Did you take some time recently to think about and perhaps even write down your resolutions for 2010?
To be honest, I'm not exactly a fan of resolutions – really, what's so different about January 1 that's going to make a dramatic difference in whether or not you keep your resolutions? If you just have a list of things you'd like to accomplish, well, the answer is 'not much'. But if you have a PLAN to go along with your list, well, that can make ALL the difference.
What I've done for the past several years, as part of a much larger strategic planning process, is create what I call the Four Pillars. It includes just 4 goals that I want to achieve in my business within the next year. I review the previous year's goals before setting down the next set for the upcoming year, and what I've found from doing this process over and over is this: I've reached AT LEAST those 4 goals within the year (and usually quite a few more). How? Because those were the ones I created a plan around to achieve.
So even though 4 goals may not seem like a lot, if it's 4 more than you usually reach, wouldn't that feel great? 🙂
This year, instead of creating resolutions for your business, try the following steps to create your own Four Pillars Plan:
1. Create your 1 year vision
One of my favorite exercises is creating a vivid vision of what I want my life to look like over the next year. I include anything and everything I can think of, letting my imagination run wild while my fingers try to keep up with my mind as I write.
If you've done this or a similar exercise before, review what you've written previously. Acknowledge the progress you've made, but don't get stuck on the goals you didn't reach either. Move forward with your new or revised goals for the future.
2. Choose a theme
Usually from the 1-year vision exercise, a theme will emerge about what seems most right to focus on over the next year. It may be finances, relationship-building, or a specific piece of my marketing efforts that I want to implement or increase.
3. Choose 4 goals to focus on within that theme
Choose one goal that follows the overarching theme of your year to work on each quarter. For example, if your theme is 'increase market reach', your first quarter goal may be to get exposure in a media outlet you haven't tapped yet. Your second quarter goal may be to develop 3 new strategic alliances.
4. Break down each Quarterly Goal into monthly, weekly, and daily tasks
Now that you know what you want to focus on each quarter, figure out what you need to do each month, week, and day of that quarter to reach your goal. Then write down those tasks in your planner.
This step is huge – and it's also the step that most people skip. But I promise if you set aside the time to do this, you will reap the rewards. Doing this will almost effortlessly PULL you forward towards reaching your goals.
5. Get support
As entrepreneurs, we have a tendency to want to go-it-alone. But nothing will increase the likelihood of actually reaching your goals more quickly and easily than if you have someone else holding you accountable.
Buddy up with a colleague, or hire a coach, to keep you on track and moving forward. Check in once a week or two to ensure forward progress. And don't forget to celebrate your victories, whether they be big or small, along the way.
I know this sounds simple, but for some reason, we have a tendency to make everything much more difficult than it needs to be. If you follow the 5 steps I've given you, when this time comes next year, you'll be astounded that you actually reached, at the very least, your 4 goals of your Four Pillars Plan.
So what are your Four Pillars for the new year? Please share your comments below!
(c) 2009 Alicia Forest
About the author: Alicia M Forest, MBA, 6-Figure Business Breakthrough Mentor, teaches self-employed professionals how to attract more clients, create profit-making products and services, make more sales, and ultimately live the life they desire and deserve. For FREE tips on how to create wild abundance in your business, visit http://www.ClientAbundance.com
I've been spending a lot of time lately getting ready for 2010 – planning, organizing, strategizing, visioning, and more. There are many transitions and transformations on the horizon for me and my business, and much to do to prepare for them, so I'm making space and opening the flow.
In Part 1 of this article, I shared 3 ways you can make space in your business (read it here). Now here are 3 ways I'm opening the flow in my business that you can do too:
1. Escape Email Overwhelm
The number one distraction to moving your business forward by leaps instead of baby steps is email. So here's my system for handling email overload. If you can practice this 80% of the time, you'll be way ahead of the game.
a. Delete: scan and delete junk emails first
b. Move: move any emails into an appropriate folder – and create a rule to make that happen automatically
c. Delegate: delegate any emails that should be responded to by someone else
d. Respond: respond to any emails that only YOU can respond to
The goal is to only have emails in your inbox that require action from you!
2. Track your money
One of the easiest ways to open the flow of money in your business is to start tracking exactly how much comes in on a daily basis. I give each of my Platinum clients a money tracking sheet that makes it super-simple for them to implement this tip, but you can create your own very easily.
Just create a simple form that lists the days of the month, with your monthly money goal listed as well. Each day fill in the amount of money that came into your business, and don't forget to include affiliate payments and any other sources of revenue as well.
