you can overcome these. Break your biggest goals into small steps and take the first step right away. The longer you wait to make the first step the more likely you are to fail. Success starts with a first step.

You can make something happen today. You just have to get out there and make it happen. Don't wait for it to happen. If you wait, you will always wait while others propel themselves ahead of you.

Your success begins one step at a time.


Olivia Vidal
© 2009 - 2010
http://sochicbagboutique.com

Its Always A Good Time To Change

The first step toward getting somewhere is to decide that you're not going to stay where you are.

You're a product of your environment.
So choose an environment that will best develop you toward your goals.

Analyze your life in terms of your environment.
Are the things around you helping you toward your success or are they holding you back?

Your world today is a living expression of how you are using and have used your mind. It's something that you can change at any time.

You don't have to remain a captive of your environment.
Don't say "If I could change, I would change,"
say "I can change, and I will change."


© 2009 YourDailyMotivation.com


Olivia Vidal
© 2009
http://sochicbagboutique.com

Success Is Not Easy

We have been told the old tale of fast money and quick success. In the real world that we wake up to and breath every day, this is not true. Success and money take time and hard work. There is not money or success without work. If you want to prove me wrong, take that million dollar idea and tell just one person a week. If that is all you do, I give you 2 months before you quit.

Before you start, be realistic. What do what you love? I am not talking about what do you love to work. What do you love in love? What are you good at? Again this is in life not just work. What can you do in life? What are your strengths? This is the point you need to stop and write about who you are in every aspect of life. Sounds pointless? If you can't tell people about you and discover all that you love, how can you sell it to someone else when it really comes to making money?

What are your ultimate goals? If you have to have a goal to know where you are going. What are you willing to do to make those goals happen? Make a list. If that list is long, you need to think about is this really what you want to do? That list should be short and you should be willing to do just about everything it takes to reach those goals.

To reach success you need to have big goals and consistent action towards those goals every single day. Problem is you may have big goals but few are ever able to reach then. Its not because they are unattainable. Most give up. When they run into problems or too distracted by other things, they lose focus. This is a huge problem for many who decide to become a WAHM. Too many are sold the dream of staying home with the kids, little work, big pay. That is not how it works. WAHMs must work. WAHM means WORK at home mom/mother.

You must be honest with yourself when it comes to being a successful WAHM. You have to get your head out of fantasy land you read and hear about. It is not as easy as it seems. You also never see what it took to get there. Its a tough world. Everyone is out for themselves. You have to have tough skin and be willing to kick butt first and take names later. There is a lot of pressure in the world of business and you have to be willing to accept that. You will also come across many no's before you get a maybe. You will come across a lot of maybe's before you get that yes. It takes persistence and endurance.

You have to be willing to face all problems head on. Problem solving is not black and white. You must be creative. Sometimes those problems are scary but they must be faced and you must solve them to move forward. Don't expect others to help you solve problems. Nobody is going to hold your hand and help you along the way. You are on your own so you need to think that way.

You have to be willing to sacrifice. Don't put off something until tomorrow. For most people it never comes. If you aren't willing to do it today, you won't be able to do it period. Don't get lazy. If it needs to be done, do it. If you have an excuse not to do it, counter with an excuse to do it. Nothing ever gets accomplished by putting it off.

In the end nobody should ever care more about your success and money than you do. You must fight for these and never take no for an answer.

Olivia Vidal
© 2009
http://sochicbagboutique.com

Keeping your eye on the goal

In your business, whether a consultant or owner, you need to always have your eye on your goals. Without goals you have no direction. Goals are vital to your success. You cannot succeed if you don't know what the means and have a plan of action to get there.

The competition for business is heating up especially in this economy. The advances in technology, ease of communication, and increasing expectations from customers when combined make the marketplace more competitive than ever. In this day it is crucial for businesses to be proactive about creating their future. Without this, things happen without your control and usually for the bad.

It sounds simple enough, but most consultants and businesses don’t set goals ever. The idea of setting goals can feel intimidating if you don’t know where to start. The process is not difficult and can be very simple but there is a process. You may already have an idea but haven't gone any further.

There are 3 steps in the goal setting process:
* Your goals - what you want to achieve
* Actions needed to achieve your goals
* Review your goals

Sounds simple right? Of course it does. But that is also why you probably haven't taken the time to do this. You have it in mind what your goal is so why bother writing it down? Because until you lay it all out it is a dream not a goal to work towards. Achieving goals doesn't just happen. You make them happen.

So what are your goals? You may have several "dreams" but we want goals right now. Financial freedom is not a goal. It is a dream. Making $1000 a month is a goal. This may spell financial freedom but when you get down to the nitty gritty and make it specific you have a certain level to reach - a goal. See the difference?

Now ask yourself this, what do you not like about where you are in your business? Why ask yourself this? You need to know what you do not like so you know what you need to improve. This may be a long list and that is OK. When you are done with your list I want you to list your top 3. These are the most negative when it comes to impacting your business. Be specific. This is your list of goals. You will work on the other goals but lets concentrate on your top 3 right now.

Next I want you to write down all that you have not been doing that you could be doing. This list can include things that you don't know how to do, afraid to do, or simply just put off. This will become your actions to achieve your goals. Being a WAHM does not make this list easier or more flexible. You have to work and work towards what you want to achieve.

Last write down all that has been going well. What is working for your business. This should also include what is working well but can still be improved upon. Nothing is perfect in business so include all that you like. This is your review of your current business and will give you what you need in the future for reviewing.

You have identified your goals so match those to the actions you have listed. Don't list what you want to do. List what you need to do. If we only did what we want to do we may never get anywhere. Each goal will have more than one action and you may have more than 1 goal with the same set of actions. This is OK.

Keep your goals reachable and reasonable. It is OK to reach a bit but don't go too big. Making a million dollars your first year sounds great but this is not realistic. Separate your wishes from your wants. At the same time don't only go after goals you know you can do. You have to go beyond.

Each goal you have specified you will break down into steps based on your matched actions. There are steps. These steps will be broken down into time frames. Set short term, incremental goals. Short range goals are very important. Begin the first month and increase a little bit each month. Work up to larger goals. Never put yourself under huge pressure from the word go. This will only set you up for discouragement leading you to give up and quit.

Set your time frames in increments. Give yourself a chance to succeed. Never give up too early.

Every week you need revisit your goals and where you are in your progress. Each week list your progress and honestly. This is not the time to lie to yourself about what you have and have not done. There are also no excuses here. You either do or don't. Partner with someone who will help you stay on track. Stay on track. Always revisit your goals and be sure you are still after the same things.

Your confidence builds as you move along. If you fall down, get back up. If you miss a goal by its selected time frame, correct the problem and move on. Do not stop and dwell. Keep going with the same passion and determination as before. If this was your problem, fix it.

This process is a constant review and resetting of goals and actions based on actual progress. It is never over. You will also be adding to your list of goals as you complete goals. This is business not a to do list.

Make the time and set your business up for success. Put this on your schedule. Invest a few hours each week in the careful planning and goal setting for your business. Only then will you and your business reach it’s full and true potential.

Olivia Vidal
© 2009
http://sochicbagboutique.com