Just by paying attention to what's coming in will open the flow to more, and before you know it, all the days of the month will be filled in with a number!
3. Don't overbook
When putting together your master plan for 2010, make sure you don't overbook yourself. If you do, you won't leave space for other opportunites to show up that you likely aren't aware of yet.
When I completed my own master plan for 2010, and then just recently with one of my Private Platinum clients, it was complete, but not overbooked. There was time off, as well as space for other exciting possiblilities to come up.
How are you making space and opening the flow for the new year? I'd love to know – please leave your comments below.
(c) 2009 Alicia Forest
About the author: Alicia M Forest, MBA, 6-Figure Business Breakthrough Mentor, teaches self-employed professionals how to attract more clients, create profit-making products and services, make more sales, and ultimately live the life they desire and deserve. For FREE tips on how to create wild abundance in your business, visit http://www.ClientAbundance.com
Happy Holidays!
I know this time of year is filled with thoughts of holiday parties and getting all your shopping done asap, but you don't want to miss this…
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This is my holiday gift to you, as my way of saying thank you for being a Creating Client Abundance subscriber and for being part of the Client Abundance community!
So, if you want to receive your special link to receive 50% these best-selling products, be sure to sign up for my list to the left <<— (if you're already on my list, you'll receive your special link on Wednesday, December 16th automatically!).
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Remember, the sale starts on Wednesday, December 16th, so be on the lookout for your special link or be sure to register to the left <<– to get yours, ok?
Cheers,
~ A
I've been spending a lot of time lately getting ready for 2010 – planning, organizing, strategizing, visioning, and more. There are many transitions and transformations on the horizon for me and my business, and much to do to prepare for them, so I'm making space and opening the flow.
Here are some of the ways I'm doing this in my business that you can do too:
1. Clean Up Your Business Time
Time is your only non-renewable resource. If you've ever experienced days when you don't know where the time has gone, but you do know you haven't accomplished much, then you need to take a serious look at just what is eating up those precious minutes.
My coach's request of you is to track your time for the next two weeks. Like a food diary makes you intensely aware of what you're eating, a time log will allow you to quickly and easily identify where you're frittering time away.
Most likely culprits?…
Email and TV (yes, I know some of you are 'watching' TV while you're online, and no, that's not multi-tasking, that's just pure distraction).
Once you are aware of where your time is going, make a conscious effort to redirect it to more productive – or even more restful – activities. Turn the TV off (or TIVO/DVR whatever it is you must watch and give it your full attention later). And don't leave your email open all day long! Allot specific time to read and respond to it instead.
You'll be amazed at how just doing this simple exercise will free up the time you want for more important (and fun!) things. (Be sure to read Part 2 of this article next week where I'll share more specific and effective tips for handling email overload.)
2. Clean Up Your Business Space
Now is a great time to go through your files – computer and physical – and delete or organize them for moving forward to 2010.
I spent several hours going through my physical files recently, shredding lots of documents (I love to purge!), and setting up new files for my new Platinum clients as well as empty files for the ones yet to come.
During this process both online and off, I also found a lot of gems I'd forgotten about – pieces of content, systems and processes, tools, resources, audios, and more.
And now that I have a recent visual in my mind of what's in my files, it's literally at my fingertips as I move forward in building my business.
As for my computer, I actually went so far as to purchase a brand new laptop, and I'm being very discerning about what gets transferred over from my old PC to the new. Energetically and electonically, I can feel how much more open the flow is by doing this.
3. Clean up Your Business Circle
This one can be a bit difficult, but it's necessary to prune the people you surround yourself with from time to time. It doesn't mean you have to completely disconnect from them (unless they're just weighing you down energetically), but do make a conscious choice to spend more time in the company of those who lift you up.
Let me give you a simple example. If you're on someone's ezine list just because everyone else is or you feel like you should be, but you either a) don't read it or b) don't feel good when you do read it, just unsubscribe and allow the space for something that resonates with you to take its place.
Or maybe you're part of a mastermind group that you feel you've outgrown. Now is the time to graciously bow out. Once you do, you open the space for a new group to form around you that better supports where you are now.
How are you making space and opening the flow for the new year? I'd love to know – please leave your comments below.
(c) 2009 Alicia Forest
Aout the author: Alicia M Forest, MBA, 6-Figure Business Breakthrough Mentor, teaches self-employed professionals how to attract more clients, create profit-making products and services, make more sales, and ultimately live the life they desire and deserve. For FREE tips on how to create wild abundance in your business, visit http://www.ClientAbundance.com
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